THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN GOAL FIELD. 9 



straight line running nearly N. E. and S. "W. It is the 

 southeastern edge of Bristow's Cove and Murphree's Yalley, 

 to the lower, or southwestern end of the field. 



Although the southeastern edge of the valley is the actual 

 northwestern edge of the coal field, yet the high ' elevation 

 called Straight Mountain composed wholly of coal measure 

 rocks, intervenes between the valley and the productive 

 portion of the field. This is a high, narrow ridge with vert- 

 ical strata ; its general height is 300 to 400 feet above the 

 valley. Its breadth from 1,000 to 1,500 feet, with 500 to 1,000 

 feet more of very highly inclined strata along its southeast- 

 ern flank, or inner side. Hence, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet in 

 breadth, along the edge of Murphree's Yalley, which al- 

 though it contains much coal, because not in available posi- 

 tion for advantageous mining, must be regarded as unpro- 

 ductive. Toward the upper or northeastern end of Mur- 

 phree's Yalley this ridge gradually diminishes in height and 

 volume, and northeast of the Locust Fork of the Warrior 

 Kiver its strata are changed gradually from the vertical to a 

 highly inclined southeastern dip. 



The dip of the strata in this field is mainly to the north- 

 west, and generally about 10 to 12, in a few places more, 

 in many places less, except along the southeastern side of 

 Straight Mountain which has a variable southeast dip, of 

 20o to 80"*. Also a strip from one-quarter of a mile to two 

 miles wide adjoining the mountain has a gentle southeast 

 dip gradually diminishing to the horizontal. The field has 

 the general features of an irregular synclinal with its lowest 

 depression of strata near its northwestern side. The south- 

 eastern rim or Blount Mountain being elevated higher than 

 Straight Mountain, the northwestern dips extend much 

 farther than the southeastern ; and these diverse dips do 

 not meet as in a true or symmetrical synclinal fold, but both 

 gradually diminish until they become imperceptible, and 

 have a space of one to two miles broad of undisturbed hor- 

 izontal strata between them. This general arrangement ex- 

 tends through the whole length of this coal field, but is more 



