W. M. Fontaine—‘ Great Conglomerate” on New River. 578 
Art. LIV.—The “ Great Conglomerate” on New River, West 
— Virginia; by Wm. M. FonTaine. 
[Concluded from page 465.] 
THIS series, while in some features resembling the overlying 
Lower Coal rocks, is distinguished by the almost entire absence 
of shales, notably in connection with the coal beds. We find 
no well developed under-clays with the coals, and no shales 
rop, V 
thickness, showing sometimes, in short distances, a change of 
several feet. These rapid changes are the only unfavorable char- 
acteristic. I could find no specimen of coal sufficiently fresh to 
give me a good idea of the mineral. Rogers, in his analysis, 
makes them remarkably free from ash, and with much less 
bituminous matter than the beds of the Lower Coal series, 
From the weathered appearance of the bed which I examined 
in detail, the proportion of sulphur is large, as we might expect 
from the antiquity of the formation. 
The following measurements, kindly furnished me by Mr. 
Maury, were taken a short distance east of the point examined 
by myself They will thus serve as a description of the coal 
beds at the station. The railroad here runs about 50 ft. above 
the level of the river. 
i s above the railroad. 
495 ft. 2 ft. seam. 
595 ft. 4h 
635 ft. 24 ft. “ 
647 ft. By 
747 ft. 24 ft. “ 
847 ft. se | ins A 
1125 ft., over massive sandstone, 4 ft. 10 in. seam. 
1315 ft. 4ft.6in, “ 
The third seam is a good example of the fluctuations in thick- 
ness of the coals of this system. On the road, near the station, 
it is only 7 in., probably from a slip. About a mile above the 
