W, K Fontaine— Conglomerate Series of West Virginia. 277 



the fall of the river, even the underlying Umbral red shales are 

 fully disclosed, and the entire series in question is contained in 

 the lofty hills at Quiunimont, while in their summits they still 

 retain a small remnant of the lower productive coals, with one 

 and sometimes two coal beds. 



While making my examination at Quinnimont I received 

 valuable aid from Mr, S. F. Morris, C. E , and I take this oppor- 

 tunity to make my acknowledgments to bim. Mr. Morris had, 

 by levelling, determined the height of many points, and ex- 

 amined the character of the strata around Quinnimont, in 

 bebalf of the company owning the furnace and coal mine at 

 that point. The data which he kindly put at my disposal were 

 of great assistance in checking my own observations. 



During the same summer I also made an examination of the 

 country to the east of the Quinnimont, especially that portion 

 in the vicinity of the White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier 

 County. It will perhaps be well to give here some of the facts 

 thus obtained, bearing on the general geology of the region, in 

 order more clearly to define the relations of the series to be 

 described in this paper. In order to do this I will commence at 

 the east and proceed west along the line of the Chesapeake and 

 Ohio Railroad, whose general course is across the strike of all 

 the strata underlying the rocks in question. 



We may for a clearer exposition commence at Lewis Tunnel, 

 a point six miles east of the White Sulphur. Here we lind 

 Vespertine strata which run in a narrow belt along the east face 

 of the main Alleghany range, and contain the small coal beds, 

 and plant-bearing shales, found near the Tunnel. The main 

 range and the country westward for twelve miles is occupied 

 by highly disturbed Devonian strata, mainly Hamilton. Por- 

 tage, and Chemung, with probably the Oatskill group. In the 

 center of this belt the Springs are situated. Six miles west of 

 the Springs, we find, on the east side of a small creek, hi^dily 

 (.'ontorted Devonian strata, and on the west side within 100 

 yards, the upper portion of the Vespertine, dipfung gently east- 

 ward toward the contorted Devonian. Just above the Ves- 

 pertine, in the hill across this stream, the base of the Umbral or 

 Levvisburg limestone may be F.een. The contortions and other 

 evidences of great disturbance which follow us from the ea.st up 

 to this point now cease, and throughout the wide belt of 

 country lying between this point and the Ohio River, the strata 

 undulate more and more gently, until before Quiauiinont is 

 reached the rolls cease to reverse the dip, but serve to k(H-|. the 

 strata longer at the surface than they would otlierwise rciuam 

 m that position. 



This sudden change in structure is not found here alone, 

 although it seems to be more marked here than elsewhere. It 



