W, M. Fontaine— Conglomerate Series of West Virginia. 281 



character as found in the Kanawha Valley. Tt is not known 

 how much farther east they extend, but it cannot be to any 

 considerable distance. No. 21 of the conglomerate series is the 

 only persistent member. As it is found everywhere throughout 

 the Appalachian Coal Field, being in many places the sole repre- 

 sentative of the series, and as it is always at a uniform distance 

 below the lowest workable coal-seam of the Lower Productive 

 coal it would seem to been titled to be called, as it has been, 

 "The Conglomerate of the Coal Measures." In Ealeigh County, 

 and along New Eiver, it is usually a coarse white sandstone, 

 with some conglomeritic portions in its middle and upper parts. 

 In its lower portions it is more flaggy and argillaceous. It 

 varies in thickness from 150 to 200 feet. In the section I have 

 in my summation taken it at the lower figure. 



No. 20, near Piney Kiver, shows at its outcrop only black 

 slate. It has been opened near Quinnimont, and is said there 

 to contain thin strings of coal. Nos. 20, 19, and 18, have no 

 features of special interest. 



No. 17. This is the coal-seam which is worked extensively 

 at Quinnimont, where it is coked and used in the furnace at 

 that place. It is the most persistent and best developed seam 

 of the series, being easily recognized everywhere in this region 

 by its peculiar structure. From the flaggy sandstones over this 

 bed at Sewell Station were obtained the plants of Devonian 

 type mentioned in my former paper. At Quinnimont I could 

 find none of these, and it is there remarkably free from plant- 

 impressions of all kinds. In Raleigh also it showed no plants. 

 At Sewell Station, this seam was at first opened for the purpose 

 of working it, but was soon abandoned, owing to an apparent 

 thinning out which was in fact caused by a slide. 



No. 16, on the Raleigh road, was not fully exposed owing 

 to slides, which also obscure its outcrop at Quinnimont. It 

 presents the subdivisions founded on the character of the sand- 

 the section, but the coal beds are given on the 



""v.ii. J. uave no aouDt or tneir existence, lor au 

 the black slate accompanying 16 c?, or Coal No. 8, \ 



No. 15 was only partially exposed at its outcrop on the 

 Raleigh road. Next, to the Quinnimont seam, it appears to me 

 to be the most promising seam of the field. The fire-clay is of 

 fine texture, and sharply distinct from the coal, features not 

 usually seen in the coals of this series. 



No. 14, (Coal 5. ) This presents in a marked manner a fea- 

 pre very common in this field. The coal at its base exists 

 *o the form of numerous interstratifications of coal in thin 

 partings, and black' carbonaceous shales ; the whole being top- 

 ped by strata which become more and more siliceous, and firmer 

 aa they ascend- There is enough carbon diffused through the 



