W. M. Fontaine— Vespertine Strata of Virginia. 117 



without success. The large amount of carbon in some of the 

 shale immediately associated with the coal, its highly glazed 

 aspect Ui'oiii tnction). and the intimate manner in which it is 

 mixed with the true coal, have led to an exaggerated estimate 

 of the thickness of the beds. This mistake was aided by the 

 imperfect manner in which the coal was exposed in the out- 

 crops. From these causes I was myself led, some two years 

 ago, on my first visit to the place, to think the amount of coal 

 greater than it has proved to b 

 sive exploration made in thi.- 



Yirginia. has demonstrated that the amount or coai is too sman, 

 and its crushing too great, to render it of commercial value. 

 The Vespertine strata in Montgomery County. 

 I have not had the good fortune to procure a copy of Prof. 

 Lesley's " Description of the South Virginian Coal Kegion of 

 Montgomery and Wythe counties," published in vol. ix, Proc. 

 Am. Phil. Soc. Xo" doubt this would 'have aided me greatly 

 in my study of the Vespertine of Montgomery, to which my 

 ii vcstigatiims were confined. 



The Vespertine strata in Montgomery county occupy two 

 distinct areas, which require separate descriptions. The most 

 important of these is the narrow tract lying on the northern 

 side of the great fault, which passes just south of Brush Moun- 

 tain. This is but the continuation, to the south, of the belt just 

 described in Augusta county. 



The smaller area lies about two miles south of Brush Moun- 

 tain, from which it is separated by a narrow belt of Lower 

 'limestone, and about two and a half miles northwest 

 of Christiansburg. This small area, so far as I know, has never 

 received the notice that it deserves. Prof. Eogers simply 

 speaks of it as an on; - nlar in character to 



that of Brush Mountain. But little was known of it then, and 

 even up to the late war, when its coals were examined and 

 worked to some extent. Since then the good quality and 

 thickness of the beds, as well as the ease with which they may 

 be worked, have led t ifopment 



The structure of this held, which bears the name of Price's 

 Mountain, is one of the most curious products of the force 

 - produced the numerous faults in this region. It is a 

 belt, with an unti linal stn cture, about seven miles long, and 

 2| wide, running nearly east and west, (more accurately, 10 N. 

 of E.). 



The maps of Virginia show a mountain chain, under the 

 name Alleghany, ran -burg in a northerly 



direction, to meet Brush Mountain. This is merely a water- 

 shed, and does not appear above the surrounding country as 



