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



mountain. The eastern end of the Vespertine belt in question 

 this watershed. From that point, where the strata 

 stand at the general level of the country, they run nearly in a 

 westerly direction toward New Eiver, and pass about 1\ miles 

 northwest of Christiansburg. The strata of the eastern end are 

 the red marlites of the upper member. In passing westward 

 they begin to rise into an anticlinal elevation, which soon 

 attains the height of about 300 feet, which height is maintained 

 for about 3£ miles, showing a continuous ridge. This portion 

 bears the name of Price's Mountain. Farther west, toward the 

 river, the ridge is broken up into hills, and then finally disap- 

 pears before the stream is reached. I am informed that no 

 trace of the strata is to be found west of New Eiver, where the 

 rock is all limestone. 



As the ridge rises in passing west, the coal-bearing strata of 

 the middle member begin to appear through the red marlites, 

 and where it is highest, the upper part of the lower member 

 appears in the crest In this portion the coals are worked. 

 Here we find the red marlites forming an outer band on each 

 side of the ridge, and cut off abruptly north and south by the 

 Lower Silurian limestone, which also sweeps around the eastern 

 end. The coal strata occupy the foot, and reach some distance 

 up the slope, on each side. The field seems to be a prism of 

 Vespertine strata, engulfed by a double fault in the limestone, 

 with its eastern end tipped lower than the middle and western 

 portions. The dip of course is nearly north and south, away 

 from the crest, and toward the limestone. 



The amount of contortion and rubbing exhibited by the 

 strata is surprisingly small. The roof and floor of the openings 

 made are as uniform and smooth as those of our upper coals of 

 the West. As a consequence, the coal is worked with ease, 

 and unlike that of Brush Mountain, two miles off, shows but 

 little rubbing, and may be taken out in blocks of any size. 

 There are two beds here as in Brush Mountain, being evidently 

 the same. The amount of slate partings is however smaller in 

 Price's Mountain, and the coal thicker. 



As the middle member containing the coal beds is evidently 

 similar to that exposed in Brush Mountain, while the exposure 

 here is not so good, the section of it taken in that mountain 

 will suffice for both localities. The same may be said of the 

 lower member. The upper red beds however are much better 

 displayed here, and the section of them, taken from the north- 

 ern foot of Price's Mountain northward to the limestone, will 

 be given as a representative one. We find here these rocks 

 well exposed, with a steady northward dip, until they are sud- 

 denly cut off by the limestone. 



The dip on the north side is somewhat steeper than on the 



