118 J. J. STEVENSON — CARBONIFEROUS OF APPALACHIAN BASIN 



creek, near " Cane}^ Fork gulf," Professor Safford obtained the following 

 interesting section : 



Feet. Inches 



1. Sandstone and conglomerate [Corbin ?] 65 



2. Shale to 12 



3. Coal bed 2 to 6 



4. Fireclay and shale 62 



5. Sandstone [ Rockcastle] 40 



6. Shale 20 



7. Fireclay 1 



8. Shale and sandstone 25 



9. Shale 52 



10. Coal bed [Sewanee] 3 



11. Shale 25 



12. Main Conglomerate [Bonair] 60 



13. Shale with coal , 15 



to the Lower Carboniferous. There is a decided shortening of the section 

 throughout, so that the sandstone, number 1, may well be taken as the 

 Corbin; number 8 represents the important sandstone so frequently 

 found between the Rockcastle and Bonair, which at this western locality 

 has degenerated. The sub-Bonair beds have almost disappeared ; a 

 similar condition was observed by Mr Hayes on the border of Bledsoe 

 and Cumberland counties, several miles southeast, where the Conglom- 

 erate rests directly on the Lower Carboniferous. But this preexisting- 

 ridge of Lower Carboniferous recognized by Mr Hayes must be very 

 narrow, for Professor Safford, though giving the Clifty Creek section as 

 characteristic of the formation in much of Van Buren south from White, 

 says that the " Lower Coal Measures," those below the Bonair conglom- 

 erate, thicken eastwardly, and he shows that they thicken westwardly 

 also, for they are 100 feet in White county westwardly from the section 

 iust given. Mr Hayes also shows that they thicken in each direction ; 

 for while on the border of Cumberland and Bledsoe east from White 

 and Van Buren he finds Bonair and Lower Carboniferous in contact, 

 he finds the lower beds in Van Buren. In Warren, west from Van 

 Buren, on the extreme western outlying patch of the plateau, he finds 

 at 6 and 7 miles southeast from McMinnville these sections : 



Feet. 



1. Cross-bedded sandstone [Bonair], 50 



2. Shales 30 



3. Coal bed 



4. Cross-bedded sandstone [Etna, Cliff]. . 50 



5. Shales 20 100 



6. Coal bed 1 6 to 2 feet 



7. Shales Thin 



to the Bangor limestone. 



I 



II 



Inches. 



Feet 





25 





25 



3 to 10 



3 to 4 



