CAHABA COAL FIELD: ACTON BASIN. 41 
side of section 28, township 19, range 3, west, the point of 
beginning. 
The most prominent ridge in this basin is the Shades 
Mountain on the northwest side of the basin. Shades 
Mountain, as already stated, is formed chiefly of the lower 
portion of the Millstone Grit formation. The northwest 
side of it can be plainly seen from the L. & N. railroad at 
almost any point from Brock’s Gap in Shades Mountain, to 
Grace’s Gap in Red Mountain, the Millstone Grit forming 
high perpendicular cliffs near the top of the mountain on 
its northwest side, displaying the grandeur of nature’s 
handiwork to the thousands travelling along the railroad 
in the valley. Shades Mountain on its southeast side forms 
a long gradual slope descending to the slaty valley between 
it and Pine Ridge, the slope being more gentle and gradual 
in the north end of the basin than it is in the southern 
portion. 
Pine Ridge is the next prominent ridge in importance 
and follows nearly parallel with Shades Mountain (on its 
southeast side), the distance from the top of one to the 
other varying from half a mile at the south end to a mile 
at the north end of the basin. The valley between the two 
is mostly gritty slate, the rocks forming the base of Pine 
Ridge being also gritty slates and slaty sandstones, the cap 
or shield of the ridge being a thick ledge of the Millstone 
Grit formation ; in a few places Pine Ridge becomes as high 
as Shades Mountain. 
The next ridge of importance is the Red Ridge ; this 
ridge is southeast of Pine Ridge and follows along nearly 
parallel with it, the Gould seam with its under and over- 
lying immense thickness of gritty slates, occupying the 
valley between the two ; the cap or shield of Red Ridge is 
the upper portion of the Millstone Grit formation; these . 
three ridges are continuous along the northwestern aids of, 
this basin. 
The next ridge in importance is a short distance outside: 
of the southeast boundary of the basin, following along the 
southeast side of Possum Valley; this is the high cherty 
ridge that is given the name (by the settlers along it) of 
New Hope Mountain. It intersects the South and North 
