CHAPTER 1. 
THE CAHABA COAL FIELD. 
The Cahaba Coal Field is part of the great belt or Car- 
boniferous measures that commences near the south boun- 
dary line of the State of New York, and continuing south- 
westward, passes through the States of Pennsylvania, West 
Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, East Tennessee, and through 
the north half of Alabama. 
The Warrior Coal Field is to the northwest of it, and the 
Coosa Coal Field is to the east or southeast. Springville 
is near the northwest corner, Montevallo is near its south- 
east corner, and Scottsville is near its southwest corner. 
Along its northwest side and north end, it is bounded 
hy the Sub-Carboniferous measures; these, and the Silurian 
and Cambrian beyond, separate it from the Warrior Coal 
Field. On its southeast side it is bounded by the great 
“fault” that separates it from the Cambrian measures ; 
these and their overlaying Silurian and Sub-Carboniferous 
measures, separate it from the Coosa Coal Field ; all along 
its south end it is bounded by a “fault” that separates it 
from a belt of Cambrian and Silurian measures that inter- 
vene betweez the Carboniferous and the “Drift” measures 
to the South. This fault is the continuation of that just 
mentioned. 
It is a common saying that the whole world is akin ; this 
saying will apply to our Coal Measures in Alabama. The 
main characteristic rock formations of the Cahaba Coal 
Measures are the same as those both of the Warrior and 
the Coosa Field. By first examining the rocks of the lower 
half of the Millstone Grit at Brock’s Gap (this belongs to 
the Cahaba field), then examine the base of the Millstone 
Grit immediately South of Reid’s Gap Station (this belongs 
to the Warrior field), then go out on the Columbus & West- 
