80 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 
limit of 2,500 feet in vertical depth; in this computation 
no allowance is made for loss in pillars, or waste in mining 
the coal. 
The principal wagon roads in this basin are the Tusca- 
loosa and Columbiana road—this road enters the southwest 
end of the basin near Shades Creek church, and continues 
along the foot of the southeast side of Red Ridge nearly all 
the way to Lainey Ford where it leaves the basin. The 
next wagon road in importance is the one at the scuthwest 
end of the basin leading from Booth’s Ferry to Tannehill 
Station, on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. Another 
wagon road connecting Brock’s Station with John Har- 
mon’s place and Kimbrall’s Mill, leads along the top of 
Shades Mountain from near Brock’s Gap to John Harmon’s, 
there it descends the north side of the mountain and leads 
to Kimbrall’s Mill in Shades Valley. Another wagon road 
leaves the Columbiana and Tuscaloosa road, where said 
road intersects Hurricane Creek, follows up the side of 
Hurricane Creek passing close by Lindsey’s old mill and 
gin joining the road on the top of Shades Mountain at Rich- 
ard Tyler’s. Another wagon road leaves the Tuscaloosa and 
Columbiana road two or three hundred yards southwest of 
Lainey Ford, passes through the Horton and Doss places, 
then through Genery’s Gap to Bessemer and Birmingham. 
The Brierfield, Blocton and Birmingham Railroad enters 
the basin at the north end of sec'ion 9, township 21, range 
4 west, follows up Ward’s Creek, passing through gaps in 
Red Ridge and House Mountain or Pine Ridge; then pass- 
ing through the deep cut in Shades Mountain at Genery’s 
Gap ; thence across Shades Valley passing through Spark’s 
Gap in Red Mountain and on to Bessemer and Birmingham 
over the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. This part of 
the Brierfield, Blocton and Birmingham Railroad extends 
from Gurnee to its junction with the Alabama Great South- 
ern at a point about three miles southwest of Bessemer. 
In its course it passes over the outcrop of the Gould seam. 
The most important and valuable seam in this basin is 
the Gould seam ; it extends the whole length of the basin. 
A few years ago, J. L. Davis made a series of tests along 
the outcrop for about six miles in this basin, and as a result 
