CAHABA COAL FIELD: GOULD BASIN. 81 
of said tests, reported that the average thickness of the 
Gould seam was about three feet. This seam has the repu- 
tation of making a coke equal to the Pocahontas, for iron 
smelting purposes, and it can be easily mined; probably in 
the future it will supply a good part of the demand for a 
superior coke. Twenty years ago it had the best reputation 
of any in the State, as making a good cupola or iron foun- 
dry coke. The Gould seam in this basin is not yet mined, 
as the Brierfield, Blocton and Birmingham Railroad is not 
yet completed, so at present there are no facilities for ship- 
ping it from this basin. That part of this seam next to the 
South and North Alabama Railroad is so divided up by 
rival ownerships that there is little possibility of its being 
mined there until some of the owners either form a combi- 
nation or solidify the tracts by purchase, thus making the 
tract area of fair working size. 
The next seam in extent in this basin is the Nunnally 
seam, which the tests in this locality find to contain two 
feet nine inches of coal ; still, a more thorough test along the 
outcrop may prove it.to have a slightly larger or smaller 
average thickness. This basin has also a limited amount 
of the Wadsworth seam, with an average thickness of three 
feet three inches. This is a first-class seam for iron manu- 
facturing purposes. 
The following is a section of the Gould seam : 
[Gould seam in N. W. 14 of N. W. \%, in section 24, township 20 8., range 
4 Wi). 
———— RED SAN STONE 
IN WANK / foe 7 SLATY, SfNostoe 
Rw 
| BFEET OF Goon COAL 
aFEET FIRE-CLAY 
Yj 
'—™D’WwWw GRITTY SLATE 
The South and North Vertical Section, and the Dry Creek 
6 
