ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY. 
295 
Fixed Carbon, 63.76 
Volatile, 23.13 
Ash, 2.47 
Moisture, 9.95 
99.31 
Sulphur, 0.75 
The seam exposed in the cut was only two or three inches thick; but 
it represents the Chatham coal in its continuation southwest ward. There 
have been no explorations here to determine whether larger seams exist. 
The lignite bed on Tar river, near Oxford, in Granville county, is the 
continuation of the Chatham coal formation in the opposite direction. 
The thickness of the seam is reported about five or six inches ; but no 
explorations have been made to ascertain either its horizontal or vertical 
extent. 
It is worth while to mention here also the bituminous shales , which 
show themselves in so strong force above the coal in the Egypt section. 
Dr. Emmons estimated the thickness of the oil bearing strata at seventy 
feet, and pronounced them capable of yielding thirty per cent, of their 
weight in kerosene oil. So that here is an inexhaustible resource for fuel, 
over and above that furnished by the coal seams. 
The other coal in the valley of Dan River, is much less known ; but it 
was mined at Leaksville during the late war, and the coal acquired a very 
high reputation as a fuel. It is s'emi-bituminous. The thickness of the 
only seam explored at this point is about three feet. The longitudinal 
extent of this deposit is as great as that of the Chatham beds, but it is 
probably narrower. As stated elsewhere, some recent openings by the 
Iron Company operating in Guilford, seems to show a succession of paral- 
lel beds more numerous and of greater thickness in places than those on 
Deep River. These explorations were made four years ago, near Stokes- 
burg. Two analyses by Dr. Genth, of samples of different seams opened 
here gave, respectively. 75.96 and 76.56 per cent, of fixed carbon, 11.44 
and 13.56 per cent, of ash, the volatile matter being about 12 per cent, in 
each. The development of these deposits is a matter of sufficient interest 
to the state to justify an exploration of the whole length of both these 
coal areas; and the diamond drill offers a ready and cheap means of 
tracing out the boundaries and ascertaining accurately the depth, thick 
ness, and all the conditions which will determine their value. And I do 
not think a few thousand dullars could be more profitably expended. 
