THE  POCKET  COAL  DISTRICT,  VIRGINIA,  IN  THE 
LITTLE  BLACK  MOUNTAIN  COAL  FIELD. 
By  Cassius  A.  Fisher. 
INTRODUCTION. 
During  the  early  part  of  June,  1908,  the  writer  made  a  brief  exam- 
ination of  the  coal  deposits  in  the  vicinity  of  Pennington  Gap,  Vir- 
ginia. Considerable  exploitation  and  development  work  has  been 
done  in  this  district  during  the  last  three  years,  and  as  a  result  a 
large  amount  of  valuable  information  concerning  the  stratigraphic 
position  and  distribution  of  the  various  workable  coal  beds  has  been 
obtained.  This  information,  which  was  kindly  furnished  by  the  per- 
sons interested,  together  with  additional  data  collected  during  a  brief 
examination  of  the  area,  is  regarded  as  sufficient  to  warrant  the 
present  publication. 
LOCATION  AND   EXTENT. 
The  Pocket  coal  district  is  located  in  Lee  County,  in  the  southwest 
corner  of  Virginia,  between  Cumberland  and  Little  Black  mountains, 
mainly  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  latter.  It  constitutes  a  part  of 
the  Black  Mountain  coal  field,  which  extends  along  the  northwestern 
side  of  Cumberland  Mountain  throughout  southwestern  Virginia  into 
eastern  Kentucky.  The  name  " Pocket"  has  been  applied  to  this 
district  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  is  a  topographic  depression  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  by  high  ridges.  It  is  about  9  miles  long  and 
4  to  5  miles  wide,  comprising  about  40  square  miles.  It  lies  just 
north  of  Pennington  Gap,  Virginia,  and  is  reached  by  a  branch  of  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad  from  Pennington  station  and  also 
by  a  branch  of  the  Southern  Railway  from  Appalachia.  Above  the 
junction  at  the  upper  end  of  the  gap. a  line  extends  up  Straight  ('reck, 
from  which  branches  have  been  built  up  Baley  Trace,  Fawn  Branch, 
and  Gin  Creek  to  the  various  coal  mines.  These  lines  are  used  joint  ly 
by  the  two  railroad   systems,  and  they  extend   to  all    the  operations 
in  the  district.      (See  fig.  7.) 
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