DURANGO-GALLUP    COAL    FIELD,    COLORADO-NEW    MEXICO.        248 
DURANGO    DISTRICT. 
The  Durango  district,  one  of  the  most  important  and  at  present  best  developed  in  the  field, 
i  situated  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  basin  in  the  foothills  of  the  San  Juan  Mountains  and 
lay  be  defined  as  extending  from  Florida  River  25  miles  westward,  beyond  1  [esperus  and  the 
ead  of  La  Plata  River.  It  includes  Durango,  Hesperus,  and  Porter  and  is  traversed  by  the 
)enver  and  Rio  Grande  and  the  Rio  Grande  Southern  railroads,  which  in  general  cross  it,  in 
n  east- west  direction. 
The  rocks  of  this  district  incline  to  the  south  at  angles  varying  from  10°  to  30°,  and  are 
trenched  by  Animas  River  and  its  fellow  tributaries  of  the  San  Juan,  which  have  sunk  their 
valleys  about  1,500  feet  below  the  general  upland  surface,  exposing  excellent  sections  of  the 
rocks  and  coal  beds. 
The  best  coal  of  the  district  is  found  near  the  middle  of  the  Mesaverde  formation.  The 
coal  beds  of  this  formation  constitute  a  group  that  is  interbedded  with  a  great  mass  of 
whitish-yellow  sandstone,  which  generally  forms  ridges  and  other  conspicuous  topographic 
features.  These  beds  are  most  extensively  mined  at  Durango,  Porter,  and  Hesperus.  The 
bed  mined  by  the  City  Coal  Company,  of  Durango,  in  Horse  Gulch,  east  of  Animas  River,  is 
3  or  more  feet  in  thickness,  without  a  parting.  The  following  is  a  partial  section  of  the  coal 
bed  in  the  old  Champion  mine,  belonging  to  the  same  company,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river: 
Section  of  coal  bed  in  Champion  mine  2  miles  southwest  of  Durango,  Colo. 
Ft.  In. 
Sandstone  roof. 
Draw  slate  (variable  in  thickness). 
Coal 
Hard  slate  floor. 
J      2    6 
I  to  3 
At  Porter,  4  miles  west  of  Durango,  where  the  coal  has  been  mined  for  about  seventeen 
years,  the  following  section  was  measured: 
Section  of  coal  beds  in  Porter  mine,  Porter,  Colo. 
Name  of  coal  bed. 
Section. 
Thickness. 
Ft.  In. 
5 
No.  1  (Peacock  or  Hesperus) 
(Coal 
2    41 
70-75 
fCoal  
1    3+ 
8 
No   2 
Coal                            
2    9 
Shale                          
3 
Coal                        
10 
20-24 
0-1     0 
No.  3  (Porter) 
J  Shale                             
0-2 
[coal                               
2  10+ 
Fire-clay  floor. 
