stone.]  THE  ELDERS  RIDGE  COAL  FIELD,   PENNSYLVANIA.  319 
Section  at  Pittsburg  Gas  Coal  Company  mine. 
Ft.    In. 
Coal j 6      6 
Shale - 0       6 
Coal 2      0 
Total 9      0 
The  bottom  bench,  which  runs  from  20  inches  to  2  feet  thick,  is  not 
being  taken  out  at  present.  The  great  thickness  of  the  main  bench  of 
coal  promises  well  for  the  mine  if  the  visible  conditions  continue.  It  is 
overlain  by  a  draw  slate  which  varies  from  6  to  12  inches  in  thickness, 
but  whether  there  is  more  coal  above  this  or  not  has  not  been  ascertained. 
Mr.  Thomas  Hart  is  operating  a  bank  (No.  10)  on  a  small  run  near 
Clarksburg  to  supply  local  trade.  The  main  bench  of  coal  is  4  feet 
10  inches  thick,  with  one  shale  parting  less  than  an  inch  thick  a  little 
above  the  middle.  The  roof  coal  was  not  seen,  but  it  is  separated  from 
the  main  bench  by  10  inches  of  shale. 
At  the  southern  end  of  the  middle  block  of  coal  in  this  held  there  is 
an  opening  on  the  James  Crawford  heirs'  farm,  which  has  not  been 
worked  for  some  time,  but  which  was  still  accessible  when  seen  in 
1902.  It  showed  a  good  body  of  coal  in  two  benches,  but  not  so  thick 
as  in  an  old  opening  on  the  Samuel  Gailey  farm,  a  mile  farther  up 
Big  Run.     The  sections  in  these  two  banks  are  as  follows: 
Sections  on  Crawford  and  Gailey  farms. 
Crawford. 
Gailey. 
Coal 
Ft.    In. 
1      8 
1     0 
5    4 
Ft.    In. 
2      7 
Shale 
0     10 
Coal 
5      0 
Total 
8     0 
s      5 
A  detached  area  of  coal  containing  about  200  acres  and  tying  between 
the  forks  of  Big  Run  on  the  west  side  of  the  syncline  has  been  pros- 
pected a  little,  but  is  not  being  mined  at  the  present  time. 
Southern  block. — The  southern  block  of  the  coal  field  is  very  irregu- 
lar in  shape.  It  lies  between  Big  Run  and  Kiskiminitas  River,  and 
by  reason  of  its  position  has  been  mined  on  its  river  side  more  than  in 
any  other  part  of  the  field.  The  variations  in  the  thicknesses  of 
coal  benches  and  shale  partings  are  much  the  same  as  already  described 
in  the  northern  and  middle  blocks. 
At  the  northern  extremity  of  the  block  on  the  C.  J.  Palmer  farm 
there  is  an  old  pit  which  was  open  although  not  working  when  seen  by 
the  writer.     The  section  at  this  point  is  fairly  typical  of  all  that  por- 
