Campbell]  MEADOW    BRANCH    COAL    FIELD    OF    WEST    VIRGINIA.       341 
until  a  quart  sample  was  obtained.  This  sample  was  intended  to  rep- 
resent the  mine  run  from  the  middle  bench,  and  it  was  sealed  in  a 
glass  jar  which  was  not  opened  until  the  sample  was  analyzed  in  the 
Geological  Survey  laboratory.  The  composition  of  this  sample  is 
shown  in  No.  1  of  the  following-  analyses: 
Analyses  of  coal  from  Meadow  Branch  coal  field,  West  Virginia.® 
Fixed  carbon 
Volatile  hydrocarbons 
Moisture 
Ash 
Sulphur 
Phosphoric  oxide 
Specific  gravity  at  20°  C 
Fuel  ratios 
Fixed  carbon 
Volatile  hydrocarbons 
No.  1. 
Chappelle 
shaft. 
Per  cent. 
73.20 
9.00 
1.94 
15.86 
100. 00 
.91 
.04 
L3 
No.  2. 
Chappelle 
shaft. 
Per  cent. 
79.64 
11.51 
1.04 
7.81 
100.  00 
.81 
.02 
1.35 
6.92 
No.  3. 
Meadow 
Branch. 
Per  cent. 
76.37 
12.31 
1.78 
9.54 
100. 00 
54 
02 
6.20 
a  Analysis  No.  1  by  Mr.  E.  T.  Allen,  analyses  Nos.  2  and  3  by  Mr.  George  Steiger. 
To  ascertain  the  true  character  of  the  coal  aside  from  the  shale 
impurities  with  which  it  is  mechanically  mixed,  about  30  pounds  of 
selected  lump  coal  were  taken  from  the  middle  bench,  from  which 
sample  No.  2  was  obtained.  The  variations  in  these  two  analyses  in 
the  percentage  of  fixed  carbon,  moisture,  and  volatile  hydrocarbons 
are  probably  no  greater  than  would  appear  in  the  analyses  of  two 
samples  collected  from  the  same  bench  at  different  times  or  by  dif- 
ferent parties.  The  8  per  cent  decrease  in  the  ash  represents  the 
absence  of  crushed  slaty  fragments  mixed  with  the  broken  coal. 
Fresh  samples  could  not  be  obtained  from  the  upper  bench,  but 
from  the  imperfect  exposures  in  the  mine  the  coal  seems  to  carry 
more  impurities  than  the  middle  bench,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  it 
can  be  mined  to  advantage.  The  value  of  the  bottom  bench  is  hypo- 
thetical. It  could  not  be  examined,  but  it  seems  probable  that  the 
thickness  given  is  approximately  correct.  No  samples  could  be 
obtained  from  it,  and  consequently  its  chemical  composition  is  not 
known.  Samples  could  not  be  obtained  from  the  old  openings  along 
Meadow  Branch.  Most  of  these  prospect  pits  had  not  been  driven  to 
a  sufficient  depth  to  get  beyond  the  zone  of  weathering,  so  it  was 
impossible  to  obtain  an  adequate  idea  of  the  quality  of  the  coal. 
The  most  extensive  old  workings  are  those  already  mentioned  south 
of  the  Meadows  road  and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  basin  of  Meadow 
