OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

No. Ill

GEOLOGY OF THE BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD 

OF VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1893
LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS.

United States. Department of the interior. ( U. S. geological sitrvvy). 

Department of the interior j j Bulletin | of the | United 

States |. geological survey no. Ill | [Seal of the department] | 

Washington | government printing office | 1893

Second title: United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, 

director | | Geology | of the Ut^g Stone gap coal field j of | 

Virginia and Kentucky | by Mari^^t. Campbell | [Vignette] |

Washington | government printing office | 1893

8°. 106pp. 6 pi.

Campbell (Marius R).

United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, director | | 

Geology | of the | Big Stone gap coal field | of | Virginia mid 

Kentucky j by | Marius R. Cauipbell j [Vfgnette] |

Washington | government printing office | 1893

8°. 100 pp. Opl.

[UxiTEii STATES. Department of the interior. (U. S. geological survey). 

Bulletin 1111,

United States geological survey | J. W. Powell, director | | 

Geology ] of the | Big Stone gap coal field | of | Virginia and 

Kentucky | by | Marius R. Campbell | [Vignette] |

Washington | government printing office | 1893

8°. 100 pp. 6 pi.

[UxiTED STATES. Department of the interior. (U. ti. geological survey). 

Bulletin 111].

£2330
A. r> v K R x i s IT, M; ic :sr T.

[Bulletin No. ill.]

The publications of the United States Geological Survey arc issued in accordance with the statute 

approved ITarch 3, 1879, which declares that 

"Tho publications of tlio Geological Survey shall consist of the annual report of operations, geological 

and economic maps illustrating t'.io resources and classification of the lands, and reports upon general 

and economic geology and paleontology. The annual report of operations of tiio Geological Survey 

shall accompany the annual report of the Secretary of the Interior. All special memoirs and reports 

of said Survey shall bo issued ia uniform quarto series it' deemed necessary by tlio Director, but otherwise in ordinary octavos. Three thousand copies of each shall bo published for scientific exchange 

and for sale at the price of publication ; and all literary and cartographic materials received in exchange 

shall bo the property of the United States and form a part of the library of the organization; and the 

money resulting from -the sale of such publications shall be covered into the Treasury of the United 

States."

On July 7, 1882, the following joint resolution, referring to all Government publications, was passed 

by Congress:

"That whenever any document or report shall bo ordered printed by Congress, there shall bo printed, 

in addition to the number in each case stated, the 'usual number' (734) of copies for binding and 

distribution among those entitled to receive them."

Except in those cases in which aii extra number of any publication has been supplied to the Survey 

by special resolution of Congress or has been ordered by the Secretary of the Interior, this office bus 

no copies for gratuitous distribution.

ANNUAL REPORTS.

I. First Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, by Clarence King. 1880. 8°. 79pp. 

1 map. A preliminary report describing plan, of organization and publications.

II. Second Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1880-'81, by J. W. Powell. 1882. 

8°. Iv, 5SS pp. 02 pi. 1 map. .

in. Third Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1881-'82, by J. AV. Powell. 1883. 

8°. xviii, 50-1 pp. C7 pi. and maps.

IV. Fourth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1882-'83. by J. AV. Powell, 1884. 

8°. xxxii, 473pp. 85 pi. and maps.

V. Fifth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1883-"84, by J. AV. Powell. 1885. 

8°. xxxvi, 409 pp. 58 pi. and maps. *

VI. Sixth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1884-'85. by J. "W. Powell. 1885. 

8°. xxix, 570 pp. 05 pi. and maps.

Vn. Seventh Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey. 1885-'86, by J. AV. Powell. 1888. 

8°. xx, C5G pp. 71 pi. and maps.

VIII. Eighth Annual Roportof the United States Geological Survey, 188G-'87, by J". AV. Powell. 1889. 

Sc . 2pt. xix, 47-1, xii pp. 53 pi. and maps; 1 p. 1., 475-10GI! pp. 54-70 pi. and maps.

IX. Ninth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1887-'88, by J. W. Powell. 1889. 

R°. xiii, 717 pp. 88 pi. and maps.

X. Tenth Annual Report, of the United States Geological Survey, 1888-'89, by J. "W. Powell. 1800. 

8°. £pt. xv, 774pp. 98 pi. and maps; viii, 1'2'J pp.

XI. Eleventh Annual Roportof t!i3 Unite.l States Geological Survey. 1880-'90, by J. AV. Powell. 1891. 

8°. 2pt. xv, 757 pp. GO pi. and maps; ix, 351 pp. 30 pi.

XII. Twelfth Annual Ue;iort of t'.io United States Geological Survey, 1890-'91. by J. AV. Powoll. 1891. 

8°. 2pt. xiii, C75 pp. 53 pi. and maps; xviii, 570 pp. 140 pi. and maps.

XIII. Thirteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1891-'92, by .T. AV. Powell,

1893. 8°. :;pt. v:i, 2:opp. 2pi.

XIV. Fourteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1892-'93, by J.AV. Powell, 

1893. 8°. 2pt.

I
II ADVERTISEMENT.

MONOGRAPHS.

I. Lake Bonne ville, by Grove Karl Gilbert. 1890. 4°. xx, 438 pp. 51 pi. 1 map. Price $l..r>0.

II. Tertiary History of the Grauil Canon District, with atlas, by Clarence E. Button, Capt. U. S. A. 

1882. 4°. xiv, 204 pp. 42 pi. and atlas of 24 slip^ts folio. Trice $10.00. '

III. Geplogy of the Comstock Lode and the Washoe District, with atlas, by George F. Becker. 1882. 

4°. xv, 422 pp. 7 pi. and atlas of 21 sheets folio. Price $11.00.

IV. Comstock Mining and Miners, by Eliot Lord. 1SS3. 4°. xiv, 451 pp. 3 pi. Price $1.50.

V. The Copper-Bearing Rocks of Lake Superior, by Roland Duer Irving. 1383. 4°. xvi, 404 pp. 

151. 29 pi. and maps. Price $1.85.

VI. Contributions to the Knowledge of the Older Mesozoio Flora of Virginia,-by William Morris 

Fontaine. 1883. 4°. xi, 144 pp. 541. 54 pi. Price $1.05.

VII. Silver-Lead Deposits of Eureka, Nevadji, by Joseph Story Curtis. 1884. 4°. xiii, 200 pp. 16 

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Vin. Paleontology of the Eureka District, by Charles Doolittlo Walcott. 1834. 4°. xiii, 298 pp. 

241. 24 pi. Price $1.10.

IX. Brachiopoda and Lamellibranchiata of the Raritan Clays and Greensand Marls of New Jersey, 

by Robert P. Whitfield. 1885. 4°. xx, 338 pp. 35 pi. 1 map. Price $1.15.

X. Diuocerata. A Monograph of an Extinct Order of Gigantic Mammals, by Othuiel Charles Marsh. 

1886. 4°. xviii, 243pp. 561. 56 pi. Price $2.70.

XI. Geological History of Lake Lahontau, a, Quaternary Lake of Northwestern Nevada, by Israel 

Cook Russell. 1885. 4°. xiv, 288 pp. 46 pi. and maps. Price $1.75.

XII. Geology and Mining Industry of Leadville, Colorado, with atlas, by Samuel Franklin Emmons. 

1886. 4°. xxix, 770pp. 45 pi. and atlas of 35 sheets folio. Price $8.40.

XIII. Geology of the Quicksilver Deposits of the Pacific Slope, with atlas, by George F. Eecker, 

1888. 4°. xix, 486pp. 7 pi. and atlas of 14 sheets folio. Price $2.00.

XIV. Fossil Fishes and Fossil Plants of the Triassic Rocks of New Jersey and the Connecticut Valley, by John S. Newbcrry. 1888. 4°. xiv, 152pp. 26 pi. Price $1.00.

XV. The Potomac or Younger Mesozoic Flora, by AVilliam Morris Fontaine. 1889. 4°. xiv, 377 

pp. 180 pi. Text and plates bound separately. Price $2.50.

XVI. The Paleozoic Fishes of North America, by John Strong Nexvberry. 1889. 4°. 340pp. 53 pi. 

Price $1.00.

XVLT. The Flora of the Dakota Group, a posthumous work, by Loo Lesquereux. Edited by F. H. 

Knowlton. 1891. 4°. 400pp. 66 pi. Price $1.10.

XVIIT. Gasteropoda and Cephalopoda of the llarifcau Clays and Orcenaand Marls of New Jersey, 

by Robert P. Whitfield. 1891.. 4°. 402pp. 50 pi. Price $1.00.

XIX. The Pcnokee Iron-Bearing Series of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, by Roland D. Irving 

and C. R. Van Hise. 1892. 4°. xix, 534 pp. 37 pi.

XX. Geology of the Eureka District, Nevada, with atlas, by Arnold Hague. 1892. 4°. 419pp. 8 pi.

In press:

XXI. The Tertiary Rhynchophorous Coleoptera of North America, by Samuel Hnbbard Scndder.

XXII. A Manual of Topographic Methods, by Henry Gannett, chief topographer.

XXIII. Geology of the Green Mountains in Massachusetts, by Raphael I'umpelly, J. E. Wolff, 

T. Nelson Dale, and Bayard T. Putnam.

In preparation: 

 Molltisca and Crustacea of the Miocene Formations of New Jersey, by R. P. Whitfield.

 Sauropoda, by O. C. Marsh.

 Stogosauria, by 0. C. Mai'sh.

 r.rontotheridfc, by 0. C. Marsh.

 Report on the Denver Coal Basin, by S. F. Emmous.

 Report on Silver Cliff and Ten-Mile Mining Districts, Colorado, by S. F. Emmons.

 The Glacial Lake Agassiz, by AVarren Upham.

BULLETINS.

1. On Hypersthene-Andesite and on Triclinic Pyroxene in Augitic Rocks, by Whitman Cross, with a 

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4. On Mesozoic Fossils, by Charles A. White. 1884. 8°. 36pp. 9 pi. Price 5 cents.

5. A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States, compiled by Henry Gannett. 18.-!4. 8°. 325 pp. 

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6. Elevations in the Dominion of Canada, by J. W. Spencer. 1884. 8°. 43 pp. Price 5 cents.
ADVERTISEMENT. HI

7. Mapoteca Geologlca Americana. A Catalogue ol Geological Maps of America (North anil South), 

1752-1881, in geographic and chronologic order, by Jules Marcou and John Belknap Marcou. 1884. 

8°. 184pp. Price 10 cents.

8. On Secondary Enlargements of Mineral Fragments in Certain Rocks; by R. I). Irving and C. R. 

Van ITise. 1884. 8°. 50 pp. C pi. Price 10 cents.

9. A report of work done in the Washington Laboratory during the fiscal year 1883-'84. F. W. Clarke, 

chief chemist. T. M. Chatard, assistant chemist. 1884. 8°. 40pp. Price 5 cents.

10. On tho Cambrian Faunas of North America. Preliminary studies, by Charles Doolittle Walcott. 

1884. 8°. 74pp. 10 pi. Price 5 cents.

11. On tho Quaternary and Recent Mollnsca of tho Great Basin; with Descriptions of New Forms, 

by R. Ellsworth Call. Introduced by a, sketch of tho Quaternary Lakes of the Great Basin, by G. K. 

Gilbert. 18S4. 8°. CO pp. C pi. Price 5 cents.

12. A Crystallographic Study of the Tbinolite of Lake Lahontan, by Edward S. Dana. 1884. 8°. 

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13. Boundaries of the United States and of the several States and Territories, with a Historical 

Sketch of the Territorial Changes, by Henry Gannett. 1885. 8°. 133pp. Prico 10 cents.

14. The Electrical ami Magnetic Properties of the Iron-Carburets, by Carl Barits and Vincent 

Stronbnl. 1883. 8°. 238pp. Price 15 cents.

15. On the Mosozoic and Cenozoic Paleontology of California, by Charles A. White. 1885. 8°. 33 pp. 

Price 5 cents.

1C. Oil the Higher Devonian Faunas of Ontario County, New York, by John M. Clarke. 1885. 8°. 

80pp. 3 pi. Price 5 cents.

17. On tho Development of Crystallization in tho Igneous Rocks of "\Vashoe, Nevada, with notes on 

the Geology of the District, by Arnold Hague and Joseph P. Iddiugs. 1885. 8°. 44 pp. Price 5 

oonts.

18. On Marino Eocene, Fresh-water Miocene, and other Fossil Mollusca of Western North America, 

by Charles A. White. 1885. 8°.' 26pp. 3 pi. Prico 5 cents.

19. Notes on tho Stratigraphy of California, by George F. Beckor. 1885. 8°. 28pp. Prico 5 cents.

20. Contributions to tho Mineralogy of tho Rocky Mountains, by Whitman Cross and W. F. Hillobrand. 1SS3. 8°. 114pp. 1 pi. Price 10 cents.

21. Tho Lignites of tho Great Sioux Reservation. A Report on the Region between the Grand and 

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22. On New Cretaceous Fossils from California, by Charles A. White. 1885. 8°. 25 pp. 5 pi. 

Price 5 cents.

23. Observations on the Junction.between the Eastern Sandstone and tho Keweeuaw Series on Ke- 

«-eenaw Point, Lake Superior, by R. D. Irving and T. C. Chambcrlin. 3885. 8°. 124 pp. 17 pi. 

Price 15 cents.

24. List of Marine Mollusca, comprising the Quaternary cFossils and recent forms from American 

Localities between Capo Hatteras and Capo Roque, including tho Bermudas, by William Healy Dull. 

1885. 8°. 330 pp. Prico 25 cents.

25. The Present Technical Condition of the Steel Industry of the United States, by Phineas Barnes. 

1885. 8°. 85 pp. Price 10 cents. 

20. Copper Smelting, by Henry M. Howe. 1885. 8°. 107pp. Price 10 cents.

27. Report of Avork done in the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during tho fiscal year 

J884-'85. 1880. 8°. 80pp. Price 10 cents.

28. Tho Gabbros and Associated Hornblende Rocks occurring in tho neighborhood of Baltimore, 

Md., by George lltintington Williams. 1886. 8°. 78pp. 4 pi. Price 10 cents. '

29. On tho Fresh-water Invertebrates of the North American Jurassic, by Charles A. White. 1886. 

8°. 41pp. 4 pi. Prico 5 cents.

30. Second Contribution to tho Studies on the Cambrian Faunas of North America, by Charles Doolittle Walcott. 1880. 8°. 309pp. 33 pi. Price 25 cents.

31. Systematic Review of our Present Knowledge of Fossil Insects, including Myriapods and Arsichn'ids, by Samuel Ilubbard Scudder. 1880. 8°. 128pp. Prico 15 cents.

32. Lists and Analyses of tho Mineral Springs of tho United States; a Preliminary Study, by Albert 

C. Peale. 1880. 8°. 233pp. Price 20 cents.

33. Notes on tho Geology of Northern California, by J. S. Diller. 1880. 8°. 23pp. Price 5 cents.

34. On tho relation of tho Laramio Molluscau Fauna to that of the succeeding Fresh-water Eocene 

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35. Physical Properties of the Iron-Carburets, by Carl Barns and Vincent Strouhal. 1880. 8°. 62 

pp. Prico 10 cents.

36. Subsidence of Fine Solid Particles in Liquids, by Carl Barns. 1886. 8°. 58 pp. Price 10 cents.

37. Types of tho Laramie Flora, by Lester F. Ward. 1887. 8°. 354 pp. 57 pi. Price 25 cents.

38. Poridotite of Elliott County, Kentucky, by J. S. Diller. 1887. 8°. 31pp. 1 pi. Price 5 cents.

39. Tho Upper Beaches and Deltas of the Glacial Lake Agassiz, by Warren Upliam. 1887. 8°. 84 

pp. 1 pi. Price 10 cents.

40. Changes in River Courses in Washington Territory due to Glaciation. by Bailey Willis. 1887. 

8°. 10 pp. 4 pi. Price i"> cents.
IV ADVERTISEMENT.

41. On the Fossil Faunas of the Upper Devonian the Gfineseo Section, Xew York, by Henry 55. 

Williams. 1887. 8°. 121pp. 4 pi. Price 15 cents.

42. Heportof work dono in tho Division of Chemistry find Physics, mainly during tho fiscal year 

1885-'86. F. "W. Clarke; chief chemist. 18S7. 8°. 152 pp. 1 pi. Price 15 cents.

43. Tertiary anil Cretaccona Strata of the Tuscaloosa, Tombigbeo, and Alabama Tlivera, by Eugene 

A. Smith and Lawrence- C. Johnson. 1887. 8°. 18!) pp. 21 pi. Price 15 cents.

44. Bibliography of North American Geology for 1880, by Xelson H. Dnrton. 1887. 8°. 35 pp. 

Price 5 cents.

45. Tho Present Condition of Knowledge of the Geology of Texas, by Robert T. Hill. 1887. 8°. 9t 

pp. Price 10 cents.

40. Nature and Origin of Deposits of Phosphate of Lime, by R. A. F. Penrose, jr., with an Introduction by N. S Shaler. 1888. 8°. 143pp. Price 15 cents.

47. Analyses of Waters of the Yellow-stone National Park, with an Account of tho. Methods ot 

Analysis employed, by Frank Austin Gooeh and James Edward Whitfield. 1888. 8°. 84pp. Price 

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48. On the Form and Position of the Sea Level, by Ilobert Stepson "Woodward. 1888. 8?. 88 pp. 

Price 10 cents.

49. Latitudes and Longitudes of Certain Points in Missouri, Kansas, and New Mexico, b\ Ilobert. 

Simpson Woodward. 1889. 8°. 133pp. Price 15 cents.

50. Formulas and Tables to facilitate the Construction and Use of Maps, by Robert Simpson "Woodward. 1889. 8°. 124pp. Price 15 cents.

51. On Invertebrate Fossils from the Paciiic Coast, by Charles Abiathar AYhite. 1889. 8°. 102 pp. 

14 pi. Price 15 cents.

52. Subaerial Decay of Rocks and Origin of the Red Color of Certain Formations, by Israel Cook 

Russell. 1889. 8°. 05 pp. 5 pi. Price 10 cents.

53. The Geology of Xantucket, by Nathaniel Sonthgate Shaler. 1889. 8°. 55 pp. 10 pi. Price 10 

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54. On the Thermo-Electric Measurement, of High Temperatures, by Carl Barns. 1889. 8°. 313 pp. 

incl. Ipl. 11 pi. Price 25 cents.

55. Report of work done in the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during tho fiscal year 

1886-'87. Frank Wigglesworth Clarke, chief chemist. 1889. 8°. 90pp. Price 10 cents.

50. Fossil "Wood and Lignite of the Potomac Formation, by Frank Hall Knowlton. 1889. K~>. 712pp. 

7 pi. Price 10 cents.

57. A Geological Reconnaissance in Southwestern Kansas, by Robert Hay. 1890. 8°. 49pp. 2 pi. 

Price 5 cents.

58. The Glacial Boundary in "WesternPennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, by George 

Frederick "Wright, with an introduction by Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. 1890. 8°. 112pp. incl. 

Ipl. 8 pi. Price 15 cents.

59. The Gabbros and Associated Rocks" in Delaware, by Frederick D.Chester. 1890. 8°. 45 pp. 

1 pi. Price 10 cents.

60. Report of work done in the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during the tiseal year 

1837-88. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist. 1890. 8°. 174pp. Price 13 cents.

61. Contributions to the Mineralogy of the-Pacific Coast, by William Harlow Melville and Waldemar 

Lindgren. 1890. 8°. 40 pp. 3 pi. Price 5 cents.

62. Tho Greenstone Schist Areas of the Menominee and Marquette Regions of Michigan; a contribution to tho subject of dynamic metamorphism in eruptive rocks, by George Huntington Williams; 

with an introduction by Roland Drier Irving. 1890. 8°. 241pp. 10 pi. Price 33 cents.

63. A Bibliography of Paleozoic Crustacea from 1698 to 1889, including a list of North American 

species and a systematic arrangement of genera, by Anthony W. Vogdes. 1890. S 3 . 177 pp. Price 

15 cents.

04. A report of work done in the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during the fiscal year 

1888-'89. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist. 1890. 8°. 60pp. Price 10 cents.

65. Stratigraphy of the Bituminous Coal Field of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, by Israel 

C. White. 1891. 8°. 212pp. 11 pi. Price 20 cents.

06. On a Group of Volcanic Rocks from tho Tewan Mountains, New Mexico, and on the occurrence 

of Primary Quartz in certain Basalts, by Joseph Paxson Iddings. 1890. 8°. 34 pp. Price 5 cents.

67. The Relations of the Traps of the Newark System in the New Jersey Region, by Nelson Horatio 

Dnrton. 1890. 8°._ 82pp. Price 10 cents.

68. Earthquakes iu California in 1889, by James Edward Keelor. 1890. 8 D . 25 pp. Price 5 cents.

69. A Classed and Annotated Bibliography of Fossil Insects, by Samuel Hnbbard Scudder. 1890. 

8°. 101 pp. Price 15 cents.

70. Report on Astronomical Work of 1889 and 1890, by Robert Simpson Woodward. 1890. 8°. 79pp. 

Price 10 cents.

71. Index to the Known "Fossil Insects of the World, including Myriapods and Arachnids, by Samuel 

Hubbard Scudder. 1891. 8D . 744 pp. Price 50 cents.

72. Altitudes between Lake Superior and the Rocky Mountains, by Warren Uphain. 1891. 8°. 

229 pp. Price 20 cents.
ADVERTISEMENT. \7

73. The Viscosity of Solids, by Carl Barns. 1891. 5°. xii, 139 pp. dpi. Price 15 cents.

74. The Minerals of North Carolina, by Frederick Augustus Genth. 1891. 8 3 . 119 pp. Price 15 

cents.

75. Record of North American Geology for 1837 to 1389, inclusive, by Nelson Horatio Darton. 1891. 

8°. 173 pp. Price 15 cents.

7(i. A Dictionary of Altitudes iu tlio United States (second edition), compiled by Henry Gannett, 

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77. The Texau Permian and its Mesozoic Types ot Fossils, by Charles A. "White. 1891. 8°. 51 pp. 

4 pi. Price 10 cents.

78. A report of work done iu the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during the liscal year 

1889-'90. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist. 1391. 8°. 131pp. Price 15 cents.

79. A Xratc Volcanic Eruption in Northern California and its Peculiar Lava, by J. S. Diller. 1891. 8°. 

33pp. 17 pi. Price 10 cents.

80. Correlation papers Devonian and Carboniferous, by Henry Shaler Williams. 1891. 8°. 279 pp. 

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81. Correlation papers Cambrian, by Charles Doolittlo Walcott. 1891. 8°. 447 pp. 'A pi. Price 

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£2. Correlation papers Cretaceous, by Charles A. White. 1391. 8°. 273pp. 3 pi. Price 20 cents.

83. Correlation papers Eocene, by William Bullock Clark. 18-11. 8 D . 173pp. 2 pi. Price 15 cents.

84. Correlation papers Neocene, by W. H. Dall and G. D. Harris. 18S»2. 8°. 349 pp. 3 pi. Price 

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83. Correlation papers The Newark System, by Israel Cook Russell. 1892. 8°. 344 pp. 13 pi. 

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80. Correlation papers Archeau and Algonkiau, by C. 11. Van Hise. 1892. 8°. 549 pp. 12 pi. 

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90. A. report of work done in the Division of Chemistry and Physics, mainly during the fiscal year 

1890-91. F.W. Clarke,chief chemist. 1892. 8°. 77pp. Price 10 cents.

91. Record of North American Geology for 1890, by Nelson Horatio Darton. 1891. 8°. 88 pp. Price 

10 cents.

92. The Compressibility of Liquids, by Carl Barns. 1892. 8°. 9(ipp. 29 pi. Price 10 cents.

93. Some insects of special interest from Flurissaut., Colorado, and othei points in the Tortiaries of 

Colorado and Utah, by Samuel Hubbard Scudder. 1892. 8 3 . 35 pp. 3 pi. Price 5 cents.

94. The Median ism ( »f Solid Viscosity, by Carl Harus. 1892. 8°. 138pp. Price 15 cents.

95. Earthquakes iu California in 1890 and 1891, by Edward Singleton Holden. 1892. 8'1 . 31 pp. 

Price 5 cents.

96. The Volume Thermodynamics of Liquids, by Carl Barns. .1392. 8°. 100pp. Price 10 cents.

97. TheMesozoio Echinodermata, of the United States, by William Btillock Clark. 1893. 8°. 207 

pp. 50 pi. Price 20 cents.

98. Flora of the Outlying Carboniferous Basins of Southwestern Missouri,by David White. 1893. 8J. 

139 pp. 5 pi. Price 15 cents.

99. Record of North American Geology for 1891, by Nelson Horatio Darton. 1892. 8°. 73 pp. 

Price 10 cents.

100. Bibliography and Index of the publications of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1879-1892, by Philip 

Creveliug Warman. 1893. 8°. 495 pp. Price 25 cents.

101. Insect Fauna of the Rhode Island Coal Field, by Samuel Hubbard Scuddor. 1893. 8°. 27pp. 

2 pi. Price 5 cents.

103. High Temperature AVork in Igneous Fusion and Ebullition, chiefly in relation to pressure, by 

CarlBarus.

104. Glaeiation of the Yellowstouo Valley north of the Park, by Walter Harvey Weed. 1893. 8°. 

41 pp. 4 pi. Price 5 cents.

105. The Laramie and the overlying Liviugston Foimation in Montana, by Walter Harvey Weed, 

with Report on Flora, by Frank Hall Knowlton. 189;!. 83 . C8 pp. C pi. Price 10 cents.

106. The Colorado Formation and its Invertebrate Fuuna, by T. W. Stanton. 1893. 8°. 288 pp. 

45 pi. Price 20 cents.

107. The Trap Dikes of Lake Chaniplaiu Valley and the Eastern Adiroudacks, by James Fumian 

Kemp.

108. A Geological Recounoissance in Central Washington, by Israel Cook Russell. 1893. 8°. 308pp. 

12 pi. Price 15 cents.

109. The Eruptive and Sedimentary Rocks on Pigeon Point, Minnesota, and their contact phenomena, by William Shirley Bayley. 1893. 8°. 121pp. 16 pi. Price 15 cents.

110. The Paleozoic Section in the vicinity of Three Forks, Montana, by Albert Charles Peale. 1893. 

8°. 50pp. 6 pi. Price 10 cents.

111. Geology of the Big Stone Gap Coal Field of Virginia and Kentucky, by Mai-ius B. Campbell. 

1893. 8°. 100 pp. C pi. Price 15 cents.

112. Earthquakes iu California in 1892, by Charles D. Pcrrine. 1893. 8°. 57 pp. Price 10 cents. 

In press: 

102. A Catalogue and Bibliography of North American Mesozoic Invertebrata, by C. B. Boyle.
VI ADVERTISEMENT.

113. A report of vrork douo in tho Division of Cheinistfy during the fiscal years 1891-'i>2 and 

1892-'93. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist. 

In preparation:

 Studies in the Structure of the Green Mountains, by T. Kelson Dale.

 The Moraines of tho Missouri Coteau and thoir attendant deposits, by James Edward Todd.

 A Bibliography of Paleobotany, by David White.

STATISTICAL PAPERS.

Mineral Resources of the United States, 1882, by Albert Williams, jr. 1883. 8°. xvii, 81:5 pp. Price 

50 cents.

Mineral Resourcesof the United States, 1883 and 1884, by Albert Williams, jr. 1885. 8°. xiv, 1016 

pp. Price 60 cents.

Mineral Resources of the United States, 1883. Division of Mining Statistics and Technology. 1886. 

8°. vii. 576pp. Price 40 cents.

Mineral Resourcesof the United States, 1886, by David T. Day. 1887. 8°. viii'.813pp. Price 50 ceiita.

Mineral Resources of the United States. 1887, by David T. Day. 1888. 8°. vii, 832 pp. Price 50 cents.

Mineral Resources of the United States. 18S8. by David T. Day. 1890. 8°. vii, 652pp. Price 50 cents.

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To THE DIRECTOR OK THE

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

WASHINGTON, 1). C. 

WASHINGTON, 1). C., December, 1S9S.
DEPARTMENT OP THE INTEKIOR

BULLETIN

OF THE

UNITED STATES

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

No. Ill

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1893

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

J. W. 3WVELL, DIRECTOR

GEOLOGY

BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD

VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY

BY

MARITJS K. CAMPBELL

WASHINGTON

G-OVKKNMKNT PRINTING OFFICE-

' 1803

CONTENTS

Paga

Letter of transmittal .................'...................................... 11

Introduction ......................................^......................... .1.3

General description......................................................... 15

Location of the field .................................................... 15

Topographic features ................................................... 16

Type of topographic features in the coal basin ............... 1...... 16

Type of topographic features in the valley........................... 17

Drainage ........................................................... 18

Development of the country.. ............................ .........:. 19

Structure................................................................... 19

General description.................'...............................-.... 19

Structural features...................................................... 20

Hunter valley fault................................................ 20

Powell mountain syncliue........................................... 20

Powell valley anticline............................................. 20

Middleboro syncline................................................. 20

Pine mountain fault..... _.......................................... 20

Structure of Big Stone gap field......................................... 21

Powell valley anticline............................................. 21

Middlesboro syncline ............................................... 22

State line anticline ................................................. '23

Crab Orchard syncline.............................................. 24

Pioneer anticline ....,.............:................................ 24

Mill creek syncline................................................. 24

Coonseye anticline.................................................. 24

Guest river syncline ................................................. 25

Gladevillo anticline................................................. 25

GliM.lev.ille syncline ................................................. 26

Bear creek anticline ................................................ 26

Little Tom anticline ................................................ 26

Virginia city syncline .............................................. 26

Relation of minor folds to Powell valley anticline................... 26

General geology............................................................. 27

Difficulties of classification........................... 1.................. 27

Table of formations..................................................... 28

Review of previous work................................................ 28

J. P. Lesley......................................................... 28

J. J. Stevenson.................. ................................... 28

C. R. Boyd.......................................................... 29

McCreath and d'lnvilliers............................................ 30

J. M. Hodge ........................................................ 31

The formations ......................................................... 31

Harlan sandstone................................................... 31
6 CONTENTS.

General geology Continued.

The formations Continued. Page. 

Gladeville sandstone......................t......................... . 33

Wise formation..................................................... 34

Norton, formation..................... .......... .................... 34

Lee conglomerate................... ................................ 36

Pennington shale ...........................................:....... 37

Newman limestone.................................................. 38

Grainger shale....................................................... 38

Description of coal outcrops.......................:.....,................... 39

Coals in the Mississippian series......................................... 39

In Pennington shale ................................................ 39

Coals in the Lee conglomerate ............'.......................... .... 39

At Pennington gap ................................................... 39

At Big Stone gap.................................................... 39

In Powell mountain................................................. 40

Coals in the measures above the Lee conglomerate....................... 40

Kentucky basin. ...................................... ............... 41

Coal on Poor fork................................................... 41

Coal on Clover Lick creek........................................... 42

Coal on Big Looney creek........................................... 44

Coal on Lewis creek.........:.. .................. .................. 49

Crab Orchard basin................................................... 50

Gladeville sandstone on Clover fork................................. 50

Gladeville sandstone on Jones and Eeed creeks...................... 50

Coals on Jones creek ................................................. 50

Structure on Jones creek............................................ 52

Coals about Cynthia P. O............................................. 53

Coals on Cox creek.................................................. 54

Coals 011 Eockhouse branch ......................................... 54

Coals on Clover fork .............................'...........-....... 55

Coals near Morris gap............................................... 56

Coals on Little Crab Orchard creek ................................. 57

Imboden seam in Crab Orchard basin................................ 58

Imboden basin........................................................ 59

Coals on Pigeon creek............................................... 59

Coals on Bearpen creek.............................................. 59

Structure on Bearpen creek.......................................... 60

Coals on Little Looney creek............i........................... 61

Coals on Preacher creek............................................. 62

Coals on Mud Lick creek.............. .............................. 62

Coals on Callahan creek. ........................................... 64

Coals on Kelly branch............................................... 66

Coals on Church House run ......................................... 66

Coals on Mill creek .................;............................... 66

Coals on head waters of Roaring fork................................ 67

Coals on Cane Patch creek ..'.........'........_...................... 68

Coals on east side of Roaring fork................................... 70

Coals on Black creek................................................ 70

Coals on Stone Coal branch.................'.......................... 74

Coals in West Norton ..................... ...._. .........'......-..... 75

Coals on Powell river .................................. ....^,......... 76

Guest river basin .............................._..................-.-- 77

Coals on the divide west of Lipps ................................'... 78

Coals on Guest river above the bridge ...........:.................'... 78
CONTENTS 7

Description of coal outcrops Continued.

Guest river basin Continued. Page.

Coals in Norton..................................................... 78

Gladeville sandstone on the Norton and Gladeville road.............. 81

Formations on Wheatley branch.............'........................ 81

Exposures around Gladeville ........................................ 82

Coals on Bear creek................................................. 82

Coals on Yellow creek............................................... 83

Coals in the vicinity of Tacoma ..................................... 83

Exposures on the Tacoma and Gladeville road........................ 85

Exposures on the stage road ........................................ 86

Section through Coeburn........................................... 87

Coals on Big Toms creek............................................ 87

Coals on Little Toms creek.......................................... 88

Coals on Dollarhide creek ....................'...................... 90

Coals on Bull creek ................................. ................ 90

Lee conglomerate on Bull creek.................... '.................. 92

Coals on Dry fork.............-...........-..---...----- -- --- ^2

Coals on Sandy ridge................................................ 92

Coals on Powell mountain .......................................... 93

Stratigraphic distribution of the coal horizons .......................... 94

Correlation................................................................. 94

Correlation with West Virginia ......................................... 95

Comparison of type section of West Virginia with section from Big

Stone gap ........................................................ 96

Prominent sandstones above the Pottsville.......................... 97

Mahoning sandstone............................................ 97

Pittsburg sandstone............................................ 97

Waynesburg sandstone......................................... 97

Correlation of Mahoning and Gladeville sandstone.................. 98

Correlation of Norton formation arid Lower Coal-measure............. 99

Correlation of Harlan sandstone and Dunkard creek series........... 99

Correlation with region southwest of Big Stone gap...................... 99

Section of Cumberland mountain at Wilson gap, Tennessee.......... 99

Section of Pine mountain, Tennessee................................. 100

Section for the Kingston atlas sheet, Tennessee ...................... 100

Section in Fentresa county, Tennessee ............................... 101

Section at Tracy city, Tennessee...................................... 101

Section in the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee ....°............... 101

Coal-measures in Sand mountain, Alabama........_.................. 102

Coal-measure in Marion county, Alabama ........................... 102

Coal-measure in Winston county, Alabama ......................... 103

Coal-measures in Walker county, Alabama........-_................. 103

Coal-measures in Jefferson county, Alabama. ......................... 103

Coal-measures in Blount mountain ..... 4 ............................ 103

Coal-measures in the Cahaba basin.................................. 104

Millstone Grit group throughout Alabama ........ ^.................. 104

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

PLATE I. Map showing the relation of the Big Stone gap coal field to the

central portion of the Appalachian basin ....................... 12

II. Structure sections across the Big Stone gap coal field............. 20

III. Contour map of the upper surface of the Gladeville sandstone..... 24

IV. Map and section of Big Stone gap................................ 39

V. Geologic map of the Big Stone gap coal field ..................... 52

VI. Generalized sections from diiferent portions of the field showing

important coal horizons..............................'.......... 94

FlG. 1. Section on Childs creek, Kentucky............................. ...... 30

2. Map and section showing the structure between the Roaring fork and

Black creek ....................................................... 71

3. Sections showing thickness and position of various groups and their

supposed equivalence............................................... 98

9

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

APPALACHIAN DIVISION,

Washington, D. C., June 13,1893.

SIR : I herewith respectfully transmit and recommend for publication as a bulletin of the Survey the manuscript, maps, and sections relating to the Big Stone Gap coal field, prepared by Mr. M. E. Campbell, 

assistant geologist of the Appalachian Division, as a result of the field 

work of 1891. Mr. Campbell's work in this field has been done with 

care, and the result of his investigation will be of much practical value, 

not only to the development of the local field, but also to an understanding of the geology of the Coal-measures of southwestern Virginia 

and Kentucky.

Very respectfully,

BAILEY WILLIS,

Geologist in charge. 

Hon. J. W. POWELL,

Director U. S. Geological Survey.

11

U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 111 PL. i

MAP SHOWING THE RELATION OF THE BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE APPALACHIAN GASIN.
GEOLOGY OF THE BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD OF 

VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY.

BY MARITJS K. CAMPBELL.

INTRODUCTION.

The central portion of the Appalachian coal basin is an unknown 

region so far as the details of its stratigraphy are concerned. This 

territory is mainly restricted to the southeastern side of the basin, and 

extends from the Flat Top field of Pocahontas, Virginia, to central Tennessee. Its undeveloped condition results not from the barrenness of 

its strata, for it carries fine bodies of workable coal, excellent in character and well disposed for mining, but arises from its remote position. 

The country is rough and broken, its population thin and scattered, 

and its poverty proverbial. These have been the principal elements in 

preventing the development of its mineral resources, for development 

is dependent entirely upon transportation facilities, and such a country 

offers little inducement for railroad building. Until within a few years 

the more available mines in other portions of the Appalachian basin 

have been adequate fully to supply the demand for coal and coke, and 

the stores of fuel locked up in these barren hills have been allowed to lie 

undisturbed.

While the supply of coal could he met by other portions of the field, 

there was little demand for extensive and systematic geologic work. 

The work was usually done by private enterprise and was necessarily 

limited to the examination of specific coal seams throughout a small 

extent of territory, without opportunity to examine the adjacent country 

for a comprehensive view of the field. Even where the work was well 

done the lack of an adequate topographic base upon which to delineate 

the geologic facts observed detracted materially from its value. In 

general, the results obtained from this scattering, desultory work are 

totally inadequate to determine either the structure or stratigraphy of 

the field.

In the last few years this condition has changed; the consumption 

of fuel has rapidly increased, and the increased demand has stimulated 

prospecting and development in this region. At present there is an

13
14 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BULL. ill.

urgent need of geologic information regarding the structure and 

stratigraphy of the field, upon which to base future operations.

In 1891 the U. S. Geological Survey undertook to meet this want by 

mapping in considerable detail the areal geology of the region and by 

making'a careful study of the various members of the Coal-measure 

series. Accordingly the writer was instructed to map the Estillville 

atlas sheet and make a special study of the coal territory north of 

Stone mountain. , ,

Previous to this, alt geologic research had been confined to the 

measurement of a special section of the Coal-measure series, and reports 

had been made only on the practicability of mining and transporting 

the products of the mines, with descriptions of the coals from various 

seams. No attempt had been made to group the measures, or to map 

the outcrops of the important members. Necessarily, from this method 

of work, the detailed structure of the field had been overlooked, and 

many errors in correlation occurred.

With these facts in view it was decided to confine the work of the 

U. S. Geological Survey mainly to areal geology; construction of a correct stratigraphic column; division of the series into groups, recognizable throughout the field; and the determination of the details of 

structure. In pursuing this plan of work no attention was paid to the 

composition, commercial value, and coking qualities of the coals. 1

As the principal coals occur in a mountain "range, rising at its highest point 4,200 feet above sea level and 2,800 feet .above Big Stone gap, 

the altitude of a coal outcrop is most important in determining its 

stratigraphic position. The Norfolk and Western and the Louisville 

and Nashville railroads afforded base levels from which altitudes were 

obtained. Lines of levels had been run by the Virginia Coal and Iron 

Company from the railroad surveys to all their openings on Callahan 

and Looney creeks, and these were very kindly placed at our disposal. 

In other portions of the field the aneroid barometer was the only instrument employed in determining altitudes. These readings were 

checked repeatedly, but it is altogether probable that appreciable errors 

exist in the altitudes of the observed outcrops. These errors are undoubtedly greater in the mountains, for the range of altitudes is greater, 

and during the field work in the heights the weather was extremely 

unfavorable; but where this error is greatest the coals are fortunately 

of least value and most inaccessible.

Meander lines were run, connecting all exposures of coal and forming a complete network over the field; this gave the correct relative

'For information concerning these important points the reader is referred to the following papers: J. 

J. Stevenson,Notes on Geology of Wise, Lee, and Scott Courities,Virginia; Am. Phil. Soc. Proc.1880- 

'81, vol. xix, pp. 88-107. G. K. J3oyd, The Economic Geology of the Bristol and Big Gap Section of 

Tennessee and Virginia, Pursuing the General Course of the South Atlantic and Ohio railroad; Am. 

Inst.Min.Eng. Trans. 1886-'87, vol. 15, pp. 114-121. McCreatli and d'lnvillierH, Mineral Kesources of 

the Upper Cumberland Valley in Southeastern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia, 1888. McCreat h 

and (1'In vilHers, report on a Portion of tho Virginia and Tennessee Coal and Iron Company's Property, Wise County, Virginia, 1892.
CAMPBELL.] INTRODUCTION. 15

location which, when adjusted to the topographic base, determined the 

outlines of the geologic map.

The mode of correlation and determination of structure employed in 

the final preparation of the field notes is novel, and, as it gave excellent results, a slight description of it will be given. All the observations on coals and other characteristic horizons were platted 

on. a large-scale map (2 inches to 1 mile), and then numerous cross 

sections Avere made in various directions connecting the outcrops. 

The great key rocks, the HarJan and Gladeville sandstones, gave the 

clue to the general structure, making it possible to correlate the 

principal coals across wide intervals that would otherwise have been 

exceedingly difficult to span. This method of establishing numerous 

cross sections has the essential qualities of a model, and when the 

sections were so adjusted as to agree at their intersection it was 

found that they brought out details of structure which could hardly 

be detected by any other method.

In presenting this paper the writer has two objects in view. The 

first is to add to the general knowledge respecting the geology of this 

central district. The groups determined in this region will be carried 

over the adjoining territory if they can be distinguished and they 

afford a type-section of the Coal-measures where they are probably 

best developed. The results are not put forth as final, but as representing the most probable conclusions from the observed facts.

The paper is also intended as a guide for practical operators in the 

field. It is meant to present a detailed description of the stratigraphy with the thicknesses of its prominent members, but especial stress 

is laid upon the structure, the details of which are given as far as 

determined! As will be shown in detail, prospectors are frequently at 

a loss to account for the change in elevation and attitude of a coal 

seam; or, failing to realize the influence of a change of structure, they 

make an erroneous correlation and mistake the outcrops of a single 

bed for distinct seams. By the aid of the key rocks described in the 

body of this paper, the writer was enabled to recognize and map many 

of the minor folds that are the principal cause of trouble in the field, 

and by the same criteria the practical worker can do the same and 

shape his work accordingly.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

LOCATION OF THE FIELD.

The Big Stone gap coal field is located in southwestern Virginia and 

southeastern Kentucky and includes portions of the counties of Wise, 

Scott, and Lee in the former state and Harlan and Letcher in the latter. 

Its northern boundary is the parallel of 37° north latitude and its western the eighty-third meridian; its southern and eastern boundaries are 

irregular, being mainly the southern margin of the Coal-measures. The 

map comprises a territory varying from 12 to 15 miles wide and 36
16 BIG STONE QAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

miles long; it is a part of a long, narrow basin extending northeast 

and southwest, bounded on either side by sharp, rocky ridges that render 

it quite difficult of access. The few water gaps in these barriers are of 

great importance, as they are the gateways through which all lines of 

transportation must enter in order to reach the coal fields within.

In the area mapped there is one. such natural gateway, Big Stone 

gap, and it is from this important topographic feature that the field 

has been named. This passageway is already utilized by two lines of 

railroad, and is destined to become one of the principal outlets for the 

products of the field.

TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES.

Within this territory there are two widely different types of topographic forms that may be designated as the coal basin type and the 

valley type.

Type of topographic forms in the coal basin. The plateau or "mesa" 

type of surface relief is characteristic of the interior of the coal basin 

in West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, Kentucky, and northern Tennessee. 

Eastern Kentucky is, perhaps, the typical locality, as it exhibits this 

phase of topography in most pronounced form. In that state the territory of the Coal-measures is an elevated base-leveled plain that has 

been dissected by streams. As the rocks are nearly homogeneous and 

practically horizontal, erosion has been guided by chance; the streams 

wind and the drainage basins are irregular in outline; the divides, being 

determined entirely by the cutting of the streams, are extremely irregular both in plan and section.

In the Big Stone gap field this type occupies the entire region 

except Pine and Stone mountains. The portion in Kentucky consists 

of the Big Black mountains, a zig-zag ridge with long branching spurs 

that are simply the divides left by the side streams as they cut their 

deep and narrow valleys between them. The valleys are carved in 

nearly horizontal strata, with but few hard beds to affect the rounded 

contours of the slopes. On the Virginia side the topography is very 

different, there being but two prominent ridges, the Bluff spur and 

Mne-mile spur, both in Wise county. In. Lee county there are no marked 

elevations, the surface at the foot of the Little Black mountain being 

nearly flat at a general altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level. This appears to be an old base level and the region is quite thickly settled. On 

its southern side, near Stone mountain, the north fork of the Powell river 

has cut a deep gorge, and the small streams are actively engaged in 

deepening their channels, cutting into this old plain along numerous 

cross valleys. In the Pigeon creek region, just across the line in Wise 

county, the topography is rough and broken and there are few inhabitants. Further east, on Looney and Oallahan creeks, the broader 

valleys afford easier access to the country, but the hill slopes continue 

to be steep and are generally covered by the original growth of timber. 

East of the lioaring fork the country becomes more open, the hills,
CAMPBELL.] ' GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 17

*

though high and steep, are.quite generally cleared and farmed cm top, 

the creeks still wind through bottoms, and the hill slopes are more 

round than in. the region further west. East of Guest river this phase 

disappears and the topography assumes the character of a plateau; 

the valleys are sharply cut, the slopes rising from 200 to 900 feet to a 

stratum of hard sandstone that has preserved this district from erosion. 

Toms creek has cut deeply into this table-land, which nevertheless 

extends to the eastern extremity of the field and forms the prominent 

sandy ridge that limits the Tennessee river basin on the north.

Type of topographic forms of the valley. This type is characteristic 

of the Appalachian valley from Alabama to New York, and consists of 

ridges formed by upturned hard strata that have resisted erosion more 

successfully than the adjoining beds. These ridges are generally 

straight for long distances, remarkably even crested, and sharp in section.

In the Big Stone gap field there are two excellent examples of this 

type, in Stone and Pine mountain, both formed by the upturned Lee 

conglomerate. Pine mountain is remarkably straight and even crested; 

the Lee conglomerate forming it dips southward about 30° and is composed of three or four heavy sandstones with interbedded shales. The 

'sandstones weather very slowly, while the shales are rapidly worn 

away; thus the main ridge is made up of three or four subordinate 

ridges, each composed of a massive sandstone. These are generally 

bare of vegetation, extremely rough and rocky. On its northern face 

Pine mountain presents a fault scarp and is so steep that it is difficult 

to cross.

Stone mountain is equally rough, but the attitude of the beds 

varies and gives rise to a variety of forms. Near the western edge 

of this field the conglomerate has a nearly vertical dip and its upper 

bed, the "Bee rock," stands against the mountain slope with bare rock 

faces 600 or 700 feet high. On each spur this bed forms a "tooth" of 

sandstone projecting above the ridge. It makes the mountain almost 

impassable. In the vicinity of Ohriger gap the dip flattens to 20° or 

30° and the mountain changes character accordingly; east of this the 

dip increases and the mountain grows rougher. Opposite the mouth 

of Hearing fork the conglomerate dips about 70° north and its outcrop 

presents a curious spectacle. The "Bee rock," here about 100 feet 

thick, stands out as a bare rocky wall for almost half a mile and varies 

in height from 50 to 200 feet; the curious feature is that the shale 

has been cut away behind this by a small branch, leaving a solid wall 

of sandstone which overhangs its base. East of Norton, at the junction of Powell and Stone mountains, is probably the roughest portion 

of the mountain. Here the conglomerate forms an anticlinal arch, but 

the streams have all cut deep canyons, leaving high cliffs. These 

are wild and picturesque but almost inaccessible. East of this the 

Bull. Ill 2
18 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULUIM.

arch dies out and the mountain loses its rough character5 the streams 

flowing south into the Clinch river, having the advantage of lower and 

shorter outlets, have cut gorges, but these are not so picturesque.

Pine and Stone mountains constitute the barriers that inclose this 

field. Pine mountain effectually prevents access to the field from the 

northwest; it has no low gaps from the Breaks of Sandy to Pineville, a distance of 85 miles. Stone mountain, on the southeastern side 

of the field, offers less obstruction to traffic, though it also presents a 

barrier to the economic development of the inclosed basin. This mountain extends from Norton, Virginia, to Jacksboro, Tennessee, but in that 

distance it is broken by three water gaps Big Stone, Penniugton and 

Big creek gaps; there is also Cumberland gap, which has long been 

noted as a highway between the east and west. This is at present 

only a low Avind gap, but doubtless, in not very remote geologic times, 

it was a water gap, occupied by a branch, of the Cumberland river that 

has since been diverted from its original course and is now a tributary 

of the Clinch river.

Two of these gaps are of great importance to the Big Stone gap 

field. Big Stone gap, as already noted, is the principal outlet for the 

rich coal basin drained by the main Powell river, or the western 

portion of Wise county, north of Stone mountain. Pennington gap is 

the natural outlet for the basin west of this area. The coals are not 

so important, but there are several workable seams on the head waters 

of the north fork of Powell river, in Lee county. No railroad has been 

built through this gap, but in case of the development of valuable coals 

in this basin a line could easily be constructed from the Louisville and 

Nashville railroad at Pennington gap station to reach any portion of 

the field.

Another important outlet for the coal of this field is around the 

eastern end of Stone mountain, and this route is already followed by 

the Clinch valley division of the Norfolk and Western railroad. So, 

for the Virginia portion of this field, there are three open gateways. 

In the Kentucky portion there are but two avenues of approach, 

either by a road up the Poor fork of the Cumberland from Pineville or 

up the Russell fork of the Sandy in Kentucky to above the Breaks, and 

then up the Pound river, connecting with the Poor fork through a lowdivide 2.000 feet above sea level.

As the stream valleys of these approaches are generally narrow and 

tortuous it will probably be some time before the demand for new sources 

of supply is sufficient to make the building of such lines profitable. 

The coals visible on these streams seem to warrant the construction of 

such lines, but the demand is certainly not in the immediate future.

Drainage. The Black mountain in this field forms the general 

water-shed between the Big Sandy flowing north, the Cumberland 

flowing west, and the Tennessee flowing southwest. Although the 

Avater from this region diverges on such different lines and pursues 

such Avidely different courses, it is all united again in the lower Ohio.
CAMPHKLL.I STRUCTURE. 19

The Tennessee river drains by far the largest portion of the field, 

practically all of the Virginia territory. The Clinch river is the principal outlet for this portion; and the territory is divided between its 

two branches, Powell and Guest rivers. At present they share it about 

equally, but this relation has not always been maintained. In remote 

ages the stream draining this portion of the country probably had 

its source on Sandy ridge, where Big Tom's creek at present heads, 

flowed west along the present channel of Guest river and discharged 

its Avaters into the Powell river through the low gap at Norton. A 

tributary of the Clinch has cut away the divide to the east and the 

drainage from Norton east has been reversed. Though this change 

occurred long ago, the marks of the old stream are well preserved and 

unmistakable, and the deserted channel at Norton affords the railroads 

a comparatively easy passage way across-adividetliat otherwise would 

have been a serious obstacle.

In the Kentucky portion of the field the drainage is entirely through 

the Poor fork of the Cumberland river. This stream Avith its large 

tributaries, Clover lick, Clover fork, and Looney creek, has cut deep 

gorges in the soft Coal-measure rocks; these gorges are important chiefly 

because they afford geologic sections and routes for transportation.

Development of the country. From the mountainous character of the 

country, its value for agricultural pursuits is small, especially so Avhere 

i.ts mountains are composed of Coal-measure rocks that generally yield 

a light, poor soil. The bottoms along the streams are valuable, but 

these are of small extent and of rare occurrence. The greater part of 

the country is still forest-covered, but it has been robbed of its best 

timber.

The development of the mineral resources of this region should raise 

it from, the low Kink it has hitherto held into one of the Avealthproduciug portions of the country.

STRUCTURE. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION,

Along the eastern margin of the Appalachian, coal field there is a 

belt of slightly disturbed strata that forms the transition from the 

nearly horizontal rocks of the Cumberland plateau to the highly contorted strata of the great Appalachiai i valley. In th e practi cat dcvel opment of coal in the interior of the basin the question of the attitude 

of the rocks is rarely considered, but in the transition belt their dips 

are important. The strata, besides being bent into anany large folds? 

are frequently traversed by numerous minor undulations that have a 

decided effect upon the elevation and attitude of the coal. These, 

on account of their apparent insignificance, are generally disregarded 

and are the most frequent cause of error in correlating coal, outcropsThe practical operator, in order to understand the full effect of these 

minor disturbances upon the seam of coal, must be familiar Avith the 

general structural features of the field and their interrelations.
20 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

As the Big Stone gap coal field is situated upon the eastern margin 

of the coal basin, a brief description will be given of the prominent 

structural features that characterize the transition belt throughout 

most of the central portion of the Appalachians.

STRUCTURAL, FEATURES.

The principal faults and folds are indicated on PI. I, and they may 

be described as follows:

1. A profound break -the Hunter valley fault stretches from near 

Rome, Georgia, to the New river, Virginia, and forms the southeastern 

limit of all known Coal-measures. This is one of the most extensive 

faults in the Appalachian province, having a length of 370 miles and a 

stratigraphic throw of 11,000 feet. This fault, like others throughout 

the province, has developed from an anticlinal fold, which, owing to the 

extent of the thrust, has entirely disappeared except at the extremities 

of the fault; there the anticline still exists.

2. West of the Hunter valley fault, throughout most of its extent, 

there are remnants of a syncline originally accompanying the now 

faulted anticline. The syncline has been nearly buried by the overthrust mass, and is only visible in such remnants as White Oak 

mountain, Tennessee, and Wallen ridge and Powell mountain, Virginia.

3. Northwest of the syncline is one of the most pronounced structural 

features in the region, the Powell valley anticline. This great fold has 

its northern termination in the Big Stone gap field, and extends 

thence south as far as G-adsden, Alabama; it is generally a single, 

broad fold, but in places it is composed of several smaller anticlines or 

narrow faulted strips developed therefrom; in width it varies from 5 

to 12 miles, with an average of 7 or 8 miles.

4. On the northwest Side of this arch is a correspondingly wide 

trough or synclinal fold, which is here designated the Middlesboro syncline. The Big Stone gap coal field covers part of this great trough, 

which rapidly widens to the northeast as the Powell valley anticline 

flattens out, and at no great distance is merged in the flat, unbroken 

Coal-measures of West Virginia. To the southwest the trough holds 

its normal width of 12 or 13 miles to the line of the Knoxville and Ohio 

railroad, where it abuts directly against the horizontal rocks of the 

upper Coal-measures of Cross mountain. The exact nature of its termination is not known, but it is probably cut off by a cross fault along 

the line of the railroad. South westward from this cross fault the strata 

are flat and undisturbed for about 25 miles, but opposite Harriman, 

Tennessee, a syncline develops of about the same width and in the 

same relative position; this extends far southwest, and is locally known 

as Walden ridge and Sand mountain, and in central Alabama is merged 

in the basin of the Black Warrior.

5. The last conspicuous structural feature toward the northwest was 

originally a sharp anticlinal fold, which, upon-the continuation of the
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 111 PL. II

SECTION FROM THE MOUTH Of LEWIS CREEK KY TO THE HEAD OF PIGEON CREEK VA.

SECTION THROUGH NORTON, HIGH KNOB AND STONY CREEK.

SECTION THROUGH COEBURN AND DUNQANNON..

SECTION ALONG AN EAST AND WEST LINE fROM -MAGGARD BRANCH TO NINE MILE SPUR.

CH 'HARLAN SANDSTONE Cg GLADEVILLE SANDSTONE 

Cws WISE FORMATION Cnr NORTON FORMATION

SECTION ALONG AN EAST AND WEST UNt

STRUCTURE SECTIONS ACROSS -

fffOM NINE MILE SPUR TO YELLOW CREEK.

HE BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD.

Cle LEE CONGLOMERATE Cn NEWIV 

Cpn PENNIN6TON SHALE Dg CRAIf

AN LIMESTONE 

GCR SHALL.
CAMPBELL.] STRUCTURE. 21

.thrust, developed into a fault throughout most of its length. Between 

the Tug fork and Bussell fork of the Big Sandy river it is described as 

a simple anticline 1 , growing in magnitude toward the south west; in the 

vicinity of Eussell fork the fault develops and continues southwest for 

a long distance. The overthrust limb of the anticline forms the present 

nionoclinal ridge of Pine mountain, faulted along its northern base and 

thrust upon the nearly horizontal rocks of the upper Coal-measures. 

The. course of the fault is southwest, parallel with the axis of the 

Middlesboro syncline, and it is terminated by the same cross fault. An 

interruption occurs here similar to the one mentioned in connection 

with the syncline. As the syncline develops again southwestward, 

so does the anticline, in the form of a gentle fold which increases in 

magnitude to the southwest and forms the noted Sequatchie valley and 

its southwestward extension, Brown's valley. This arch is faulted 

throughout most of its length, but the thrust has not been so great as 

in Pine mountain, and the anticline is not destroyed.

When it is considered that each of these great structural features 

passes through the small territory of the Big Stone gap coal field,itwiil 

be seen that a knowledge of the characteristics of each one is of the 

greatest importance, as they all have an influence on the practical value 

of the field. They are accordingly described together with the minor 

folds that accompany them. ,

STRUCTURE OF BIG STONE GAP FIELD.

The axis of the Powell valley anticline enters this field from the 

west 2£ miles south of Stone mountain, striking N. 55° E.; the height 

of the fold is such that the Knox dolomite, which is 7,200 feet below sea 

level in the syncline north of Stone mountain, is here brought to the 

surface at an elevation of 1,500 feet, making a rise in the arch of 8,700 

feet. From this point the axis holds about the same course, £T. 55° E., 

to a point just south of Little Stone gap, where its height has diminished to 5,800 feet above the syncline on the north. ."From Little Stone 

gap its direction is changed to due east and its downward pitch is so 

rapid that at the state road south of Coeburn it is only 1,200 feet high, 

diminishing to almost nothing at the Clinch river.

Like most folds in the Appalachian region, this anticline is unsymmetrical; its northwestern side is almost vertical, while its southeastern 

limb dips gently away from the axis and gradually merges into the 

shallow syncline on the south. From Clinch river to High knob 

the Carboniferous strata are not eroded from the fold, the Lee conglomerate serving as its protecting shield; further west erosion has 

cut deeply into the arch, down even to the Silurian limestones, but the 

character of the fold is the same. The vertical northern limb is shown 

in the sharply upturned Lee conglomerate of Stone mountain; the

'Geological Survey of Kentucky. Preliminary report on the Southeastern Keiitucky Coal Field, 

by A. R. Orandall and G. M. Hodge, Frankfort, Kentucky, 1887, p. 7.
22 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

crown of the arch, in the flat-lying limestones in the center of the valley; 

and the light southern dips in Walien ridge and Powell mountain.

In Powell mountain, east of Slernp gap, the remnant of the syncline 

between the Powell valley anticline and the Hunter valley fault is 

comparatively unimportant, both as a feature of the structure of the 

field and its mineral resources. The Coal-measure rocks in this basin 

lie so high in the mountain that erosion has removed almost all of them 

except the heavy Lee conglomerate.

The character of the fold in Powell mountain is shown in PI. n. 

Section 3-4 exhibits the structure along a line from Norton through 

High knob to Stony creek, and shows the conglomerate in a vertical 

position just south of Norton, the crown of the arch north of High knob, 

and the gentle syncline on the southern side of the mountain sharply 

overturned along the Hunter valley fault. Section 5-6 is along the state 

road south of Coeburn, and shows the very gentle anticline of Powell 

mountain, with a slight trace of the syncline on its southern side; a 

little farther east the fault has completely obliterated the trough, and 

the arch itself is lost in the slight irregularities of the strata in the 

vicinity of the fault.

The Middlesboro syncline is the true coal basin of the Big Stone 

gap field, and from an economic standpoint is decidedly the most 

important structural feature in the region. This basin has suffered a 

large amount of minor, irregular deformation, "that probably owes its 

origin to the unknown forces which folded the rocks of the great Appalachian valley. The flexures assumed by the rocks under this great 

pressure axe of various forms, but for practical purposes they may be 

divided into two general classes:

1. Folds affecting an indefinite number of strata, of relatively deepseated origin, and differing from the great plications of the valley only 

in degree.

2. Folds generally of less magnitude than the preceding class and 

limited entirely to the stratum in which they originate.

Folds of the first class are doubtless due to the fact that the strata 

were not rigid enough to transmit the pressure without bending. Local 

conditions probably determined their positions and the direction of the 

pressure determined the strike of the fold.

Folds of the second class are due simply to the contortions of a 

single weak stratum in adjusting itself to a new position determined by 

the differential movement of the two adjacent rigid beds; this folding 

is frequently carried to such an extent that faulting occurs and the 

result is a long series of regular dips in the same direction, but as these 

are limited to the single formation they give no indication of the general 

structure of the region.

This class almost always accompanies great plications and is a common cause of variability in .the thickness of coal seams.

PI. in is a contour map of the top of the Gladeville sandstone. 

The object of the map is to bring out the details of structure that can not
OAMPBBLT,.] STRUCTURE. 23

be shown in sections unless the vertical scale is greatly exaggerated. 

In constructing this map, the G-ladeville sandstone was chosen simply 

because it is the stratum which is most easily recognized throughout 

the field, and the structure of this formation resembles that of any bed 

above or below it. In tracing coal the prospector can use this map to 

determine the elevation at which any coal bed occurs ; given the distance 

of a coal bed above or below the sandstone, this figure should be added 

to or subtracted from the elevation of the sandstone in the given locality. 

The data at hand were not sufficient to determine all details, but the 

main features are fairly well ascertained. The axes are indicated by 

broken lines, and the character of the fold by arrows pointing in the 

.direction of the dip. This map illustrates the complexities of this field, 

in which the rocks are supposed to be nearly horizontal; in fact, they 

are nowhere horizontal, and rarely maintain regular dips for any great

distance.

The main axis of the Middlesboro syncline is near the northwestern 

edge of the basin, as shown on PI. v at A A', passing through the highest poin ts on Benham spur and Looney ridge; it is approximately parallel to Pine mountain and about 2f miles distant from it.

This syncline is traversed by a low, broad anticline, B B' C, that 

toward the western edge of the field is parallel with the main axis; at 

B' its direction changes and its volume increases, so that the axis 

B' 0 has a nearly due north and south direction. Its height above 

the syncline axis at A is 800 feet and at 0 350 feet. From B' there are 

indications of the southward continuation of the axis C' D to its junction with the main fold near Olinger gap.

This arch is called the State line anticline, for its axis corresponds 

very closely wi tli the state line across this field. As a rule it is located 

east of the crest of the mountain and separates an area of slightly 

disturbed, regularly-dipping rocks in Kentucky from an area of much, 

minor folding in Virginia. On the Kentucky side the strata descend 

at an average rate of about 1)0 feet per mile; the dip is steeper near the 

anticlinal axis, B B' C, and flattens out as it approaches the synclinal 

axis A A'. On the eastern side the descent is neither so great nor so 

regular. The slight effect of gentle dips in the strata appears in the 

topography of this district. Southeast of this axis B B' C, the disturbed strata are deeply eroded, but in the Kentucky region, even 

though the dip is considerable, the slope is regular and erosion has 

apparently been no more active than where the strata are horizontal.

Northward from Isoni Bock spur the State line anticline diminishes 

rapidly in altitude, and near the northern edge of the map merges 

into a northwestward dipping monocline. The data are insufficient 

for an accurate determination of the form and elevation of the arch 

near the margins of the field, but it appears to diminish in both directions as it passes off the territory.

Almost parallel with this arch and comparatively near it a number of
24 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 11L

oval basins'lie along a common axis. This axis is marked D D' on PI. 

V, and will be styled the Crab Orchard syncline, from Crab Orchard 

post-office, in Lee county, Virginia. It enters the field three-fourths of 

a mile above Cynthia post-office, at quite a distance from the State Line 

anticline, and about 200 feet below it. Thence eastward it rises somewhat faster than the anticline, and at the county line it is but 100 feet 

below it; it rapidly deepens in the distance of 1 mile beyond that line 

to 250 feet below the anticline; again it rises as it crosses Little Looney 

creek, but deepens again to a basin north of Mud Lick creek. Beyond 

that its course is uncertain, but it seems to disappear at about the same 

place as the State line anticline, in the monoclinal dip to the northwest.

As these folds approach the divide along the county line, their axes, 

come closer together, and the dip of the strata between them is about 

6°. This steep dip, together with the acute angle at which they cross 

the divide, gives the structure a very complicated appearance. It is 

apparent from a consideration of the structure that a coal which shows 

on one side of this ridge at a certain elevation may range from 100 feet 

higher to as many feet lower on the other side, so the correlation is 

uncertain unless a coal can be traced continuously in outcrop. This is 

difficult, as coals seldom show on dry ridges. This divide has proved 

a barrier across which no one has been able positively to identify coal 

seams, but no one, so far as the writer is aware, has ever offered an explanation of the difficulty.

East of the Crab Orchard syncline are two slight wrinkles, E E' and 

F F', of small extent and but a few feet above or below the normal elevation. These are insignificant in a general view of the field, and the 

data at hand are not adequate to describe them, but they would be 

very important in any mining enterprise undertaken in this portion of 

the field, and should be carefully studied in regard to their effect upon 

the workable seams of coal.

The details of the next two axes are almost unknown; their presence 

was hardly manifest in the field, and the observations failed to cover 

the ground. The anticlinal axis G G' is called the Pioneer anticline 

and the synclinal axis H IP the Mill creek syncline.

On both sides of Nine-mile spur the Imboden coal lies at approximately the same altitude, and the rocks have no visible dip; but at 

Pioneer, where an entry has been driven in on the Imboden seam, the 

slope is a few feet per mile toward the west, while on the Eoaring fork 

the strata rise to the east in a large anticlinal fold. As these dips are 

in the same direction and at the same level, they necessarily involve a 

compound flexture, the form and extent of which are unknown. The 

northern extension of these small folds is uncertain, but before reaching 

the state line they probably disappear in the gentle and regularly dipping monocline to the northwest.

East of the.Eoaring fork the strata rise quite rapidly in an. anticlinal 

arch, whose axis is 11' J on the map; it will be called Coonsey e anticline,
83- U.S.6EOLOGICAI SURVEY.

AXES OF FOLDS

CONTOURS BELOW THE SURFACE 

» ABOVE » » CONTOUR MAP OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE GLADEVILLE SANDSTONE.

BY 

MARIUS R. CAMPBELL.

e Miles

Contoxxr Interval 50 feet
CAMPBELL.] STKUCTURE. 25

from Coonseye post-office. This peculiar axis forms a complete loop, 

inclosing a basin 100 feet deeper than the lowest point in the encircling 

rim. There can be no question about this interpretation of the structure from the Roaring fork through Coonseye, and as far around as the 

abrupt bend in Powell river; beyond that there is some uncertainty, as 

the notes were found to be inadequate to determine the details, though 

the general structure is probably that shown on the map.

This fold is an important one for miners and prospectors, for over considerable territory the arching of the strata has lifted the coals so high 

that all are eroded except the Imboden seam, which here attains an 

unusual thickness, varying from 4 to 10 feet, and is raised from an elevation of 1,900 feet above sea level 011 the Roaring fork to 2,275 feet just 

south of Coonseye. From this axis the strata descend into the interior 

basiu K K', on a dip of about 10°, which is probably the steepest dip in 

the field.

Lying between the Coonseye anticline and the great Gladeville anticline is an irregular syncliue, or a succession of basins, arranged 

along a common axis and named, Guest river syncline, LI/. From 

Stone Coal branch northeast this basin is quite Avell defined, but 

. southwest from that branch the structure is uncertain. All along the 

northern base of Stone mountain, from Norton to the western edge of 

the territory, there exists a belt of greatly contorted strata that are 

well exposed in the numerous cuts along the Louisville and Nashville 

railroad. The soft shale, Avith numerous small seams of coal, is highly 

plicated and frequently, as at Big Stone gap, tlie folding has involved 

heavy beds of hard sandstone; locally the strain has been so 

severe as to cause faulting. All this folding is classed in the second 

division, as given on page 22. From the sharpness of the flexures and 

the fact that they are generally found in the soft shale, it does not 

seem probable that the cause was deep seated or that the massive 

conglomerate, lying immediately below the shale, took part in the folding. From present knowledge there are no important coals in this 

belt, and the study of it is unprofitable as involving details of structure that are of no consequence.

East of this is the sharpest anticlinal fold in the region, the formation of which has had probably more influence than any other in modifying the surrounding structure. This is the Gladeville anticline MM' 

and its apparent continuation M' N. The arch is so pronounced that 

it has raised the conglomerate to the surface considerably north of its 

normal boundary, as is well shown in the Guest river valley, 2£ miles 

below Norton. The river has preserved its channel around this projecting point only with great difficulty, and by following the great bend 

that is such a marked feature of the topography.

The axis of this fold crosses the Norton and Gladeville road 1 mile 

west of town, where the crown of the arch is formed by the Gladeville 

sandstone. This bed is 485 feet higher here than it is on Guest 

river at the crossing of the Norton and Gladeville road; from
26 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

this summit it descends eastward to an elevation of 2,470 feet at

Glacleville, or 100 feet below the summit altitude. This anticline, ' . just after crossing the Gladeville and Pound gap road, 1 mile northwest of the town, passes into a monocline with relatively steep dips to 

the west, while to the eastward the strata extend in a high table-land 

or mesa with very gentle undulations.

Commencing just north of Gladeville and swinging in a crescent with 

the convex side toward the mountain is a synclinal axis OO', that 

passes near the edge of the escarpment just above Taconia and dies 

out near the head of Steeles fork of Cranes ISTest creek, 2£ miles west 

of Coeburn; from its location this is called the Gladeville syncline. 

Immediately north of the Gladeville syncline is a short and insignificant-fold, the Bear creek anticline NN7 , which is crescent-shaped and 

parallel to the syncline.

East of Banner another fold, Little Tom anticline, SS', has its origin 

on the flanks of the Powell valley arch, crosses the railroad in the 

vicinity of Little Tom tunnel, and, swinging gently to the north, passes 

out of this territory with a general course of 1ST. 70° E. This arch is 

small, but it has a marked influence on the position of the coal seams. 

McCreath and d'lnvilliers1 traced this fold as far as Lick creek, holding 

an average course of N. 72° E.; they consider it the continuation of the 

Powell valley anticline, but this is manifestly an error, as the latter 

fold trends due east and west and is cut off by the Hunter valley 

fault.

Fear Little Torn, tunnel the anticlinal axis appears to divide, throwing off a small spur to the north KR/, but for lack of data its position 

is uncertain.

The last structural feature in this territory is a synclinal basin, 

whose axis TT' trends northwest and southeast, but in all probability 

it turns northeast near Virginia city between the Little Tom anticline 

and the overturned conglomerate along the northern side of the Hunter 

valley fault. This is called the Virginia city syncline, from a station 

by that name on Russell creek.

There is a marked relation between the most of these slight undulations and the Powell valley anticline. In the western portion of the 

field, where the large anticline is developed in full force, the minor 

folds are only-two in number and small in size. East of Olinger gap 

the Powell valley anticline diminishes in magnitude and the small 

folds increase in number and size. It would appear that the pressure 

was exerted iii forming many small folds instead of one large one. A 

line drawn east and west through Big Stone gap marks a change 

in direction of the axis of the Powell valley anticline and a 

corresponding change, though in an opposite direction, in the axes of 

the minor folds. This new direction, approximately north and south,

deport on a portion of the Virginia and Tennesse Coal anil Iron Company's property, Wise 

county, Virginia, 1892. By A. S. McCreath and E. V. d'lnvilliers.
CAMPBBLL.] GENERAL GEOLOGY. 27

is maintained by the small folds until near the northern limit of this 

territory, where they again resume their normal, northeast-southwest, 

direction.

GENERAL GEOLOGY. 

DIFFICULTIES OF CLASSIFICATION.

In the Coal-measures of this field there are no beds of limestone to 

serve as keys to the structure and stratigraphy, consequently the geologist is deprived of one of the best guides to correlation; lie is limited 

entirely to the shales, coals, and sandstones which here constitute the 

Coal-measures. These three elements are very variable both in thickness 

and in physical characteristics. Coal seams, as every operator knows 

from practical experience, are subject to a great many changes. Some 

of these, as changes of thickness, of chemical composition, and of physical appearance, as well as of the character of floor and roof, are largely 

due to Conditions affecting the deposition of the material; others aredue to movements of the strata by which the soft coal was crushed in 

places squeezed to a feather-edge and elsewhere collected into masses 

many times thicker than the normal seam.

The probability of change makes it extremely difficult to trace a seam 

of coal even under the most favorable conditions. Ordinarily the conditions are unfavorable, and the prospector, depending upon the coal 

alone as his guide, is very liable to err in his correlations.

Sandstones and shales are the productof sedimentation under unstable conditions, and the geologist accepts them with caution as guides 

to stratigraphy. True, some beds of sandstone are very regular and 

hold over large areas, but as a rule this will not apply to the sandstones 

of the Coal-measures, for it is exceptional to find any bed sufficiently 

well marked to be recognizable throughout even as small a field as that 

of Big Stone gap.

Altogether the task of subdivision and classification of such a mass 

of rapidly alternating and changing sediments is a most difficult one, 

and especially so where the field is traversed by numerous small folds 

or undulations. The policy of the U. S. Geological Survey in regard 

to subdivision of the rocks is to make such a classification as is best calculated to express the facts in the given territory regardless of subdivisions that have been made in other portions of the field. The geologist, by recognizing these local features, puts his work in such a 

shape that others working in the same field will be able to trace his 

groups without being obliged to attempt an extremely uncertain correlation with the various groups as determined by the Pennsylvania 

or New York geologists. So in the present Avork no effort has been 

made to divide the Coal-measures into the classic divisions of Lower Productive, Lower Barren. Upper Productive, and Upper Barren measures.

TABLE OF FORMATIONS.

The following table shows the formations recognized in the present 

work, the names being local geographic names taken from the inime-
28 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD [BULL. 111.

diate field, and the thicknesses being the mean of the most reliable 

measures made on the southern side of the field:

Formation, t

to

2 

« '3 '

o

f0

Gladeville sandstone. . .

. Newmau limestone ....

Symbol.

Ch

Cws 

Ug 

Cur 

Cl 

Cpn 

Cn

Mean 

thickness.

Feet. 

880

1,270 

100 

1,280 

1,500 

1,100 

930

Character.

Mainly coarse, white sandstone with sandy shale 

or thin cdals. 

Shales, sands, clays and coals. 

Heavy, coarse white sandstone. 

Shales, sandstones, clays and coals. 

Conglomerate, shales aiid coals. 

Red and green shale with beds of sandstone. 

Limestone and calcareous shale.

REVIEW OF PREVIOUS WOKK.

Before this work was undertaken very little had been done to classify 

these sediments, and determine their thickness. The first mention of 

any of these formations is an account of areconnoissauce made by J. P. 

Lesley from Coeburn eastward. 1 He observed the Gladeville sandstone capping the hill (Robert's butt) back of Coeburn, and gave it 

the local name of u Sheep Rock" conglomerate, "but in attempting to 

follow it to the east he confused it with the Lee conglomerate, and 

consequently misinterpreted the structure. He described the overturned edge of the Lee conglomerate along the great fault line as the 

dipping down of the "Sheep Rock" conglomerate, and was necessarily led to an erroneous correlation of the coals in that district. 

South from Coeburn he made the same mistake in correlating the 

"Sheep Rock 7' conglomerate with the Lee conglomerate of Powell 

mountain, giving him a syncline where the Powell valley anticline is

located.

In 1880 Mr. J. J. Stevenson made a careful study of the Section from 

Big Stone gap to the crest of the'Big Black mountain, probably in the 

vicinity of Isom Rock spur.2 He did not classify the measures into 

groups, but his section may be stated as follows, by assuming the base 

of the Harlan sandstone to be 400 feet beneath the crest of the mountain, and the base of the Gladeville sandstone 190 feet above the Imboden

seam, as shown on Callahan creek:

Harlan sandstone ....

Wise formation ......

Gladeville sandstone 

Norton formation ....

Lee conglomerate....

Feet. 

400

630

120

601

Total thickness ............. .............................. 1,751

The measure of the loAvest formation is only roughly approximate, as 

his last distance was estimated. He remeasured and revised this sec-

*The Geological Structure of Tazewell, Russell, and Wise counties, Virginia. Am. Phil. Soc., 

Proc., vol. vn, 1871-'72. pp. 492-494. ' '

'Notes on the Geology of Wise, Lee, and Scott Counties, Virginia. Am. Phil. Soc., Proc., vol. XIX, 

1880,1881; p. 91.
CAMPBELL.] GENERAL GEOLOGY. 29

tioii in 1881, 1 and the result, subdivided in the same manner, yields the 

following section:

Foot 

Harlari sandstone............................................... 400

Wise formation................................................. 1,155

Gladeville sandstone............................................ 120

Norton formation............................................... 755

Lee conglomerate.

. Total thickness........................................... 2,430

Mr. Stevenson did not measure to the highest point in the mountain, 

which is at the triaiigulation station west of the Double, 4 miles from 

the line of his section. The altitude at the station is 4,150 feet, and that 

at the crest, where his section crosses it, is only 3,900 feet 5 the difference 

would add 250 feet to the top of his column, if the rocks are horizontal, 

making the Harlan sandstone 650 feet. As the rocks dip slightly toward 

the triangulation station, 280 feet more must be added to the thickness 

of the upper member. In his second measurement he increased the 

thickness of the Wise formation 525 feet, or almost doubled it; the result 

approaches the measure as given on p. 28. The difference, 115 feet, can 

easily be accounted for by inaccuracies in measurement and the uncertainty of aneroid readings.

The Gladeville sandstone has a greater thickness than that stated in 

the general section, but the table is mean thickness for the field and 

is therefore not strictly comparable. A section on Callahan creek gives 

the same as Stevenson's section.

The Norton formation shows the great difference in measurement. 

Mr. Stevenson in his later measurement changed his figures 154 feet, 

giving him 755 feet instead of 601 feet as determined by his first work. 

Neither of these figures is worth much, for Mr. Stevenson, distinctly 

states that they were estimates merely and anyone familiar with the 

problem will readily understand how unreliable estimates are on this 

formation. The discrepancies between the various estimates of the 

thickness of this formation are due to the absence of any well marked 

stratum from which to measure and the great amount of disturbance 

that it has suffered in the uprising of the Powell valley anticline.

Mr. C. 11. Boyd also measured the same section,2 as follows:

Foot.

Harlan sandstone in part r ,, 

Wise formation......... \

GladeA'ille sandstone............................................ 120

Norton formation............................................... 570

Lee conglomerate.

Total thickness........................................... 1, 518

'Op. cit.,,pp. 237, 238.

2 Tho Economic Geology of the Bristol and Big Stone Gap section of Tennessee and Virginia, pursuing 

the general course of the South Atlantic and Ohio Railroad. Am. Inet. Mill. Eiig., Trans. A7ol. 15, 

1886, 1887, pp. 119, 120.
30 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

Messrs. Andrew S. McCreath and E. V. d'lnvilliers studied the region 

south of the Big Black mountains and west of Big Stone gap,1 and first 

called attention to the Gladeville sandstone as a key rock. They thus 

describe it 2 on the north fork of Po well river, west of this territory:

0

There is, however, a very conspicuous ledge of sandstone 

outcropping along the southeastern base of this mountain for 

some distance along the Roaring fork toward Penningtons 

gap. This rock is largely honey-combed, though otherwise 

massive, and from 30 to 50 feet thick. Its presence here is only 

important as bearing upon the horizon of some of the coals to 

be presently mentioned along the Kentucky portion of the 

Cumberland field, where this rock, if indeed it be correctly 

identified, outcrops nearly the whole length of the Cumberlaud river from the head of Clover fork nearly to Pineville. 

It is the important rock of that section, causing conspicuous 

cliffs along the river bank, and the only possible guide to the 

geology of the Cumberland river. Here, along the north fork 

of Powell river, its position would seem to occur about 250 to 

300 feet above the top of the conglomerate measures No. xn, 

although it is by no means certain that a fault does not exist 

along the north base of the Stone mountain, which, of course, 

would materially affect the correctness of this calculation. 

In any event, upon the Cumberland waters a rock of similar 

constitution occurs, as already stated, but evidently at a considerably grearter interval above the conglomerate measures 

outcropping in Pine mountain.

This estimated distance above the conglomerate 

on Powell river is certainly too small, and it seerns 

that the very steep dips near Stone mountain were 

not taken into account. These dips are so nearly 

vertical that all the measures between the conglomerate and the Gladeville sandstone might rise to the 

Surface in a quarter of a mile Avithout the intervention of a fault, which is hardly probable, although 

the soft shales are considerably folded and crushed. 

They write further: 3

The most conspicuous feature of the river geology west 

of Huffs creek is the appearance above the water for the first 

time of a prominent and massive honey-combed sandstone, 

Avhich, from a point above Trace branch, or about 2£ miles

50 O'

Fig. 1. Section on Chijds

creek, Ky.

above Rockhouse branch, becomes a conspicuous feature of the river cliffto and beyond 

Harlan Court-House. * * * Along both. Clover fork and the Cumberland river 

itself this prominent sandstone rock is rarely absent. * * * The thickness of 

these sandstone measures is certainly greater than in Virginia, although nowhere 

apparently over 100 to 125 feet thick, including its shale members. * * * Its 

identity at Rockhouse branch, Childs creek, and Harlan Court-House, if maintained, 

Avould be of the greatest importance, for it Avould at once give the key to the 

structure of this coal field and would render a correlation of its various coal beds 

a much more simple and easy task. 

They give a section 4 on Childs creek, a small tributary of Clover

'Mineral Resourccss of the Upper Cumberland Valley of Southeastern Kentucky and Southwestern 

Virginia, 1888. 'Op.'cit., p. 41. 3 0p. cit,, pp. 55,50, "Op. cit., p. 62.
GENERAL GEOLOGY. 31

fork entering from the south 4 or 5 miles below Eockhonse branch, 

and it shows that they recognized the two key rocks, the Harlau and 

Gladeville sandstones. This interval between these two members agrees 

remarkably well with the average for the field.

In 1892 these gentlemen made an examination of the territory east of 

Tacoma. Their investigations were limited mainly to an examination 

of coal outcrops, and from these alone the structure of the field was deter 

mined. They failed to recognize any key rocks, but their interpretation of the structure agrees essentially with that shown on PL in.

At the Montreal meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers held February, 1893, Mr. J. M. Hodge presented a paper on this 

field, in Avnich he recognizes the base of the Harlan sandstone and gives a 

measured section from Big Stone gap to the crest of the Big Black mountain. He attempts no subdivision of the series, and his sections are 

incomplete at both ends, as he regards the mountain summit as 4,000 

feet above tide, whereas it is 4,150 feet at its highest point, and at the 

base he has not measured to the ' ' Bee rock." His section is drawn from 

barometric elevations, without correction for the dip of the strata, so it 

is vague. JVIr. Hodge estimates that the.upper two-thirds may be 300 

feet too thick. The section as it stands, applying the classification 

herein employed, would be as follows:

Feet. 

Hi-irlan. sandstone.............................................. 385

Wise formation.....) ., _ - \.......................................... lj bbU

Gladevillesiindstone)

Norton formation............................................... 355

Total.................................................... 2,400

The thickness of the upper member should be increased, making it 

agree with the figures as given for the field, 880 feet. The other figures 

show for themselves, the greatest difference being in the lower or Norton formation.

THE FORMATIONS.

Harlan sandstone, the most conspicuous rock to be seen in crossing 

she Big Black mountains, occurs 400 to 600 feet below their crest, 

and produces, under favorable conditions, cliffs and ledges the socalled "rock houses" of the mountaineers. Its base, 30 or 40 feet in. 

thickness, is the cliff-making member, and is a massive sandstone 

composed, of well-rounded grains of white quartz, varying from the 

size of ordinary clean beach sand to pebbles of the size of a pea. This 

heavy stratum grades upward into thinner bedded sandstone, in all 

forming a single bed about 100 feet thick. The Isoin rock, on the 

spur bearing the same name, at the head of Little Looney creek, is 

probably the best exposure of this stratum in its typical form, and it 

is widely known. In a study of the upper measures the recognition 

of this sandstone is very important, and for that purpose a brief 

description of the observed outcrops is here given.
32 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [B0LL.ni.

It probably caps the Little Black mountain, at the head of Eockhouse branch, at an altitude of 3,000 feet, but the identification is not 

certain. It was positively identified on Potato hill, at 3,530 feet, and 

the Butt, at 3,560 feet. At the angle in the mountain northeast of the 

Butt its elevation is 3,580 feet, its highest occurrence in this region. At 

the extreme point of Middle ridge it is well exposed in heavy cliffs at 

an altitude of 3,400 feet. The same phase apj)ears on Hall spur in 

higher and less accessible cliffs, which give the ridge a rugged, 

picturesque appearance. Above the head of Clover Lick creek "the 

sandstone was seen on the two trails; on the south side its altitude 

is about 3,200 feet, and on the north side, below the house of Joshua 

Gilliam, it is 3,060 feet. On Gap creek, directly east of Gilliam's, 

it is 3,190 feet. On the Haggard branch trail it forms cliffs at 2,950 

feet, and in the extreme western end of Beuhams spur, and on its 

northern side, its elevation is 2,900 feet. At the head of Big Looney 

creek, just beneath the Double, it is 3,400 feet, and on the trail from 

the head of Big Looney to the Isom Eock spur it is 3,450 feet. Across 

the mountain, on the latter spur, it is 3,500 feet. From this,point it 

descends rapidly toward the north, for on Road spur it is only 3,370 

feet, and on a spur above Henry fork of Mud Lick creek it is 3,170 

feet. On the extreme high point of Looney ridge, just above the 

mouth of Lewis creek, it shows as a heavy ledge at 3,000 feet. On the 

high Bluff spur above Shepard's mill it is 3,220 feet, and on the newcut county road, just below Dan Eichmond's house, it is 3,270 feet. 

The last exposure seen is on a high point of Mne Mile spur at 3,400 

feet, but the stratum was not certainly identified.

This massive stratum, at the base of the Harlan sandstone, was 

found to be recognizable throughout the field, and became important as 

a key rock, which afforded a means of correlation of the various coals 

and recognizable sandstones on the Virginia side with those on the 

Kentucky side of the mountains.

By platting all of the elevations observed on the base of this sandstone 

and constructing a model of its under surface, the structure north of the 

state line was quite accurately determined. The thickness of the rocks 

from the base of this sandstone to the highest point in the mountain 

is 880 feet, and its members are so much alike throughout that it is 

regarded as a single formation, to which the name Harlan sandstone is 

applied, from its typical development in Harlan county, Kentucky. It 

should not be understood from the name that the strata are all sandstone, but the prevailing character is that of a sandstone like the one 

at the base. There are a number of beds of sandy shale carrying 

coals, but so far as known none of the latter are of workable thickness, except possibly one seam near the base, which will be described 

on another page. There is no place where a good continuous section 

could be measured, but on ascending to the triangulation station from 

Big Stone gap by way of the Isom Eock spur and the Double, a fair 

knowledge of the formation may be obtained.
CAMPBELL.] GENEKAL GEOLOGY. 33

The base of the Harlan sandstone on Isom Bock spur will be recognized by even the most casual observer, for the massive sandstone forming the lowest member is here well exposed in a heavy ledge that is 

about 100 feet thick. Above it are sandy shales and thin-bedded 

sandstones to the crest of the mountain, from 350 to 375 feet above the 

base of the formation. These sandstones are quite fossiliferous, being 

full of plant remains that weather out and lie scattered about upon 

the ground. From this point the trail passes along the summit of the 

mountain to the south, crossing sandstones, shales, and thin coals, 

that are successively higher in the series, until at the Double a second heavy ledge of sandstone appears just at the turn in the mountain crest. The trail to the triaugulation station follows a narrow 

summit composed of this sandstone, or in lower places winds about 

among the heavy blocks of its debris, This heavy bed is about 550 feet 

above the bottom of the formation. After leaving this the trail paSSGS 

gradually up over higher rocks to Creech's fields, where within about 

three quarters of a -mile of the station another heavy ledge of coarse, 

white sandstone is seen that is about 780 feet above the base of the 

formation and CO feet thick. Above the sandstone there is a stratum 

of shale that outcrops just below the upper cabin5 a seep here shows 

the presence of a coal seam in the shale, but it is probably of no consequence. Above this is a heavy sandstone 40 or 50 feet thick that is well 

shown at the triangulation station and constitutes the highest rock of 

the series in this region. No evidence of variation in the thickness or 

character of this formation could be determined, for the observations 

were confined to an area which is too limited to show any changes in 

sedimentation.

Gladeville sandstone. The other key rock is theGladeville sandstone, 

named from the county seat of Wise county, Virginia, where it is well 

exposed.

This sandstone was traced continuously throughout the field on both 

sides of the mountain, and without doubt is the best guide to the 

structure and stratigraphy that can be found. According to the report 

of McCreath and d'luvilliers it retains its distinctive character as far 

west as Harlan. To the east it probably extends far beyond the limits 

of this field, as it shows no indications of diminishing; in that direction. 

In thickness it varies from 75 to 120 feet in different parts of the field. 

There is some doubt as to the correctness of the measure obtained on 

Clover fork. The base is well marked near water level at the mouth of 

Kockhouso branch, and the 4-inch coal, 75 feet above, was taken as its 

top. At present the writer is inclined to the belief that the heavy sandstone lying above the 4-inch coal should be included in the measure, 

making it about 1-0 feet, for on Lewis creek 40 feet of the top is sandy 

shale and the total thickness is from 100 to 120 feet.

In the eastern portion of the field the conditions of deposition were 

jeyersed, for here the massive sandstone or conglomerate is at the top 

Bull. Ill 3
34 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. IBDLL.UI.

and the sandy shales below. It is this massive ledge at the'top that 

makes such a showing in the vicinity of Gladeville and Lipps. Above 

Tucoina the sandstone is well exposed near the top of the hills, 120 

feet thick. It is massive in its upper portions and becomes thin-bedded 

toward the bottom, but it carries no shale. The massive layer at the 

top is the cap that has protected the hills from erosion and gives them 

their mesa-like character.

Wise formation. Having established the value of the Gladeville 

sandstone as a key rock and its continuity throughout the field, the next 

step was to determine the thickness of the measures lying below the. 

Harlan sandstone and above the Gladeville. This is a heterogeneous 

mass of sediments sandstones, shales, and coals. Many of the latter 

are of good size and quality, but no individual stratum is well enough 

marked to make its separation possible. So the mass was regarded as 

a group and named the Wise formation, from Wise county, Virginia, 

where it forms the principal part of the mountain slope. To prevent 

errors, eight clear, direct sections were measured across the outcrop of 

this formation. Besides these main sections a large number of independent observations were made at different points on the Gladeville 

sandstone and from these a model was constructed and found to agree 

almost exactly with the one made for the base of the Harlan sandstone, 

with a constant difference between them of 1,270 feet, the thickness of 

the Wise formation. Variations in the thickness, of this formation 

were not recognized; if they exist, as they probably do, they are well 

within the limit of error of barometric readings. The remarkable 

agreement of this average measure with the thickness of the same 

formation on Childs creek as determined by McCreath and d'lnyilliers 

has been referred to and confirms the result beyond question.

Norton formation. Lowest in the series, above the great Conglomerate, lies the Norton formation, named from the principal railroad town 

in this section. This formation is at once the most important and the 

least understood of any formation in the field important because the 

great bulk of the workable coals belong to it, and least understood on 

account of the great difficulty every geologist has experienced in determining what strata belong to it, their thickness and their representatives in other portions of the field. The formation outcrops in two 

principal lines, one along the northern side of Stone mountain, and 

the other along the southern side of Pine mountain.

The disturbed condition of the rocks along Stone mountain has been 

the cause of the discrepancies in the published accounts of the thickness of this formation; no two geologists agree in their figures. The 

writer stands alone in his excessive measure of 1,280 feet, and were it 

not for his determination of the Gladeville sandstone as a constant 

horizon the figures would be but a rude estimate. As it is, they are 

given with full confidence that they will be found correct within a small 

limit of error.
CAMPBEU-.] GENERAL GEOLOGY. 35

In view of the uncertainty regarding the thickness of this member 

considerable time was spent in efforts to determine it closely. The recognition of the Gladeville sandstone on the Kentucky side of the 

mountains afforded a better means of approaching the question than a 

direct section from Big Stone gap. Accordingly a section was measured from the top of the conglomerate opposite and a little below the 

mouth of Lewis, creek up that stream three-fourths of a mile to the 

crossing of the Gladeville sandstone, and from that point was carried 

up to the base of the Harlan sandstone on Looney .spur. This gave 

an excellent section with regularly decreasing dipst and fair exposures, 

and a measure not only of the Norton formation, but one-of the Wise 

formation a.bove as a check. The thickness of the former so determined is 1,310 feet.

A section was measured at Poor Fork post-office, but the result was

not so satisfactory, as the recorded dips are contradictory. When the 

section was constructed it appeared to be 200 to 300 feet thicker than 

the Lewis creek section. As this measure was not substantiated by 

any other measured section it is regarded as of doubtful value.

Again a section was carefully measured at Coeburn, Virginia, where 

the conglomerate had a very light dip (about 10°) and the strata above 

it are free from minor folds. This gave 1,260 feet for the Norton 

formation.

Finally a careful survey was made through Big Stone gap and up 

Little Looney creek to the mine on the Imboden coal. This was 

not a single line of observation, but the whole country was carefully mapped to get the exact structure, if possible.

PI. IV shows the result. As may be seen in the section the conglomerate is folded, forming a well marked synclinein the center of the 

gap, from which the rocks rise to the north .in a sharp fold which is well 

shown on the eastern side of the creek; from the crest of this anticline 

they dip very steeply to the north, and at the last exposure of con. 

glomerate, the Bee rock, on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, the 

dip is 70° N. This same dip continues for 1,000 feet along the line of 

the railroad, approximately at right angles to the strike. It is a zone of 

great disturbance, west of which the rocks are nearly horizontal.

Immediately above the Bee rock are 450 feet of shale, in which are 

four thin seams of coal, the largest being 18 inches thick. Above this 

is a heavy, bluish white, coarse sandstone 280 feet thick; then more 

shales, coals, and sandstones, greatly folded and crushed. Beyond 

these, just opposite the Louisville and Nashville bridge, appe'ars the top 

of a very heavy sandstone that shows also at the east end of the double 

tunnel. This sandstone very much resembles the one standing nearly 

vertically, before described, and is probably the same. If so, a slight 

fault occurs between them, resulting from the sharp flexure at the 

bridge. On the west side of the old channel, 4 or 5 rods above the 

mouth of Pigeon creek, this local fault can plainly be seen, where
36 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

the heavy sandstone dipping 30° N". is faulted against the edge of a 

stratum which is apparently the same, dipping 60° N. Above the sandstone the interval was measured in nearly horizontal rocks and the result 

is a thickness of 1,275 feet. Thus at three quite widely separated points 

in the territory the measurements on this formation are 1,310, 1,27-5 and 

1,2GO feet. There is an element of uncertainty in each, of these, but it 

is hardly probable-that it exceeds 5 per cent.

Lee conglomerate. This is the most prominent formation in the field, 

being the mountain-making member of the Carboniferous formations. 

It underlies the entire basin, but appears at the surface only in 

the two ridges bounding the basin, Pine and Stone mountains. Its 

equivalent north or south not being positively determined, the name 

"Lee" is applied to it here, from Lee county, Virginia, as it constitutes the northwestern line of that county frdm near Pennington gap 

to Cumberland gap, a distance of 33 miles.

It is a complex formation, varying in thickness from 1,200 feet at 

Hurricane gap, in Pine mountain, to 1,600 feet at Norton. It is best' 

exposed at Big Stone gap, where it exhibits the following section and 

the structure shown in PI. iv:

Feet. In. 

Massive sandstone (Bee Rock) .............................. 95 0

Black carbonaceous shale ................................... 31 0

Dark sandy shale ........................................... 14 0

Brown"and green shale........:............................. 10 0

Not exposed, probably shale................................. 85 0

Dark shale.................................................. 210 0

Sandstone with few thin beds of shale....................... 566 0

Coal........................................................ 4 10

Shale with few beds of sandstone ............................ 112 0

Coal........................................................ 3 0

Shalo....................................................... 150 0

Conglomerate .............................................. 250 0

Total................................................. 1,530 10

This is the. first of the above described formations which shows a 

change in thickness within the limits of the field. This change is in harmony with the general increase in thickness of the various formations of 

the Coal-measures toward the southeast, as observed in the northern 

portion of the Appalachian basin. How the complex formation 1,500 

feet thick at Big Stone gap changes to a single bed 20 to 100 feet thick 

in Menifee county, Kentucky, 1 is unknown, and probably will remain so 

until the drill of the prospector reaches its horizon in many places 

between Pine mountain and Menifee county. It seems altogether 

probable that the upper formations share in this thickening toward 

the southeast, but as yet no data are at hand from which to draw 

conclusions. . The base of the conglomerate marks the base of the 

Coal-measures.

'Kentucky Geological Survey, vol. n, new series, pp. 353-357.
CAMPBELL,] GENERAL GEOLOGY. 37

Below the Coal-measures there is a large series belonging to the Carboniferous period that has lately received from Prof. H. S. Williams1 

the name^Mississippian series. This series is well developed in the Big 

Stone gap field anil consists of two members, shale and limestone.

Pennington shah. The shale member has a great development in 

this region and has been named Penningtou shale, from the gap of the 

same name in Lee county, Virginia. It is quite well exposed in Big 

Stone gap, where the following section was measured:

Lookout conglomerate, very coarse at the base.

Pennington shale: Ft. In.

Green calcareous shale ................................... 5 7

Green and red sandstone.................................. 1 11

Blue shale ............................................... 6 2

Coal..................................................... 1 4

Bluish shale.............................................. 10 4

Green sandstone.......................................... 2 10

Olivo green shale .........................«......'......... 7 4

Soft, noufitisile, variegated shale .......................... 10 6

Sandstone ............................................... 3 7

Soft red shale............................................ 8 0

Sandy shale.............................................. 4 0

Bluish sandstone............................'............. 19 0

Concealed, probably shale................................ 506 10

White sandstone, cross-bedded............................. 49 0

Conglomerate, white quartz pebbles...................... 7 8

Bluish yellow calcareous shale............................ 27 0

Blue sandy shale.............................:............ 10 5

Limestone, very impure and fossiliferous ................. 4 1

Calcareous and argillaceous sandstones................... 7 10

Calcareous shale, very fossiliferons....................... '6 0

Blue sandstone, cross-bedded ............................ 12 0

Purple and green shale................................... 9 5

Shale, slightly sandy..................................... 4 3

Green and purple shale................................... 4 7

Argillaceous sandstone................................... 8 4.

Fine-grained sandstone................................... 13 5

Sandstone, regularly bedded.............................. 80 0

Sandstone, much cross-bedded............................ 107 0

Dark blue calcareous shale............................... .9 0

Sandy shale.............................................. 7 7

Argillaceous shale........................................ 30

Heavy sandstone (Soiith Atlantic and Ohio tunnel) ....... 67 0

Total .............................................. 1,025 0

Newraan limestone, sbaly at top.

This is supposed to be the equivalent of the Mauch Chunk red shale 

of Pennsylvania and the Chester group of Kentucky. It varies in 

thickness as the conglomerate does, being 1,025 feet at Big Stone gap, 

the same at Penniugton gap, and but 890 feet at Hurricane gap, in 

Pine mountain.

1 0. S. Geological Survey, Bulletin 80, 1891.
38 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELp. [BOLL. ill.

Newman limestone. This is a widespread formation covering the entire 

Appalachian basin, except in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In the vicinity 

of Big Stone gap it is well exposed in a fine line of cliffs around the 

head of the valley east of the town. In the gap, where it-is shown 

on the eastern side of the stream in all its detail* the following section 

was measured: . - 

Peunington shale.

JNewman limestone: Ft. In.

Dark blue calcareous shale................................. 4 2

Dark sandstone...............................'.............. 3 3

Black shale................................................ 58'

Blue calcareous sandstones................................. 5 4

Dark bine shale............................................ 18 4

Calcareous shales with beds of limestone................... 8 0

Dark shale................................................. 5 6

Green sandstone ........................................... 6 5

Green shale................................................ 12 0

Sandy shale................................................ 19 0

Dark blue calcareous sandstones and shales................. 28 6

Limestone, dark, very impure .............................. 16 6

Blue shale............................................. .... 22 5

Impure limestone............................................ 26 5

Blue, purple, and black shale............................... 88 0

Calcareous shale............................. 1............. 34 0

Heavy,earthy limestones .................................. 17 3

Green shale................................................ 3 8

Impure limestone.......................................... 2 2

Green shale......................................:......... 2 8

Impure limestone.......................................... 22 6

Green and I -own shale.........:........................... 23 0

Blue shale with beds of li mestone.................. 1....... 9 8

Calcareous shale............................................ 10 6

Blue, seamy limestone...................................... 17 0

Argillaceous limestone..................................... 38 6

Heavy, blue limestone, becoming cherty towards base....... ;>78 9

Total..............................................:. 829 2

Red, calcareous sandstones.

Grainger shale. Below the Newman limestone at Big Stone gap is a 

shale-bed about 410 feet thick, which varies from red calcareous sandtones at the top to ash-colored micaceous shales below, and finally 

merges into the Chattanooga black shale that underlies it. The age of 

this mass of sandy shales has never been determined 5 they have somewhat the appearance of a transition bed between the Devonian below 

and the Mississippian above, but in this paper they are 'regarded, provisionally, as of Devonian age. This 'formation thins rapidly southwestward, and probably disappears about Cumberland gap.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 111 PL. IV

with a section showing the

STRUCTURE OF STONE MOUNTAIN

as seen in the gap, and the relation

of the

LEE CONGLOMERATE TOTHE NORTON FORMATION 

on Little Looiiey creek. 

tyManus R. Carfrpbell.
CAMPBBT.i..] COAL OUTCROPS. 39

DESCRIPTION OF COAL OUTCROPS. 

COALS IN THE MISSISSIPPIAN SERIES.

Ill the Big Stone gap Held there are no coals of commercial importance in the Mississippiau series. The Pocoiio formation, which carries 

the semi-anthracite coals of Bland, Pulaski, and Montgomery counties, 

Virginia, probably disappears before reaching this Held, or, it'it be present, it has changed character, and contains uo coal. The Peunington 

shale above the limestone carries a small seam, as shown in the section at Big Stone gap.

Iii the valley of McGee creek, on the south side of Powell mountain, 

a coal seam occurs at about the same horizon. It is opened on-the 

east side of the ravine N 2, probably 100 feet above the creek and about 

20 or 30 feet below the conglomerate, arid dips 45° "8. under the mountain. It is a fine-looking, caunel, but its thickness could not be determined on account of its distorted condition; the exposure varied from 

4 to 6 feet in thickness in a length of 40 feet.

These are the only places where coal was seen in the Pennington 

shale, and only the latter is thick enough to be of value. The possibility of mining the cannel seam with profit could be determined only 

by tracing its outcrop to some more favorable place than that on McGee creek, since the rocks are there too much disturbed to admit of 

economic mining.

COALS IN THE LEE CONGLOMERATE.

Mr. Stevenson reported six coal seams in his section at Pennington 

gap,' three of which were seen by him and three reported, but none 

exceeded 3 feet in thickness, and all were greatly crushed. One of the 

most important horizons is immediately beneath the top bed of conglomerate, where an entry was driven in on the seam some distance, but 

this is now abandoned.

Between Penniugton and Big Stone gaps no traces of coal were 

observed, but this does not preclude their existence, for no good exposures of the strata occur between these points.

At Big Stone gap, PI. iv, immediately beneath the "Bee rock," or 

upper conglomerate, there is a mass of black carbonaceous shales exposed in the railroad cut, just below the tunnel of the Louisville and 

Nashville railroad; they are probably the only representatives of the 

coal in Peunington gap at the same horizon. Just above the heavy 

conglomerate at the base of the series there is a coal 28 inches to 3 feet 

thick, showing in the southern end of the Louisville and Nashville 

tuniu'l, just above the bridge, K 38. At the northern end of the same 

tunnel, K 37, a coal shows 4 feet 10 inches thick; but both these coals 

are so crushed and distorted that it is impossible to estimate their normal 

thickness.

Loc. cit.
40 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL..ill.

At Little Stone gap the stain of two small seams of coal shows in 

the road below the middle of this formation, E 63 and G4. They appear 

to be about 3 feet thick and G inches thick respectively, with sandstone 

between them.

A coal in this formation is reported in the Cracker neck, on the 

South fork of Powell river, on the north face of Powell mountain, but 

it was not seen. It is probably near the same horizon as the heavy 

coal in Big Stone gap.

In the road over High knob, just above Stony creek, a small coal 

shows, which is probably not over 18 inches thick and about 250 feet 

below the top of the conglomerate; but this measure is uncertain, as 

the exact-top was not determined here.

The next place toward tile east where a conglomerate coal was seen 

is at William Osborn's, on Powell mountain, at the head of McGee creek 

trail, N 1. A coal shows at Osbom's house and it is said to be 4 feet 

thick, though only 18 inches were seen. This is immediately below the 

top conglomerate or Bee rock, and is in the same stratigraphic position as the bed noted by Mr. Stevenson at Pennington gap.

On the state road, just above Little Stony creek, two or three small 

seams show by their stain in the road, O 1,2, and 3, one of which is 

reported to have been opened on Little Stony one-half mile above the 

road, but it was not visited.

On Guest river, near where the line between Wise and Scott counties leaves the river, fragments of coal were seen 220 feet below the 

top of the conglomerate, but the outcrop could not be found and nothing is known about its thickness.

On Pine mountain no coals were seen in this formation, although two 

sections were measured across the mountain, but exposures are not 

good and a coal seam might easily have been overlooked.

There can be but one conclusion in regard to the economic importance of the conglomerate coals in this field, and that is, that the seams 

are usually too thin for profitable working, and even if they were of 

workable thickness they are too much squeezed and contorted to warrant investing much capital in their development.

There are a few places along the southern slope of Powell mountain 

and the lower course of Guest river that may not be so much disturbed, and, if so, they are the places where prospecting should be 

done to determine the presence of workable seams.

COALS IN THE MEASURES ABOVE THE LEE CONGLOMERATE.

In describing the exposures of coal in these measures it is impossible 

to treat each formation separately, as in most cases each ravine showed 

coals belonging to different members and the observations were so connected as to be of but little value if treated separately; consequently, 

the subdivisions for description will be geographic rather than strati-
CASH-BELL.) COAL OUTCROPS. 41

graphic. For this description of outcrops the territory will be divided 

into several fields or basins, as follows:

1. Kentucky basin, embracing all that part of Kentucky lying within 

the boundaries of this field except th"e territory drained by the Clover 

fork of the Cumberland river.

2. Crab Orchard basin, including all the territory in Lee county, Virginia, lying north of Stone mountain, and generally known as the Crab 

Orchard; also the area drained by the Clover fork in Kentucky.

3. Irnboden basin, including the territory drained by the Powell river 

through Big Stone gap. The name is applied to this region because the 

famous Imboden seam of coal has its greatest development here. 

. 4. Guest River basin, comprising all of the region east of Norton, and 

so named because the Guest river is its principal stream.

KENTUCKY BASIN.

The first coal of noticeable thickness above the conglomerate is 

exposed on the north side of the Poor fork in the bank of the stream 

just below the mouth of Big Looney creek, A 2, where it has been 

opened, but the pit is so closed that but 12 inches of coal is now 

visible. Between this and the conglomerate is a mass of shales 

and thin beds of sandstone, with an aggregate thickness of 375 feet. 

Above the coal is a massive bedded sandstone that forms a marked 

feature in the topography of the valley. So far there is a close correspondence between this section and the one at the head of Big Stone 

gap, but above the sandstone the resemblance disappears.

In a small ravine opposite the mouth of Lewis creek a coal is exposed 

about 20 inches thick; this is apparently the same seam as the one 

noted above, as it is about the same distance above the conglomerate, 

and has the same heavy sandstone overlying it. Above this coal horizon is a mass of sediments about 350 feet thick, in which no coal was 

seen; at its summit, at the southern bank of the Poor fork, above Poor 

Fork post-office, a small coal, A 3, is visible, that corresponds closely 

in position with the coal in the bottom of the double tunnel at Gilly, 

K 20,21, and 22. A careful search for some representative of the Imboden 

coal revealed only an 18-inch seam, A 4, near its horizon. From the 

results obtained, it seems quite certain that in the Kentucky basin the 

workable coals lie entirely above the Imboden horizon, and that search 

for that seani is hopeless. As fur as could be ascertained, there is but 

one coal of any consequence below the Gladeville sandstone, and that lies 

just beneath it, but no exposure could be found on Clover Lick creek.

Through the Kentucky basin the Gladeville sandstone is well shown, 

and was observed on every stream traversed. It does not often appear 

as ledges along the hillsides, but is a very conspicuous object in the 

bottom of the valleys. The streams have cut narrow canyons in it 

from 5 to 15 feet deep, or are flowing on its upper surface, in which 

case it appears in their channels as a hard smooth floor. There are 

along these streams other heavy sandstones of the same general char-
42 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. f»uLi,m.

acter as the Gladeville, which can with difficulty be separated from it 

by physical characteristics,' but the presence of an important coal 

seam above and below the Gladeville makes its identification quite 

easy. Again, in this Kentucky field there is another check that will 

be found useful in doubtful cases, and that is the interval between the 

sandstone and the base of the Harlan sandstone, 1,270 feet above it. 

This check can almost always be applied, as the Harlan is easily found 

in the high spurs projecting into the valleys. On Clover Lick creek 

the Gladeville is very massive at the mouth of Pound Mill branch; 

above this it is near water level, sometimes rising a little above the 

creek and again nearly disappearing beneath it, until in the distance 

of 1J miles it passes entirely below water level.

Within 200 feet of the top of this sandstone three quite heavy seams 

of coal occur, making it the most important coal horizon to be found 

in tbe Kentucky basin.

The lowest of these seams occurs but little above the sandstone, and 

on Clover Lick creek exhibits the unusual thickness of 16 feet. TJnfortunately, this great development does not extend far in any direction. 

On Eockhouse branch of Clover fork it seems to be represented by 4 

inches of coal and 18 inches of slaty coal; but it may occur higher up in 

the sandy shales and may have been overlooked, or it may be absent.

In a small ravine below Guilds creek a coal is reported by McCreath 

and d'lnvilliers near this horizon, with the following section1 :

Shale roof. Ft. In.

Coal......................................................... 0 8

Shale ....................................................... 0 1

Coal ........................................................ 0 2

Shale.......................................... ............' 1 3

Coal........................................................ 0 11|

Shale........................................................ 1 6

Coal........................................................ 2 8

Shale........................................................ 0 2

Coal........................................................ 0 7

Total......................................:........... 8 0£

Fire clay and shale floor.

This is called by them the Bailey coal, and is described as thinning 

eastward rapidly.

In a small ravine on the east side of Clover Lick creek and about a 

quarter of a mile above the school house, the most remarkable development of this coal occurs, A 28, where it shows 13 feet of coal without 

a parting. There are fine exposures of coal in this ravine, as the lollowirig section shows:

Sandstone. Ft. in.

Coal (A30)................................................ 3 9

Sandstone.................:............................... 18 0

Shale...................................................... 3 0

Coal (A 29)................................................ 5 a

Interval................................................... 100 0

Coal (A28)................................................ 16 0 '

Sandstone (Gladeville) to creek.

'Op. cit., p. 58.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 43

The lowest coal, A 28, has been opened in the hill across the creel?, 

A 24; the pit had so fallen in that the coal was not visible, but it is 

evidently a heavy seam.

On Pound Mill branch, a short distance from Clover Lick creek' and 

about 70 feet above it, there are indications of a thick seam of coal, 

A 2C, that must be the same bed, but no section could be obtained. 

About 1£ miles above Pound Mill branch, and just above the month of 

a branch entering' from the southeast, a coal, A 32, shows at about this 

horizon, with the following section:

Saudy shale. Ft. In. 

Black shale/................................................ 4 0

Coal........................................................ 1 11

Knife-edge parting: 

Coal........................................................ 0 3

Total coal ................................................ 2 2

Blue shale. 

Sandstone.

Two miles above Pound Mill branch this coal goes under water level 

(A 34), but its full thickness is not exposed, only 3 feet of. coal being 

visible.

A mile above this a heavy coal, 42 inches thick, shows just above 

water level, on the south side of the creek (A 30). There was difficulty in identifying this bed, but a section carefully constructed along 

the creek made it quite evident that this is the same coal as the heavy 

seam in Pound Mill branch. It disappears beneath the bed of the 

stream at A 34, but probably does not descend far below, and at A 36 

simply rises, and the stream has removed its covering for a short distance.

Above this heavy seam two other important coals were noted in the 

valley of Clover Lick creek. On Pound Mill branch one of these coals 

is reported as 4 feet thick, but only a foot or so could be seen (A 25).

By barometer this is 145 feet above the heavy coal, and if the identification is correct shows a thickening of the interval between these 

two coals from 126 feet near the schoolhouse to 145 feet on this branch. 

In a small ravine on the south side of Pound Mill branch signs of coal 

were seen at an elevation of 130 feet above the heavy coal (A 27). At 

first this was taken to be the coal noted above, and it was thought that 

there was a southerly clip which would account for the difference of 15 

feet in altitude; but on reviewing all the data accessible, it seemed more 

probable that the strata are horizontal or dip slightly to the northwest, and the two outcrops are the same as the two upper coals in the 

ravine near the schoolhouse (A 29 and 30). This determination is quite 

important as fixing approximately the position of the axis of the Middlesboro syncline near the month of Pound Mill branch.

Two miles above this, on a branch from the north, a natural outcrop 

of a 37-inch coal (A 33), was seen, which is about 90 feet above the 

large coal. Half a mile farther up a seam 18 inches thick, (A 35)
44 BIG INTONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BCLI, in.

occurs on the northern side of the creek, 40 feet above water, and 

is probably one of the coals observed lower down. The dip, as calculated for the sandstone, would bring the coal on the lower branch 

from 15 to ]8 feet above this, which would correspond well with the 

interval observed below near the schoolhouse. That makes this 37- 

inch coal the upper and the 18-inch seam the lower of these coals.

Less than a quarter of a mile above Hayes run a coal seam 12 inches 

thick shows in the bank of the stream (A 37), but it soon disappears 

beneath its surface. This is supposed to lie about 200 feet above the 

Gladeville sandstone.

Above this 12-inch seam no other coal was seen on either route 

traversed, but that does not preclude the possibility that there are a 

number of coals in that interval, and indeed some are reported, of 

workable thickness. On the trail leading across the Big Black mountain, two miles west of the triangulation station, a heavy coal is 

reported, and as nearly as could be determined is near the base of 

the Harlan sandstone.' It is said to be 7 feet thick and corresponds 

with the coal at the head of Big Looney creek of the same thickness 

and position.

As before mentioned, there is probably but one coal below the Gladeville sandstone of any importance. This has been opened on a little 

branch a quarter of a-mile back of the house of William Gilliam (A 6), 

on Big Looney creek, and shows the following section:

Ft. In.

Coal.............................................................. 0 6

Shale............................................................ 0 8

Coal........................./................................... 4 3

Total...................................................... 5 5

An opening (A 5), in the next branch west of this is probably on the 

same coal, though it is 85 feet higher and differs somewhat in section,

as follows:

Ft, In. 

Shale with many thin seams of coal.............................. 3 6

Coal............................................................. 2 0

Shale............................................................ 0 6

Coal............................................................. 0 4

Total...................................................... 6 4

The difference in elevation is compatible with the identity of these 

two seams, for the most western exposure (A 5), is farther from the axis 

of the syncline and naturally at a greater elevation; in this vicinity 

there is evidence of a local disturbance giving slight easterly dips. 

As these dips occur about on the line of A 5, they would tend to carry 

the coal considerably lower on the next branch at A 6. These two 

causes would account for the difference of 85 feet in elevation. In the. 

next branch to the east the Gladeville sandstone is exposed in the bed 

of the branch from its mouth to a coal 'that outcrops a quarter of a 

mile back from the main stream and about 100 feet above it (A 7).
CASEPBFLI.] COAL OUTCROPS. 45

This coal is quite different from the last, clearly belonging above the 

sandstone, and is the representative of the heavy seam. on. Clover Lick 

(A 28). Its section is as follows:

Sandy shale roof. Ft. In.

Coal........................................................ 0 6

Shaly coal.........1........................................ 0 6

Coal........................................................ 1 6

Shale..................................................... - 0 6

Coal........................................................ 0 8

Shale....................................................... 1 8

Coal................;....................................... 0 3

Sbale...-................................................... 0 4

Coal........................................................ 0 4

Shale....................................................... 0 2

Coal..............................................:......./. o 10

Total................................................. 7 3

This is a good illustration of the extreme variability of this seam, 

which in the distance of 1£ miles changes from a body of clear coal 

13 feet thick on Clover Lick creek to a bed 7 feet 3 inches thick, with 

so many shale partings as to be worthless.

A coal shows in natural outcrop in a small ravine east of Clover 

Lick creek, A 31, 350 feet above Poor Fork post office, and about 240 

feet above the Gladeville sandstone. This probably corresponds to an 

important seam farther east, B 25 and C 2.

On the trail leading across the point of Looney spur, from Looney 

creek to Poor fork, some exposures of coal are visible;, one on the 

summit, A 8, and another in the ravine above the trail on the southern 

side, A 9. These are probably the seams exposed on Clover Lick 

20 feet apart, A 29 and 30.

On Big Looney creek, opposite and a little above the house of John 

Creech, a coal is exposed just above the cliff of Gladeville sandstone, A 10, 80 feet above the stream. It is not well exposed, only 

about 3 feet being visible. Still farther east a seam has been opened 

on the north side of the creek 230 feet above water level, A 11. It 

shows 65 inches ot coal, and, referred to the sandstone, corresponds to 

the coal, A 30, on Clover Lick creek.

About a quarter of a mile above the house of John Creech, in a 

small ravine from the south, a coal, A 12, is exposed, which was 

reported to be 7 feet thick, but its thickness could not be seen. 

The outcrop is a natural exposure under an overhanging ledge of sandstone, with 3 feet of the top of the seam exposed; this has been dug 

into and used for local purposes. The stratigr;iphic position of this 

coal is somewhat uncertain. At first it was considered equivalent to 

the heavy seam immediately above the sandstone, but the notes show 

no indications of a heavy sandstone below it, in fact the smooth, rounded 

surface of the hills would indicate either shale or soft, f.iin bedded 

sandstone. It therefore has bee i correlated with the second coal above 

the sandstone, A 29, on Clover Lick creek.
46 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL, lit

In the next ravine to the east a comparatively good section was 

obtained. The first coal observed was about 150 feet above Big Loouey 

creek, A 13. This seam has the appearance of being a heavy one, but 

only 1C inches is exposed. Below this coal the stream wanders over a 

sloping surface thickly strewn with blocks of heavy sandstone, which 

probably were derived from the immediate vicinity and mark the 

horizon of tlie Glacleville sandstone. This would make the above coal 

A 13, equivalent to the heavy seam, A 28, on Clover Lick creek. 

Above this coal is an interval of about 50 feet of thin-bedded sandstone and saudy shale, following which is a second coal, A 14, that also 

has the appearance of being a heavy seam, but only shows 2 feet of 

coal in natural outcrop in the bed of the branch. Above this is an 

interval of about 65 feet, and then another coal, A 15, showing a 

complete section of only 18 inches.

The representatives of these coals on Clover Lick creek are quite 

uncertain. The intervals and character of seams are so different that 

correlation is difficult and unsatisfactory. The three consecutive coals, 

A 13,14, and 15, are probably equivalent to the three coals, A 28, 29, 

and 30. but the intervals are somewhat different, as will be seen by the 

following:

Clover Lick creek.

Ft. In. 

Coal (A30)................ 3 9

Interval...... ............. 21 0

Coal(A29)................ 5 3

Interval................... 100 0

Coal (A28)................ 16 0

Total ............... 146 0

Gladeville sandstone.

Big Looney creek.

Ft. In.

Coal(Alo)................ 1 6

Interval................... 65 0

Coal(AM)................ 2 0+

Interval................... 50 0

Coal (A 13)................ 1 0

Total ............... 119 6

Sandstone.

This shows a thickening eastward of the upper interval and a thining of the lower, but the two sections have nearly the same total thickness.

On Maggard branch, at the base of the Gladeville sandstone, indications of an outcrop were seen (A 1C). Above this the very heavy 

sandstone shows in the bed of the stream up to about three-quarters of a mile from Big Looney creek, where the top is exposed with its 

accompanying coal, A 18, but no measure could be obtained here of the 

thickness of the coal. Above this on Maggard branch no exposures 

were seen until the Harlan sandstone was reached;' above this coal 

stains are of frequent occurrence, but they give no indication of workable seams.

On Big Looney creek, just above the mouth of Maggard branch, the 

coal lying below the Gladeville shows in the north bank of the creek, 

A 17, 28 inches thick, but poorly exposed. Above this the dip of the 

rocks corresponds so nearly with the fall of the stream that the heavy 

Gladeville sandstone is at or near water level for a long distance.

About one-half mile below the mouth of Gap branch there is a fine
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 47

showing of coal in natural outcrop in the bed of the stream, B 9, with

the following section:

Saudstoue roof. Ft. In. 

Coal................ ........................................'. 5 0

Shale........................................................ 0 2

Coal......................................................... 0 6

Total...................................................... 5 8

That this coal is equivalent to the one seen just above the mouth of 

Haggard branch, A17, seems somewhat doubtful, as it occurs indifferent 

strata: at Gap branch the prevailing rock is sandstone, whereas at 

Maggard branch it is shale. Nevertheless the two coals occupy tbe 

same stratigraphic position beneath the Gladeville sandstone. On this 

latter consideration this coal, B 9, has been considered as the equivalent of A 17, and it is assumed that in the interval the character of 

the surrounding sediments changes from shale to sandstone.

About half a mile above the mouth of Maggard branch, in a small 

ravine from the south, coal indications were observed about 100 fyeb 

above the creek, A 19. No exposure was seen, but the bed is probably 

the seam above the Gladeville sandstone.

At the mouth of Gap branch the Gladeville makes a heavy showing 

in the bed of the creek, arid affords an excellent exposure for tbe study 

of this important stratum. Up the Gap branch p, few hundred yards, 

and 40 feet above Big Looney creek, the coal above the sandstone 

shows 3 feet thick, with two thin partings, B 10. Still farther up this 

branch, and CO feet vertically above the last outcrop, another coal, 2 

feet thick, shows in the shales, B 11. Sixty-five feet above this the 

stain of another coal was seen, B 12. These three coals, B 10, 11, and 

12, correspond with the three coals west of Maggard branch, A 13, 14, 

and 15, and presumably Avith the three on Clover Lick creek, A 28, 29, 

and 30. The uppermost of these occupies the same position as regards 

the underlying coals and the Gladeville sand stone as does the so-called 

"Cannel" seam on Preacher (B 37) and Mud Lick (C 3) creeks in Virginia. The intervals correspond closely, so there is not much doubt 

about the correctness of the correlation. This " Cannel" seam appears 

to be remarkably persistent, and was pro vision ally'identified throughout the entire field.

On Big Looney creek above the mouth of Gap branch the coal 

above the Gladeville sandstone disappears beneath the creek at the 

distance of about one-half mile, B 13, and a mile above this the next 

coal, B 11, shows at water level as an 18-inch seam, B 14. This disappears in a short distance and no exposure was seen until the next large 

branch from the south was reached. Just a little below the mouth of «* 

this branch and on the other side of the creek in a small ravine a coal, 

B 24, shows 20 inches thick, and is correlated with B 12, or the " Cannel " seam.

About half a mile above this last exposure, on the main creek, a coal 

has been faced up in the bank of the creek just back of the blacksmith
48 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

shop of Mr. uenuins, and shows 4 feet 1 inch of coal without a parting, 

B 25. Stratigraphically this is about 80 or 90 feet above the " Canuel" 

seam, and is an important coal over quite a large area. It is probably 

the coal which outcrops near Clover Lick creek, A 31, and shows on Mud 

Lick creek, Virginia, C 2, where it is 4 feet thick. Above this, on the 

main creek, a number of coals were seen, but none of them appeared 

to be of any economic importance, although Mr. C. Ballard Thruston, 

of the Kentucky geological survey, discovered several good beds.

On Gap branch a coal, B 16, 630 feet above the sandstone, is exposed, 

and the same coal was probably identified on Big Loouey creek, B 29 

and 30, and also on Lewis creek, B 6, and on a' small branch west of Lewis 

creek, B 2. At the latter exposure it shows as follows :

! Ft. In.

Coal............................................................ 1 6

Dark shale...... ............ .................................... 35 0

Coal............................................................ 0 10

The following is the section at B 30 on Looney creek :

Ft. In. 

Coal..........,..............:.................................. 1 4

Shale and sandstone ............................................ 16 0

Coal.................-............-..---...;---.-............... 1 6

On Gap branch a coal, B 17, shows about 300 feet above the last-mentioned one, and is 3 feet 8 inches thick. This coal is about 300 feet below 

the Harlan sandstone, and was probably seen on Big Looney Creek at 

J 3, but no measure of its thickness could be obtained.

The extreme top of the Wise formation is a heavy coal which was 

reported in a number of places, but only seen in one or two. On the 

trail from the head of Big Looney creek across the Big Black mountain 

to the Isorn Eock spur it is well shown. Here on the north side of the 

mountain, B 31, Mr. Tlirustou opened this seam several years ago and 

reported its thickness as 7 feet. This could not be verified, as the 

opening had become partly filled with mud and water, but at least 

6 feet of fine coal still remains visible. Mr. Thruston's section at the 

head of Big Looney creek is as follows :'

Ft. In.

Coal.....:......-......-..........-................... .......... 0 9

Shale.....:..........-...-.............. ....................... 0 4

Coal.... ......................................................... 1 0

Shale ........................................................... 0 1

Coal............................................................ 0 4

Shale........................................................... 0 1

Coal............................................................ 0 1

Shale........................................................... 0 1

Coal............................................................ 0 10

Shalo. ..... ..................................... ............... 0 5

Coal........................................... ................ 0 3

Shalo............................................................ 0 7

Coal.......... ................ .J................................ 0 7i

Total (B32) .............................................. 5

1 .Resources of the Upper Cumberland river, p. 50.
cASttwat.1 COAL OUTCROPS.

Ft. In. 

Interval ......................................................... 75 0

Coal (B 31) ..................................................... 7 3

Interval ........................................................ 40 0

Coal............................................................ 2 5

Interval ......................................................... 30 0

0 8

1 8

5 0

Total..................................................... 7 4

The coal given as 7 feet 3 inches is the one referred to, B 31, and the 

interval immediately above it of 75 feet is the heavy base of the I larlan 

sandstone. Thruston's openings on the two seams were found, but the 

interval between them, measured barometrically, is 100 feet instead of 

75 feet, as given. The coal, B 32, above this sandstone was seen 

directly a.bove the opening at B 31, but no thickness could be obtained. 

The two lower coals in the section were not seen at all.

The stain of the coal immediately underneath the-Harlan sandstone 

was seen in two places ou Gap branch, B 18 and 1.9; it is reported as 

showing in the ravine east of the Big fork ridge B 23, but it could not 

be found.

On Lewis creek no coals of any importance were seen below the 

Gladeville sandstone; the latter is well exposed in the creek bed from 

a point a little more than a quarter of a mile above the schoolhouse up 

to the coal opening on the eastern fork of the creek, B 3. Its base is 

very heavy, but near its top it carries about 4^ feet of sandy shale. 

The thickness of the coal seam above the sands could not be deter 

mined at the opening, B 3, as its base is not exposed; only 24 inches of 

coal are now visible. This coal also shows in a small ravine west of 

Lewis creek, B 1, with the following section :

Kt. lu.

Sandstone roof.

Coal ....................................................... 32

Heavy sandstone.

A few higher coals were seen on Lewis creek, but simply as stains on 

the mountain side, and no data were obtained as to their thickness and 

character.

No detailed examination was made of the country along the southern 

side of the Poor fork between Lewis creek and Big Looney. Several 

of the inhabitants'state that there are no coals known in that region, 

but this kind of evidence is not conclusive. Doubtless all the coals of 

Looney ridge ou the southern side occur on the northern side, but they 

must, necessarily, lie at higher levels near the edge of the syncline, and 

will be found by future prospectors high up on the ridge. At present 

there is too much good coal to be seen at water level in other valleys 

to make these coals of much importance.

It is an assured fact that within the territory drained by the Poor 

.Bull. Ill 4
50 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [urnx-lll.

fork there are a Dumber of workable conl seams, whose attitude is such 

that they can be easily and profitably mined, and the quality of whose 

coal is sufficiently good to warrant their development. The question 

of transportation is the all important problem; the outlet for the field 

is naturally down the Poor fork to Pineville, where a line of railroad 

would connect with the Louisville and Nashville system. As stated on 

a preceding page, the present demand for fuel does not appear to be great 

enough to warrant the opening of this field, and many years may elapse 

before transportation can be secured.

CRAB ORCHARD BASIN.

In this portion of the field, owing to the disturbance along the northwestern side of Stone mountain, the thickness above the Lee conglomerate cannot be determined, so the Gladeville and Harlan sand-stones 

must be the datum planes from which to .measure. These two are well 

exposed, arid are easily identified by their characteristics.

The Gladeville sandstone forms the floor of the Clover fork valley 

throughout most of its extent; at intervals it lifts sufficiently to allow 

a small coal lying immediately below it to appear in the bed of the 

stream, but it rarely rises higher than this, and soon dips below water 

level again. At the mouth of Kockhouse branch this coal is probably 

10 leet above the creek, I 9, with the sandstone as a heavy ledge resting directly upon it; in the next 2 miles upstream, the coal shows at 

water level in four places, I 10,17, 19, and 20;, above this, it sinks 

beneath the stream and does not reappear In the valley.

On the Virginia side the lower coals are better exposed and were 

seen in a number of places. The Gladeville sandstone first makes its 

appearance at Kobnet's chapel^ lying about horizontally, and is at or 

near the surface over a large area south and west of the village. The 

road leading south from the chapel down Jones creek valley is on this 

sandstone for some distance and then passes -below it. One and a 

quarter miles south of the'chapel a coal, P 7, has been opened in a 

small ravine on the east side of the creek Co feet above the road; it is 

poorly exposed and much contorted, only 20 or-30 inches being visible. 

This coal is supposed to lie immediately under the Gladeville sandstone, 

for though the latter was not seen in place, the blocks of its de'bris arevery heavy and indicate that the ledge is but a short <Jistance' above. 

This is-probably the opening referred to by McCreath and d'lnvilliers 

in which they obtained a complete section of the seam, described by 

them as follows :l

A. J. Bailey's coal is opened oh a small branch entering Jones creek from the east, 

a short distance north of Jake branch, and abont 21 miles from the river. The open-

 Resources of the upper Cumberland valley of southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia, pp*. 34-38. °
COAL OUTCROPS. . 51

ing is 150 yards from the creek and about 100 feet vertically above it. The dip 

northwest is quite severe (15°) * * *. Its section and analysis are as follows:

Section.

Gray and blue slate roof. Ft. in. 

Coal......................................................... 4 7

Slate........................................................ 0 1

' Coal......................................................... 0 4

Total.................................................. 5 0

Analysis.

Water......................................................... 1.206

Volatile matter ....................I.*......................... 41.539

Fixed carbon ................................................... 48.274

Snlplinr ....................................................... 3.527

Ash ............................................................ 5.460

100.006 

Color of ash, pinlc.

The Carroll coal is opened in the bed of Jones Creek 1 mile north of Bailey's, and 

by barometer 75 feet lower than this latter coal. Geologically it is of course a much 

higher bed, owing to the still north dip of the measures along this creek. Massive 

yellow sandstone outcrops in the creek just above the coal outcrop, forming a uatuial bai'rier and fulls, aud at the same time the true roof of the coal. About 14 

inches of blue slate rock intervenes between this sandstone and the top of the coal. 

The opening had partially filled with water from thp creek, making the exposure 

imperfect to either measure or sample. The dip is still severely NNW. 15° to 20°. 

* The bed section aud analysis will therefore show as follows:

Section. 

Sandstone.

Blue slate roof. ft. in. 

Coal........................................................... 3 54

Analysis.

Water ...................................:.................... 1.508

Volatile matter................ ............................... 38.602

Fixed carbon ................................................. 48.393

Sulphur ...................................................... 3. 077

Ash........................................................... C.420

100.000 

Color of ash, red.

Again they refer to the northwest dip of the measures along Jones Creek. 1 

The feature of Jones creek territory is the marked dip in the measures north from 

therivei1. The result of this structure is to carry the thicker beds of the lower measures quickly under water level, bringing in a great thickness of barren measures 

above the Carroll coal, whose character suggests a correlation with the rocks outcropping in the Black mountain in the vicinity of Morris gap.

These quotations are made to correct the impression they convey as 

to the structure of this region. The work done by McCreath and 

d'lnvilliers was limited to isolated observations on various coal outcrops 

and they failed to comprehend the structure, which could only be understood upon careful mapping of the whole country.

1 Op. cit., p. 80.
BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD.

A continuous northwest dip from the river to Robnet's Chapel is 

simply impossible, as this would bring the Harlan sandstone down to 

within a few hundred feet of the chapel, supposing the dip to be 15°. 

The structure is very evident when the outcrop of the heavy Gladeville 

sar.dstoue is followed south fiom the chapel; for a mile the road down 

Jones creek is either on the outcrop of, this stratum or just above or 

below it, so in that distance the dip can not be very much. Below this 

for nearly another mile the debris of this bed is very heavy in the road 

and plainly shows that it caps the hills to about this point. Although 

no measure was made on it here, judging from the topography, the rise 

or fall in these 2 miles could not have exceeded 100 feet. The quoted 

passages themselves furnish evidence pointing the same way; the two 

analyses are strikingly similar. They are placed side by side for comparison:

Ash..........................

Color of ash ..................

Bailey 

coal.

.1.200

41.539

 48. 274

3.527

5.460

riuk....

Carroll 

coal.

1.508

38. 602

48. 393

3 (177

8. 420

Red.

In this paper chemical analysis has not been used as a means of 

correlation, but the above shows that as far as chemical composition 

is concerned these coals may be one and the same. The physical 

character of these seams, as far as seen, is similar in that both have the 

blue shale roof and the same heavy bench of coal at the top.

The Carroll coal as described by McCreath and d'lnvilliers is 

directly beneath the Gladeville sandstone, while the Bailey coal, without much question, occupies the same relative position. Everything 

observed points to their being the same seam, excepting the northwest dips along the creek. It is very certain that the Gladeville sandstone does not dip in this direction at the rate given, and the only 

explanation is that the softer shales, coals and sandstones below this 

heavy stratum have been crumpled in taking up the horizontal motion. 

This phenomenon is frequently observed on a small scale in the folded 

rocks of the valley, and it is highly probable that it has occurred here 

on a large scale, giving rise to these apparently continuous northwest 

dips. '

On the Jones creek road, about half a mile above the point where 

Reed creek joins it, there is a belt of greatly disturbed rocks tbat 

appear to be compressed into close folds. This greatly disturbed condition makes it very difficult to correlate the coals exposed south of 

this belt with those exposed north of it. Just below this a coal in two
U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

82-30'

3T

BULLETIN III.PI.V. 82";

The area of the map is divided into squares lettered A.B.C.D.&c. 

and the coal outcrops are numbered in each square.

HARLAN SANDSTONE. WISE FORMATIONI .

GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD.

BY 

MARIUS R. CAMPBELL.

GLADEVILLE SANDSTONE. 1893. NORTON FORMATION .

Scale i»s,o"oo

LCE CONGLOMERATE.

Contour Interval 100 feet

PENHINGTON SHALE.

Cnr
CAMPBKLI..] " " COAL OUTCROPS. 63

benches shows in the road, P10, and is here regarded 33 the equivalent 

of the famous Iinboden. seam farther east, but the evidence for this 

is not conclusive. At the point where the main road crosses Jones 

creek a coal is exposed in the creek bank, P 11, dipping north 10°, and 

2 feet G inches thick; this, from-the dip, would be about 100 feet below 

the last mentioned coal. A. coal at this horizon, or about 100 feet 

below the Iinboden, was seen on the Roaring iork, D 22, and one 18 

inches thick was noted by Stevenson1 on Little Looney creek at 110 

feet below the Imboden.

In the hillside opposite Cynthia post-office and 170 feet above the 

creek a coal has been opened, but its thickness could not be determined. Assuming the correlation before mentioned to be correct, this 

coal would occur just beneath the Gladeville sandstone. The topog- 

 raphy above the coal outcrop indicates the presence of a hard bed, 

but at the time the work was done in this region the importance of the 

Gladeville sandstone as a key rock was not appreciated and its location 

was riot determined in many places where it otherwise would have 

been. The absence of these data now makes correlation uncertain.

East of Robnet's chapel the Gladeville sandstone rises rapidly, and 

the main road to Crab Orchard crosses its outcrop at the divide 

between Jones and Cox creeks.

On the latter creek, below this road, there are several exposures, 

I 36, 37 and P 3, 4, 5 and G, which probably belong to one seam that 

is divided into two benches with a parting of 20 feet between them. 

That these seams are beneath the Gladeville is quite apparent, but 

how much below is uncertain. The seam, being divided in two benches, 

would most nearly resemble tfue coal on Jones creek, correlated with 

the Imboden, but the data at hand are not sufficient to settle the question. Tbt upper one of these coals is reported to be 7 feet thick and 

the lower one 4 feet G inches, but the openings were so filled by debris 

that a complete measure was impossible. Two feet 3 inches of coal 

was seen in the upper and 3 feet in the lower.

In this territory there are a number of coals above the Gladeville 

sandstone, but it is doubtful if there tire any of importance, as they are 

either too thin to mine or too much broken up by partings to be of 

commercial value.

As the Gladeville sandstone is well exposed both north and south of 

the Little Black mountain, correlation of the various coals on the Virginia side with those on the Kentucky side of the mountain is not very 

difficult. The coal bed immediately above the sandstone, although 

it outcrops at a number of places, is of no value, as the seam is very 

variable. As before noted, it shows on Rockhouse branch as 1 foot 10 

inches of shaly coal, 110, above which is a considerable thickness of 

black carbonaceous shale. Tlrs coal shows in the valley of the Clover 

fork in four places, above the mouth of Rockhouse branch, 118, 21, 6

'Op. cit., p. 238.
54 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BOLL. ill.

and 7, but near the mouth of Bazor fork the grade of the valley rises 

more rapidly and the coal disappears beneath the bed of the stream. 

On Reed creek, on the Virginia side, it shows in a number of places, 

I 32, P 1 and 2, where it lies nearly horizontal but with sufficient roll' 

to bring it alternately above and below water level. On Jones creek 

it is 10 inches thick at I 31; above Eobnet's chapel it appears considerably thicker, for here a thickness of 18 inches was seen, I 34, and the 

bottom not exposed.

On Cox creek, about a mile above the main road, a seam, I'35, shows 

in outcrop with 30 inches of coal exposed; it is thought to be the same 

seam, as it occurs just above a heavy sandstone that is correlated with 

the Gladeville.

The coal beds above the base of the Gladeville sandstone show in a 

good section on Eockhouse branch, as follows: *

Sandstone. Ft. In.

Coal...........................l............................... 0 4

Sandy shale.................................................... 5 0

Coal (I 42)..................................................... 3 0

Shale and sandstone......... .\................^............... 60 0 ,

Coal (115)..... ................................................ 1 2

Sandstone..................................................... 15 0

Coal (114)..................................................... 0 4

Shale (I 14).................................................... 0 6

Coal (114)..................................................... 1 2

Dirtycoal (114).................................... ....... .... 0 2

Coal (114)..................................................... 16

Dirty coal (114)................................\.............. 0 2

Coal (114) ..................................................... 0 8

Interval....................................................... 4 6

60 0

Coal (113)..:................................. ................ 1 0

Shale (I 13)-................................................... 1 2

Coal (113).................................................... 0 1

Shale (113).................................................... 0 6

Coal (113)...................................................- 0 8

Blue shale (I 13)............................................... 1 6

Coal (I 13)..................................................... 0 3

5 2

Interval....................................................... 14 0

Coal.................................... ....................... 0 4

Interval....................................................... 15 0

Coal..............................................;............ 0 1

Interval mainly shale.......................................... 300 0

Coal (112) ..................................................... 1 0

Sandy shale ................................................... 50 0

Coal (111)..................................................... 3+0

Interval shale and sandstone with probably some coal.. (........ 150 0
ELL.) COAL OUTCROPS. 55

Coal (110)..............................."....................:. 0 4

Shaly coal (110).............................................. 1 6

1 10

Heavy sandstone, Gladeville................................... 90 0

Coal (19),.................v.................................... ?

Tlie coal 111 is at about the same horizon and probably corresponds 

with the "Canuel" seam on Callahan creek. This same coal is faced 

np on a small branch of Jones creek on the south side of the mountain, 

I 30, and exhibits the foliowiug structure:

Ft. In. 

Coal. ............................................................ 1 6

Shale..............................................;............. 2 2

Dirty coal....................................................... 1 4

Shale............................................................ 2 6

'Coal............................................................. 4 0

' 11 6 

On the road across the Little Black mountain from Slemp post-office, 

a coal stain shows in two benches, I 33, which is probably the same 

coal. On the same road but on the northern side of the mountain the 

following section was measured: 

Summit. Ft. In.

Interval ..................,...:................................ 70 0

Coal (I 24)..................................................... 140

Interval ....................................................... 220 0

Coal(I 23) ..................................................... 1 3

Shales and thin bedded sandstones...... ....\ .................. 70 0

Coal (I 22)..................................................... 2+0

Sandstone...................................................... 90 0

Coal?

 San Istone (Gladeville) to creek ................................ 10 0

Tn the above section I 23 is probably equivalent to 111 in the Rockhouse branch section.

About half a mile farther up the Clover fork, in a ravine coining in 

from the south, the following section was measured:

Black impure limestone. ' Ft. In.

Blue shale..................................................... 50 0

Coal ...................... ..'.....-............................. 00 2

Bine shale ..................................................... 25 0

Coal (I 29)..................................................... 3 0

Interval mostly shale'.......................................... 100 0

Coal (I 28)..................................................... 2 2

Sandstone ..................................................... 60 0

Coal ..............1....... .....................;.............. 0 4

Sandy shale..................................................... 30 0

Coal(I17) .................................................... 1 0

Sandstone ..................................................... 70 0

'Coal, probably heavy seam (I 26.)............................... (f)

Interval to creek, mainly sandstone ............................. 125 0
56 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BUM,ill.

In this section the last interval probably contains the small coal 90 

feet below I 26, and below that the sandstone is of the Gladeville 

formation. This is not entirely certaiu, for in this field the upper 

portion of the sandstone is without definite ^characteristics by which 

to identify it.

A little above Lauder creek, and on the south side, a coal was seen 

12.i feet above water level, I 8, which is probably the same as I 2G of 

the above section, and which becomes a very important coal in the 

vicinity of Morris gap. Just below the main forks of the creek it shows 

on the north side, I 5, about 25 feet above water level; it consists of 5 

feet ot solid coal, with heavy sandstone above and below. Above the 

forks, on the south side, J 19, the bed is 50 feet above the stream and 

is composed of 5 feet of coal with 18 inches of blue shale above; in 

both places, I 5 and J 19, it has been dug into for local use. About 

half a mile up the main branch of the creek it has been opened by an 

entry driven in on the seam, J 21, and shows the following section:

Black shale roof. ^ Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................. 3 8

Shale................................................ ....1....... 0 2

Coal............................................................. 0 10

Total.......... ............................................ 4 8

It was opened not long since in a little branch called Sang Trace, 

on the Morris gap road, J 20. Its thickness here is reported as 7 feet, 

but the opening was so filled with water and mud from the creek" that 

but 4 feet of coal was visible. At this opening it is 195 feet above the 

creek and shows a strong northerly dip of about, 2° or 180 feet per 

mile; this dip probably does not hold for any distance but rapidly 

diminishes to the gradual dip of about 80 feet to the mile observed in 

all the sections in the Kentucky basin. On the Eazor fork of Clover 

fork a large number of coal outcrops were observed, but like the coals 

in the upper portion of the Eockhouse branch section, they are so split 

up with shale partings as to be almost worthless. The elevation of 

these exposures was not determined with sufficient accuracy to make 

it possible to correlate the'm with other portions of the field.

On the main stream, above the mouth of Eazor fork, a few outcrops 

were located, but there were none of any value. One and one-quarter 

miles above Eazor fork in a small ravine on the south side of the 

valley, at J 22, the following section was measured:

Shale. Ft. In..

Co;il ............................................................ 2 6

Shale........................................................... 10 0

Coal, dirty ..................................................... 1 6

Shale .......................:.................................. 2 6

Coal ........................................................... 0 8

Sh:ile to creek ................................................... 15 0

This probably corresponds with a coal noted on the Morris gap road 

on the northern side of the mountain, J 33, showing in the hillside ill
COAL OUTCROPS. 57

two benches. On the trail that crosses the Little Black mountain from 

the head of Clover fork signs of coal were seen, J 2;j; this, from its 

position and altitude, is about 630 feet above the Gladeville sandstone, 

and would correspond with coals noted on Big Looney and Lewis 

creeks, B 1C, 30, 29; 6, and 2.

The dip as shown at Morris gap brings the strata at much higher 

levels on the southern side of the mountain; the Gladeville sandstone, 

whose base is about 1,860 feet above sea level at the mouth of Razor 

fork, is 2,100 feet ou the road south of Morris gap, and shows as a 

heavy white standstone, forming rocky spurs and ledges along the 

mountain slope. The coal just beneath this sandstone shows in the 

Morris gap road at an elevation of about 2,080 feet, J 37; this rises and 

becomes more important eastward, where it has been opened in several 

places, showing a fine body of coal. Its best development is about a 

mile and a quarter east of the Morris gap road and three-quarters of 

mile above the main valley road, J 45, and its section is as follows:

Ft, in.

Coal............................................................ 1 8

Knife edge of slate.

Coal.................\...^....................................... 3 8

Knife edge of slate. 

Coal............................................................. 1 4

6 8

One-half mile farther east this seam has been opened at J 48, butnot 

with so good a showing; it could not be measured, but is reported as 

6 feet thick with several partings. McCreath and d'lnvillers1 report 

several coal seams on Little Crab Orchard creek that were not seen by 

the writer, but from their section and interval they would agree with 

the coals already .described. One large seam has the following section:

Shale roof. Ft. in. 

Coal........................ ..................................... 1 8

Shale............................................................ 0 £

Coal............................................................. 3 9

Slate knife edge.

Coal................................................ ............. 0 2

Slate.........:.................................................. 1 0

Coal............................................................. 1 7

. ' , 8 2J

This is undoubtedly the same coal as that described above, 

belonging directly under the Gladeville sandstone. About 150 feet 

above this they noted an opening with this section:

Slate roof: Ft. In. 

Coal ...................I.................................... 2 0

Clay slate........:........................................... 0 1

Bone coal.................................................... 0 6

Splint and bony coal......................................... 0 6

Coal......................................................... 2 8

1 Op. cit., pp. 31-33.
58 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BULL. m.

If the above correlation is correct this bed would correspond to the 

main seam on the Clover fork, 111, 23, 20, 8, 5, and J 10, 20, and 21.

As stated by McCreath and d'luvilliers, 1 these two are in all probability the only coals of commercial importance in this region, and as 

our investigations verify this statement we will omit the consideration 

of a great number of coal outcrops visited in the region between Cox 

creek and the county line. The structure in this part of the field is 

probably a very gentle, almost flat, synclinal trough, but the basin is 

traversed by so many minor undulations that the strata have light 

dips in various directions; this renders it all but impossible to correJate the various coal outcrops.

There has been a large amount of speculation as to the representative of the Iniboden seam in Lee county. This coal has become so 

prominent 'and the name Imbodeu is so generally recognized in this 

region as a synonym of a heavy seam of fine coking coal that any 

man who wishes to advertise his property claims that his coal is the 

undoubted representative of the famous seam of Wise county. Asa 

matter of fact the western continuation of that seam is unimportant. 

If it extends into Lee county it has lost its specific character and can 

not be distingui med among the numerous seams outcropping along the 

southern side of the Little Black mountain. The writer is inclined to 

correlate with the Imboden, mainly on the strength of structural evidence, a coal showing in several places in the head waters of the North 

folk of Powell river. This coal was first s<-en in a small branch near 

the county line, J 83, and on following the branch down two more openings, J 82 and 81, were found, but iii no place could a section of the seam 

be obtained, as the coal dips lightly northward and the openings were 

in the bed of the creek and filled with water. At J 81 the thickness is 

reported as 4 feet. The dip on this seam flattens out toward the west 

and the coal is nearly horizontal, giving an irregular line of outcrop. 

From the last described exposure it probably swings to the south and 

was next identified on the Olinger gap road, which it follows for about 

a mile, showing at J 78, 77, 76, 75, and 74; at the latter point it leaves 

the road and was next reported on the Big Crab Orchard creek, J 73, 

but was not Seen. The next exposure of this coal is- on a branch of 

Little Crab Orchard creek, J 70, but its thickness was not obtainable. 

From this point its outcrop is uncertain; it is provisionally correlated 

with a coal on Big Bundy creek that makes a heavy showing in the 

bluff, I 41, but slides have so obscured its outcrop that it was impossible 

to obtain any idea of its thickness. This series of outcrops is directly 

in line«with the exposures of lower coals already described on Cox 

creek and also on Jones creek, and their position is the principal reason 

for correlating them with the Imboden.

Altogether the coals in this basin are rather unreliable, and, although 

two or three seams present a fine appearance locally, careful prospect-

. 'Loc. cit'.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 59

ing should bo done to determine the extent of workable coal before 

development is begun on a commercial scale.

IMBODEX BASIN.

This is separated from the basin previously mentioned by the county 

line ridge the divide between the waters of the North fork of Powell 

river flowing through Pennington gap, and the streams flowing east 

into the main Powell river at Big Stone gap.

So far as known no coals of commercial value cross this ridge, though 

quite a number, varying from 1 inch to 3 feet thick, can be identified. 

The coal seam correlated with the Iinboden crosses the ridge with a 

light northward dip from J 83 and shows on the east side of the divide 

in a small ravine, J 84, CO feet above the road and 36 inches thick; it' 

crosses Pigeon creek where the main road first crosses that stream, 

J 59, where the coal is 26 inches thick. East ot this point it follows 

the creek, closely skirting, the base of the hill on the east side and 

showing at J 60 and 61. It was next seen in a small ravine, J 63, 1J 

miles from the county line, with 30 inches of coal. In the next branch 

to the east and about 300 yards north of the main road, J 64, the 

bluff shows the following section:

Ft. In. 

Coal(JGl) ..................................................... 4 6

Shalo to creek .................................................. 40 0

On the small branch entering Pigeon creek above the mouth of 

Bearpen branch it shows in a small ravine, K 2(», about three-quarters 

of a mile from the main road, with the following section:

Ft, In. 

Coal.. .......................................................... 1 6

Sliule......................................I........ ............ 5 8

Coal............................................................ 2 0

Sliale........................................................... 0 6

Coal............................................................ 3 6

Total....................................................... 12 8

This section shows a much greater thickness than the exposures 

already de>cribed, and this increase in size appears to be due rather to 

number and size of partings than to a thickening of the coal itself.

On Bearpen branch there is a peculiar showing of coal 70 feet above 

water level on the west side of the creek, K 33, about half a mile 

above the road. On the steep slope of the hill there are two old 

openings, but their present condition is such that it is impossible 

to obtain a section of the coals; these openings are about 100 feet 

apart in a northeast-southwest direction, and the southeastern 

opening is 45 feet vertically above the other one. Both show contortion of the strata, and from the facts observed it is impossible to say 

whether they are openings on the same or on different seams. The 

upper opening shows a coal 4 or 5 feet thick, while the lower opening 

is almost filled with debris, and only 18 inches of coal is now visible. 

The interval of 45 feet between the openings corresponds with, that
60 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. (BOO. 111.

between the Iinboden and Kelly seams. If this identification is correct, 

the Kelly or upper seam is here the prominent one and the Imboden 

may be insignificant. But on account of the proximity of these exposures to the disturbed area along Stone mountain, and indeed of the 

disturbance shown in the coals themselves, the correlation is'extremely 

unreliable. On the next branch to the east, K 20, there is also a 

phenomenal development. The pit had so 'fallen in that it could not 

be measured j but J. J. Stevenson gives the following section of the coal 

in this opening:1

Ft. In.

Coal................................;.......................... 6 10

Shale.......................................................... 0 10

Coal........................................................... 2 5

Shale, averaging ................................................ 0 3

Coal............. .............................................. 4 6

Total...................................................... 14 10

Mr. Stevenson considers this the Kelly seam, although he made no 

effort' to find the Imboden under it and so to verify his conclusions. 

About a quarter of a mile above this opening a heavy coal was seen at 

water level, K 14 ; this is probably the same coal as K 29, but no section of it could be obtained. There are more and better exposures of 

coal on Bearpen branch than on any other stream in this vicinity, and 

the identification of the various coals is very important in determining 

the structure in the triangle formed by Pigeon and Looney creeks and 

the crest of the mountain. For the sake of uniformity we will assume 

the lower of the two openings at K 33 to be on the Imboden seam. 

Its elevation is 1,845 feet above tide, but at the mouth of the next 

branch above, K 28, it has descended to 1,810 feet, and in the next, K 

27, to 1,800 feet. Erom this point it rises about as the creek bed 

ascends to K 10, where it shows at water level 5 feet G inches thick. 

This is without much doubt the Iinboden, for about a quarter of a mile 

down stream the Kelly seam, K 11, is exposed in the bluff 40 feet above 

the stream. -Its complete thickness could not be measured, but 2 feet 6 

inches of coal were seen. At K 10 the Imboden disappears beneath 

the stream, and"about a quarter of a mile farther up the Kelly is seen 

at water level, K G. Not even here could its full thickness be obtained 

as only 2 feet 6 inches of coal is visible.

This shows clearly the structure on Bearpen branch. From the mouth 

of the branch the strata dip to the north in a gentle synclihe, whose 

axis is three quarters of a mile above the mouth of the branch; from 

this syncline they rise to the anticline, whose axis is at K 10, or 1£ 

miles from the mouth of the creek; then they descend gently to the 

north again to Little Looney creek.

East of Bearpen branch the outcrop of the Imboden seam has been 

traced continuously as far as Nine-mile spur. The various openings

'Op. cit, p. 94.
COAL OUTCROPS. 61

are numbered in the map K 17,16,15,19,18, 7,1, 2, and 3; C 35, 33, 

19, Id, and 27.

At K 7 this coal is mined by the South Atlantic and Ohio Kailroad 

Company. The seam is opened from a small ravine that enters Looney 

creek from the west; the main entry is driven nearly due south up the 

dip, which is just sufficient to provide perfect drainage. The mouth of 

the mine is 240 feet above Loouey creek, and the c> al is delivered to 

the cars down an incline. In the mine the coal varies in thickness 

from 5 feet G inches to 9 feet 7 inches; Avhere it .shows 5£ feet it is solid 

coal without a parting, but where the bed begins to thicken it does so by 

splitting into two benches. A mass of dirty coal enters like a wedge, 

swelling the thickness of the seam to 9 feet. At the mine the Kelly 

eoal'is reported 50 feet higher up in the hillside, K 8, 4 feet thick.

The Jmboden has also been opened half a mile above this mine and 

on the opposite side of the creek, K 2, where it is about 0 feet thick and 

90 feet above the water. The last exposure of this coal on * Little 

Looney creek occurs in a small ravine, K-l, just opposite the foot of 

the trail leading to the Isom rock, where it shows 6 feet 0 inches thick.

There is only one other coal of any importance in this district, 

and this is of more value from a stratigraphic point of view than in 

a commercial sense, as the seam is not large enough to mine but is an 

important guide to the structure. This seam is about 440 feet above 

the Imboden and about the horizon of the "cannel" seam farther east. 

It is well shown on the extreme head of Pigeon creek, just beneath the 

butt, J 26, at an altitude of 2,465 feet; it shows an outcrop 2 feet 6 

inches thick under a ledge of sandstone, which makes a marked fall in 

the creek. A coal was reported as showing in the branch farther up, 

but it was not visited; it may be the heavy coal lying about 100 feet 

above the cannel.

On a small branch of Pigeon creek just east of this a coal was seen, 

J 27 and 28, that is here correlated with the caunel, and shows the 

following:

Ft. 

Coal .............................................................. 4

Interval .......... ................................................ 15

Coal...... ........................................................ 4

The entire thickness of this lower bench could not be obtained, but 

is probably not much more than the amount given.

These openings are at considerably lower levels than the one on 

Pigeon creek. This is easily explained by the structure of the region. 

The outcrop on Pigeon creek is on an anticlinal arch, while the last 

opening mentioned is in the synclinal basin lying just east of this arch, 

and the strata descend quite rapii.lly from the butt eastward. These 

seams were next observed on the head of Little Looney creek, just 

across Looney ridge from this last-named outcrop, but higher up on 

the anticlinal arch, J 6, 7, 8, and 9. These are good exposures; the
62 BIO STONE GAP COAL FIELD. IBPLL.HI.

upper seam is the larger, measuring 3 feet 3 inches thick and capped 

by a sandstone that produces a fall in the creek similar to the outcrop 

on Pigeon creek; 20 feet below this the other coal shows with a thickness of 18 inches.

^hiscannel seam is next opened on Preacher creek, a tributary of 

Callahan creek, B 37; this is its type exposure, for here it shows its 

character of a caniiel coal, and from this circumstance received its 

name. Its section here is as follows:

Ft. in.

Sandstone ....................................................... 0 0

Canuel shale...... ................*......... ...................... 0 4

Canuelcoal.i.........................'...'........................ 2 0

Shale.... .....^.........................^........................ 04

Shaly coal....................'................................... 0 4

Shale............................................................ 0 5

Coal................................-...................'........... 0 5

Shale............................................................ 0 4

Coal......................................................... .... 3 4

Total...................................................... 7 6

It is here in its greatest development, and appears to thin in either 

direction.

On Callahan creek the coals have been well prospected and located. 

At the mouth of Preacher creek the Imboden has been opened in the 

bluff on the west side 200 fret above the creek, 0 35, at an altitude of 

1,832 feet above sea level. About a mile up Preacher creek it shows in 

three places, 0 3J, in natural onti-rop as it disappears beneath the 

creek, in an old prospect hole on the west side of the creek, and in an 

entry that has been driven in on the seam lately, just below the natural 

outcrop and on the eastern side of the creek. These three exposures, 

in close proximity, offered an excellent measure of the dip of the strata 

which is to the northwest and about 130 feet per mile. The opening 

recently made exhibits a wonderful thickness of the seam, as is shown 

by the following section measured where the coal had been faced up 20 

feet from the mouth of the drift.

Sandstone roof. Ft. In.

Con\..................................J.....S....................H 0

. Bony coal ........................ ............................... 0 3

Coal....................................................... J ..... 1 8

Clay:............................................................ 0 2

Total...........................!............'..............13 1

Sandstone floor.

Just across the road spur, on Mud Lick creek, is a fine exposure of 

the Imboden seam, C 10, where an entry has been driven in some distance and considerable coal mined, and at this place an oven has been
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 63

built to test its cooking qualities. Its section at this opening is as 

follows:

Sandstone. Ft. In, 

Shale...................................................... ......10 0

Coal............................................ ................. 1 10

Knife-edge parting. 

Coal....................................................-......;. 14

Bony coal ....................................................... 0 1

Coal............................................................. 0 6

 Bony coal ........................................................ 0 6

Coal............................................................. 2 4

Total......................................................16 7

From the descriptions given it will be seen that the main coals in 

this portion of the field, occur in a group of rocks 400 or 500 feet thick, 

whose lower limit is the shale and sandstone underlying the Imboden 

seam. Tbo best type section of this belt of coal-bearing strata was 

obtained on Mud Lick creek near its'junction with Callahan creek. 

Here the hill on the west side of the creek has been trenched from its 

summit to the Kelly coal, which is about 80 feet above the creek. A 

section wsis carefully measured here with a Locke hand level, but unfortunately the trench had become so filled that it was impossible* to 

get the thickness and'character of the coals, but their position and the 

character of the interval is welt shown. The thickness of the coals is 

given ;is reported, or, in round numbers, as they occur in neighboring1 

localities:

Summit of hill. Ft. In.

Sandstone ...................................................... 45 6

Coal (Canni'l swam) (C 25). ...................................... G 6

Sandstone, thin bedded ......................\.................. 29 0

Coal (upper splint,) 1 (C 24) ....................................... i 6

Int'Tval, no exposure ........................................... 58 6

Shalw........................................................... 10 6

Sandy shale .................................................... 13 6

Coal (lower splint)- (C 23) ...................................... 2 0

Shale............ ^ f ................................. 25 0

Heavy sandstone £ Gladuvillu < ................................. 71 0

Sandy shales .... 5 (................................. 26 0

Codl (C22) .................................... ................ 2 0

Interval, no exposure ........................................... 45 0

Shale........................................................... 13 0

Intrrval, no exposure .....................................:..... 24 0

Shale............................................................ 29 0

Coal (Ki-lly seatu) (C 21)........................................ 1 6

Interval ........................................................ 75 0

Coal, Imboden (C 19, 20) ........................................ ; 6 7

1 This conl, though covered in the trench, did not appear to bo more than 18 inches thick, but is 

reported as it feet C inches, and is so giveu by Mr. Stevenson, Op. cit., p. 238.

 This coal appears to be 2 feet in the ditch, but is qertainly heavier, as the surface creep tends to 

reduce the iipparent size. Mr. Stevenson gives it as :i feet G inches to 4 feet C inches, anil within a 

few miles the seuui shows a thickness of C or 3 feet, with many heavy shale partings.
64 . BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. 

Summarized, the preceding section is as follows:

Coal, Canuel. Ft. In. 

Interval........................................................ 29 0

Coal, upper splint.

Interval .............................i......................... 88 6

Coal, lower splint.

Interval. Gladeville sandstone.................................. 122 6

Coal.

Interval....................................................... Ill 0

Coal, Kelly seam.

Interval .................i..................................... 75 0

Coal, Imboden.

This section, while not showing the Gladeville sandstone in what we 

may consider its type form a heavy ledge-making sandstone still 

shows an interval of 71 feet of heavy sandstone, with 26 feet of sandy 

shales beneath. This appears to be the reverse of the section on Clover 

iork, for there the hardest, heaviest stratum is at the base. The formation shown on Mud Lick creek is characteristic of it, throughout the 

entire territory east of Callahan creek.

The Cannel seam has been opened on the Koad spur, less than half a 

mile from the head of this trench, at the point where the trail from 

Preacher creek first reaches the summit of the spur, C. 18, with the 

floor of the seam at an altitude of 2,202 feet above sea level. Here the 

coal shows 6 teet C inches thick, but it appears to tliin a little to the 

north it shows on Mud Lick creek, C 3, 3£ miles from its mouth, at 

water level, with a thickness of 5 feet of solid coal.

About 100. feet stratigraphically above this there is another heavy 

coal, C 2, that outcrops on Mud Lick creek about three-quarters of a 

mile above the Cauiiel seam and shows in section as follows:

Sandstone. 

Coal.............................................................

Shale.

This coal appears to be identical with the coal of Big Looney. B 25,

exposed in the creek opposite the blacksmith shop of Mr. Jenkins, both

.being about 100 feet above the Cannel seam and of the same character

and thickness, viz, 49 inches on Looney creek and 48 inches on Mud

Lick creek.

But one higher coal was seen on Mud Lick, C 1, and it is too small to 

be of any commercial importance. It is east of Gibson gap and shows 

in the creek 24 inches thick. This is about the horizon of a heavy and 

persistent coal as observed on Big Looiiey, B 16, 29, and 30, and on 

Lewis creek, B 6 and 2.

On Callahan creek the Imboden is well shown at Pioneer, C16, where 

the Virginia Coal and Iron Company are making preparations to mine 

it; they already have a double entry driven in on the bed 500 feet that 

reveals a general thickness of 6 feet. T|ie entry rises on a very slight 

upgrade toward the southeast with its mouth about 30 feet above
CASH-BELT,.] COAL OUTCROPS. 65

the stream, affording an ideal location for a mine. A quarter of a mile 

upstream, the coal goes under the level of the creek and does not 

appear again. The Kelly seam shows at water level a short distance above Pioneer, 0 15 and 14? and is here but a thin, insignificant 

coal 0 inches thick. The Gladeville sandstone is the next marked 

stratum that is noticeable on ascending the creek; it is seen but a short 

distance below the forks of the creek at Shepard's mill, and is indicated 

mainly by the large amount of coarse, sandy debris in the creek valley; on careful examination heavy ledges may be seen in the point of 

the hill on the east side of the creek.

At Shepard's mill a coal shows in the bank of the creek, 0 10, just 

, above the forks. This seam is 3 feet thick in a heavy bed of shale, and 

from its position, with reference to the Gladeville sandstone, would correspond to the Lower Splint coal as shown on Mud Lick creek.

On the new-cut country road above the mill a small coal, G 8,11 inches 

thick, is exposed in the bed of the creek and is probably 70 or 80 feet 

above the coal showing at the mill. This interval corresponds with the 

interval above the Lower Splint coal on Mud Lick creek and would 

place this coal at about the horizon of the Upper Splint seam. On the 

Meadow fork this seam shows three-quarters of a mile above the mill, 

0 13, as a 10-inch seam. Its outcrop here is 50 feet higher than the 

outcrop of the Lower Splint seam at Shepard's mill, but the strata 

probably dip northward here by an amount sufficient to bring this to 

the same geologic horizon as the coal on the county road. There is 

also a coal showing just north of this, C 12, and about 80 feet above 

it, and if this interpretation of the structure is correct, it would represent the Cannel seam. The section at this exposure is as follows:

Sandstone roof. Ft,, in. 

Coal.................. ........................................... 1 0

Shale.............................. .............................. 3 9

Coal.................. ........................................... 3 3

Total........................................................ 8 0

On this fork of the creek indications of coal were seen above this, but 

there were no valuable beds.

On the new-cut county road a number of small seams were observed 

and coal indications were quite plentiful, but the barometric observations on these coals are so contradictor that they cannot be correlated 

witli well determined beds.

On the same road there is a good showing of the heavy sandstone at 

the base ol the Harlan, both in ledges and de"bris. The maximum 

thickness of the Harlan formation in this portion of the field is about 

600 feet, and this is found on the bluff spur. A coal 6 feet thick is 

reported on this spur, but its location is unknown; from the description 

it would appear to be about 300 feet above the base of the Harlan 

sandstone.

Bull, 1H 5
66 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

South of Pioneer, on Kelly branch, the Iniboden coal is exposed at 

an elevation of 1,852 feet above tide, C 27; it shows here 6 feet of coal, 

with 4 feet of shale above it. About 200 feet above this, in a branch, 

C 26, a small coal 2 feet thick was seen, overlaid by sandstone (Gladeville).

The next exposure of the Imboden occurs on Church House run, C 

36 and 38, about 1^ miles above its mouth at an altitude of 2,075 

feet. It is exposed' in two places in natural outcrop and probably has 

a northerly dip of 180 feet per mile; it makes a heavy showing, but no 

measure of thickness could be obtained. Seventy or 80 feet above it 

were found indications of another coal, C 37, that may be the Kelly 

seam.

There is some diversity of opinion regarding the above correlations.. 

McCreath and d'lnvilliers1 describe a coal on Church House run, 300 

feet below this, as the Imboden. This latter coal is also referred to by 

J. J. Stevenson,2 who gives the following section:

Ft. In. 

Coal................................................................ 3 10

Shale............................................................... 0 5'

Coal................................................................ 3 6

Total............................................................. 7 9

This opening was not seen by the writer, but from the description 

quoted, it probably occurs directly above a heavy sandstone that is 

well- shown in the branch.

The writer's reason for the above correlation is that the Imboden 

seam, on the Fork spur between Little Looney and Callahan creeks, 

within three-quarters of a mile of the double tunnel, is at an altitude 

of 2,070 feet, K 3, while on Mill creek, C 31, across the point of Ninemile spur, it is at 1,990 feet, both of which are higher than the lower 

coal on Church House run; consequently if the lower coal is the 

Imboden, there must be a synclinal trough with its axis near the mouth 

of Church House run. The outcrops of the coal north of here show 

no indication of such a basin; it can not pass west of Pioneer, as the 

Imboden seam has been followed throughout this region almost continuously, and it is equally certain that it does not pass east of Pioneer, for 

the entry at that place is driven southeast up a very gentle dip for 500 

feet. The anticline that is shown to exist east of Pioneer is much more 

likely to have its axis in this vicinity than a syncline; the indications 

seem to point to a connection between this anticline and the folding 

just south of the double tunnel; in fact, the region about the mouth of 

Callahan creek is one of considerable uplift and probably is directly 

connected with the anticline east of Pioneer. The interval of 300 feet 

between the two coals noted is not conclusive either way, as there are 

coals both above and below the Imboden seam at that distance. The

'Op. cit., p. 28. 2 0p. cit., p. 95.
CAMPBBIL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 67

coal on Little Looney, K 9, at about that interval below the Imboden, 

shows the following section:

Ft. In.

Coal............................................................. 1 0

Shale............................................................ 2 0

Coal............................................................. 1 8

Total.......'............................................... 4 8

This coal occurs just at the top of a heavy sandstone, and is well 

shown in an old opening on the west side of the creek a mile above the 

double tunnel. Its location above the heavy sandstone gives addi 

tional weight to the view that it is equivalent to the lower coal on 

Church House run. From a careful consideration of all available data, 

it would seem that all previous determinations on this lower bed have 

been in error in correlating it with the Imboden.

On Mill creek there are two seams of coal, 60 or 70 feet apart, that 

have been opened in. a number of places. An opening on the lower 

seam in a small branch 1£ miles above the railroad shows 7 feet of coal, 

C 32. No detailed section of the seam was measured, but if it has 

any partings they are insignificant.

Further up, on the main branch, C 31, the same coal is 54 inches 

thick, and again at C 30, a little higher, it shows the following:

Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................. 2 3

Shale............................................................ 0 2

Coal............................................................. 4 6

Total...................................................... 6 11

The upper coal is exposed in two places near the head of the branch 

0 28 and 29, as follows:

Shale roof. 

Coal.............................

Clay.............................

Coal .............................

Shale............................

Coal .............................

Ft. In.

............................ 1 4

............................ 1 2

i ^

1 ^

2

K

Total.................................................. 6 21

One of the great surprises of the region is the absence of this coal 

on the Roaring fork, below the mouth of Cane Patch fork. The Imboden doubtless exists in the extreme hilltops between Mill creek and 

Roaring fork, but as our lines of search always followed the streams, 

we have no data for that part of the territory. The Imboden was first 

seen on the west side of the Roaring fork, a quarter of a mile below 

Frank Sturgill's, where it outcrops in tAvo places, D 8 and 9, but no 

measure could be obtained of its thickness. The only complete sec-
68 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

tion was obtained at an opening close to Sturgill's house, D 10, where 

it shows as follows:

Sandstone roof. Ft. in.

Coal............... ............................................. 1 6

Shale............../.....'....................................... 1 4

Coal........................ ................................... 2 24

Dirty coal...................................................... 1 1

Coal............................................................ 1 14

Shale, carrying sulphur......................................... 0 5

Coal............................................................. 3 24

Shale ........................................................... 10 54

Coal...........................'................................. 0 94

Total...................................................... 10 104

About 1£ miles above this, on the stream which enters from the west, 

a coal is exposed in two places, D 5 and 6, about 8 feet thick. No 

detailed section was made of it nor was its elevation determined, but 

it is not far from the same altitude as the opening at Sturgill's, and is 

probably the same seam.

Above Sturgill's, half a mile on the main stream, a coal is exposed, 

D 4, that is apparently the Kelly seam; again, at the distance of a 

mile, the same coal is seen (D 1) three feet thick. This indicates that 

the strata are nearly or quite horizontal. This is well sustained by 

the broad, open character of the valley.

On the road from Sturgill's to the Cane Patch fork, across the ridge, 

a heavy coal is seen in natural outcrop by the roadside, D 11. It is about 

a quarter of a mile above the forks of the road at the school house, on 

Cane Patch fork, and about 100 feet above it. This is without doubt the 

Imboden at an altitude of 2,050 feet above tide, while at Sturgill's it is 

only 1,960 feet; this gives a rise of 90 feet in this distance or 135 feet 

per mile on an east and west line. This rise of the strata eastward to 

the Coonseye anticline has been described on p. 25. It is of great 

economic importance, as the arch in the strata is sufficient to carry 

the main coal horizons high above what is now drainage level, and 

erosion has removed all of the coals except the lowest or Imboden 

seam. This just caps the hills, supported by a very heavy sandstone 

that occurs a short distance below it.

As the axis of this anticline passes about through Coonseye post-office, 

the Imboden seam continues to rise to that point and there attains an 

altitude of about 2,125 feet. No outcrop was seen there, but coal signs 

were very abundant at this altitude on the side of the hill, D 13, 

southwest of Coonseye. The axis of this fold pitches down to the north 

and the Imboden seam probably dips beneath Cane Patch within 

three-quarters of a mile of the main road.

On Cane Patch fork, a little more than a mile above the main road, a 

coal, D 2, occurs at an altitude of 2,140 feet; no measure could be 

obtained of its thickness and but little is known as to its equivalency.

It outcrops beneath a heavy ledge of sandstone, which suggests tli§
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 69

conclusion that it is probably tlie seam just beneath the Gladeville 

sandstone and about 160 feet above the Iinboden.

A few hundred yards north of the main road, a coal, D 12, was 

seen at an altitude of 2,025 feet; it is a small seam and its horizon is 

probably 80 or 90 feet beneath the Iinboden. "

About a mile south of Coonseye, on a small branch that joins the Cane 

Patch fork from the east, 2 coals have been opened at altitudes of 2,275 

and 2,335 feet above tide. The lower coal, D 24, the Imboden, has 49 

inches of solid coal with a shale roof, while the upper, or Kelly seam, 

D 25, has:

Ft in. 

Shaly coal..........................................'............ 1 3

Coal.....................................................:...... 6 0

Total.........-....................................;............ 7 3

This shows a remarkable thinning of the Imboden, for three-quarters 

of a mile directly west of this, this seam has been opened on the hill 

top, D 23, at an altitude of 2,195 feet, and shows the following section:

	Ft,, in. 

Coal .......................................................... 2 0

Clay .......................................................... 3 0

Coal .......................................................... 1 0

Shale and clay ................................................ 3 0

Splint coal.................................................... 1 0

Coal .......................................................... 3 If

Total ................................................... 13 If

The prospector was very uncertain whether this 13-foot seam was the 

Imboden or some higher coal, so these hillsides were very thoroughly 

searched to find lower coals, but without success. The following fine 

section was exposed in a trench from the base of the Imboden to the 

level of the Cane Patch creek:

Ft. in.

Imboden coal (D 23) .......................................... 13 If

Not seen, probably sandstone ................................. 70 0

Heavy sandstone.............................................. 20 0

Coal (D 22)................................................... 1 0

Clay (D 22)................................................... 3 0

Coal (D 22)................................................... 0 8

4 8

Shale......................................................... 10 0

Sandstone .................................................... 105 0

Sandy shale, argillaceous at base.............................. 110 0

Coal (D 21) ................................................... 0 8

Sandstone to Cane Patch fork................................. 10 0

Total................................................... 348 If

South along the Bearing fork the Imboden has been opened in the 

extreme hilltops bordering the stream. In a ravine just east of the 

junction of Cane Patch with Eoaring fork it shows, D 26, at an alti-
70 ' BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. in.

tude of 2,140 feet; a half mile further south it has been opened, ]) 28, 

and it reported aslC feet thick, but it had fallen in so that it could not be 

measured.

Nothing was seen of the coal 90 feet beneath the Imboden. The 

sandstones are heavier and possibly replace this coal altogether. The 

lower coal, on the other hand, seems to come in thicker, for along the 

lower course of the Roaring fork a seam, which has the appearance of 

being at this horizon, is exposed at several points with a thickness of 

from 26 to 32 inches. This coal appears to be about 320 feet below the 

great Imboden coal, and shows just below the ford on Roaring fork 32 

inches thick, D 30, besides showing in one place above this, at D 27. 

This may probably be equivalent to the 8-inch coal seen on Cane Patch, 

D 21, or possibly another seam at a slightly lower level. The southern 

continuation, of these lower coals is uncertain. Three-quarters of a 

mile above the mouth of Roaring fork, D 43, a coal shows at water level 

26 inches thick under a 10-foot ledge of sandstone, and this may possibly be the same coal as the last mentioned bed.

The structure in this portion of the field is quite uncertain, but the 

Coonseye anticline probably turns southeast, crossing the Roaring fork 

above this opening, and continues to Kelly station, where- it is lost in 

the numerous minor wrinkles that accompany Stone mountain. South 

of this anticline the strata dip again into a slight synclinal basin in 

which the outcrop, I) 43, on Roaring fork is situated; they then rise rapidly to the south, carrying this coal from water level on Roaring fork, 

to an altitude of 180 feet above Powell river at a point three-quarters of a mile above the mouth of Roaring fork. This bed is correlated 

Avith the coal on Roaring fork and also with the coal exposed in the 

railroad cut at Kelly station, where, being closely folded upon itself, 

it has the appearance of a 6-foot seam.

The finest showing of coal in this field is on the headwaters of a 

small stream flowing south into Powell river, between Roaring fork 

and Bearpeu creek, D 33. Here the Imboden seam, shows a bottom 

bench of coal 13 feet thick without a parting, and an upper division of 

coal spoiled slightly by dirty streaks, making a total of 16 feet. The 

elevation of this opening is 2,235 feet; 50 feet above this a coal is reported, D 32, 4 feet thick, which is the Kelly seam, but it was not seen.

The correlation of these beds with the ones showing on Black creek 

farther east is one of the perplexing questions of the region.

As noted above, the heavy Imboden occurs on the divide between 

Roaring fork and Black creek at an elevation of from 2,235 to 2,275 

feet, and, as seen by the section on Cane Patch creek, no coal for at 

least 330 feet below this is of any importance. On Black creek, less 

than a mile from the divide, two important seams of coal have been 

opened at several points; the loAver about water level, at an altitude of 

2,080 feet, and the upper 60 feet above it.

Fig. 2 is a map of the territory lying between Roaring fork and
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 71

Black creek, north of the main Powell river. It shows on a larger 

scale than the general map the relative positions and altitudes of the 

observed outcrops. The Imboden seam, occurs on the hilltops at several points already described, D 24, 23, 26, 28, and 33, and coal indications were seen at two other points, D 34 and 31, that apparently belong 

to the same horizon. The Kelly, or upper coal, appears to be present 

over all the territory, although its actual outcrop was seen in but two 

places, D 25 and 33. The hilltops extend but little above this and carry

FIG. 2. Map and section showing the structure between Hearing fork and Black ereek.

few, if any, of the higher coals. On Black creek the lower coal has 

been opened at D 35, 37, 38, and 39, and the upper seam at D 36.

The most of this territory was thoroughly prospected by D. J. and 

B. T. Lewis, and they early determined the outcrops, but for a long 

time they were uncertain as to whether the coals showing on Black 

creek could possibly be the same as the heavy coal in the hill tops near 

Bearing fork. The seam might rise from 2,080 feet at D 37 to 2,275 

feet at D 24, or from 2,075 feet at D 35 to 2,255 feet at D 34, but there 

are some conflicting facts that made this seem improbable, viz:
72 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL.ill.

1. The coal seam at D 37 had a light northwest dip, showing on an 

exposure of 20 feet or more, at right angles to the strike, a dip of 5°, 

which would, if held, carry D 37 about 600 feet beneath D 24.

2. If D 35 rose on a regular dip to the altitude of D 34, it would of 

necessity be cut through by the Bearpen branch and show somewhere 

on the trail that0 crosses from Black creek to Bearing fork. But such 

is not the ease, and the prospectors in endeavoring to solve the problem 

trenched the hill from summit to base on the east side of Bearpen, just 

north of this trail, and found nothing but sandy shales. Then in 

order to make assurance doubly sure a diamond drill was put down at 

C on the map, through coarse, extremely hard white sandstone, until 

220 feet below the surface the drilling became so difficult and the prospect of coal so poor that the drill was stopped, but without penetrating this bed of sandstone.

There is only one sandstone known in. this region that bears any 

resemblance to this heavy bed revealed by the drill, and it occurs in 

the hilltops facing Bearing fork and beneath the Imboden coal. On 

Black creek the only sandstone answering this description occurs in 

the bottom of the valley between the openings D 35 and D 3i> and 

shows in heavy ledges below the schoolhouse; this is unquestionably 

below the Black creek coals and sustains the same position relative to 

these coals that the sandstone on the Roaring fork does to the Imboden 

and Kelly seams. Assuming that this sandstone is one bed through- 

' out, the lower of the Black creek coals may be correlated with the 

Imboden seam and the upper with the Kelly, but when that is done it 

is still necessary to explain how the Imboden coal can dip from the 

hilltop at D 34 to the creek at D 35 without showing in the ravine at 

Bearpen branch.

The idea that it is faulted down immediately suggests itself, but on 

close examination this hypothesis fails to answer the question, because 

the rocks in all this region show no trace of faulting. Moreover the relations of the beds in this and the adjoining territory could hardly have 

been produced by faulting and maybe much more easily explained on 

another hypothesis.

To understand the structure here it is essential to know something of 

it in the surrounding country^ and then the problem becomes comparatively simple. By reference to Plate in it will be seen that the Coonseye anticline crosses this territory and is the dominating structural 

element. The principal or northern axis II'J is a broad rounded 

arch, while the southern I' J' is a small sharp fold ; both pitch downward to the east and unite near Powell river. This loop incloses a 

synclinal basin K K', which dies out southwestward in this field, and 

the two anticlines merge into one. In Fig. 2 the section at the base 

along the line A B illustrates the structure. In this section the 

.line a b represents the Imboden coal; at a its altitude is about 

2,060 feet above sea level or 250 feet above the Boariug fork, and it
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 73

rises gently toward the east as the main limb of the Coonseye anticline; it cuts the hill first at the point indicated as D 26, still continuing to rise eastward until the axis of the arch I 'J. is reached where 

it is at an altitude of about 2,250 feet; from this point the coal descends slightly to the east, to the synclinal axis K K', at or near the drill 

hole on Bearpen branch; the bottom of the valley is here composed of the 

heavy sandstone in which the prospect hole was drilled; above this 

sandstone there are normally 50 or 60 feet of shale, and above it the coal. 

This would bring the coal on Bearpen at an elevation of about 2,160 

feet. From this point the strata rise rapidly to the east or southeast 

in the anticlinal fold I' J', and the point where the trail crosses the 

ridge east of Bearpen branch coincides exactly with the axis of this 

anticline. On account of this peculiar structure the strata on the west 

side of this ridge rise at about the same rate as the slope of the hill, 

and the shale that shows near the creek forms the whole slope from 

the creek to the summit of the ridge; this is well shown in the 

road and also in a trench cut by Mr. Lewis in search of the heavy 

coals which he thought must necessarily outcrop on this hillside. 

The rock exposed is shale from top to bottom, with no trace of coal. 

This shale bed ends a few rods east of the summit and gives place 

on the surface to a sandstone that covers the whole eastern side of 

the hill, with heavy debris. This sandstone is supposed to be the 

same as the one on Bearpen, and simply comes to the surface a few 

rods east of the summit and descends about with the slope of the hill, 

until lower down it disappears beneath the surface and is replaced by 

the shale already noticed. The line of greatest elevation of the beds 

marks the axis I' J' of the anticline and is but a little east of the summit 

of the ridge where this trail crosses. At the foot of the ridge the sandstone and shale have both disappeared from the surface and the Imboden 

coal belonging above them comes to the surface in the" outcrop at D 35,

It may be urged against this hypothesis concerning the structure 

that the outcrop at D 35 shows no evidence of a southeasterly dip, as 

the anticline just northeast of it would seem to require. It is well 

to bear in mind that the maximum dips in such a structure would only 

be 8°, and but few of that amount. The outcrop D 35 does not show 

dip, but it is not extensive enough to judge from; besides the coal is 

faced up along the strike of the bed and consequently would not show 

a dip of even 8°. The dip at this point is probably lightly to the 

southeast, as the next exposure of this coal on Stone Coal branch is 

lower than that on Black creek and there is no known evidence of a 

disturbance in the strata between them.

The anticlinal axis I/ J' continues northeast nearly parallel with the 

road from Black creek across the head of Stone Coal bianch and down 

a small stream to the Powell river. It crosses Stone Coal branch 

about a quarter of a mile below this road, and the next stream is 

crossed at about the point where the road first comes down to the 

stream after crossing the divide from Stone Coal branch.
74 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

On the northwestern side of this arch the dips are comparatively 

steep for the field 5° as shown in the exposure at D 37 on Black 

creek and 7° as shown in «the road on Stone Coal branch. These dips 

hold only a short distance, carrying the strata down about 150 feet.

South of this arch on Stone Coal branch there is a slight trough, 

very nearly horizontal, but which deepens to the northeast into a 

marked syncline. This flat trough or terrace keeps the coals at about 

the same level from Black creek to near the mouth of Stone Coal branch. 

The Imboden seam rises on the 5° dip mentioned from an altitude of 

2,080 feet at D 37 to 2,145 feet at D 38; here the seam appears horizontal 

as it is about on the axis I' J'. From D 38 the coal descends to an 

altitude of 2,000 feet on Stone Coal branch, where it is exposed in the 

bed of the creek (E 34), three-quarters of a mile from West Norton, 

but its thickness could not be ascertained.

At the mouth of a small branch above this and at an elevation of 

2,025 feet a partial section of a higher coal (E 35) was measured as 

follows:

Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................. 1 0

Shale............................................................ 0 2

Coal.............................................:............... 2 2

Total ...................................................... 3 4

Base of. the lower bench was not seen.

As the dip at the latter exposure is northeast it would tend to make 

the interval between these seams greater than their difference of altitude ; thus it would closely approximate the interval between the 

Imboden and Kelly seams.

Above the outcrop of the Imboden seam on the hillside west of the 

creek there are two higher coals exposed, and, assuming the Kelly 

seam to be 60 feet above the Imboden, as on Black creek, the section 

would be as follows: ' .

Feet. 

Coal, heavy (thickness reported) (E 31)........................... 5

Interval (Gladeville sandstone?).................................. 115

Coal(E 32).-.-................................................... ?

Interval .......................................................... 110

Coal, Kelly seam (E 33)............................................ 4

Interval .......................................................... 60

Coal, Imboden (E 34)............................................. ?

Water level in creek.

These figures agree very closely with the type section on Mud Lick 

creek as given on p. 63. The Gladeville sandstone noted in the 

section as doubtful was not seen in outcrop, but some sandstone debris 

shows at this horizon that may represent it. This section might be 

extended below the Imboden to a coal outcropping in the road near the 

mouth of Stone Coal branch (E 47 and 48). It is here 30 inches thick 

and about 300 feet geologically below the Imboden. The interval
CAMPBBU,.] COAL OUTCROPS. 75

between them is occupied by a heavy sandstone that corresponds to 

the very heavy sandstone occurring beneath the Imboden on Eoariug 

fork and Black creek.

In the streets of West Norton a coal lias been opened in at least 

half a dozen places (E 49, 50, 51, arid 52). This is probably the same 

coal as that observed at the month of Stone Coal branch, brought down 

at this point by some of the minor folds that occur in this line adjacent 

to Stone mountain. This coal shows considerable thickening eastward, 

as the following section of the seam at D 52 indicates:

Shale roof. Ft. In. 

Coal ........................................................ 0 8

Shale........................................................ I 2

Coal......................................................... 0 8

Sluile........................................................ 0 2

Coal......................................................... 1 2

Shale...........................:............................ 0 4

Coal......................................................... 0 6

Total...................................................... 4 8

The section shows but an increase in the number and size of the 

partings rather than in the actual amount of coal.

The eastward continuation of this coal seam is very uncertain, as it 

is in a region of much minor disturbance. When the railroad yards were 

first graded at Norton a seam was visible in the yards at several points 

(E 58 and 59) and considerable coal was exposed, but no large seam 

was'seen, and it is quite probable that this is the same coal as the one 

in West Norton.

The Imboden is well shown at the Cooper opening on Powell river 

1J miles above Stone Coal branch (E 37), where the following section 

was measured:

Shale roof. jr(;. in . 

Goal......................................................... 4 0

Shale........................................................ 0 2

Coal......................................................... 4 0

Total...................................................... 8 2

This entry has since been reopened and is said to show 10 feet of 

coal further in.

West of the Cooper opening (E 37) a coal shows on the slopes of a 

small ravine at E 36 at an elevation of 50 feet above E 37, but the coal 

was so covered that no thickness could be determined. These are 

regarded as the Imboden and Kelly seams with the normal interval 

of 50 feet between them.

About a mile above the Cooper opening a small coal 18 inches thick 

(E 25) shows in the road up Powell river and is probably the coal 

underneath the G-ladeville sandstone, as this is the next formation 

cut by the river in ascending order.
76 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BDLL.UI.

Above this, near the foot of the trail that crosses the divide to Guest 

river, in shales that immediately overlie the sandstone, is a very small 

but quite persistent coal (E 26) that appears for a considerable distance 

up Powell and Guest rivers.

Following up Powell river the Gladeville sandstone is again crossed 

as it rises above the river and the coal beneath the sandstone is 

well exposed in the great bend ot Powell river (E 19,18, 17,16, and 

15). Its best exposure is at E 16, where it shows in the creek, bank 

with the following section:

'Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................. 2 6

Slialy coal..'............................ ......................... 0 6

Total...................................................... 3 0

Above this the river again cuts through the Gladeville sandstone 

where it is nearly horizontal and gives a fine exposure of the heavy 

ledges that occur at its top. The last outcrop of this sandstone is seen 

a little above the scho'olhouse or near where the road turns to the west 

toward Coonseye.

The small coal immediately overlying the sandstone shows in a 

number of places in this vicinity at E 4, 3, 2, and 1; at the last point 

the stream runs above it and the next coal is one that occurs in the 

west bluff 2 miles above the schoolhouse and 120 feet above the stream 

bed, D 3. No section was obtained, but half a mile farther up the stream 

on the eastern side the following measurements were made upon the 

same seam:

Coal..........................

Interval ......................

Coal..........................

Coal..........................

Ft. In. 

................................... 0 6

............:..... ................. 20 0

.............................:..... 3 0

................................... 5 0

................................... 0 6

Above the upper coal in the section a heavy sandstone was noted 

that forms cliffs along the valley, and above the sandstone another 

coal seam is reported. The main seam given in the section is without 

much doubt equivalent to the cannel seam, and the coal reported 

above the sandstone may possibly represent the heavy seam on Mud 

Lick creek, about 100 feet above the cannel.

In the country about Coouseye but few coals were seen, except as 

stains in the road, for the country is high and the road follows the 

divide. Coonseye post-office is situated on the Gladeville sandstone at 

about the summit of the Coonseye anticline. This heavy sandstone 

was not observed in place, but the ground is almost covered with great 

blocks of coarse, white sandstone that revealed the position of the 

Gladeville as definitely as though its actual outcrop was seen. The 

road east from Coonseye passes above this sandstone, and at the bend 

of the road on the summit, the Lower Splint coal, lying just above the
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 77

Gladeville, shows in natural outcrop, D 17, on the west side and just 

below the road. One hundred feet above this coal or at the Cannel 

horizon, another coal shows in the road, D 10, simply as a stain.

On the head waters of Black creek there are several outcrops of coal 

that are hard to identify. They were seen on a branch entering from 

the east at a point about due east from Coonseye. The first, D 20, is 

about 20 inches thick and is exposed in the bed of the creek one-quarter 

of a mile above the main stream. A short distance from the first and 45 

feet above it the second, D 19, is exposed 0 inches thick. Farther up 

the same branch, about half a mile from the main stream and 80 feet 

above the first seam occurs the largest showing of coal (D 18). This 

last coal is about 3 feet thick and is provisionally but doubtfully correlated with the Cannel seam.

This completes the consideration of the Imboden basin, the country 

drained by the main branch of Powell river, which is one of the important coal fields of the Appalachians. Throughout its whole extent, 

except where erosion has removed the lower beds, it has a very fine 

seam of bituminous coal, and when the field shall have become thoroughly developed, it will afford a large amount of first-class fuel for 

the industries of the middle South.

In almost all parts of the basin the altitude of the principal seam is 

such that its coal can be mined and transported at a small expense. 

The bed is generally above water level and has such gentle inclinations 

that an entry can be readily located so as to follow in on the seam with 

a slight up grade; this gives a descent toward the mouth of the entry 

for drainage and easy transportation. The valleys are remarkably 

level for such a rough country, affording excellent facilities for the construction of branch lines of railroad with which to place its coal and 

coke upon the market.

GUEST RIVER IJASIN.

This is much less extensive than the Irnboden basin and its geological formations are fewer in number. Its rocks are all included between 

the Lee conglomerate at its base and strata which lie one or two hundred feet above the top of the Gladeville sandstone.

The basin is mainly drained by Guest river which has cut a deep, 

narrow valley throughout its entire length from west to east. On the 

northern side of the valley bold bluff's rise from near the water's edge 

to the Gladeville sandstone that caps them 800 or 900 feet above the 

stream. On. the southern side the valley is bounded by the great arch 

of the Lee conglomerate known as Powell mountain, which, in the western portion, rises abruptly from the stream and is extremely rough and 

rugged. Farther east the conglomerate has a gentler dip- and the 

mountain, descending1 to a low, flat swell, disappears entirely at th§ 

dyer,
78 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [ECU,in.

The relation that the strata in this basin bear to those in the Imboclen district is well shown on the road that crosses the dividing ridge 

between Powell and Guest rivers, near the northern edge of the map. 

The level of this road, leaving Powell valley at the schoolhonse west of 

Lipps, is just on the top of the Gladeville sandstone, or at the Lower 

Splint coal horizon. This coal is seen as a slight stain in the road 

but a few rods south of the schoolhouse, E 4, at an altitude of 2,325 

feet. From this point to the summit of the ridge at 2,410 feet no rocks 

are seen in place, bat some sandstone debris occurs on the slope. 

Descending on the eastern side the Lower Splint coal shows in a small 

ravine on the right of the road, E 5, at the same altitude as at the 

schoolhouse 2,325 feet, showing that in this direction the strata are 

about horizontal. From this coal exposure the road follows a small 

ravine, cut through the Gladeville sandstone, and Guest river is reached 

at an altitude of 2,160 feet, or 165 feet below the Lower Splint coal. 

The rough road through this ravine impresses the observer with a distinct idea of the hardness of the Gladeville sandstone.

A short distance up the river the coal underlying the sandstone is 

seen in a ravine 10 feet above the road at E 6 and 135 feet below the 

Lower Splint coal. This gives a good measure of the sandstone, for the 

strata are horizontal and the difference in altitude is the thickness 

of the Gladeville. This is the maximum thickness measured in the 

field. In descending Guest river no outcrops are seen for about a mile, 

heavy sandstone d6bris covering everything. In this interval the 

sandstone sinks beneath the river, and the coal and shales seen at the 

iunction of the Eocky fork lie on top of the sandstone. The rocks 

along Guest river form a flat syncline, and this small coal is visible 

in a great many places along the main stream and the Eocky fork. The 

points where it was observed are numbered on the map E 7, 8, 9, 23, 

22, 21, 20, and 28.

From near Lipps to the crossing of the Norton and Gladeville road 

the river flows on or near the top of the Gladeville sandstone. The 

stream has but little fall, and a tortuous, winding course on the horizontal sandstone; but at the road crossing it cuts through the sandstone, which here rises rapidly to the southeast toward the Gladeville 

anticline.

On the Norton and Gladeville road, below the crossing, several coals 

are exposed, but none appear to be of workable tliickness except those 

in the vicinity of Norton. In grading the streets and in excavating for 

the foundations of buildings in the main town north of the principal 

street coal was found in abundance. It appeared to extend horizontally, 

bat with many undulations that rendered it almost impossible satisfactorily to determine what seam or seams it represents. The observed 

outcrops are E 53, 54,55,56, and 57, and have the appearance of belonging to two distinct seams, 20 or 30 feet apart.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 79

One of these beds, apparently the lower, is exposed in the main 

street at the turn near Guest river, E 60, and has the following section:

Argillaceous sandstone. ' Ft. In. 

Coal........................ ................................. 3 0

Shale..................................................'...... 0 5

. Coal......................................................... 1 8

Total................................................. 5 1

This exposure is 60 feet above the river, but the strata have such a 

pronounced northward dip that this seam probably passes below water 

level within 500 feet of this turn in the road. At E 61 a heavy coal 

has been opened just below the road and but little above water level. 

It has been faced up and shows the following section:

Shale roof. Ft. in. 

Coal........................................................ 2 8

Clay.......................... - - - - - 0 8

Coal............................... I........................ 0 2

Clay........................................................ 0 4

Coal...... r ................................................. 1 6

Dirty coal.................................................. 0 2

Coal........................................................ 0 5

Shale....................................................... 0 6

Coal....................................:..--............... 2 8

Shale.................:...............-..................... 0 1 

Coal......................................................... 0 4

Total................................................. 9 6

No lower coal could be seen at this point, but one appears in an exposure a quarter of mile farther north in a small ravine that enters from 

the west, E 39.

The section measured at this point is as follows:

Shale roof. Ft, 7n. 

Coal........................................................ 2 10

Clay........................................................ 1 0

Coal...!.................................................... 0 3

Clay........................................................ 0 6

Coal........................................................ 1 10

Clay........................................................ 0 8

Coal........................................................ 1 10

Total.................................................. 8 11

Shale, 20 feet.

Coal not measured, 2 or 3 feet visible.

The above section corresponds so closely with that for E 61 that 

the identity of the upper bed in the two openings can scarcely be 

questioned. The total thickness of the seam increases southward, but 

the change occurs mainly in the bottom.

The exact equivalence of these two coal beds is quite uncertain. All 

the structural evidence indicates that they are at the horizon of the 

Kelly or the Imboden seam, and may represent either one or both of 

them.
80 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

The upper coal corresponds well in general thickness with the Iraboden as seen on Powell river, except that here it is much more broken 

up by partings that materially detract from its value. But it may be 

the Kelly seam and the lower bed may be the Imbocleu. In that case 

the two coals have changed in character and the interval between them 

has diminished.

A comparison of the sections, as shown at the openings E 37,39, and 

61, is very interesting, and shows the change that may possibly have 

occurred in the Imboden seam southeast from the Cooper opening on 

Powell river: =

E 37.

Ft. In. 

Coal........................................................... 4 0

Shale.......................................................... 0 2

Coal........................................................... 4 0

Total.................................................... 8 2

E 39.

Coal ........................................................... 2 10

Clay........................................................... 1 0

Coal........................................................... 0 3

Clay........................-........---.....-...-----.----.... 0 6

Coal....: ...................................................... 1 10

Clay ....................I........................................ 0 8

Coal........................................................... 1 10

Total .................................................... 8 11

Interval ....................................................... 20 0

Coal...........................-........:...................... ?

E 61.

Coal........................................................... 2 8

Clay........................................................... 0 8

Coal .......................................................... 0 2

Clay........................................................... o 4

Coal........................................................... 1 6

Dirty coal................... .................................. 0 2

Coal........................................................... 0 5

Shale .......................................................... 0 6

Coal ........................................................... 2 8

Shale.......................................................... 0 1

C oal........................................................... 0 4

Total.................................................... 9 6 

Interval ....................................................... ?

Coal..../..................................................... 3 0

Shale.......................................................... 0 5

Coal........................................................... 1 8

E 61 contains five partings of clay and shale, while E 39, unquestionably an opening on the same seam, contains only three partings; this 

change, when continued to E 37, could easily give a seam with but 

one parting.

The maximum development of the Iinboden seam, is near the Roaring 

fork, andl it gradually diminishes in all directions, This statement
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 81

will be seriously questioned in the district, but future development 

will, we feel confident, verify our conclusions that the upper coals die 

out toward the east and the lower coals increase in number and thickness.

The error in correlating these lower coals of the eastern district 

with the Imboden farther west seems to be due to failure to appreciate the change in structure. In the vicinity of Big Stone gap the 

strata are very sharply upturned along Stone mountain, and, as a 

consequence, a stratum 1,000 feet above the conglomerate appears at 

the surface very near the mountain. East of Norton the conglomerate 

dips very gently under the coal basin, and the same stratum, 1,000 feet 

above it, occurs high up in the hilltops or at quite a distance from the 

mountain. The prospector expects to find the Imbodeu coal in the 

valley bordering the mountain at Tacoma as it is found on Pigeon creek, 

and any coal occurring in this position is called the Imbodeu.

The outcrops along the Norton and Gladeville road from the point 

where it crosses the river to near the summit, where the road turns 

south to Yellow creek, might be perplexing. The ascent in that distance is 300 feet, and from the river to within a few rods of the corner 

the road is upon a coarse white sandstone that is either horizontal or 

dips lightly toward Guest river. This is evidently the Gladeville 

sandstone, as the exposures are almost continuous from the river to 

the corner. The peculiar attitude of the bed is due to the eastward 

rise of the strata in passing over the Gladeville anticline. At the forks 

of the -road the shale underlying the sandstone appears, and extends 

in the direction of Gladeville until near the summit, where the sandstone reappears at the top of the arch. The dip of this stratum forms 

the slope to Gladeville. There are on this slope but a few feet of shale, 

the road generally being on the bare sandstone, and Gladeville is built 

directly upon this solid foundation, the rock itself showing in many 

places.

The road from Eocky fork to the Gladeville and Pound gap turnpike follows a small stream called Wheatley branch across an anticline 

which is very similar to that on the Norton and Gladeville road. 

On this branch, the arch being lower, the sandstone is not cut through, 

but forms the foundation of the road the entire distance from Rocky 

fork to the Pound gap road. About a mile from Eocky fork the 

Lower Splint coal is exposed in several places, E 11,12, and 13; no complete section could be obtained, but 18 inches of coal was seen at one 

place. The summit of the arch is not reached until the road unites with 

the Gladeville and Pound gap road about three-quarters of a mile from 

Gladeville.

The Pound gap road northwest from Gladeville rises gradually

with the sandstone until at the junction of the Wheatley branch road

it crosses the axis of the fold; from this point north to the edge of the

territory it still follows the top of the sandstone down a monoclinal

Bull. Ill 0
82 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. IBULL.UI.

dip to the north, descending in that distance about 200 feet. The 

road is almost continually at the horizon of the Lower Splint coal, 

which shows in about a dozen places. The bed does not appear to be 

thick enough to be of importance.

On the road north from Gladeville the same coal shows, F 2 and 3, and 

the road for the most part runs on the heavy sandstone. In the eastern portion of the town of Gladeville the Lower Splint coal has been 

opened a little, F 4, but the opening was so filled with water that only 

18 inches of coal could be seen.

The road from Gladeville northeast to Cranes Hest creek has more 

numerous natural exposures upon it than any other road traveled, but 

they are confined to a narrow vertical range, probably from the Lower 

Splint to the Cannel seam. In a distance of 3 miles at least twenty 

outcrops were seen in the road, but only one was of any consequence, 

and that is probably the lowest one of the series. About a mile and a 

half from the forks of the road east of Gladeville is an old opening, F 7, 

on this coal, which indicated a considerable thickness, but no measurements could be made. The high lands that lie west of this road may 

hold some higher coals, but no examination was made to ascertain 

the fact.

Southeast from Gladeville, along the Coeburn or Stage road, there are 

numerous exposures of coal. After crossing the creek just east of town 

the road rises gently to the southeast on the dip of the Gladeville 

syncline, and the small coals that occur just above the sandstone make 

a considerable showing along the road. The rise is quite rapid for 

three-quarters of a mile, carrying the sandstone 100 feet higher than 

at the creek crossing. On this arch, named the Bear creek anticline, 

the Gladeville sandstone reaches an altitude of about 2,500 feet; then 

it gradually dips down to Bear creek to 2,475 feet above sea level, 

whence it rises to the mesa north of Tacorna. Just west of Bear creek 

crossing a heavy seam of coal shows in the road above the sandstone, 

F 10. No opening has been made on the seam, but it appears to have 

the following section:

Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................. ?

Shale............................................................ 5 0

Coal............................................................. 1 4

Shale.'.............................-...-......................... 1 3

Coal............................................................. 1+

A short distance south of the road on Bear creek a coal seam, F 

11, is exposed in the creek bank underlying the sandstone, showing 

the folio wing:

Shaly sandstone. Ft. lu. 

Coal......................................................... 0 4|

Sh al e. r ...................................................... 1 3

Coal......................................................... 1 10+

Total ...................................................... 3 54+

Shalty sandstone.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. ' 83

 Along the road from Bear creek to the edge of the escarpment, above 

Toms creek, where the road passes below the Gladeville sandstone, no 

important coals show, but stains in the road are numerous.

. It is well at this point to go back to the consideration of the Yellow 

creek region, for the coals of that valley form a transition between the 

unimportant lower coals west of Norton and the same seams in increased 

thickness in the Tacoina-Coeburn territory.

On Yellow creek the Imboden seam was not discovered. Its place 

is doubtless quite high, and this would account for the fact that it was 

not seen, as no prospecting has been done above the main valley. It 

may be absent, but since it is so heavy at Norton, and again at Tacoma, 

the probabilities are in favor of its being present here.

The correlation of the coals in the Yellow creek valley is very uncertain, as data are scarce and the clips on the anticline are extremely 

variable. The best determination made from all available data identifies the most prominent coal here with the Widow Kennedy seam 

farther east, at about 475 feet above the conglomerate and 760 feet 

below the Gladeville sandstone. This coal shows at several points, 

E 43, 44,45, and F18,19, and 20. In thickness it ranges from 25 to 38 

inches. At a point about 200 feet below this is a small coal, E 46, which 

shows as a small stain in the road.

Above the Kennedy seam are two small coals, E 30, in a ravine above 

the road, where it leaves the creek and commences the ascent toward 

Gladeville. The upper is 14 inches and the lower about 2 inches thick; 

they are 770 and 720 feet, respectively, above the conglomerate about 

the horizon of the Upper Banner seam farther east.

Between Yellow creek and Tacoma but one coal was seen. It shows 

in the railroad cut nearly opposite the mouth of Burns creek, and is 

probably within 100 or 200 feet of the conglomerate.

In the vicinity of Tacoma quite a number of coals appear, but as 

there is considerable evidence of folding in the mountain side north of 

town, identifications of these coals with those further east, where the 

strata are more regular, have a doubtful value.

The lowest coal exposed at Tacoma is in the bend of the river, F. 26, 

southeast of the depot. This is supposed to be the Imboden, though 

there is little evidence of identity. It outcrops here on a dip of 10° 

northwest and shows the following section:

Shale roof. Ft. In. 

Coal....................................................... 0 2

Shale...................................................... 0 3

Coal...................:................................... 0 7

Kuife edge parting.........................................

Coal....................................................... 1 8

Ft. In.

Dirty coal ................................................. 0 8

Coal....................................................... 1 6

Total.................................................... 4 10

Shale floor.
84 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

0

According to a carefully measured section this coal is about 200 feet 

above the conglomerate. McCreath and d'lnvilliers give a section of 

this seam measured by them in 1892 as it was exposed in an opening a 

mile east of Tacoma J, F 31, that is as follows:

Shale roof. 

Coal......................................

Slate ................... 1 ..................

Coal......................................

Coal......................................

Ft. In. 

................... 0 2

.......*............ 0 2 2

................... 2 8

................... 1 0

................... 1 4

Total...................................................... 5 5

They have accepted the name commonly applied to this seam, Iniboden, without giving their reason for the correlation. East of this, in 

a railroad cut, F 32, the coal shows again as follows:

Shale roof.. Ft. In. 

Coal.................................... ..................... 2 2

Clay......................................................... 1 6

Shale........................................................ 3 6

Coal......................'.....................".............. 1 0

Total...................................................... 8 2

Shale floor.

At Tacoma, southwest of the depot, F 25, a small seam is exposed 

about 330 feet above the conglomerate. This is also exposed a mile 

east of town at F 31, where it is about the same distance above the conglomerate. Its full thickness could not be obtained at either place, 

only 12 inches of coal being visible at F 30 and 18 inches at Tacoma.

About 425 feet above the conglomerate lies an important seam 

that has been traced throughout all of the territory east of Tacoma. 

It bears the local name of Widow Kennedy seam. At Tacoma the 

position of its outcrop is a little doubtful, but it is probably the coal 

which shows northeast of the depot, F 24, and also in the creek west of 

town, F'23; in neither case could its thickness be determined. One 

mile east of Tacoma this seam has been worked by the Greeno-Bodine 

Coal company, F 29. Their slope is driven in on the seam N. 9° W., 

and on a downward dip of 13 feet in 100, or 7° 30'. At the mouth of 

the mine the section of tlie seam is as follows:

Sandstone roof. Ft. In. 

Coal ........................................................ 4 1

Clay ................................."....................... 0 6

Sandstone.

McCreath and d'lnvilliers 1 report that the thickness is 5 feet 3£ 

inches measured 500 feet down the slope, with the same roof and floor,

1 Eoport on .1 portion of the Virginia and Tennessee Coal and Iron Company's property, Wise 

County, Virginia, .1892, p. 35. 

* To 4 inches.
CAMPBELL] COAL .OUTCROPS. 8,5

but at 600 feet the coal pinched out in all directions. They attribute 

this to some of the accidents of deposition which they assert have 

affected this coal bed throughout the field. While this maybe correct, 

the writer is inclined to attribute some of it in the vicinity of Tacoma 

to the disturbance of the rocks. The sharp dips (10° to 15°) around 

Tacoma show that the rocks are thrown into folds, and this folding is 

very apt to squeeze the soft beds on the, haunches of the arch. As 

the coal is the most yielding member of the rock series it suffers most, 

and in such localities is frequently too much crushed and contorted to 

mine. The structure about Tacoma-makes it quite possible for such 

distortion of the coals to occur., and if so, all the seams are liable to be 

affected by it.

In such a region as this, though the extent and position of the coals 

can be quite accurately determined by study of the surface indications, 

the liberal use of the drill in advance of mining operations may frequently save many times the cost of drilling and enable the operator 

so to locate his entries and arrange his work as to avoid, to a great 

extent, the irregularities that affect the seam.

At the Greeno-Bodine works, east of Tacoma, the Lower Banner 

seam has been opened, F 28, and, according to McCreath and d'lnvilliers,2 varies in thickness from 4 feet to 4 feet 10 inches.

The Upper Banner seam has also been opened, F 27, and according to the same authority3 shows the following section:

Slate roof. ^ Ft, in.

Coal, 2 feet 8 inches to.......................................... 2 10

Slate parting, some coal, 2 feet 6 inches to....................... 3 3

Coal............................................................ 2 5

Sandstone parting.............................................. 0 I

Coal............................................................ 2 0

Total.................................................... 10 7

At Tacoma, 370 feet above the Kennedy seam, a small coal, probably 

equivalent to the Upper Banner seam, is exposed, F 22, but not in such 

manner that a section could be obtained. The most prominent coal 

observed in the vicinity of Tacoma outcrops in a ravine above the town, 

at an altitude of about 2,210 feet, F 21, and shows a thickness of 3 fest 11' 

inches. The structure would indicate that this is equivalent to the 

Imboden seam, but the character of the coal itself would lead to its 

correlation with the Upper Banner seam, as shown at the GreenoBodine opening east of town. In this paper it is considered as the 

Imboden, but the structure here is not simple enough to make this certain.

The Gladeville sandstone is exposed in the road from Tacoma to 

Gladeville, about a mile from the depot in Tacoma; the point where it 

is crossed is on the southern limb of the Gladeville syncline, and it

1 Op. cit., pp. 33-34. a Op. cit., pp. 29-30. 3 0p. eit., p. 31.
86 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. ill.

shows a northwest dip of 15°. Just beneath it the coal, which was described on Bear creek, F 11 and 12, is seen in two benches; F 17, its 

lower bench is here 3 feet thick, but the size of the upper bench is 

unknown.

After passing across the upturned edge of the Gladeville sandstone, 

the coal lying just above it is seen outcropping in two places, F 15 and 

16. These exposures are located on the northern limb of the syncline, 

 which accounts for their difference in elevation. From this point to the 

Stage road the sandstone is at or near the surface the protecting cap 

of the plateau. It holds this position along the Stage road for a distance of 2£ miles, rising gradually from an altitude of 2,525 feet at the 

junction of the Tacoma road to about 2,900 feet at Coeburn.

On the road running north from the Stage road, along the divide 

between Bear creek and Steele's fork of Crane's Nest creek, the Gladeville was probably seen in a small branch flowing into Steele's fork, If 

miles north of the Stage road, and at an altitude of 2,580 feet, showing 

a decided northerly dip ; the small coal just above it shows in a number 

of places.

West of Coeburn the Stage road, after leaving the outcrop of the 

Gladeville sandstone at the divide, descends rapidly in the series, and a 

number of seams are exposed along it in the side of the mountain. 

The seam immediately beneath the sandstone was not observed, nor 

was the Imboden, although the stain of a small coal was seen that may 

represent the latter. The finest showing of coal is at about the horizon 

of the Upper Banner seam; it outcrops a mile west of Tom's creek 

about 2,365 feet above tide, G 9. It is poorly exposed, but has the following section.

Shale roof. Ft. In.

Coal....................................................... 0 1

Shale...................................................... 0 3

Coal, base not seen......................................... 2 9

Total.................................................... 3 1

Sandstone ................................................. 20 0

Coal....................................................... ?

Shale floor.

About 100 feet below this, at the lower Banner horizon, indications 

of coal were observed, G 12, but no section of the seam could be 

obtained. Still lower, and half a mile west of Toms creek,.at an 

altitude of 2,120 feet, the Kennedy seam shows only as a stain, G 13.

The field east of Toms creek was worked hurriedly and more in the 

form of a reconnoissance than of a final survey ; hence the results are 

less satisfactory. The writer has availed himself of the lately published report of McCreath and d'lnvilliers on this region, as they 

describe many outcrops not seen by him and developments that have 

taken place since his field work was done.
rAMi>BEr,r..| COAL OUTCROPS. 87

The section through Coeburu on a north and south line lias been 

referred to as one of the principal sections for determining the thickness of the Norton formation. The section extends from the crest of 

Powell mountain on the south to that of Sandy ridge on the north and 

is a plain, simple section. The Lee conglomerate of Powell mountain 

dips northward about 7°, and on the road south of Coeburn, disappears 

beneath the surface a quarter of a mile south of the Guest river crossing. The light northerly dip continues to Ooeburn, as is shown by the 

coal outcrops at G19 and 18. These are 60 feet apart, vertically, though 

they are outcrops of the same seam, the so-called Imboden at Tacoma, 

225 feet above the conglomerate. Stratigraphically 100 feet above this 

is a coal that has been described as showing at Tacoma and in the mine 

below town. This coal outcrops in the streets of Coeburn, G 17, but is 

of no consequence. Back of Coeburn, at a normal distance of 475 feet 

above the conglomerate, is found the Kennedy seam, G 16, at an altitude of 2,060 feet; the northward dip of the strata carries this under 

water level a short distance up Big Toms creek.

The upper coals .are well exposed on this creek, and for a description 

of them the writer is indebted to McOeath and d'lnvilliers.

The lower Banner seam has been opened on Banner branch of Big 

Toms creek, G 61 , at an altitude of 2,078 feet, showing the-following 

section:

Slate roof. Ft. In. 

Coal......................................................... 3 2

Fireclay floor.

This seam also shows on Fullers branch, G 52, at an altitude of 2,082 

feet, 3 feet thick, and also at G 413 , 3 feet 3 inches thick. Again it was 

recognized on the south side of Big Toms creek at an altitude of 2,095 

feet at G 374, 3 feet 10 inches thick.

Preparations are being made for the extensive development of the 

upper Banner seam, in the valley of Big Toms creek, and, in view of 

this development, the seam has been carefully traced throughout the 

valley, and opened in a number of places. McCreath and d'lnvilliers 

give numerous sections on this creek, which will be presented here in 

order to present a clear view of the field.

On Banner branch, at G 8, they give this section: 5

Slate roof. Ft. in . 

Coal........................................................ 2 0

Sandstone ....................................'.............. 0 1£

 Coal.............'........................................... 2 2

Slate....................................................... 0 Oi

Coal........................................................ 0 10

Total.. ................................................. 5 2

1 Op. cit.. p. 15. * Op. cit., p. 17. s Op. cit., p. 20. ' > Loc. cit. 6 Op. cit., p. 12.
88 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. IBULL.IJI.

On Fullers branch, at G 4, an exposure shows a considerably greater 

thickness than on Banner branch; their section is as follows :'

Slate roof: Ft. in.

Coal.............................................. J......... 2 6

Sandstone ................................................... 0 1|

Coal........................................................ 1 9

Slate ....................................................... 0 1

Coal........................................................ 0 6

Slate parting ............................................... 0 4

Coal........................................................ 3 1

Total................................................... 8 4*

South of Big Toms creek, at G 38, this coal has been opened and 

shows the following section : 2-

Slate roof. Ft. in. 

Coal......................................................... 2 9

Sandstone'................................................... 0 1

Coal..................................::..................... 1 8

Slate........................................................ 0 2

Coal......................................................... 1 1

Total.................................................... 5 9

Higher up on Toms creek, at G 39, they give the following section : 3

Slate roof. Ft lu.

Coal......................................................... 1 0

Sandstone ................................................... 0 1

Coal.......................................................... 2 0

Slate ...................................................... 0 2

Coal..;...................................................... 0 5

Slate........................................................ 0 7

Coal.........:............................................... 0 7

Shale........................................................ 0 1

Coal......................................................... 3 5

Total.................................................... 9 1

At G 50 the following is the section: 4

Ft. In. 

Coal......................................................... 3 1

Sandstone ................................................... 0 2

Coal.................................."....................... 1 11

Parting, some coal........................................... 1 8|

Coal......................................................... 2 11

Total.............................................. ...... 9 9i

They report an interesting outcrop from the west side of Tom's Creek 

above the Banner branch.5

It is called the Edwards seam and is reported to be 250 feet above the 

Upper Banner seam and 4 feet 5 inches thick. This in all probability 

corresponds with the Imboden coal, which is normally 190 feet above 

the Upper Banner seam and occurs at Laconia.

East of Coeburn, on Little Tom's creek, the Kennedy seamout crops

1 Op.cit.,p. 10. *0p.eit.,p.21. »0p. cit., p. 23. 'Op. cit., p. 25. 6 0p.cit.,pp. 28-29.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 89

near tlie level of the valley almost to the head of the stream. It has 

been opened at G 21, 22, and 23, but it could not be measured at any 

of these openings.

At Banner, G 24, the Virginia Gas Coal Company has endeavored to 

develop the Kennedy seam, but without success, as the coal varies 

from a feather edge to 8 or 9 feet iu thickness. This irregularity may 

be due to accidents of deposition or iu part to deformation after the 

beds became consolidated. The mine is located on a line of disturbance 

that is shown by the opposing dips in the two entries. It is probable 

that this disturbance is quite local, but its effect upon the soft coals 

may have been considerable. At G 30 where this same seam disappears McCreath and d'lnvilliers report its thickness as 3 feet 6 inches. 1

According to the same authority the Virginia Gas Coal Company 

have opened the Lower Banner coal at G 25, 140 feet above their 

opening on the Kennedy seam,2 with a thickness of 3 feet 8 inches to 3 

feet 10 inches of coal with slate roof. The difference in altitude between 

these two openings on the Kennedy and the Lower Banner seams is 

probably not the thickness of strata between them, for the distance 

between the openings is sufficient, with the observed northwest dip, 

to make this interval, 260 feet, the normal thickness. This is all the 

more probable because on the next branch to the east the interval is 

practically the same and is described by McOreath and d'lnvilliers as 

follows : 3

The Kennedy seam has been dug out of the creek bed at this point (G 27) for the 

use of the contractors on the Little Toni tunnel, showing 5 feet thick at 2018 A. T. 

Prospecting had been carried on above this along the hillside north of the creek and 

a bed of coal, thought to be the Lower Banner, opened at an interval of 266 feet 

above the Kennedy at 2,284 A. T. (G 26). This section showed only 3 feet 6 inches 

thick, capped with a hard gray slate roof, the bed carrying 8 inches of slate parting 

8 inches from the top. This abnormal bed section, no less than the great interval 

between it and the Kennedy, throws doubt upon the correctness of its identification, and it would appear more like a split of the Upper Banner seam.

The above conclusions are hardly warranted by the fact; the section 

of the coal bed is not abnormal, for when compared with the nearest 

known exposure of the Lower Banner seam, G 25, it shows almost 

exactly the same aggregate thickness; the only difference is the occurrence of a slate parting in the latter exposure, which is by no means 

rare in coal seams. The interval of 266 feet is not greater than that 

observed in all of the sections measured by the writer, when due allowance has been made for the dips of the strata.

At the eastern end of the Little Tom tunnel, at an altitude of 1,990 

feet above tide, a small coal shows about 100 feet below the Kennedy 

seam. The section at G 46, in the approach to the tunnel is as follows:

Sandstone: ' Ft. In. 

Shale........................................................ 4 0

Coal ......................................................... 2 2

Blue shale...................................................

' Op. cit,, p. 37. . 2 0p. cit,, p. 38. 3 0p. cit., pp. 38-39.
90 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

In the small ravine coming in from the north, the head of Dollarhide 

creek, McCreath and cl'Invilliers report several openings; 1 they recognized the Kennedy seam at an altitude of 2,060. feet at H 8, carrying 

from 4 feet to 4 feet 6 inches of coal. Again 240 feet above this there 

is another seam, H 6, which they mistake for the Upper Banner, and of 

which they give two sections:

Ft. In. 

Coal........................................................ 0 8

Slate ........................................................ 0 7|

Coal........................................................ 3 6

Total

Slate roof: 

Coal.............................

Slate ............................

Coal.............................

0 0 

........................... 1 3*

........................... 0 3|

........................... 3 2

Total.................................................. 4 9

The first section coincides almost exactly with that on p. 89. showing the same slate parting, in a little thicker seam.

East of Little Tom tunnel the road descends more rapidly than the 

strata, and at the junction of Dollarhide and Bull creeks it reaches 

the next lower coal, locally known as the Imbodeu, but only about 225 

feet above the conglomerate. This has been opened on the west side 

of Bull creek, H 13, beneath the Avestern end of the trestle, 60 feet 

below the railroad grade and 60 feet -above*the stream, showing 3 feet 

4 inches of coal. Half a mile below this a coal rises, above the railroad, but it bears no resemblance to H 12, being in every case much 

broken up by partings. It shows at H 15,16, and 17 in the railroad 

cuts. At H 17 its section is as follows:

Shale. Ft. In.

Coal........................................................ 1 4

Shale....................................................... 3 4

Coal...................................... .................. 0 7

Shale....................................................... 5 0

Coal................ .......... .............................. 3 0

Shale.

Total..................................................... 13 3

From the exposures in the ravine at the west portal of the Holbrook 

tunnel, HIS, there are two seams separated by an interval of about 

25 feet; the lower consists of one bench of workable thickness, while 

the upper one is too much cut up by heavy shale partings to be of 

any value.

From Little Tom tunnel *to the Holbrook tunnel a fine section is 

exposed and can be measured with considerable accuracy; it is as follows:

»0p. cit., p. 39.
CAMPBELL.] COAL OUTCROPS. 91

1. Sandstone. Ft. in.

2. Shale........................................................ 4 0

3. Coal (G 46) ................................................. 2 '2

4. Shale, dark blue ............................................ 25 0

5. Coal........................................................ 0 4

6. Shale, dark l>lne............................................ 20 0

7. Heavy sandstone............................................ 40 0

8. Shale".................................'...................... 45 0

Ft. in. 

fCoal ......................................... 1 7]

Shale ........................................ 3 4

9. J Coal ......................................... 0 7 1-H17.. 13 13 '

Sandy shale.........: ......................... 5 0

[Coal......................................... 3 0,

10. Shale and sandstone ........................................ 25 0

11. Coal(H13) .................................................. 3 4

12. Sandstone to creek.......................................... 60 0

In the above section the heavy sandstone, No. 7, forms the west portal of the Holbrook tunnel, dipping gently toward the east for a short 

distance and then rising. In this way it forms the roof and walls of 

the tunnel for a distance of 1,000 or 1,200 feet and then rises above it 

so that the broken seam, H 17, forms the wall for above 500 feet of 

the eastern end. This rises above grade at the eastern portal, and the 

lower coal is exposed below the level of the grade and on the west 

side of the branch, 'at H 25. An entry has been driven in a short 

distance on this seam, but it had s.o fallen in that it was impossible to 

obtain the thickness of the coal; it appeared to be 3 or 4 feet..

The seam at the base of H 17 is well shown along the railroad from 

this point to Virginia city. At the western end of the little curved 

tunnel, H 26, it has the following section:

Ft. In.

Shale....................;...................................... 18 0

Coal................................................ 0 6")

Dirty coal .......................................... 0 5 v. 3 3

Coal................................................ 2 4j

Argillaceous sandstone.......................................... 8 0

Coal................................................ 1 01

Shale............................................... 1 2 } 2 9

Coal................................................ 0 7j

Shale........................................................... 1 7

At the eastern end of Big Bull tunnel it shows as follows, H 32:

Ft. In. 

Coal............................................................ 3 0

Soft sandstone.................................................. 8 0

Coal................................................ 0 81

Shale............................................... 1 8 \ 3 2

Coal................................................ 0 10J

Shale........................................................... 4 4

Coal..........................................................:. 0 8

This coal can be traced by its peculiar structure beyond Virginia 

city, though in that interval the rocks are considerably contorted;
92 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [HULL. ill.

beyond this along the line of the railroad the strata rise rapidly so that 

the can glomerate is brought to the surface just south of Russell creek. 

The coal noted at H 25,IS, and 13 occurs 20 to 40 feet below this 

seam and appears to be a split from it. It is locally known as the 

Jawbone seani and has a remarkable development in the vicinity of 

Dwina. It was first seen on the east side of Bull creek one-half mile 

south of the west portal of Holbrook tunnel, H 24; it is here greatly 

crushed and contorted and not fully exposed, but it was estimated as 

10 feet thick. McCreath and d'luvilliers give a section of this coal* as 

it is exposed in a ravine directly west of H 23, as follows: 1

Slate roof. Ft. in . 

Coal.............................................. .......... 1 3

Knife-edge parting. 

Coal........................................................ 2 8

Knife-edge parting.

Coal........................................................ 1 8£

Slate parting............................................... 0 2i

Coal......................................................... 1 3

Total..................................................... 7 1

This coal shows on the branch above Dwina, H 28, but slides have 

concealed the outcrop so that only 4 feet of coal is now visible.

On Bull creek, about three-quarters of a mile from the river, the Lee 

conglomerate is exposed as a massive sandstone, in which the creek 

has cut .quite a gorge to the river; it is nearly horizontal, with a 

light northerly dip, and is the best guide to the stratigraphy in this 

portion of the field. On Dry fork of Bull creek the conglomerate is 

exposed for a mile above Bull creek as a coarse, heavily bedded sandstone. Above this on the Coeburn road but two coals are visible, and 

they are the lowest coals in the field. At H 22 a. coal has been dug 

into, but the opening has partly fallen in, so that it was impossible to 

obtain an accurate measure, but it appeared to be 4 or 5 feet thick. 

Again at H 21 the same coal is seen in the road as a stain; it consists 

of a heavy bench, at the bottom 3 to 5 feet thick, with another coal 8 

feet above it.

These are regarded as the equivalents of Nos. 9 and 11 of the section 

between Little Tom tunnel and Holbrook tunnel. The interval between 

them, which is 8 feet here, is 25 feet there, and 30 or 40 feet in the neighborhood of Holbrook tunnel. They are also the equivalents of the 

so-called Imboden seam of Tacoma. On this road, at the summit, is a 

higher coal, H 20, which is correlated with G 46. Numerous stains of 

coal were seen between this summit and Coeburn, but all are at about 

this same horizon.

The territory described in this paper is bounded on the east by the 

Sandy ridge road, on which two coals of importance were seen. In order to correlate these seams it is necessary to consider some openings

1 Op. cit., p. 42.
CAMI-BBLL.J COAL OUTCROPS. 03

on the left fork of Russell creek. McOreath and d'lnvilliers recognized 

the Kennedy seam on this fork two and one-half miles north of Big 

Bnll tunnel, H 34, at an altitude of 2,070 feet, and state its thickness at 

2 to 5 feet. 1

They also give the section of a coal opened in the hillside, H 33; 

6 feet 11 inches2 thick, 295 feet above the Kennedy seain, or 2,365 feet 

above tide; this they describe as the Upper Banner, but, as has been 

shown, it is more likely to be the Lower Banner.

This view is verified by the fact that the Edwards seam, which the 

present writer correlates with the Imboden, outcrops at H 3, at an altitude of 2,650 feet, or 270 feet above H 33. This corresponds with 

the normal interval of 290 feet between the Imboden and the Lower 

Banner. The Edwards coal, according to the same authority, has the 

following section:

Slate roof. ' ' Ft. In.

Coal....................................................... 0 10

Clay parting............................................... 0 1

Coal ....................................................... 3 5

Total.................................................... 4 4

Half a mile south of this outcrop an old opening was seen at 2,440 

feet above tide, H 4; this shows a coal about 4 feet thick and, allowing for the light dip of the rocks to the south, is 180 feet beneath the 

Edwards or Imboden coal. The normal interval is regarded as 190 

feet in this portion of the field. Thus the facts sustain the correlation of these outcrops with the Imboden and Lower Banner.

This basin, as a whole, contains some of the best coal territory in 

the field. It has several seams of excellent quality and of workable 

thickness. Occuring in the territory far enough from Powell mountain to be free from its disturbance, they are well disposed for mining. 

This is especially true of the Sandy ridge region, where the strata are 

nearly horizontal and where Big Toms creek has exposed them in its 

long and deeply cut valley.

But two more coal openings need to be described. They are 

located on Stock creek, on the south side of'Powell mountain. On 

a little branch entering this creek three quarters of a mile above 

the Hunter valley road a seam has been opened and considerable 

coal taken out for local use. The seam is 3 feet thick and appears 

to be about 90 feet above the Lee conglomerate. One and three-quarters miles above the opening on the old road leading across the mountain to Cracker neck a coal is exposed which is 30 inches thick and 

about 60 feet above the conglomerate. These two openings are probably on the same seam, though the interval above the conglomerate 

is not constant. Near the summit of the mountain a coal is reported, 

but it could not be found; it also is probably the same seam. The

1 Op. cit., p. 40. *0p. cit., p27,
94 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL. 111.

Norton shale on Powell mountain is but the remnant of a once continuous formation that extended across this great arch; erosion has 

been so active that iiothkig but scattering remnants are left and these 

are generally too thin to carry valuable coals. There is a possibility 

that at some point in the syncline the shale may be thick enough to 

carry some of the heavy coals, but the chances are decidedly against 

it. The valuable coal territory lies north and west of Powell and 

Stone mountains, and it is exceedingly doubtful if these mountain 

will ever furnish coal for commercial mining.

STRATIGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE COAL HORIZONS.

In conclusion, the writer wishes to call attention to the stratigraphic 

and geographic distribution of the coal in this field. For this purpose 

three generalized sections are given (see PI. vi), representing the stratigraphic distribution in the western, middle, and eastern portions of the 

field. These sections show four well marked coal horizons:

(1) The upper and least important one occurs at the base of the 

Harlan sandstone; it carries one heavy seam of coal, but from its location near the summits of the mountains is of but little commercial value.

(2) The second productive formation, in descending order, is directly 

above the Gladeville sandstone, and is the important horizon in the 

Kentucky portion of this field; its thickness is about 200 feet, and it 

carries at least three important seams of coal.

(3) In the Iinboden and Crab Orchard basins the prominent coal 

horizon is somewhat lower. The formation is thicker, but the coal of 

greatest importance is at its base. It extends from the Iinboden seam at 

the bottom to the Cannel seam at the top, an interval of about 550 

feet. The important seams in the Crab Orchard are above and below 

the Gladeville sandstone, while in the Imboden basin, although a 

number of coals in this interval are workable, they are generally overshadowed by the more prominent Imboden seam.

(4) Lastly, in the Guest river basin the productive formation is almost entirely below the Imboden, extending from that seam to within 200 feet of the base of the Norton formation. Even within this basin a noticeable change occurs from west to east. In that direction 

the upper coals diminish in importance and the lower coals thicken.

The bearing which these facts have on the broader questions of sedimentation in Carboniferous times can only be determined when all of 

the adjoining territory shall have been mapped and its stratigraphy 

carefully studied.

CORRELATION.

Our present knowledge of the Coal-measures of the Appalachian 

basin will not permit any definite correlation of the coals of the BigStone gap field with those of other portions of the basin. While this is. 

obviously true of individual coal seams, it is not necessarily so of the 

larger groups of strata. No systematic attempt has been made hitherto
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO. 111 PL. VI

>HARLAN SANDSTONE

3000

> WISE FORMATION

NORTON FORMATION

> HARLAN SANDSTONE

WISE FORMATION

GLADEVILLE SANDSTONE

( NORTON FORMATION

TTTJ ?/.' -'I ^T--f f.l""

WISE FORMATION

GLADEVILLE SANDSTONE

NORTON FORMATION

Western Section Middle Section

GENERALIZED SECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF THE FIELD, SHOWING IMPORTANT COAL HORIZONS.
CAMPBELL.] CORRELATION. 95

toward any general correlation south of the Great Kanawha river, but 

some correlations that are probable may be stated. The main points 

of disagreement between the sections measured by various geologists 

in the different fields may be brought out, and the work which is 

necessary to bring harmony out of the present discordant statements 

may be suggested.

CORRELATION WITH WEST VIRGINIA.

The Big Stone gap field is an almost detached synclinal block of the 

Coal-measures, so that it is cut off from the main Kentucky-West Virinia field on all sides except the northeastern; in that direction little 

if any connected work has been done. The nearest point where systematic tracing of coal lias been ca'rried on is to the west and northwest 

in Kentucky, but that is beyond the Pine mountain fault, across which 

correlation is extremely difficult, as this fault has thrust Devonian 

rocks upon upper Coal-measures of quite uncertain stratigraphic position. The question is far from a simple one and demands the most 

careful work before any identification can be regarded as conclusive.

The only attempt at correlation between these two fields of which the 

writer is aware is that of the Imboden coal of Big Stone gap with the 

Elkhorn coal showing on Elkhoru creek, Kentucky. Mr. John E. Proctor states the correlation as follows: 1

This coal (Imboden), which has been identified as the third workable bed above 

the conglomerate, has been named by the Kentucky Geological Survey the "Elkhoru 

bed," from the Elkhoru fork of the Chatterawah or Big Sandy river, where it was 

first discovered and identified by the survey as a coking coal of great excellence.

The means by which the identity of the two seams was established is 

unknown to the writer, but it appears that the Imbodeu seam in the 

vicinity of Big Stone gap, being the first workable seam of prominence 

above the conglomerate, agrees with the Eikhoru, which is also the first 

important seam above the conglomerate on the Big Sandy river. 

Chemical analysis and the fact that both are good coking coals also 

seems to have been part of the evidence of correlation. But there is 

other evidence Avhich makes the identity of the two appear decidedly 

improbable. According to the writer's determination, the Imboden on 

Little Looney creek is 1,060 feet above the top of the conglomerate, the 

interval being occupied by shale, sandstone, and coal beds. The interval between the Elkhorn coal and the top of the conglomerate is about 

450 feet.2 This necessitates an increase in thickness of the strata below 

the coal from 450 feet on the Elkhorn to 1,060 feet at Big Stone gap, 

which seems doubtful. It has been shown that the Imboden is either 

absent on the Poor fork or is represented by a thin, insignificant seam. 

This indicates that the Imboden is the local development of an otherwise unimportant coal and that its extension toward the northwest is 

very doubtful.

'Big Stone Gap, Virginia. By John Ii. Proctor, p. 10.

2 Geol. Survey of Ky. Preliminary Kopurt on tlio Southeastern Kentucky Coal Field. By A. li. 

Cranclall and J. M. Hodge, Frankfort, Ky., 1887. p. 19.
96 ' BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BULL.111.

Toward the northeast the possibilities of identification are much, 

better, and it is quite possible to correlate large groups of strata with 

considerable certainty. For this purpose the correlation recently made 

by Prof. I. C. White 1 of the coals of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West 

Virginia may be used.

The following section is compiled from various measures given by 

Prof. White, that are selected either because they are considered the 

type sections, or because of their proximity to the Big Stone gap field.

Feet. 

Pemio-Carboniferous2 ........:.................................. 1,162

Upper Coal-measures 3 ........................................... 292

Barren measures4 ...........................1................... 800

Lower productiAre measures5 ..................................... 1,006

Pottsville conglomerate 6 ........................................ 1,400

Total thickness of Coal-measures.......................... 4, 660

The following is a general section of the Coal-measures as determined 

in the Big Stone gap field: . Feet. 

Harlan sandstone ............................................... 880

Wise formation ................................................. 1, 270

Gladeville sandstone............................................ 100

Norton formation ............................................... 1, 280

Lee conglomerate............................................... 1,500

Total Coal-measures...................................... 5, 030

Above the great conglomerate series no definite correlations have 

been made. Thruston7 suggests that the coal at the top of the'Wise 

formation may be equivalent to the Pittsburg seam; if this be so, 

the base of the Harlan sandstone must correspond with the Pittsburgsandstone

Mr. J. M. Hodge8 correlates the entire series above the conglomerate with the Lower Productive measures of Pennsylvania.

These correlations are assumptions which have.no direct evidence 

to support them beyond a general resemblance of the measures.

These general sections show considerable agreement in their total 

thickness, the difference of 370 feet, by which the latter exceeds the 

former, being in line with the thickening observed throughout the 

northern portion of the Appalachian basin. The lowest or conglomerate members are doubtless equivalent, as this formation has too 

marked a character to be confused with the Productive measures

'Bull. U. S. Geological Survey, No. 65.

2 . p. cit. Section on Duukard Creek, Pa. p. 22.

 'Op. cit. Section near Raymond City, W. Va. p. 50. 3 

4 0p. cit. Section near Charleston, AT. Va.. p. 85.

E 0p. cit. Section at mouth of Armstrong creek on the Great Kauawua River, West Virginia. p. 140- 

fOp. cit. Section at Nnttallburg, W. Va. p. 197.

'Resources of the Upper Cumberland Valley in south western Kentucky and southwestern Virginia, p. 50. McCroath and d'lnvilliers.

*Tho Big Stone Gap Coal Field. A paper road before the American Institute of Mining Engi. 

giueers at the Montreal meeting, February, 1893.
CAMPBELL, j CORRELATION. 97

above. The enormous increase in thickness of this formation toward 

the south or southeast is its marked characteristic and is stated by 

Prof. White as follows: 1

In the bituminous regions in Pennsylvania, and everywhere in Ohio, they (Pottsville series) rarely exceed 300 feet and seldom go below 150; but south westward 

through West Vi giuiathey begin to swell out, reaching 700 i'eet at the head of Black 

Water, in Tucker county; 1,400 on tho Now river in Fayotte, ''* ' *

This rate of change is quite regular and if continued would make 

the thickness about 1,530 feet as measured in Big Stone gap. According to Prof. White the Pottsville conglomerate holds its threefold character throughout the region studied by him; in Big Stone gap the 

three heavy plates of sandstone are well shown and they probably 

correspond to the Hoinewood, Oonnoquenessing, and Sharon conglomerates or sandstones of .Pennsylvania.

Above the Pottsville conglomerate Prof. White has traced out and 

identified three well-marked sandstone horizons, as follows:

1. Wayuesburg sandstone.

2. Pittsburg sandstone.

3. Mahoning sandstone.

lie describes the Mahoning -sandstone as follows: 2

The lowest sandstone deposit of the Barren measures; and although at times e.onsisting of one solid rock, yet it is generally complex. The usual rule is for the mass 

to divide into two sandstones, an Upper and Lower Mahoning, each 40 to 53 feel 

thick, with a shnle interval between containing a coal bed and limestone or iron ore. 

 ' ' " the Avliole series being 103 to 150 feet thick. In Wyoming county, West 

Virginia, they cap the summits of Guyandotto mountain at an elevation of 3,OJ.) 

feet above the sea. lutho Great Kauawha region this rock is extremely hard and 

silicious, and at many points a mere bed of pebbles, some of which are as large as 

JIH egg.

Prof. White traces the sandstone spoken of above from central Pennsylvania to Wyoming county, West Virginia, which is within 40 or 50 

miles of the Big Stone gap territory.

The Pittsburg sandstone he describes as follows : 3

It varies in thickness from 25 up to 70 feet, and is usually coarse, friable, and often 

pebbly * * *. This rock is especially massive in the vicinity of Hartford City, 

.Pomeroy, aud other contiguous regions, and the same may be said of the eastern line 

of its outcrop from Pennsylvania clear across West Virginia to the Kentucky border. 

In the George's Creek, Salisbury, and Ligouier basins, however, this rock makes but 

little show in the topography, its place being occupied by soft shales.

Tho uppermost sandstone, the Waynesburg, at the base of the Dimkard Creek series, is thus described: 4

This stratum is the only one in the series that is generally conglomeratic or contains quartz pebbles larger than coarse sand grains * * *. When at its greatest 

development the thickness of this stratum approaches 75 or even 100 feet * * 

From Blennerliasscfc Island, below Parkersburg, this rock is almost constantly visible 

either in bed or bluffs of the Ohio on down to 25 miles below the mouth of the Great 

Kauawlia. It is the emergence of this stratum from the bed of the stream which 

makes Letart Falls in the Ohio river.

1 Op. cit., p. 181. *Op. cit., p. 95. 3 Op. cit., t>. C3. 4 0p. cit., p. 40.

Bull. Ill 7
98 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BOLL. 111.

The position of these sandstones in the general column is shown in 

Fig. 3, in comparison with the heavy sandstones of the Big Stone gap 

field.

These sections show the probable equivalency of these sandstones, 

and although the correlation is at too long range to be of much value,

Peirno - \ 

Cavboritfenius

Upper Coa2-( 

measures \

(

Bavven \

Measures

lowev Coal 

Measures

Pottsville 

Conglomerate

1 Sand/stone 

(PiltslMvg

,.--

.- '" . '

^fahontru/ 

grindstone

..... - """"

-

1 Sandstone

» '

 

Wise

' 'Formation

Novton 

Fovmation

>Lee 

Conglomerate

1 Conglomerate 

' Croup

Productive 

* Measures

1 . Micaceous 

Group

Millstone Grit 

Qrowp

PIG. 3. Sections showing thickness and position of various groups and their supposed equivalence.

\t> is presented in the hope of encouraging further study in the iutermediate territory.

The Mahouing sandstone has been found by Prof. White to be a 

constant element throughout his field as far south west as Oceana, West 

Virginia, and it does not appear to thin out or change character in
OAMPBELL.] CORRELATION. 99

this direction. In the Big Stone gap territory the Gladeville sandstone shows a similar persistency and in every respect bears a striking 

resemblance to theMahoning sandstone. Assuming this correlation to 

be correct, the Norton formation would be equivalent to the Lower 

Coal-measures.

Above the Mahoning, Prof. White describes two other coarse sandstones, or conglomerates, which seem persistent as far as his observations extend. Only one was noted in the Big Stone gap region. The 

Pittsburg sandstone differs from the Harlan sandstone, as the latter 

is very hard and resists degradation to such an extent that it almost 

invariably forms cliffs; and the Pittsburg sandstone is replaced by 

shales on the eastern side of the basin in Pennsylvania and northern 

West Virginia. It is therefore probable that in the Big Stone gap 

field, which is on this eastern line, this sandstone is thin or is represented, by shale. Hence it seems likely tlKit the Harlan sandstone is 

the equivalent of the Waynesburg sandstone. If this correlation 

should prove correct the Harlan sandstone corresponds to Prof. White's 

Permo-Carboniferous or Dunkard Creek series.

These correlations are ouly provisional, requiring more field work in 

the intermediate region to justify positive statements.

CORRELATION WITH REGION SOUTHWEST OF BIG STONE GAP.

In the opposite direction, or southwest from Big Stone gap, the 

comparison of sections is even more difficult; for the intermediate, 

unknown territory is of much greater extent, and the next region carefully studied shows a marked disagreement in its stratigraphies column 

from the Big Stone gap field.

The Lee conglomerate holds a thickness of over 1,000 feet as far 

south as the northern line of Tennessee. Mr. A. 11. Crandall, of the 

Kentucky Geological Survey, gives a roughly measured section through 

Pine mountain, in the Narrows of Clear creek, on the Tennessee state 

line, 1 iu which the thickness is given as over 1,000 feet. Mr. Arthur 

Keith, of the U. 8. Geological Survey,-in surveying the Maynnrdsville 

atlas sheet, measured a section of the conglomerate in Wilson gap, 

Claiborne county, Tennessee; this gap is in the Cumberland mountains, directly southeast of the Narrows in Pine mountain, and shows 

the following section:

Feet. 

Coal-measures...................................................

Lee conglomerate............................................... 1, 250

Peimington shale ............................................... 800

Newman limestone..............................................

This agrees with the general section for the Big Stone gap field, 

except that both the Lee conglomerate and the Pennington shale are 

thinner. 'By these measures we know that the, conglomerate formation 

holds its own, as a complex formation of great thickness along the eastern side of the basin from the, Kanawha river to Wilson gap, Tennes-

> Geol. Survey of Ky. Report on the Gruology of Whitley county tunl a part of Pnlaski. P. 110.
100 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BUIL.IU.

see; beyond this the formation can not be traced satisfactorily, as only 

partial sections are available. Prof. J. M. Safford gives a section of 

Pine mountain in Tennessee in which the thickri :sses are estimated and 

consequently are not very reliable: '

Feet.

Conglomerate, summit of Piue mountain. 

Flaggy, micaceous sandstone on top; slate and shales below....... 220

Compact grit on top; slate and shale below........................ 120

Coarse sandstone on top; clay, slate and shale..................... 100

Mountain limestone.

The formation beloAv the conglomerate in this section appears to correspond with the Pennington shale further northeast, but on the other 

hand it seems to be equivalent to the lower coal measures of southern 

Tennessee as described by SafFord.

Mr. 0. W. Hayes, in mapping the Kingston atlas sheet, lying between 

the parallels 35° 30' and 36°; makes the following classification of the 

coal measures: 2

Feet. 

Walden sandstone............................................... 1, 300

Lookout sandstone...... ............ ................ .... .... 260 to 550

Bangor limestone.

In this classification the Lookout includes everything from the top 

of the Bangor (sub-Carboniferous) limestone to the top of the first 

heavy conglomerate; the conglomerate itself varies from 25 to GO feet 

in thickness and forms the edge of the escarpment; below the conglomerate is a mass of sandstones, shales, and coals that graduate downwards from the coarse conglomerate into the shales immediately overlying the Bangor limestone. This division corresponds with the Lower 

Coal-measures of Safford and appears to occupy the same stratigraphic 

horizon as the Pennington shale, but the connection has never been 

traced. The prevailing opinion has been that these lower measures are 

the representatives of the lower portion of the Lee conglomerate of Big 

Stone gap. Mr. J. J. Stevenson makes the following statement, 3 in 

speaking of the Quinnemont (Pottsville) conglomerate as shown in Penuington gap:

The coal beds in the greater part of the Tennessee coal field belong to this group, 

and without doubt much of the section obtaiued in the northeastern district of that 

coal field should be referred to the same horizon, as Prof. Safford has done. The 

coal beds there are somewhat variable. A noteworthy feature of this group in Tennessee is that the bottom plate of conglomerate, is absent, nnd the coal group passes 

directly into the Lower Carboniferous.

The published data upon which to base such a statement seem to be 

entirely inadequate. This is one of the important problems to be solved 

in the near future, and only the ca etui mapping of the intervening territory will settle the question. The writer would suggest that it is altogether possible that the conglomerate group instead of losing its basal

'Geology of Tennessee, Nashville, 1869, p. 404.

'U. S. Geological Survey, Geologic Atlas of the United States, Kingston Sheet.

3 Am. Phil. Soc. Proc., 1880-81., vol. xix, p. 230.
CORRELATION. 101

member in Tennessee retains that member in full force, and that it is 

the upper member that is either absent or unrecognizable. Mr. Hayes 

estimates the thickness of the measures above the Lookout, on the Kingston sheet, to be 1,300 feet, but these measures have never been studied 

in detail and are practically unknown; no conglomerate was observed 

above the heavy bed at the edge of the escarpment, but for at'least 

1,000 feet (estimated) heavy sandstones predominate that may easily 

be the representatives of the beds of conglomerate at Big Stone gap. 

This group of rock seems to occupy the entire basin in this territory 

excejit the northeastern part, where the syncline apparently deepens 

and the character of the rocks change, shale and soft sandstone becoming the predominant elements. No accurate measures were made on 

these beds, but the writer, who assisted Mr. Hayes in this work, is of the 

opinion that they may be the equivalent of the Norton formation at 

Big Stone gap.

The sequence is about the same on the western edge of the plateau, 

except that the measures below the conglomerate are thinner, as is 

shown by the following section, measured in Fentress county, Tennessee: ' -

Feet. 

TT ,-, , Ar $ Conglomerate (40 feet)............. ....> 01 , Upper Loal Measures: ^ gbale> 8andstone> an(1 coal (174 feet) _ £ ^W

Conglomerate .................................. .................. 90

K Lower Coal-measures............................................ 35

Mountain liuiestono.

In the vicinity of Chattanooga the section is about the same as shown 

by Safford's section measured at Tracy City, Tennessee: 2 3

J?eet.

Tinner Toil incimires J Conglomerate (50 feet)................. ^ y,)ft Uppei uoai-uicasui o&. ^ sh. (1() aml ooal ^ 240 fwjt ^ ^ MV

Conglomerate.................................................... 70

Lower Coal-measures............................................ 228

Mountain limestone.

1 J. M. Safforil: op. cit., p. 396. 

"Op. Cit., pp. 369-370.

3 ('onilensed t.cctinn of Goal-measure* at Tracy city, Term.

[0. AV. Hayes, September, 1893.]

Walden sandstone: Feet. 

Coarse cross bedded sandstone with pebbles at the top and bottom....................... 7u

Cross bedded sandstone with some beds of shale......................................... 90

Thin bedded sandstone.................................................................. 05

Coal, main Sewanee seam......................................................... ...... 5 ±

Sandstone and shale..................................................................... 4-i

Coal, '; Little Sowanoe "................................................................. l ±

Sandy liluc shale ........................................................................ 25

300

Lookout sandstone:

Conglomerate and sandstone............................................................. B5

Sandsi one, shale and coal................................................................ 195

Limestone..............................................................................

260
102 BIG STONE GAP COAL FIELD. [BCLL,III. 

Mr. Hayes gives the following generalized section for this region: 1

Feet. 

Walden sandstone .............................................. 1,000

 Lookout sandstone.......................................... 400 to 500

Tiangor limestone.

His classification is the same as for the Kingston sheet, and the heavy 

bed of conglomerate at the top of the Lookout varies from 25 to 70 feet.

South of this the measures of the Alabama survey are the basis for 

correlation. On the western border of the field, in the Warrior basin, 

the beds below the conglomerate, corresponding to the Lower Coalmeasures of Safford, are thin. The writer measured a section west of 

Guntersville, Alabama, in which..the bed of shale between the limestone and the conglomerate is only 60 feet. It appears to thicken 

southeast and south, for on the eastern face of Blount mountain a section was measured by Gen. A. M. Gibsou and given by Mr. Henry 

McCally,2 in which the shale, thin-bedded sandstones, and coals underneath the conglomerate measured 620 feet in thickness. The writer 

feels full confidence in this figure, as he measured a section on the 

eastern face of this mountain in Greasy cove, and, though exposures 

wore poor, the thickness of these measures is probably between GoO 

and 800 feet. According to the Alabama geologists this formation 

becomes barren of coals southwest of Blouut mountain, and is apparently confused with the Oxmoor or sub-Carboniferous shales in the 

Cahaba basin, as the conglomerate is reported as resting directly upon 

the Oxmoor sandstones and shales.3

In the various fields we have considered, the rocks below the conglomerate vary greatly; in the Cahaba basin they are classed as the 

upper portion of the sub-Carboniferous; in northern Alabama and 

southern Tennessee they are classed as the Lower Coal measures; in. 

Virginia and further north they are considered as sub-Carboniferous. 

This outlines the question, and it is hoped that more work can be 

devoted to it, both stratigraphic and paleontologic, in order to obtain 

the correct correlation.

The Conglomerate apparently varies greatly south of Chattanooga. 

In Alabama, outside of the Cahaba basin, the classification of Safford 

has been followed, and the Conglomerate group recognized as carrying 

but two beds of conglomerate; but in his reports on the various counties 

in the Warrior field, Mr. McCally has brought out some additional facts.

In the report on Marion county, Alabama, 4 McCally gives the thickness of the Coal-measures as 1,283 feet, and in that interval he notes 

five beds of conglomerate occurring at irregular intervals. Again, in 

Winston county,5 he gives the thickness of the measures as 1,233 feet,

'U. S. Geological Survey, Geologic Atlas of (lie United States, Chattannooga Sheet. 

5 Geological Survey of Alabama. Report on the Coal-mcasnrcs of the Plateau Region of Alabama. 

Montgomery, Alabama 1891, pp. 114-11C.

'Geological Survey of Alabama, Cahaba Co.nl Field, Joseph Squire, 1890. 

"Geol. Surv. of Ala.: Ou .the Warrior'Coal .Field, 1886, pp. M, 31. 

«0p. cit, pp. 64, 75.
CAMPBEU,.] CORRELATION. 103

sind notes four conglomerates. These counties are on the northern 

border of the Warriov field sind hold only the lowest measures; in the 

next tier of counties to the south the higher measures are found, and 

a good section was measured in Walker county/ but no conglomerates 

are noted above the horizon of the Winston county beds.

In Jefferson county the most complete section is given: 2 Its base 

up to a thickness of 1,701) feet contains four quite well marked conglomerates; above this, other beds of conglomerate are noted, but all 

are quite thin, being less than 15 feet in thickness and appearing to be 

but local features. This upper portion of the section is 1,300 feet thick.

Gen. Gibson, in his Blount mountain section,3 gives the measures 

a thickness of 1,340 feet, and includes four conglomerates.

Lastly Mr. Squire gives for the Cahaba basin3 the most complete 

section of the Coal-measures south of Virginia yet published. His section is as follows:

Feet. 

Conglomerate group............................................ 480

Productive group.....................'.......................... 2,200

Micaceous group................................................ 1, 040

Millstone grit group............................................ 1,765

Total Coal-measures........................................... 5,485

The following section is- an attempt to represent by figures the character of the millstone grit as shown by Squire in his sections, but 

unfortunately he only indicates in a general way where the beds of 

conglomerate are, without giving their thickness or the thickness of the 

interval of sandstones, shales, and coals that occur between them:

Feet.

Conglomerate................................................... 75

Interval ........................................................ 500

Conglomerate................................................... 175

Interval ........................................................ 560

Conglomerate................................................... 185

Interval ........................................................ 70

Conglomerate........... ....................................... 200

Total...................................................... 1,765

Considering the conglomerate group alone, there appears to be a mass 

of sediments characterized by fouv or five well marked beds of conglomerate that can be identified across the basin in Alabama; as shown in 

the sections, it is 1,7C5 feet thick in the Cahaba basin, L,70() feet in 

Jefferson county, 1,340 feet in Blount mountain, and about 1,250 feet 

in Marion and Winston counties. This group bears such a resemblance 

to the Lee conglomerate of Big Stone gap and the Pottsville conglomerate of the Kanawha that it at once suggests their equivalence. In 

the intermediate Chattanooga region, if that correlation be correct, 

nothing but the base of the series is preserved, or the top has lost its 

distinctive character and is not recognized. l<ig. 3 shows the entire

' Op. cit., pp. 131-134. * Op. cifc.. pp. 272-274 and 41C-417 * Loc, cit.
104 BIG STONE GAP-COAL FIELD. [BOLL. 111.

section of the Cahaba basin compared with the generalized section of 

the Big Stone gap fields and the type section from West Virginia. 

The agreement in the aggregate thickness of the strata is striking, 

showing a regular increase from 4,660 feet in West Virginia to 5,030 

feet in the Big Stone gap field and 5,485 feet in the Cahaba basin. 

Above the Millstone grit group in the Cahaba section no resemblance 

is found between this and the other sections until the topmost member 

is reached; this Conglomerate group of Squire bears a strong resemblance to the Harlan sandstone as described by the writer. If this correlation be correct .the three type sections would show as follows:

West 

Virgiiiia.

1. 162

2,098

1,400

Big 

Stone 

gap.

3. 6.'>0

1.500

Cahaba 

basin.

3,240

1. 765

These show a marked gradation that is suggestive of some connection in genesis, but. present knowledge is not sufficient to determine 

the question. Careful stratigraphic work is needed in the northern 

half of Tennessee in the Briceville region where the upper nieas1 

ures may be found; they may give the key to the stratigraphy in the 

Chattanooga region. Besides stratigraphic work, thorough paleontologic work is needed atinany points, but especially to determine the 

age and equivalence of the highest beds in the southern region, for in 

tliat territory the upper measures exist only in isolated remnants and 

can not be correlated without the evidence of fossils.

If the work in view by the U. S. Geological Survey is successfully 

completed it will doubtless in the near future settle many of these questions of correlation that at present we can see only vaguelv through 

the mist of uncertainty that surrounds them.
NDEX-.

Analyses of coal.......................... 51,52

Bailey coal..............................

analysis.............................

Banner, coal at..........................

Banner branch, coal on..................

Banner coal seam .......................

Bear creek, section near .......... ......

Bear creek anticline ....................

............ 42

............ 52

............ 89

............ 87

............ 87

........... 82

............ 20

Benrjicn branch, cnal on ........ T........ 50, 00

section near.......................... 59

Boo rock, described ...................... 17

Big Bull tunnel, coal near ............... 93

Big Bunrty creek, coal on ................. 58

Big Crab Orchard creek, coal on ......... 58

Big Looncy creek, coal near....... ...... 41

coal on...............................44, -10. G4

sections on ........................... .46.48-40

Big Stone gap, coal at.................... 39

Big Toms creek, section on .............. 83

Black ct-eek, coal ou ......................70,71.77

Boyil, C. n., cited......................... 14,29

Bull creek, coal ou ....................... 90

section on............................ 92

Burns creek, coal near ................... 83

Cphaba basin, sections in ................ 103, ]04

Callab.au creek, coal on................... 02, G-t

sections on...........................28-29. G2

CanePatrh fork, coal on.................. 03

Canuel coal seam ........................ 47, 64

equivalent of...............°.......... 55

Carrol coal, analysis...................... 52

Childs creek, Kentucky, sections on...... 30,42

coal near............................. 42

Clover fork, section on ................... 55

(.Hover Lick creek, coal on................ 42,40

coal near............................. 43,45

sections on............................ 42,46

Colburn, coal near........................ 87

Coonseye, coal near...................... 96

sections near ......................... G9

Coonseyo anticline.......................24,25,72

Cox creek, coal on........................ 53,54

Crab Orchard basin, denned.............. 41

coals in .............................. 50-59

Crab Orchard, syneline...... ............ 24

Cracker neck, coal in..................... 40

Crandall (A. 1{.) and Hodge (J. M.) cited. .21,95,99

Cythia, coal near ......................... 53

Dwina, coal near ......................... . 92

Edwards coal seam ...................... 93

Elkhorn coal correlated by J. R. Proctor

with Imbotlen coal............... 95

Fentress county, Tennessee, section In... 101

Folds, classes of.......................... 22 ]

Formations, table of...................... 28 I

Page. 

Fullers branch, coal on .................. 87,88

section on............................ S8

Gap branch, section on................... 47

coal on...............................47,48.49

Gibson, A. M., cited...................... 102,103

Gladeville, coal near ..................... 82

Gladeville anticline.............. ....... 25

Gladevillo sandstone, area of............. 22-23

thickness of.......... ...........28,29.30,31

described .........................33-34,41-42

Gladeville syncline ...................... 26

Grainger shale,described ................ 38

Guest river, coal on....................... 40

Guest river basin ........................41,77-94

Guest river synclino..................... 25

Harlem sandstone, thickness of..........28,29,31

described ............................31-33,65

Hayes.C.W., cited........................100,101

Haves run, coal near ..................... 44

High knob, coal near... ................ 40

Hodge,J.M.,cited ... ................... 31,96

Holbrook tunnel, section near ........... 91

Hunter valley fanltsdescribed........... 20

Imboden basin, defined'................... 41

coal in ............................... 59-77

Imboden coal seam.......24,25,63,61, C2,66,67. 68,

69, 70, 71, 72-73, 74, 75, 80, 81, 83

equivalents of........................ 53,58

correlated by J, K. Proctor with Elkborn coal........................... 95

Jones creek, analyses of coal from....... 51

section on......................... F .. 51,55

eoal on ............................... 53, 54

Keith, Art hur, cited...................... 99

Kelly coal seam.................... GO, 65, 08, 70,71

Kentucky basin, coal in.................. 41,50

Lamler creek, coal near .................. 56

section on ............................ 58

Lesley, J. P., cited........................ 28

Leo conglomerate, thickness of........... 28,29

described ............................ 36-37

coal in ............................... 39-40

Lewis creek, coal near ................... 41

section on............................ 48

section near.......................... 49

Little Black mount ain, section on.....'... 55

coal on............................... 57

Little Crab Orchard creek, sections on... 57

coal on ............................... 58

Little Stony creek, coal on ............... 40

Little Loonoy creel*, coal on .............53. 61.67

Little Stone gap, coal at ................. 40

Little Tom anticline..................... 26

Little Tom tunnel, coal on................ 90 .

section near.......................... 91

105
106 INDEX.

Loouey creek,section on., .............. 48 !

coal on............................... 61 j

Louisville and Nashville railroad, altitudes obtained from.............. 14

Maggard branch, coal on................. 46

coal near............................. ' 47

McCally, Hen ry, cited .................... 102

McCreath and d Invilliers, cited.......... 14

26,30, 50, 51,57. 58, 66, 84, 85, 88. 89, 90, 92 

McGee creek, coal on.................... 39

Meadow Cork, section near............... 65

coal on ............................... 65

Middlesboro syncliuc ...................20,22,23

Mill creek, coal on........................ 67

section on............................ 67

Mill creek synclhie...................... 24

Mississippiau series,coal in.............. 39

MOD is {rap, coal at....................... 56

Morris gap road, coal on................. 57

section on ........................... 57

Mud Lick creek, coal on .................62,63, 64

section on............................ 62,63,C4

Newmau limestone....................... 28,38

Norfolk and Western railroad, altitudes

obtained from..................".. 14

Norton, r.oal near......................... 78,79

sections at........................... 79

Norton formation, thickness of.......... 28, 29, 31

described ............................ 34-36

Pennington gap, coal at.................. 39

Ponnington shale, thickness of........... 28

described............................. 37

Pigeon creek,coal on......... K ........... 59,61

Pine mountain, described ................ 17,18

section on........'.................... 100

Pioneer, coal near ....................... 66

Pioneer anticline,........................ 24

Poor fork, coal on ........................ 41

Poor 1'ork P. O., coal near................ 45

Pound Mill branch, coal near............. 43

coal on........................... f... 43

Powell river, coal on .....................58,75,76

Powell mountain, coal on ................ 40,93

Powell mountain syncline................ 20

Pago. 

Powell valley anticline .................. Si, 26

Powell valley syucline ................... 20, 21

Preacher creek, coal on................... 62

section on ............................ 62

Proctor, J. R., cited....................... 95

Razor fork, sect ion on.................... 56

Roaring fork, coal on .............. 53,67,68,69,70

section on ............................ 68

Robnets chapel, coal near ................ 50

Rockhouse branch,coal on ...............50,53,54

section on ............................ 54,55

Rocky fork, coal on ...................... 81

Reed creek, coal on....................... 54

Saflbrd, J.M ,cited....................100,101,102

Sang Trace, coal on ...................... 56

Sheep roc!; conglomerate ................ 28

Shepards mill, coal at.................... 65

Squire, vi ted.............................. 103

State line anticline....................... 23

Stevenson, J.J., cited... .14,28,29,53,60. 63,66,100

Stock creek, coal on ...................... 93

Stone- mountain, described................ 17,18

Stony creek,coal near.................... 40

Tacoma, section near.....................83,84,85

coals near ............................83,84,85

Thruston. C. B.", cited..................... 48,96

Toms creek, 6oal near .................... 86

section on............................ 88

Tracy city, Tennessee, section at......... 101

Virginia Coal and Iron com .any, aid by.. 14 

Virginia city syucline.................... 20

West Norton, coal near................... 74

coal at................................ 75

section at............................. 75

West Virginia coals correlated with those

of Big Stone gap ................. 95-99

White, I. C., cited .....................96,97,98,99

Widow Kennedy coal seam .............. 84

Willis, Bailey, letter of traiismittal by.... 11

Wilson gap, Tennessee, section in ........ 99

Wise formal ion, thickness of.............28,29,31

described............................. 34

Yellow Creek valley, coals in ............ 83