The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-05

the great series of Appalachian formations. "
Between and beyond these great sandstone
formations of mountain ranges. before
reaching the great Appalachian 6ituminous
coal field, are minor valleys OF limestone
and all these formations are more or less
continuous, not only through the Great VAL
ley of Virginia, but for twelve or fifteen
hundred miles.
The anthracite coal beds of the great val
ley of Southwest Virginia are as interesting
geologically as they are important CONNER
cially. They add proof Of the continuity OF
the great Appalachian revolution at the close
OF the palezoic ages, when. after the gradual
subsistence Of this region to the depth OF
forty thousand feet, came the tremendous
lateral pressure that fexed the earth's crusts
into great folds, upheaved high mountain
ranges and threw down the carboniferous Sc
ries of the top to the level of the lower siurian
limestones and prove the existence here
of the same forces of heat and pressure that
produced the anthracite of Eastern Penn
sylvania, and Rhode Island, and even trans
formed some of the latter into graphite
The same evidences exist here as there, that
sstle consolidation and metamorphism OF the
strata are more extensive and complete to
the eastward Tor toward the ocean, than to
the Westward and that the change OF
bituminous coal to anthracite, by the expul-
sion of volatile ingredients was most COM
plete where the disturbances were greatest
that is, in the more eastern portions OF the
coal .''-[ Dana.l In fact, no one can
examine the geological sections OF Pennsyl-
vania and Virginia without being struck by
their essential similarity, the chief difference
being in the much greater thickness and de-
yelopment of the formations in the South,
a fact which l believe has been observed
and commented upon by Dana, Rogers, and
Lesley.
| We find, therefore, similar geological con-
ditions in Virginia as in Pennsylvania, and
no reason to doubt that the coal-felds OF
each are of similar formation, have been
alike subject to great downthrows and to
| surface washings that have left but mere
remnants of what once existed undisturbed.
That the character OF the coal is strikingly
similar is evident from the analysis OF the
Little North Mountain coal of Rockingham
and Augusta counties, Virginia, made by
Booth & Garrett, assayers of the United
States mint as Philadelphia, clearly proving,
as they say, ''more of on anthracite, if pos
sible, than that of Lykens' Valley, in Penn
sylvania.'' The former contained S9.47 per
cent. OF carbon, 6 per cent. volatile matt er,
4 water, and Alb ash, while the Lykens'
Valley analysed $40 carbon, 1920 volatile,
SIS water, and 1925 ash. Both these were
average specimens, selected from the local.
ties by Booth &c Garrett themselves.
| Since these coal beds are but the contin-
uation of those of Southwest Virginia, and
particularly since Lesley and some others
have laid much stress on the shattered con-
dition of these Goals, it is worth while to
quote the summary of Booth & Carr 8
report to the Royal Land Company OF Viz
ginia 81. It is true anthracite, that burns
freely and well. 2. So far from its being a
small deposit, we have shown that there are
at least three bees, OF from to feet thick
ness along line of at least miles. 8. 1t
is shattered, like all coal near its outcrop in
disturbed region, but to call it, therefore,
all shattered, is as shallow a remark as the
depth of the shattered portions from the
outcrop for we have seen solid, plane
cleavaged coal within few feet of the out
crop in your mines.'' This is very strong
testimony, and is strictly and literally APP
plicable to the Altoona coal mines, OF Pu-
laski county, save that the coal seams OF the
latter are much thi cker.
The developments and character OF the an
thracite coal beds in Rockingham and Au-
gusta counties, and at Price Mountain in
Montgomery county, have already spoken
of, Crossing lower silurian limestone val
ley to the north of the latter, we come
to Toms Greek, where another great
fault occurs and beyond which we find in
Brush mountains the same carbOniferous Sc
ries, VIII, TX, and X, (Rogers places the coal
beds in the latter, the vespertine), we OBJ
served in Price mountain, but monoclinal
instead of anticlinal, and dipping to the east
of south at an angle varying from 25 to 40
degrees. Lesley recognizes but two beds OF
coal which he designates as A and B, the lat
ter being uppermost; but [ have distinctly
perceiyed three, and sometimes four and five
beds. Bed A, according to Lesley, yields
from two to three feet Of good coal, and at
Milestone Hollow, above Knode's, after
speaking OF it and then of bed B, be says -
s.Above the latter. three feet OF hard and
ten inches of soft coal with coal and slate
above. At the company's drifts the bottom
bench of B varies from three to four feet,
and at the top Of the gangway are eight
inches more, all tolerably firm;' which
agrees with my own observations as above in
dictated. He adds that bed A 'does not seem
to maintain itself along the line as does bed
B above it, and ''whatever coal trade is to
come FROM this region must depend chiefly
upon one bed for its supply-bed Band
that along this line Of ten or twelve miles. :"
SIN fact upon coal 3 a gangway could be
driven in from Poverty Gap eastward for
ten miles, and would probably find it the
| whole distance an unbroken plate of pretty
| firm, good coal from three to four feet
thick, and dipping at never any high angle
to the South, and varying only locally in
quality.'' Poverty Gap, some ten miles
farther west than Blacksbarg, affords low
err water level than elsewhere on Toms
Creek, and the dip of the strata being less
the coal is presented under more favorable
conditions for mining. It at present too
far from the railway to b. profitably worked
but the New River railroad, which is expect
ed to be built during the present year from
the A. NJ. & 0. Il. R, to Hinton, on the
Chesapeake and Ohio r. R., will afford a
much needed outlet,
| In crossing Now River the coal outcrop car
be distinctly seen in the ripples OF the Wa
ter, and from its examination here Lesley
expresses the opinion that the bed B i'm
proves in size and condensa ton of the lay
ers towards the bottom of the bed as it goes
east and will add as the result Of my re-