The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-05-25
BIG STONE CAP WISE COUNTY, VA, THURSDAY

in all directions. The principal axis
of the trough, however, is clearly ap-
parent, lying some 8 miles from the
base of Pine mountain.
Black mountain lies partly across
the trough. South of that mountain,
and hence over most of the field, this
synclinal involves a pitch against
drainage, but as the rate seldom ex-
ceeds $50 feet per mile, and is gener
ally much less, and as cross-hexures
may often be taken advantageously,
the deep crosions made by the streams
will make mining possible over large
area, from outcrop openidgs and on
an ascending grade.
The coal-measures exposed in this
field embrace section extending from
the base of the lower conglomerate
CHI. of the Pennsylvania Survey
nearly or quite up to the Pennsylva-
MIA Barren Measures " This section
attains here probably the greatest de-
velopment to be found in the Appa-
lachian region, and is estimated to be
about 5000 feet thick.
The lower third of the section con-
tains the conglomerate series, with
three to five beds of coal, while the
upper two thirds-the Clover Pro-
ductive' measures-contain fully
twenty distinct coal-beds, averaging
less than 100 feet apart The exact
number, however, must always re-
main indefinite, since the different
seams combine or separate. to form
one large bed or two or more small
ones, in manner which dcfies cnum-
Grafton.
In tracing the identity of the beds,
even within the confined limits of this
field, this feature has been source
of great uncertainty, and other diff
culties are added in the frequent
changes of the character of beds (of
their thickness and partings, and oc-
casionally Of the coal and a lack OF
characteristic Intervening rocks. But
enough work has been done to identi-
fv the most important beds over the
greater part Of the field, and two or
three can be included in the Kentucky
nomenclature with sufficient certainty
But the fact of such variation in the
beds renders the need for Identified
ton proportionally slight. Each bed
in it's own field must be tested there,
and be valued according to the re-
suits of the testing, without regard
to what may have been proved of it
elsewhere.
The field is not wholly without
characteristic rocks. Besides the
lower conglomerate, unmistakable as
ever, persistent fossiliferous lime
stone, | to 3 feet thick, is found at a
height Of |, 200 to | 400 feet above it
Zone must usually climb 500 feet or
more to see it), and above this is an
upper conglomerate. This rock, some
times $50 feet thick, appears to be
included in the upper series OF
kentucky, containing Goals 10, II
ana II. Over parts of the field it
forms conspicuous crest or thrusts
high cliffs out upon the sides of the
mountain; at other points it is in
distinguishablc from the rocks above
and below it. In the former case it
is thickly studded with pebbles, while
in the latter they are wholly absent,
or so few that only most careful search
reveals them. AS in kentucky, the
rock encloses one or more beds of
coal, with attendant shale and clay.
In describing the principal beds
numbering is avoided as liable to be
confused with numbering of other To-
calities and only local names are used.
The highest bed Of Importance has
its chief development in the western
part Of the field, and though not
easily accessible and Of comparatively
small area, is especially valuable, and
will probably be brought into early
use, on account Of it's containing from
5 to I feet of exceptionally fine splint
coal. 1t has been thoroughly ex-
plorcd in this western part OF the
field, and has been found most relia-
bic both in size and quality. The
coal is remarkably clean, mines in
large blocks, like camel, and, being
light in ash and sulphur, should be
nearly as desirable for domestic uses
as cannel-coal.
Several beds below this one OF
them containing pocket Of camel
coal) have not yet been much cx-
plored, because Of the greater value
of still lower ones; but they will be-
come highly valuable as the latter are
exhausted.
The next bed requiring especial
mention has also been thoroughly in
vestigated only in the western part OF
the field. 1t has been opened i'll Lee
county along the face of Little Black
mountain about 200 feet above the
base. On the northern side of the
mountain it is mostly below drainage