The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-05-25
big STONE GAP COAL FIELD
Its Advantages and Location.
Interesting Document by Prof. Jas
M. Hodge.

nj. Hodge.
I Below is given the body Of an In
teresting document, prepared by
Prof. James NJ. Hodge, on the Big
Stone Gap coal-feld ana fead before
q recent meeting Of the American
Institute Of Mining Engineers
The Cumberland Gap extension Of
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
recently completed from Cumberland
Gap to Norton, II miles, connects
at the latter point with the Norfolk
and Western, making direct
through line from Louisville to Nor
fork.
The whole of this connecting link
strikes the southern boundary Of the
southwest Virginia coal region, but
for the first 81 miles Of its course it
is separated from the coal by a noun
tain range Cumberland mountain
and it's extension, Stone mountain)
which bars entrance to the field from
that direction, excepting at Penning-
ton Gap, where access may be had to
a small area only, which has not yet
developed any very satisfactory coal
The railroad passes through the
range at Big Stone Gap, and for the
last q miles Of it's course to Norton
is in direct contact with that part OF
the coal region known as the Big
Stone Gap coal-ficd.
BY this road western and south
western outlet from the field is Sc
cured; the Clinch valley extension of
the Norfolk and Western railroad
gives exit eastward from Norton, and
the South Atlantic and Ohio rail
road, built through Big Stone Gap
simultaneously with the l.. " n. r.
r., delivers the coal to points south
and southeast.
Besides these lines already built,
an early connection with the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
railroad, via it's Rogcrsville branch,
is probable, and connections with the
railroads of eastern kentucky are
projected. The Charleston, Cincin-
natl and Chicago railroad has already
done some grading on one Of the lat
ter, but the rugged country interven-
ing will prevent its obstruction till
the demand for it becomes urgent.
The coal-ficld embraces in Virgin
ia about 100 square miles, to which
should be added some 80 SCARE miles
in kentucky, also tributary to Big
Stone Gap, the whole Of it underlaid
by coal, probable of workable thick
ness, and much of it by two or more
such beds. The determination ofthe
boundaries of the field, however Tex
ccpt on the south, where Stone noun
tain forms natural limit beyond
which only a small, isolated tract OF
coal is found), is involved in much
uccrtaity; for the coal extends far be.
yond- the assumed boundaries east,
north, and west, and the area which
may rightly be included i'll this field
depends upon what means may be
adopted in the future for reaching
the coal and shipping it through
other channels.
As here circumscribed, the area in
Virginia includes the region drained
by the headwaters of the Powell rlv-
er, north of the crest Of Stone noun
tain, in Wise county, and in Lee
county to a distance of about Ii
miles west from Big Stone Cap. The
width Of this area is, on the west
about 3 miles, and toward its eastern
end, 10 miles or more. Its length is
about 20 miles. The area in Ken
lucky included as a part OF the field
is strip on the north side of Big and
Little Black mountains (the State
line lying along their summits), as
suned to average miles in width
and to be Is miles long.
The main Typographical features
are given by Black mountain which
ON the west, divides into Big and Lit
tie Black, with short, high spun
between thcm) and Stone mountain
The latter ranges nearly straight
northeast and southwest; the former
is quite crooked. and has more north.
erlv general direction. 1t attain>
1000 feet at it's higest point, while
the greatest height of Stone noun.
tain is about 5000 feet, or some 100
feet above the town Of Big Stone
Gap.
From Black mountain spurs pro
trude southeasterly to Powell river
at the base Of Stone. mountain, and
northwesterly to Cumberland river
at the base of Pine mountain, enclos-
ing between them the principal
sources of those rivers in extremely
narrow valleys.
From the end Of Little Black noun
tain very low spur connects with
Stone mountain. 1t is SO low that
| it presents no serious obstacle to en-
tering by railway the western end Of
the field. but it forms the divding-lint