The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1904-06-16
a W COAL FIELD.

ian coal field Ia southeastern Ken
tucky aud northern Tennessee is now
without transportation facilities The
production Of coal from fhe vicinity
Of Middleshoro has reached an au-
nuai outrut Of from COO 1000 60 l.
0OO. 900 tons. Bennett Fork has be-
come a mining town for a c%ontin-
nous distance OF > miles. and Stony
Fork. M which a railroad j. just
completed. promises Don TO become
equally active These and other ev-
licences Of rapid development. togeth-
er with the fact that mo- Government
report ha, ever before been published
about Cumberland Gap Goals. give
especial interest aud value 60 a pap
e. written hy Mr.. George II. Ashley
about this field. Thus paper Is in
| cluded in q bulletin No. 22al eutt-
lei contributions 10 Economic
Geology. 1903. recently published
bv the Emitted States Geological Sur
vry for gratuitous distribution. MI.
Ashley paper is merely a prelimi-
nary abstract If a more detailed re-
port. which viii be prepared under a
cooperative arrangement made he
tween the United State. Geological
survey sud the State Of Kentucky
This report will 6il several hundred
pages aud will be iully illustrated
, with appropriate plate. coal sections
/, snd maps.
The Cumherlsnd Gap coal field. a.
defined hy NJ Ashley, lies between
. Pine snl Cumberland mountains. sud
extend, fram Fork Mountain Co ihe
u heads Of piar sni Glover fork, of
d. Cumberland River The field is 9O
IT miles long and ranges iu width FROM
lbs go 30 miles These bpundsuc'
are not merrly topographic, fnr as.o.
lciaicl with Pine AVID Fork mpnntsius
are notable fault, thst mske Ui>tinci
birsl- brt0e~n thi, h~ld and th'
a coal heii- to the west and moth.
NJ. A,hlry'~ paper is BASED o'
- field work dome during the season 90
b. 1902 aul 1908 in the central pact OF
the basiu. or the area lying between
log Mountains. az the head of Vel
Il,N Greek. and a north south hnl
about 10 miles east ct Harlan. 10
studying the strait gny and cos
Il content ct the rocks iu this basin
Mt. Ashley had- 10 convenient Q
. CONSIDER separately tho Log Noun
, tain area. lying west Of the FAULT bel
IT, from Cumberland Gap TO Piuevill'
~ sna the Harlan region. lying east o
~ that belt. At least 40 coal beds a.
found Ia Log Mountains. Is OF whic
ate a workable thickness. No dout
te many at these are not persistent owe
81, the entire area. but many have
wiie distribution and ; are no.
!" worked on a commercial scale. Neal
pa ly all Of the Goals are more OF les
A. broken up by psiungs. which
ia some cases Increase in thickness d
- 20 make the cosl worked In oU
:. district puworkahle in neighboriu.
o districts The upper coats are a.
nally the best. but they lie 20 hig
ia the mountain A. 10 hsvc pth'
II limited areas. The principle loo
IS Mouutsiu GOALS enumerated aud dc
IL scrbed bv Mr. Ashley are the Re
Spring. Upper Hignite. Lower His
mite. klondike. Poplar Lick. SAM
!" stone Parting. Mingo. Chenos, Ben
- neit Fork, and Turner Goals. I
in these the most important Is the Mii
he 20 coal. which j. worked at Ming
Nos ! and = mines, the Fork Rdg
the Reliance. Brysou Mountain. Mel
%lolsou. and Rslston No. ] niue
Coke j. extensively made 1T the Mi
20 mines.
n Ia the Harlan division Of the ne
IT, there has been no development 81
very little exploration. Of the Goa
found. only two. the Neal snd a
Harlan. have been 80 widely exploi
nd a. 10 show beyoni loabt more OF ie
nd continuous workability. Other coz
Go in this region measioned asd 4
,rs scdhed By Nj. Ashley are Il
Creeeh. kellioks. Darham. llowsr
and Robbins Gosh. These Goals co
respond closely IN composition TO a
other eoals OF the 6eld, sna are i
w. deed superior t. many. In volsii
IA combast,bie mstteF they raa abo'
fer the same - the Wesimoreisad Al
m. other gas Goals d Pennsylvania. b
=, ing higher ia volatile matter th'
she eokiog cssis Of Coanclssiiie.
ne Both the coke saa cosl'ol the Cuu
'ss berlsad Ssp'sres rad = ready as
ng kst the year roand. =" thsts.the msn
a. are sble 10 faa regularly summer Al
winter, Part of the coke Is eonsaf
ed in the iron furnace At Middle
'se boto and the ret - seat te the Das
'toss snsis<ss asd 70 eshcs points