Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-09
WILL OPEN COAL FIELD
ON LOWER GUEST RIVER
% Square Miles Of Coal-Bcar.
ing Land in Wise County
Available.
RAILROAD BEING EXTENDED
Three Hcds Of Cont Are Three md
one-Iinlf Feet or More Thick
Quality believed Lower than In
Other Basins.

WASHINGTON. April S-About
'weniy-itve square miles of the coal
rearing portions of Wise County. Va.
that have hcretofcr been considered
inaccessible for mining and trans
porting its coal will be opened for
tnmcdiRt. development nv the OK
tension Of the Interstate Railroad
from norton down Quest River to n
Junction with the Carolina Clinch-
h"id ana Ohio Railway on Clinch
River Tho region thus opened Is
drained by tho lower part Of the
Guest River, the stretch from Coc-
burn to tho mouth ot the river The
chief natural resource OF this river
basin according 10 j. BRIAN Eby, OF
the United states Geological survey,
department Of the Interior. who has
recently examined II in detail is coal.
bnt IN the number, quality and extent
OF IT'S coal haJs 1t ranks far below
the many othnr we'll X own coal bas-
ms in Wise County. The part Of the
basin that offers the most encourage
ment for commercial Development lies
Immediately southeast of Cocburn and
includes the drainage basins Of Crab
Orchard Braacn. Il tributary OF Guest
River. This tributary basin. which
includes about four square miles. con
tains three beds of coal three and
onc-ha!F feet or more thick The
ridges southeast of the Crab Orchard
basin as far ~ ,Clinch River have
been lower so far by erosion that
onyi the lowest OF the three coal
beds still remains. On the west side
OF Guest River even this bed has been
generally removed. and consequently
little or no coal Of present CONNER
cial value has been found there.
Rugged Country.
The surface Of the area southwest
OF Guest River is notably different
from that OF the area northeast OF
II. The area southwest OF the river
which is locally known as the Flat
woods" is made UP OF broad. nearly
f'at-topped hills. which form the east
crnmoSt extension of Powell Noun
tain. The area east of the river Is
made up OF low ridges with steep
slopes. many sharp peaked hills. and
numerous streams. The ruggPdnesS
OF the country has greatly hindcred
road building; no road or trail
reaches the gorge and no wagon road
crosses II southeast OF the Cocburn-
bungannon Pike. near Coeburn
Graded roads from COcburn 10 points
on Clinch River howeser. extend
across the western and the eastern
" lhS VI hHt IpNtT trucSt lllNeT
basin.
All the valuable coal beds in this
basin occur In rocks above the mas
sivc sandstone that forms the rim
rock of tho gorge. The top Of this
sandstone Is the boundary between
an upper group Of beds OF sandstone.
shalc ana coal lthc Norton forma-
uonD. and lower group composed
predominantly OF sandstone the Lee
rmatiou). Only the lower half Of
the Norton and a small upper part Of
the Lee are exposed on lower Guest
River. The structure OF the region
is simple, the rocks in general hav-
ing only Il gentle dip To the east
Branch northwcstward the drec-
ton OF the dip swings gradually from
east To northeast The net effect OF
this structure has been to retain the
lower Norton coal pcds on the east
side of the river and To cause their
removal ON the other side.
Cont Reds.
The coal beds OF he Lee formation
in the vicinity OF the gorge OF Guest
River appear nowhere to exceed two
feet in thickness. and are therefore
not minable at the present market
price Of coal. y he'd of clear coal
eighteen inches thick is exposed near
The mouth OF zine Orchard branch.
ell Mountain at a point three miles
southeast OF Coeburn. Coal is cx-
posed nj several places near the