xt7crj48q044 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7crj48q044/data/mets.xml Norwood, Charles Joseph, b. 1853. 1877 books b96-12-34887881 English Stereotyped for the Survey by Major, Johnston & Barrett, Yeoman Press, : [Frankfort, Ky. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Geology Kentucky. Coal Kentucky. Report of a reconnoissance on the proposed line of railway from Livingston Station to Cumberland Gap / by C.J. Norwood. text Report of a reconnoissance on the proposed line of railway from Livingston Station to Cumberland Gap / by C.J. Norwood. 1877 2002 true xt7crj48q044 section xt7crj48q044

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF KENTUCKY.
N. S. SHALER, DIRECrOR.

REPORT OF A RECONNOISSANCE

ON THE PROPOSED LINE OF WAT FrOM

LIVINGSTON STATION TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

BY C. J. NORWOOD.

PART VI. VOL. Il. SECOND SERIES.

201 a 202

This page in the original text is blank.

PRELIMINARY NOTE.

The following report of Mr. C. J. Norwood is published in
advance of the completion of the work of which it forms a
part. It is the intention of the Survey to complete at least
three sections from the Cambrian or Cincinnati axis, continued
into the valley of East Tennessee or Virginia, in order to
show the internal sections of the rocks of this part of the
State and their connection with the lower-lying rocks of the
region to the eastward. These sections will, taken together,
not only give a basis for the better understanding of this
district, but will aid in furnishing data for the study of the
dynamic geology of the Appalachian Mountain system, as far
as it is displayed in this region.
MIr. Norwood has been compelled to touch upon several of
the important questions concerning the structure of the moun-
tains in the neighborhood of Cumberland Gap. These mat-
ters are receiving the earnest attention of the Survey, but will
require years for their mature consideration. Within a year I
hope to extend the section given herewith so as to show the
general resources of the country between Cumberland Gap
and the railway connection of East Tennessee. This work
will, however, be done without cost to the Geological Survey,
by the aid of the Harvard Summer School of Geology, which
holds its sessions in connection with the parties of the Survey.
A considerable amount of information, especially upon the
questions of a theoretical nature, referred to in this report,
will be found in the biennial report of the Director of the
Survey for 1875, which is now in press, and should appear
simultaneously with the volume of which this forms a part. A
special report concerning the iron ores of Cumberland Gap
- so23

4 PRELIMINARY NOTL

will be found in the fourth volume of reports (second series),
Other reports on the timber resources, the soils, &c., of this
district, are in preparation.
This report alone is, however, sufficient to show that any
transportation route along this line will command a great area
of available mineral resources.
N. S. SHALER.

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

Professor N. S. SHALER, Director Kentucky Geological Survey:
DEAR SIR: I herewith submit a report of a reconnaissance
made along the path of the survey for a railway, extending
from Livingston Station to Cumberland Gap, made, according
to your instructions, in August, 1875.
Respectfully,
C. J. NORWOOD.
205

REPORT OF A RECONNOISSANCE ON THE PRO-
POSED LINE OF RAILWAY FROM LIVING-
STON STATION TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

I.
For the purpose of obtaining a somewhat better knowl-
edge of the structure and of the general value of part of
the region through which the "Knoxville Branch" of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad has been projected, some
,examinations were made along a line reaching from Cum-
berland Gap to Livingston, following near the path of the
railroad survey. The distance traversed was about 70 miles,
and the time occupied in the work was less by a few days
than a fortnight; so that, upon the whole, the work should
be regarded as only a "detailed reconnaissance ;" and the
accompanying section for this report is to be accepted only
as a preliminary delineation of the relations of the beds in
this district.
The survey for the railroad, beginning at Livingston, crosses
the Rockcastle river at a point about half a mile above Fish-
trap ford, and thence, whenever possible,passing along valleys,
takes its way to London, in Laurel county. From London it
was carried to Flat Lick, Knox county. Two available routes
were surveyed to Flat Lick. One of them passes within less
than a mile of Barbourville, following the State road which
leads from London to Barbourville as closely as the topogra-
phy will allow. and thence up the right bank of the Cumber
land river to Flat Lick. The second route follows the State
road leading from London to Barbourville to within six miles
of the latter town, then, turning to the southeast, it follows up
It is to be remarked, that a large number of the heights were determined by uncorr4C
barometrical (Aneroid) measurements, and the results are, therefore, subject to future rC"..
ion.
206

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

-one of the tributaries of Collins' Fork of Goose Creek, to
Payne's Cross Roads, whence it follows along the "old State
road" to Flat Lick; thence it follows up the Cumberland
river, passing through Pine Mountain at the Pineville Gap, to
the mouth of Patterson's Branch, about three and a half miles
above Pineville, whence the course is turned towards the
south, and the survey carried up Patterson's Branch and up
Cannon Creek, past Rocky Face, between that mountain and
the first Log Mountain, to the valley of Yellow Creek; up
which it is carried to Cumberland Gap. It seems unneces-
sary to discuss the relative merits of the two routes that have
been suggested from London to Flat Lick, as the question
is one which may be best left to the consideration of the
engineers who made the survey. Whether or not the route
approaching nearest to Barbourville is to be commended
before the other, because of the facilities which will be af-
forded to the town instead of the country further east, is a
matter best left to the judgment of those better informed as
to the probable amount and value of the domestic exports of
the two regions.
The geological examinations were more particularly made
along a line passing through Barbourville; but it is proper to
state, that, measured by economic resources, there is little if
any difference, between the region along the Barbourville
route and the region along the route which carries by the way
of Payne's Cross Roads.

II.
The general structure of the region examined is made up
of beds belonging to the coal measures. Some of the lower
rocks have been brought up by faults.
At.Cumberland Gap lower beds are brought to the light on
the east side of the Cumberland Mountain by the great uplift
that caused the mountain; and at Pineville, beds as low down
as the Devonian black shale are brought up in the Pine Moun-
tain fault. The region included between Pine Mountain and
-7

8 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

Cumberland Mountain is suggestive of a number of problems
that yet await a satisfactory solution.
It has been suggested that the country between the two
mountains is virtually a great synclinal valley, with masses of
nearly horizontal rocks piled over its greater part; the two
mountains, the Cumberland, with its beds dipping towards the
northwest, and the Pine, with its beds inclining towards the
southeast, forming two sides of the valley; and that the two
uplifts are of nearly the same age.
Another interesting and important matter concerning the
region between the Cumberland and Pine mountains, is the
apparent change in the physical structure and order of the
beds of the coal measures and the number of coal horizons,
when it is compared with the region on the north side of the
Cumberland river. It seems that the coal horizons decrease
in number towards the northwest.
The thickness of the coal measures in mass seems also to
be diminished towards the northwest, suggesting that towards
the south or southeast the surface was gradually depressed,
and that upon this inclined surface the deposits were laid down
in approximately horizontal layers.
In other words, there seems to have been a deepening of
the floor of deposit towards Cumberland Gap, when the beds
were laid down.
Each bed added to the mass in the valley, so to call it,
would certainly have entered into the total thickness of the
strata, but when extended towards the rising ground, it would
have not only lost in thickness as it advanced towards the
summit, but gradually encroached on the old surface, and,
passing beyond the limits of the immediately preceding depo-
sition, formed of itself the sole covering of the original sur-
face. And thus the thickness of the coal measures would
have become less and less as the summit of the rising ground
was neared. In fact, there seem to be many things in com-
mon, in their position and extent, between the carboniferous
See the biennial report of N. S. Shaler for 1876, now in press.

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

beds in this district and deposits that are laid down on the
sloping shore of a sea. See the figure in the following plate.
The fact of the increase in the thickness of the carbonifer-
ous deposits towards the southeast, and the probability of this
being due to the conditions just described, have considerable
bearing on the questions concerning the age of the Cincinnati
axis, and the relations existing between the eastern and west-
ern coal fields of this State. Should the suggestions offered
by the condition of the deposits in the region covered by this
report be confirmed, there is little room to doubt that the two
coal fields are, for the most part, entirely distinct. The re-
sults obtained by examinations made in the vicinity of Man-
chester, Clay county, and along the road leading from that
town to Fish-trap ford, Laurel county, very clearly show an
increase in the thickness of the measures towards the south-
east. An approximative estimate for the increase towards
Manchester, in a distance of 33 miles, gives 700 feet or more
as the amount of thickening in that direction alone, there
being in that region a thickness of about i,1oo feet or more
of beds between the horizon of the visible top of the Wild
Cat Mountain conglomerate and the sub-carboniferous series,
against 350 feet between the same limits on Wild Cat Moun-
tain.
The accompanying plate of grouped sections exhibits the
thickening of the beds towards Cumberland Gap with toler-
able clearness.

In consequence of the lateral changes undergone by the
deposits, the region examined has been divided into three
distinct areas, and a special grouping of the beds made for
each area.
The first division includes, with the exception of the Yellow
Creek valley, the area included between the Cumberland and
This should be taken as the individual opinion of the writer. I shall hereafter endeavor
to 'how that the eastern and western coal fields were connected during a part Uf their his-
107. N. S. S.
VOL. IL-1420

10 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

Pine mountains, and may, for convenience, be designated as
the Log Mountain area. All the knowledge now had concern-
ing the structure of the Yellow Creek valley is largely con-
jectural, as, so far as I am aware, very few absolute facts
concerning the beds underlying its surface were obtained.
MNy personal study of the valley was so limited that no sug-
gestions of value were obtained concerning its structure; any
discussion of the questions concerning it is, therefore, deferred
or left to the consideration of those whose explorations may
be more thorough.
There is, therefore, a gap of three miles or thereabouts left
in the work-it being that space reaching from Log Mountain
to Cumberland Gap.
As the structure of Cumberland Mountain was studied in
more detail by other officers of the, Survey, and under more
favorable conditions than were possible for me, only a few gen-
eral notes are given. The mountain is essentially the remnant
of a great fold, which, extending in a northwestwardly course,
thrust up the rocks from the southeast. By denudation, the
larger part of the eastern slope of the uplifted mass has
been removed, leaving the east side of the mountain to front
Powell's valley,as a nearly bare face of the basseting edges
(in the direction of the strike line) of beds that are tilted
towards the northwest, and which make the northwest slope
of the mountain.
On the west side we have deposits of the coal measures
only, but on the east the section shows beds from the coal
measures to the Silurian, inclusive, as enumerated in the fol-
lowing statement, which represents the order in the beds
descending from the pinnacle to Powell's valley:
L. Conglomerate and associated sandstones and shales of the coal measures.
2. Shale, olive green in color, and sandy . ........................... . . 75 feet.
3. Limestone of the Chester Group, in massive beds. In its upper part it is
grey and coarse-grained, changing, however, to a drab, close-grained,
rather knotty limestone at the middle and towards the base, having, also,
much hornstone scattered through it. The upper beds yield the larger
part of the organic remains. 30
For a fuller discussion of the structure of this mountain, see the biennial report of N.
S. Shaler for 1876.
210

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

4. Limestone, in dark colored and argillaceous, rather fragile beds. Upon
weathering, the rock breaks apart and becomes granular. This bed is
the principal deposit of the typical Chester fossils. Athyris Ryiuii,
Sjirifer Leidyi, Produs elegans, several Pentremites, Retepora lyra, and
Archimedes are found. The lowver part of this division forms a distinct
bench, having a gently sloping surface, such as is usually characteristic
of shale and limestone. This bench marks the junction of the Chester
rocks with the St. Louis limestone.o....... .. . . .. . . . 30 feet.
5. Massive limestone of the St. Louis Group. The lower part of the lime-
stone is grey and Clitic. This is soon succeeded by a greyish to light
drab, faintly oblitic to rather dense limestone. At the base of the mass,
as it nears the Waverly, the rock becomes silicious; a feature which is
also apparent in some of its upper members. Some parts of the lime-
stone are formed of hard calcareous nodules,bound together with a softer
calcareous material, and as the weathering of the rock tends to dissolve
out the softer material, the face of the limestone often has a pitted ap.
pearance. The collection of organic remains from this limestone is very
meagre; in it are included Prod-des mesiali, Prd. ora, SSirfOr neohuk,
.Spr. pseudoteataus, and Aezsia Verneuiltana. Thickness about .... . 400 l
6. Waverly Group, consisting of silicious shale, having hard bands and some
beds of nodular chert, about.............. .. . .. . s5
7. Devonian shale, about..0... . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. Koo
8. Silurian, sometimes forming foot hills, sometimes on the main slope.

The bench, caused by the partial disintegration of the lower
part of No. 4, forms of itself a well-marked line of junction of
the Chester with the St. Louis Group. The more trustworthy
means, however, of identifying the top of the St. Louis Group
is by the fossil contents of its upper bed. At from one to
three feet below the top of the group Productus mesialis and
Spirifer Keokuk() are found to be rather abundant, especially
the Productus, and to extend in a horizontal line with consid-
erable regularity. The highest horizon to which these fossils
extend may be considered as about the upward limit of the St.
Louis Group.
There is a marked difference in the character of the sub-
carboniferous rocks in this region and those further west. In
the western part of the State, the Chester Group is composed
of a series of beds of limestone, shale, and sandstone, while
in this region sandstone is entirely absent. The absence of
the sandstone is especially noticeable, to one acquainted with
the group, in its westward extension. In Western Kentucky
there are from two to four beds of it, one of them being of
special importance as marking the base of the Chester Group.
281

I I

12 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

It varies from 6o to 250 feet in thickness, and has been desig-
nated in volume I of the reports of the present Survey (new
series) as the Big Clifty sandstone.
Although there are marked variations in their texture, the
change in the general physical character of the St. Louis beds
is not so great as in the case of the Chester Group. The St.
Louis beds further west are easily divisible into two great
members, viz: the upper or grey limestone division, in the
upper part of which is a bed of sandstone and some shale,
and the blue or geodiferous limestone division. Here, how-
ever, such vertical divisions are not noticeable. The absence
of the mud beds and sandstones in the Chester series here,
shows the beds to have been rather deep-water accumulations.
Further west, however, there are many evidences, not only of
shallow-water depositions, but of frequent local currents in
various places, which have rearranged the material already
laid down.
Of course the few observations at hand do not justify an
attempt at an elaborate comparison of the sub-carboniferous
group, as it may occur over any considerable area in this part
of the State, with its western equivalents; but the greatest
apparent difference is probably in the points already given.
As the study of the structure of Cumberland Mountain, and
the various other matters of interest pertaining to it, was made
the work of other officers of the Survey, further discussion
concerning it is omitted.
A preliminary grouping of the beds is all that can be given
at present for the ground between Cumberland Mountain and
Pine Mountain that is covered by this report.
Observations made by others in the country lying somewhat
to the south and southwest of the line of this section tend to
show that quite a considerable thickness of beds, including,
perhaps, a dozen more coals, is to be added to the summit of
the section to make it complete. In Canada Mountain alone
there are about 15 beds of coal; the thickness of the section
exceeds the one obtained along the immediate line of the
railroad survey by some i,ioo feet. Canada Mountain is one
812

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

of the high peaks of the Log Mountains, the summit rising to
about 3,075 feet above the sea.
The highest peak, Brysen, reaches to a height of 3,225 feet
above the sea level, and holds about the same number of coal
beds that are found in Canada Mountain-about seven
more than are found along the immediate path of the railroad
survey. The nearest point in Canada and Brysen mountains
at which the coals found in them may be reached from the rail-
road is, in Canada Mountain, about two and a half miles, and
in Birysen Mountain, about eight miles from the road. There
may, however, be points nearer than these at which coal may
be obtained.
Without purposely trespassing on the ground of others
further than the exigencies require, it is deemed advisable to
present the following analyses, made by Dr. Peter and J. H.
Talbutt, of samples of coal collected by other officers of the
Survey from some of the beds in Bell county, lying within
striking distance of the railroad line. This is especially desir-
able, as circumstances did not favor the collection of samples
from the coals lying along the immediate path of the proposed
railroad.
Mlore elaborate descriptions of the coal beds from which the
samples were taken will appear in the proper report.
Two or th-ee coal horizons that were discarded in the general section, because of their
limited evtpt, as e not taken into consideration.
213

14 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

COMPOSITION. W H .

At a(. QQU3N N M b
Number . ........... 4. 5. 6. . 7 .t 9

Moistue ...... .......... . . .2.96 x.02 X .76 X.26 1.36 .50
Volatile combutible mtter. ' 43 6o 35.50 3664 35.08 37.76 38.90 33 3S. 37.94
Fixed carbog D s . e e 47.80 52.00 58 02 59 48.02 52 55.42 59 54 58.40
Ash.... ... ... 7.6o to5o 3.30 2.36 13.00 6.80 9.36 3.30 -.i6
Totl............ l. o.. ..oo. O... 00 100.00

Sulphur. .. .... .590 -956 . 736.40 .670 -.027 2.772 .975 l.o3
Specifcg v ioy . 126 ................ .... 1 .346 1290 2.77 1.360 2.325 0.344 0.282

eJID Sha first above thte Co.. lonerate
tOa branch f Clear Creek, where it empties into Big Yellow Creek, six mile. north of C-mbe-a-d Gap.
The bed i. 40 i.tche thick.
All samples marked A. R. C. were collected by Assisant A. R. Cra-dall. All satples ked J. H. T. were
collected by Assistaet John H. Tolbtot.
The Cannel coal of Col. Eve's property is somewhat
remarkable in having the amount of volatile combustible mat-
ter and the amount of fixed carbon in nearly equal propor-
tions.
Viewing the coal in its general character, it is found to be
an admirable heating fuel. The amount of ash is small, the
amount of water to be expelled is inconsiderable, and the pro-
portion of sulphur is quite small. The amount of volatile com-
bustible matters, however, is less than that contained in the
best of gas cannels, although the amount in this case exceeds
that contained in the average qualities of bituminous coals by
from two to seven per cent., and would make the coal of value
as a gas enricher.
The bituminous coals are, most of them, so far as the
analyses prove, very good. In two or three of them the
amount of ash is quite high, especially in that from Little
Clear Creek,t which contains thirteen per cent. of earthy
materials; but in the most cases the amount of ash is quite
small.

X See analysis No. t.
t See analysis N. 5.
84

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

The small proportion of sulphur in some of the coals is
especially worthy of notice. It is to be remarked also, that
nearly all of them exceed the average of Kentucky coals in
the amount of fixed carbon they contain. About the best, in
all respects, of the bituminous coals is the "lower bed" on
Hignite Branch. The amount of fixed carbon (59.40 per
cent.), and the small per centages of ash and sulphur (ash 2.36
per cent.; sulphur .420 per cent.), make it a very desirable
coal, should it be found convenient to work it.
Indeed, an impartial comparison of the analyses of these
coals with analyses made of those from Pittsburgh gives very
favorable results for the'Kentucky coals. So far as the analy-
sis proves, the best of Pittsburgh coal is little, if any, superior
to the Hignite Branch middle and lower bed, and the Barnett
coal.
Following are analyses of samples of Pittsburgh coal:

No. i. No. 2.

Moisture..... .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. 2.00 1x397
Volatile combustible matter..... .. .. .. .. . 29.70 30.133
Filed carbon.......... .. .. .. .. . . 65.30 65.050
Ash.. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . 3.00 3.26o
Total. ..... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . . 1 oo.000

Sulphur..... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . o.o55 .1598
Specific gravity......... ... . .. .. . . 1.291 1.2747

Analyst.... . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . R. Peter. W. R. Johnson.

No. I is a selected specimen-a hand specimen. See page
363, volume i, Kentucky Geological Reports, old series.
No. 2 cannot be considered an average analysis either; the
probability is'that the sample was better than the average.

IV.
The following statement exhibits the preliminary grouping
of the beds in the " Log Mountain area."
It may, for the sake of convenience, be called general sec-
tion No. i
Us

i6 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

I. Sandstone.g... . ................. :.... 55 feet.
2. Sandy shale, mostly. 60"
3. Covered, occasional outcrops of sandstone.50 "
4. Sandstone.1 To
5. Concealed, mostly sandstone.o 90
6. Sandstone.. 20
7. Concealed, mostly sandstone............ . . . . 40
8. Shale, bluish-drab, and ochreous towards the base . 45
9. Coal VIII, may be calledl the Buckeye Lick Coal. It varies from
three and a half to four feet in thickness, and occasionally has
a parting of one inch or more at about twenty-five inches from
the bottom.. .4........... . .... .... 4
jo. Clay and shale.a.n.... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Xi. Sandstone. The upper and lower parts are usually in thin beds,
but the middle is massive . . . ............. ............. 75
12. Covered, possibly with a coal bed concealed .. . ...... 28
13. Sandstone........................ . 96
14. Coal VIP ..... . . . ....... ...... 6 inches
X5.Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
'6. Coal VIIa . .
17. Sandstone,merging into shale below... .......... 40
i8. Cannel and bituminous coal overlaid by semi-cannel slate, some
of which contains Linzs,. Coal VI.I " io..
19. Sandstone and shale .35
20. Coal V. This varies in thickness from one foot to nine inches I
21. Sandstone and shale; the lower part is frequently all shale . . 70
22. Coal IV. . . II
23. Shaly sandstone carrying four horizons of coal, all lying near
together and classified as Coal IVa. 65
24. Coal III; varies in thickness from twelve to sixteen inches . . I " 4
25. Sandstone.......... . ............ . 20"
26. Coal IIb......... ... . . . ... . 8
27. Shale .o.... . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . lo
28. Coal I. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . I
29. Shale; varies in thickness from twenty to thirty feet... . 30
30. Coal I; vaies in thickness from two to four feet . . . . . . . 4
31. Shale, dark blue and ochreous................. . 50
32. Conglomerate. Base of section.

As remarked hitherto, this section is to be regarded only as
a preliminary grouping of the beds, and is put forward with
some diffidence. The limited study of the district, for which
it has been arranged, left some of the problems, including
the question concerning the relative persistency of some of
the beds and their lateral changes in thickness, in a not
very satisfactory condition. In making up the section certain
coal horizons were necessarily discarded in favor of others,
although it was not entirely clear which had the greater range.
az6

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

In such cases the thickest beds were always retained. It was
also found necessary to shorten up the distance between one
set of beds or to lengthen it out between others to make the
average. Hence the general section represents only as nearly
an average of the number of beds and their distances apart as
it was possible to arrive at with the comparatively few obser-
vations taken. To do this it was necessary to reduce the
number of coal horizons to which numbers may possibly be ap-
plied. There are, without doubt, as many as twelve, perhaps
fifteen, coal horizons to be found in the space included in the
general section; but of these there are probably not more than
eight or ten to which distinctive numbers may be rightfully
given, and the question can only be decided by a detailed
study of the region, and not by a reconnaissance. What
thickness a coal should have to be considered " workable "
depends, of course, altogether upon the surrounding circum-
stances. In some regions a thickness of iS inches is regarded
as not too small, while in other coal districts 3'2 feet is consid-
ered as the least thickness in which mining may be profitably
carried on. The matter is governed by the general thickness
of the coal beds in the region, their nearness or remoteness
to transportation facilities, and their quality.
In this region, taking into consideration the quality of the
coal, a thickness of 30 inches may be considered as workable
when the bed is near to transportation facilities. Under this
arrangement there are about three beds that may be consid-
ered as workable. These are Coals 1, VI, and VIII. Coal
No. VI is, so far as known, only 22 inches thick, but its
mixed character (being part bituminous coal and part cannel
coal) makes it as valuable as a coal 30 inches thick, and it
may with propriety be classified as a workable bed. There
may be other beds than these that will prove workable upon
further search. With two exceptions, all of the coals were
seen only as outcrops, and very frequently they were repre-
sented merely by stains or by a soft smutty material, so that
there is no reason to suppose that any of them will prove
thicker when found under better conditions. The total thick-
217

i8 RECONNOISSANCE FROM LIVINGSTON STATION

ness of the eight coals, so far as the section shows, is from 15
feet 3 inches to i6 feet X inch, of which two coals (Nos. I and
VIII) form nearly one half. This is a small aggregate thick-
ness for such a number of beds and 900 feet of other mate-
rials, although it exceeds that of the coal deposits in some
regions by several feet. In 1,317 feet of upper coal meas-
ures, in Missouri, there are eight beds of coal aggregating in
thickness to only 4 feet.
In the bank, Coal VIII appears to be of first-rate quality.
The cannel of Coal VI also bears a good appearance. The
cannel is probably equivalent to the cannel bed on Col. J. G.
Eve's land, an analysis of which will be found on a preceding
page.
As stated in the first part of this report, the path of the
work between Pine and Cumberland Mountains lies in part
along one flank of the Log Mountains and in part, as it enters
the valley of Yellow Creek, along two detached mountains,
known as Rocky Face and Dark Ridge. For the sake of con-
venience, the structure of each mountain, or that part of it
which serves our purpose, will be considered separately.

DARK RIDGE.
This seems to be really an irregularly shaped spur or ridge
striking out from Cumberland Mountain. Its form is peculiar,
the figure being swelled in the middle and the main body
connected with Cumberland Mountain by a narrow neck, from
which flow down branches of Clear Creek on the north, and
of Little Yellow Creek on the south. The ridge seems to
have formerly been a connecting link between the Cumber-
land and Log Mountains; remaining so until it was cut away
from Log Mountain by Yellow Creek. Unless it be that the
neck which connects it with Cumberland Mountain is an ex-
ception, the beds in this ridge are virtually horizontal. It is
very probable that in the neck mentioned the beds do have
the same inclination, or nearly the same inclination, as the
Cumberland Mountain mass, although this is not at all a set-
tled question. It has been suggested that the Cumberland
218

TO CUMBERLAND GAP.

Mountain is simply a great fold, and that die beds forming
its mass pass under the horizontal strata lying to the north-
west without interruption. In such a case we may expect the
bedding of the nearest rocks of Dark Ridge to conform with
the slope of the Cumberland beds.