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Show 1302 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. Maxwell grant. The mesas which occur in the northern and eastern boundaries of the coal- format, ion consist of basalt, and belong to the Fisher's Peak, a basaltic mountain that has the genuine ' trap' form, and, together with the mesas in the northeastern part of the Maxwell grant, belongs to the Raton Mountains, which, on the northern part of the grant, extend east and west, and continue on the eastward for 26 miles beyond the grant. " The basaltic mass of the mesas in the northeast part of the grant also outcrops in various little mesas, but it has filled besides many fissures in the coal- formation, and accordingly comes to the surface in dikes. Wherever this has taken place in the coal- formation the basalt has metamorphosed the rock and the coal in the immediate neighborhood. In one place in Red River, 7 miles in the valley above the Red River Station, the basalt has broken through a coal- bed 2 feet thick horizontally, overlying merely a small part of the metamorphosed coal, and where the basalt has destroyed the coal the space is filled with a basaltic mass. This metamorphosed coal is graphite, in some places very pure graphite, that can be developed in rrder to be used for crucibles, for greasing tools, or for diminishing friction. The basalt has done but little damage in the coal- formation, and it is certain that the rock has been penetrated by the hear developed thereby ; it has also co- operated to enhance the good propeities of the coal as fuel. The coal- beds outcrop, especially on the western edge of the coal- formation, and likewise in all the valley^ of the creeks which run through this formation. There are three localities where the coal- beds have been developed and investigated. A description of tbem will now be given. " SECTION IN TIIE PONLL VALLEY. " Three miles from the plains in the PofLil Valley, and 5 miles from Cimarron, about 6,900 feet above sea- level, a section of the coal is* exposed on botb sides of the Pofiil Creek. The coal- bed is 4 fevt thick, and consists of pure coal without bands of clay. It is inclosed by 1 foot top- clay aud by 2 feet uuder- clay. The clay and saudstone beds that lie above the coal have sufficient firmness to rest on large openings without cav-iug in, while the quartzose clay sandstone that lies under the coal is a very hard rock that makes an admirable foundation, which never will be exhausted during the working of the coal. " As regards the properties of the coal of New Mexico, it may be stated that it is particularly fitted for the preparation of coke, for use in generating steam, and for making iron. This coal is also useful for smiths' work. It is leas fitted for making gas. In the valley of the Pofiil clayey spherosiderite is found, apparently derived from the clayfctone beds which accompany the coal, whence these lenticular balls of clayey carbonate of iron have occurred in the valley by m^ aus of weathering. « " SECTION IN THE VERMEJO VALLEY. " In a canon of the Vermejo Valley an important outcrop of the coal- formation is found, wherein occur never less than seven large and small coal- beds, aud clayey spherosiderite, in lens- formed balls, as well as clay ironstone, in thin beds. Entering this canon 3£ miles in the Vermejo Valley, on the south side, and three- quarters of a mile in the canon, on the notbwest side, the outcrop is seen. The coal- formation has here a thickness of 200 feet. The coal is always at least 21.5 feet thick. The four lowest beds have sufficient dimensions as to be capable of being developed. The lowest of these beds contains a mass of coal 7 feet thick. In the second^ bed, counting from below upward, occur two beds of iron- ore, the one being carboniferous and the other argillaceous. Ea< ch of these deposits of ore varies from 2.5 to 3 inches thick, and corresponds to the black- band ore of Scotland and South Wales. " The third and fourth coal- beds have about the same thickness, viz, 3 feet of pure coal, but clayey concretions occur also. A deposit of claystoue, 2 feet thick, lies above the fourth ooal- bed, in which lens- formed masses of spherosiderite are imbedded. The size of the * pennystoms' of argillaceous iron- ore, wbtah occur in the previously- described beds, varies from very small to 2 feet in diameter and 9 | inches thick. These coal- beds lie horizontally, and are Bimilar in quality to those in the Pofiil Valley. " SECTION IN Tna COTTONWOOD CANON, BED RIVER. " In entering the valley of the Red River one sees the coal- formation exposed at a point 4 miles from Red- River Station, ( Stockton ranch,) on the south side of the canon. There i s a workable coal- bed 5£ feet thick. This bed is free from claystom* concretions, an d lies horizontally. The coal has the same good properties as that of the Vermejo and Pofiil Valleys. In case railway corumuuicatiou between Cimarron an Fort Lyon and Granada is brought about, the coal at the alove- nentioned localities |
