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Show 1300 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.' to Cimarron consist of sandstone, except in the vicinity of Uraca Peak, where basalt occurs. According to De Groat, at the entrance of the Rayado Valley a marly- limestone formation occurs near the basalt. The limestone is suitable for making lime, and it is burned in limekilns built of blocks of basalt. The limestone has also been used for buildiug. In the eastern part of the Maxwell grant the same limestone formation which outcrops at the entrance of the Rayado Valley extends from a point just north of Amis Ranch to Rock Rauch. The breadth of the limestone is about 8 miles, along the easterly boundary of the grant. From Cimarron to Trinidad the geology is quite simple. Sandstone, of a color varying from white to gray or yellow, with horizontal stratification, covers this section of country. These foot- hills are densely wooded with conifers aud much broken np by caHons. Various creeks, rising in the Cimarron Range, flow through the foot- hills, having cut broad canons with steep sides. These main canons have in turn many lateral cailous. At Crow Creek, 12 miles from Red River, some invertebrate fossils were found. A species of Inoceramus and a fragment of a shell belonging to the genus Eudistes were collected. According to Professor White these fossils are cretaceous. This fact, together with the occurrence of cretaceous fossils at other localities in the foot- hills, indicates that they were formed during the Cretaceous age. Seams of lignite occur in the sandstone at various points. Remains of plants, particularly the leaves of angiospermous trees, are common in the rock where lignite is found. But it is impossible to determine with certainty the age of the lignite- beds without some other guide than these fossil leaves. Prof. J. J. Stevenson, formerly connected with the eographical and Geological Surveys west of the Hundredth Meridian, has shown that fossil leaves are utterly unreliable in strati graphical geology. I therefore, iu view of the occurrence of invertebrate fossils, feel justified in expressing the opinion that the foot- hills from Fort Union to Trinidad belong to the Cretaceous age. In the vicinity of Trinidad these fossil leaves are very common. A number of specimens were collected, but they have not as yet been determined. Ifc may be stated that among the leaves collected are those of the oak, maple, and poplar. As regards the beds of lignite mentioned above, no attempt has been made- to work any of them, as far as I could ascertain. If limestone occurred in the immediate vicinity of the lignite, the latter could be worked f « r the purpose of making lime ; but as there is no lignite nearer than 50 miles to the limestone, it is evident that it would uot be expedieut to transport the brown co il such a distance. The lignite is very brittle. In most places it crumbles so easily that it is difficult to collect a specimen that was not in the form of powder. Several seams of lignite occur on the western side of the Vermejo Canon. The following section will illustrate their mode of occurrence: 60 feet of sandstone. 3 feet of siliceous conglomerate. 25 feet of yellow sandstone. 1 foot of lignite. 30 feet of limonite or hydrous oxide of iron. 10 feet of lignite. 20 feet of sandstone. 10 feet of lirnonite. 15 feet of lignite. 75 feet of yellow sandstone. 100 feet of sandstone covered by a sandy soil. I t will be observed that veins of limonite occur in connection with the lignite or brown coal. A stratum of hard siliceous conglomerate, about 4 feet thick, runs through the sandstone near the top of the mesa, about 6 miles north of Vermejo Post- Office. The rock is fine- grained, aud has a browuish color. Bituminons coal occurs at Triuidad. The outcrops of the coal are either in the Raton plateau, just south of the town, or on the west, 4 miles from the towu, on the south bank of the Purgatoire River. The principal deposit of coal occurs . at a poiut 3 miles south of Trinidad, near the Santa Fe" road. The vein runs north and south, and has a width varying from 9 to 12 feet, with an average thickness of 5 feet according to the statemeut of Mr. James, the superintendent of the mine. This vein is traced for a length of 2 miles on the north, and outcrops on the north side of the Raton Mountain. The coal is underlaid by a bed of yellow sandstoue. A layer of limonite about 2 feet thick overlies the coal at the place where it is mined. The coal is said to be free from pyrites. |
