Report on the fossil iron ores of Georgia

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF GEORGIA
S. W. McCALLIE, State Geologist
BULLET! N No. 17
REPORT
ON THE
FOSSIL IRON ORES
OF.
GEORGIA
BY
S. W.. McCALLIE
State Geologist
The Franklin-Turner Company, Atlanta, Ga.
1908

ATLANTA, GA,
THE FRANKLIN-TURNER COMPANY
PRINTERS, PUBLISHERS, BINDERS
rgo8

ERRATA.
r On page r8, 20th line, for "McCuthen", read McCutchen. 2 On page 20, 15th line, for "appears", read appear. 3 On page 29, foot note, for "H. C. Smyth'',read C. H. Smyth. 4 On page 46, 3rd line, for "evposure", read exposure. 5 On page 141, 2 rst line, for "crossed", read crosses. 6 On page 154, nth line, for "writer's'", read wrz"ter. 7 On page I 68, zznd line, for "at right angles to", read par-
allel with. 8 On page 179, 33rd line for'' 32'', read 3I. . 9 On page r8o, 9th line, for ''33", read 32. ro On page r8o, 34th line, for "averaging", read average.

POSS IL !N O.V ON ES OF GEONGIA

FNONTIS PIECE

PLA TE I

HISING FAWN FURNACE, NEAR H I ING ~'AWN, DADE OUNTY, GEOHGIA


TlfE ADVISORY BOARD
of the
Geological Survey of Georgia
in the Year 1908
(Ex-Officio) Hrs ExCELLENCY HOKE SMITH, Governor of Georgia
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD HoN. PHILIP COOK _____________.________ Secretary of State HoN. R. E. PARK___ ____ -----------------State Treasurer HoN. W. A. WRIGHT----------------- Comptroller-General HoN. JOHN C. HART--------------------- Attorney-General HoN. T. G. HUDSON ---------Commissioner of Agriculture RoN. J. M.~POUND _________ Commissioner of Public Schools
(5)

LEITER OF TRANSMITTAL
G~oLoGICAL SuRVEY o:F G~oRGIA, A'I'LAN'I'AJ GA.J August 2, 1908.
To His Excellency Hoke Smith., Governor and Chairman of the Advisory Board of thie Geologica1l s~~rvey of Georgia.
SIR: I have the ?-onor to transmit herewith my report on the
Fossil Iron Ores of Georgia, to be published as Bulletin No. 17 of
this Survey. Very respectfully yours, S. W. McCALLIICJ State Geologist.
(7)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ADVISORY BoARD ....................................................... .

5

LETTER Of TRANSMITTAL ..............................................

7

LIST Of ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................. . I3-I4

CHAPTER I The Rocks Associated with the Fossil Iron Ores ........... . I7-2I

Introduction ..................................................... .

I7

The Medina Rocks ............................................ . I7-I8

The Clinton Rocks ........................................... I8-I9

The Niagara Rocks .......................................... . I9-2I

CHAPTER II The Rocks of Georgia Deposited during the Niagara Period 22-28

CHAPTER III Distribution of the Clinton Ores in the United States ..... . 29-35

CHAPTER IV Local Distribution of the Fossil Iron Ores in Georgia ..... . 36-40

CHAPTER V Topography and Geology ................................ . 4I-52

Topography ..................................................... . 4!-43

Stratigraphy ..................................................... . 43-44

Cambrian Rocks ......................... _.................... . 44-45

The Aspian Shales ....................... ; ................ . 44

The Rome Formation .................................... . 44

The Connasauga Shale .................................. . 45

Silurian Rocks ............................................... . 45-46

The Knox Dolomite ..................................... . 45

The Chickamauga Limestone ............................ . 45-46

The Rockwood Formation ................................ . 46

Devonian Rocks ............................................. . 46

Carboniferous Rocks ......................................... . 46-48

The Fort Payne Chert ..................... ; ............. . 46-47

The Floyd Shale ........................................ . 47

The Bangor Limestone ................................... . 47

The Lookout and the Walden's Ridge Sandstone ........ .. 47-48

Structural Geology ........................................ 48-52

CHAPTER VI General Description'of the Fossil Iron Ores of Dade county 53-86

Distribution ..............................................._...... . 53-54

The Mode of Occurrence ........................................ . 54-55

The Extent of Development ..................................... . 55-56

Conditions Favorable for Mining ................................ . s6-s8

Detailed Description of Individual Iron Ore Deposits in Dade county s8-86

Infroductory ................................................ . 58

10

CONTENTS

Page

Fossil Iron Ores of Johnson Crook ....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5g-68

The Georgia Iron & Coal Company's Property. . . . . . . . 58-65

Solon Guinn's Property . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ..... . .. . .. 65-66

The Slaton Property ......................... ; . . . . . . . . 66

The Ta~~a:n~~H~~rt Prop.erty." ~ .,. ., . . . . . . . . . . . . .

66

G. A. R.:' Bibbl'e'il ('Propertf':\~. :-....................... 66-67

W. P. Gilbert's Property . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . . .. .. . .. . . .. 67

T. B. Blake's Prop-my-:-...... .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . .. .. . .. . . 67
E. M. Thomas' Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 67

Sarah Hartline's Property . . .. . . . . .. . ... . . . .. . .. .. . .. 67

The Nesb-itt .and .other. -J!lroperties ..... _, ............. , ., . . ~~

Descri-ption of.taeFossil, Iron Olles .of. Lookoub Malley,.,. .. ~ 6-5. The- ;G>ean Rr.o1;)1;'er,tru.,;.. .............................,.,...........- .~~{1:~1!A<:; . ,,.,,-., (\-)Q~:.;~1n.
:L, .S30olliefJs.tEhiap;erty._~....,........ ", ;,..-~. .,,, ..........,.,. ;: , . ~ . . . ~ft:-ZP

'Dhe -Smith< >Rr0perty. .......................,...................,... iL{~,~ -~ !'l'T 70

V;[.i_,.A, .Allison!s.r Bnoperty ...... - ..... ---~--- .- ..;. '~., :"'"' :_. "i ~ ;

70

'thomas. J?aj~:nds,.,Br.openty ..................,,.,,., '" ,.,. f'~ '" o.,.:H 7D-7I

'iDhe ;Tiinker;:(Rx:operty, ,... ., ............._..; <, .- ,,, "'. ,. '.;,;., 71-72
r?. 1$~l;;lis }FrJtketds't.!Elr0:p:erty~.; ......_'--' ...,..; '" . ''' ....... - r.
Wfi~ Bll!iiehaxitkofu. :&-~,CbaLlG.Gimpa'l}-y~s"IJ~o.,pE:rtYr ;. ;_. . .. 72-1'4
1:'iv#:Uot:2:2~1tr8th:>ill:iistt#h ;;f.\}.~Q /;'~(~;-~-~;,,J',~")20;4~ ~f'-'.~,.. . .. 7~'"'~$
-L;o.t. -35., .,!8th ,nisft:ict. ;,,,.~;;,,_,,;,.:.,.tO.t;.:;. :.,.o;o::.:-"R!'~~Y, . l!'~t- ~~
',D~:~~.:r~~~:~~~~::~::.::~::::;,:,.,.,.,. . ;:! Lot 3/1, ;r8th. District ...............,....~ ...v.:~ ..'"' 73

Lot .s,. a'8fh. District .. ,.~......... ;;,;,;,.-,z,,;,_;,~:;,~,;~.;;;~'"''':'+ ~;'!J'i... .. 76

Lot 37, .L-Lth :District ... ; ........ , ,, . ;:,,.,,:; . .. ;,.;..... 76

Lot 251, .I.oth .District , ..... , , .. '''" ,.. ~ '!' . , . : 76--77 Lot 2I2, IO:th District .... .-..:.i~>'''' 77-78 Lot 186, roth Distdct ... , .., ........... ., . . . . . . . . . 78

Lots .173"'174,. wtl;l. Distr:i<;t '<'<, ..... '" "" .. . ... .. .. ..
Lot . I ,52,, roth . District . , , .. , , , . .. . .. . . . . . ... . .. . . . Other. Lots ........ _., ..... , , ...--i ,.,., , .,. eo:. ,,~-, Lot. 25, .mth Distric-t ... ~ l ..... . , ...,:

78-79 79
79-8o So-81

Lot IIS, . roth. District. ........_.;..,.,... ,... ,,. . . . . . .. Sr-82

Other .Lots.............. .,.;.,."':>..., ;, "- ... ,...... 82

Lot 214, roth District ........ , ........... :. . . ... . . . . 82

A. McLean~s .Pr.oper.ty .......................... , . . . 82-83 ~he ;;,Suttcill r P.r0per:ty'; ... , . :, . ........ .- ... '~. . . . . . . . ", 83
D. , Martin:s Property , ........... , .. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?3-85

CE:A'P:'l'tR VII Fossil..Iron Or.es..of Walker C01.1t).ty .......... 1 8tf-I2I
'<2Uhtr.oductory............................ -............. ~r ................... ,. . . . ti'\' 86

Detailed .Description of Individual Properties , ................ ". . . 87-rzr
:; ~s. J:: T.~ .!AHgood! s Rfope!ty . '.. o;n.' . , : ; .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... (' 87

The. Stoner-.Caldw.ell .Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

The West Property ................................... . . . . . . . . 87-88

CONTEN'f.')

II

Page

Lot r62, roth District ........................................ . 88

Moses Long's Property ...................................... . 88-89

Lot 233, roth District ....................................... . 90

The Wisdom Property ....................................... .

90

'Frank Costello's Property .................................... . 90-91

The Parrish Property ........................................ . 91

M. M. Phi:llips' Property .................................... . 9!--92

The Patterson and Wilson Properties ......................... .

92

The 'Partain Property .... .. .... . ............................ .
J. M. Henry's Property ...................................... .
W: A. Bloom's Property ..................................... .
J. D: Stephens' Lot ......................................... .
Thomas Coulter's Lot ....................................... .
J. C. Morgan's Property ..................................... .

92--93 93
93--94 94 94 94

The Andrews Property ..... : ................................ . 95 South of Cedar Grove ................... ; ................... . 95--96

Edmund Evitt's Property .................................... . g6

The Kensington Iron & Coa,l Company's Property .............. . g6-IOI

The Glenn-V!arthen Propc:rt-s ... ~ . ~>....;. ; ' ................... IOI-!07

J.' L. Warrenfel's Property .. : . ............................... 107-I08

The E. W. Marsh Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ro8

W. H. Shaw's Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r08

I. W. Copeland's Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ro8

Lot 42, 7th District .................................. :. . . . . . . . 109

Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company's Property .............. rog-rn

D. J. Hammond's Property :. , _. ... , ...... _..................... III

The Dickson--'Cameron Property .............................. III-II2

J. A Williams' Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 12

J. D. McConnell's Property ....................... : ........... II2.:....II3

E. L. Thurman's Property .................................... II3-II4 The Georgia Iron & Railroad Company's Property .........1 II4-II8

Lot 304, 7th District ...... ; ; ; ' ............................ II4-IIS

Lot 236, 7th District ............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IIS

Lot 200, 7th District ...................................... IIS....;II6

Lot 127, 7th District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rr6

Lot 70, 26th District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I I7

Lot 7, 26th District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II7

Lot 66, z6th District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I r8

Fossil Iron Ores West of the Chattanooga Valley near the Georgia-

Tennessee Line ................................................ II8-I2I

Mrs. Alice Parks, Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II9

M. M. Fisher's Property ..................................... r2o-r2I W. C. McFarland's Property ............................... ~ I2I

CHAPTER VIII Description of the Fossil Iron Ores of Chattooga county. 122-136

Introductory ........... ; ............................. . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Lookout Mountain .............. : ................................ 123-128

A. J Neal's Property ........................................ 122-I23

!2

CONTENTS

Page W. T. Henry's Property ...................................... 123-124
A. J. Lawrence's Property ................................... I24-I25
Lot 2IO, 13th District ....................................... I25-I26 Lot 223, 13th District ........................... -. . . . . . . . . . . . . . r26 Lot 222, 13th District ........................................ rz6-r28 Dirtseller Mountain .................. ~ .......... ................ 128-132 Gaylor's Ridge .......... : . ..................... ' .................132-133 Taylor's Ridge ............................................ ..... 133-136
J. W. Maddox's Property .................................... 134-135
The Cleghorn, Billings and Shropshire Property .............. 135-136 W. T. Kyle's Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . 136
T. Rile's Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
CHAP'I'E:R IX Fossil Iron Ores of Whitfield county .................... I37-I40 CHAP'I'E:R X Fossil Iron Ores of Catoosa county ....................... 140-144
The Smith Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 The Ostrem Property_ ... , , ..... ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 The Georgia Iron & Coal Company's Property . : ............... 142-143 CHAP'I'E:R :X:I The Origin of the Fossil Iron Ores .................. : . .. 144-156 CHAP'I'E:R XII The Geqlogical Condition,s During the Deposition of the Clinton Ores ................................ .................. 157-163 CHAP'I'E:R XIII Desct:iption of the Fossil Iron Ores ................... 164-169 The Soft Ore ............................... , ... ; .................164-165 The Hard Ore .................... .......... _, ....... ~ ........ : .... r65-169 CHAPTE:R XIV Microscopic Examination of the- Fossil Iwrt 'Ores, .... -. 170-176 The Matrix ......................................................... 170-171 Lar,ge Calcite Granules ........................................... i7T-172 Rhombohedral Crystal of Calcite .... ~ . : . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 172 Quartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Iron Oxide ................ ........... ............................ 174-176 CHAP'I'E:R XV The Chemical Composition of Georgia Clinton Ores ..... 177-184 Water ...................... , , , , . , , ... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 179 Loss of Water on Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 179 Ferrous Iron ....................................... ~~............... 180 Ferric Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r8o The Alumina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r8b Manganese ........................................................ 18o-r81 .Calcium Carbonate ............................................... rSr-183 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Carbon Dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r83 Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r83 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Silica ............................................................ 183-184 CHAP'I'E:R XVI The Most Probable Origin of the Clinton Ore .......... r85-194

LIST OF IlLUSTRATIONS
PLATES Opposite page
I Rising Fawn Furnace, near Rising Fawn, Dade county, Georgia_----------.,..- ________ Frontispiece
II Limestone Ouarry, near Rising Fawn Furnace, Dade county, Georgia_------.---------------______ 24
III Relief Map of a Portion of Northwest Georgia_.___ 40 IV Fossil Iron Ore Strippings, near Wildwood, Dade
county, Georgia_ -- - ----- ---------------- 48 V Chattanooga Black Shale overlain by Bangor Lime-
stone, near the Georgia-Tennessee Line_________ 64
VI Mining Iron Ore near High Point, Walker county, Georgia ________________________________ c___ 72
VII Mining Camp at Estelle, Walker county, Georgia__ 8o VIII Underground Workings, Kensington Iron & Coal
Company's Property, near Estelle, Walker county, Georgia ______ ----------------------------- 88 IX The Double Tipple, Kensington Iron & Coal Company's Property, riear Estelle, Walker county, Georgia_ - __ - - _- ---- --- - -- - - -- - --- - -- --- --- 96 X The Underground Workings, Kensington Iron & Coal Company's Property, Estdle, Walker county, Georgia ---- ------ ------ ------------ I04 XI A Cut on the Chattanooga Southern Railroad at Estelle, Showing Sandstone and Shale associated with the Fossil Iron Ores-------------------- JI2 XII Mining Fossil' Iron Ore by Stripping, near Estelle, Walker county, Georgia ________ -------- ____ rzo
(13)

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Opposite page

XIII A Tipple on the Chattanooga Southern Ra_ilroad at Estelle, Walk~r c'Qunty, Georgia_- ____ ~_- __ T 36

XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII

Mining Fossil Iron Ore by Surface. Stripping, near

Es~elle, _Walker county, Georgia---- ------ ..... - 144

~-- . , ~~

r;~.-~-~~r} :~ ~,,

.. ~~-~, r~$-~ .~--~-11'- ...

t

.

A View Showing the old V\7';9,rkings._of the Upper

.,;;; ..... *M

>

....





_f ~ ' ' "'""

I~ ~- 1,:

and the Lower Iron Ore Beds of .the Marsh Prop-

t" -~~ t' '

"~- f o"'!<

':"'" \

': _,,?'

. '('

erty at Bstelle, Walker county, Geofgia.________ 152

J -

-

h

...





{"

J; ..

: ~-

_; i :.'; ,.. " \

Exposure of a Hard Ore Bed. on the Glenn-Warthen

';;'t i

._

-!-. 0 . -~'/7 Clt .'f , . ;. ;. ~ .... ;rt ~ 1

3,? "' ~

Property, showing Laminated Structure _ .. --- _ 153

:rr;in Wat~t~~orn t. . ~. . \ " .. ""7''1!~



~

:Bou1ae!s.

.

;,,

..

tHe ,c Fdssii Iron Ore

Bed.. on Dirtseller .Mount~iri, Chattodga county,

oGe6rgia::. - .:. _,_:- :-'-- - "'-- - -~.: -- < - - -- - -- - - ,-- -- -- -- I 6o

'"t.

:

\

fr~;- '. .

Fossil Iron Ore Strfp;ping on Dirtseller Mountain,

Chattooga county, Georgia-------..,_- ... .,.-----,.--- r68

XIX.

:XXI

XXII ~f :~)}:~~J'

XXIII

<



XXIV

Fossil Iton Ore Workings on Taylor's Ridge, Chat-

too~fa county, Georgm -~.~ .,,.., ..,1 ..... .,.-:--- _..:. ____ -.,--- r6g Photo;::Microg'rap.hs o.r~&ssil Jron.()re .:.:.:~.;._ ____ :___ r76

:'':~-:. ~rf -~f~7. '\<t~~,i.\\--~:?-~ -~;.,~
Photo-Mib:rdgra;phs

-~-.:~~
of

F.. ~.otys.. .:s_: 1. -.~1. 1:-~r: o{n--~

'. O~~. e_, ..:._

..

---
______

....

_

176

~ - ....

- "' -~

...... .. .. _ -

. :

.i,.,

,. _

~; t,r

~

Photo-Micrographs of Fossil Iron Ore ----- ______

f r:}_J: ~~:.J Ufr1(! 1C.?J:CJ:H ~!J' ~;:{_ ~t~Ir- -~E"I.' ;:,.~r~t( . t

I

Photo-Micrographs of Fossil Iron ore ... - --- ------ ..,

, .. .. ,. 'r

( -,l ...-

~-~-

... ,..;, t t

~ ~ ; .A l .t. l f:. :;.

I 76 I 76

Photo-Micrographs of Fossil Iron Ore_ _- __ ______ I 76

rM'A~'s'

r Map Showing 'th~c.Jl)istrib,lll:ion of the. Fo$sil lfpn

Ores in the United, :Sta,tes -.---.-:- -.,.,-::-c;-:\-- .. --- -- 32



. !'t:;... .

:l 1!<1

fr-~

,.

2 Geologic Map of Dade and-Parts of "Walker and

Chattbqga counties, with 'Structrt~<; Se<;;tions. - -.- 56

3 :, .... -. r" ~"

.. r .. . f."

r~ . -:-'"~"'

Geologic Map of at Part oF F.loyd ana Chattooga

counties, with Structure Sections-:------ ______ 128

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

I5

FIGURES
Opposite page
1 Land Lot Map Showing Iron Ore Workings on the Kensington Iron & Coal Company's Property____ 98
2 Land Lot Map of a Part of the Glenn-Warthen Property---------------------------.-- ------- ro3
3 North America at the Opening of the Upper Silurian ___ ---- ------------- --o-. ------ -- _ ---- rsS

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA
CHAPTER I
THE ROCKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOSSIL IRON ORES.
INTRODUCTION
The fossil iron ores of Georgia were laid down in what is known in the geological time-scale as the Niagara period, one of the three subdivisions of the Upper Silurian era. This period, which is further subdivided into the Medina, Clinton and Niagara epochs, is represented in the State of New York, where its rocks were first systematically studied, by many feet of sandstone, limestone and shale.
THE J\1EDINA RocKs.-The rocks of the Medina epoch, which are the oldest rocks of the Niagara period, are well represented in New York by what is known as the Oneida conglomerate and the Medina sandstone. The former covers a considerable area in Oneida and Herkimer counties in that State, and it also forms the Shawangunk Mountains in Ulster county, and the Kittatinny Mountains between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Southwest of New York the Oneida conglomerate traverses the States of Pennsylvania and Virginia and passes into the valley of East Tennessee, where it occurs in two rather prominent ridges known as Clinch and Bays mountains. I
The Medina sandstone/ which apparently represents an off-shore
I Geology of Tennessee, by J M. Safford, p. 298.
2 Dana's Manual of Geology, Fourth Edition, p. 538. (I?)

rr8

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

:phase of the Oneida conglomerate, consists mainly of fine-grained,

ripple-marked, thin-bedded sandstone and argillaceous shales. It

:also occt'trs 'in Oneida coti.Iify, Xor;, ai1qi is in the ...

,

~ ''

: ~- ,_,. :~ . - :

Ne~. 4 '" :'..

..~--~

-

'"\:it'' ..~:--~-~~

~:t;:p9~s:ed .'' .?;'''"i't'"~-:,

'bluff along the Niagara River _at L~w.i:St<;:m. To the west it ex-

tends into Ontario, and is also 'fo-und it\ bstern Ohio. South of

.New York, the Medina sandstone is associated with the Oneida

conglomerate, and it likewise occurs as far south as the valley of

East Tennessee.

There seems to be some doubt as to the presence of either of the ~above divisi"o11s of the M:edina rocks in Georgia. Prof. ]. M. Safford iin his Geolo:gy of T~i1nessee,r .places ili~ sandstones of Taylor's

':JRiC:lge, which is the southern extension of White Oak Mountain of 'Tennessee, as the lower m~mber o the Niagara series, or the Me-

dina sandstone.
Htiyes riofes the ocourrehde offrheavy- heels of sandston~ in Nbtth-
west Geo.r"gia in Chaftoogata 'and Rock Face mot1ntains, having
lithologicail charaiders sin1ilat to the sandstone fol"lning Clinch
Motiiitain in Teh!lessee:; hut ilte qt1:est1o11S whether t1.i:e-y OCCUi)Y fi-re :sam'e stfatigraphidl p6sft'ion.2 'Mec11rt~ 'Sandsfo~ne '~is ?six)keh ot 'by A. :f. ~cCt1t1ten as ioc6urri1Ig in:th~ ,'11orthives'ferrt p,atto'f :the: Stat!e
in Chaltoogata, R6C.ky Face, Johns,' Born ~nd Lavender, and {}a:F
1or1_s: mo11ntains, ant:l'in D~ck~s and .'J?ay~0t's rJdg<:s~ .ht-it he ;~ives '11Q ,dat~, :whatever to substarrtia:te this s:tatemeht~:s As ar as my own

~qJ?,?er:yati011S, extend, there is no sa;tisfactory 'evidence at hand t0 :show, definitely the exact stratig1~aphical 'positions of the lower sand-
stgpes:.;:<;?(}Ctlt:ring it). .thes~ .,ITI01J11taiJ:ilS. The only way to decide ddinit<:~Y .~he po~ition o.f these rocks, is to rnake .a study of their fossil Te!IJ.ains,-'which occur in ~considerable abundance in s6111e .of.the beds.
A COll1Pl~te s.t.ttdy of their. htho1ogical '~hat:acteri~tjcs m~y ;also thi'.ow
:some li,ght on. their geolq'gi~alJm?itions. Cri'lese:charaderisfics, ~how"' ever, are .gep.er~lly too variable to be relied upon in giving cotrdu-

:sive -stratigraphical evidence.

'

THE CLINI.fON Rot::Ks.-The setoficl di'Vis'io~1 df tlie Ni:a:i'~ra

r Elementary Geology of Tenn., pp. I~2'-r43.
44. 2 Geol. Surv. of Ala., BulL No. 4, p.
J The Commonwealth of Georgia, p. 87.

ROCKS ASSOCIATED WITH FOSSIL IRON ORES

19

rocks, the Clinton group, has a much wider distribution than the Medina conglomerates and sandstones. It not only occurs in New York, Pennsylv.ania, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, but it is also well developed in Georgia and Alabama, and covers considerable areas in Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. The Clinton formation also occurs in Nova Scotia, where according to Dawson, it attains a thickness of 500 feet.
The rocks of the Clinton group are quite variable. In New York and Pennsylvania, they consist mainly of sandy shales with an occasional thin bed of limestone. In Georgia and Alabama, they are chiefly calcareous shales and sandstones with some limestone; while in Ohio, the entire group is made up largely of limestone.
The thickness of the Clinton rocks is also quite variable. Dana estimates the total thickness, at the falls on the Genesee River near Rochester, N. Y., at about 8o feet; and in Virginia, at 850 feet.r In East Tennessee, Safford estimates the thickness from roo to 300 feet, which differs but little from the thickness. given by Smith to the so-called Clinton formation of Alabama. To the northwest, the rocks formed duri11g the Clinton epoch are still further reduced in thickness. In Ohio and Indiana, the entire formation rarely ever attains a thickness of more than so feet; and in Wisconsin, the thickriess is even less.
The Clinton rocks are well represented in Northwest Georgia; but, as no effort has been made. to differentiate them from the other rocks of the uppermost Silurian formations, it is impossible to give their thickness. However, if Safford's and Smith's estimates of the thickness of the Clinton formation in Tennessee amd Alabama are correct, it would probably not be far wrong to assign to the Georgia deposits a like thickness.
THE NIAGARA RocKs) or the rocks belonging to the upper division of the Niagara period, consist mainly of limestone. They have a wider distribution than either the Medina or the Clinton formations. Dana, in speaking of the distribution of these rocks, says :2 "In New York, the beds, reach quite to the Hudson River,

r J D. Dana, Manual of Geology, Fourth Edition, p. 542 2 J. D. Dana, Manual of Geol., Fourth Edition, p. 540.

20

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

and are there distinguished as the Coraline limestone. They are-,..

however, but a few yards in thickness. They spread westward

through New York, making 250 feet of the height of the Niagara

bluffs; continue beyond through Ontario, in Canada, with a thick-

v.ess of 250 to 300 feet, to Lake Huron, west of Georgian Bay and

to the Manitoulin Islands ; extend around the north side of Lake:-

Mi_chigari to Illinois, Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, and the adjoin-

ing parts of Minnesota-making in all' a distance from east to west.

of r,ooo miles." South of New York, these beds seem to be poorly

developed'; they are entirely wanting in portions of Pennsylvania-

and West Virginia, but they appear again in Ohio, Kentucky and.

Tennessee. I

In the last named Stat~, the bed~ occur in the valley of East Ten-

nessee near the ;Tennessee:::Kentucky line, but they soon thin out im

going south; and appears to be entirely wanting in Georgia and Ala--

bama. To the east, the Niagara limestones are. well developed in

Maine, New Hampshire and Novia Scotia ; they are also found in.

the Arctic region as far north as the 76th parallel of latitude and

occur in the Black .Hills of South Dakota, and in Nevada, where

they form thick niasses of liilie~to~e.



Three different phases 9f rock deposition are weJl brought out in

. a study of the rocks laid down during the Niagara period above de-

scribed. At the beginning of this period, we have first the Oneida

conglomerate and the Medina sandstone. The former was deposited

alorig the margin of the sea-coast, while the latter represents an off-

shore deposit of a shallow sea, with ever changing tides and swift

-currents. The_ land surface at this time seems to have been under-

going rapid denundation, and the rivers were rapid. These condi-

ti-ons were followed by a second stage, represented by the sandstones~

shales and limestsmes of the Clinton epoch, a transitional phase be-

tween the Medina and the Niagara epochs. The sea during this

epoch was evidently deepened to the westward, for there the Clin-

ton is represented almost entirely by limestone. To the eastward~

the sea was still comp~ratively shallow, as shown by the deposition

of shales and sandstone; but, at the same time, there appear to

I Geology of Tenn., by J. M. Safford, p. 3I2.

,ROCKS ASSOCIATED WITH FOSSIL IRON ORES

21

'have. been short intervals during which the waters were cornparatively deep and free from land sediments, as is revealed in the thin beds of limestones occurring at various horizons in the formations. Next, followed the deep sea of the Niagara epoch, in which were "hid down the 'heavy beds of limestone extending from New York to the Black Hills of Dakota, and as far south as Tennessee.
Having thus given, in a general way, the distribution and the , general character of the rocks deposited during the Niagara period, it is proposed, :ln the following chapter, to go into a more detailed -description of these rocks as they occur in Georgia, and at the same 'time to compare them with the same formation in Tennessee, Alai:bama and:elsewhere.

cHAPTER II

. ~. ~

~ .... ,~.;.;

1~.;.

\

'rHE ROCKS OF GEORGIA DEPOSITED DURING ')' i:"< c(;'/;' ''''~TB:E NIAGA'RA PERIOD
The rocks of Georgia deposited during the Niagara period, as above stated; have. never been differentiated or separated into differ.:.
ent groups, corresponding to those divisions of tHe series both to
the north and the west. It is true that Safford refers to the Medina sandstone in Taylor's Ridge, and McCutchen speaks of its occurrence in the ridges further to the east; but, as these statements are probably based upon pur~ly lithological characteristics, they should not be accepted without question. Spencer, in speaking of these rocks in Georgia, says that they evidently belong to the Medina and Clinton groups, yet he was unable to find any evidence which would justify such a division. For this reason, therefore, Spencer groups the rocks all under .one head;. and discusses them tinder the name of the Red Mountain series, a term first used by Tuomey.I
Hayes likewise grouped these rocks under one head, and desig'nates them as the Rockwood formation, on account of their typicai development at Rockwood, Tennessee. The Rockwood formation, according to Hayes, embraces the Dyestone group, the White Oak, and the Clinch Mountain sandstones of Safford, being limited below by the. Chickamauga lime~tone, and above by the Chattanooga or Devonian black shale. Hayes makes no attempt to separate these rocks into different groups; nevertheiess, he speaks of three different sub~divisions occurring on the eastern edge of the Ringgold quadrangle, and so represents them on the map. The same method cJ grouping these rocks under one name has beenadopted by Smith, of Alabama. In that State, they are usually designat.ed as the Clinton or Red Mountain series, though the term Dyestone is also often
I Alabama Geological Survey, rst Bien. Report, p. ro, r8so.
(22)

ROCKS DEPOSITED DURING THE NIAGAR..4 PERIOD

23

applied to them. Smith, in referring to the position of these rocks in the geological time-scale, says the Clinton or the Red Mountain formation is generally regarded as the lower member of the Niagara period, and is the only representative of the Upper Silurian in that region. 1
The rocks, deposited in Tennessee during the Niagara period, referred to in the previous chapter, seem to be much better differentiated into groups than in either Georgia or Alabama. At any rate, Safford, in his Geology of Tennessee,2 describes three different formations, which he correlates with the rocks laid down in New York during the Medina, Clinton and Niagara epochs. The Medina epoch he finds represented by the White Oak and the Clinch Mountain sandstone, while the Clinton and Niagara epochs are represented by the Dyestone Group and the Miniscus limestone, respectively. If the classification of the rocks, as here made out by Safford, is accepted as correct, there seems to be no question about the presence of the Medina sandstone in Northwest Georgia. This is evident, when it is recalled that Taylor's Ridge in Georgia is the southern extension of \iVhite Oak Mountain, and is made up of similar rocks. Granting the presence of the Medina sandstone in Taylor's Ridge, it necessarily follows, that it must also occur in the ridge lying further to the east, since the same formations are there much better developed. As there seems to be doubt as to the propriety of dividing the Niagara rocks of Georgia into groups, it is thought best to make no attempt at sub-divisions, but to discuss the whole series under one name, yet, at the same time, giving to each lithological sub-division such emphasis as .its importance would seem to warrant.
In selecting a name for the Niagara rocks of Georgia, from the several names above given, there seems to be a question as to which name to adopt. The U. S. Geological Survey, in naming formations, follows a binominal system, the first member of the name being a geographical, and the second, a lithological term, as, for example, the Kn.ox dolomite or the Lookout sandstone. The geo-

r Ala. Geol. Surv. Rept., on the Geology and Structure of Murphee Valley, p. 25.
2 Geology of. Tenn., by J. M. Safford, p. 292.

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

graphical term is usually the name of a town, river, mountain or

'some other natural or artificial feature at or near which the forma-

ti'on is typically developed. When the formations are made up of

several beds differing from each other in lithological character, as

the Niagara rocks of Georgia, so that no lithological term is suit-

able, "formation" is substituted for the lithological term, as the

\

Rockwood formation. It is also customary iri naming formations

to observe the law of priority, that is, when a formation has been

previously named, to give that name the preference, unless it is mis-

leading, or.confl_icts with some other name already in use.

The name Clinton, as applied to this series of rocks fn Alabama

by Smith,'at first view would seem to be art appropriate name. Es-

pecially is this true, if priority alone is taken into consideration.

The term Clinton, however, as used by Hall and Dana to designate

one o 'the three subdivisions of the Niagara series of rocks i1i. New

York,. would be misleading. This name would naturally suggest the idea that th~ series of rocks in Alabama and Georgia is identical

with those Cff the same name in New York; whereas the name in

the former case represents not only the Clinton of New York, but
p~ohably ~also a part of ,the lY-[edina (g't9t1p of rocks. drhe same' ob:.. je~tlon isappllcable to the term Dyestone group, as used by Safford. This tel~m, however, seeii1S to be quite ~ppropriate in Tennessee;

where the Niagara rocks appear to be fairly well differentiated into

three -distinct groups, a condition which is not met with either' in

Georgia ai1d Aiabama.

The Red :_1\;16untaih_ fonnation, at first used by Tourney, seems

to. be far less obJectionable than either of the terms above named

in designa!ing these. rocks. The name Red Mountain, as origi-

11ally applied to this group of rocks, had reference to their typical

development. in a. mo'Untah1 by that name, which forms the east-

ern bouhdary of Jones's Valley, just east of Birmingham. The

term meets all the essentia.'l requirements of a formation name,

as lai.d down by the United States Geological Survey, and, at

the same iime, it gives prominence to its econ-omic feature, which

is so remarkably well developed in Red Mountain... Spencer, in his

Paleozoic group, has adopted this name for the Niagara series of

ROCKS DEPOSITED DURING THE NIAGARA PERIOD

25

rocks of Northwest Georgia, and includes tinder the name all the rocks lying between the Chickamauga limestone and the Chattanooga black shale.r The term, as used by Spencer, embraces all the rocks included in Smith's Red Mountain group, and is the equivalent of Hayes's Rockwood formation. The name Red Mountain, <;.s above defined, vwuld appear to be a vvell selected name for the Ni-agara series of rocks in Georgia. However, it is thought advisable to use in this report the name Rockwood. This name has been adopted by the United States Geological Survey, and it is for this reason likely to become of more general use than any of the other terms suggested. Furthermore... the lithological character of the rocks of the Niagara period of Georgia differs but little from that of the typical locality, Rockwood, Tennessee, the place from which the name of the formation was taken. Hayes, in describing the formation in that region, says: 2 "This formation, which is the highest division of the Silurian in this region, varies widely in character and thickness within the limits of the sheet. It forms a narrow strip about the head of Sequatchie Valley, where it is 165 feet thick, and is composed of calcareous shales imbedded with blue limestone. Along the foot of the Cumberland escarpment, it is about 6oo feet thick, and consists of calcareous and sandy shales. Still further east in the ridge, which extends from Iron Divide to Ten-Mile Stand, .the formation attains a thickness of from 850 to I,ooo feet, a considerable portion of which is coarse sandstone imbedded 'li.rith sandy 'shale."
The description here given agrees very closely in a general way with the Rockwood formation of Georgia. To the west along Lookout Valley, the formation, which consists of calcareous shales and thin-bedded limestone, with an occasional layer of sandstone, attains a thickness of only about 500 feet; while further east, in Horn, Rocky Face and other mountains, it reaches a maximum thickness of about I,soo, and at the same time is represented to
a considerable extent by sandstone. In the Lookout Valley there
is no exposure where the entire formation can be studied in one
r Paleozoic Group, the Geology of IO counties in northwest Georgia, p. 48. 2 Geologic Atlas of the United States, Kingston Folio, r894.

~6

THE FOSSIL IR:Ol{ OR4 DE,fJ:,O.Sl'lS Of G~QR,CIA

section; howe:v~r,
can be m9-.cJe. o~t.

Eth-(r3~1tren

at,:~. va.r.ious poip,ts at. whi~h partial sections
tl1~~-~ ~a:riiq~s.va_rt(lll s~stie>l:l?.C!- ~?pre ~r l~ss

complete sectiot1 of the entire forn:xa~ion can, be constru~ted. Such

a section. wo\llcl. $how;, at its b<}p,~,, a rai~J:H~r; g.r,,ad~tal cha1,1ge from the

Chkk'amaug4 limeston~ to a qalcareous,. :recJ.c),ish or bluish shale with

int.erbedded l:im~stoges. $pm.e of the s,hal,y layers are sandy, but

the sand r.q:r;el:y, ev~r occurs ilJ such. ap1,:1ndance as to form a true

sandstone.

:further -qp, qr near the middle of t):le fon~1a:tion, occur the fossil

iron ores. The roc;ks associated with these o1,es. are chiefly shales,

'

' . ~ ,: "'

~

. \ ~

.

{ :. t

' J; ..

:

though thin be,~s, of f~rJ;uginat<:;~ l~nrfs,tqn,~ al.Jd lay,~n> o~ sandstone

?.lso occur. A good idea 6 the c;haracter of th~ 111id<:lk portions of

Fawn ,the forrnatiop J.Eay b~.\;~g; fr~fll the folJrr~n;g ~kcti01l., .made out

near J;<.isiJ:tg :f:~wl~\ ~1-f~~.~~,. one ~ile eas,t of, R1s1ni

station :-

I Shale with an occasional layer of sandstone ........ 40 feet 2 Shale and:thih 'beds offerruginous limestone ....... 8 "
3 Ferruginou:s li:mestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 inches; 4 Shale . ... . . . . . . .. . . : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 " 5 Ore . ; ..... ~ ........................ , ......... 24 " 6 Ferruginous fossiliferous Iin1~stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 "
7' Ol~e .. .:.'. : '......... '. :''... ~ c: : . : . ............... I~2 "
8 Shale . . .-'. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r " 9 Ore ...................... ................... 6 "
I.Q. Sh<;tl~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 " I I Or:e ..................................... ... 6 "
I2 Shale ................. : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I "
I3 0. re ........................................ I2 "
14 Sh.ale ........................... ; . . . . . . . . . . . 8 " I 5 Ore . . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r.o "
I6 Sh.ale ....................................... --...--

The s~ctio11 here given is mad~ Otlt in the asc~nding order and
gives a f?-ir icie~ of, th.e characte,r 9 th~. ve3:rip~9 b.t:d~ br.l;~Y~r.s of
rocks formh}g the mid1le porti?t:J. of tt1e Rockwood fo~1~~tiqp as
se~p th,ro,\1ghou,t t1~~ LQq!<out V aH~Y Qn~,, of ~4e. cl}it:.~. cha~~cter
is.tics, o{ this part ot ~he fort1}~ti9~ is tl}e bed.s' of fo~i.W'.~rot1s. iroi1 ore. These beds, as will be seen 'elsewhere in this r~eport, are re-
markably persistent, and occupy practically the same geological position, not only throughout Look6~t Valley, but al~o as .far east as
Taylor's Ridge.

ROCKS DEPOSITED DURING THE NIAGARA PERIOD

27

The upper part of the Rockwood formation in Lookout Valley
differs chiefly from its middle portion in the absence of iron ores.
It consists mainly of bluish or grayish fossiliferous shales, with an
occasional thin layer of sandstone. In going east from Lookout Valley, the Rockwood formation becomes more sandy. This change
in character is well shown: in the section below, along the Chatta-
:r.ooga Southern Railroad, between the mouth of the tunnel on the
west side of Pigeon Mountain and Estelle. The section extends-
from the Chattanooga black shale, exposed at the mouth of the
tunnel, to .the upper beds of the Chickamauga limestone, thus givinga complete section of the Rockwood formati0rr im that locality.
I Chattanooga black shale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 feet 2 Bluish shale .................................. IOO ( ?) " 3 Sandy fossiliferous shales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 " 4 Blue shale, thin beds of limestone ................ 40 "
5 .Cross-bedded fossiliferous sandstone. . . . . . . .. . . . . . 8 "
6 Sandstone, thin bedded. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 20 " 7 Sandstone and thin bedded limestone. . . . . . . . . . . . . I o " 8 Bluish shales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 20 " 9 Sandstone and thin beds of limestone. . . . . . . . . . . . 40 " IO Iron ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . IO inches; I I Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet I2 Thin-bedded sandstone and shale, some limestone. . I 5 " 13 Iron ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I8 inches; I4 Sandstone and shale .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 feet I5 Iron ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 " I6 Thin-bedded sandy shale ...................... 20 " I7 Shales with an occasional layer of sandstone and
limestone ...... , .......................... I 70 " I 8 Limestone and shale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 " I9 Chickamauga limestone .......................- - - - -
The thicknesses of the several beds above given are not accurate
measurements, but are only approximated. It is almost impossible to secure a complete measured section at this point, on account of
the exposure not being continuous; nevertheless the section is suf..:.. ficiently accurate for general comparison. The increase in sand-
stone as above pointed out is here quite noticeable, but it is not so marked as in Taylor's and other ridges further east.
The lower portion of the formation in Taylor's Ridge consists

.2-8

THE FOSSIL .IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

largely of r-eddish and bluish shales with but little limestone, and only now and then a thin bed of sandstone. Further up in the series, but still below the iron ores, the sandstone becomes well developed. It here consists of several beds which are of rather coarse texture, approaching a conglomerate, and often giving rise to bluffs several feet in height along the western crest of the ridge. That part of the formation lying above the iron ore beds, and including them, here still retains its argillaceous or shaley nature, though there also occasionally occur thin layers of sandstone. The total thickness of the formation in Taylor's Ridge, as given by Spencer, is about r,2oo _ feet or about twice its thickpess in Lookout Valley. This increase in thickness is due largely to the increased development of the sand~stone below the beds of iron ore~, for the 'iron -~res, as may be seen at Wood's Gap, lie only about 200 feet below the Chattanooga black shale. Still further to the east on HOrn, Chattoogata and other mountains or ridges, the lower portion of the formation is further "increased by additional beds of sandstone and conglomerate. Hayes in speaking _of the formation in this region, says that it attains a thickness of about r,soo feet, and is naturally divided 1nto three
4oo :S.t:todivisions. The lower porfibri he nrids to' consist. G.: hirt ;purple
sands.tone, interbedded with sandy shales, which are overlai~ by
feet of heavy bedded sandstone-~ .Following the.,heavyhedded sandstones in the ascending order, occur yellow shales and loose porou9 :sandstone, but the iron ore bed which would naturally-oecur in this division is wanting.
The section here outlined, differs greatly from the section of the Rockwood formation in Lookout Valley, not only it;~. the character of the Rocks, but in the thickness of the formation itself. 'The limestone and iron ore beds which are quite prominent in une region, are entirely wanting in the other. These chai1ges in the_ lithological chanider of the rocks, as well as the increased thickl11ess of the formation from west to east, are readily explained by :supposing the land surface from which the sediments were derived . lay to the eastward, or rnore probably to the southeast. The formation in Lookout Valley in this case represents the off-shore deposit, while those in Chattoogata and other mountains fu~ther east repre~ent the shore. deposits. of the same. formation.

CHAPTER III
DISTFIBUTION OF THE CLINTON ORES IN THE UNITED STATES
The fossil iron ores of Georgia, which are generally known elsewhere in the United States as the Clinton ores, form a part of one of the most remarkable iron ore deposits known. In order that the reader may have some idea of this deposit as a whole, it is thought advisable to introduce here a short resume of the distribution of these ores in the United States, before taking up a detailed description of the Georgia deposits.
In general, these ores constitute one of the most prominent and constant lithological characters of the Clinton formation, and they are at the same time nearly always co-extensive with it. By an examination of the accompanying map, it will be observed that these ores are found as far north as western New York, being well develoned in Oneida and Wayne counties, and are also found in Herkimer, Madison and Monroe counties.r In the :first two named counties, the ores have been mined to a considerable extent to supply local furnaces. They occur usually in t--w~o beds which are sometimes 20 feet apart. Below the water level, the ores, which are made up largely of lenticular shaped grains, are quite compact, and yield from 44 to 48 per cent. of metallic iron. The following section made out at Clinton, Oneida county, the town from which the fossil ores take their name, gives a general idea of the Clinton formation, and its iron ore beds as they occur in the State of New York.2
I Calcareous sandstone and thin shale layers .......... . 50 feet
2 Non-oolitic ore (Red Flux) ...................... . 6 " 3 Calcareous sandstone ........................... . 6 " 4 Blue shale and thin sandstone layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 5 "
r Mineral Resources of New York, 1895, p. 539. 2 H. C. Smyth, Jr., Am. Jour. Science, June, 1892.
(29)

.30

THE FOSSIL JRDN ORE DEIPOSriTS OF GEORGIA

.5 Oolitic ore . . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet .6 Shale ................... ~ ...... ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 " .7' 0''o11' t1.c ore .'.........., ,\. -~ : .,-~."~....: ... : t . . . . . . .. . .' . . . . . . I "
.8 Blue shale and &:iml-be<ikded TI.imestotie 1ayers .......... roo "

The two lower cme beds amly Tm 'the above section are workable, the other two known a:s &e "Red Fh.t:K,'' be'ing a highly ferruginous limestone, too low in ir,o~ to forn1 c:-. commercial ore.
In going south from New Ycork, flu-e CEntam ores again make their
:appearance in. centrad Penm:sylvania. Here tht::y reach their greatest economic importance inn Montaur, Smyder, Juamita, Blair and Bedford. coumties, where they w~ere :fiorm.erly. worked on a very large
;scale. Tlite ore in flnest.e CotJnn.tie:s occurs in a mumher .of nearly par-
.allel corrfinttbus oufcr.ops, exposed alomg the sides of adjacent val. leys. The section below., with ~otes by d'lnvilhers~ ~how.s the. natu.re of the one-beds as they _occur i11 a :gemeral sectiam 'Gf the Clinton rGcks :in U11icH11. and Snyder cot1nties:1

I .2

$Oarm'edy(sacanlcda'l.v"e~Qi)m,tt)s..s.f.l.n..a.l.es.........:... ............... ... ...... ... ... .......

r 7.5 feet
2_.:3 "

.3 Samdstome (lo)re, samdsto111e) ..... _~ . . . .. . . . .. .. . .. ['0-'25 "

4 Purplis}J:..:reCl' caldrttebus :shaJLe~, ' . .. . . . . . . . .. -~ ~ n:043J:D ; '~ ,

.5 Ore ((Danville onep ................................ " .. IC6~;t8 ialGlws

6 Shale .(middle o1iY:e;;$1m1~ih i;;,i::'' ,::i~.c'/.'' .. ' "' ,; . .,,:., IS_G feet

? Iron salildstome '(-sanqqtopes ancl sln.ales) ..... : ., :CiCG70 "

8 ,ShaJe (loyver,,qliye s'luales) .................... .... _soQ-:.6ob "

9 I;Iirdseye loss'il-'on~ .. . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. . . .. . . .. .. . . '8;_'i6 irithes

TO Slic:\Jes '(lower orive s'haUes) . .. .. . . . . .. .. . . .. . .. .. . ISO feet

The trppermost~.ore bed- h-ere giv:et;1, :knq~r:p,. as. the.. ~"-'$l:.n~rl V~. i,~;/'
has been extems:i.V.el:y wmrke:d:i1ll. ff:ttailliita .ana. Smyder. o:~~ti,~~--: 'P~e

bed is qu1tie variable in fh'ickmesS.., apd also in the percentage :of k9:m present. Beliow t:ke draiin'a:ge :kevH tlne(6re iis 1.tsmilly 'hard, lean ~nd

calcareous, rarely ever :rurmimg O'Vfer 40 :per cemt. .metalliic iron, but

'

>

'

' ''

' ~.

-.,,. > ~ :-.~ .,.;,: !:"' ~,.: .: (>.t::r-

'I ( j ;:.: ~. ' :\

.abov-e this levre1 where ffue rcre 9e4 ~as 'breen: Jeac'ln.ed ,:OJi ''P;a~;t qf i~s

-c~lcium carbonate, the 0re gem.er~y c'arrices :a (Q0r:respGlnaingly

greafei percentage of 'ir011l; The sec-ond rG.re b.e:dl ((Dalillville m~) w'hic;:ln is. w.v.e11 (dew.e101_i)ed 1Tear

CLINTON ORES IN THE UNITED STATES

3I

Danville, in Montour county, is usually divided into two or three divisions by partings of shale. The partings, however, are usually so thin that all of the divisions can be worked together. In some instances the aggregate thickness of these beds is forty inches, but the average would likely not exceed r8 inches. The ore is nearly always fossiliferous and, above the drainage level, runs high in metallic iron.
The Block Ore, No. 6, in the above section, constitutes the upper portion of the iron sandstone, vvhich in places has become quite ferruginous. The percentage of iron in this be'd is usually too low for furnace use, and it can hardly, therefore, be termed in a commercial s:ense, an iron ore bed. Its chief interest is stratigraphical rather than economical, as it constitutes the dividing stratum between the middle and lower olive shales.
The lower bed of ore in the section designated as the Birdseye fossil ore, occurs near the center of what is known as the lower Clinton shales. The bed is of considerable economic importance in Snyder county, where it has been extensively worked. The OYe is of good quality, and when mined, breaks readily into blocks the thickness of the bed. In addition to the iron ore beds shown in the above section, there also occur at some points two other beds, but neither of them attains sufficient thickness to be of any economic importance.
The Clinton iron ores in passing south from Pennsylvania trave-rse the eastern part of Iv1arylanc1 and Virginia and the western part of west Virginia and Kentucky. In Maryland I the ores are found in Allegany county in two beds separated by six feet of calcareous shale. The upper bed is eight feet thick, while the lower is only about half this thickness. They occur in.the lower part of the Clinton formation, approximately r6o feet above its base.
The deposits in \Vest Virginia are found chiefly in Grant, Hardy, Pendleton, Greenbriar, Monroe and Mercer counties, but only at a few points have they been worked. Pumpelly in speaking of these deposits in the first three counties above named, says that they rival the deposits of Alabama and range from 3 to 30 feet in thickness.2

I Maryland Geol. Surv. Allegany County, p. 90. 2 Tenth U. S. Census, Vol. XV, p. 1,3,.

32

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

The Clinton ores in Virginia have been mined west of the Great Valley in Wythe, Giles, Bland, Tazewell, Russel,. Scott, Lee and Wise counties. The ores in Bland county are described by Campbell { as being somewhat s'iliceons. He adds, however, that the ore beds~ found in the shale of the formation are quite promising, and appear in sufficient abundance to be of commercial value. Further south in Wise and Lee counties the ores become better developed, and at the same time carry a higher percentage of iron.
South of Virg-inia, the Clinton iron ores continue southwest through East Tennessee, Northwest Georgia, and Northeast Alabama,. finally disappearing a few miles southeast of Tuscaloosa. The deposits in Tennessee form an almost continuous series of outcrops from Cumberland Gap to Chattanooga. They are qmfined mainly to the western margin of the Valley of East Tennessee, at or nearthe base of the-.Cumbercland escarpment, where they usually appear in two or more parallel ridges, having a northeast-southwest trend. A good idea of the Clinton iron ores of Tennessee, together with the associated rock, may be had from the following section by Safford:- I

I Greenish shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2 Ore with parting of shale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 0
3 Sandstone, fine-grained............. :. . . . . . . . . 6 " 4 Greenish shale, occasionally ferrugino\ls. . . . . . . . . 67 " 5 Calcareous oolitic ore, counting fossils and shale. . .4 "
6 -Greenish shale,. much like 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 2 I "
7 Calcareous ore ........................... , . 6 inches
8 Shale and thin- beds of limestone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I4 feet 9 Calcareous ore, like 7 ........................ 3-6 inches

'f'hese ores, which have been more or less extensively worked in Claiborne, Campbell, Roan, Rhea,. Hamblin, Sequatchie, and Ma-
rion counties, run from 35 to 50 per cent. metallic iron, the per-
cent~ge depending largely t'tpon the amount of carbonate of lime present.
It will' be observed by ah examinatim1 of the map that the iron bearing zone or belt, in which workable ores occur, greatly increases

I Geology of 'fenn., by J. M. Safford, p. 304, r86g.

CLLNTON ORES IN THE UNITED STATES

33

in width as the Tennessee-Georgia line is approached. The distance irom the eastern line of outcrops in the vicinity of Chattanooga to the western line of outcrops is more than 30 miles. This broadening of the belt, is due to an increase in the number of outcrops brought to the surface by a series of anticlinal and synclinal folds. In Northwest Georgia there are :five different lines of these outcrops crossed in going east from the Georgia-Alabama line, in the vicinity of Rising Fawn to Taylor's Ridge, a distance of less than 20 miles. These numerous outcrops make the aggregate length of outcroppings of the ores in Georgia, probably greater than that of any other State if the limited area of their occurrence is taken into consideration. The nature of the ores in Georgia, together with the character of the associated rock, will be fully discussed elsewhere in this report.
The Clinton or fossil iron ores reach their greatest economic development in the United States near Birmingham, Ala. The ores enter this State from Georgia and Tennessee in the extreme northeast corner, in five different lines of outcrops. Further to the south-
'M'6t itt the vicinity of Gadsden, these outcroppings become even
more numerous, as the structural geology of the region becomes ~complicated.. Still further to the southwest in the Birming-
.1\JiiD district, the number of lines of outcrops is reducedto two. Some
of the ore beds here, however, become immensely thickened, thus making the deposits of very great economic value.
The total thickness of the Clinton, or Rockwood_. formation of Alabama usually approximates I 50 -feet. It is variable in character, consisting of shale, sandstone and thin beds of limestone, with from three to five beds of iron ore. The workable ore beds, .:which are usually two or more in number, vary from three to twenty-five feet in thickness. The ore .is generally fossiliferous, and occasionally oolitic. Above the drainage level it is of a high grade, running from 45 per cent. to 52 per cent. of metallic iron, but below this level, it becomes calcareous and leaner.
The following general section of the Clinton or Rockwood formation of Alabama, by A. M. Gibson, is here inserted for comparison :1

1 Geol. Surv. of Ala., Report on the Geological Structure of Murphrees Valley, p. 40.

. 3~ '

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

so 1.' : 3haly and sla:fy bed~, day and: some irOl'l ore. . . . i 5 feet
:2 Heavy he'clded sci11dsilone, somettff1es 40 to feet,

t1Sttat11y" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Io

"

.3 Lrort bea, ore lenticular or concretionary . . . . . . . . 2-4 "

4 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ro "

5 Foss.if iron ore bed ................ 6 inches to 2_0 "

6 S<;~.ndstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-I 5 "

7 li-on ore bed .......................... : . . 2-7 "

.8 Sandstone a1td's'hal:e ........................ 2~40 "

~ L'roFJ.! ote; harcl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 "

ro Sand.stone ................................. 20-50 "

11: I Iron ore . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:._20 "

In addition t0the!ron ore beds in tli:e sectim1, if is sa1d that there

a.re also others; but they are only locally developed and too thin to

be of 6omtnereia1 imp'ortance.

Tile Clinton or fossH iron ores as above described~ form, as will

be noticed, al.1 a:hnost c'ontinuous line of outcroppihgs from Central

Pennsylvania to Central AJ'abama. In a few places, notably in Vir-
ginia and upper East 'Tennessee; i!here are; it is true, a few; 15r~~~{;~

in thecqrttirtttity of the outctbppihgs~ due i!o loC:a1 faulting, butthe~e;
brea-ks irt :Uo-cas~ e:Xceecr more thari a few 'mir~s in extent. I The:

totaJ:length of cmi:croppings. of this rerrtarlb.Bl-e,1r6n deposit is ap'"'-
proxi!nately i,ooo nirre's; i:nus maldng one or tnemost extensive and'

important continuous iron ore clepesits sG> fa-r d'esc6bed; not on{y in'

the Uri'i'i:ecr''States, but also in- the worltl.

In a'cltliillion t0 the continuous E11e of outcroppingscof Clinton iron

ore, described a1mve, t'ogether witli tfrose of :New YorK:, there als'o

in tne tOccur mete CDT-" le's~r exferts:i~e exposures

1 M1s:sis'Sippi Valley.

'The niost riorthern o:f these deposit~ occtu.:s in Eastern Wisconsin,

:and is:thus -clescr:ibecl By Professor (;haniberlin.r ''The deposit. is'

peculiarly a' local one. If att<:Gns its chief irhportante at Iron

Ridge, Dodge county, where it reaches- its maocirhum' known thick~

ness within th~ United States, about~ 25 feet. Tratedt from this
point, if- thins out and' disappears: within a sllort' di~fa11ce ori eitH~r

hand;" Pie also notes tli.e Gccurten'ce of the ore at B'attf'ord and

Cascade Falls and aldhg the eastern. shore of Green Bay. T.he ore

:x G.eo1ogica1 Survey of Wisconsin, VoL I, p. I79-

CLINTON ORES IN THE UNITED STATES

35

which has an oolitic structure, forms regular beds nearly horizontal, associated with limestone and shale. In Dodge county where considerable mining has been done, it is claimed that the ore yields by furnace tests ahcmt 45 p:er cent. metallic iron.
The other deposits of Clinton ores in the Mississippi Valley occur in Ohio and Kenmcky. The deposits of Ohio are found in Clinton, Highland and Adams counties.r Only in one of these counti~s, however, namely, Adams, has the ore been worked. The ore is made up of flattened grains, :oo1itic particles and is sometimes highly calcareous. In Clinton coun.ty the ore is highly fossiliferous, being made up largely of the casts of crinoid stems, and usually carries a high r::.ercentage of. carbonate of lime.
The Clinton ores of Kentucky, like those of Ohio, are limited to three counties, mamely, Bath, Montgomery and Fleming. The Bath county deposits have been worked for several years, and have produced considerable ore of good quality. The Kentucky ores appear to be the southern extension of the Ohio deposits, though there is a wide break of several miles between the two outcrops.

r Geological Survey of Ohio,, Vol. V, p. 37.

CHAPTER IV
LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOSSIL ORES IN GEORGIA
The fossil or Clinton iron ores of Georgia are confined to four counties in the extreme northwestern part of the State. These counties, namely, Dade, Walker, Catoosa and Chatooga all 'Of which with the exception of the last named, are located along the GeorgiaTennessee line, only a few miles south of Chattanooga.
The fossil. iron ores of Dade county occur in Lookout Valley and Johnson's Crook, the latter being the northern extension of Wills. Valley in Alabama. The deposits of Lookout Valley, which traverse the central portion of the county, are found irt two lines of outcroppings extending from the Georgia..:Tennessee line to Deerhead Cove, the southern terminus of the valley, a distance of about eighteen miles. The outtropp.ings on the east side of the valley occur-along the minor ridges at the base of Lookout Mountain, while those on the western side of the valley occur along-the minor ridge at the base of Sand Mountain. The total length of these two almost parallel lines of ore outcroprpings, not considering their minor meanderings along the various hollows and hillslopes, is approximately 40 miles. The ores, it should be stated, are not exposed as continuous outcroppings from one end of the valley to the other, but are often covered by detrital material derived from the hillslopes above. N evertheless, there can be no doubt about their continuity. In Johnson's Crook the ores likewise form two main lines of outcroppings, similar to those of Lookout Valley. The eastern line of outcroppings, v7hich appears along the base of Lookout Mountain, has a length of about seven miles, while the western line of outcroppings along the base of Fox Mountain, extends only about one-half that distance. Thus it will be seen that the aggregate length of outcroppings of the
fossil iron ores in Dade county does not fall far short of 50 miles.
(36)

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OF fOSSIL ORES

37

The fossil iron ores of Walker county outcrop along the eastern side of the Lookout Mountain from the Georgia-Tennessee line to the head of McLamore Cove. From this point the line of outcroppings turns at an acute angle to the northeast and continues for .about twelve miles along the western foothills of Pigeon Mountain. Here it abruptly turns to the southwest and follows the eastern foothills of Pigeon and Lookout mountains, through the western part of Walker and Chattooga counties to the Georgia-Alabama line, a short distance south of Menlo. This line of outcroppings, which bas a total length of about 70 miles, has but one break in its continuity. This break which is due to a fault, occurs in the vicinity of Flintstone, only a few miles south of the Georgia-Tennessee line. The length of the break in the outcroppings, due to the fault, does not exceed three miles, and is more than counterbalanced by a sec,6nd line of outcroppings appearing only a mile or so further to the east.
All along Lookout and Pigeon mountains the ores occur generally along a line. of low hills or ridges at the base of the mountains. At -some points there occur small narrow valleys between this series of hills and the main mountain. The dip of the ore along this line of outcroppings is usually at a low angle toward the axis of the mountains, but in some cases, the dip is at a high angle, and in a few instances th.e ore beds are entirely overturned, thus giving rise to two lines of outcroppings instead of one. This complicated structure iis to be .seen at several points in the mines located in the vicinity of High Point.
In addition to the above outcroppings, the fossil iron ores are found also further to the east, along Gaylor's and Taylor's ridges and Dirtseller Mountain. Gaylor's Ridge which is located in the extreme southwestern corner of Chattooga county, is the northern extension of a ridge of the same name traversing the eastern part of Alabama. It is a typical synclinal ridge, having a maximum elevation of about 700 feet above the adjacent valleys. After crossing the Georgia-Alabama line, the ridge extends to the northeast, a distance of four or five miles, stopping only a short distance southwest .of the southern terminus of Taylor's Ridge. The iron ore of

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Gaylor's R,idge is confined mainly to its western side; where it is ex-

pd~tl ~at iihilier6us: p6h1.ts. , ' '





. About north. . , . ""'" ;

t.

.:;~'.-~~~"" ~ ' ..... ,. '

si:k':rni1es

. o~

.
Gaylqr's

Rid.ge

and

.
running

parallet

withTl:, I$ Dlrt~ll~r M:6unta1h. lfh'is mountain, iike Ciaylor's Ridge,

is a synclina1, extendh}g: 'beyond the Georgia-Tennessee line some mil~s into Xi~ba!ni.' That por't1oi1 of D'ifts.eiler Mountain confined.
t<J .Georgia, 'in vvh12h the fossii ores occur, ha~ a length of only about foufri:iiibs.' Thy ~res oc~ur'' qn both sides of this m~:Hlntain, outcrop-
be ping Hedt 'its sumdif( and dipping at a low angl~ towarqs its central\.
-ix;i~. rt'rri~y stated hete iW'p'assing, as v\rinhe noted elsewhere,.
th~{ all exposures of the .Clinton ores east of Look~ut' and Pigeon !l.'iout.ltaii1~s,_ bccur near the sumn1it of the mountains or the ridges,

ii:lMead. o along the margin of the valleys.. The. change in the to--

pographical' position of the' 'ores is a.tie, as will b.e 'noted ~lse.Where, to

lithological c~nditions 111_et-~ith _in going eastward.



:'The hiost easter'rt 'otitcl~bpping~ of- the. foss'il iron ores of impor-

tance occur in Taylor's Ridge, a very prominent mountain ridge

traversing the ceD.ti:afpart of Catoosa and the. western part of '0/alker

and Chatt'ooga COt;nfies. This' r'1'dge, known in Temiessee as' White

Oak Mouritdin, _l11t~~seets the State line. a few miles north_ of Ring-

gOld, ~nc( i<:ictends,.'ih' ,~:- ~ot1th\Vesterly direction for ~1Qr~e.Jp~~ 50

rftiies~ t~rfhi1;atiri~ bniy ~short. aista~ce e?:st :o the .Gemgi~-Alaba~~~

line. Tliroughotf thd. ehfir~ cotits~'hf the ridge the. fo~sil 'ir~n 6~~S

..\-!, .'".'

-~'-

:h. '."".<'-~'. "-~:,.~~':'-<:'t-"~-

i'"" .:,;..:-~~,-~. \ '')' r-. ~~.:,,-\" :, : ,,



are"nearly everywhere pre.sent, and at. several points they have beent

rilo'i-~:or'I~ss ~xtetisi~ely ~xpfdited. <th'i8 'ke?p~d~1Ii true in Chat--

tooga couilty,' a"siloit' 'dist.itic~ ftom S~1mmer;ille, where the ores.

have been mineq ahpos~ continuously for some ye~rs.

"T3:ylbr'~ R1dge 'is parallel~d on its western side by Dick'$ Ridge;.

wh1cli" 41so ccmtai4~ ihnited arrt6_t,1rits of'' iron ;re. . Sepa~ating the:

two ridges is a narrow' valley; re~eiving diffel~ent namcis. ~t differeht.

poir1ts.a1ortg its c~htse. A sliorf distance bat ~ Ringgold the 6'~..~

sii ores wli1~h 'occur'in the ridge corresponding t~ Dick's Ridge f~r--

by _,

,.. -. :' , < '

"

:. '



? , ~. ~ \

. ~ ...- ,_ ' : -, r ,.

-~ .

the.r south, ate cut o1.1t. a fault, but further to the west they are-

co!l.tint1ous' in Tayioes 'Ridge, or. White Oak Mountain to the State: line::-: J1fiie~ or~~ in Taylor'tRidge alw~ys Ciipto tli'e ~ast usuaJly 'at Cl: 'mbderat~ pit,c,li, wh}i~ th,e ores in Dick's. Ridge dip 'to' ti1~ 'west.
In the' fatt~r iidge the ores 'are f;und outcroppiD:g near the SU~l;1it

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOSSIL ORES

39

on the western side, while in the former the opposite obtains, thus showing that the ores belong to the adjacent limbs of a synclinal fold.
Besides the above exposures, there are also limited outcroppings of red ores further east, which are often confounded with the fossil ores. One of the best exposures of these ores is to be seen on the Hoskins farm near the Georgia-Tennessee line, in ViJhitfield county~ about one mile east of Red Clay. The ores here occur along a series of red hills which extend as far south as Varnell's Station. Another exposure of these ores may be seen in the northern part of Murray county, along the margin of the metamorphic slates. This series of iron bearing rocks, which always weathers into a deep red soil and occasionally carries a limited amount of workable hematite ore, has been described by f.fayes under the name of the Tellico sandstone. The formation seems to be of a more recent origin than the fossil ores, nevertheless the similarity of the two ores is often quite marked. Still other iron ores somewhat resembling the fossil ores, but probably belonging to the Tellico sandstone, occur in Polk county, a short distance north of Rockmart. These ores . which have been rather extensively worked at two or three points along the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, are the weathered outcroppings of a highly fern1ginous, thin-bedded limestone. Microscopic sections ofthe unweathered rock show that the ore is present in the form of magnetite. In some parts of the beds where the ores have apparently undergone only partial metamorphism, an oolitic structure still remains, thus showing one of the most common characteristic structures of the fossil ores.
Not including the last described hematite ores, which Hayes has placed in a lower formation, the fossil iron ores of Georgia form, in the aggregate, rather extensive outcroppings. The entire length of all the several lines of exposures above described aggregate about I 75 miles; however, not all outcroppings contain ore sufficiently pure, and in large enough quantities to be of commercial importance. In Taylor's Ridge, for instance, there is an almost continuous line of outcroppings, having a total length of more than 40 miles, but owing to the thinness of the ore beds, which in some cases are reduced to

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA
ten, inches or less, much of the ore, 1-om a commercial standpoint, is of Htfle value. On the other hand, at some points the ore becomes highly siliceous or calcareous, and therefore too lean to be of value. As an offset to these defects; it may be stated that at some places more than one workable ore bed occurs. This is true at places in Lookout Valley, and alsG along the western side of Pigeon Mountain. And. again, as else.where stated, there are local folds in th-e strata at different points, bringing the ore beds to the surface forming two or more lines of outcroppings. These various conditions, which increase or decrease the amount of ore along any given distance of outcroppings, approximately balance each other, so that in general, it might be stated, that th~ outcroppings would yield ore in sufficient quantity to make a workable bed for an approximate length of 175 miles. If this statement be correct, and the beds can be. exploited to any distan~e below drainage level, the aggregate amount of ore occurring in the above described outcroppings must indeed be very great.

CHAPTER V
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
The topography of the area under consideration embraces parts of two physiographical divisions, namely, the Appalachian Valley and the Cumberland Plateau. The Appalachian Valley division includes all of the area of Northwest Georgia between Lookout and Pigeon mountains on the west, and Cohutta, Fort and Pine Log mountains on the east. It is an elevated valley region, traversed by numerous minor ridges and valleys, having a northeast-southwest trend (Pt III.). Some of the minor ridges, such as Taylor's Ridge, !3-nd Horn, Chattoogata and Rocky Face mountains, obtain considerable prominence, but in no case do they reach the height of the mountains further to the east or west by several hundred feet. These ridges, as a general rule, all have a monoclinal structure, and as a result their slopes differ in steepness, This type of structure is quite noticeable in Taylor's Ridge, and also in Horn and other mountains further east. The variation in the slope of these ridges depends largely upon the angle of the dip of the underlying strata, that is, where the angle of the dip is high one face of the ridge is steep and rough, while the opposite side has a more general slant. T'he steeper side of the ridge in such cases, is always found on the side from which the strata dips. The most prominent of the minor ridges above named are formed largely of sandstone belonging to the Rockwood formation. Another series of ridges, traversing the Appalachian Valley division, is well rounded and has gentle slopes. They are often spoken of as the chert ridges from the abundance of chert covering their slopes. These ridges are usually broad and often have their sides furrowed by rather prominent hollows. They vary in elevation from one to several hundred feet above the adjacent valleys, and often continue for many miles without any break
(41)

42

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

in their continuity. The valleys on either side of the chert ridges are generally wide, fertile and well watered. The streams, though usually sluggish, have at some points considerable fall, and furnish ample power to operate grist-mills and small factories. The topographical features here noted are some of the more prominent features met with throughout the valley region belt, extending from Pennsylvania to Central Alabama, which is termed the Appalachian Valley.
The top:Ggraphical features of that part of the Cumj:>erland Plateau region, here under consideration, are limited to Pigeon and to portions of Lookout and Sand mountains. Pigeon Mountain, which is a spur of Lookout Mountain, being separated from it by McLamore's Cove, projects well out into the great Appalachian Valley., but after continuing to the northeast for a few miles, it gradually decreases in elevation :;~:nd fina11y disappears in a chain of low, irregular hills. The southern terminus of Pigeon Mountain, or the point at which it unites with the Lookout Mountain, has an altitude of nearly 2,ooo feet above s.eaAevet. The elevation of the mot;ntain at this point is about the same as the 'average elevation of Lookout and Sand mountains, tho:ugh there are points on the latter mountain rising Irani 3oo.,td '400 teet higher:
Pigeon; Lo0kout and :Sand mauruains :are all typical table mountait1s. They have broad, nearlyfla:t tops, and often steep, precipitous .slopes forming bold escarpments overlooking the adjacent v.alleys. These mountains are the remnants of a once continuous table land ,which in places has been dissected by narrow valleys of erosion. The drainage of these mountains is usually toward their central axes, th'eir matgin,s in most cases being slightly elevated.. In gaining the valleys below, the streams have cut at many points along the brow of the mountains deep, precipito.us gorges noted' for their wild c:md rugged scenery. With these excep6ons, the e~carpments present an almost unbroken wall of bluffs from one end of the mountains to the other.
The only valley of note occttrring within that part Grf the plateau region here described is the Lookout Valley. This valley, traversed by a creek of considerable size of the same name, is the main highway of travel between Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Northwestern

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
Alabama. It is long and narrow and has a comparatively level surface except near the base of the mountains, where is to 'be: seen a line of broken hills. The length of the valley is about r8 miles, while iLS average width is only about one and a half miles. Its trend is northeast and southwest, corresponding in direction to the- axes of the adjacent mountains.
That part of the Cumberland Plateau here described forril.s only a: small part of the plateau region as a whole. The entire topographical division embraces all of the area underlain by the Southern Ap- palachian Coal I\-1easures. Dr'. C. \V. Hayes, in speaking of this topographical division as a whole, says :r "The Cumberland Plateau: generally presents a bold and regular escarpment toward the valley upon the east. Its western escarpment in Alabama and Tennessee is equally bold, but extremely irregular, forming a sinuous line between this division and the interior lowlands. In Kenti1cky the western margin is less distinct, the plateau merging with' the lowlands through a belt of foot-hills .. The surface of the plateau rises gradually toward the northeast from about 6oo feet aboye sea-level in central Alabama to 2,ooo feet in the latitude of Chattanooga. In Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama the plateau is separated into a number of more or less isolated plateaus varying greatly in extent." The plateaus here referred to include Sand, Lookout and Pigeon-' mountains traversing the northwestern corner of Georgia. These mountains are formed largely of nearly horizontal sandstones andconglomerates which have resisted erosion and thus preserved intact= the remains of a once continuous table-land.
STRATIGRAPHY
The rocks, underlying that part of Georgia where the fossil iron~ ores occur, are all of sedimentary origin, and were deposited during Paleozoic times. They range in age from the Middle Cambrian to' the upper Carboniferous, and they include representatives of all or nearly all of the main divisions of Paleozoic rocks met with through- out the Southern Appalachian region. The stratigraphy of this re-gion has been admirably worked out, and the areal geology mapped; by the United States Geological Survey under the direction of Dr.'

44

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

C. W. Hayes (see maps), so. that what will be said here on stratigraphy will be based largely upon Hayes' observations.

CAMBRIAN ROCKS
Hayes, in discussing the stratigraphy of this region, divides the Cambrian rocks into three formations, namely, the Apison shale, the Rome formation and the Connasauga shale.
THE APISON SHALE, so called from Apison, Tennessee, where the formation is typically developed, is the oldest of the Cambrian rocks, occurring near the outcroppings of the fossil iron ore_s. The formation is a vari-colored somewhat sandy shale much contorted and folded. It i~ a rather unimportant formation, being found only in one small area east of Ringgold, where it forms a narrow belt extending from near Catoosa Springs to the Georgia-Tennessee line. The thickness of this formation is difficult to determine, owing to its contorted and folded conditions; however, one would probably not be far wrong in placing its maximum thickness at r,ooo feet or more.
THE RoME-FORMATION, the second oldest rook of the Cambrian series above given,, col'lsists of shale's -and sandstones, having ari>estimated thickness of 3;ooo to 4,ooo feet. The -lower part of the formation is made up of thin""bedded sandstone and sandy shale, while the upper. portion consists almost entirely of shales alone. This shale like the underlying Apison shales is variable in color, and also occasionally fossiliferous. Some of the layers are glauconitic and often carry .considerable phosphate of lime. The source of the latter mineral appears to be the fragments of Engwla which occur in considerable abundance in some of the argillaceous beds of this formation in the vicinity of Catoosa Springs. The Rome formation, it will be observed by examination of the accompanying map, is confined to a single belt traversing Catoosa and Whitfield counties, and a small area in the northern part of Floyd and the western part of Gordon counties. The upper portion- of the formation, where the sandstone is well developed, is always ridge forming, while the lower portion being made up of shale, is valley forming.
THE CoNNASAUGA SHALE~ one of the uppermost divisions of th~

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

45

Cambrian rock series, is composed of shales and limestones. The former consists of yellowish or greenish clay shales weathering into rather thin soils. The limestones, which occur both in the upper and lower part of the formation, are generally thin-bedded and occasionally oolitic. These limestones are also frequently much broken up and the fissures are filled with white calcite. The Connasauga shale, like the Rome formation, is confined to a few narrow belts traversing Catoosa, Walker and Chattooga counties, and also two or three small irregular areas in Gordon and Floyd counties.

SILURIAN ROCKS.
The Silurian rocks of the area, the series to which the Clinton ores belong, consist of three different formations, namely, the Knox dolomite, the Chickamauga limestone, and the Rockwood formation. These formations are largely calcareous and were apparently laid down in a sea which often teemed with molluscan life, as shown by the numerous fossil remains found in some of their beds.
THE KNox DOLOMITE1 the lowest of the Silurian rocks, is a heavybedded, magnesian limestone more than 3,000 feet in thickness. Some of its beds carry a large amount of siliceous material in the form of chert. Upon the weathering of the magnesian limestone, this cherty material is set free and forms a mantle on the surface, which in places has accumulated to a thickness of several feet. The Knox dolomite, owing to its slow weathering, always gives rise to low, well rounded ridges, distinguished from other ridges usually by a mantle of chert. The formation underlies much of northwest Georgia, where it occurs usually in the form of wide belts having a northeast-southwest trend.. One of the most prominent of these belts is known as Missionary Ridge, traversing Walker and Catoosa counties and intersecting the Georgia-Tennessee line at Rossville. The ridge is of considerable historic interest on account of battles fought on it during the Civil \Var in the vicinity of the State line.
THE CHICKAMAUGA LIMESTONE1 so called from Chickamauga Valley, where the formation is well developed, is made up chiefly of fossiliferous, blue, Baggy limestone, attaining a maximum thickness

~<6

'ffJfl$ ;.fi;0$$IL //(?.ON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

,,of r,66'$ f~et,ormOfi; The for'irtatiorl, whkhis always val'ley form-
it1g, COV~.f$ ,?- GQ~sidera'Qle s'1ipeffrcia] afea: iri northwest Geoigia:; the

largest sing]!~ evposure being a wiCle belt eXfe11cErig from the Geor-
gia-Teniiii~~e line, in tp_e vicinity of ChiCltari1atiga National Patk,

to McLamc>rce's Cove.



\

.

...

.

'' -

THE RC>C:((woo:p FORMATION) the drvisiori. of the Silurian rocks in

--which the fp~sil iron oresr9ccur, fbrms the t1pperrrt'ost rheinber of the

.:Silurian rocks. It corisi9:ts of shales and sandstones' with a few thin

strata of li11jlesto:rp.e and :OJile or more beds of fossil iron ore. The

pandstones of this form~~ion become welT developed in Chattoogata

.~nd Horn:ni.on:F:J.tains and also in Taylor's R1dge, but in DC~.de and the

western part 9 Wa-lker Q9U11:ties;, shale predominates.. The thickness

,of the .format~cqm vari.es 'itqnrr 6oo to r; soo feet, the greater thickness

being confin~Q. to tl{l'itt part. qf the area where the sandstone is best

.developed. A..more d~t~il~d .description of this formation will be

found
.

elsewlfl.e:re

i11jl.' '~;~Tis

.ze:'RqJ.tt.'

The Devonic;a;.H li0Cks' :ofttherar,ea,are-Tepresented by a1thih :layer- of
bla~ck::sha1e ~ow:lil:-aslthe;Oha;tta;~ooga shale.: This formation at no
'P?int exceeds moJ'@'~~1Cli:JP. 40 feet in thickness; ahd fr0111 a g:eologicaJl
. -~tandpoint, it" is <;>_f Jvut 1~ittle importance, as it covers only a very
.-small' area. Th~ s1jla)~ q<;wta~11S a large amount of carbonaceous
-:p1aterial and is oft~ ;t.:n;isJ?k~lfl for anihdication of coal.

~~4-.:~r~O-~IiFE:~:ous ROCKS

Ttt~ Carb6n1!~fi,)us -iocks are tryresentec(by' fi:Ve diffei~erit fbrma:.

viz., 1:ions, the. th_7ee low~r .~ViiS~qljis~of'wllich,.

th~ Fort I;ayne- cher(

ih~ Floyd shaleaBd.,tb@ Bati.gof'11hiest6rte are all higHly caJcarE{oils,

-wli_iHfthe two_ uppe11: d'i-vis'io:Q.s' are si1i~~e'o\.1s. These rocks are''hestde-

veloped in P1g~omJ Lookout. a,:nd tSand' mo,unfaJiris, thougn the')r' are

:.:also founa in the v~Weys a1jld -rn<;mn-tai~s.east"of Tay1or's' Ridge.

Trt:e 'FoiZi:r P AYjf{.c:f.rliR.'TJ .t~~ l9weS:t !0if ttkie C~rboniferous rocks,
75 .consists of a liighiy siliteotis limestone var')1i~g' from to 200 feet

1n thickness. Its chi~f disting~~~S.~1~J;l$ ~h9:ra.c_ttl~istic is its abundance

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

47

{)f chert, which in places is largely made up of the fragments of crinoid stems. The formation usually gives rise to a line of low, sharp hills, often locally spoken of as the "shinbone" ridges. Such hills become quite prominent along the base of Sand, Lookout and Pigeon mountains near where the fossil iron ores outcrop.
THE FLOYD SHALE which appears to be a shore phase of the Fort Payne chert and the Bangor limestone, is confined mainly to the eastern part of the area. It consists of dark and gray calcareous shales with an occasional thin bed of limestone or sandstone. This formation is well developed in Armuchee Valley east of Taylor's Ridge, and also along the eastern base of Horn Mountain, but it .attains its greatest development further south in Floyd county, where .it reaches a maximum thickness of something like I,200 feet. 'The gray, calcareous shales of the formation are often quite fossilifierous, especially is this true in \lVest Armuchee Valley. The fossils are largely bryozoans and crinoids, the former in places being especially abundant. The dark colored or black shales, on the other hand, are entirely free from fossils, but at the same time they carry .a high percentage of carbonaceous material.
THE BANGOR LIMESTONE, like the Fort Payne chert, occurs mainly . .along the bases of Sand, Lookout and Pigeon mountains. At some
points this limestone extends well up the sides of the mountains, while at other points it forms narrow valleys at their bases. The .form~tion consists of a heavy bedded gray or blue limestone, often fossiliferous and occasionally partially crystalline. Its thickness .along Sand and Lookout mountains has been variously estimated
from 750 to 900 feet. East of Pigeon lVIountain the Bangor lime-
stone rapidly thins out and it is finally nearly or whoily replaced by the overlying Floyd shales.
THE LooKOUT AND vVALDEN1S RIDGE SANDSTONEs.-The upper division of the Carboniferous rocks above spoken of as being siliceous, constitutes the Coal Measures. This part of the Carboniferous rocks has been divided into two divisions, namely, the Lookout sandstone and the Walden sandstone. These formations,

48

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

which are quite similar in character, consist of sandstone, conglo11)erates, shales and coal. The maximum thickness of the two division~
has been placed by Dr.]. w. Spencer at I,6oo feeV They are both
confined mainly to Sand, Lookout and Pigeon mountains, where they form the surface rock of these mountains. There are also small areas of the lower member of the division occurring on Rocky
and Little Sand mountains east of Taylor's Ridge in Chattooga and Floyd counties.

STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY.

The structural geology of Northwest Georgia is that commonly met with in regions where .the strata have been subjected to intense lateral strain, resulting in a series of rather close pressed parallel folds and a number of faults of greater or less throw. The strata, as originally laid down on the sea bottom, were all practically horizontal, but during the great Appalachian upheaval which probably extended through a long period of time," they were deformed and left to the degrading action of atmospheric and aqueous agencies. The forces which produced the folding and the faulting of the stra~a seemed to have acted from the east towards the west, as showtf"by the variation in the intensity of the effect. Along the eastern margin of the area it will be noticed by an examination of the accompanying structural sections, that the folds are more numerous, and at the same time closer pressed than tl~e folds alori.g the western margin. This i_s especially noticeable if a comparison is made between the strata of Sand, Lookout and P'igeon mountains, and the strata east of Taylor's Ridge. In the former case the strata have been thrown into bro'ad gentle anticlinar and synclinal folds with nearly v,ertical axial planes; while in the latter case the folds are sharp and their axial planes dip at rather high angles to the east.
-The structure of the western portion of the area here under consideration, or what has been termed the Cumberland Plateau region, is best described by taking it up as a whole and pointing out its main structural features. In passing from the Georgia-Alabama line,_ just south of Trenton to the eastern side of Pigeon Mountain, two anti-
_ I Geol. Surv. of Ga., Paleozoic Group, p. 53.

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

49

clinal and two synclinal folds are crossed. The anticlinal lying

further to the west forms Lookout Valley, which lies between

the Sand and Lookout synclinals. The Lookout anticlinal is nearlv

symmetrical, that is the angle of dip of the strata. on each side

of the axis of the fold is about the same. The pitch of this anti-

clinal fold is towards the southwest, and as a result the fold grad-

ually dies out in that direction. The southern terminus o. the anti-

clinal may be said to be the head of Deerhead Cove, however, the

actual point at which the fold entirely disappears is some distance

further to the southwest. Just east of the southern terminus of the

Lookout Valley anticlinal and separated from it by Fox Mountain

synclinal, is the northern terminus of a second anticlinal extending

into Georgia from Alabama. The erosion of this fold has given rise

to Will's Valley in Alabama, the northern extension of which, in

Georgia, is known as Johnson's Crook.

East of the Lookout Valley anticlinal and forming Lookout

Mountain, is the Lookout Mountain synclinal. This synclinal is a

hU-.l-'v"'a....:u1 ,

.f.":\;l:-....L,1J1.1C"L"'.\l."J".vC"vI':-vr ,

~~n11rrh
I,..J.vu.b.~..L

1~l ..... .o.
.1..1..1.).."-"

'r-ll."."o"-Jn:--r'.1..o.\,c;-'oc.~.)/W"."J\.'1-''."1'..\1.

,o.....,.+A11rl;nrt"
...... ...:,.,. .............. .~."'""" ...... ~b

f. . .r.~.r...t....n, ....1.........t...h.....A .....

~_~_f"_\.r.. Ob".i.. ..~....-

Tennessee line near Chattanooga across the northwestern corner of.

the State. The axial plane of the fold is very nearly parallel with

the axial plane of Lookout Valley anticlinal, and the angle of dip

of the strata on each side of the mountain is practically the same.

The fold near the Georgia-Tennessee line is comparatively narrow,

but to the northwest it broadens. The broadening of the fold to the

southwest is due to its absorbing the Pigeon lVIountain synclinal

hereafter to be described.

The second anticlinal fold lies just east of Lookout Valley, and

corresponds to what is known as Chattanooga Valley. It extends

from the Georgia-Tennessee line to the head of McLamore's Cove, a

d1stance of about 2 5 miles. This fold differs from Lookout Valley

synclinal in being unsymmetrical, the dip of the strata of the eastern

Iimb being greater than that of the western limb. This is due to the

top of the fold being pushed over toward the west, thus causing the

strata at some points along its western limb to stand at a very high

angle. Near the State line where the foldings of the strata are

most marked, the tension was relieved by faulting. These displace-

~0

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GE'O]{Gt.A

m~nts, ~owever, are limited to a few hundred feet, and as a result'

U1e g~n.eral character of the anticlinal. is not very materially Cl,f-

fe~ted:

.



_ The Pigeon Mountain synclinal, the second synclinal above re~:

ferred to as being one of the main structural features of the Cum--

l;>erland .Plateau region, lies immediately east of th~ Chattanooga~

Valley anticlinal. It is an unsymmetrical fold; forming Pigeon

Mountain and extending to the northeast beyond the State line. To
th~ s~,uthwest, a sh;rt. distan~e south of the head of McLamore's.
<;ov:e,, the fqld blends with~ the Lookout Mountain synclinal, and thrt;t:s e,ljti~ely disappears in that direction. The strata forming the ~~stepl.i.il}Jb of the fold, as shown along the eastern side of Pigeon .o --u. n! tain. , usually dip at a h!gh. arigle, while on the opposite side of

the mountain the dip is more graduaL The structure of the moun-'

tain, therefore, as revealed in its strata, simulates a broad shallow

trough with its eastern margin much more upturned than its west-

ern margm.

The structural geology of the Appalachian Valley region, as pre-:

viously stated, differs con.siderably from that of the Cumberland

Plateau.. T]J_e ariMlines., .and SJl;lClines are here m<;n:e n,umerot:ts ancr Cl~owded together, and.. at 'the same tiln.e the, apices of th~.
f~lds are pushed over further toward the west. . A good illus-:

tration of these closely pressed, over-turned folds is to be seen

1n the Chattanooga Valley anticline just east of Pigeon Mountain. This anticlinal which has its steeper slope to th'e west, traverses

the northeastern corner of the State, intersecting the State line a

short distance west of Graysville. It is the most persistent and uni-

form fold of the entire valley region. To the south of this anticlinal ~nd a few miles north of Trion~ a second anticlinal develops, w:hic;q ~ontinues to the southwest to within a short distance of the Georgia-

!,\.labat?Ja line. This fold, together with the Chatt<!-nooga; V alle,y ~nticlinal further north and west, is succeeded on .the east by the

f\.rmt!-~he~ Valley synclinal, ~hos,e western and. east,e~-.1~ limb.s ~re ~or:1ned l;>y :(Cl:ylor'? Cl:11.d J)ick's 1:idges 1~espective~y: .Tl~e Arinuche~
Ya1~~Y. ~Y,n\lh~q,l c!i.:f.fe~s. -fl~o~n .t0-e' s:)rnclina]~ hel~et_o,fore des~rib~d. in
being brokeri 'up irtto isolated basiris by a ni1mbe1~ -of transverse anti-

TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

sr

clinals. South of Taylor's Ridge along the Georgia-Alabama line are two other synclinals which give rise to Gaylor's Ridge and Dirtseller Mountain. Neither of these synclinals extends far into Georgia; however, they are both of special interest in this report, as they have along their central axes more or less extensive deposits of fossil iron ores.
The faults of the Appalachian Valley, with the exception of those .above referred to as occurring along the eastern base of Lookout l\ilountain in Chattanooga Valley, are confined chiefly to the area east of Taylor's Ridge. The most important of these displacements occurs along the eastern limb of the Taylor's Ridge synclinal, and has been designated as the Taylor's Ridge fault. The southern terminus of this fault is in Floyd county only a short distance south of the Chattooga-Floyd county line. From this point the fault extends to the northeast along the eastern sides of Little Sand Mountain and Dick's Ridge to the Georgia-Tennessee line, a few miles northeast of Ringgold. The amount of displacement or the throw of the Taylor's Ridge fault is quite variable. Along the base of Little Sand Mountain and the southei-n portion of Dick's Ridge it is limited to a ew hundred feet, or occasionally to a sharp fold without faulting, while to the northeast in the vicinity of the State line, the displacement is so great that it brings the Carboniferous rocks down on a level with the Middle Cambrian, thus representing a displacement of several thousand feet.
Another fault of this area which is worthy of note is known as the Rome fault. This fault, which traverses the southeastern margin of the Ringgold Quadrangle, not shown in the accompanying map, extends 200 miles to the northeast through Tennessee and Virginia, and also many miles to the southwest into Alabama. In Floyd C()Unty, the Rome fault is an overthrust, in which the 1\!Iiddle Cambrian rocks have been pushed for a long distance over the overlying Carboniferous strata on a plane nearly horizontal and corresponding approximately with the bedding of the strata. In some instances these older rocks have been thrust over the younger rocks for a distance of five or six miles, thus making the structural geology quite complicated and difficult to work out.

52 '

THE FOSSIL IRPJN ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Two other faults occur in the area- here under consideration, but they are only of minor importance. These faults, which represent a displacement of only a few hundred feet, extend from the GeorgiaAlabama line, a short distance northeast of Ringgold, to Tunnel Hill. They are nearly parallel for the greater part of their course, and less than a mile from each other.

~. '

CHAPTER VI
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY
DISTRIBUTION
The Ciinton iron ores of Dade county, as elsewhere stated, are confined to Lookout Valley and Johnson's Crook. The exposures in Lookout Valley occur on both sides of the valley where they form two continuous and almost parallel lines of outcroppings extending from one end of the valley to the other. The western line of these outcroppings intersects the Georgia-Tennessee line about two miles northwest of Wildwood, where the ore is well exposed in a cut on the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad. From this point the outcroppings extend to the southwest, parallel with and about three-quarters of a mile east of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, as far south as Trenton. Here the line of outcroppings veers more to the west and continues along the foot-hills of Sand Mountain to the head of Deerhead Cove, at which point it changes its course and runs to the northeast, crossing the Alabama Great Southern Railroad about three miles south of Trenton. After crossing the _railroad this line of outcroppings continues to the northeast along the foot-hills of Lookout Mountain to the GeorgiaTennessee line about one and a half miles east of the point where the western line of outcroppings crosses the State line. Along these two lines of outcroppings the exposures of the ores are usually continuous, except where they are buried beneath residual or alluvial clays. Such breaks in the continuity of the exposures of the ores, as here referred to, are to be seen along Lookout Creek immediately east of Trenton, and along Squirrel Creek west of New England City, the former on the eastern and the latter on the western line of ore outcroppmgs. In addition to these main breaks in the continuity of the
(53)

54

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

exposures there ~re also minor breaks due to the creeping- of the soils

or to small local landslides. The minor breaks, however, are usually

limited in extent to a few ro-ds, and as a consequence they do not

seriously interfere with mining. It is possible that in some instances

where there are no exposures of the ores for long distances, as in the

case of Lookout Creek bottoms, east of Trenton, there may be some

local displacement or faults causing the or~s to be absent even below

the alluvial clays, yet the structural conditions indicate that iocal

displacements or faultings seldom occur.

The exposures of the fossil iron ores' in Johnson's Crook are not so

extensive as. the exposures in Lookout Valley, yet their mode of

occurrence is quite sirnilar.. The outcroppings along the western side

ot the Crookriear its northerti terminus in the immediate vicinity of

the Rising Fawn iron furnace, are especially well deveioped, but to

the southward along the base of Lookout Mountain, there are often

to b~ seen rong stretches where no ore whatever is exposed on the

surface. The absence of the ores here, as in the case of Lookout

Valley, appears to be entirely due to the ptesence of an overburden
a oi re:sidt.1a1 clays. That this is true itrterJxeta:tion.of the absence of

the ores is proveri by their pr~sence at all poinis vifhen~ver the resi~-

ti.al 'chys. have beerr rerhoved by.erosioli. . .

'

<;)rt the western side of the Crook the line of on~ outcroppings,

which foliows for_ solne distance the bbttotns o Loo1cout Creek at.

the base of Fox Mot1ntain, also shows considerable breaks. The
main ~xposure of ote ort this ~ide of the Ci-ook occurs along the east

side of a chert ridge near the Alabama Great Sotithern Railroad,

about one miie south of Risirig Fawri. Between this point and the

Georgia-Alabama tine, owing 'tci the heavy overhurden of a111wial

and residual Clays, th.ere is oh1y an bccas'iona1 exposure of ore.

TH~ MOD~ OF OCCURR~Nt::~
The workable fossil iron ores of Dade county are confined' chiefly to one ore bed. This bed, which is continuous throughout Lookout Valley and Johnson's Crook, has an average thickness of about three feet At some points, as in the vicinity of the Rising Fawn furnace, this bed is reported to attain a thickness

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY c. .

5.5

'Of seven feet. Such maximum thicknesses, however, appear to be only locally developed and probably limited to small areas. In addition to the main .workable bed there are often locally developed from one to two other beds, which at smne points yield ore . ~carrying a sufficiently high percentage of iron to be of commercial value. These beds often attain a much greater thickness than the _main workable bed, but at the same time they are relatively leaner in iron. At the points where they attain their greatest thickness, they consist largely of ferntginated limestone or sandstone, the former being the more common. A good example of the ferruginous sandy beds is to be seen a short distance east of the Rising Fa-vvn furnace, where an attempt was made someyears ago to mine the ma-terial for furnace use. The calcareous beds, on the other hand, ap-pear to be best developed alo.ng the eastern line of outcroppings of Lookout Valley, both north and south of Trenton. Near New Eng1and City and at one or two localities south of that place, the calcareous beds seem to carry considerable iron, but at no point has any :attempt been made to mine these leaner ores. As a general rule the main ore bed occurs below the leaner ore beds, but this is not always the case, as may be seen on the east side of Lookout Va11ev near Wildwood. In this instance the ma1n ore bed seems to occupy its natural position, while a secondary bed has been developed below
it. Such instances as this appear to be comparatively rare, yet it
demonstrates the fact previously brought out that ore beds are likely to occur at any horizon in the Rockwood formation wherever porous calcareous or sandy beds are found.
THE EXTENT OF DEVELOPMENTS
The fossil iron ores have been worked to a considerable extent :in Lookout Valley, but more largely in Johnson's Crook in the neighborhood of Rising Fawn. The latter workings are con.fined mainly to the head of Johnson's Crook, in the immedi:ate vicinity of Rising Fawn furnace. They consist both of strippings and underground workings, the former being far more extensive than the latter. The total length of the striprpings as revealed by the old excavations in Johnston's Crook, would probably :aggregate several miles. In these workings, which rarely ever ex-ceed a maximum depth of more than ten or twelve feet, the ore mined

56

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

was mainly soft, running high in metallic iron, and low in carbonate of lime. The amount of ore,. mined by the stripping method along any given length of outcr6ppd.ngs depends largely upon the angle of dip of the ore bed and the slope of the surface of the ground in the ~mmediate vicinity of the exposure. The conditions most favorable to this. method of mining ore are where. the ore bed outcrops near the top of a hill or ridge and dtps_ irith the slope towards its base. Under these conditions the ore bed may.rnantle the whole side of the hill or ridge with ohiy a thin covering of '~oil or residual clays above. Exposures of this nature in Johnson's Crook are now in a large measure worked out and future' working~ will have' to be co~fined princ~pally to underground or deep mining. It would be a difficuit matter to estimate in actual tons the amount of iron ore that has been mined from time to time in Johnson's Crook. However, some idea may be formed as to the aggregate when it is stated that these ores were the main source of supply to tJJ:ersp-ton furnace at Rising Fawn for a number of years.
The iron ore workings of Lookout Valley occur in th~ vicinity of New England City and also at sever,al points along the Alabama .Great So.utherh Railroad .south ofT-renton.; Tb.e :fuo~ extensive workings in the New England City l0caiity':a:re situated along the eastern. line of outcroppings. These work1ngs, which consist of ' both stripping and underground working, commence near Squirrel Creek just east of New England City and extend beyond Morganville a di:stance of 4 or 5 miles. The workings are not continuous this entire distance; there being an occasional break, clue to some unfavorable topograpHical feature. The amount of ore taken from th~se vai-ious workings in Lookout Valley is not so great as that tJkenfrom Johnson'sCrook, thotigh the total tonnage has been large.

CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR MINING
The fossil iron ores of Dade county are usually quite favorably . located for working. This is especially true of that portion of the beds which outcrops on the hillside. Many of these exposures have an elevation of from roo to 200 feet above the general stream level,. and as a consequence the mines in most cases can be made self-drain-

FOSSIL IRON ORES VJF DADE" CO:UNTF

577

ing to the depth of many feet. Other conditions favorable to economical mining are the low dip of ore beds, their uniformity in thickness and the absence of thick partings of shale. The dip of the ore beds varies usually from Io to 20 degrees, but at some places it is. much greater. The higher dips, however, are usually quite local and extend only for a short distarrce along the strike. Generallyspeaking, it might be said that the dip of the iron~ ore beds, both in" Lookout Valley and in Johnson's Crook, varies from IO to 30 degrees. In some places the minimum dip is less than here given, buL such dips are usually confined to small areas and. can hardly be considered as of common occurrence.
Where the dip is at a low a:t1gle the ore i.n. many cases can beworked by stripping. The most favorable locationi for this method of mining is along hillslopes where the angle of the slope corresponds. with angle of dips of the ore-bed. In such cases the ore often covers~ the hillside as a mantle, and to mine it recruires onJy to remove a thin overburden of soil or residual clay and to break it up with. a crowbar. Mining by stripping is also facilitated by thejointed structure of the~ ore which enables the miner to remoe the 0re from its bed in the form of blocks without the use of explosives.
The uniformity in the thickness of the fossil ore-beds, the second'. condition above referred to as favorable to their economical work-ing, is quite remarkable. This is parti:cularly true of the main bed which often continues for long distances wit4 but little or no varia-tion in thicl<:ness. The less important beds, on. the other hand, aremore variable in thickness and frequently thin out completely in onlya short distance. It is not an uncommon thing to find the main ore bed varying in thickness much more in the direction of its dip than~ in the direction of its strike. This variation, however, is due to weathering and not to any .irregularity in the bed itself. As a general rule the beds are all found to increase slightly in thickness nearthe water level or at the point of union of the soft and the hard ores. In mining ores which occur in uniform beds as in: the case of the main' ore-beds here described, there is usually a minimum amount of dead_
work necessary, and as a result the cost of mitii:UJlg is comparatively-
small. It might be here stated that the main ore-bed, both in Lookout Valley and Johnson's Crook, generally has ~mfficient thickness to

.58

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS. OF GEORGIA

permit the ore being mined without the removal of any overlying

Or underly-ing shales..

.

- The thinness or the entire absence of shale partings in the ore-

beds is the other factor referred to as favorable to the economical

working of the ore. It is a general rule that the fossil iron ore beds
to when they become of sufficient thickness to pay work, have one or

more pa1~tings of shale. Sometimes these shale partings exceed in

thickness the ore itself, in which case the expense of mining is so

great that it ceases to be profitable. The shale partings of the main

ore beds of the Dade county fossil ores rarely ever exceed four or

~five ~nches, which by no means seriously interferes with mining.

:DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL IRON ORE PROPERTIES IN DADE COUNTY

INTRODUCTION
The greater part o the fossil iron ores of Dade county is owned by three companies, namely, the New England Company, the Phc:enix Iro1il and Coal Company, and.the I Georgia Iron and Coal C:om-
pany. The iFon ore -lands of the first two companies here named
are located in Lookout-Valley, while thelartds 'Ot''the-other ~6111pany are located in Johnson's Cr0ok. In: the following detailecl account, -the holdings of these companies wi11 b'e taken up and described separately, and afterwards the properties owned by individuals will be -described. This method of describing each property as a whole will no doubt prove more satisfactory to the owners than a descrip.tion of the various expost.u'esof the ores in th~ consecutive order of their occurrence;
FOSSIL IRON ORES OF JOHNSON CROOK
THE GEORGIA IRON & COAL COMPANY'S PROPERTY
The fossil iron ores owrt~d by this company are confined to John-
:son's Crook. The only workings to be seen on t~1e west side of Look-
-out Creek occur oi.~ lot 8_3, I 8th district, a few hunched y_ards sot-rth
of fhe Alabama, Gre9-t Southern .Railroad bridge. The working here, which.co?sists of open cuts, was done a number of years ago, and the
I This property is now owned by the Southern Steel Company.

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

59

excavations are now all more or less completely filled with earth. The ore where exposed to view has a thickness of about 30 inches and dips at a high angle to the westward. Near the old workings here described, the fossil iron ore crosses Lookout Creek and continues to the northeast along the left bank of Hurricane Creek, trav-
ersing lot 82 of the I 8th district, and lots 252 and 25 I of the I Ith
district. This line of outcroppings has been extensively worked on
lot 25 I which lies just across Hurricane Creek from the Rising Fawn
furnace. East of the creek at this point there occurs a series of knobby hills rising 75 feet or more above the stream bed. The ore here which dips at a low angle to the northwest, in the direction of Hurricane Creek, occurs along the western slopes of these hills in the form of a blanket deposit or as a continuous bed overlain by only a few feet of overburden. The ease with which the ore at this point was worked accounts for the extensiveness of the old workings. A . .section of the ore-bearing formation at this point is here given in the descending order :-

I Ore (overlain by shale) ............. : ........ ro inches

2 Shale ..... ................................ 8

"

3 Ore ...................................... 12

"

4 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I

5 Ore ....................................... 6

"

6 Shale ..................................... 3

7 Ore ...................................... 6

"

8 Shale .......................... . . . . . . . . . . . -I

"

9 Ore ..................... , ................ I2

"

10 Sha.le ..................................... 24 "

II Ferruginous, fossiliferous limestone. . . . . . . . . . . . 9

"

!2 Shale ..................................... 6~ feet

I3 Fossiliferous limestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 inches

14 Shale with thin layers of sandstone and limestone. 40 feet

In addition t0 the fossil ore given in the above section there are to be seen in places two other thin beds in the shal~s above. One of these beds, which is about I 2 inches in thickness, lies about ro feet above the uppermost layer of ore given in the section and the other about I 5 feet above. Both of these beds usually run low in iron ore, . and are rarely .of .sufficient thickness to be economically worked.

6o .

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF' GEORGIA

a About half mile east of the workings here described, and a hundrecf.
feet or more below the lowest beds in the above section, occurs another bed of ore. This bed is known as the "sand vein" on account.
of the ore running high in silica. Some years ago 300 tons of this-
ore is said to have been mined and used in the Rising Fawn furnate,but the ore was found to be too siliceous to be worked with profit. Thi's bed lies just beneath a heavy layer of sandstone, which in places is made up largely of casts of brachiopods, while the ore itself con-
sists. chiefly of crinoid buttons, rarely liiore than 7i of an inch in
diameter. A short distance west of the "sand vein" is to be seen the upper beds of the Chickamauga limestone dipping to the eastward. at a low angle beneath the iron-bearing formation.

Lor 25r.-The workable ore on lot 251 may be said to be confined~

to the upper part of the above section. The ore on this lot with its

partings of shale has an aggregate thickness of 62 inches, the shale

partings being r6 inches and the ore proper 46 inches. The char-

acter of the ore taken from this point is .shown by the following

analysis made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological:

Survey of Georgia : -.-



Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0. IO
Combined water ................................ . 2.04
.Ferrous oxide ................. ................ . 2.65
Ferric oxide .................................. . 45-29 Alun1ina .................................... : . j I4-
Manganous oxide .............................. . 0.28
Lime ........................................ . 2I .4I
Magnesia .................................... . 0.44 Silica ........................................ . 7.28
Sulphur . '"' ................................... . trace
Phosphorus pentoxide .............. ............ . I. I7 Carbon dioxide ............. , .................. . r6.so

100.30
Metallic iron .................................. . 3376 Phosphorus ................................ .. . .sr

The sample of ore, the analysis of which is here given, is known among the miners as hard ore. It is usually found below or l!1lear the

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

6r

jpermanent water level .and .always contains a high percentage of lime. It consists largely of organic remains in the form of fragments of brachiopod shells, and bryozoans, all of which have been more or less completely replaced by iron oxide. A microscopic section of the ore shows that the iron oxide fills all of the minute pores .of the brachiopods and bryozoans, as well as the spaces between the ;numerous small calcite crystals which make up a great part of the :section. The iron also occurs in the form of layers surrounding the rounded fragments .of shells and bryozoans, and in a few in.~tances it is seen to surround quartz granules.
The residue after being treated with hydrochloric acid consists n1ainly of rounded granular masses often having a concentric structure and still reta:irning in a more or less perfect degree the form and :structure of the original particles.
LoTs r84, 2I3, 214, 2I8 AND 2I9.-A short distance west of Ris-ing Fawn furnace, the main line of iron ore outcroppings leaves lot
2 5I, and after crossing Hurricane Creek extends to the northwest
through lots 2I8, 2I9, 2I4, 213 and r84. The workings ,here l1ave been extensive, especially on lots 2I8 and 219, where underground mining as well as mining by open cuts has been carried on. In places it is said that underground workings extended to a depth of a hun-dred feet or more. Great yawning cuts are now to be seen in places .along this line of old workings many feet in depth, but only at a few points is any ore exposed to view. Frequently the cuts extended to water level and .are now parl:ially filled with water, but more generally the fallen earth obscures the ore. Most of the ore taken from tbese workings with the exception of that mined by tunneling, was 5oft ore and ran 'high i:m metallic iron. The ore, after traversing the .above lots, enters upon 1ot r85, owned by Solon Gwinn, hereafter to be described, and again enters upon the Georgia Iron and Coal CompanY's property on lot 2 I 2. The line of ore outcroppings, here marked by an almost continuous series of old workings, consisting chiefly of open cuts, now veers to the south and traverses lots 221 and 248. The foi10wing section taken from a recent opening on lot 2 I2, only a short distance from Hurricane Creek, shows the thickness of the .ore,, tqgefh.er wifh the thickness of the shale partings : -

62

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

I Ore ..................................... .... I 6 inches
2 Shale ................._._ ............... . . . .. . . . . . . . . 4 " 3 Ore .........................._, ........... -..... 6 " 4 Shale ..... _.................................... 3 "
5 Ore ..................._....................... 6 "
6 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I '-' 7 Ore ......................................... I6 " 8 Shale ...._............._._ ......................... IO feet

Within a short distance of t~e: abov~ s~ction and on the same lot, another recent exposure shows the section given. below : -

I Ore ......... _...................... ......... I6 inches

2 Shale ..................... .............. ..... 5 "

3 Ore ............._......_..................... 8 "

4 Shale ...................................... -~
5- ore . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . I 0

,",

6 Shale ....................................... ~ "

7 Ore ........................................ I3 "

8. Shale .............._.......................... 20 "

9 Limestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 "

IO Shale ....................................... 7

I I Li1nestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 "

I2 .Sh:a-le ..... -..... -...... ..... ; : . ................ 22

I3 Limestone ................... " ........... ...... 14 "

I4 Shale .......................................... I6 "

I 5 Lin1estone ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 "

I6 Shale .................... _............. .. _. : . . I "

r7 Limestone ................................... 8 "

I8 Shale ....................... .' ................ 24 "

I 9 Limestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4 "

It will be noticed that the main difference between these two sections is the occurrence of thin beds of limestone, in the second sectiOn, below the iron ore. These are not represented in the first section. This local development seems to be characteristic of the thin limestone layers associated with the iron ores in this district. They appear in the form of flattened lenses and soon thin out in the direction of their strike. Above the ore in the last section there is an exposure of about ro feet of decomposed shale interlaminated here and there with thin partings of reddish clay, marking the position of thin layers of limestone, the calcium carbonate of which has been

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY
carried off in solution. The ore, together with the associated rocks at the points where the above sections occur, has a dip of only 5, but further to. the south the dip increases and in places some folds or faults occur, bringing the ore to the surface in two different lines of outcroppings. The workings on all of these lots, with the exception of the points \vhere the above sections occur, were clone many years ago, and the excavations are more or less filled with fallen earth. The character of the ore is practically the same as that found in the vicinity of Rising Fawn furnace; however, as shown by the following analysis by Dr. Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, it seems to be lower in metallic iron and higher in alumina.
Hygroscopic water .............................. o. 32 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 87 Ferrous oxide ............. : .................... 4. 03 Ferric oxide .................................... 22. so Alumina ...................................... I7. I7 lvfanganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 30 Lime ......................................... 28.24 Magnesia ..................................... 2. I4 Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 03 Sulphur . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 07 Phosphorus pentoxicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 38 Carbon dioxide ................................. I6. 6o
Total ....................................... 99.65
Metallic iron ................................... I8. 89 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. I66
This specimen of ore, as shown by the high percentage of lime present, is hard ore. But lrttle of the soft ore is now to be seen on the Georgia Iron & Coal Company's property, the greater part of which was worked out several years ago when the Rising Fawn furnace was operated by Governor Joseph E. Brown and others.
THE RISING FAWN FuRNACE/ which belongs to the Georgia Iron & Coal Company, is located on Hurricane Creek one mile east of Rising Fawn Station, a small town on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, 26 miles southwest of Chattanooga. The original Rising Fawn furnace, which had a daily capacity of only so tons, was
1 Since the above was written the Georgia Iron & Coal Company has sold its property to the Soathern Steel Company.

.,64

THE FOSSIL IRON DRP, DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

erected by a company of New York ~capitalists in 1874. The New york company operated .the fur.mace for only a short time when it went into the hands of a receiver. A few months after the appointment of a receiver, the furnace was ,purchased by the Walker Iron &
'Coal Company, Governo~.Jos~ph E. Browm and J. C. Warner being
~he principal stockholders. Under the management of this new
company the furnace was operated quite successfully for 4 or 5
:Years, when Mr. W ar:ner di~posed .of his interest to the company, .after which the co.nwany a_gain duanged its name to the Georgia _Mining & Manufacturing Company. Under this management the furnace was enlaJ;ged to a hun.dred ton furnace and operated quite :successfully until 1896, when 'i-t was closed and remained idle until February, 1903. In the meantime the furnace passed into the hands ..of the Georgia Iron & Coal Company, its present owners, who enlarged it to a 225-ton furnace. Since the last named date, the furnac'e has been continuously 0perated wifh the exception of from
Jun.e, 1905., to Janua~y 6, 1906, during which time it was under-
.gomg repa1r. In addition to the furnace-here described, the Georgia Iron & Coal
"Company owns mumerous cottages, a large store, well e,quipped
..offices, machiti~~shops, etc., all of.Whieh ate located in:the itnmediate
a vicinity of the furnace. The furnaa.e is connected with the Ala-
:bama Great Southern Railroad at Rising Fa~n by standard-gauge "branch railroad .one rriile long. The .company also owns another branch road of nearly equal length, extending from the furnace to the limestone quarry from which stone _is secured for fluxing pur:poses. J'he quarr:-y her.e.r_eferred to is located at the base of Lookout MountainJess than a half .of a mile in a .direct 1ine north of the furmace. The limestone here quarried is tne 'Bamgor 'limestone, one of the lower. divisions Q.f the carboniferous rocks. It is a bluish~gray limestone, qtiite free from impurities and well suited for fluxing purposes. The formation is about 2oo feet in thickness and dips at a now angle to the northea-st.
The iron ore 'formerly used.inthe RisingTi'awn furnace was chiefly obtained -from the fossil :iron ore outctioppings on the company's rproperty in .th.e .immediate -viiriinitr ,af rthe Jutnao.e, .but ~s1nre the fur-

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY
nace went in blast in February, 1903, brown iron ore from the company's mines in Bartow county has been largely used.
SoLON GwiNN's PROPERTY.-This property heretofore referred to as lot 185 of the Ioth district, is located in the head of Johnson's Crook. It is surrounded on all sides by the Georgia Iron & Coal Company's property. The ore on this lot was extensively worked by open cuts in the early '8o's, but it is 'now exposed only at a few points. The greater part of the soft ore appears to have been taken out, though at one or two places small exposures of this ore are still to be seen. From a sample of ore taken from one of these exposures the following analysis was made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey:
Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 65 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. 57 Ferrous oxide ..... ___ ............................ none Ferric oxide ................................... 81.57 Alumina ........................................ 5. 57 Manganous oxide .................... : . . . . . . . . . . o. 43 Lime ......................................... 0.29 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 42 Silica ......................................... 6...55 Sulphur ....................................... 0.25 Phosphorus pentoxide ........................... 0.45 Carbon dioxide ........... ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none
Total ....................................... 99.75
Metallic iron. ................................... 57. IO Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
This ore is ver-y soft and consists largely of the cast of bryozoans. It appears to contain but little silica in the form of sand. The following section takeri near where the above sample of ore was obtained shows the thickness of the layers of ore and the intercalated shale partings;

.66

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

r Ore ........................................ r 2 inches 2 Shale ....................... ................ 7 " 3 Qre......................................... 8 " 4 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "
5 Ore ......................................... 8 "
6 Shale ....................................... I " 7 0 re ........................................ 4 " 8 Shale . ....................................... r "
9 0 re ........................................ 4 "
ro Shale . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "
The ore here dips to the northward at an angle of I0.

Along the eastern sideof Johnson's Crook south of the,Georgia Iron & Coal Company's property no workings or outcroppings of iron ore of any importance an~ seen until the John Slaton property is reached.
TH~ SLATON PROP.ERTYy lot 286, rrth district, and also the adjoining property,_ lot 29r, owned by Sevier Powell, are traversed by the bed of fossil iron ore, but the ore has been prospected at only a few points. In most places the ores on these properties are covered by residual material which has resulted from the weathering of the overlying Fort Payne chert, and can only be seen when this overburden is removed by the action of running water or by artificial . means.
THe TATUM & GrLRERT PROPERTIE8.-These properties, lots No. 322 and 326, both of the I rth district, and which lie to the southwest of the Powell property, have exposures of fossil iron ore, but here as on the adjoining properties to the north, the exposures are limited. The prospecting on the properties has been meagre and the old excavations are so full of fallen earth that n<?thing can be definitely stated as to the thickness of the bed or the character of the ore.
G. A. R. BIBBLEYS PROPERTY.-The Bibble property, lot 2, r2th district, lies immediately south of the Gilbert property. The main
on exposures of the iron ore on this ptroperty occur a steep hill-
slope only a fe~ hundred yards south of the Bibble residence. The ore here has a thickness of about _3 feet and stands almost perpendicular. The exposures show chiefly hard ore which seems to be

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY
of a good quality. The total amount of ore mined on the Bibble property has probably not exceeded 50 tons.
W. P. GrLB:8RT>s PROPERTY.-Previous to traversing lot No. 2, the fossil iron ore traverses lot No. r and also the northwest corner of lot No. 36 of the 12th district. The few openings which have been made on these lots are now partially filled with earth and no ore is to be seen in place, owing to the heavy covering of residual material from the Fort Payne chert.
T. B. BLAKE>s PROPERTY.-Southwest of lot No.' 2 the line of ore outcroppings crosses the district line and is to be seen on the Blake property: lot r 18 of the 18th district. After traversing this property, it appears on lot 124. On the latter property, known as the Brown property, there was considerable ore mined several years ago. The workings, which consisted of open cuts and strippings, are now much fallen in and no ore is to be seen in situ'.
E. M. THOMAS> PROPERTY.-Lot 127, r8th district, adjoins the
Brown property on the south. This property and also the T. B. Smith property, lot r28, immediately south of the Thomas property, were quite extensively worked some years ago. The workings, which consisted of strippings, open cuts and tunneling, are to be seen on the hillsides a short distance east of Lookout Creek and within a few hundred yards of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. \iVith the exception of the Hartline property, lot 129, which lies on the Georgia-Alabama line, the Smith property might be said to mark the southern limits of the eastern outcropping of the fossil ore alorig the eastern side of Johnson's Crook.
SARAH HARTLINE>s PROPERTY.-There is but one exposure of ore on this property and it occurs on a rather steep hillside on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, a few hundred yards south of the Sulphur Spring station. A sample car of ore was shipped from this point some five years ago to Birmingham. The ore contains considerable clay and sand. It occurs in a bed about three feet in thickness and dips eastward at an angle of about 65; underlying the iron ore is a limestone resembling the Chickamauga limestone. The ore appears to be a different bed from the one worked on the Smith

68

THE FOSSIL iRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

property and at the other points further north on the east side of Johnson's Crook.
THE NESBITT AND OTHER PROPERTIES.-In addition to the fossil 1ron ore above described, there is also another line of outcroppings <On the west side of J ohnson:'s Crook. This line of outcroppings en;ters Georgia from Alabama on lot II3, r8th district, owned by Mrs. Mahulda Steel. After traversing the southeastern corner of this lot, 1t passes through the northwest corner of lot I 12, owned by the same
party. It then enters upon and traverses J. A. Nesbitt's property, lots
roo and 103, r8th district. Still further to the northeast it occurs on Rot 92 and also on lot 9o, the former owned by Lena Goff and the latter by James Hall. After traversing lot 90 it enters upon lot 83, the property of the Georgia Iron & Coal Company, which has been previously described. The ore along the eastern line of outcroppings is usually concealed from view by residual material, and is to be seen at only a few places. One of the best exposures occurs on the N esbitt property, lot roo, on the right bank of Lookout Creek. The ore, which here has a thickness of about J feet, is hard and carries a high percentage of lime.
Each of the se:V.eral properties above named has been .prospected more or less and at some points a limited amount of ore has been mined, but as a whole, leaving out the workings of the Georgia Iron & Coal Company, there may be said to have been but little development of the fossil iron ore on the west side of Johnson's Crook between the Georgia-Alabama line and Rising Fawn.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORE OF LOOKOUT VALLEY

The southernmost exposur.e of fossil iron ore in Lookout Valley occurs on the west side of Pudding Ridge, near the headwaters of Crawfish Creek and only a short distance from the Georgia-Alabama line. The exposure here is near the point of the .union of the eastern and western line of ore outcroppings of Lookout Valley. The severai iron ore properties o.f Lookout Valley are here described in detail.
THE DEAN PROPERTYJ lot 65 ( ?) , r8th district, is located on the

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

69

Georgia-Alabama line a short distance from the base of Sand Mountain. . The ore outcroppings on this property are to be seen on the west side of Pudding Ridge. The total thickness of the main bed of ore at this point is 30 inches. Twelve inches from the base the bed has a parting of shale three inches in thickness. About three feet above the main bed is a second layer eight inches thick, which in turn is followed by a third bed about three feet thick, and still higher in the series is another, having a thickness of r8 inches. The two small layers carry a high percentage of lime, and could hardly be' used with profit in a furnace. The ore here has a dip to the east at an angle of about 5. It is exposed on both sides of a ravine for a snort distance, but it finally disappears beneath the overlying shales.
Within a short distance of this exposure on the same property, the ore occ.1-us in the deep ravines on the opposite side of Pudding Ridge. The ore here is all hard ore and would probably not run over 32 per cent. metallic iron.
L. S. Cou.rER1S PROPERTY.-This property, lot 64, joins the Dean property on the east. Fossil ore occurs here on the west side of Pudding Ridge at an elevation of about 400 feet above Crawfish Creek, where it forms a more or less continuous series of outcroppings continuous with the outcroppings on the Dean property just described. The following section, in the ascending order, shows the thickness of the ore and character of the associated rock:

r Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet 2 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 inches 3 Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 '' 4 Shale with thin beds of limestone ................ I 2 5 feet

The ore dips at a low angle to the east a'!ld is favorably located for working. It consists largely of hard ore. In addition to the lot here described, Mr. Collier also owns lot 45 of the r8th district, on which considerable soft ore has been mined. The ore occurs on this lot on a hill having an elevation of about roo feet above Crawfish Creek which flows at its northern base. A section of the orebearing formation at this point is here given:

70

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

r Ore ......... : ............................... 12 inches
2 Slia:ie ......................................... r8 "
3 or-e: ... ........ ~ ............................ 8 "
4 S:hale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 " 5 Ore ......................................... r6 " 6 Shale ........................................ 2 " .7 Qre ......................................... r6 " 8 Shale ......................................... -
The ore dips eastward at an angle of about I0.

THE SMrT:s: PROPE:RTY.-This property, lot 56,. r8th district, lies
chiefly on the east side of Pudding Ridg~, 2Yz miles northwest of
Rising Fawn. The main exposure .of on~ is ne<:tr the ~ead of a deep

ravine at an elevation of more than roo feet above the general stream

level of the vicinity. The ore is about three feet thick ami lies almost

horizontal. It is chiefly hard ore, though soft ore also occurs where

th~ outcroppings have been protected from surface erosion. After

traversing this lot, the ore again appears on the adjoining lot here

described. :

.

w. A. ALLISON's PROf:qRTY..-Th~ Allison. pl:oper~;y," l,oJ S5; is
1ocated immediately w~s:t oi the Srrtith prop~l-ty... 1:11~" or~ on this
prop.erty, as on the adjo1ning lot, Iies 1;ea:r{y horlzont~la.nd consists .almost entirely of hard ore. The follo~ing section ~haws the thick-
ness of the ore and the shale partings :

I Ore ......................................... .3 feet
2 Shale ........................................ Yz inch
..3 Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 inches
4 Shale ........................................ r8 "
5 Ore ........... ._ ............................. 3 feet
(6 Shale ........................................ -

This section shows an unusual thickening of the ore which is prob.:.. ably only local. In general where the beds are thus abnorn1~lly developed, not all of the ore is workable, either the lower or upper bed being too low in iron and too high in lime for furnace use,
THOMAS PAYNE's PROPERTY.-Lot 53, r8th district (mineral interest owned by L. S. Collier), is located on the Georgia-Alabama
lline. This lot has a rather extensive outcropping of iron ore, which

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

7I

bas an average thickness of about 3 feet. .The best exposure is to be seen on the slope of one of the western foothills of Pudding Ridge at an elevation of about IOO feet above the valley. The dip :is to the westward at a low angle. After traversing this lot and crossing the State line, the ore again appears in Alabama, where it has been prospected at several points near the head of one of the tributaries of Crawfish Creek.

THE TINKER, PROPERTY.-This property, lots 50 and 5 I, I8th district, lies due east of the Payne property and directly south of the Collier property, Iot 45, previously described. One of the main iron ore exposures on the property is to be seen in a deep ravine near .the Tinker residence. The section here exposed is as follows :

1 Ore ......................................... 9 inches
.2 Shale ........................................ r.4 "
3 Ore .......................................... 28 " 4 Shale ........................................ -

The ore and the associated shales dip to the northeast at an angle .Of about I0. All of the ore in the above section is hard and carries a rather high percentage of lime, as shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey:

Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0.27 Combined water .............................. . 0-75 Ferrous oxide ................................ . 2.05 Ferric oxide ................................. . 42.20 Alumina ..................................... . 389 Manganous oxide ............................. . 0.23 Lime .............................. : ........ . 24-95 J\[agnesia ................................... . 0.40
s1r1ca ............................. ...... - . 4.62
'Sulphur ..................................... . 0. IO Phosphorus pentoxide ........................... . I. 3I Carbon dioxide .............. ................. . I9-40
Total . , ...................................... Ioo. I7
Metallic iron .................................. 32.53 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572

72

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

This ore is made up largely of oolitic particles about the shape

and size of flaxseed.

.

SILAS PRICKET's PROPERTY.-Lot 42 { ?)., r8th district (mineral ititerest owned by L. S. Collier).. There .is quite an extensive outcropping of ore on this property. In places the ore dips at a low angle conforming to the slope of the hill, and as a result can be cheaply worked by stripping. Both hard and soft ore occurs, but the latter is the most abundant. 'the total thickness of the ore is about 3 feet.

THE PH<::ENIX IRON & COAL COMPANY'S PROPERTY

The property of this company, which consists of 3,224 acres, is confined largely to. the .nprthem part .of the r.8th district of Dade county. The greater part of the property was secured from the Empire State Coal & Mining Company. The latter company was organized just prior to the Civil War w"ith a view of manufacturing iron for the Confederate government. -Mr. R. H. F. Millington, former superintendent of the. Empire State Coal & Iron Companyr, in speaking of the property, S<i!,YS: "It was purchased for the pur.pose of erecting furnaces to manufacture iron under a contract with the late Confederate States government, amounting to $8,ooo,ooo. The furnace here referred to was being erected under my supervision and was the first of six we were about to erect when the forces of U. S. Grant gained, possession of that part of the State and drove us away, but left the furnace intact.." . The furnace to which Mr. Millington here refers is still.standing in a fair state of preservation. It is a sma11 furnace; hav.ing. a supposed capaCity .of only 20 tons per day. No attempt has been made since the abandonment ot the furnace in i86j 'to put it in operation. The descr'iption of the iron
prospects on. the Phcen.ix Iron & Coal Company's property is here
given by lots: .
Lo1' 22, r8TH DrsTRICT.-This lot, on which the old furnace above
referred to is located, lies on the west side of Lookout c1:eek, about 3 1"!liles south of Trenton. The main exp0sur.e of ore on the lot
occurs hear the top of a ridge a: few hundred yards northwest of the

FOSSIL IRON OREs OF Dl4DE COUNTY

7...,,...,

old furnace. Considerable ore was mined at th~s point so:me years ago. The works, consisting of open cuts, are now well filled with! earth, and but little ore is to be seeri i1~ situ. The main bed of ore, which is here about 30 inches thick, occurs in two parallel lines ofoutcroppings, due to a synclinal fold. Just below the main ore bed. on both sides of the hill is to be seen an exposure of the so-called: "sand vein," which attains a thickness of several feet. It runs lovv in iron and may be described as a highly arenaceous, ferruginous, limestone. The main seam of ore dips to the west antl is quite favor-ably located for working. Near the eastern base of the ridge above, referred to and near Lookout Creek, is to be seen the same seam.; which has been worked on the ridge. The ore at this point dips at a. high angle towards the east.

LoT 35, r8TH DrsTRICT.-the ore after traversing lot 22 con-tinues to the southwest through lot 35- Exposures of ore are to be" seen at several places on this lot. They are confined mainly to the' east side of the ridge, but they are also to be seen onthe west side. On the east slope of the ridge the ore dips in a westerly direction, while on the west side it dips in the opposite direction. This shows. the hill to be a synclinal fold. The top of this iron.:.bearing ridge,.. as well as the one on lot 22, is capped with Fort Payne chert. The ridges are noted for their precipitous slopes and sharp tops. Theyvary in height from 250 to 300 feet above Lookout Creek, which:-1 flows at its eastern base. The ore on lot 35 and also on-36, is mainlyhard. The seam is usually about 3 feet in thickness. The "sand' vein" probably also occurs on this lot; however, no outcroppings: were noticed.

LoT 37, r8T~ DrsTRICT.-Iron ore outcrops on this lot along~ Tadpole Branch and Crawfish Creek, and also along the western side of the Fort Payne chert hill, which lies between these streams. With' the exception of a few tons of soft ore mined on this lot prior to theCivil War, no work has been done. The ore here as on the two lots, further to the north, occur in a synclinal fold and as a result present-: two parallel lines of outcroppings. The thickness of the ore which.; is principally hard ore, is about three feet. It is favorably locatedl for working.

74

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

O'I'H~R LoTs.-In additjon to the lots here described, the Phcen:ix

Iron and Coal Company owns several lots on the west side of'Look-
out Valley which have more m: less iron on them. The principal

lots in this group are lots ro, r8, and 23, all of the r8th district.

The ore on these lots has never been prospected, and is only to be

seen in the natural outcropping;;. The ore o~ this side of the valley

is mainly hard, and is exposed chiefly along the sides of the hill and

in the, ravines. The main searn of ore is usually divided near its

center by a thin parting of shale, rarely more than three or four

inches in thickness. Th~ total thickness of the ore averages about

thirty inches. The dip is to the westwf!rgl at an an,gle yarying from

I0 to I 5. Besides the main bed here d.escribed, there is often to be

seen in places two other small beds, neither of which;, however, ap-

pears to. be of sufficient thickness to be of economic importance.

There also c>c~urs in places about fifty feet below the main ore bed, a

rather heavy-bedded, ferruginous, sandy limestone which weathers

:into a fair iron ore. The ore on these lots contains considerable

1ime, and would not prob'ably average more than 35 per cent. metal-
is 1icirqn. .. )'he lpcation. of the. outcroppings on the si~.e_9f}l1~ riP.i~.s
:a~d th~ rll'lls: I.OO feet or inore ~bi:rve stream .leveL quite f~vor'aole

ior economic minin:g.

.

.

;

THE NEW ENGLAND COMPANY
The New England- Company's property consists of about r6,ooo :acres of land located chiefly in the roth, r8th and 19th districts df Da:de county. Much of these lands lies in Lookout Valley and con-tains valuable deposits o(fossil iron ore. It is claimed by the coin-
parry that they own in fee simple and in miner~l rights sixty lahd
'lots, r6o acres each, in Lookout Valley, all of which have more or less fossil.iron.
The New England Company,. which consists chiefly of Eastern
Capitalists, with ex-Governor' Roswell Fa_rrtiharil, 'of Vet~ont, pres-
or ide~t, was organized a~out twenty years ago with a vie:v carry-
ing on extensive mining and. manufactti.r~ng industries i~ Dade tcounty. Among the various industries contemplated were smelting

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

75

furnaces, roliing mills and a coking plant. There was also planned and laid out a model manufacturing town covering an area of several hundred acres. With the exception of a three-story, modern hotel and a few other buildings, ali of which are now more or less out of repair, but little has been done toward the development of the property since the organization of the company. Prior to the purchase of this property by the New England Company, the fossil iron ore seemed to have attracted considerable attention. The locality was visited by Prof: James Hall, late State Geologist of New York, in r866, and later by C. H. Hitchcock, State Geologist of New Hampshire. The reports of both of these eminent geologists, as well as other geologists of less eminence, all speak in high terms of the property. Some of the reports appear to be somewhat misleading in regard to the extent of the ore and the iron contents; nevertheless, there can be no doubt but that the -company owns a valuable iron ore property, a detailed description of which is here given by lots:

LoT 5, EIGHTEENTH DrsTRICT.-The western line of fossil iron ore outcroppings traverses this lot, and is to be seen at several places along the sides of the knobby hills lying west of the TrentonRising Fawn public road. At places along the hillside occur many open cuts from which ore was mined some years ago. The workings appear to be confined chiefly to the surface, and only the soft ore was mined. The ore consists of one main seam with an average thickness of three feet. The dip is to the northwest at an angle of
about 20 . On the roadside, some 300 yards east of these old
workings, and only a short distance from an exposure of the upper beds of the Chickamauga limestone, occurs a highly ferruginous sandy limestone, carrying a high percentage of iron. The bed is several feet in thickness, and when weathered forms a brm;<,rn, spongy, siliceous mass, in which are seen numerous rounded grains of sand cemented by dark-brown iron oxide. This material forms a rather impure ore, but apparently too low in iron to be of commercial value. The location of the main bed, I 50 feet or more above the valley, is quite favorable for economic working. The position

~~

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

usually renders the mines self-draining, and at the same time makes the underground haul largely down grade.
LoT 8, EIGHTEENTH DrsTRICT.-This lot is located on the east side of Lookout Valley, only a short distance west of Lookout Creek The ore is confined chiefly to a rather prominent ridge which lies between the Trenton-Rising Fawn public road and the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. The ridge rises to an elevat1ort of about 300 feet above the valley. Its slopes are steep and covered with a heavy growth of virgin trees. The main seam of ore to be seen on this lot corresponds to the ferruginou's a.renaceous - bed referred to on lot 5. This impure ore here has a thickness varying from five to six feet. It is to be seen ort both sides of the hill. On the west side it dips to the east at an angle of about r 5, and on the east side it dips to the west at an angle of 30. It will thus be seen that the ore occurs in an unsymmetrical synclinal fold, with the steeper pitching limb to the east... The bed carrying the higher grade of iron ore does not appear to occur on this lot. As this bed naturally .lies many feet above the bed of impure iron it has .probably been entirely removed by .ero.sion, a13..d is t~erefore not likely to be found at all on the ridge.
Lo'i' 37, ELEVENTH DrsTRICT.-Iron ore has been w0rked on this lot along the side of a hill a short distance east of the Alabama Great 'Southern Railroad. Judging ftom the character of the old workings, there are two beds here, varying from two to three feet in thickness and about five feet apart. The old workings, whic11 extend for nearly a half of a mile, consist of ope1-l cuts from five to ten feet deep. The ore mined here was chiefly shipped to Chattanooga,
but it is said that a considerable amount of it was also used at U r-
rups forge, a small bloomary or Catalan furnace operated in the early forties on Lookout Creek, only a short distance from where the ore was mined.
LoT 251, TENTH. DrSTRICT.-This lot, formerly owned by the Cherokee Iron Works, is located on the west side of Lookout Valley, about one mile north of .Trenton. The ore on this lot was worked to a considerable extent shortly after the Civil War, and supplied a

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

77

great part of the ore used in the Cherokee furnace, which was lo-
cated on the east side of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad, one
mile north of Trenton, and about half a mile east of the western
line of ore outcroppings. The furnace here referred to was built by Dr. ]. H. McLean, of Louisville, and Mr. Brown, of Philadel-
phia, in r865. It was constructed for a forty-ton furnace, but is said to have never been very successful. Only one bed of ore is
exposed on this lot. It is about thirty inches in thickness, and divided near the center by a thin parting of shale. The dip is J0 to
the northwest. The only ore exposed to view at the time of the
writer's visit was soft ore, an analysis of which made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, is here given:
Hygroscopic water ......................... . 0-43 Combined water ........................... . 3.01 Ferrous oxide ............................ . none Ferric oxide .............................. . 77-04
Alumina ................................. . 5.21
Manganous oxide .......................... . 0.69 Lime .................................... . I .02 Magnesia ................................ . 0.47 S1"l"1ca ............................. 11.85 Sulphur .................................... . 0.04 Phosphorus pentoxide ...................... . 0.62 Carbon dioxide ............................ . none

Total .................................... 100.38
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.93 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 27
The sample of ore from which the above analysis was made was highly oolitic.
LoT 212, TENTH DrsTRICT.-This lot lies directly east of New England City, and is traversed by the eastern line of fossil iron ore outcroppings, which has been extensively worked. The old excavations, which consist of open cuts and considerable underground work, now largely filled with fallen earth, are to be seen along the western side of a series of Fort Payne chert hills. The workings beginning on this lot extend in an almost unbroken line to th~ northeast f.or about three and a half miles. To the southwest of

']i?.

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

lot 2I2 there occur no workings of any importance, due chiefly to the ore being deeply buried beneath the residual and alluvial material which in places has accumulated to a depth of ten feet or more. At a po_int near the southeastern corner of this lot where the ore is to be seen in an old tunnel, it attains a thickness of about thirty-five inches, and dips at a rather high angle to the east. The greater part of the ore remaining on the lot is hard, the soft ore having been largely mined out some years ago.
Lo'r" I86, TE:N1'H Dts'I'RIC'I'.-The fossil iron ore; after traversing lot 2I2, continues to the northeast through lot I86. The character of fhe old 'workings here consisting of tunnels from 2 5 to Ioo feet in length, and open cuts five or more feet in depth, is quite similar to those on lot 2I2.. The ore averages about three feet in thickness, and has a general dip to the southeast at an .angle varying from I 5 to 2 5. At two differen;!: points en the lot the ore occurs in small synclinal folds. In the vicinity of the axes of these folds the ore is nearly always thicker than it is along the lirnbs of the fold. At one point it is. said that the or~ along the axis of one of the synclines attained a ma:x;imum thickness of nine feet. These abnormal thickening!:?.; howev:er, are .usually. qui.te loGal and aqgment~but little;1f any
a the aggregate ore contents of the bed as whole. Where these en:-
latgements occur there is generally a coli6~poi1cling thinnirlgwf the
ore alorig the limbs of the synclines in the immediate vicinity of the axis, so that in reality there is no actual increase in the amount of ore in the bed, but only a shifting of the ore from one point to another. The mail} bed of ore on this lot is divided near the center by a parting of shale about eighteen inches in thickness. In addition
to this mairi ore bed there is also to be seen in the old workings ..at
or many points a few feet above'the workabJe bed, a thin layer fer-.
niginous, fossiliferous limestone too low in !ron, however, for furna'Ce use. The greater part of the workings on this lot as well as ~the workings on the adjoining lots, is said to have been done in I88S86_;8'7.
LoTs I73 AND 174, IOTH Drs'I'RIC'I'.-These lots lie nort~east of lot I86, and are both traversed by the eastern line of fossil iron ore outcroppings. On lot I73 are to be seen old workings. At one point

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

79

the ore measured 3 feet in thickness. It seemed to be of a good
quality, and dipped to the east at an angle of about 25 .
LoT 152, roTH DrsTRICT.-This lot is also traversed by the fossil iron ore outcroppings and several exposures of the bed are to be seen along the side of the hills. At one of these exposures where the bed measures about 3 feet in thickness, a sample of ore was taken from which the following analysis was made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey :

Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0.45

Combined water ............................... . 0.90

Ferrous oxide ................................. . 0.90

Ferric oxide .................................. . 56 53 Alumina ..................................... . 4 r6

Manga~ous oxide ... ~ .......................... . 0. 52

LMimagenes.1..a.

.. .

. .

.. . .

. .

.. . .

. .

. .

. .

. .

. .

. .

... . . ..

.. . .

. .

. .

. ..

.. . .

... .
. . .

. .

. .

. .

.. . .

. .

.... . . . . ...

r6.76 0. 55

Silica ........................................ . 793 Sulphur ...................................... . trace

Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . 0.79

Carbon dioxide ................................ . I2.0I

Total ....................................... ror. so
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40. 27
Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 35
A microscopic examination of this ore shows it to be made up largely of fragments of brachiopod shells, bryozoans and coral, largely replaced by iron oxide, with the intervening spaces filled with calcite. Every pore and cavity of the organic remains appear to be filled with iron oxide; only a few grains of quartz occur in the section.
OTHER LoTs.-Besides the lots above described, the New England Company owns other lots on the east side of Lookout Valley, traversed by the eastern line of ore outcroppings, the most important of which are as follows: 136, 135, II9 and 98, all of the roth district. The character of the ore on these lots is practically the same as on the lots further to the southwest, though there seem to be secondary beds which in places attain a thickness of 8 inches or

!So

li'HE.iF0SSIL,JRON:oRE.DBPOSITS ,QI]!t GEORGIA

'

nnore. These smaller beds, whi<th are usuaJ.ly tw-o in number, ap;.pear to gradually incPease in siz:e to the nrtheast. An analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, of a sample .of ore. taken from the main bed on lot 98 is 11er.e given:

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . .. .. . . . . . . . . o. 70
Combined water .................... _. .. ... .. . . . . . . . . . 2. 40 _Ferrous oxide ... ......................................... ~. . . . . . . I. oo :Ferric oxide ............................................. 48.49 Alumina ... .... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . I . 98
Manganous oxide ......................... - .. . . . . . . . . o. 36 :Lime ...................................... ; ... _....... I9. 65 Magnesia ..................................... _ . . . . . . . . . I . 23 :Silica ........................................................ - . . . . . 7. 67 :Sulphur .......... , . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . o. 09 Phosphorus pentoxide . .............................. o. 36 :Carbon dioxide .............................. ~ ......... I 5. 6o

Total .................................... .............. 99.53
Metallic iron ................... ........... -- ... - .......... 34. 72 P-hosphorus .......................................... - ... - ..... -. . . o. 57

. This :is a hard ore, and when examined under the 111icroscope in ;a thin section it .is -seen to be; made up largely of the rounded fragcments of the sh_ells of brachi<?p?ds and b~yozoa.ns which have been ~replaced more or less by iron oxicl~. The s.paces between the
rounded fragments are filletl '-With calcite. In addition to the altered
,rorgank fragments, there also often occur. rounded "fragments which .seem to have undergone 'but 'little chq.nge, and therefore consist mainly of the.oiiginal calCium carbonate. No silica 'in tbe form of sand is to.he seen.in the section. Thelast nam:ed'1oris the northern terminus of the New 'England Company-'s iron ore property on the .,.east side ofLookout Valley. The company,'however, owns several -lots further-to thenorth em the w>est side of:the vaUey, siDme of the -most importanto'f whiCh -arelhere clesd'i0ed.
s, Lo'I' 2 'I O'I'H 'I)ISTRIC'I'.-rTliis'lot' lies \about one mile .west of the
Alabama 'Great 'Southern1Rciilroatl, and -one.:..hat xriile south ,of the tGeorgia State'line. 'It'is:alsowithin ..ashort.'distanceo-f the Nash-
wille, ChattanGo._ga .and ::St. ~LmiiiS ~Raiilro.ad. ':The, fussil :iu<D.n iWhich
'I

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

8!

traverses this lot is the northern extension of the line of outcroppings beginning in Deerhead Cove. The ore has never been worked on this lot, and there are but few natural exposures where the ore can be seen in situ,. Southwest of lot 25, ore occurs on lots 48, 8r, IOI and I IS, all of the roth district.
LoT r r 5, roTH DrsTRICT.-This lot is of special interest on account of one of the secondary beds previously referred to, here becoming of economic importance. The lot is located about one half mile west of Morganville, and the ore is to be seen in the old working along the eastern slope of the ridge which faces the valley. The main workings here are along the outcroppings of the secondary bed. This bed, which lies near the base of the Rockwood formation, has a thickness of about 3 feet. It is of a dual nature, being parted near the centre by a thin layer of _shale. The upper part of the bed consists of a pure clean semi-soft block ore, while the lower part is a dark red, somewhat earthy, shaley ore. Some 75 feet above this bed, which is here designated the secondary bed in order to distinguish it from the main workable bed, is a second bed. This bed occurs near the center of the Rockwood formation and appears to be the main workable bed throughout Lookout Valley. At this point it has a thickness of about 36 inches; however, it is divided by a layer of shale 8 feet or more in thickness. This thick parting of shale seems to be quite local and appears to thin out to a few inches on the lots both to the northeast and southwest. An analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, of a sample of ore taken from the lower or secondary bed is here given:

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 4I Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r. 75
Ferrous oxide .................................. r. 70 Ferric oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52. r6 Alun1ina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. 22
Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 2 r Li1ne .......................................... 15.23
JVIagnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. o6
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ro. 52
Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. o6
Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r. 83

:s2

THE FOSSIL !IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Carbon dioxide ................. .-. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . r t . or

Total ....................................... roo. r6
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.83 :Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798
'The ore is highly ro61itic. This is especially true of the upper part rof the bed.
OTHER Lo'I's.~Southwest of lot r r 5, the fossil iron ores conltirrue ilhrough lots II4, r28, 129, 149, and 177 of the roth district. On the [ast nani.ed lot are to be seen old workings frorn whicb some :20 or 30 carloads O>f ore are said to have been taken about 20 years :ago. The main fossil ore bed at this pdint is 30 inches thick. It dips to the west at an angle of about 20 degrees, and is divided near the centre by a thin parting of shale. The ote occurs on a hillside
at an elevation of a hundred feet or more above the valley; on the
opposite side of this hill is to be seen an outcroppirig of hard ore. Similar workings to the above occur on lot 149 near the right bank of Squirrel Branch. The ore in these old workiligs is said to 0-ave attained a thickness of 4 feet. The- exca-vations are now all filled
vvith earth at1Q nb ore :is 'to be seeii'tn s~tu,. '
LoT. 214, roTH DrsTRrcr.-Still further to the soi1thwest, fossil
iron ore occurs on lot 214, property ~f tl~e New Erigland Company.
The ore is here exposed on a hillside at aJi elevation of something like roo feet. above New England City.. Tl~e main bed of ore which dips to the northwest at an angle of 30, is 30 inches in thickness, and is divided near its centre by a thin pai-ting of shaJe. In addition to the main bed there. are also two other beds of ore to be seen on this hill-slope, one above the main bed about 2o feet, and the oth~r helow about the same distance. The thickness of th~se smaller b~ds averages from. 6 to ro inches. The ore after' traversing this lot continues southwest through the McLean pPoperty and again enters the New England property, lot 25r, which has beeti"rim~viohs'ly described.
A. McLBAN1S PROP:8RTY.-This property, lot 218, roth district, is located 23/z miles north of Trenton, only a few hundred yatds west of the Alabama Great Southern Railroad. Tl1e best exposure of

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY
()re on the property is to be seen along a small stream a short distance west of the McLean residence. The main ore bed here exposed has a thickness of 3 feet. The ore is hard and dips at an angle of I 5. The bed is divided near the centre by a thin parting of shale. Twenty feet below this bed is a second bed having a th-ickness of 8 inches. Still further down the stream, about roo yards, occurs a third bed which is about 5 feet thick. The last named bed is located near the base of the Rockwood formation and appears to be different from the bed generally worked throughout the valley. It probably corresponds to the lower bed described on lot r I 5, though the ore is not of such a good quality. This, however, is likely due to its still retaining a greater part of its original lime.
THE SuTTON PROPERTY.-.The Sutton property, lot 321, roth district, is located on Lookout Creek, one mile west of Trenton. Fossil iron ore occurs on this property near Sutton's Mill, on the west side of Lookout Creek. Here along the. side of a hill is to be seen partially :filled open cuts which were made about 20 years ago in mining the ore. None of the ore is now to be seen in place. It is reported that three separate beds were worked here, each having a thickness varying from ro inches to 2 feet. The ore on top of the hill) which has an elevation of about 30 feet above the creek, dips at a low angle to the southeast, while directly opposite the mill it dips in the opposite direction. After traversing this lot, the ore continue.s to the northeast through lots 292 and 285. The latter lot, which is owned by Mr. Austin, has been rather extensively worked for ore, but the excavations are so filled with earth that no ore is now in sight.
D. MARTIN)s PROPERTY.-The Martin property, lots 50 and 59, roth district, is situated on the east side of the Alabama Great South-: ern Railroad, r0 miles south of the Georgia-Tennessee line. It is trave"rsed by the eastern line of fossil iron ore outcropping. Some years ago a great deal of ore was mined on this property and used in the manufacture of paint, a mill having been erected on lot 59 for grinding the ore used for this purpose. The old works are now partially filled with fallem earth and the ore is to be seen at only a few points. They are mainly located along the sides of a series of bills lying just east of the Trenton-Chattanooga public road. The

84

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

bed of ore here has an average thickness of about 30 inches. It dips to the east at angles varying from 10 to I5. The old workings consisted chiefly of open pits from five to t~n feet deep, only the so~~ ore having been mined. About 50 feet below this bed is a second bed. It is well exposed in the public road near Mr. Martin's residence. At this point it is about three feet thick. The ore is semi-hard and .contains considerable clay. It is made up largely of the casts of brachiopods and. oolitic particles about the size of flaxseed. Samples of .ore were collected from both, of these beds, the analyses of which made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, are here given :

SAMPLE OF ORE FROM UPPER BED

Hygroscopic water ............................. . . o.62

Combined water ............................... . 2.0I

Ferrous oxide .............. .................. . I.OO

Ferric oxide ................................... . 47.67

.AJumina ...................................... . 2.02

Manganous oxide .......................... ..... . 0.2?

Lime ......................................... . r8.39

Magnesia ................ ~ .................... . Silica ........................................ .

I0I..7s95-

Sulphur ....................................... . 0.06

Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . 0.77

Carbon dioxide ................................ . rs.o6

Total ....................................... roo . 5I
Metallic iron .......................... ,'. . . . . . . . 34.05 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 335
SAMPLE FROM LOWER BED
Hygroscopic water ............................. . o.82 Combined water ............................... . 2.41 Ferrous oxide ................................. . o.6s Ferric oxide .................................. . 4450
Alumina ..................................... . 574
Manganous oxide ............................ ; .. 0,23 Lime ........................................ . 22.33 Magnesia .... , ............................... . 0.08 Silica , ................................. 4 r6 Sulphur .............. ~ ................. , ..... . trace

lFOSSIL IRON ORES OF DADE COUNTY

85

Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 87 Carbon dioxide ................................. r8. oo

'Total ....................................... 99.79
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3I. 66 Phosphorus ............ _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 379

The microscopic section of the ore from the upper bed shows that it consists of a ground mass of calcite, with rounded fragments of brachiopods and bryozoans replaced largely by iron oxide. Some of the iron particles have a greenish nucleus, which is probably glauconite. No grains of sand were noticed in the section.
In addition to the lots here described, there are also other lots further to the north, traversed by the eastern line of ore outcroppings. Among these may be mentioned the Deakins lot, No. 23, the
McGill lot, No. 22, and the Fuller lot, No. 15, all of the roth district.

CHAPTER VII

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

INTRODUCTORY

The fossil ir0n ores of Walker county occur along the eastern

foothills of Lookout Mountain, along the eastern an4 western foot-

hills of Pigeon M.ountain and along the eastern slope of Taylor's

and Dick's, ridges. There is also in addition to the localities above

named a small V-shaped line of outcroppings tra:versing the knob-

by hills west of Chattanooga Valley in the vicinity of the Georgia-

Alabama line. -The ore along the western foothills of Lookout

I\1ountain begins a short distance southwest of Flintstone and contin-

ues southwest with but few breaks to the head of McLamore's Cove;

here it changes its course and continues along the western foot hills~

of Pigeori Mountain to its northern terminus, when it again changes

its direction and contim;tes along the eastern foothills of Pigeon

Mountain to the Walker-Chattooga line. The total length of this.

broken line of ore outcroppings aggregates more than fifty miles~

The outcroppings along Taylor's and Dick's ridges are to be seen

in the heads of all the hollows on the western side of the latter and

the eastern side of the former. This line of outcroppings is practi-

cally unbroken, and extends from the Walker-Chattooga line to the

Walker-Whitfield line, a distance of twelve miles, while the line of outcroppings west of Chattanooga Valley has a length of about eight

..

miles, thus making the total length of outcroppings of the fossil ore:

in Walker county more than seventy miles.

(86)

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN
MRS. J. T. ALGOOD,S PROPERTY.-The Algood property, lot 144, 9th district, is located about one mile southwest of Flintstone, at the base of Lookout Mountain. The fossil iron ore is to be seen at several points on this lot, but at no place has it been worked. Two or three shallow prospect pits, now partially filled \vith fallen earth, is the extent of the development work attempted on the property. The ore which has a thickness of twenty inches dips at a high angle to the west. In places the bed is reported to attain a maximum thickness of thirty inches. The ore exposed is soft ore and appears to be of a good quality. The ore on the Algood property appears to be the northern terminus of the line of fossil iron ore outcroppings extending along the eastern slope of Lookout Mountain, the disappearance of the ore at this point being due to a fault.
THE STONER-CALDWELL PROPERTY.-The Stoner-Caldvvell property, lot 45, 9th district, the mineral interest of which is owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company, is located immediately south and adjoins the Algood property above described. This lot as well as lot r8o, known as the Hickson lot, and al.so lots r8r and 219, the mineral interest of which belongs to the Chickamauga Iron Company, all lying in the same tier of lots further to.the south, are traversed by iron ore outcroppings, but no working or prospecting of importance has been done on any of the lots. Judging from what was seen in the natural exposures, the character of the bed of iron ore on these lots .is practically the same as on lot 44, where it varies from twenty to thirty inches in thickness, and has a high dip to the westward.
THE WEST PROPERTY.-This property, lot 199, roth district, is intersected by the Central of Georgia Railway, about one mile west of where it crosses the Chattanooga Southern Railway. The mineral interest of the lot is owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company. D1.1ring the time of the writer's visit to the \Vest property the ore was being mined and shipped to Chattanooga. Up to that date it was estimated that s,ooo tons of ore had been mined. The output then

88

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

being about six cars of twenty-five tons each per week. The greater part of the ore mined consisted of soft ore, less than one-fifth being hard. The method of mining adopted in raising the ore is usually
by stripping or by open cuts; though at some points where the ore dips at a high angle, underground work is also successfully carried
on. The ore which occurs only in one workable bed has a thickness varying from thirty to thirty-two inches. The character of the ore
is shown by the following analysis, made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey:
Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0.67 Combi-ned water ............................... . 0.83 Ferrous oxide ................................. . o.s6 Ferric oxide ....................,............... . 65.63
Manganous oxide .............................. . o.g8
Alumina ..................................... . 0.20 Lime .................. ~ ........... , . ~ ....... . rr.s6
Magnesia ..................... -................ . o.gz Silica ........................................ . g ..07
Sulphur ....... ..............-................. . 0. Ili Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . 0.97 Carbon dio-Xide .................... ,. .......... . 904
Total ........................................ roo. 54
Metallic iron ............................... ; . . . 46. 37 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 423

This is an oolitic soft ore quite free from clay.
LoT r62 TENTH DrsTRrCT.-Fossil iron ore occurs on lot r621 roth district, which lies immediately west of lot. r45, gth district above described as the Stoner-Caldwell property. After traversing this lot, the ore continues to the south through lot 198, also of the roth district. The mineral interests of these lots are owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company. No mining of any importance has. been done. on. either of the lots. They are both located north of the Central of Georgia Railway, among the k~obby hills at the base of Lookout Mountain.
MosEs LoNG1S PROP.ERTY.-The Long lot, No. 234, roth district, is located directly south of the West property. During the time of

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

the writer's visit to this property in 1900 about forty hands were engaged in mining fossil iron ore and from two to three cars of ore were shipped daily to the Chattanooga furnaces. The workable bed of ore which varies from two and a third to three feet in thickness, is often faulted and appears at the outcroppings as two separate beds. In places the fault is to be seen to pass into a close pressed fold. The faulting or the folding of the strata is quite general throughout the lot, but the individual faults and folds are usually limited to a few hundred yards in length; on account of this crumpled like condition of the strata, the ore dips at all angles, varying from horizontal to perpendicular. At some points the small anticlinals are overturned and the dip is thus reversed. In addition to the main workable bed of ore, there are also to be seen at some of the old workings two other beds which vary from six to eight inches in thickness.
The o.re is largely mined by open cuts and strippings, but at some

points considerable underground work has also been done. The greater part of the ore mined on this lot is soft ore, and it runs high in n1etallic iron, as shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar

Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia:

..:..'.-.'" ')

Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0.40
Co1nbined water ............................... . 2.02
Ferrous oxide ................................. . none
Ferric oxide .................................. . 77-70 Alumina ...................................... . s.6r
Manganous oxide .............................. . 0.48
Lime ........................................ . 2.34
Magnesia .................................... . o.o8
.Silica ........................................ . I0.4I .Sulphur ...................................... . trace
Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . r.6s Carbon dioxide ............................... . none

Total ...................................... . !00.69 Metallic iron .................................. . 54-39
Phosphorus .................................. . 0.729

This ore is a clean, well-leached, porous, soft ore, made up largely .of oolitic grains and casts of crinoid stems.

go

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEOR'GJA

LoT 235, TENTH DrsTRICT.-This lot, wt11ich lis owned by the Dayton Ir.on and Coal Company, of Dayton, TeJ!])11., joins the Long lot,. No. 234, on the south. About twenty years ago several hundred cars~ of ore were mined on this lot and shipped to Dayton; Tenn. The old. works which are now partially filled with fallen earth, were originally connected with the Chattanooga Southern Railway by a:. branch road about half a mile in length. The ore varies from two to three- feet in thickness and' usually dips at a high angle to the west.
THE WISDOM PROPERTY.-This lot, 270; roth district, known as-
the \i\Tisdorn heirs' property, is located directlysouth of and adjoining the Dayton property above described, on the north. The mineral interest in the lot is said to belong to the Chickamauga Iron Company. At the time the property was visited considerable ore was being mined and shipped to Chattanooga, where it was re-pm~ted to be ground and used for paint. The mail?- bed of ore where eJcposed basan average thickness of about thirty inches and dips at an angle'
varying fr~m 5~ tGJ 90o.. A short distance. above ti-re main workable
bed are to 't>.e~ seen in ~places two other smaller beds varying from two ' to eigh.t inches in thi.ckness.
FRANK CosTELLOJS PRoPERTY.-The Costello property, 1ot 271, roth district, lies directly south of the Wisdom property. At the points where the ore was examined on this lot, the bed stands almost upright. It has a thickness of about twenty-four inches. rhe ore is. chiefly hard, though at some points soft ore occurs to a depth of six or eight feet. At the time of the writer's visit the ore was being mined at two points on the opposite side of a: sharp, steep hill. The workings consisted of both open cuts and tunnels.; The under- gtound workings are self...,draining to a depth of fifty feet or more,. due to the ore outcroppings being cut at irregular tlittervals by deep hollows which form natural.drain ways. An analysis of a sample of the ore from one of the recent excavations on this lot made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, is here given :
Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. o. 40 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Ferrous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. zz

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF TVALKER COUNTY
Ferric oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68.02 i\1umina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . 84 Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Lin1e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ro. 21 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. 84 Sulphur . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . I . 32 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 40
Total ...................................... .... 99.78
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47. 78 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 58
The sample of ore from which the above a:rralysis was made was: obtained about fifteen feet below the surface, and is known as hard' ore. The sample is supposed to be about an average of the hard ore1\vhich was then being mined on the property. -
THE PARRISH PROPERTY.-R. M. Parrish's lot, 306, roth district,..
the mineral interest of which is owned by the E. VI. Marsh estate,
joins the Costello lot on the south. A limited amount of work was done on this lot some years ago, but the excavations are now well
nlled with earth and no ore is to be seen in situ. Juclging from the
hilly nature of the surface, the ore can be economically mined as the underground workings would be largely self-draining to a depth of fifty feet or more.
M. M. PHILLIPS' PROPERTY.-Lot 308, roth district, lies southwest of and corners with lot 306. It is located about one mile west of the Chattanooga Southern Railway. About 2,500 tons of oreare said to have been mined on this lot prior to r890. The ore averages about thirty-four inches in thickness, and in places occurs in three different lines of outcroppings. It has been supposed by some that these three different lines of outcroppings were separate beds. A study of the geological structure of the associated rocks, however, shows the three different lines of outcroppings are one and the same bed brought to the surface along two or more lines by foldingor faulting. The following analysis liy Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey, shows the character of the soft ore

92
.

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEQ~GIA

which has been extensively mined on the Phillips lot, the minerai

interest of which is owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company:

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 58
Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . 20
Ferrous oxide ....................... . . . . . . . . . . . o. ro Ferric oxide .................................. . 7937 Alun1ina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. . 2.30 Manganous oxide ............................. . o.s6 Lime ......................................... . 3.00 Magnesia .. : ................................... . 0.08 Silica ........................................ . I0.82 Sulphur . . . . . ... . . . .. . .. . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. r2 Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 65 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none

Total .. : . ......... ........................... roo. 78
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.64 Phosphorus .... :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 283
TH~ PATT~RSON AND WILSON PROP~RTI~s.-These properties,
lots r 5 and 16, roth district, join the Phillips property on the soutb-
;,vest. The ore has beenworked on:both lots to a limited extent. It i3 of good quality and favorably located for :working. The mineral
interest of these lots is said to be owned by the E. W. Marsh estate.
TH~ PARTAIN PROP~RTY.-This lot, 21, rrth district, known as the Partain property, is owned jointly by the E. W. Marsh estate, Frank Costello and L. Partain. The greater part of the lot belongs to the Marsh estate, however, the main workings are located on the part oyvned by Costello and Partain. The ore lies nearly horizontal on the Costello part of the lot, but on the other portion it dips at various angles, often becoming nearly perpendicular. In addition to the main bed which has been worked, there are also two or more small beds to be seen at various points on the lot. Two of these smaller beds lie above the workable bed and one or two below. They a1e all small, and appear to be of little economic importance. The workable bed has a thickness of about three feet. The greater p~rt of the ore mined on the property has been soft ore, and is of an .excellent quality, as shown by the following analysis made by Dr. .Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia :

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

93

Hygroscopic water ............................. . o.so Combined water ............................... . 2.00
Ferrous oxide ................................. . none
Ferric oxide .................................. . 84.17 .i\Jumina ..................................... . 3-60 Manganous oxide .............................. . o.sr
Lime ........................................ . o.89 Magnesia .................................... . 0.47
Silica ............................. , .......... . 7. I3
Sulphur ...................................... . 0. I4
Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . I.09 Carbon dioxide ................................ . none

Total .. ...................................... Ioo. so
Metallic iron ................ : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58. 92
Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o .475
]. M. HENRY's PROPER'I'Y.-This property, which consists of two lots, viz., Nos. 20 and 52, I rth district, joins the Partain property just described on the east and south. Both lots are traversed by fossil iron ore outcroppings, but no ore has been mined. The mineral interest of the property is said to be owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company. As no exposure of the ore was to be seen on the lots, nothing can be definitely said as to the thickness of the bed.
South of the Henry property the lead of iron ore outcroppings continues through lots 87 and 88, but on neither of these lots has the ore been worked. Still further to the southwest the ore continues
through G. Vv. Shaw's property, lot 95- The mineral interest in the last three lots here named are reported to be owned by the E. W.
Marsh estate.
W. A. BLOOM's PROPER'I'Y.-The Bloom property, lot I22, I Ith district, the mineral interest of which is owned by the Chickamauga Iron Company, is located directly south of lot 95 The lot has several prospect pits on it, but no ore ofany consequence has been mined. The ore where exposed has a thickness varying from two to three feet, and dips to the west at an angle of about 20. The exposures wl1ich occur chiefly along the hill slopes, consist mainly of soft ore of a good quality. Beyond the Bloom property the outcroppings of the fossil iron ore continue to the southwest through lots 13 I and . I 57 The former lot is owned by G. B. Baker and the latter by]. P.

94

THE FOSSIL JR(j)N 10RE JJE!I?OSITS OF GEORGIA .

Finley. Both of these lots have beem prospected to a limited extent,

but no ore has been mined.

J. D. ST~PH~NSJ LoT.-Tl11is 1ot, No. r68, I rth district, joins the

Finley lot .on tlue south. The soft ore on. this lot has been worked

along its outcroppings for an average depth of about seven feet. Mr.

Stephens reports the ore to vary from two to three feet, but at the

:points examined by the writer the maximum thickness of the main

workable bed did not exceed tln.irty imches. The dip is to the west, usitally at a hrgb. angle. Above and below the main workable bed

are often to be seen other beds, but they rarely ever attain a.thickness

.of more than a few inches, aJil.d are tlaerefore of no economic impor-

tance. The mim:eral int'erest of till.e Stephens lot is owned by the E.

\li.f. Marsh estate.

.

. THOMAS C6uLT~RJS LoT 193, :r :rTH DISTRIC'l\ lies im~~diately

:south of the Step.lnems lot. It lnas b:eem worked to a consiqerable ex-

tent. The maim part of the Wtork ;v,vas done some ten or twelve years

;ago by Mr. Stephens, a.E.d the {ol<il. .excava:tion:s which consisted of

open cuts from '!J.ve t<D ten feet deEj_D., -are all. now partially filled with

earth. Here, as on tl),.e 'Steph-ens O!lot, o:nly the .soft. ott! V[2-;S_ 11;1ined.
The. w6tkings ate lo:cated ccbiefly .,a1ong the hill slope~ ;6#x te~-t 0r
more above the general :stteam: leveL Aftei; trcw.e;r9ing :th;,s..~ot the ore occurs again on lots 264 and' 229; further lo :the. so~theast. The
1.n!neraJ interest iri the last tw0 1ots bdongs to the ;E.; W, Marsh

{estate With the exception of a few test ;pits, no work h3;s been done

on either of these lmts.

J. C. MoRGA:NJs PROP~Rtr'Y.-This p11operty, lots' 228 and 241,,

r rth district, has b:e6111. J!>ll(i)SjpYectecl at several points, and shows a goo:dl

quality ;CDf':ore. The diu?s .ar:.e to the we,s!t at,angles of_ alD.out 4\5 ..

The-ore outcrops :allomg fu.e siidl.es aurn.d near itln.e,summit_g G!t ,t9;~. 11!il]s,.

:and is, therefore, wcl11(i)catedl. for working., The mi:q.er~l in:t(.:!r;e?t of

the Morgan proper:ty as !OWned ,by ttheJ8. W.~l'J.Y.t:arsh es.tate1.~;w-}:iicn_ a]so>

<OW:J;lS the tnilu;era;l mw~rt: inn. tine J, M .. M:a:tJ1u_iis J<Qt:;,'999; Jh~!F\.4. BaU
6 "lot, 3 i4, amd the A. Aaildlrews ~o.t, 33'5, _C;llf the- I rth, -di9~rict, a\l!1U.

lying farther :tG the .so.utb. .a1Gng the lime .of :fiossil iron 0~e: >utcr0p'"'

pings.



FO.SJL !IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

95

THE ANDREWS PROPE'RTY.-The Andrews property, lot r8r, 121h .district, is located a1ong the northern margin of the 12th district :about one-quarter of a mile west of Cedar Grove. The mineral in-
terest in the 1ot is said to be owned by the E. W. Marsh estate. The
.ore seems to be much f01ded, and in places it stands almost perpen.dicular. At the time of the writer's visit, with the exception of a few old prospect pits, which were then partially filled with fallen .earth, no work had been done on the lot toward exposing the ore. Fossil iron ore is also reported on Thomas Roland's lot, No. r8o, lying immediately west of the Andrews lot, but as this last was not visited, nothing cam be said as tC\l the character of the ore and the .size of the ore bed.
SouTH OF CEDAR GRovE the fossil iron ore forms an almost con- tinuous line of outcroppings along the foothills of Lookout Mom1tain to the head ,of McLamG>r.e's Cove. The names of some of the :Principal property-owners along this line of outcroppings, together with the number of lots owned by each, are here given: John S. Ball, Jot r 79; Minda Hatfield, lot 147; J as. Henson, lot 148; A. Hunt, lot
140; R. 'lv. Jackson, 1ot I 3'~!'; Millican and Looney, lot r 38; Owens
:and Millican, lot 137; 0. Thurman, lot 136; Mrs. Lizzie Henson, lot I35 But little prospecting for ore has been done on any of these lots .and no ore is to be seen e:xc~pt in the natural exposures. The char.acter of the ore here appears tGl be pretty much the same as on the lots further to the nortlu, ionly it usually carries more silica, which is largely in the form of water-worn grains of sand. An analysis of a .sample of the ore fnom M:rs. Lizzie Henson's lot, made by Dr. Ed_gar Everhart, Chemist tGl the G.eohi>gical Survey, is here given:

Hygroscopic water .................................. . 0.32
Combined water ................................. . 2.22 Ferrous oxide ..................................... . I. 25 Ferric oxide ........................................... . 4I .38 Alu1nina ............................................ . II.57 Manganous oxide ................................... . 0.42
Lime ................................... 363 Magnesia ................................................ . I.89 Silica .............................................. . 32.68
,Sulphur ................ _................................ . 0. I2

96

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o .6o Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . 6o

Total ............... , ........................ 99.68
Metallic iron .......................... . . . . . . . . . 29 .94 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . o. 26 I
PIGEON MOUNTAIN
A short distance south of the Henson property above referred to, the line of fossil iron ore outcroppings changes its course and continues in a northeasterly direction along the western foothills of Pigeon Mountain. to its northern terminus, a distance of about ten miles. This line of outcroppings traverses several lots near the head of McLamore's Cove, but at only a few points is the ore exposed to view. One of the southernmost exposures occurring on this line of outcroppings examined by the writer is the Evitt property here described:
EDMUND EviTT's PROPERTY.-This property, lot 220, I2th dis~ trict, is located about one and a half miles southeast of Cedar Grove, on one of the tributaries of West. Chickamat1ga Creek: There appears to be:considerable f?ssil ore. ori the pr6perty, but at only two or three points has it been prospected. One of these excavations shows the following section :

I Shale ....................................... . 2 Ore .......................................... 2 feet 3 Shale ........................................ 4 " 4 Ore ......................................... Io inches
5 Shale ....................................... .

The ore at this point dips to the east at an angle of about 20. The exposures occur along a hillside, a location favorable for eco-:nomic mining.

THE KENSINGTON IRON & COAL COMPANY'S PROPERTY

This property, which is now under lease to the Southern Steel Company, has been more extensively worked than any fossil iron ore property in the State. It is located on.both sides of the Chatta-

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

97

nooga Southern Railway in the immediate vicinity of Estelle and comprises lots 220, 249, 254, 255, 287, 288 and 289 of the 8th district, and lots 289, 307 and 34I of the rrth district. The main workings on this property are along the foothills of Pigeon Mountain on its western side, in what is known as McLamore's Cove. The surface of this part of the cove is quite irregular, being made up of ridges and knobs often attaining an elevation of something like 300 feet above the general stream level. The main chain of hills runs parallel with Pigeon Mountain, at right angles to v~hich are numerous hollows in which the ore has been chiefly worked. The chief ore outcrops occur on the east side of the main parallel ridges and also along the adjacent side of the hollows furrowing these ridges. It dips usually at a low angle to the east, and as a result is often exposed along the side of the hills for some distance. Much of the ore is mined by stripping, but where the overburden attains a thickness of' I 2 feet or more underground mining is resorted to. The greater part of the ore mined on this property has been chiefly soft ore, which frequently extends to several feet beneath the surface. The main ore bed, which continues throughout the property, has a thickness varying from 30 to 40 inches. In addition to the main workable bed there are two other smaller beds at higher levels. One of these beds, which is found at about 20 feet above the main bed, has a thickness of something like 20 inches and always carries an excellent quality of ore. In a number of places it has been successfully worked where the overburden is limited to a few feet in thickness. The other bed is located IO or IS feet above the bed here described and attains a thickness varying from 6 to Io inches. The latter bed, on acco~.mt of its limited thickness, has been worked only at a few points. Still above the last named bed occur two other small beds, but neither of them seems to attain a sufficient thickness <tt any point to be of commercial importance.
Some idea of the rocks associated with the iron ore on this property may be had from the following section, which occurs at the old workings on lot 342, I 2th district :

FIG. r.

.,

~c::.q
!\:,
"'0 ~
51r.1c~~,"
J.D..


FIG. I.-Land lot map_showing the itonore workings on :Hie prcYperty of the Kensingt<~n Iron and Coal Company and 'the land lots
owned by the Es,telle:~Mihing Company, the .latter beingili~icated-thus 0. C. I & ..c Co. lots formerly under the control: oflheChattanooga
Iron and CoalCb;,'a!!d subsequently taken: over by the Southeri:t Steel Company.

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

99

r Soft ore .............................. ....... 30 inches 2 Sandstone ................................... r4 " 3 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 " 4 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "
5 Shale ....................................... 2 " 6 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 " 7 Shale . ...................................... 8 "
8 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 "
9 Shale ....................................... I 5 "
I o Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 " I I Shale ............... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet 12 Soft ore (marker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 inches 13 Shale ....................................... r8 " I4 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 "
r 5 Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 feet
r 6 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 " 17 Ore ........................................ r6 inches
Another exposure located on lot 307, 12th district, about 200
yards from the above, gives the following section:
I Ore ........................................ 30 inches 2 Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet 3 Shale ....................................... r8 inches
4 Ore (marker) ................................. 5 . " 5 Shale ........................................ 12 "
6 Sandstone ................................... -

roo

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Silica

..

.

.

.

.

.

. .

.

. '

. .

.

.

.

.

.

.

7 ..00

932

Carbon dioxide ........ 15.20. . . .

..
Total .... . ........ 100.38 9970

Metallic iron .......... 32. r8 54;42

Phosphorus e

42

72

963 5 I8
.1.2 ..34
9946 9972
5383 3785 74 48

6.4r 8.42
roo.66
38.42 .56

Number I is hard ore .from lower.bed.just east of the Chattanooga Southern

Railway:

'

Number II is soft ore from upper bed near tunnel No. 3.

Number III 'is soft ore from lower bed west 'of the Chattanooga Southerft

Railway.



25 Number IV is hard ore from lo~e~ bed,. about i~ches thick, near third

tipple.

.



Number V il? hard ore from lower bed, 3I inches thick, near tipple, on the Chattanooga Southern Railway.

.The Southern Steel Company, the lessees of the Kensington Iron & Coal Company proper_ty~ af~er_ carry!J?-g_ ~~ .s!-l~ces_sful mining opferations for. about :three. year~,. suspended. op~:~;q,tions in November of last year -on 8~G.unt of. depression- in .the . in:m .industry.
It is- estimated tb:at the S0trthern Steel Companf"'has $T50;ooo
investe9- in equipment-railway,' cars; houses, et'c: A.'latge crusher
for hard ore, ha:virig a capacity oL25cars or ore per, Clay, has been
constructed ne~r the station at Estelle at a cost of abo:ut $3o,ooo.
EsTICLLE MINING CoMPANY.1-The .Estelle Mining Company owns the foliowing lots along the west side of Pigeon Mountain :

8th d-istrict, 4th section
Lots 285 286-
290
291
323'
324

7th dis.trict, 4th section
, Lots I
2
3
35 36 37 .... 7I . . . . ' 72

Also fractional lot' 342, I rth district) 4th section, lot .324, 12th district, 4th section, and 8o acres in lot 2 54.
1 Notes by Mr. Otto V~atch, Assistant State Geolo.gist.

:FOSSIL lRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

ror

The ore on this company's property is almost entirely hard ore. The ore dips into Pigeon Mountain at go to I 2, and without much ,question extends entirely under the mountain and appears again o~ the Bronco side. It is proposed to mine the ore by sinking slopes from the outcrop and then driving entries. A slope was sunk into Pigeon Mountain on lot 289 (see map for location) a distance of ~46 feet from the ore outcrop. The hard ore at the head of this slope is reported 36 inches in thickness, shale parting absent, and to have been of exceptional quality.
The property of this company is accessible to railway transportation and is altogether of much promise.

:MRs. JoHNSON's PROPER'I'Y.-Fossil iron ore occurs on this prop-

erty, Jot 2II, 8th district, in what is known as Catlett Gap, two and a

half miiles northeast of Estelle. The main bed of ore here appears

:to be broken up into three or four small seams separated by layers of

-shale. The dip is at a low angle to the east. No attempt has been

made to prospect the property, so that nothing can be said as to the

economic importance of the ore.



'I'HE GLENN-W AR'I'HEN PROPERTY

The Glenn-Warthen property, comprising a large area of land in the 8th district, is located among the knobby hills which con-stitute the northern terminus of Pigeon Mountain. There appears to be two or three beds of iron ore on this property, varying from two to iour feet or more in thickness. As a general rule, however, the beds, where they attain their maximum thickness, usually run high in lime and correspondingly low in iron. No ore of any consequence has been mined on the Glenn-Warthen property; nevertheless, there has been more or less prospecting on all of the lots, so that a pretty fair idea may be had of the extent and character of the ore. A -somewhat detailed description of some of the principal excavations On each lot is here given.
5, Lo'I' I I which is the most northeastern lot of the property, is
said to have three or four excavations on it exposing the ore, but only two of these were visited by the writer. One of these excavatjons, which exposes what is known as the upper bed, is located near the top of a hill and shows the following section:

t02

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

1 Shale ......................................... .

Z
3

Sdf{. ore ..................................... I2
's:11a c1.re' '. . . . . . . . . \ . . . . . 3

inches.. . ..,:,~'

4 .San.dstone .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "

5 SP.ft o.r:e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . I o
o Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

"
"

"' ,:. '' .:

<

~ ..

7 8

shale ....................... ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

c ~ ~ ( .' -

'

Soft ore ....................................... I2

" "

9 -s&ale ': .................................... , ..

'rh~ OJ.7elf~re)i~s ne~rly hori?ontalf}nd at an altitucle between 200

and 300 feet above the vall~y q .Cr,~;wfish Cr~ek:::--7'~ ~hort distance to

the west. The chemical ~ornp()sition of th,e. ore .is s,hpw_n. by the foi-

I.?~1~g jtna!x~i? .rq~4~ 'pf. g~~ar E:v~~~art, ~9.efiltJ?t to the Geo- :7',.-. iTt<~' :.;:~~-

r:r,, ...._,' ')~f!~~~~.:.;(! . ~".\._:: . . .. s : ,:
J{Y

. . .'" (' ~ ',,'"'t:~; _,: ,,!.,~

':'

r..a. ;~''i:,c,;a:l;;~Su';r----,v(e~Y.,.',o,.'f ';G".ea r)~,ia:





.. Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0.30

-.~eornbined water ............................... . Fe:~;rous . oxide .................... ............ .

3 29 none

Ferric oxide ........................ ~ ......... . 76,.5p . Alumina . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . ~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . s.68

~anganous oxide .............................. 0.30

Lf:f.\le ".- . . . . . . . . . .. . : . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o.z8

'Magnesia: ........................... ..... ,. .... . 0.'24

.Sjlica:.'...., .... .. ............................. ~ .. . I 2"~ 8\l
.s)~J.P.P.tir . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~. . . . . . . . . . ..

Phosphorus pentoxide ........................... . Carbon d1ox1Cle . .. .' i: -~~ .'/-.~~ + :;'.' 1.(,-l ,,.,t.~~ H-~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. none
. , ~r-.,.:_}-f !"~,~ ~ J:: ~ ;

Ioo : Total .................... : .................. i4

M~t~Ific iron ................................... '.JJ. 55

fib.Osphoriis ............ '............. .-......... ''0.275

ro ! ~

'

'

This is a.thoreugchly Jea~ed, s_om~w.hat porous; oogtic <,Dre, con:..

taining nuwerpp:s Gcts,ts,q rq.th~r laf;g.e,sj~;:~4Gri11oi_GLbt!ttons. A sec-
ond excavation on this lot discloses another ~d 'qf _o,re which appears
to ~i~ q,qou-t tw.elv.e feet above the bed just de~crib.ed. This b.ed is

about,two .feet:,thick <;~.nd,hq,s 1.1ea,r its center a th-in _pq,rting of shq.le.

LQ':!.' I I6, which a4j oins ;lot II 5 qn the west; is, i11 part, und~rlain

by .fo$sil iron ore, but qn)y a ~ma,Il amount Qf prosp~cting has been

done on th~ lot. One oJ the best e~posures hre' to,b;e; &een .is:a na:t:-

FIG-. 2.

,.. ......... ..----,

rh_
~ ~.~

//~ ~~ ...................

\
/ 1\

- _.-/

/ / ,_. .... --

c::>

_..../. /

/..-

C>

__ ..- / /

' /
I
I I

' I .... ~ ,..,
/

,."'
..-" / ....

I I

(

..,..""//

I I

______ I

I,\

_.,... .... ..--'

I

I

/

I

_,I

/ /

,._ ~I .... ,_./t'

___ ,.. ... ---)

//

I

,,, ..... --~

/
/,- .. .!..--
1 I
'

/

/ /

/

/

/

I I J

/II

I
I

I ' /

-...._>,.,

,/

I

//

-,
)

I '
{
I

{
I
I

I

I

I

I

- - - - INOICAT(S OR( OUTC.ROP

' '
\
' ,_
' ' ' ' _ ....... .... -,
. I I

c;:.

xI ,/ I

/

,'

,.,.

///

- -----~-... ___/ ,..-- ..../ ...... .... .... --

..,....-

....
/ I

/..--""
I

///

~l 't:--=>

\'J I

I I

'

FIG. 2.-Lan:i lot map of a part of the Glenn-Warthen property, Walker County, Georgia. The ore outcroppings are indicated by broken lines.

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA
ural outcropping on a hillslope. The ore occurs chiefly in the form of la~ge boulde~s weighing from 200 to 300 pounds, embedded in reddish clay. It carries considerable clay and appears to run low in metallic iron.
Immediately south of lot II5 is lot 136, on which is to be seen a numb~r of prospect pits. One of the main excavations on this lof show~ the following section of what is known as the lower bed:
Sh~le ........................ ................... . SQft ore ............. ... ......... -................ 19 inches Sl;tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 " Soft ore ........... ................... ~....... :_.. . . 2 " Sandstone .. .- .......................... . ....... ~ . . . -? " Shale ................................... /. . . . . 2 " Soft ore ................ ~ ................. , ...... r6 " Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 " Shale ....................... ~ ........... . . . . . . . . ~ " Soft ore ....................... .......... ......... r2 " Sliale .... , ....... ~ .............................. .
The ore exposed in this excavation is soft and of good quality. It dips at a low angle to the. southwest. About 250 yards southeast of the above prospect pit i:s. a second opening on the upper bed. This exposure is located on a hillside about sixty feet below the upper :seam, and shows the section here given :
'Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 inches Soft ore ......................................... r6 sandstone ............................ : . . . . . . . . . . 2 " Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 " Soft ore ... ~ ........... : . ......................... r2 " Shale .......................................... .
A third prospect pit near the western boundary of the lot gives the following section :
Shale .- ......................... ~ ............... . Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 i~ches Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 " O}e ............................................ ~ . . . . . . 2 '' S~ndstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . ; . . . . . . . . 7 "

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

IOS

Ore mixed with clay ............................... 20 inches Sandy shale ...................................... 8 "
Ore ............................................ 12 "
shale .......................................... .

The ore here exposed probably belongs to the upper bed, though the ore is not so high in metallic iron as it is in the first section given, owing to the increase in the amount of clay present.
LoT 153 joins lot 136 on the south. Two prospects were examined on this lot, one near the center of the lot and the other near its northeast corner. The former, which is located in a deep hollow, shows the following section :

Shale .......................................... . Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 inches Shale ......................... .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 feet Ore, hard ..... ~ .................................. 30 inches Shale ........................................... 4 " Ore, hard ............. :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 " Shale ..................... ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 " Ore, hard .......... : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 " Shale ........................................... 18 " Sandstone ....................................... 24 " Shale .......................................... .

The small bed, eight inches in thickness, lying just above the fivefoot layer of shale in this section, is called "The Marker," and is usually found from three to eight feet above the upper workable bed. The second excavation on lot 153, above referred to, shows the lower bed which lies about sixty feet below the upper bed. The section here exposed is as follows :

Shale .......................................... .
Ore (soft) ...................................... r2 inches Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 " Ore (soft) ...................................... 12 " Shale ........................................... 8 " Ore (soft) ...................................... r2 " Shale ............................................ 8 " Ore (soft) .......,................................ 12 " Shale ......................................... ; ... .

ro6

THE, FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA.

Tl;e ore exposed in this cut seems to carry considerable sand and clay. Here, as well as 1n the cut near the center of the lot, the ore lies nearly horizontal.
Lot r-52 lies immediately west of lot I53 It has several prospect pits on it, but only three were visited by the writer. The first excavation examined is lo:cate~ near .the head of a deep hollow where a g.odd expo.sur.e of tB,e lower bed is to be seen e:x;hibiting the following
section:
Shale .......................................... . Ote (hard) .... , ................................ 6 inches
Shale ........................ : ...................5 feet Ore (hard) ................................. : . .. . . . 5 "
.oreSandstone .................................... : . . . 2 ~' '(h~rd) ......_......._.............. .,.......... 6 "
Th~ ore shown in this section carries a high percentage of lime, and w0uld probably not average more than 30 per cent. metallic iron. A second opening on the side of a hill about 250 yards west of the ,abov~ exposur.e;,giv.es the fellowing ;section :
Shale ............................................ . Ore (~oft) ..............- ......................... 2o inches Sl1.a'1e' .. ;. ...~ ..' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "
iO:tfe 1( s'o.frt:j' . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; . ... ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. r 2 "
.$h_ale _.............................. ............. .. ro "
Qre (~q~q. ~.. .. ,. ... ., .... ~ . .,,. .......... ., .... ~ ............ r4 "
This ore lies about sixty feet below the bed exposed in the last
By section, and is known as the lower bed. .Th~ folld\ving dt1aiy~18
Dr. Ed.ga~ ~verhar~, ~~e.ll!is~ -~the 9~ologic_al Surv~y of Geq~~gia, WA,s,111acLe. ~r.om a $ampk .o.f qr:e <;:qUecte<;l_ a:t th.is exposure ;
Hygr,osqJpic; :we~:t~r ............._..._......_............... . .0. 32
sr Gomb.i11~cl. ~e~:t~r ...._._ ....._........._.................... . 3.
Ferrot;t~ .OAide .......... ............................. non.e
Ferric P~ide ................. 76.88'
AluminP................... .. I,. I3
.Manganous .o4i.d.e. , , .. , . ......... , , .................. . .o ..6.r
Lime ........................................ . 0.30

<..

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER' COUNTY

107

Magnesia ................-................. ~ ..-.. .. .. . . . . . o . I 7 Silica ............................... ~ ................... I6. I2 Sulphur ............................ ~ ........ ~ .. .. .. . . . . o. I 2 Phosphorous pentoxide . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 22 Carbon dioxide ............................ ~. . . . . . none
Total ..................-.................... ~ .... 99 44
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . 53. 82 Phosphorus ........................ ~ . . . . . . . . . . o .096

The ore is somewhat porous and conia:hrs numerous casts of crinoid buttons ; microscopic examination of thin sections shows nO> calcite, but numerous grains of sharp sands.
Some 300 yards southwest of the last excavation and on the oppo- site side of the hill, is a third exposure. The <!:lre at this point is onlytwenty.:.four inches thick; however, there occurs here a five-inch bed. in the shales about five feet above. The ore in this excavation, and' also in the other exposures, lies almost horizontal, and is favorablylocated for working.
J. L. WARRENFEL's PROPERTY.-This property, lot I72, 8th dis-
trict, lies immediately south of the Glenn-W a:rfherr lot, No. I 53:above described. The only exposure of ore examined on this lot occurs along a hillside near a small stream. Two or three carloads, of ore were mined and shipped from this point during the spring of I899 The ore is all hard and carries a high percentage of lime. This is especially true of the middle part of the b.ed which in placespasses into a ferruginous limestone. The foUowing section shows: the thickness of the layers of ore, together with the thickness of the interlaminated layers of shale:
Shale ............................................. . Ore (worked) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 inches~ Shale .......................................... ~ . 5 feet Ore ............. ............ : . ..................... I8 inches~ Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -.... _. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 3 '' Ore .............................................. I8 " Shale .............................. , . , . . . . . .. .. . . 4 " Ore (upper part ferruginous limestone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 feet Shale ............................................. .

108

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

In addition to the above lot, Mr. Warrenfel also owns the ad-

joining lot, I 73, which also has fossil ore ot1 it

THE E.. W. M~~S~. PE~~ERT;.-.Aft~; t;,a~er~ing the W arrenfel

property, j.ust .described, the 1ine. of, fossil iron ore outcroppings con-

tinues to the southwest a:longthe eastern foothill's of Pigeon Moun-

taii;l. It is here to be seen on the following lots, property of the E.

W; Marsh estate: 224, 259 and 294, ail' of the 8th .ciistrl.ct. Only t\Vo

exp6sures of.ore were examined on the first lot here named; one was

. located neat the summit of a stria]l hill which' has an elevation of less

than Ioo feet .~bove t4e g:e11eral.stream level. The other exposure

was at the base of the '.hill in the bed of a small stream. The ore at

. .

.. '

'

:l

.

.

. .

bothof these exposures attains a thickness of twenty-::tOl'Lr inches, and

dip~at an angle of about'45 to-~he westward: Two operiings wer~

~lso examined on lot 259; one of these shows an almopt perpendicu-_

lar bed eighteen inches thick, and the other shows a bed of about th~

:Same thickness, but lying nearly horizontal. Lot 294 has three

bpenings. where the ore can he seen. The ore in these .excavations,

which are located on the hillsides, dips to the west at a high angle.

The ore vades .in thickness from twenty-four,tq thirty -inches.
}.. P: II~t~Js PRb~.i,ii:,:c:~fhi~ ~;~p~r.ty, jo{~~9, :~th di~trict, .I1es #niTI:~diately soUth :o.,I;i:i94. 'i'her_e ha; :bee~c:~' 1imi~~d .am~unt -af
~;.ork done o~ the Hall iot, b~t at the tir:ne of .the writer's visit no ore

VJaS. to be seen, except that strewri about the surface.


,...

In. addition .

to'

the

lots
. :

ab'ove.

d~s~1~ib.~d .

tl~er~ ,.~~-e

s~ve;al

other

bts .

{1.iJhe 8th district which are. known to have or.e on them, but they

~y~r~ not ~.isited ~s it ~as. rep~rt~d there was ~0 .exp~st+r~, ;and only

to Boat.
'"

o~~

w~~ .. '

.be seen. .

.. ,.

W. H. SHAw's PRoP~RTY.-This .lot, 'N<>. 6{ 7th.dishiet~: Joins the

Hall Jot Jt:s~.r_e~~~r_e~. ~o_,.~n t~~ .sout~- 9n1y. t.""Y? _s~al~ e~c~va.~~??.-S:

were .examined on the lot. The ore, which is ~qft,. occurs 1r1, a ~~d

..,. .. ~.~.'

no~o.>O)On .. ''""''''''"""""~~-..-u



abouf tw.o . feet .thkk... The. dip is to . the: west .at. at:J. .angle. of about

66;c;i; ::The surfaceismuch br<::lken and . hilly: .':Ce:msiderabie ore is
to see~: in pl,aces strewn about 'the 's"tfrf~ce. The ni.ineral irttetest is said:
to g belo~ ' ..H.i.e' .E..:.w. ~"..M..a..r.s.n' e..sta'"te..-" .........,.............."...'.........---...- . . :,
vw.:. coPELAND?s LoT, No. J-I; 7th district;:lies just south of th~

.

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

109

Shaw lot. Fossil ore is to be seen at several places on this lot, where it has been excavated for chimney-jambs and backs for fireplaces. Near the center of the lot on a hill the ore lies almost horizontal, forming what the miners call a "spread," but a short distance further to the west the ore is almost perpendicular. There appears to be a large quantity of workable high grade ore on this lot. The thickness of the ore is about thirty inches. The mineral interest of the lot be-
longs to the E. W. Marsh estate.
LoT 42, 7TH DISTRICT, joins lot 3 I at its northeast corner. The
mineral interest of the lot is owned by the E. W. Marsh estate. The
only opening examined is located a few rods from the Blue Bird Gap public road. The excavation was made some years ago, but just prior to the writer's visit it had been reopened so that a satisfactory examination of the ore could be readily made. The section here exposed .is as follows :

shale ......................................... . Ore ............................................ 2 inches Shale .......................................... ; 3 feet Ore ........................................... 22 inches Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I " Ore ............................................. 8 " Shale ........................................... I8 " Sandstone ...................................... .

In addition to the ore occurring in this section, there are also two other beds higher up in the series. These beds vary from six to eighteen inches, and usually carry a high grade ore.
VIRGINIA IRoN, CoAL & CoKE CoMPANY's PROPERTY.-The Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company owns the mineral interest in the following lots: 77, IOS, I I I, I46 and I47, all of the 7th district. The lots are located on both sides of the Chattanooga Southern Railroad, north and south of Bronco. The fossil iron ore is confined mainly to the eastern slope of what is known as Shinbone Ridge, a series of knobby hills parallel to Pigeon Mountain. The natural out-
so croppings are most generally seen along the slopes from to 75
feet above the general stream level. Mining operations were begun on this property in I889 and con-

.

;

.I 10

TH'E !ROSS!IL 1l1X.ON 10E.E J5)EJPrOS!lTS rO!I? GEORGIA

11tinued with but few interrup'tiioms umtil [g)G>Q. T!l.u.e workil}gs a.re

extend abotit miles in leng1lh, aM.d; 'im jl!Jltces a.Cli:lpth of 26o feet. 2 ~

. _, .. . '

..,.fJ _ ''."''' '. \. ."'"""'1 ~ ,.r:"' 1 ~- ;.e . . .
'ttl>

/,'{~~~}';'

. o: . f.:l:

whe'n m the: It is ~eporfed that

t'h~ diiim.~:s ~~t:k rbp~'t~t16h a~ily out~

the ore :;put was about 75 tons. Tlneror~e wa ~h1pped 2k1efly t6 c1iat~~hohg-a,

Bristol and DayO.n, Tenilesaee. M~~t tci>f

w<is sbft o:tg,~ out

at some points; as at "The Shaft," io,tat~d ohly a f~w hunclt~d yards

from -Station, and at "The t,O the north, a Btoti~o , . . < _ ,::

~ , .



.

,

Sl~pes.,'"' fu:(th~et. ' ~ ,. -~

t r , ._ .:.- , .

' .,. / \ '\' ~ :



~ "'

l~.:-,

large qi:antity 0 liard ,0n~ has heem. niili~d... Tltie slikt'l1ere reMrred

io has a depth of ab0ut 200 f,eet. At Hie B0TtMn ~~ tie shaft ther'e

;are drifts extending along the .or b.ed for a distamce of about I Jooo
feet, and much of theiplte !has 0e.bn _work~d t0Qt a'IDo;te by strippirtg.

' 'The ore in these W0rkings is said .lEG vary fr.oh'i 3 to 4 feet ii'), thick-

mess. The dip is t0 th:e west at an a:mgle of aS6ut &5. Thelchar-

;acter of. the ore is shown by the followim:g analys:is by Dr.: -Edgar Everhart, Chemist 0 the Ga0lot-icl:tl Survey o.f .Geot,ghi, the sampfe

!being from the b.ed near the bott0m <Df the shaft:

Hygroscopi!,: water ..................................... ~ ...... o. II Cetnbined water .............................................. _...,............... o.8o Ferrous. o-xide ..................................................... ........... . -3 ~S :F~:rr:k;oxide ............ _........_....................................................,.. .$.6..:86 . .Alumina ....................................... ~ ........................... . .2~7:8'-_Manganous oxide ..................... :...........................o. 5:8. .Lime ....................................................................[4.:.18 Magnesia ..................................................................... I . 95 Silica.................................................. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. 4. 98
.Sulphur ......................... ..... ....:. o.o6
Pho~phorus pentoiXiide. .. .. .. . . .. . . . ... .. . .. .. . . .. .. . . . . .. . . . .. I , r 5
(Carbon dioxide ............................................................. [2.40

T o't"a1 ................. . . ...... '.9'99'0'
o. sor M'etallic iron ........................................................: f:e .72
Fhbsphorus ...........................................:.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .

. ~ ' ,. -

' ' . . .,.. ; : ~--'. ~,.... ~ < ..

\ J

t

<J.. . l ; ; ; ~.1 ;.,. !'' ~- '"~

The slopes above referred -t0 an.e th1t.e.e 'in number. '@lope W0. I is

.1ocated_,on lat JI !!I, }1lh dis.trict, :ab0ut a mile _1:U0rth rpi .".'Dhe. $~~.tft".

'









' ' ., ,1

,,,

~ ... :' -~- .,!! ...~ ~ ~"

'The workings here consist of a slope, fdllowing ilhepri-th r~if-ffhe ore,

2oo feet in dep.th, wii1th side Cirifrt:s -ana ~H0pings t.e>~te:Uc:iim,:g al<Dng the

>Ore body :Ji0rabouti!he same,aistamce. 'lfhe :bedt0fr0fe :is not quite 'SG thick as ~at fh.e.shaft. '1Dhe\d~p :iBrto ~&e ,wcesLa.t.an~ani;Leco.f ,ab.0.t:tt40~

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

III

About one-fourth of a mile north of slope No. r is slope No. 2, and still further to the north about the same distance is slope No. 3 The character of the ore and the extent of the workings at both of these points are about the same as at slope No. I. The ore in the deeper part of all of these workings is all hard ore, and of an exeellent quality. Slope No. I is connected with the Chattanooga _$outhern Railroad by a branch road about one-fourth of a mile in length, while tramways have been constructed to slopes No. 2 and
No.3
D. J. HAMMOND's PROPERTY.-The Hammond property,Jots I79
and I82, 7th district, joins the property of the Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke Company on the south. The fossil iron ore has been mined along its outcroppings on these lots for a distance of nearly a half mile, to a maximum depth of about forty feet. The ore which varies from twenty-four to thirty inches in thickness often stands nearly perpendicular. The main workings are located a1ong the hillslope at an elevation of about se1renty-five feet above stream level, and only a few hundred yards west of the Chattanooga Southern Railway. At the time of the writer's visit the excavations were partially filled with fallen earth, and no sample of the ore was collected for analysis. The ore mined, however, is said to have been largely soft ore, and of a good quality.
TH:B:: DICKSON-CAMERON PROPERTY.-Lot I8I, 7th district, lies immediately west of the Hammond lot I82. The line of old workings on this lot extends for nearly half a mile. They vary in depth from ten to thirty feet. The work was chiefly done about ten years ago. The ore has an average thickness of about twenty-two inches only. It usually dips at a high angle, but at some points owing to local folding the dips become nearly horizontal.
The character of the ore is shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia :

Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0.14 Combined water ............................... . o.8s
Ferrous oxide ................................. . 0.90 Ferric oxide .................................. . 36.SI Alumina ..................................... . 2. I8

II2

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

M.a.nganous oxide ............................. . trace.
Lime ........................................ . 29.84
Magnesia . . . . . . : . .' . ... . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .,. . .. . 0. I4 Silica .. ; ..................................... . 6;8g Sulphur ............................... , .. ..... . 0.06 Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... . o.6r
Carbon dioxide ............................... . 22.49 .
Total ....................................... roo. 6r
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26. 26 Phospgorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 266

The specimen of ore used in the above analysis was unleached, hard ore, and is of a much lower grade than the average ore mined, which consisted largely of soft ore with a low percentage of lime.
J. A. WILLIAMS} PROPERTY.-The Williams property, lot 2r6,
7th district, joins the Dickson-Cameron property on the south. This lot was prospected to some extent in rgoo, and a few carloads of ore were shipped. The ore seems to have a nearly vertical dip. The following section occurs at one of the main excavations :

Sha~e ..... ~~ .................... ................ .

O r e ( s o f t ) ' I inches 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 : 0

0

Shale .......................................... 8 "

Ore (soft ........................ ' .............. 2 "

Shale ... . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : : . 8 "

Ore (soft) ...................................... 5 "

Shale ............................................ 24 "

Ore (soft) ...................................... r8 "

Shale .......................................... .

It will be noticed that the aggregate thickness of the ore in thiS. section is thirty-five inches, which is somewhat above the average thickness for this region. The number of layers into which the ore is divided is also unusually large and some of the shale partings have become much thickened. Such irregularities as these are often met with at other points along Pigeon and Lookout mountains.
J. D. M~CoNNELLJS PROPERTY.-The fossil iron ore, after trav-
ersing the Williams property above described, passes through the Wear l?t, 3II, 12th district, and the McConnell lot, 310, r'2th dis-

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

II3

i.rict. No work has been done on the Wear lot, but several carloads of -ore have been shipped from the McConnell lot. On the la.tter the workings, which consist chiefly of open cuts, are located on a hillslope. The ore mined was largely -soft ore. The average thickness ,of the workable bed is only about twenty inches.
E. L. THURMAN)S PROPERTY.-This property, lot 304, 12th district, joins the southwest corner of the McConnell lot. The iron ore on this lot has been pretty well prospected, and some two or three carloads of the ore mined, but none has been shipped. The following section is to be seen in one of the excavations:
Shale ........................................... . Ore {soft) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 inches Shale ........................................... 3 " Ore (soft) ...................................... 2 " Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 " Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "
Ore (soft) ...................................... 7 "

The character of the ore is shown by the following analysis, made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia:

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. I I Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I. 20 Ferrous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. r8 Ferric oxide ................................. : . 82.63 Alumina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 59 Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 49 Lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I .41 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 34 S:jlica ............................................ ro. oo Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. ro Phosphorous pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . 36 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none

Total .......................................... roo. 41
Metallic iron . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57.98 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 593

The samp1e of ore from which the above analysis was made was a

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS dF-'GEQ#J;IA
somewhat porous, well leached, soft ore, quite free from day. South of the Thurman property the line of the fossil iron ore out-
croppings traverses lots 272 and 270, known as the Long and the ;Napier properties, and then crosses the county line into Chattooga county, the fossil iron ore of which is described elsewhere in this r.eport.
Taylor's and Dick's ridges, which are formed_ by the two adjacent limbs of a -synclinal fold, traverse the extreme southeastern part of th.e county. . To. the nor~~ ~~. t~e yicinit_y_ of the county line, the ridges are united by a serjes of cross ri<;lg~~' but to t~1e south they diverge and form the eastern and western boundaries of west .Ar,muchee Valley. The fossil iron ore of Taylor's Ridge outcrops on its eastern side, and dips' to the east, while on Dick's Ridge it outcrops on its western side and dips to the west. The dip in places differs but .little from the slope of the ridges, and as a consequence at such points the ore -often mantles the slopes of the ridges and can be raised at small cost.
. THE GEORGIA IRON & RAILROAD COMPANYJS PROPERTY.
The minera1 inteFests -,in nearly all of the lots located on these ridges, which are known to have iron ore on them, are owned by th~ Georgia Iron and Railroad Company. The several lots owned by this company either in fee simple or in mineral right, are here given: . 9I, I26, 127, I6I, I62, I63, I64, .I97, 233, 236,
237, 268, 269, 273, 274, 303, 304; of the 7th district, and 4, 7,
23, 30, 3I, 32, 33i 34, 39, 6~, 70, 7I, 73, 74, 78, I03, I07, I08, II3, I I4, I80, 248, 249, 322, of the 26th district. With but few exceptions, all ofthese lots ha've more or less fossil ore on them. A fair idea of t~e character and the mode of occurrence of the ore may be had from the following notes on some of the exposures :
Lo'I' 304, SEVENTH DIS'l'Ric'l'.-There occurs on this lot, which is located along the western side of Taylor's Ridge, an exposure of fossil iron ore varying f:rom eight to te11 inches in thickness. The ore is well leached and dips to the east at an angle of <itbout 20.

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

r r5

Near this exposure are reported other e:xposures where the ore is
said to be thicker. The chemical composition of the ore is shown by
the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geo-
logical Survey of Georgia:
Hygroscopic water ............................. . .s6 Combined water ............................... . r.go Ferrous oxide .................................. . none Ferric oxide ............ ...................... . 6g.g2 _Alumina ..................................... . 2.14 Manganous oxide .............................. . I. 76 Lime ............................ ; ........... . 0.30 Magnesia ................................. ~ .. . 0.78 Silica ..................................... ... . 22.46 Sulphur ........ .............................. . 0.29 Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... . 0.23 Carbon dioxide ................................ . none

Total ........................................ roo. 34
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48. 94 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. roo
LoT 236, S:ev:eNTH DrsTRICT.-The fossil iron ore is exposed in considerable abundance in a hollow on this lot near an old road, locally known as Mill's trail. The individual blocks of ore strewn about the surface vary from six to twelve inches in thickness. The exposure occurs at an elevation of about 350 feet above the valley, and only about 200 yards from the top of Taylor's Ridge. On the north side of Mill's trail in a deep hollow occurs another outcropping of the ore, the individual blocks of which measure fifteen inches in thickness.
LoT 200, S:evENTH DISTRICT.-One of the best exposures o.f fossil iron ore on this lot is to be seen near the Lafayette-Greenbush public road, only a short distance west of the summit of Taylor's Ridge. Considerable ore has been raised here for lining fir~places, but none apparently has been shipped to the iron furnaces. The following section was made out at this point:

Sandstone in thick layers .......................... . Ore somewhat sandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 inches

III'6

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Ore in regular block .............................. ro inches

De~.-o1!11)0sed ~

shale

and

sandstone

.................... .

The dip is to the east at an angle of about 20. The ore is very compact and contains many small gastropods. The analysis of the ore by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, is here give1i: ' .

Hygros~opic water ................ -. . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 42 ~Combined water .................. , .. , . . . . . . . I . 82 Ferrous oxide ................................. . none Ferric oxide .................................. . 82.13 Alu1nina ........................... , ~ ........ . 383 Manganous oxide , ........... , .... , ...... , . , .... . 0.29 Lnne .................. - ........................ . 0.86 Ma-gnesia ....... ...... ._........................ . 0.08 'Silica ........................................... 10.46 :Sulphur . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 04
Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... o.85 Carbon dioxide .... .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none

'Tota1 .............. ............ ....... _............ roo. 78
Metallic iron .. .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57. 4Q
Phosphorous . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 37
The analysis of the ore het~e given was made from a sample taken from the lower ten inches of ore shown in the above section.
La'I' 127, SBVBN'I'H DIS'I'RIC'I'.-This lot, known as the \iValthon Hollow lot, is located on the east side of Taylor's Ridge about two miles north of the Lafayette-Greenbush road crossing; or what is locally known as Smith's Gap. At one place in this hollow the fossil iron ore is exposed in a continuous bed for a distance of a hundr.ed -yards or .more, where it has been washed clean by the action of r.ecent rains. The bed varies from eight to twelve inches in thickness. The ore appears to be of an excellent quality, but at some points when split parallel with the bedding it is seen to contain small .kidney-shaped .masses of sand. Between the exposure of the ore on this' lot and lot 200, abov:e described, there are manyexposures of ore on the east side of Taylor's. Ridge, but the character of the ore and thenature .of the exposures are practically the same as those hereto~fc:>r_e :m..entioned.

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY
LoT 70, TwENTY-SIXTH DisTRICT.-Lot 70 lies on the eastern side of Taylor's Ridge, a short distance north of Maddox Gap, near the northern end of west Armuchee Valley. The niain exposure to be seen on this lot occurs in a deep hollow and along the side of a spur ridge which extends at right angles to Taylor's Ridge. Considerable ore is said to have been mined on this lot prior to the Civil vVar, and used in a small blast furnace then operated in east Armuchee Valley, a few miles to the east. The following section was made out at one of the exposures on lot 70:
Massive sandstone ............................... . Sandstone with shale partings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 feet Ore ............................................ I2 inches Shale with thin beds of sandstone .................... 20 feet
At some points on this lot the ore increases to a thickness of sixteen inches, while at others it is reduced to eight inches, the general average being about the thickness as given in the section above. Something like a mile north of the last described lot there occurs a rather prominent east and west ridge uniting Taylor's Ridge and Dick's Ridge; on this cross ridge are located the following lots: 3 r, 32, 33 and 34, all of which are owned by the Georgia Iron and Railroad Company, and are reported to be traversed by outcroppings of fossil iron ore.
LoT 7, TwENTY-SIXTH DISTRICT.-Lot No. 7 is located on Dick's
and Taylor's Ridges, about one and a half miles north of \i\Tood's \
Gap. There are considerable exposures on this lot, both on Dick's Ridge and on a spur of Taylor's Ridge. The ore is ten inches in thickness and dips at a low angle to the east. The main exposures occur on the side of the ridge near Mr. Hamilton's residence. The ore has been used only for liriing fireplaces. The analysis of the ore taken from near Mr. Hamilton's residence, made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, is here given :
Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0. 53 Combined water ............................... . 1.49 Ferrous oxide ................................ . none Ferric oxide .................................. . 80.69 _A.lumina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I.76

l:r8

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Mang:artous oxide ............................. . r.4r Lime .......................... ;.............. . 2.26
Magnes!a .................................... . 0.54 Silica ........................................ . 10.91
Sulphur ...................................... . 0. I2
Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... . 0. 52
Carbon dioxide ................................ . none

Total ....................................... roo. 23
Metallic iron ..... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56.48 Phosphorus ...............................-.... : o. 227
LoT 66; TwE~TY-Srx-TH DrsTRIC'I'.-Another exposure of fossil iton ore on Dick's Ridge occurs .on the side of the public road in Wood's Gap. At this point is to be seen an old excavation now partia:lly filled with earth, which is said to have exposed a bed of ore varying from eight to ten inches in thickness. Considerable float ore occurs on the side of the ridge, but at no point is there any natural outcropping sho-vving the ore in place. It is reported. that fragments of ore are frequently met with all along the western slope of Dick's Ridge, as far. south as the, West Armuchee.,Cre'ek Gap. ,Hut
the-ore here; judgingfrorn a SH1a11 expostfre,nri lot 248, 26th district,
on located the west. side of the ridge n.ear the junction of Dick's and
west Armucheecreeks, is probably of but little economic importance, owing to the thinness of the seam.

l''OSSIL IRON ORBS W:8ST OF' CHATTANOOGA NALLEY NEAR THE
GEORGIA-TJt.NNESSEE LINE.
~This line of fossil iroi1 ore outcroppings; as previously stated, has a V-shape, with the western limb of the V cut short by a fault about three miles SOttth of the Georgia~Tennessee line. The eastern limb of the V, on the other hand, which has a nearly north and $OUth trend, extends beyond the State line. The. main part of the workings along this V-shaped line of outcroppings is located near the apex o-f the V, about o11e and a lialf niles due east of Eagle Cliff Statio?: The mc:st ~outhern of these workings, locally known as the Hall ore bank, occurs on Mrs. Alice Parks' property, here described..

FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WALKER COUNTY

II9

MRS. ALICE PARKS' PROPERTY.-Lot I 76, 9th district, has recently been worked for fossil iron ore by C. A. Hall on a more or less extensive scale. During I904-5 Mr. Hall mined and shipped to :Bristol, Tenn., from this property 240 carloads of ore. The greater :Part of this ore was mined by stripping, although on some portions .of the lot there was also considerable underground mining. The :southernmost part of the workings are located in the apex of the V, or at the point where the eastern and western line of outcroppangs unite. The entire length of the workings is something like three-quarters of a mile. The thickness of the ore varies from twenty-two to forty-four inches, the greater thickness, however, is usually quite local, being confined chiefly to the apices of small folds. The dip is variable, but it is generally from 20 to 35. At :.some points small anticlinal and synclinal folds are to be seen, which .to some extent interfere with mining.
The following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the ~.Geological Survey of Georgia, shows the chemical composition of a sample of hard ore taken from the Park property :

Hygroscopic water ............................ . 0. I9
Combined water ............................... . 2.04
Ferrous oxide .................................. . 2.00
:Ferric oxide .................................... . 45-00 .Alumina ..................................... . 4-05 Manganous oxide ............................. . 49 Lime ........................................ . 24.80
Magnesia ..................................... . 38
:Silica ........................................ . 5. I6 :Sulphur ...................................... . .25 Phosphorous pentoxide ...... ; .................. . -72
Carbon dioxide ............................... . IS.OO

Total ..... '................... :_ .............. Ioo.o8
Metallic iron : . .............................. ' . 33.05 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 32

The following is the analysis of an average sample of soft ore from the same property :

12c

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Hygroscopic water .......... .................. . z.I5
C9mbined water ................................. 484Ferrous oxide ................................ . none Ferric oxide .................................. . 7I. I7 Alumina ................ , ..................... . 389 Manganous oxide .............................. . .65 Lime ........................................ . . IO Magnesia .................................... . 72' Silica ......................................... . IS 44 Sulphur ................................,....... . trace
Phosphorous pentoxide ............ ;............ . -75
Carbon dioxide ............................... . none

Total ........................................ 99. 7I
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49. 82 Phosphorus ............................ ,._....... o. 33
North of the Park property the fossil iron ore forms two entirely distinct lines of outcroppings, which diverge from each other as they approach the Georgia-Tennessee line. The outcro.ppings to the east, forming the eastern limb of the V, have a. northeast-southwest trend, and traverse lots I49, 139 and I I 5, the mineral interests of which are owned by.the.paytcin Coaland Iron Company. 'rhewestern limb of outcroppings, on the other hand, which has a nearly 4ue north trend; traverses lots I49, I40, I I3, I04, 78, 67, 42, 3I and 5 The. mineral interest in all of these lots, with the exception of 3I, 42' and I4o, is also said to be owned by the Dayton Iron and Coal Company.. All of the lots here named show more or less fossil iron ore,. but only the ores above described have been prospected or worked to any extent.
M. M. FISHER's PROPERTY.-This lot, I04=, 9th district, which is-
a .located m1Iy short distance north of the Eagle-Rossville public
road, has be@n prospected for ore to a limited extent. Float ore is tO> be seen at several places on this lot, along the hill slopes, but only one point was visited by the writ~r where the ore was exposed to view. This exposure which occurs in a small excavation less than three feet in depth, discloses soft ore fifteen inches in thickl-iess, with a nearly perpendicular dip. The character of the ore here exposed is shown( by the following anaysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia :

FOSSIL IRON DRES OF WALKER'CGUNTY
Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . ... . . . . . .. . . . . . . 2. 47 Ferrous oxide ................................... none Ferric oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 .24 Alumina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . ... . . . . . . . . r. 57 Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 35 Lime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... ... . . ... . . . ...... ... ... . . . . . . . .08 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. 58
Sulphur ........................ ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .o8 Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . none
Total ........................................ roo. 37
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . . 59. 66 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
The ore from which the above analysis was made is more or less: porous and contains numerous casts of crinoid buttons. Exposure of ore, similar to that occurring on the Fisher property, is to be seen along the roadside on the Talley lot, I 13, immediately south of lot 104.
W. C. McFARLAND's PROPERTY.-The fossil iron ore after traversing lots 78 and 67 continues to the north through the McFarland property, lot 42. The ore here is to be seen along the hillsides in' some open cuts where a limited amount was mined some years ago. The main ore bed varies in thickness from eighteen to twenty inches._
On J\d:rs. Simms' lot, 205, located on the State Iine about three- quarters of a mile northwest of the McFarland property, the ore occurs in two separate beds about four feet apart, varying from1 eighteen to twenty inches in thickness. The ore here, as on the Mc-Farland lot, is mainly soft, and appears to be of a fair quality.

CHAPTER VIII

DESCRIPTION OF THE FO.SSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY

INTRODUCTION

.

.

The fossil iron ores of Chattooga county occur along the line of

knobby hills at the base of Lookout Mountain, both north and south

Df Merilo, on Dirtseller l\1ountain, ne?-r the Georgia-Alabama line,

:and ort Gaylor's and Taylor's ridges farther to the south arid west.

The aggregate length of these four different lines of outcroppings

i.s approximately twenty-five miles. The most extensive of these

outcroppings, and the one which has been worked the most, is the
:line of outcro~pirigs along the base of Lookout Mountain, here de-

:scribed in detail.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

The Lookout Mountain 11ne of fossil 1ron ore outcroppings of ChC~,ttooga county is the southern extension of the Lookout Mountain line of fossil iron ore of Walker county, previously described. The ore on the lots immediately south of the county line is only occasionally exposed, but farther to the south there are to be seen numerous old workings, as well as some natural exposures. The most important of these old workings and exposures are here de.scribed l.n O:etalf :
A. J. NE:AJ~/s PROPERTY,-The Neal property, lot 122, 13th dis-
trict, is located in the knobby hills near the base of Lookout Mountain, about two miles south of the Chattooga-Walker line. One of. the small tributaries of Teloga creek here gives a very complete cross-section of the Rockwood formation_, and thus shows a zood exposure of the fossil iron ore. The best exposure is to be seen
(I22)

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY !23
:along the stream near Mr. Neal's residence. The ore at this point occurs in three different beds, separated by layers of shale. None of the beds appear to attain a thickness of more than ten inches. The ore on the Colter and other properties further to the north is said to attain in places a maximum thickness of fifteen inches. As the old workings On these properties were filled more or less with earth and no ore was to be seen in situ~ this statement could not be verified. :South of the Neal property the ore traverses lots r32, I331 154 and
IISS, but none of these lots have been prospected.
W. T. HE:NRY's PROPERTY.-The ore on the Henry property, lot 'I7I, 13th district, is to be seen in two excavations on a hillslope :ne3:r the public road about a quarter of a mile west of Chelsea. The .ore, which has been exposed to the depth of fifteen feet, stands al:most perpendicular. The excavation shows the following section:
:Shale ................................ ~ ........... . ~.Ore .... : .. . . . .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I4 inches :ShaJe ........................... ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 " Ore ..................................... .............. 4 " :Shale ................................ ....... ........ 6 " Ore ............................................. 2 " :Shale ....................... .................... .
A few feet \vest of the above excavation is a second exca~ation showing the following section with other thin seams of ore:
Shale ....................... : .................. .
Or:e ............................................ , 7 inches Shale ........................................ : .... 24 " ;Ore ................................. 7 "
.:Shale .............................................. .
An ~nalysis. by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, of a sample of ore taken from the first excavation described, results as follows :
Hygroscopic water ............................ . o.so Combined water ............................... . I 75 Ferrous oxide ................................. . none Ferric Oxide ...................................... . 63-90

124

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Alu1nina ..................................... . 9.0I Manganous oxide .......... ................... . 0.28
Lilne ........................................ . 544 Magnesia ............................ -.. -...... . 0.33 Silica. . .......... .... -......................... . I5.I4
Sulphur .......... _............................ . 0. IO Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... . 2.62
so Carbon dioxide ............................... I.

Total ........................................ roo.57
Metallic iron ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44. 73 Phosphorus .... .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r . I42
A. J. LAWRENCE's PROPERTY.-This property, lot r88, 13th dis-
trict, is about three.,.quarters of a mile south of the Henry lot above described. Considerable prospecting has been done on this lot, but no ore of any consequence has been shipped. The thickness of the bed is shown in the following section, taken from one of the cuts. located on the hillside about r2o feet above the general strearn level::.
Shale ........................................... . Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 inches. Shale ....................................................... ]8 " Ore _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . '. . . . . . . . ... . . . . ... ] 2 " shale ........................... ................ .

The ore in this exposure has a brownish color, a:nd a:s shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, runs unusua:lly high in silica: and com.bined water :

Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0.30

.FCeormrobuinsedoxw1.daete.r

.

. .

............... ; .............. ...............................

. .

7.00
none:

Ferric oxide ........................... : ...... . 54-4I

Alumina ............... ......................... . 5-31

Manganous oxide ............................... . 0.43'

Lin1e ......................................... . 0.26

Magnesia .................................... . 0.25

Silica ......._........................................ . 30.90'

Sulphur ............................. _... _.......... . 0.09

Phosphorous pentoxide . , .... , ........ , , ........... . 0.2'7

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY r25
Carbon dioxide ............................... . none
Total ...................................... . 99-22
Metallic iron .................................. . 38.09 Phosphorus ................................... . 0. II7
The large amount of combined water shown in this analysis, as well as the brownish color of the sample itself, seems to indicate that the ore is partially altered into limonite.
LoT 2ro, THIRTEENTH DrsTRICT.-This lot, which is jointly owned by the Menlo Iron Company and the Woodstock Iron and Coal Company, is located only a short distance north of 11enlo. Considerable ore has been mined on this lot. Some of the old workings have a maximum depth of thirty-five feet. The ore, which is mostly soft and of a good quality, dips at a high angle to the west. A section exposed in one of the excavations is here given:
Shale .......................................... . Ore ............................................ 2 inches Shale ........................................... r8 "
Ore ............................................ 9 " Shale ........................................... 5 " Ore ............................................ 7 " Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r " Ore ............................................ 7 "
Shale .......................................... .
The character of the ore is shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia:
Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0.30 Combined water ............................... . !.90 Ferrous oxide ................................ . r.8s Ferric oxide .................................. . 7797 .i\.lun1ina ..................................... . 4.8r Manganous oxide ............................. . o.so Lime ........................................ . I.II Magnesia ............................. ....... . 0.42 Silica ........................................ . !0.63 Sulphur ...................................... . 0.08 Phosphorous pentoxide ......................... . 0.96

r26

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Carbon dioxide ................ .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none

Total ... ..... -...... ................ -.-........roo -53'
J.\,Jetallic iron ... , .................... ; ; ; . . . . . . . . s6. 02
Phosphorus ... ; .................... ,. . . . . . . . . . . 0.418

LoT 223, THIRTEENTH DrsTRICT.-'this lot, the property of the Dalton Iron and Coal Company, lies directly west of lot 2ro. The only exposure of ore visited on this lot is near the summit of a hill, which has an elevation of about roo feet above Menlo. The ore which here attains a thickness of about thirty inches, is nearly perpendjcular. The chemical composition of the ore is shown by the following analysis made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Ch~mist of the Geological Survey of Georgia:

Hygro'scopic water ............................. . o.6r

Combined water ............................... . 2.76

FFeerrrr1,o.c.usox1o'dxeide.

.

: . ..

.. ..

.. ..

... ...

.. ..

.. ..

.. ..

....... .......

.. ..

........ ........

. .

none 76.63

Alumina ~ .................................. : .. "5 48

Manganous oxide ............................. . 0.40

Lime ......... ; ...................... ; .. : : : ; : : 0.20

M.agnesia .................................... . trace

Silica ........................................ . I~.29

Sulphur ....................................... . 0. I2

Phosphorous pentoxide .............. : .......... . 0.69

Carbon dioxide ............................... . none

Total ....................................... 99. r8
Metallic iron ........................... . . . . . . . . 53.64 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 30t

LoT 222, THIRTEENTH DrsTRICT.-This lot, which is also owned by the Dalton Iron and Coal Company, joins lot 223 on the south. The ore was quite extensively worked on this lot some years ago. The old workings which consist largely of open cuts, vary from .five to fifteen feet in depth. They are located chiefly along. the hillslopes, fifty feet or nwr~ above the valley. A section exposed in one of the cuts is here given :

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY

27

Shale .......................................... .
Ore ............ : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 inches Shale .................... ........ ~ ................... r8 '' Ore ........................................... 22 " Shale ........................................... r Ore ............................................ 6 " Shale ........................................... 2 " Ore ............................................ 4 " Shale ........................................... 3 " Ore ........... ..... .. .... 4 " Shale ............................................ .

Another exposure on the same lot shows the following section :
Shale .......................................... . Ore ....................... --- ................... 2 inches
Shale ........................... ............... -r8 "
Ore ............................................. 20 " Shale ........................................... 3 "
Ore ............................................. 2 " Shale ........................................... 2 " Ore .............................. .............. 4 "
Shale .......................................... .

South of lot 222 the fossil iron ore continues through lots 248, 249, 256 and 286 to the Georgia-Alabama line. There are more or less old workings c1ncl prospect pits to be seen on each of these lots. The character of the ore as shown by the analysis of a sample taken from lot 256, here given, differs but l-ittle from the ore occurring on the lots further to the north. Analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the State Geological Survey of Georgia :

Hygroscopic water .................. : . ......... . 0.40 Combined water ............................... . 3. IS Ferrous oxide ................................ . none Ferric oxide .................................. . 8o.48 Alun1ina . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.28 Manganous oxide ............................. . 0.09 Lime ..................._..._.............. ,.... . trace Magnesia . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trace Silica ....................................... -. . I I . 47
Sulphur ............... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. IO

r;r28

THE FOSSIL IRONORE DEPOSITS (JJF GEORGIA

Phosphorus pentoxide ............................ . o.s7 Carbon dioxide ..................................... . none

Total ........................................................ . 9954 Metallic iron ..................................... 5634 Pho~phorus ......................................... .. 0.248

nrR'l'SE:CLER MOUNTAIN

Dirtseller 'Mountain is a very prominent trough-like synclinal :ridge intersecting the Georgia-Alabama line about midway between -Lookout Mountain and .G~:ylor's Ricige. The ,greater part of this ;mountain lies in Alabama, only.its northeastern extension, less than six miles inlength, being co~fined to Georgia. The top of the mountain, or rather its elevated ridge-like brows, attaining a maximum 'height of 700 feet above the valleys on-either side, is made up entirely of the Rockwood formation, consisting of shale and heavy bedded sandstone with one or more thi'n beds of fossil ore. Near ;the eastern side of the. mountain occurs a _min0r synclinal flexure which becomes q.uite prominent as the State line .is approached, but ;appears to die out entirely _further to .the west. These structural .features affect to a greater or less extent the cost of mining. The .ore in most cases ottterops, only a Jew rods from -the brow of the :mountain, and dips afc:L'to{lv angle -towards its'lower central axis. At many places the dip of the ore varies but little from the slope of the :surface, .in which case often large quantities of ore have been mined ~by stripping. On' the other hand, wh-ere the~dip of fhe ore exceeds --,the slope cff the-surface, undergroundrriiriing has to be resorted to.
The main part of the ore located .on Dirtseller Mountain is at :present owned by the Rome Furnace Company. This company has 'been actively?mgaged in ni.iriil21,g, on the mountain for .n-early twenty _years, and has shipped to their Rome furnace more than a quarter of :a mill-ion .tons~ of high:-grade ore. In order to facilitat~ the trans:portation of the ore -at.a minimum cost, the- company has had constructed a branch standard gauge roadthree and -a half mi1es long --from the 'foot cff the molltntainto 'Lyerly, a station on the Central of ..Georgia Railway. Thecompany'hasalso'had c<mstructed an incline ::road, several :huntir.ed .feet .in .length, .from .the Je:rnii:nus ,of the

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY 129
branch road in the valley to the top of the mountain, and from thence to the trough-like valley traversing the central axis of the mountain, where the mining camp, consisting of commissary store and a number of miners' cottages, is located. The main workings which consist largely of strippings, are confined chiefly to the eastern side of the mountain, only a short distance \Vest of the brow. The overburden in these workings varies from a few inches to five feet or more in thickness. Further toward the central axis of the mountain the ore lies deeper, and underground mining has to be resorted to. The latter method of mining is limited to a few tunnels and drifts, the most extensive of which consists of a tunnel 400 feet long, located near the northern terminus of the iron ore outcroppings, and within a short distance of the end of the incline railroad.
The character of the ore on Dirtseller Mountain, together with associated rocks, differs considerably from .the ore and rocks making up the Rockwood formation further to the north and west. The prevailing rocks here are sandstones, which. often become heavy bedded and form bold bluffs along the brow of the mountain. In places immediately below the iron ore, the sandstone contains waterworn boulders, often a foot or more in diameter. At some points these boulders are embodied in the ore itself. In the latter position they consist of sand with a matrix of carbonate of lime and more or less oolitic granules of iron oxide. The bould.ers often have the appearance of wat~rworn fragments of ore, which have been. detached by wave action, and after having been rounded by the same force, been deposited further seaward. The ore itself as a rule contains much more silica in the form of sand than the ore further to the north and west, and also a corresponding decrease in the percentage of lime. The number of the beds of ore together with the thickness of the same, is shown by the following sections, to be seen at different exposures on the lots named.
Section on lot 172, 14th district, located on the Georgia-Alabama line:
Decomposed shale and surface clay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 feet Ore (impure, not worked) ......................... 12 inches Shale ........................................... I2 " Ore (worked) ................................... 20 "

I30

THE '

F.

O '

S

S

I '

L

IRON

ORE

DEPOSITS '

OF

GEORGIA

Sandstone ......................... : . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 feet Ore {impure, not worked) ...................... : .. r8 inches Sandstone .......... -.................. -. . . . . . . . . . . 3 feet Shale ...... - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 "

Section on lot 143, 13th district, west sid~of the mo~ntain:

~Surface clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . 5 feet
Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... . 3 " 10re ........................................... . 8 inches
Shale ........................................... . 4 "
O-re ... ~ ........................................ . 6 "
Sandstone ...................................... .

Section on lot I so, I 4th district, near the incline:
Decomposed shale and surface clay .................. 9 feet Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 inches Shale .......................... : . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 "
-Ore ............................................ 20 "
:Shale ................................ . . . . . . . . . . . I "
Ore ....-........................................ 1 "
Shale ... ........................................ 2 " 'Ore .... -........................................... 3 " 'Sha1e . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . I " ~Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . -. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 " Sandstone (heavy beds) ......................... .

By comparing these different sections, it will be seen that the individual beds -of ore differ considerably in thickness from place to place, and that there is also a considerable variation in the thickness of the shale partings.
'The character of the ore taken from ~ot I40 is shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia :

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o.67 Combined water . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40 Ferrous oxide ................................... 0.25 Ferric oxide .................................... 77.29 Alumina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.89

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY I3I
::Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.28 L.ime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... I .09 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. I 3 'Silica ........................................... 15.64 Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.03 _Phosphorus pentoxide ............................ 1.06 .Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none
Total ......................................... 9973 -Meta.llic iron .......................... : . ........ 54.30 Phosphorus ..................................... 0.462
A second analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart from a sample of ore .._(t-aken from lot lAI, is here given :
Hygroscopic water ............................... 0.56 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I. 74 Ferrous oxide ................................... o.ro :Ferric oxide .................................... 82-48 i\Jum.ina ......................................... 3.78 Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .03 Lime . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8o Manganese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I r >Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 19 Sulphur .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .07 Phosphorus.pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 ;Car'bon d1' 0x1. a1 e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none
Total ........................................ 99.69
Metallic iron .................... i ............. -57.82 ;Phosphor:us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
In .addition to the lots above referred to, the Rome Furnace Com~pany also owns the following lots on Dirtseller Mountain, all of :,which arelocated in the 14th district: 149, 170, 171, 173, 174, and .I97 All of the?e lots have more or less ore on them, and in places ,extensive surfa.ce mining has been carried on. There still rema.ins on the mountain, .at different points, considerable ore which can -be raised by stripping, but the greater mass of ore, however, can ,only ~e obtained '?:y_-unq.erground mining.

I32

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

. !?~~ides the several lots owned by the Rome Furnace Co!J?.pany there is_ another lot on the mounta.in, No. 122, 13th district, o~~ed by Miss R. Hertz, of Atlanta, which has a limited amount of ore on it. The lot is located only a short distance north of the incline-
and joins lot I4I on the north. The ore on this lot seems to mark the northern limit of the ore on the mountain.

Gaylor's Ridge, like Dirtseller Mountain, is a very prominent synclinal ridge, intersecting the Georgia-Alabama line about seven rriiles south of and parailel with Dirtseller. Tl]at part of the ridge which is confined to Georgia, occupies the extreme southwestern corner of Chattooga county; its northern terminus being about two and a half miles south of Kincaid, a station on the Central of Georgia Railway. The southern side of the ridge is deeply indented by numerous finger-like hollows, while the northern slope, as shown by the nearly straight crowded parallel contour .lines of the topographical map of the region,. is steep and difficult of ascension. Its geological structure is practically the same as that of Dir,ts~ller Mountain; .however, there does not seem to occur here any minor synclinal folds.
The fossil iron ore which occurs on Gaylor's Ridge, appears to be confined mainly to the north of its cent~al trough-like valley. The only point at whicl~ the ore was examined bythe writer was in the 'Miller Orchard Company's peach orchard, located near the uorth~rn terminus of the ridge. The ore here occurs as float ore, strewn along the weskrn slope of the central valley only a few hundred yaids southwest of the residence of the superintendent of the Orchard Company. From the character of the float material to be seen about the surface, it would seem that the ore here does not attain more than a few inches in thickness. It is quite possible, however, that at some fa.vorable points, where the ore lies near the surface, it may be mined with profit, but as .its thickness is limited to a few inches, the deposit is not likely to prove of ver:J great economic importance. The character of the ore seems t0 be of fair quality, but the most of the samples found about the sur-

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY
face are badly weathered, being of a brownish color and partially altered into limonite.
TAYLOR1S RIDGE
The fossil iron ore of Taylor's Ridge is the southern extension of the fossil iron ore previously described under the description of the fossil iron ore of Taylor's Ridge in Walker county. The ore here, as in Walker county, is largely owned by the Georgia Iron .and Railroad Company. Some of the most important exposures of the ore on this company's property, visited by the writer, are located on the following lots, all of which are in the 5th district and .are situated chiefly on the eastern slope of the ridge: 65, 66, I04, 1,05, I IO, and I I I. The ore on none of these lots has been worked, but all of them show more or less ore in the deep hollows. On th.e -east side of the ridge, there is an especially :fine exposure on lot no. The ore here is found in large rectilinear blocks, strewn about the :::urface, and also in the natural bedding where it has been laid bare by washing rains. At one point, where the ore was exposed to view, the following section occurs :
Heavy-bedded sandstone ....... ; .................. . Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 inches Shale ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I " Ore ............................................. 13 '' Shale ........................................... __
At another point in a hollow nearby were seen blocks of ore. strewn about the surface, measuring I 7 inches in thickness. As the ore usually occurs in two layers, this would seem to indicate that the ore here has a maxi1i:mm thickness of 20 inches or more. The exposure of the ore on lots 65 and 66, located only a short distance north of what is known as High Point, the southern terminus of Taylor's Ridge, appears to verify the commonly expressed opinion that the ore becomes reduced in thickness to the south. On the Lyerly-Dirt Town public road, the exposure of ore measures only from 8 to I o inches in thickness.

!34

. THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

In addition to the above lots, the Georgia Iron and Railroal Company also owns the following lots in the 6th district: r66," r68, 205, 207, 208, 209, 223, 224, 247, 248, 249, 250, 25r, 254, and 256. These lots, 1ike those of the 5th district, lie chiefly on the east side of Taylor's Ridge, and all have more or less extensive c)utcroppings of fossil iron; one of the most extensive exposures occurs on lot r66, which lies ju_st north of the Maddox lot, here-after to be described. The main exposure is to be seen near the head of a deep hollow on the east side of Tayldr's Ridge. At the time of the writer's visit no work had been done on this lot, nevertheless there was considerable ore to be seen in its natural bedding, as well as a large quantity of float ore' strewn about the surface.-
A t one point the following section was exposed to view :

Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r8 inches Shale ................................ ............ 24 "
Sandstone ...........................-............ 36 S:hale ............................................ 3. " Ore ........................................... ~ .. 6 Shale ................................... ~. . . . . . . . . . 2
,, Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shale ............................................. I2

The ore on this lot probably attains a greater thickness at places than is given in the above section.
I. W. MADDOXJS PRoPERTY.-This property, lot r6r, 6th district, is located on the west side of Taylor's Ridge about three arid a half miles due east of Summerville, on what is known as the Maddox
Gap road. In the last eight or ten years, many thousand tons o!
fossil iron ore have been mined from- this lot and shipped to the Rome furnace. The workings, which consist largely of open cuts and strippings, extend along the line of outcroppings for something like a quarter of a mile. The ore varies from fifteen to twenty inches in thickness, and dips at a low angle to the.east, The character of the ore is shown by the following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia:

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CHATTOOGA COUNTY 135
Hygroscopic water .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o . 3 I Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . I4
Ferrous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. o5
Ferric oxide .................................... 76. g8
Alumina ..........,............................. 5. 23
Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 26 ' Lime .......................................... I .2I
Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. I 7 Silica........................................... I4.9I Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. o6 Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 97 Carbon dioxide .................................. none
Total ....................................... IOI . 29
Metallic iron ................................... 53.93 Phosp,horus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423
In addition to above lot, Mr. Maddox also owns lot I6o, just north of lot I6I. This lot has also been extensively worked, and tbe ore shipped to Rome. At one of the recent excavations the following section was exposed to view :
Sandstone ..................................... -Ore ........................... : . .............. 7~ inches Sha.le ......................................... 3 " Ore .......................................... I30 " Shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 feet
The greater part of the ore mined on the Maddox property is what is known as soft ore, which always yields a high percentage of metallic iron. The physical appearance of the ore is very similar t.o that occurring on Dirtseller Mountain. It is more or less oolitic7 often fossiliferous and occasionally contains small, rounded masses of clay, shale or argillaceous sandstone.
THE CLEGHORN) BILLINGS & SHROPSHIRE PROPERTY.-Lot I27~ 6th district, lies southwest of and corners with the Maddox lot, I6I. The ore on this lot has never been worked; however, it is said that the ore occurs on it in large quantities. The ore in places is reported

ra6

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

to attain a maximum thickness oj 2 feet or more, and is favorably lo-

Tne c~feli: for working~

same parties a1so own i0t. 77~ .i:th district,

W.b.1e:t_, Hkewise, has m1.1ch ore o.n it. . . . .

W. F. KYLJt)s PRoP:mRTY; lot I44, sth distri'ct, ]'oirts tlje Cleg- .
hbtn, Billin'gs & Shtopsliite lot r 27, on the south; a'rid lies diiefly on t~~ east side of Taylor's. Rid~e. In th~ 1ast fe~ year.s farge quantities"
of ore have been mined on the lot. The main workings, consisting ch~iefly of strip.pings, are locat~d along. the side of the ridge only
a sho:rt distance east of. its summk. There are to be seen hete long
lines of workings, cons1sting of open cuti fton1: whith th~ ore has
on begn: raised'; .similar workings are a]so to' be seeil !61: rog, which
Ties just west of lot 144. The ore mined from all these workings was' soft Ote~ varying froiri 'r 5 to 20 inches in thickness. The dip
(If the qre in plaGeS Varies but little f.rOffi the slopfi Of the SUrface,
ilhls reducing the cost of stripping to a: minimtirtl.

T. HrLES) PROPERT:Y.-This property, lot ro6, lies on the east side ,() Taylor's Rid_g:~, al?_out one mile nearly due south, qf Kyle's lot,
i4+ .Considera15Ie or~ llas been min'ed' on this lot. The workings
.:ar.id' the cliaraeter of {he ore are simiiar to fliose fourid~ on the lots
further to the_ north. The ore aft~r' frcive;fiiig'foi J:'o~~ pasi~s the
of is southeast c_orner of lot 76, which is also owned by Mr. H}les.
. E:c:s( !ay_l?r'~: ~~~: ~ijlo~'s. ridges: ~riother ~idge of like
character) k:n9.111(1J. _a,s_ Simro~'. Rjdg~, vv:hi~h has. in places limited ex-
l:l.0sunes of: fossil .iron .ore. .The ore .in this ridge, however, is so
reatt:bed in thickness that it seem.s to be of little commercia.l in1por-
1taan.oe.. The only place on Simms' Ridge where fossil ore was examane~- by t~e writer is !J:ea:,r the g:ap o:f the tidger where the public road !Cf;Q)~Sse:S,. about t~wo miles southeast oi KHrcaid.. The ore a:t this 1DQlrtf lS_ not ove.r 8: i:fu:.ches It!.' thiGkfress., atld ~.eems t0 carry COrt-
,:!iiideta;bJe .siliea in the form 0' sancl:

CHAPTER IX
FOSSIL IRON ORES OF WHITFIELD COUNTY
The fossil iron ores of Whitfield county a:re confined to Taylor's and Dick's ridges in the extreme western portion of the county. These ridges are the northern extensions of the two fossil iron ore. bearing ridges of the same name, previously described, traversing the .eastern portion of Walker and Chattooga counties. The ore in neither of these ridges has been worked to any extent within the limits of \i\Thitfield county; however there are many places where the float .ore is to be seen strewn about the .hillsides. This is especially true .of the rough, hilly country south of Gordon Spring, and also in the :vicinity of Nickajack Gap, 6 or 8 miles further to the north. ln the last named locality the ore is to be seen near the public road. .only a short distance from the top of Taylor's Ridge and also on Dick's Ridge along the public road leading to Tricum, one mile furmer to the east. At the latter point the ore is to be seen in consiqer- .able abundance scattered along the hillside, but at no point was it observed by the writer in situ:. The number of beds and the thickness ~of the same were not determined. The individual blocks of ore vary from 6 to 7 inches in thickness, but whether these blocks represent the entire thickness of the bed, or only one of its individual layers, is ns>t known. Between Nickajack Gap and the WhitfieldCatoosa line, float ore in more or less abundance is said to occur .at various points along the slopes of both Taylor's and Dick's ridges, but at no point has the ore been mined, except for making chimneyJams.
Besides the fossil ore here described, there also occurs a very similar ore in the extreme northern part of the county on the GeorgiaTennessee line. This ore, which becomes better developed in Bradley county, just across the state line, occurs along a line of red hills
(I37)

138

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

associated with a reddish or chocolate-colored marble, a similar

stone, and occupying the same geological position, as the marble

which is so 'extensively worked in the vicinity of Knoxville. The

ore appears mostly in the form Qf float in the reddish soils, and

apparently h~s originated from the weathering of the more fer-

ruginated layers of limestone or m?-tble. The ore differs from the

true fossiliferous ore, chiefly in the absence of oolitic structure and

in the high percentage of in.agnesia, as shown in the .analysis given

below. Microscopic sections show the ore to consist largely of the fragments of bryozoan~ and. corals and angular grains of quartz with a matrix of crystalline iro~~stained- .ca:Icite. In some

places the iron o~ide, which usually has a brownis11. color, is segre:..

g-ated in the cells or around the margin of bryo.Z~ahs or corals, but

more generally it seems to occur unevenly distributed throughout

the entire mass in the form of a yellowish stain.

The only two places where this ore was examined by the writer,

were R. W. Weatherly's property, l9t 14, rrth district, and W. H. Shadden's prop~rty, lqt. 50 in the same district. The ore on the

1atter pr,operty, which 'i~ located near the Dalt?n-"Cleveland public
was a road, about one mile south of the State line, worked to conof siderable extent in 1870, and some I5 or 20 carlo.ads ore were

shipped to Chatta11ooga. The old workings, consisting- of open cuts

originally from 5 to r 5 feet deep, are now partially filled with fallen

earth. The main part of ~he ore mined here is said to have been

in seari:rs which gradually became ~oo small in the deeper excavations

to he 'fOrked with profit. The chemical composition of the ore

from the Shadden property is shown by thE; _!allowing analysis hy

Dr.

Edgar. Everhart,

Chemist

of

the

Geological

Survey

of

G

e. o

r

g

i

a

:
'

H ygroscop1c water ....I........................... o. 27
Combined water .; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. o 5 Ferrous oxide .................................... o. 75 Ferrie oxide ...................,.............. ::48.07 AIun1ina . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . ; . . . . . ~ . . . 4 . 35 Manganous oxide . ... , .... .... .. .. ......... . . . . . . o . 42 Lin1.e ........................................... 9. 8r , Magnesia .......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . o . 55

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES 0F. WHITFIELD 1 COUNTY I39~
Silica . .............................................. 22 . 79 Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. .. .. . . . .. ... ... . ... .. .. . . . . . . . . o. o6 Phosphorous pentoxide............... - ................. o. 79 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . 8. oo
Total ......................................... 99.91 Metallic iron ....................... .' ............ 34. 2J~ Phosphorus pentoxide ....................... -- ........ 0.-79"

CHAPTER X
FOSSIL IRON. ORES OF CATOOSA COUNTY
IN'l'RODUC'I'ION.
The fossil iroh ores of Catoosa county occur only in Dick's and Taylor's ridges and in the nortlJ.e'rn extension of the latter i-idge north of Chickamauga Creek, known as White Oak Mountain. Taylor's Ridge, together with \Vhite Oak Mountain, form the western limb bf a synclinal fold which is made up of the Rockwood sandstone and shales, while Dick's Ridge formed of the same series of rocks, constitutes the eastern limb of the fold. The former limb traverses the entire width of the county in a northeast-southwest direction, but the latter limb is cut short by a fault just north of Panther Creek. While the Rockwood fom1ation extends thus far to the north, Dick's Ridge proper terminates at the junction of Mill and Chickamauga creeks, some five miles further south. As the fossil iron ore is co-extensive with the Rockwood formation, it will be seen by examining a map of Catoosa county, that the aggregate length of the two lines of fossil iron ore is approximately 20 miles.
The eastern line. of fossil iron ore outcroppings seems to be best developed in Dick's Ridge, only a short distance north of the Catoosa-Whitfield line. The ore here is e~ceptionally abundant as
float ore, on what is known as the Smith property, lot 25, 27th dis-
trict, a few hundred yards from a gap in the ridgeJ locally known as the Narrows. The ore, which is soft and of good quality, as shown by the analysis below by Dr. Edgar Everhart, occurs in rectangular blocks from six to eight inches in thickness, strewn along t~e hillside. At some points are to be seen some old excavations where the ore was mined for chimney jambs.
Tn:E: SMITH PROP:ltR'I'Y.-Analysis of ore from the Smith prop-
(r4o)

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CATOOSA COUNTY

14r

erty by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of
Georgia:
Hygroscopic water ............................. . 0.42 Combined water ............................... . 473 Ferrous oxide ................................. . none Ferric oxide . , ................................. . 81.01
Alumina ..................................... . 2.86
Manganous oxide .............................. . .OI Lime ........................................ . .04 Magnesia ............... ...................... . 59 Silica ................... ..................... . 9 2 9 Sulphur ....................................... . .OI Phosphorus pentoxide .......................... . I. 13 Carbon dioxide .............................. ; .. none

Total ........................................ 110.09
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56. 75 Phosphorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500

On the property adjoining the Smith lot on the north are to be seen like excavations, but they are all now more or less filled wit..h. earth and no ore is to be seen in situ. Still further to the north, where the Houston Valley-Ringgold public road crossed Dick's Ridge, occurs another exposure. The ore a~ this point is mostly hard, and attains a maximum thickness of less than eight inches. North of the last exposure but little or no ore occurs on the surface south of Tiger Creek, but just north of this stream it again appears in the knobby hills on Mrs. Harris' property. Here the ore is only to be seen as float ore strewn along the hill slopes. Judging from the fragments examined the ore on the Harris property occurs in thin seams, and is of but little commercial importance.
The ore of Taylor's Ridge and \iVhite Oak Mountain appears to be somewhat more continuous than the ore on Dick's Ridge. The thickness of the seams and the character of the ore itself appear to -be pretty much the same. Along the eastern side of Taylor's Ridge from the Catoosa-Whitfield line to Chickamauga Creek, float ore in greate_r or less abundance occurs on all the lots. This is especially true of the lots lying immediately east of the summit

J 142

,THEJJOSSIL. !R([)N, ORE DS.POSIITS OF GEORGIA

of the ridge. One of the best e4.posurres .of ore to be seen on the. ridge occurs in an old-peach on':hard on Wil'liam Ostrem's ( ?).pmpcerty, lot IO, 27th district. The ore.here occur:s in the form of blocks . strewn about the surface, varying from four to six inches. in thickness. The ore is soft and carries considerable silica in the form of
:sand. The 'following ana_lysis J?y Dr..Eqgar Everhart, Chemist of "the Geological. Surv~y of Georgia, oo a .sample of the ore taken ~from.the Ostrem.lot,.is.heregiven:

Hygros~Qpic .water . . . . .. . . .. . ..... .. ....... ... ... . . . . . . . . . o. 34 Combined. water ............... ., .. . . . ... ..... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. . . ... 5 . 40 . Fe(rous 'oxide , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . ... .. . . . . . . ... . . . o. 75 _-Ferr1.c ox1'de ... ............................................. 73.04 _Alumina ........... .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 97 Manganous oxide ............ : .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 26 ~Lime . . . . . . . ... . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . .... .. . .. . . . . . . . . . o. IS .Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ... . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . _o. 73
Silica ; . . .. . . .. .. . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . .. .. . .. . ... . . .. . . . . . . . . . I 3. I7
' Sulphur . . . . .. .- .. . ;_ . . . . . . . . . . . . _, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o .07
Phosphorus pentoxiale ................. - . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .I .34 'Carbon dioxide ........................... ~ ........ ~.. . . . . . . none

Total ......~.............................. - .......... I00.22
IVIetallic iron ................................. :.._. . . .. . . . . . . . 5I . I 3 Phosphorus ..... ...:.............. ........................... _0.584

On the east side of"T~ylor's Ridge, north.of the Ostrem lot, the :fossil iron ore occurs on the 'f6llowinglots .owmed by the Georgia 'Iron and Coal Compa.1_1y: .-3~5, 299,300,279,262,263, 227;'228, 200, I92, I68, =I69 and r57, a11 of the 28th distr'ict. The last four rlots here named~ lie, north, of .Ch.ickiamat;tga .Creek, and -are conse-
,.quently located ..aJong the,east-siae of White Oak Mountain.'_ The
only work done by the Geor.gia:Iron and Goal Company for fossil
:iron ore 'is .to be seen .at.the. b.ase,of White Oak Mountain, on lot
a 192, oiily short distance fr~m. the . railroad. b1:"idge. The work-
:ings, which-:consist.nf .0pen, cuts, were made. some years ago during
r.Lhe life of .Gov.ernor Joseph E. Brovvn, .who was at that time chief
~owner ~of . the _.pn?;perty, .now ~owned J~y .th.e ,Georoia Iron and Coal

THE FOSSIL IRON ORES OF CATOOSA COUNTY

143

Company. The total amount of ore mined here probably did not :xceed 20 carloads. The ore in none of the old excavations at the time of the writer's visit was exposed to view, but at the base of a Gluff on the opposite side oflthe creek nearby, the seam of ore measured only five inches in thickness.
North of the Georgia Iron and Coal Company's property the fossil iron ore continues along the western foothills of vVhite Oak Mountain to the Georgia-Tennessee line. The only point at which the ore was examined along this line of \outcroppings was at John Connelly's property, lot 95, 28th district, located about two and a half miles south of the State line. The ore on the Connelly property occurs along the sides of the foothills of White Oak l\1ountain, 75 feet or more above the valley. It was exposed at three different points in shallow excavations, where it seemed to occur in two distinct beds, separated by several feet of shale. The ore in these beds varies from four to eight inches in thickness, and dips at a low angle to the east. The following analysis by Dr. Edgar Everhart, chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, shows the ore to be of a good quality:

Hygroscopic water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 2 5 Combined water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 50 e ..,..b..... rrous ox~iG1e ............. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. IO Ferric oxide . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8o. 03 Alun1ina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 52 Manganous oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I,. 77 Lime .... ..................................... 0.24 Magnesia ................. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trace Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I I . 40 Sulphur . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o.o8 Phosphorus pentoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 79 Carbon dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . none

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99. 68
Metallic iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s6. IO Phosphorus .............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o. 392

CHAFTER XI
THE ORIGIN OF THE t2LINTON ORES
Two ~~eqri~s hav~ b,~ep. ad,:yang~Q. <il~ to t4~ origin of the Clinton
- iron pres, ~ach of which has b~.<i!l st]Jo1Jgly advocq.ted by equally eniine;nt obs.~ry~rs. These t{leorie& rn~ be designated as the sedimentary and th~ replacement theories. The former supposes that the iron is an original con&tituent of the pre-bed, being deposited at the same time as the ~alcareous material of which it is often largely made up; while the latter supposes that the iron is of more recent origin, having been derived chiefly from the overlying shales by leaching, and afterwards deposited in the calcareous beds below by replacement. One of the earlier advocates of the sedimentary origin of these ores was Prof. H. D. Rogers, former State Geologist of Pennsyivania. Rogers, iri discussing the origin.of the Clinton or~s, says :1 "These regular ores of the Surgent (~linton) series are to be regarded as among the permanent cqnstituent strata of the format~on, and as having originated with the other sedimentary materials in the form of very extended, but thin, sheets of ferruginous matter, covering at successive epochs the wide floor of the quiet Appalachian sea. Where all the oxide of iron was derived from which mingled the earthy deposits of clay, sand, carbonate of lime, and the fossils of these depos:its, is a question which the present state of research scarcely enables us to answer." Prof. Rogers suggests that the primary source of these ore deposits, prior :to their d~position in 'the Paleozoic sea, was the newly upraised land to the eastward. Having thus given what he considers was the probable original
source of the ores, he continues: "V'(e have only to imagine in the
next place the -operation of certain well-known chemical reactions, such especially as would arise upon the sudden introduction of cal-
l Geology of Pennsylvania, Vol. II, r8s8, p. 729.
(!44)

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

I45

.careous matter, to perceive a sufficient cause for the extensive pre-

cipitation of a definite quantity of iron in the form of the peroxide."

To this source, he says, we may ascribe with some probability, per-

haps, a large portion of the iron present in these beds, but he sug-

gests that we must not overlook another train of .causes, operating

Bince the elevation of the strata, to increase the amount of the con-

:.stituent. He thinks that an enormous quantity of ferruginous mat-

ter, both in the form of sulphuret and !peroxide of iron, diffused

throughout the shales, slates and marls in contact with the ore beds,

bas been dissolved in part by infiltrating waters in the form of a sul-

~phate, and redeposited in the ore-beds, where the reaction of the

Jime of the fossils converted it into the peroxide. As an evidence

,of this secondary enrichment of the ore-beds, he adds that where

the outcrop, the slope of the ground, and the thich.'Tiess of the over-

;,lying strata, are favorable to a copious infiltration of surface water,

,the ore carries a higher percentage of iron than at less favorable

{)laces. In concluding his argument, Prof. Rogers says : "But I

must here advert to another much more instrumental cause of in-

.equality in the proportion of iron, compared with the other con-

stituent. I mean the removal by infiltrating water of a part or all

,of the soluble portion of the ore. chiefiv its carbonate of lime. both

J-

;

..1

;

diffused, and in the shape of innumerable organic remains. The

fossils, chiefly shells and joints of the crinoidea, constitute, in many

instances, fully one-half of the weight of the ore in its original

unaltered condition, as the reader can ascertain by inspecting the

analysis of the Clinton fossil ores and compa.ring the amount of

,carbonate of lime of the compact specimens with that of the soft or

porous ores. It is obvious that a given bulk of the ore must retain,

~dter the abstraction of this large quantity of calcareous matter,

very neady twice its former percentage by weight of its peculiar

ingredient, the peroxide of iron.''

It will here be observed that Rogers, although he evidently ad-

vocates the sedimentary origin of these ores, nevertheless at the

same time admits that the ores were probably afterward enriched

;~y ferruginous infiltratiD;g waters from the overlying shales. The

r46

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

concentration of the ore in the ore-beds by the loss of lime car-

bo'mite, carried off in solution by acidulated wa.i:ers, is another fea-

ttite of the theory which he lays special stress on 'in considering the

economic phase of ethe deposits.

' Another strong advocate of the sedimentary origin of the Clin-
ton ores was the late Prof. J. S. Newbeiry. In discussing the ori-

.. ghi of these ores he compa.res thein' with the S.wiss l:lke ores, now
in the process or forrnation. Owirtg to th~ efilinence of this author,
ana his extensive opportunities for ohservi~g these ores in many lobalities~~if is thought advisable to quote ~ere rather fully what he

h~s to say on this $Ubj ect.

After describing the distribution artd the general structure of

'these ores, Newberry remarksr : "1f we look over the world 'for an







.

J

iron-,ore forn1ing, which will illustrate the origin of the Clinton ore,

we. find it in the granular, or 'mustard-seed,' ore of the Swiss

lakes. This is an oolitic ore, consisting of spherules of limonite,

which have formed around minute particles of some foreign sub-

stance. The water which flows into these lakes is highly charged

.rith iron; since it is .fhe. drainage. of a. district ..rich- in this metal. , In the.lcike oxyg~~ is ab:sorbed, and ferr~usis 'coriverted into ferric

oxide. This collecting around some nucleus ultimately sinks to

the bottom a ferruginous oolite, which from time to time is gathered

a.s a crop. The Clinton ore was apparently formed much in the

sam.e way.

The basin in which it accumulated was surrounded by a water-

shed underlain by ferriferous rock, which furnished an unusual

quantity of iron to the draining streams. !his iron was precipi-

tated in granules, which in successive ages formed beds many feet
in thickness. Then a change of physical conditions threw upon it

a sediment of another kind, and it was ultimately buried beneath

all the Devonian and Carboniferous rocks. By this weight jts

granules were compressed to flattened disks, and these were in some

iO:sta.nces converted into solid rock; and, like all the older lin1onites,

this has finally lost its water and has been changed to hematite."

I School of Mines Quarterly, November, r88o, p. 14.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

147

Here he adds: "We have a simple explanation of the formation of a wide-spread iron ore destined to play an important part in the future iron industry of the country."
In addition to the above authors) Lesley, Dana, Chamberlin and Smyth also advocate the sedimentary origin of the Clinton iron ores. One of Lesley's 1 main arguments in support of the sedimentary theory is the occurrence of ferric oxide .in the unaltered normal beds below the surface drainage level. He argues that this fact is strong evidence against the supposition that the ores have been deposited in the ore-beds by percolating waters from above.
According to Dana : 2 "The beds 1of argillaceous iron ore, which spread so widely through New York, and some of the other States West and South, could not have been formed in an open sea; for clayey iron deposits do not accumulate under such circumstances. They are proof of extensive marshes, and, therefore, of land near the sea-level." In the fifth edition of his manual of 1geology, he says that the beds were evidently deposited over tide-washed, saltwater flats, where trituration is gentle. He makes no reference whatever as to the chemical condition of the iron in the waters prior to its deposition, or to the nature of the land surface from which it was supposed to have been derived.
Prof. Chamberlin in discussing the method of deposition of the Clinton ores, says: 3 "Some difficulty arises in conceiving the precise method of formation, particularly since in the Wisconsin:- deposits no contemporaneous formation has been observed connecting the detached deposits such as would natura.lly be expected, if the whole region were submerged. As no fossils occur here, it seems probable that the ore accu..."TTulated in lakes, lagoons, or estuaries, and that the intermediate territory was not submerged."
Chamberlin further says that the probable source of the ore is to be found in the ferruginated waters, derived from the low flat lands adjacent) or the more distant iron-bearing rocks of the Archean series. The location of the latter, he adds, however, were
I Geology of Penn., Rept. F, p. 39. :a Dana's Manual of Geology, Third Edition, p. 231. 3 Geological Survey of Wisconsin, Vol. I, p. 179.

tr48

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

;probably not favorably situated to become the source of such an accumulation. He agrees with Newberry in assigning to tl-ie deposits ;an origin similar to the Swedish lake deposits.
, As to the chemical reaction involved in the process of deposition 10f the ores, he says: "While in process of transportation, the iron \VY2L& a soluble protoxide, but by oxidation it was rendered insoluble, :and deposited. In the ages that have since passed,, these limonite granules have last a part of their water of combination, and have .been converted into red hematite."
Some of the most interesting and important papers so far. published, on the origin o{ the Clinton iron ores, are those of Dr. C. H. Smyth, Jr., 'Of Ha1nilton College, Clinton, New York. Dr. Smyth is a strong adv(J)cate of the sedimentary origin of the Clinton oresr hut at the same time, he admits that there are places in which in. filtration may also play an important part. His paper from which I shall ~1ere quote S'Omewhat fully, deals chiefly with the deposits as they occur in the typical locality at Clinton, New York.
After devoting considerable space to the concretionary structure of the Clinton iron !nres, Dr..Smyth says: r "If the ore repres~nts oolitic lim~stone, each 'spherule has bee~ altered from outside toward the center. This alteration has been by the replacement of the calcite by silica and iron carbonate. It would seem as though, after the exterior layers were thus ~ltered, they must, to
or a greater less extent, protect the interior layers from change,
and that there would often be some trace of original calcite. In no <:ase has this been seer1, even in the leanest ores, although the layers of silica and iron ore often are so dense and impervious. that hydrochloric acid can not dissolve all of the iron p1..:esent.
"Furthe1~, it is difficult to ~.ccount for the present chemical conditions of the ore on the substitution theory. This theory postulates that the iron is taken intu solution in the overlying rocks by drcula,til~;g waters -containing organic matter. The iron would thus be brought 'to t1n.e limestone in the form of carbonate, and vvould be precipitated in that form. In highly tilted strata it is easy

.r Amet~ican .Jmu:nal rof .Science, Thir.d Series, Vol. XLIII, pp. 487-496, r892.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES
to see that currents of water coming more directly from the surface along the dip, might contain oxygen instead of the products of organic decomposition, and thus cause the precipitation of the iron as hydrated oxide, or convert to that form a previously precipitated carbonate as described by Prof. Van Hise in his paper on the Marquette ores. But when, as in New York State, the strata are horizontal, such an explanation will nt>t suffice. Yet in no case has there been seen anything to indicate that the ore was once a carbonate. If this ore was once a carbonate, what agent has so completely altered it to the peroxide?"
Smyth further remarks that it is a difficult matter to understand . vvhy meteoric waters should dissolve iron from one calcareous strata and deposit it in another at a lower level. He finds that the , strata of shale and sandstone overlying the iron ore beds in New York are highly calcareous, and that the waters which have soaked through these strata deposit hme carbonate wherever there is an opportunity offered. "Hov.;-,'' he asks, "can such water be the bearer of iron salts that are precipitated by lime carbonate at a lower level?"
Dr. Smyth also finds evidence of the sedimentary origin of these ores in the distribution of the iron oolites in the calcareous matrix. His argument is thus stated: "Associated with the ores are many irregular patches and layers, both calcareous and argillaceous containing ten per cent. of iron, still the spherules are just as ferruginous as in the pure ore. If they resulted from replacement, they would naturally be only partially changed. If thin sections be prepared from these specimens, it is seen that the spherules are identical with those of the ore, though completely surrounded by pure calcite. How is it possible for an iron-bearing solution to pass through this compact calcite until the spherule is reached, and then begin to deposit the iron and replace the calcite? It is not uncommon to see spherules of which the outer layers have partially stparated from the core, the space thus formed being filled in by the clear calcite cement." Such occurrences as these, he concludes,. can only be explained on the supposition that the spherules \vere ferruginous when incorporated into the rock. He further states tha-c

I50

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

the iron of these ore-beds was probably deposited from a mechanical ~uspension, rather tha~ from a chemical solution. In support. of

this idea, he cites the intimate relation of the iron and silica in the

spJ;lerules.

.

The most conclusive argument to my mind, which Dr. Smyth

presents in his paper in support of the original sedimentary origin

of the Clinton ores, is the occurrence of fragments. of ore in the overlying lim~stone. This occurrence, he states, is found at On-

tario; Wayne, county, New York. He says that these fragments

are Just as ferruginous as the ore in the beds below, yet they are at the sam~ tin:le enclosed in pure limestone. It would,, indeed, seem

to be a diff!cult matter to find a more convincing pioof of the sedi-

mentary origin of these ores than the one here given: 'these frag-

ments of ore were apparently derived from the underlying ore beds

after they had been consolidated and assumed practically the same

form in which we now find them below the drainage level where

lime cement constitutes one of the principal constituents. The

breaking up of the ore beds was no doubt due to the action of the

waves on a newly raised shore, where the ore-beds were expos.e1,

:and the currents were sufficient to bear detrital ri1aterial .seaward.
:r:n .th1s way the. fragments of the ore ~ere carried and redeposited :in' c~ica~e:ous bed~, then forming on the overlying ore beds.

Among the more prominent writers who do not accept the sedi-

mentary theory in regard to the origin of the Clinton iron ores,

n1ay be mentioned Prof. N. H. Shaler and James P. Kimball. Prof.

'Shaler r a!ter a study of the Clinton iron ore in Bath county, Keni.uckj, arrives at the conclusion that the. iron i~ a repJacement of

calcium carbonate in fossiliferous limestone beds, subsequent to :their deposition. The main argument advanced by Shaler agal~st

rthe origina.l sedimentary origin of the ore, and in favor of the sub. :~equent r:epJacement theory, is, as h~ states, there is no known way
fn which iron can be laid down in deep sea, ~here it is known from
all the ~rg;1nic remains that the Clinton _ore ~as laid down, and it is
1jot at likely that deposits of this nature were deposited in Silu-

a-i~m Hmes.

a: Geol. of Kentucky, Vol. III, p. r64.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES
James P. Kimball, in discussing the genesis of the Clinton ores, says: 1 "Parts of thin fossiliferous limestones of the Clinton group of strata are often replaced by red and brown ferric oxides from extraneous sources. In the Appalachians of Southern Pennsylvania, for example, where I have long had opportunity of closely observing the mode of occurrence of these ores~ especially in flanks of Tussey, Dunnings's and Will's mountains, fossil-ore, so-called, rarely oolitic, occupies the weathered zone of highly fossiliferous beds of limestone, intercalated with shale and sandstone. This replacement has been wrought especially in steep dips by infiltration from drainage of adjacent ferruginous strata, particularly of an inferior series, outcropping topographically higher in the flanks of these parallel wall-like ridges. At or near water level or drainage level and in topographical position unfavorable to weathering action or to sources of infiltration, replacement has been found to cease. Supersaturation, as at water-level, and impenetration of solutions from topographical causes, are equally unfavorable for this process.
In portions of limestone beds, bordering ravines down the mountain side, dissolution of limestone sometimes has faile~ above immediate drainage level to be attended with replacement of ferric oxide, yet in such circumstances, the limestone has given way to the dissolving action of the passing waters, leached, insoluble residues retaining its original structure as well as moulds of fossils, occupying its place along with creepings from adjacent strata. Here transmission of seepage water has proved too rapid other t.han solvent or destructive action to have become sensible."
"Another local circumstance is also deserving of mention. It is this: Opposed to a rapid transmission of infiltrations in water sheds between successive cross-ravines, is a barrier known as Red Ridge, composed of a compact series of arenaceous argillite. This is locally developed at the top of the Surgent shales, and stratigraphically above, but topographically in front of the plane of the orelimestone. Near where this barrier is scored by cross-ravines, underground as well as superficial drainage, has become accelerated.
I American Geologist, Vol. VIII, pp. 352-376, r8gr.

r52

THE FOSSIL JRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Preservation of Red Ridge from loc~l erosion has therefore come

to be regarded in Bedford and Huntington counties, Pennsylvania,

a.s ind!spensable to a favorable development of the fossil-ore bed~

back of it, or to the absence of 'water.' Of th~se the distributiont

and extent are thus mainly determined by conditions of under--

g-round drainage as affected mostly by topographical features. Gen-

tle dips under steep slopes are, for various reasons, inconducive- for-

inf.iltration."

"

'_'The above remarks directly 'apply to the more or less hydtous;

fossil-ores of _the Appalachian ridges in Pennsylvania, as distin--

guished from the oolitic hematite, or" dyestone ores, likewise: de,;.-

velop:ed jn fayora.ble circumstances or lower horizons. of thin crinoi~ ddlli~estone, within compass of the Clinton o~ Surgent formations..

Both types of ore, and often both seris of developments, are gen::.-

erally referred to indifferently as Clinton fossil-ores. The strati--

graphical relations between these two series of developments, even~!

-\vhere both may be recognized in a single ridge or section, are e.x-

. tremely variabl~. Ip_ Southern Pennsylvania, where' the Clintottt

shales attain CJ-- thickness of nearly 1200 feet, the f?ssil-ore beds are a];:>out 406 feet above the ho-r~zon of the Frankstown oolitic or dye;!.-

stone ore, which in t?rn is. about 300 feet above that of the bl~ck
ore, so-caped. All -~f these ores owe their development, as I be"-

li~ye, e~clusively to secular replacement of elevated parts of these

limestones-11ot, as sometimes explained, to direct sedimentation

in whol~ or in part. For wherever oolitic iron-ores are developecf

within the Clinton series, they are fonnd to _gradate into non"-fe-rri-erous lim~stones, fno:re or less crinoidal, and usually in circum.;.... stan~es /only moderately fC1-vorable to weathering actio~1. An eq1-1al~_1y s:ignitJ.cant fact is the abs~nce of valuable !ron-ores where the~ Clint~m limestones, as in Southern Ohiq, are massive and unaccom--

p~nied 9y a c9hsiderable thickness of overlying shales. Where:ver;.. on the ~tJ::tet hand, the limestones .occur in numerous thin beds,. a:J?.d1 so altetn.ate with more or less ferruginous shales'; or, again) wher~.

eyer ov_ertopped by shales, they seldom fail, especially in steep dips;: to graduate. unequally into oolitic hematite by replacement.. Eve~2

in Ohio, where the Clinton gtou.p is reptesented' by a single.: butt

THE ORIGIN OF.Ti-IE CLINTON ORES'

153

comparatively thick limestone me:tnbet under gentle dips, the upperportion of the limestone is sometime's repla.ced by hematite, though of no economic importance. Imperfe'ct replacement likewise occurs where the limestone becomes shaly, and expands in thickness."
"Non-ferriferous Clinton limestones., more( or less magnesian, into which their associated iron-ores graduate, may be assumed to have been deposited in clear and moderately deep continental seas. ~'rhat these seas were ramified by all but insulated land surfaces is; indicated by fhe abundance of intetcalate:O.. siliceous sediments from sub-aerial rock-decay. It is sometimes held that these limestones,. and at least the oolitic hematites, developed upon the same horizons. and, passing into each other, were n:ecessarily deposited together.. Yet direct ferric precipitation from extremely unstable natural so- lutions of ferrous salts, can not well be believed 'to have taken place so far from inland sources, or where conditions existed favorable
to the accumulation of non-siliceous ancf extensive limestones."
"Again, notwithstanding the fact that the Clinton iron ores. merge into pure marine limestones, they have; on the other hand, sometimes been assumed to afford proof of widespread marshes. A theory of this kind, however, is likewise opposed by the. necessityof attributing extensive limestones of the Clinton'type to mid-sea, and inferentially deep-sea deposits. And tl:ie objection still stands~ that ferric hydrate in suspension no more than ferrous salt in solu- tion, can have materially contributed to marine nbn-'siliceous limestone. The conclusions therefore seem justified that whatever considerable proportion of ferriferous mate-tiallwas deposited, with- in compass of the Clinton limestones) was alternately deposited in' the form of siliceous sediments, represented by intercalations 1of' shale. Such intercalations are common in Pennsylvania and Virgrma. A less theoretical objection rests orr the fact that the distribution of the Clinton iron ores, clearly depends on seconda.ry c..nd wholly on advantageous conditions, conhetted with 1topography and environments."
In further support of the replacement theory, Mr. Kimball cites. the paper of Mr. Aug. F. Foerste, I who upon mictosc'Clpic examina-tion of fossil iron ores from Pennsylvania, Gebrg'ia and Ohio, re--
I Am. Jour. of Sci., Third Series, Vol. XLI, pp. 28-29J.

154 THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

ports all stages of replacement of calcium carbonate, both cement

and oolitic granules, by ferric oxide, the granules being fragments of Clinton species of water~worri bryozoan. Foerste also states

that in no ca~e was anything noticed leading to the opinion that the

,concretionary segregations of iron had taken place either around

tbe bryozoan fragments or otherwise. Simple replacement of the

iron ore, he says, was the rtile, the attack befng made first on the

exterior parts of the grains.

,

I have above quoted at some length from Kimball's papers, on

account of their containing. the leading arguments in support of the

reiiacement thebry, and furthermore on account of the writer's

havi~g had what seems to hC!-ve ,been an exceptionally good oppor-

tmiity to study the ores in the field.

,

In addition to the above papers advocating the replacement theory

of the fossil iron ores there is a recent article, occurring in the

transactions of the Americ~n Institute of Mining Engineers, 'by H.

M. Bowran, who takes the position ,th~t the ore in the present form

as a replacement of thin bedded fossiliferous limestone, the replace-

\tTJ:ent having taken place subsequent to the orogenic movement
which Closed the,Paleo~oic era. ;tie thinks the, ore otrginated :from

the pyrites of the overlying coal measures, and that an essential ccn1'aition of th~ir concentratioi1 into the form of commercial ore

was synclinal folds, He ill,ustrates his theory by the fossil ore of

Lbokout Mounta,irL In speaking 'Of this synClinal mountain he

says :r "When it was bent into a synclinal trough, the upper part was subjected to a crushing and t~e, iower to a tensile strain. The

rrnen:ibers under compression are massive sandstone, while the memlbers u:Ude~ tensiori were and are sa~Ciy;, and calcareous shciles, lime~t6nes and, thirt bedded rocks generally. As a result, th~ coal

rneasures were gradually oxidized ,and the pyrites became sulphate , .of iron solution, whith filtered t~rough the sandstone to the axis

.of the mountain, where in course of time it formed a more or less tCOilCentrated solutio!~ of iron s~lphate, and was constantly feeding

the enriched solution. The mountain being axially fractured at its

:r Am. Inst. Mg. Engrs., Trans., Vol. XXXVI, pp. 587-604, r9o6.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

I 55

central base as a result of tensile strain, the floors of the valleys were too high for the bottom drainage from this acid earth reservorr. It- dissolved the iron from the calcareous shales of the Clinton period. By simple gravity it had already passed through the axialfi~sures of the Mountain limestone and the Black shale. The first limesto!J.eS that were included in the terrestrial reservoir, however, were acted on chemicallY,, and the water became chargeq with calcium sulphate, and was siphoned upward to the accidental level of the springs." In the chemical action here indicated, he thinks the iron replaced the calcium carbonate in the thin beds of fossiliierous limestone, and thus gave rise to the fossil iron ore. The argument here advanced by Bowran is fully answered by Smyth in his paper above quoted. Nothing short of a chemical miracle could explain how the iron sulphate derived from the alteration of pyrites of the coal measures could pass through several hundred feet of lower carboniferous limestone without being precipitated.
A further argument in support of the replacement theory of these ores is the abundance of organic remains formed in the ore beds. It is claimed that it would be practically impossible forcorals and other animals to exist in water so ferruginated as to deposit thick beds of iron ore. Mr. ]. W. Judd, in discussing the origin of a similar fossil iron-ore occurring in N orthamptonshire, England, says :r "The abundance of molluscan remains in some of the beds of iron-stone, indicating, as we have seen, that the animals lived and died upon the spot, precludes the idea that the medium in which the beds were deposited could have been a strong solution of iron." In opposition to this argument, m,ay be quoted the following statement from Prof. Franz Posepny :2 "Of the various metals dissolved in sea water, iron is least injurious to animal life. Indeed, animal life assists, in the so called lake-ores, the segregation of this metal. Moreover, the precipitation of ferrous and ferric oxides from concentrated solutions is probable, so that 3. precipitation of iron-ores directly from sea-water seems to be established as a possible origin for some iron ore beds."

r "Geology of Rutland," Survey Memoir. a Genesis of Ore Deposits, p. 121.

I56

THE FOSSIL !RON ORE' DEPOSJ!TS OF GEORGIA

Having given above, at some length~ the a:rgw.nent advanced by the advocate of the two differem theories of the origin .of tbe fossil ores, tl1ere are here introduced the conClusions of the writer, based
. upon his own person':!J observations all]d sttlidy of the fossil iron ores as they occur in Georgia. However, before taking up the genesis of the ores proper~ the geDlogicaU conditions, which seemed to have prevailed during the CHnton epoch, will first be described
i~i sonie detail, following which wm be introduced a description of
the ores themselves. Any plausible theory as .to the origin of these ores, it seems
to me, must be.. based, in a. ]a:rg~ measure;. ttpon a correct knQwledge of c.ooditions under which the Clinton -rocks were l~lid down, together with a knowledge of the-character and nature of the ores themselves.

CHAPTER XII
THE GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING THE DEPOSITION OF THE CLINTON ROCKS
The geological conditions which prevailed during the deposition 0f the Clinton formation, are revealed in the lithological character of the rocks, the nature of the organic remains and the extent and nature of the pre-existing land areas.
The Clinton group of rocks, with the exception of the Oneida conglomerate and the Medina sandstone, as we have seen elsewhere, constitutes the oldest rocks of upper Silurian era. The dry land during the deposition of the Clinton rocks, may therefore be said to correspond very nearly to the land area at the close of the Lower Silurian era, a general idea of which may be had by an examination of Dana's map of North America, at the opening of the Upper Silurian.r It wil.l here be noticed that the growth of land had been chiefly along the margin of the Archean continent. An elevation along the Atlantic seaboard had brought above the surface a broad Appalachian area, extending from New York to Alabama, and \i\Tisconsin, parts of Illinois and Michigan had emerged, and the broad St. Lawrence channel, which in earEer times was a passageway between the Atlantic ocean and the Continental Interior was closed by dry land, the Cincinnati uplift had just brought above the waves a large island in Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, and another island of Iike extent in Middle Tennessee. Dana, in speaking of these islands1 says :2 "They partially divide off from the great Continental Interior a portion called the Eastern Interior Sea, which from this time onward was like a great bay, having a narrow
r See Fig. 3, p. I54 2 Dana's Manual: o, Geology, Fourth Edition, p. 537.
(157)

158

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

southwest opening, over Alabama, a length of about 700 miles, and its northern limits near the sites of Albany and Troy. Its waters communicated in the Upper Silurian era with those of the Central Interior Sea, over Michigan and Northern Ohio. But this connection was diminished during the progress of Paleozoic time. It had probably, also, a shallow connection with the Atlantic over Pennsylvania and Maryland, where the land is now low, permitting of an interchange of water and life. The conditions of this Eastern Interior Sea influenced not only its tides and currents, but also the

FIG. 3

FIG. 3.-North America at the Opening of the Upper Silurian (after Dana) .
temperature and purity of the waters, the supply of sediments, the kind 'Of life, and hence in various ways modified rock-making and biological conditions."
This, in short, is a brief outline of the physical geography of the continent east of the Mississippi during the deposition of the Clinton rock. In order to satisfy more fully the present object of enquiry, it becomes necessary to enquire more fully into the character

THE GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

I 59

cf this post-Clinton continent from which the sediments were derived that formed the Clinton rocks.
Just prior to the formation of the Upper Silurian rocks, following apparently a long interval of quiescence, there occurred epeirogenic movements, which materially increased the dry land, and at the same time probably re-elevated the pre-existent land surface, which had likely been reduced in many places by erosion to nearly sea-level. During this period of activity, the Taconic mounta.in range of New England and New York was formed, and uplifts occurred in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and also in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The TaconiC disturbance is thought to have extended far to the south, along the Atlantic, thus extending the pre-existent Piedmont Archean land eastward to, or) possibly, beyond the pr.esent limits of the coast line.
Prof. Geo. H. Williams in speaking of this old Piedmont land surface says :1 "The general outlines of its structure indicate that it represents the remains of a vast and very old mountain range, the eastern half of which has sunk along a great fault beneath the sea, and thus buried by the comparatively recent Coastal Plain deposits. What we now see is the western flank of this range, composed of early Paleozoic strata which become more and more crystalline as they approach the centre cone where they are altogether replaced by still more ancient rocks, a large portion of which are of igneous origin."
Along the western margin of this old Piedmont land surface was added at the same time a narrow fringe of land extending from Alabama to New York. To the northwest, this same newly made fringe of land continued along the border of the. Archean land as far west as Wisconsin. The emergence of large islands in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, partially dividing the Greater Interior Sea into two divisions, above referred to, completed the epeirogenic movements closing the lower Silurian Era.
We have thus at the beginning of the Upper Silurian not only an increase in land surface, but also at the same time an increased e]evation of the pre-existent land surface, conditions preeminently
1 U. S. Geol. Surv., 15 Annual Report, p. 658.

J:I6o

THE,FO,S,SIL;!/.?.ONvOt?-E DE/,PO;:JITS ~oF GEORGIA

favorabJe to rap~id~ero~ion ~]l.1d ~epositi(j)f.l. of -s.ediment. That these

.f,c~mditions di:d a<;:tuqdJ-yee:Xi$t,: is abt;tfl_dantl;y .attested by the nature

.of the sedin'}'erJ.t. Tliie. :6irst qleposits Jaip dow,;tv.~., subsequent to the

. continental disturbanq.e aboye qescriheQ.J WJ9.:S a shallow water de:-

:posit, the Oneida copglomerate, made up eh,:iefl.y of q1.tartz pebbles

and sa.nd. Such a dep;osjt C?Jll fermcf}n}y near the shore and along

~a recently elevta~e;d coa~t, supp1ied by ~.edil~t1t fmm rapidly flowing

! streams. Th.e Orieida.. CW1,gloqre!>ate .was fcpUowed by the Medina

sandstone, con$i~ting_ rp~inly of tl;ti~n bed~d fin-e grained, vari-col, ored sandstone, c:i-ft~ some~ha.t :;argi11aceG.Ju~. , This deposit was

.afs'o a.' sh0re deposjt, :as shqwn by its--rippie aptl rill marks, and the
.<::oarseness of the mateti<!t.l. T,he chaFac4ier o~f the material, how,:-,eve~.,. ~eing of a fil:-;terl pature,: indica~es: that sp.rf:ace erosion was less

.active, and that -the St3f~ams were probalply, in many cas.es, over-

-loaded, or they had reduced tneir leeds nea1:iy to base-level in the

rower part of their com-~es. FqllowiBg t1}e tlep<D-sition o-f these two

inshore deposits with th1e~ir coarse,.,gr.ail:).ed sandstones and con-

;glomerates were!~id <lbo;v\hn the: more argillaceous. beds of the Clin-

ton formation with itS: thin beds of :lirqestoJge~nd:p;s-sil iron ore. This
:transitl~n of -sedim~t. fnor.ncQPglofil.?.e~ates .AA:O. -s~pdstones to shales
.and iimestones, .is the natural conseq.uepee of~~ the "lowering of the land-surface. St~eai;n?, w'&ich. f~r~e~Jy :.bore Iq:r.ge quantities of

:pebbles and sand to ~he Q({a to Qe ;distribute(d alOing the sho-re by tidal .currents, had so re.ciii.{)ed. tbeir. grc;Lge by~erosi~n th.~t tthey were now

.a:J2parently able to c~r~y OIJ.ly tb.e. fit}e sai!lds ,apd Q.\lays. These

rivers, judging frmn the ext~t -of "thel~pd ,surfa~, during this ;time; were ~11 sho-tt, :'P-1o:ne probably reached--aJ~gth of more than

two or three htmd:ced ..nJ.jles bef.ore~,em-p{:ying"their .wa,ters into the

,Qreat .Interior Sea. What they lack~.d, ho;vv;eyn, .in iemgth, was

:probably
~

made _u. p

iP'<l'J.,u~nl:}er, .as the

,, "

.

conditi;qns

a'W-'~a:ce1.

to

have

been espedalJy favm1abJe er ;sma{ll 1l;xy(l:r,egraphjc4Ll .basins. The

topography, of the: lCJ.;nd, .cl;Hi:iJln.g the c].ep;o$itiop( ot t}Je(Cl1inton rocks ,seemed to'htave been.tappro~ch;i~1~g ~h~tr:of of<d ag;e. ,T]ge :,strong re-

lief of hills ~.antl ,v:a.Heys, \\VVlil;_ich so pr_QJJ.1;~tl~t}y ::~}:lat~act-eriz:ed the

1landscap:e d::lttri:Llg ~ tlae. :dep0Sition: -<!f.~ the; Ot~ei~a( ~o.ngl<v..l'l!:!erate., now

. apparently gave p.l_q.Qe Jo,.ass.9.11Je:vi'.hCJ.t. fe.at.\.tr~l~S :P~~a.i_n, :with _a low,

~broad "coa~t.lin~.

.

THE GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

I6I

The land surfaces from which the Clinton rocks were formed were probably in a large measure granites and other igneous rocks, as shown by the character of rocks now making up the old crystallines of the Piedmont region along the Atlantic. Th<;se rocks were apparently chiefly of the acid type, however, the common occurrence of diorites and diabases throughout the region indicates that the basic rocks, with high iron contents, were also more or less abundant. Both of these classes of rocks appear to have formed enormous surface flows, as shown by the widespread remnants of ancient igneous material along the entire extent of pre-Cambrian bnd from Newfoundland to Alabama.r In addition to these eruptives, there was also bordering the coastline a narrow belt of c;.ncient clastics, varying in age from early Silurian to Algonquin, which also furnished sediments for the Clinton rocks. Mineralogically considered, the character of the material which went to make np the Clinton formation does not seem to differ materially from the sediment now being brought down by the Atlantic and Gulf coast rivers, which obtain much of their sediment from the same . ancient rocks.
With the exception of the 9eds of fossil iron ore, the entire series of Clinton rocks as seen in Georgia and Alabama, where they have been studied by the writer, seem to differ in no way from recent deposits laid dow-n in comparatively shallow water during the slowsubsidence of the sea floor. The sandstones which predominate along the eastern outcroppings, with their numerous ripple-marks and fossil rain prints, are gradually replaced further westward, largely by shales, which in turn still further westward pass into limestone, indicative. of clearer and deeper waters. vVe must not infer from tllese general features of the formation that the Clinton rocks in tbe horizon of the fossil iron ores are of a uniform character throughout; on the contrary, the formation is pre-eminently noted for its rapid and numerous changes. At many points throughout northwest Georgia and eastern Alabama, the beds of sandstones and shales are often repeated more than twenty times in a section of as many feet. Less frequent, and at various horizons throughout the

I Jour. of Geol., Vol. II, pp. r-34, 1894.

I62

THE FOSSIL IRON 6RE JJEPOSJTS OF GEORGIA

----1

s~ries, occur thin beds of limestone made up largely of shells ancf
fragments of coral and crinoid stems. These three kinds of wholly different sediment so often r~peated, indicate that the depth of th.e 'ya.ter in which they wel~e deposited, as well as the force of the currents, themselves, were quite variable. The sandstones, with their cross-bedding, ripple-marks and fossil rain prints, unmi~ takable evidence of sh?-llow water, are a written history of an old shore line freqt:tently swept by currents of the Great Interior Sea. :T-he region~ however, of this tumultuous s.ea, with its rap~d, moving -cun~ents, appeared to have been rarely of long diuratioll], s~arcely
iha.cl the deposits_ of sand and pebbles been fairly inautgurated,. when the work was brought to a sudden close by a dee~ening of the waters, or a change of the currents. \tVith this change came GU1so a d1ange of sediments. The enfeebled currents were now enalwlied _to
carry only the finest sands and days, the materials of which fm.ned the innumerable layers of shaJles. The latter conditiOJnl se~ to have predominated throughout the entire Clinton epoch~. bm the frequent occurrence of sandstone marks intervals in wb.ri.ich Rpid cti.rrents again prevailed. At longer intervals of time,. arrrd ]ess
often repeated, the conditions favorable for the 9-epositio!liD <J>f samds and ciays .;g.ave piace to conditions fa~orab1e. to the d~~:s:iiH(\)ll!l ~of limestone. The last ,named conditions point to the cleamg o,f thewaters,, .and probably aJso tlie de~pening of. the Sea. Tne thinl'!es.s of the individual limestone beds would indicate that the conditjons ~favorabie for the deposition were of short duratiol1Jl. Yet at
the same time the extended area over which they often occur sho-ws
that the conditions were widespread, and not confined ito certain
:special localities. In -the entire series of Clinton rocks, from the
.beginning 1o the end, we here see no evidence of sudden upheavals
or tilting of_ strata.. The char?-cter of the sediment points only to _general oscillations 'of the sea floor, many times repeated.
The climatic conditions which prevailed during the deposition
.of the Clinton rocks appear to have been quite different from the
climatic conditions which prevail in the same latitude at the present
--time. This is demonstrated by the sub-tropical character of the :fauna revealed in the fossil remains found in such great profusion

THE GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
i.n the thin beds of limestone. \Afhether this climatic condition was due solely to the distribution of the land and water, or partly to the great abundance o{ carbon dioxide in the air, is not known. However, it seems to be quite probable that the direction of the ocean currents, as affected by the distribution of the land, was the main cause which brought about the warm climate. By an examination of the map, showing the distribution of the land, at the be. _ginning of the Upper Silurian, it will be seen that the Great Interior Sea in which the Clinton rocks were deposited was cut off .almost entirely from the Arctic regions by the old Archean continent to the northward. It appears qmite probable, judging from the -distribution of the land during the Clinton e?och, that the prevalent currents of the Interior Sea were warm currents entering by the 11arrow channel over Alabama between the southern prolongation Of the Archean land and the recent emerged land in middle Ten- nessee. The northern course of this sub-tropical current, after traversing the Interior Sea, probably escaped to the northwest by the wide pa.ssa,geway over central Illinois. and Michigan.
This Great Interior Sea, with its warm currents, appear$ to have been extremely favorable to marine life. Especially was this true during the deposition of limestones. The fossil remains of these calcareous beds show that during short intervals, when the vvaters were partially cleared, the sea floors teemed with a luxuriant growth of crinoids and bryozoans. IVIolluscan life, with its great variety, was also abundant, and the innumerable fragments of trilobites in some of the sandstone beds likewise attest the abundance of cretaceans. The scarcity of plant remains indicates a barTen land surface. Spirophyton) a spiral-shaped seaweed, occurring in more or less abundance in the sandstones of the Rockwood formation of northwest Georgia, appears to be one of the most common plant remains found in the Clinton rocks. Lycopods, plantlike club mosses, and a few small ferns, together with lichens, probably completed the list of the land plants.

CHAPTER XIII

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORES

............
The Clinton ores a;:; they occur in Geo1gia, <:onsist, commercially

_sp-eaking, of two varieties, namely, the hard ore and the soft ore.

The soft ore which form:s the weathered outc-rop of the hard ore,

.

d

.

and which differs from the pard ore mainly in the loss by weather-

ing of calcium carbonate, rarely ever extends more than a short

distance beneath the su.da.ce. \i\There the beds are nearly perpendic-

.ular. and the conditior~s are favorable for surface erosion, as in

stream. channels, the soft ore ma.y be absent entirely) or reduced to

a few inches in thickness, while, on the other hand, where the dip

is at a low angle, .and conditions are unfavorable for surface erosion,

tbe soft ores may extend to a depth of many feet. Furthermore,

any geological structure. whatever, such as jointing. and faulting,

which :may cause -deep :weathering and soil; fanning in sit1;t~ like-

wise will increase the d~pth of the soft ore. In other words the soft

ore, being ori1y the weathered outcrop of hard ore, any physical

or chemical condition which tends to accelerate rock weathering,

will, ,at the same time; be effective _in ihcreasing the depth of the

soft ore. The free circulation of water carrying carbonic acid in

solution is no dou.bt the chief agent_ which caused the alteration of

'the hard ore into the soft ore,, however, the depth at which it has

been possible for carbonated waters to freely circulate, has been

conditioned largely by the geologicq.l str1.1-cture as above 'pointed

out.

TH~ So:FT 0RE.-As the soft ore is derived from the hard by a loss of calcium carbonate, which frequently makes up as much as 20 per cent. of the unweathered ore bed, it necessarily follows that the thickness of the soft ore is not so great as that of the hard 9re;

(r64)

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORES

r65

nevertheless, this difference in thickness is not usually so great as might be supposed, owing to the soft ore being more or less porous. A difference in thickness of something like 5 or 6 inches, would probably be about an average for a three-foot bed. It will readily be seen from the nature of the origin of the soft ore that it is not always possible to draw a sharp line, separating it from the hard ore. The change is rarely abrupt. The soft ore more generally passes into the hard by a very gradual change. Furthermore, the change scarcely ever takes place at equal depths throughout the beds, but it is generally more or less irreg-ular, governed apparently by the degree of porosity of the different layers.
The physical structure of the soft ore is very variable. It is not always, as the name implies,, a ~oft friable ea.rthy unconsolidated material, but may consist of very hard, rather closely compacted mass. The latter, when taken from its natural bedding, frequently ])reaks into prismatic blocks, and is often spoken of by the miners as "block ore." The prismatic structure of these ores is due to a series of joints formed apparently during the folding of the rocks. A similar joint structure is also noticeable in the thin beds of sand;:,tone, associated with the soft ore. In addition to the joint structure, the soft ore sometimes shows slickensides. This structure, however, is best developed in the hard ore.
A more minute examination of the soft ore shows the mass to consist largely of reddish iron oxide, replacing fragments of crinoid stems and bryozoans. Associated with these fossil remains, and frequently entirely replacing them, occur minute rounded, flaxseedshaped particles of iron oxide, frequently showing a concretionary structure, a more detailed description of which will be given under the microscopic structure.
THE HARD 0RE.-The hard ores, or the unweathered part of the ore-bed, differ from the soft ore as above stated, chiefly in high percentage of calcium carbonate, and also in being harder and of more -compact structure. They form regular stratified beds occupying a position near the center of the Rockwood formation. In Georgia 'Nhere these beds vary from a few inches to several feet in thickness,

r66'

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGJA

they attain an aggreg~te total thickness of something like I 5 feet,. which is about ro per -cent. of the thickness of that part of. the Rockwood formation through which they are distributed. The workable beds are rarely mo:re than three in number, more usually they are limited to only one, though at several places two have been successfully worked to a greater or less extent. The main workable bed, whiCh varies from I 8 inches to 4 feet in thickness, almost invariah:ly has both above it and below it other beds, but these beds are usually small; or carry a 1ow p~rcentage of iron. It is not -ti.nc6mrnon to find within three or four feet of the main workable bed, one or more of these small seain3. They vary from three to fourteen inches in thickness, and are remarkable for their continti.ity, being traceable sometimes. by their outcroppings for long distances. The chief commercial importance of such beds is the aid which they render the prospector in locating the main workable ore~beds. On this account they are often designated by the miners as the "leader." In addition to the beds here descr'ibed there are a1s? larger unworkable -beds which. frequently attain .:a ~thickness cbf
several, feet. :Sucb.. :beds ate usually 1ocally deve'lopd:l, -cind- can
rarely ever be traced li1ore than a mile or 'so along their outcropprings, They>genetally partake'of the nature -of ci highly ferruginous lime:stone, though in places .they form lc)w-grade ores. In general, these locally developed beds differ from the more persistent and workable beds in the character of the organic remains. In the former the remains consist chiefly of bra.chiopod shells, and in the latter bryozoans and crinoid stems are the main fossils.
The V\rorkabJebeds of hard ore usually consist of two or more layers separated from each other by partings of shale or sandstone, which may vary ~rom a fraction of an inch to a foot or more in thickness. The shale partings, like the workable ore-beds themselves, are often quite persistent, and can frequently be followed long distances with but little variation in ti:ickriess. .The sandstone partings on_ the other hand are not so persistent, and generally they change rapidly -1n thickness from place to place. The percentage of metallic iron in the unweathered workable ore-beds, as above no~ed, is quite variable. A like variation is also sometimes noticeable in the indi-

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORES

r67,

-vidual workable beds, such variations being generally most noticeable at points where the formations have been subjected to intense folding. In other words, the workable seams in Georgia are likely t0 carry a higher percentage of iron where they are nearly perpendicular than when they are horizontal or dip at a low angle.
In addition to the variation in percentage of iron here referred to, due apparently to geological structure, there are also at some points variations in the percentage of iron due to the presence of foreign material, such as grains of sand, pieces of clay and boulders of -water-worn sandstone. The sand granules are present in nearly ail of the ore-beds, and, like the other mechanical impurities above reterred to, appear to increase in abundance, as the eastern' lines -of outcroppings are. approached. The clayey mechanical impurities occur often as rou!-'lded pellets, varying from an inch to two or more inches in diameter. They have the appearance of being rounded by the action of water before theiJ;" deposition in the beds of iron ore. /hen fresh and unweathered, they have not only the color and general appearance of the shales associated with the iron ore, but also appear to be of the same mineralogical composition.
The sandstone boulders, as far as my own observation extends, are confined to the ore-beds of Dirtseller Mountain and Taylor's Ridge. They are especially abundant and of unusually large size vlong the eastern side of Dirtseller Mountain, where they are fcund chiefly in the soft ore. The boulders, which vary from an inch to a foot or more in diameter, have the characteristic shape 2nd smooth surface of water-worn boulders, as shown in plate XVII. In composition they are somewhat variable, but generally they consist chiefly of more or less rounded granules of quartz, cemented with lime and a limited amount of iron oxide. The latter mineral is also found scattered throughout the mass as rounded flaxseed particles, just as in the hard ores. In addition to these foreign materials there also occur in the ores in places, rounded, kidney-shaped masses of iron carbonate. The nodules of iron carbonate are quite common in the ores of Dirtseller I\1ountain, where they are often found associated with the water-worn sandstone boulders. When found in the soft ores, the carbonate nodules

1:68

THE. FOSSIL. IRON ORE D.EPOSITS OF GEORGIA

have a dark reddish-gray color. Theyare usually quite cornpac~, vary-

ing from one-eighth to three or four inches in dianH~ter, and can he

uadily recognized from the clay nodules and sandstone boulders,

which they often resemble in external form by their high specific

g-ravity. 0 tcasionally pyrite is to be noticed, associated with iron

carbonate nodules and also with the sandstone boulders. The

pyrite seems to be confined chiefly to the outer surface or the

periphery of the nodules of bo"ulders where it appears to form a more

or less continuous coating or layer, having a thickness of only a

fraction of the diameter of the nodule.

A more minute examination of .hand specimens of the hard ore

shows a somewhat variable appearance, depending upon their

purity. In general, the ore. may be said to have. a dark reddish

c~lor, often specked with white and brown, the former color being

due to small flakes of calcium carbonate) and the latter to minute

areas of limonite. The ore is usually quite compact, and when

freshly broken generally shows innumerable shining cleavage faces

of calcium carbonate.. The main mass o, the ore consists of iron
ox.ide, either i'n the forrp . of rounded, oolitic Haxseed~like parfieied,

ot in the form of casts of fossils. The oolitic particles, which have
an average diameter 6' ibbut _bn~.:si.xteenth of an inch, are usually
somewhat flattened,_ tl~e .1~1?-ger a~~~):eingat_right angl~s:.to the bed-
dirig of the ore.. In scn1~e orthe'beds :these. p~rtidesmake ttp the

greater part of the ore, while in other beds they are .almost entirely wanting. They are also quite variable in the same be~. fr~ni place to

place, often occurring more or less in patches, or are confined to

thin layers.. The fossii casts, consisti'ng largely of the fragments

of crinoid stems and bryo~oans, a.re present in .nearly all of th~

ore; even the mosf oolitic beds contain them in greate'r or less

numb_ers: As a general rule these fossil casts form tl:e large part of

the Georgia ores. In addition to the fossil casts of crinoid stems and

bryozoans, sheils of brachiopods and gastropods also occasionally

occur in the ore, but usually these remains consist chiefly of car-

b.

o

n

ate .,, '

of

lim. e.

In the leaner hard ores the calcite which is the main.

impur~ty, is sometimes found in. thin layers, or as irregular masses

distributed through the bed;, .giving to the beds a. streaked or mottled

DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL IRON ORES

r69

.appearance. The irregular masses or spots of calcite consist chiefly of pieces of coral or shell which have been only partially replaced by iron oxides. Traversing the ore-beds, usually at right angles to the bedding, are occasionally to be seen minute veins of white -calcite. Such veins are confined la.rgely to the places where the ore .has been crushed or broken in the process of folding.

CHAPTER XIV
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF FOSSIL IRON ORES
A microscopic ,examination of .thin sections of fossil iron ore shows it to consist of a matrix and the iron ore proper. The re1ative proportion of these two constit1:1ents is quite variable, depending upon the character of the ore. In the high-grade ore the matrix. is reduced to a minimum, and the percentage of iron ore is correspondingly increased, while in the case of the lean ore just the opposite conditions obtain, that is, low iron percentage and high matrix percentage. The richer ores, in some cases, may run 8o per cent. or more of iron oxide~ whereas the leaner ores may be reduced to 40 per cent., or even less. There appea.rs to be every possible gradation in iron contents betwe.en the high-g.rade -ores and thelow-grade ores, and, furthermore) a like gradation. between the low-grade ores and the ferruginous limestone. Any theory, therefore, which will explain the origin of the iron in the iron ores. must, likewise, also explain the origin of the iron in the ferruginous. limestones.
THE MA'l'Rrx.-The two main mineral constituents of the matrix: of the fossil iron ores, are calcite and quartz, the fanner constituent usually being far more abundant than the latter, especially. is this .; tnte of the hard ores which still retain their original calcium car-bonate. The calcite matrix often seems to be of two or more gen- .erations. The oldest appears to be that forming the fossil, and' which frequently shows a lamellar or fibrous structure, due ap- parently to the original structure of the shells. Another form con- sists of rather larger interlocking crystalline grains, often exhibiting beautiful polysynthetic twinning, while still another form" occurs as small rhombohedral crystals, which a:re generally found along the margin of fossils or between the lar~er crystals which:
(I70)

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF FOSSIL IRON ORES r7r
they frequently partially or wholly replace. The calcite of the fossils which still retain their original organic structure, often makes up a very large percentage of the entire matrix. This is especially true of the lean ore in which there seems to have been a minimum amount of replacement. In addition to the lamellar structure, which is the main characteristic of the older, or what is. taken to be the original calcite, there is almost invariably present a granular structt'lre, which appears to be the commencement of alteration or recrystallization. In advanced stage of granulation the original fibrous or lamellar structure of the calcite disappears, and is replaced by a fine-grained mass of calcite, the individual grains cf which have ill-defined bounda.ries. The fibrous and laminated cakite seems to be confined largely to the fragments of bivalves,. -...vhile in many other fossils the original calcite occurs apparently in the form of minute grains, filling microscopic cavities. Owingto the minute size of these granules, it is frequently difficult to identify their mineral composition, and it is more than likely that much of this granular material is silica. This is evidently true wherever iron oxide is present, for after the calcite and the iron oxide have been dissolved orut by means of hydrochloric acid, there still remains a complete siliceous cast of the fossil in the formof a spongy, porous mass, often with a concretionary structure.
LARGE CALCITE GRANULES.-The large interlocking calcite crys-talline granules above referred to are most abundant in sections showing but little iron oxide or fossil remains. They, therefore, appear to be most characteristic of the leaner ores; however, all sections have them in greater or less abundance. The majority of these large crystalline grains have a granular or clouded appearance which becomes so marked in many instances as to mask or entirely obliterate all twinning-planes. This granular or clouded condition appears to be due in part to the physical structure of calcite grains, and in part to the presence of foreign material in the form of microscopic inclusions. In some instances these inclusions app~ar to be iron oxide, in which case they have a brownish color in transmitted light, but where they are segregafeEl along the margins of the crystals, they become nearly opaque, and are undis~inguishab1e-

.;r72

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

from the iton ore proper, which, in many instances, seems to entirely replace the calcite of the individual grains. Such replacement usually commences along 'the margin of the granule and appears to gradually pass inwa.td until .the whole crystalline gi~ain is replaced by iron oxide.. Occasionally the replacement seems to be:gin ,a,t the center df the calcite grain ru.1,d wof,k outward. These partially replaced calcitegrains are ahi1ost invariably of a more or less round..ed form, the original sharp and itregu.la.r angles being entirely replaced 'by iron oxide;
RHOMBoH:eDRAL CRYSTALS o:F CALCI'I':e.-The calcite which occurs in the form of small rhombohedral crystals is quite 2.bundant in some sections, while in others it is almost entirely absent. It -seems to be especially abundant in sections having a. high iron percentage and numerous fossils. . The rhombohedral crystals are .Oft~n well developed along the' margin of shells, which they some-
times wholly ot partially replace. They likewise occur between
the larger calcite grains, which they alSo wholly or partially replace.
'1'he rhonibohe~ra.I ~rystals are ne\ter closely packed like the larger
;~i1d older calcite granules, but are nearly always. separated frmn -ea,ch other by an intervening layer of iron oxide which increases in thickness in reversed ratio to the size of the crystals. The individu~d 1hombohedral crystals usually show numerous inclusions which, in some instances, appear to be iron oxide. A granular "Structure is also noticeable in some of the crystals, as well as cleava.ge lines. The latter structure is especially weU developed in many :of the larger crystals, while the former seems to be the best developed in the smaller crystals. These small crystals, like the larger -crystalline grains~ as well as also ftagn'lents of fossils, appear to be gradually replaced by iron oxide, the replacement gen,erally passing from the exterior of the individual crystal inward, .but in some instances, the change appears to begin at the center and v.rork outwa.rd. In the process of alteration the crystals soon lose their rhomboidal shape . and become more or less rounded, and, .at the same time, clouded and opaque. Every stage of alteration .can be easily traced frG111. the fresh calcite crystal to the iron oxide :ih nea.rly ~very section in which they oc.cur.

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF FOSSIL IRON ORES
QuAR'I'z.-The quartz) which is quite abundant in some specimens and rare in others, may be divided for convenience of description into two divisions, namely, rounded grains and angular grains. The former, which are not so numerous as the latter, frequently attain a diameter of r/r6 of an inch, and have the appearance of having been rounded by the action of water. They occasionally show wavy extinction, and almost always inclusions in greater or less abundance. These inclusions are often bunched or arranged in bands, and appear to be the liquid inclusions characteristic of the quartz of granite and similar igneous rocks. Many of the larger gra.ins are fissured by irregular cracks which are filled with iron oxide. In some instances the iron oxide appear~ to have pushed thE: individual particles some distance apart so that the several fragments present a Mosaic structure.
The angular quartz grains are found to be quite abundant in all of the ores, showing a high siliceous content; this is especially true oi the ores from which the calcium carbonate has been wholly or, partly removed by weathering. The grains are invariably sharp and angular, having the appearance of the minute quartz grains occurring in the shales intercalated with ore-beds. They, like the larger. grains, show inclusions and wavy extinction, but only occasionally fissures filled with iron oxide. In most of the sections examined, these angular quartz grains are prom.iscuously distributed, but in some they are arranged along lines, giving to the ore a somewhat laminated appearance. In a few instances the angular quartz grains are derived apparently from the crushing of the rounder grains, while in other cases they are probably of secondary origin, the silica having been derived from some foreign source. Besides the rounded and angular quartz grains there is also more or less silica, so intimately associated with the iron ore that it is difficult to identify it under the microscope. It is best seen in the small rounded particles of iron ore, after the iron oxide has been removed by hydrochloric acid. This silica has a spongy or porous texture, often concentrically arranged, in which condition the lamince can sometimes be peeled off in layers like the coating
of an onion. The silica of the individual lamina as well as. the:

lJ4

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

.silica in the rounded iron ore particles, not so arranged, always have an arnphorous .granular structure except in the center of .som.e of the iron ore particles where it occasionally occurs as minute C_iuartz grains, similar but much smaller than the angtilar quartz
_grains above described.
IRON Oxn)~.-The microscopic appearance of the iron oxide in the Glinton ores is varied. one of the most striking charaderistics is a _tendency. of the oxide to collect in the form of smq.ll spherical Or 'ellip:soidal bodies, Which vary.from I/20 to I/40 of :an inch in
diameter. These spherules often consist almost entire1y of iron
,oxide, but more'generally they have as a nucleus, a grah;i of-qtta.rtz
-or a fragment of a shell. The spherules with nuc~ei, and'also those
without nuclei, are frequently seen to be rn.ade up of a se~ies of
-contetitric la.yers forming regular concretions, consisti11g of alternate layers of iron oxiC:i..e and silica or calcium carbo.mi~e. These
layers are often loosely cemented together, and are easily sepa.rated /from each other. Some of the spherules instead of showing a
transparent nucleus of quartz or calcite, have a nucleus. of dense iron oxide surrounded by a layer of calcite or silica, whi~h, iJ:?. turn, may'be,indos,ed in layers of iron oxide. Again 'sphetml~~.iir:~ often
.seeh, consisting entirely of iron oxide, either in the fOr.ffi.'o:f ia~ers.
.Or as .a solid mass. 'W.hen ;the nucleus COJ.7.Sfsts of a rounded frag-
.ment of a crin~id 'stem, :as is..ofteu the cas-~; the iron o;__ide fre-
quently completely fills all ofits 6riginalml.nute pore spaces, while the walls of the spaces themselves consist of calcium carbonate or possibly, in some instances, silica. Surrourtding this organic core -or nucleus, with its injected iron oxide, is almost invariably to be seen an opaque covering of iron oxide which increases in density from within outward.
Less frequent, but, nevertheless, present in. great or l~ss .abunda~1ce, in nearly every section, are to be seen ~piherU.les with nuclei consisting of a somewhat granular mass;' having .a green or _yellowish -gteen color. Tli.is class . o{ _spherules be more abundant in the latter. Fnrthem1ore, these granule~ appear to increase in: abundance as the distance from the outcrop qf the ore increases. It has also been observed that the spherules with green-

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF FOSSIL IRON ORES I75.
ish nucleus increase as the depth of the ore increases from the surface. Owing to the minute size of these greenish nuclei, it is impossible to study satisfactorily their mineralogical composition; however, judging from their structure and mode of occurrence, they are probably glauconite or greenalite, a green ferrous silicate from which the Lake Superior iron ores have apparently been chiefly derived. A typical spherulite of this class consists of an outward dense layer of iron oxide within which is to be seen a more transparent core of apparently granular quartz generally showing the characteristics of secondary silica and passing into a central irregular-shaped mass of greena1ite. Often these green nuclei are broken up into small spherules, each having a separate outer coat of iron. oxide. This nest of smaller spherules is enclosed within a rather thick, dense coating of iron oxide, which. may or may not . show a concentric structure. The green nucleated bodies are not always found in the center o spherules of iron oxide, ibut are occasionally to be seen wholly or partly filling the cells of bryozoans, in. which case the walls of the bryozoan are always replaced by iron . oxide. Spherules of this class are again to be seen consisting of an outer coating of dense iron oxide with a nucleus of the same, but somewhat porous iron oxide. Separating this outer layer from the nucleus is a na.rrow band of greenalite, which along its inner and outer border shows reddish Bakes of hematite. Still other spherules are occasionally noticed which ~iffer from the spherule l1ere described, in having a nucleus of calcium carbonate or qua.rtz. \Vhen the nucleus consists of the latter mineral, it exhibits sometimes an almost fibro:us structure apparently due to crushing; such spherules may or may not shovv- a concretionary structure.
It must not be inferred from the description above given, that all of the iron oxide in the Clinton ore occurs in the form of spherules. It is true in some of the ores, the iron oxide is mostly in this form, but in other ores, the iron oxide is chiefly cavity filling. It seems to have filled every available cavity or pore space however small. It has been injected into the minute cavities and cells of the bryozoan and other fossils, until they resemble histological prepar<:ttion for microscopic study. It has also f01ID.d its way into the

17'6

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

crystalline grains of calcite,. where it has been deposited along the cleavage p~anes. The. space between loosely-fitting grains of calcite

or the fragments .of_ f0.$sils, appears to have been especially favora-

ble for its deposition, and even the original quartz grains did not

entirely escape its replacing action as shown by their iron stained

peripheries and injected fissutes. The crystalline grains of calcite

and fragments of fos_sils exhibit every stage of replacement from a

fa.int.ircin stain to a comp,lete change into iron oxide. This replace-

mehi: appears to commence g.sually along t:he outer margin of the

grain of calcite or shell fragment, and gradually works its way in-

ward, brtf in some cases the ,sp;herical_replaqerpent 'seems to be a.c-
by compan.ied by a ch~rtge within, revealed. the appearance of a
network of minlite brow~ish filaments, which give to the r calcite

nucleus an appearance of rutilated quartz. In the. lean ores many nf I
the rounded shell fragments ate to be seen more or less completely

replaced by iron oxide, hut more often they consist of calcium car-

bonate, which has a somewhat granular structure. It is no uncom-

mon thing to see a spherule of iron oxide entirely enclosed by a

ground mass of calcium catbonate, and separated some distance

from its nearest neighbors. In such instances the intervening ro1J~d

fragments of shells may cdni:a.in little 'or no iron o~ide.

~-

CHAPTER XV

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE GEORGIA CLINTON ORES
The chemical composition of the Georgia Clinton ores is shown by the following analyses of samples taken from various. parts along the outcroppings in the different counties where the ore has been either worked or more or less extensively prospected:

I

2

3

4

5

6 17

8

Hz 0 at roo C .... O.IO

Loss on Ignition 0.. 2.04

FeO. ... ' ........ 2.65

Fe 2 0 3 .0 0.... 00. 0 45.29 A1 2 Oao .... 0.. 0.. 3 I4 MnO............. 0.28

CaO. ..... . . . . . . ' 21.41

MgOo ............

N K T
c

a2 0 2 0 i0 2

.......... .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

..
. .
. .

Oz ..............

s .. , o o

0'44
. . . . .. . ...
. ...
r6.so trace

PzOs ............ I. 17

Si Oz ............. 7.28

0.32 0.27

0.87 0.75

403 2.05

22.50 42020

17.I7 3.89

0.30 0.23

28.24 24.95

2. I4 0.42
...... ......

. .. . . . . . .

. - .... . . . . .

r6.6o 19.40

0.07 0. IO

0.38 7.03

j

I. 3I 4.06

0.43 3.01 none

I 0.45 0.70

0.90 0.90

I

2.40 I.OO

77.04 5653 4849 521 4. r6 I. 98

0.69 0.52 0.36

I .02 !6.76 19.65

0.47. o.ss I.23
. . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . ..... ...... . . . ..

. ..... . .. . . . . ....

none 12.01 rs.6o

I ...... 1 trace
o. 62 0.79 II.85 7-93

o.o9 0.36 7.67

0.41 I75 I.70 52. I6 5.22 0.2I IS .23 o.o6
0
0
... ...
II.OI 0.06 I. 83 10.52

o.62 2.0I I.OO 47.67 2.02 0.27 IS .39 0.79 . ......
0
. ...... rs.o6 o.o6 0.77 II.85

9

IO

II

I2

14

IS

I6

H2 0 at 100 C ....

Loss on Ignition ..

FeO 0





Fez 0 3 ....... 0.... Al2 0 3 . . . . . . . . . . 0. MnOo .. , .........

Ca 0 ..........

MgOo ..... o.o

Na2 0 . . . . . . . . . . . .

. K
T

2
i

0 . 02

.....
....

.
~

.
~

.
~

.

. .

.
.

.. ..

C Oz..............

s ... - ooo oOOoo

p2 05 ......... ...

Si 0 2............

o.82 2.41 0.65
44.50
5-74 0.23 22.33 o.o8
... . .. . . . . .
... ... rS.oo trace 0.87 4. r6

0.67 o.83 0.56 65.63 0.98 Oo20 II.56 0.92
0 0. 0.
0 .....
. .. ...
9.04 0. II 0.97 9.07

0.40 2.02 none
77.70 5.61 0.48 2.34 o.oS . ....

0.19 2.04 2.00
45.00 4.05 0.49 24.80 0.38
. 0.

'0
... . ..
none trace
I. 65 10.41

- ... 0
.. ....
15000 0.25 0. 72 5.16

(177)

o.ss 320 0. IO
79-37 2.30 0.56 3.00 0.08
....... 0
... . ..
none 0. I2 o.6s 10.82

o.so 0.32 0.19

2,00 2.22 I.70

none I. 25 3 IS

84.I7 4I.38 42.47

3.60 II. 57 545

o.sr 0.42 0.29

o. 89 363 22.70

0.47 1.89 0.59



0 0

. .....

' ... ' .

..... 'o









0

. .....

O.OI
0.47 0. IS

none 3.60 I5.20

none 0.12 0.02

l I.09 o.6o 0.96
7 13 32068 7o00

!i78

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

I7

r8

20

2I

22

23

24

H2 0 at IOo C ....

Loss on Ignition ..

Fe 0 ............

Fe2 O.s ............ ..

A12 0 3 , : . MnO ............

Ca 0 . 0

MgO .............

Na20 ............ K 2 .0.: ........... ' T i 02. . . . . . . . . . . . .

s.~co2 . ......

. .

0 ...... 0

JSP2iO052...................' .......

o.sr 2. 77 0.07 77.66
5-33 0,22
1.25 0.33 0.66
0.34 o. I8 none o.or I.65 9 32

'
0.90 O.I6 0,32 0,30 r.89 - 3-5-fr - I -"96 329 0.07 !.94 !.34 ' none 76.8r 5I.9I 53-40 76.5o 4.66 5-98 II .89 s.68 0.27 0.22 o,o8 0.30 2.33 16.82 I4.89 0.28. o.J6 0.05 0.16 0.24
.o. r6 o. I6 'trace '"' ....
0.73 o. I6 0.38 . . . . .
0. !.2 0.12 O.I2 . . 0. none I2.34 8.42 -none 0,02 0.04 O.OI 0. II I. 7I I .o8 I.28 0.63 .9 .63 5.I8 6. 4I I2.8t

0.32 3- 5I none 76.88 I. IJ 0.67 0.30 0.17
0 0
... 0 0
none O.I2 0,22 I6. I2

O.II o.So
3-75 56.86
2.78 0.58 I4.40
.1...95 . . . .
0
I2.40 0.06 I. IS 4 98

0.14 o.8s 0.90 36 . 5r 2 .I8 trace 2g.84 0.14
. .....
.. ..
0. 0
22.49 0.06 o.6r 6.89

25

28

29

I ~ 30 3I

32

H 2 0 at I00 C..... 0. II 0.56 0.42 0.53 Losson Ignition .. 1.20 !.90 1.82 !.49

FeO ............. o. I8 none none none

Fe2 Oa . ! 82.63 69.92 82. IJ 8o.69

A12 0 3 .... 2.59 2.14 3-83 I. 76 MnO............ 0.49 1.76 0.29 l.4I

Ca 0 .............. I.4I 0.30 0.86 2.:16

MgO 0 0 0.

. . . . . . Na20 0

K2 0 . Ti.02.

.

.....
. . . . .

.. .

.. .. .. . .

C: 0._2. "' ...........

s .................

0.34 0, 78 0.08

... . . . ....

0

..... 0
. .. . . . . . . . . .



0 0 0.

...

none P,orie none

o. ro 0,29 0.04

.0...5.4. . . .....
0
none 0. 1:2

I jp2 05 ............ I.36 0.23 o.85 0.52

Si 0 2

....

IO.OO

0

22. 46

IO. 46

IO. 9I

2 15 4.84 none 7I.I7 389 o.65 O.IO
.'0...7.2..
0 0.
. ... .
none trace 0.75 I 5 44

0.50
175 none
63.90 9.0f 0.28
5.44 0,33



0

0









0

I. 52

0.10

2.62

I5 .I4

0.30 7.00 none 54.41 5.31 0.43 0.26
0.25
. ...... . .....
0
none 0.09 0.27 30.91

0.30 !.90 r .8s
77 97 4.8I 0.50 I. II 0.42
0
. . . . ...
none o.o8 o.g6 Io.63

33

34

35

H20 at 1i00 c .... o.6r

Loss on Ignition .. 2. 76

FeO "........... .' none

Fe2 Oa . . . 76.63 0

Al203 ....

MnO .......... 0



CaO 0

Mg.O ....
Na20 ...

.
.

..
. .

............

548 0.40 0 20 trace
. . . . .

K20.............. f>.' 0

Ti02 ............. 0

c s

.

0..2.

...

.
.

.
..

....

.0

......

none 0.!2

p2 (\ ..... .. 0. 0.69
-Si-02-...... ...... 12.29

0,40
3. IS none 8o.48 3. 28' o.og trace trace
...... . . . . .
. . . . ..
nqne 0. IO
0.57 rr .47

0.67 2.40 0.25 7.7. 29 o.89 0,28
I:.09 o. 13
. . . .
. ....
. ....
none o.og r .o6
15.64

0.56 1.74 0.10 82.48
378 0.03 o.So o.rr.
. .. ..





0

0
none 0.07 0,83 917

0.3I I.I4 o.os. 76.98
5-23 0,26 I,2I
0. I7
... ..
..... ., .....
none o.o6
0.97 14.91

0.27 0.42

4.05 '\ 4.73 0.75 none

48.07 8r.oi

4-35 2.86 0.42 0 or

9.8I 0.04

.0. ..5.5.

0.59
. ....

. .. . . . . . .

...... .. .

8.oo none

0.06 o.or

0.79 I.I3

22.79 929

0.34

540 0.75

73.04

497 0.26

o. IS

.0.,.

73
..

.....

. .. . .

none

o.o7

!.34

I3 .'17

COMPOSITION OF GEORGIA CLINTON ORES

179

4I

42

43

44

45

46

H2 0 at roo0 c. ... : 0.25

Loss on Ignitiom...
FeO .............

4-50 0.10

Fe 0 2 3 ..... 80,03 Al2 Oa ............ 0.52

MnO ............ I. 77

Ca 0 ............. 0.24

Mg--o............. trace

Na2 0 ............

K 20 .... ........

.......... Ti02 ... ' c 02

none

S ................. o.o8

p2 05 .. ' r 0.90 Si 0 2.............. 11.. 40

1.26 4.36 none
59-49 6.65 0-30 0.21 0.03 0. IO
0.32
0.23
none 0.02 0.87 26.39

0.54 I.74 0. 10 82.48 3.78 0.30 o.8o
O.II

o.Ss 2.47 none
85.24 I. 57 0.35 0.08 0.23

. .... 1

none 0.07 o.oS 0.83 0.92 9 19 8.58

0.40 0.34 0.22 68 .02 3.84
0.28 I0.2I
() 58
7.40 0.33
1.32
6.84

o. 18 2.01 2.24 27.76 4.90 0.12
27.34 0.09 0,22
o.s6
O.IO
20,01
O.OI
0.23 I3.92

:::: J

W ATER.-By an examination of the above table, it will be observed that the amount of water given off at I00 C. is comparatively low, only two samples running as high as one per cent. This low percentage of hygroscopic water is due in a. la.rge measure to the ores having been collected many months before and stored in a dry room previous to the analysis. The ores when shipped directly from the mines to the furnace, will always show a much higher percentage of water than above given; this is especially true of the soft ores, the porous and cavernous condition of which being quite favorable for the absorption and the retention of much vvater.
Loss o:F WATER ON IGNITION.-The loss of water on ignition, it will be noticed, is also low, the soft ores averaging about 2 per cent. ;;md the hard ores about 3 per cent. The low percentage of loss on ignition shows not only that the ores contain but little sulphides or organic matter which would be affected by ignition, but it also shows that but little or no iron is in a hydrous condition. In a few instances, however, as in sample No. 32, where the loss by ignition is somewhat high, there is evidently hydrated iron oxide present, as shown by the brownish color of the ore. Such ores are always soft, and have usually been so altered that the organic remains are only pa.rtially preserved.

I8o

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

Ferrous 11-on.-The ferrous iron oxide appe~rs to be abnormally

-b:igh ~in~ these ores, esp~cially. in the hard ores, 0r those carrying

more than roper cent. of ca:lcium car'bonate. Th~ general average

oYer of ferrous irgn in slich, or~?. i~ o$na tp\he a fraction

4per cent.

of the total imfl cotit~nts, the mfPC.imum bein~ ~6 per cent. and the

minimum I_% per cent. Qn the ,otl1er 1iand? the ferrous iron in the soft ores averages o,n~y ~J,r,o per cent., wJ1ichj ~ppro~imately r/I4

as much ferrous iron as that carried by the hard ores. In a few instances, as may be seen in No. 33, the ferrous iro~ in the soft ores

runs as higha:s I. per cent., but more ft:equenly it:is entirely absent
or shows only a tr~ce. The prese~ce ~f the' ferrous oxide in these

ores is thought to i:hi'oW some :light 6n the bfigin of the Clinton

<:>,rys, which will be discussed under a separate head.

Ferric l1'on..--.A like variation is also shown in the amount of ferric iron present. In the hard mes the average percentage of ferric iron is about 53 per cent., while the soft ores average about 74 per :cent. of ferric iron, which is probably a little higher than like ore$: f:rom th~ Birmingham 9-istri~t.

...: The A:litrn~i1.ia,.~The ,alurnina:is quite variable, running from less
than r per cet1t. to T7,per cent. The ores n.:tnnil.:rg:high in alU:.mina : always ca:rty;C:o:risidet'able "Clay .in the fotm of thin layers or partings. When such partings become art inch or more in thickness, the shale can be easily re1noved by hand picking, and alumina percentage thereqy reduced. In addition to these shale partings, there also occurs in some ore ~onsiderable clay intimately distributed throughout the mass. Such clay is probably all original clay laid down in the sea
bottom with the other deposits, but in some instances clay has been introduced sub~equen.tly, in the soft ores hy muddy wate-rs. flowing ~ver the outcroppings where they an~ ex,posed along the hill-slope. The amount of alumina thus introduced, however, is practically small, and confined to the ,first eight or ten feet of the exposure.

.Mamga,n,ese.-The ani.ount o manganese is rather 1ow, ranging in 'the hard ores from a trace to 52 per cent., and in the soft ores
from .or per cent. to L77 per cent., the general averaging for the
hard ores being .26 per cent. and for the soft ores being -45 per cent.

OOMPO'STTIVN OF GEORGIA CLINTON ORES

r8r

This rather marked difference in the percentage of manganese in the soft and the bard ores is probably due to manganese being introduced into the soft e>res during the process of weathering. In which case, the marrgamese in the hard ores would probably represent more near1y the 'original manganese contents of the ores. Should the relative prCDportion of iron and manganese be compared in the two different ores., 1t will seem that the percentage of manganese to the iron in the hard -and th.e soft ores is not so great as shown by the above figures; however, even then there is quite a discrepancy which could hardly be a:cooun.ted for except by the introduction of manganese from some extraneous source.
CalciuvJ1'v Cq,rbonate.-The great variation in calcium carbonate is main1y due to the leaching action of meteoric waters. There is, however, in the unleached ores, quite a variation in the calcium carbonate, which seems inherent in the ores themselves. This va1iation is to be seen not only in the different beds, but also in the same bed from place to place. The soft or leached ores, which never 'extend to more than a few feet beneath the surface, may vary from a mer,e trace of calcium carbonate to 10 per cent., depending upon the [eaching action of the meteoric waters, while the hard ores in many
.instances, as seen in the above table of analyses, run nearly 30 per
cent. cailcimn carbonate. From the great abundance of fossils in the llilard ore, it would appear that all, or a greater part, of the calcium carbonate is an original constituent of the beds, although much of it r1as probably been crystallized over and over again.
The following table shows the theoretical combination of the calcium in the several analyses above given:

No.

CaC03

Ca3 (P04)2

MgC03

CaO as Silicates.

I

37-50

. 86

....

. ...

2

3773

. 83

....

6.68

3
4

4.4..0..9

48 I. 35

.... . ...

. ...
.29

5
6

27.29
3509

I.69
....

0
31

. ..5.5

7

25.02

2.25

.....

. ...

182

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

No',
..

cac6s

Cag:(P0J) 2

~

. ,_,

8

3384

.. . .

9

'3987

IO I I'

2.0..5.4.

I2 I3

34. . I.O

I4

. . .

is

6.s8

16 I7

34 5.5.

r8

.

I9

27'. 14

20

19.14

2-f 22

. . .

.

.
,-

.

23'

25.7!

24 25-:26

4.7. ..4.,; 8...

27 28
'29''' '';

: .

.

.
.

.. . .
. ...

30
JI

3 4.. 4.

32
33 34 35 3_6

. . . .

. . .

. .
.

.

.

... ..

31

. ..

jS'

17.52

39

.. ..

40

. .

41 42
43

.
.

.

.

...
.

44 45

16.82
. ..

46

45'48

. II
36o I. 57 !.42
!...6.4.. f;
!.76 2<)!
373 2.35 2 79
54
48.
' 1.33 2.6b
. sr
I.56 1.-13
.roB
6.62
48 2.05
37.
2.01
!.47 2. II
.. .
.07 .27
44 39 .14
!.45
...0so7

MgC03' '' CaO as Silicates.

I. I6
.-86
.. . . . .
. .

. .'

!.43 .. : ..
. . . ..
. . . .
. . . . . . . . .. . . . .

2.. ..0.7.

. . . .

....

. . .

. . ,

; .

. .. .

;, ;,I ; r
. . . . . . .
. .
. . . ; . . . ' . .

. .55.

. . . .

...

.
.

.
.

. .

.. .

.. .

.

.. .
....

.
.

39 485 2.23.
. .. .. 2...s.s.:

3I - 75 2.66
.. . . .

.-04
.

< 4. . 1. 3 .oz .
. . . .

!.65
. . . .

42.' . . . .
. .. . .
.. . . . ..

.0.7. - -

. . .

. ..

.
.

-

. .

. .

.

. . .

. . .

1.-6o

COMPOSITION OF GEORGIA CLINTON ORES

r83

When there is insufficient calciu:tl_l to combine with all of the C02 found the excess of the latter is calculated to J\d:gC03.
M agnes~a:.-The small amount of magnesia present, shows that t.he ore contains but little or no magnesium carbonate. The general average of magnesium is only a fraction of one per cent. or less than is often found in our common limestones and marbles. The 1nagnesium, together with the sodium and potassium present, no doubt comes, in part, from silicates contained in the shale and clays associated with the ores. Titanium, which is also present in some of the ores, is probably also derived chiefly from the shales.
Carbon Dio:ride.-The variation in carbon dioxide bears a very cJose .relation to the calcium carbonate, showing that the chief carbonate present is calcium. It will further be noted by examination cf table No. 2, that there are also six instances in which the carbonic acid is in excess of the amount required to combine as the calcium carbonate, in which cases the carbonic acid has been calculated as magnesium carbonate.
Sulphur.-The sulphur of the Clinton ores is probably chiefly in the form of pyrites, as in s.ome of the ores this impurity can often be seen as small irregular patches. The occurrence of the pyrites, more frequently in the soft ores, would seem to suggest that it is of secondary origin, having been deposited during the weathering of the hard ore.
Phosphorus.-The phosphorus is quite varia:ble; however, in all cases it is far above the Bessemer limit. There seems to be no definite relation between the amount of the phosphorus present and the class of ore, the general average in the soft ores being about the same as in the hard ores. The ores in different localities, on tbe other hand, differ in the amount of phosphorus present. This is well illustrated in the ores of Dirtseller Mountain and Taylor's Ridge, which usually carry a higher percent?-ge of phosphorus than the ores of Pigeon and Lookout mountains.
Silica.-The great variation of silica is due chiefly to the variat~on of sand, which occurs in all of the ores as an original con-

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

I

.

stituent. The silica contents, it will be noted,. vaxy generally in-
versely as the calciun1. Ther~ are, however, a f~~ e~ceptio~1S to
this general ru1e, as will be seen fn sample No. 46, in which both
the ca:lcium and s:ilica are high. The soft ore being derived from
fhe hard ore by the removal of the soluble constituent, which is
rriaitdy ca1Ciurt1, it necessarily follows that the soft ores nearly al-
ways carry a high pen;entage of silica. Iri other words, usually
the higner the ore run;s in ri1eta:Ilic iron, the higher it also runs in
silica.

CHAPTER XVI
THE MOST PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES
Having given in the preceding chapters, in some detail, what appear to have been the geological conditions under which the Clinton ores were deposited_, together with macroscopic and microscopic description of the ores and the chemical composition of the same, we are now better prepared to take up the question of origin. At the outset, it might be well to state frankly that the facts so far collected are not by any means absolutely conclusive as to the true origin of the Clinton ores, nevertheless the fact seems to be strongly indicative that these ores are in a large measure only altered beds of glauconite or green sand, a hydrous silicate of iron and potassium. The geological conditions, the nature and character of the associated rocks, the microscopic study and the chemical composition of the ores themselves, all point to widespread beds of glauconite as the original source of the Clinton ores.
Glauconite, as shown by the Challenger report on Deep Sea Deposits, is not found in deep water, but chiefly along the edges of the continent where clays and silts are now being laid down. The deposition and the occuTrence of this rather peculiar deposit, as given by Murray and Renard, in the Report of the Voyage of the Challenger, a.re as follows:
"It appears to be most abundant about the lower limit of waves, tides and current, or, in other words, in the neighborhood of what we have termed the mud-line surrounding continental shores. In tte shallower depths beyond this line, that is to say, in depths of about 200 and 300 fathoms, the typical glauconite grains are more abundant than in deeper water, but glauconite casts may be met -yvith in deposits in depths of 2,000 fathoms."
The same authors also make the following statement as to the
(r85)

r86

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

origin of 'the material: "We are therefore inclined to regard glau-

conite as having its initial formation in the cavities of calca.reous

organisms, although we have admitted above that some grains,

which may .be regarded as glauconite, appear to be highly altered

fragments of ancient rocks or coatings of this. mineral on thes~

rock fragments. It appears that the shells a.re broken by the swell-

ing out' or the growth of the glauconite, and that subsequently the

. isolated cast becomes the centre upon which new additions of the

same substance take place, the- grains enlarging and becoming

rounded in a more or less irregular manner, as 'in the case of con- -

cretionar-y substance like silica for example, which forms molds of

fossils."

Ehrenberg, in speaking of the gla,uconitic grains in limestone

from Alabama, makes the following statement concerning the

formation of glauconite. "The formation of the green sand' (glau-

conite) consists in a gradual filling up of the interior space of the

minute bodies, with gree1:1 colored, opaJ.:like mass, which forms
therein a ..cast It i:s :a peculiar ~pecies. ot natural inj'ecti~n, and is
often so p:erfed: that. not only tl~e largelbose shells, but also. th~ very' finest camils .o~f 't}:Ie, c~lt walls a.rrd. their cop.necting t~tbes are

tl~us petrified, and are separately exhibited. By no artificial method

can such fine and pedect:idjections be obtained."

.

Glauconite is said to cover approximately r,ooo,ooo square miles

of the present sea bottom. It is now being laid down along th.~

Atlantk coast between Florida and Cape Hatteras in depths vary-

ing from roo to r,ooo fathoms. This zone of deposits corresponds

to_ what Murr-ay and Renard term the mud-:-line, which may be

said to ,mark the outer margins of the continental shelf where the mecha.nical detritus and the orga,.nic matter seem to be ~o adjusted

as to meet the requirenients esseiitial for the deposition of glau-: ~cmite. Have we not here along ou,r Atlanticcoast.-cortditions very simil~1~ to those which obtained along the eastern margin of' th~

great Interior Paleozoic Sea, during the time of the deposition o.f

the Clinton .ore$?



The rivers of the Atlantic sea-board a.re all comparatively small,

none of them attaining a length of more than a few hundred miles.

PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE CifNiO_M ORES

r8Jf

Before pouring their waters into the Atlantic, these rivers with reduced currents traverse a broad Coastal Plain, where some of the" coarser sediment is deposited along the flood plains, hut most of the sediment reaches the coast and is chiefly deposited within a~ short distance of the shore line, where by the action of the waves it gives rise to a rather remarkable chain of low sea' islands. A small portion of this river-born sediment in the form of fine clay or mud~ is carried further seaward and fina.lly deposited in deeper water with more or less calcareous material in the form of tests and shells; of sea animals, along the western margin of the warm Gulf Streamr where it forms a zone many miles wide in which the depth and thetemperature of the water and the relative proportion of argillaceous.: and calcareous sediment seem ,to be especially favorable for the:deposition of glauconite.
During the time of the deposition of the Clinton ores, as has beeJ.1il shown in the discussion of the geological conditions which prevailed at the time of the laying down of the Clinton rocks, the con-ditions appear to be almost identical with those here describecf along the Atlantic coast at present. The sediments which fon11ed; the Clinton rocks were derived mainly from the same ancient: crystallines and borne to the coast by a system of short rivers, which probably, before reaching the Interior Sea, traversed a low coastal plain not unlike our present Atlantic coastal plain. Corre- sponding to the Gulf Stream which sweeps along the Atlantic~ coast with its warm water, was apparently a like current of warm: water flowing from the south along the eastern margin of the Great: Interior Sea, hugging the western margin of the Appalachian land' :1rea as far north as western New York. There probably occurred along this old Pa.leozoic shore line a chain of low sea islands like those now found along the Atlantic coast and at some distance off shore, along the mud line, existed favorable conditions for the deposition of glauconite. There appears to be no direct or indirect evidence, as some have supposed, that there existed along the western margin of the Appalachian continent during the Clinton Epoch any land-locked estuaries, lagoons or bogs in which the ores were deposited. The main deposits were probably laid down some miles

r88

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

off shore and in sufficiently deep waters to be. only slightly affected by the actio:n .of the wa~es. The ripple-marl~~-d and rain-plHed

sandstone, however, both above and below the beds Qf iron ore,

distinctly shows that the glauconitic beds, from which the ores were

derived, were at no time more than a short 1distance below the sur-

.face of the water. By reference to the geologicai conditions. else-

"'vhb-:,e,-given, which prevailed prior .and subsequent to the Clinton
epodh, 1i wih be noticed that the cnn:to~ iron or~s. occur in what

may he said to be a transition stage between the shallow deposits of glaticohite and sandstone, on the one ha~d, and the de~p sea

deposits of limestone on the other, just af such a position as c;tppears
to be most fayorable for the deposition.of glaucon'it~.

The megas.cop.ic appearance of the ore in many respects is not

urilike glauconite. Its occurrence in beds with clay partings, and

its association w~th an abundance of calcium carbonat~, in the form

of organic remains, 'together with the frequent occurrence of in-

numerabre small rounded bad)es with smooth J?G!l.ished surfaces, ali 1JG>int to ,glauconite as the p~()bable original form .of the Clinton
ores ; but it is mily 10y ~i~ros~opi~ study :of thin s~cth)ris 'that }iie
.original source ~:f th!i 'ores 'is most .conclrtsively estab.li.shed. 1tlse-
'"Wnere :in the mi~r0s~opk study .o<f tire pre~, 'it ~as not~d th~t 'in
?trear4yev~ry :Section ex~mmed <.:ther:e :existed ~a greenish or greenish-

.Ye11ow nucleus in some of the i1on particles, V\rhich seems to be a

remnant of the unalt~red glauconite. Dr. C. H. SmJith, Jr., appears to 'have first noted the occurrence of the gree~i~h nu-
qy clei in the Clinton ores. ,Later, th~y were not~d t?r. C. K. Leit}:t~

who makes the !oHowing comparison of the Clirii:ort and Lake

:Superiqr ores :~

'

. ''In th~ Cl!~1t~n ores hyo ~dnds of granules are numerous : (a)

NormaJ concretio:ns of silkft and. .iron oxide or of silica. and some

;greet1ish substance ~ith a ferrous ir~n base, the further composi-

tion of which is unknown, about a nucleu~ of quartz...Th~se ~re

analogqus

to

the

few

tru~

'
concretions 1observed

'
in

f1.h, ~'

'"'
Mesabi

.
dis-

trict and to the concretions of the Penokee-Gogebic district. (b)

x Monograph U...S. G. S., Vol. XLIII, pp. 25!-252.

PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

189

A.ccretions 1of iron oxide about calcium carbonate shells and partial or complete replacements of the shells, in either case without or Eearly without radial or concentric structures. The size is somewhat greater than that of the J\1esabi granules. The shapes are almost identical with those of the normal greenalite granules of the Mesabi."
"The similarity in shape is as close as between greenalite and glauconite. The crescent shapes, the gourd shapes, the much elongated ovals, and rods, which are seen associated with the round and oval .forms in the Mesabi rocks, are also to be seen in the Clinton ores. . . . In both the Clinton ores and the Mesabi rocks a not uncommon feature is the accretion of a considerab"le number of granules ir;to somewhat irregular pebble-like aggregates, which have been waterworn as a whole, and deposited parallel with the bedding. . . . . The Clinton ores, in, their present form, may not be concretions or replacements subsequent to their deposition, for they have uniform composition in thin beds. over great areas, which could not be the case were they subsequently concentrated through underground water or other agencies. They may well be compared with the fresh greenalite granules of the Mesabi, .which also have under- gone no concentration, rather than with the altered granules. If during the deposition of the Clinton ores the numerous minute shells had been surrounded and replaced by iron silicate instead of iron oxide, greenalite granules identical with those of the l\1esabi district may have resulted." Leith here seems to .have noted some cf the most characteristic features of the Clinton ores, but, judging from the latter part of the above quotation, the idea that the ores were really altered beds of iron silicate or glauconite did not seem to possess his mind. He states that if during the deposition of the Clinton ores, the numerous minute she11s had been surrounded and replaced by silicate of iron instead of iron oxide, greenalite granules identical with those of the Mesabi district would have re.:;ulted. The supposed conditions which he here assumes, apparently did actually take place, that is, the iron in the form of a ferrous silicate,
r Greenalite is a hydrous silicate of iron from which it is supposed the Lake Superior iron ores were derived. The mineral differs mainly from glauconite in the absence of potassium.

:rl90

THE FOS$.IJ.-,l[?.ON.O.li.S DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

~surrounded and J.:ep~fl.-<;.~9. ,in ,a .~ar;g.e measuFe the numerous calcareous organic fragn+ep.ts, fon1?-i~1g glauconite, from which, by a, process of chang~ "_tp Qe llere~ft~r described, the iron ores yvere ~subsequently derived. )~:!;is statem.en.t that the ores in their presert _form were not c~::mcr~tio~,s oJ ,n;plac__ements subsequent to their depo~sition, on account of the uniformity of the ores over large a.reas, is in harmony with t~e th_eo~y. of the glauconite origin. Furt4ermore -this theory of or.igip fuHy e~plaius the appearance of fragments of ~the ore occti.n;jng in the over;lyi:pg -rocks which constituted one of the main argm'llents. -advapced ~y Dr.' Smyth in support of the ,theory that the origipal q~po~it of inon oxide was la.id down simul.taneously with the-associated shwl~s and. sandstones.- These disylaced fragments weJ.:e originally glauconitic, just like the b~ds from which they ~ere t!eriyed, and they were afterwards altered ~into iron ores in the same manner as the glauconitic beds them-
~ selves.
The microscopic structure of gla:ttconite, as described by Ehrenberg, is quite _~~mila.r to tqe .rpicr:osaopic structure of the Clinton
,Dres, as may be ,seen by an e4._aminafion of thin sections. In the ores, as B:hrypbetg n0tes, in th,e ,gla.~conite~ every a;ailapJ~ p1b.re
'spac'ed'f sheii .fi-~gm~lits,Jw:we~er smaii, is' in]ectecl by i-r~~ -~~ide_.
("Occasion~lly tb,e Ji~}111g -of the ~p:oue ~paces consist of th'e original
1.tnaltered glatJ.CQpitic l'liaterkC)]., a,.nd -again this greenish .material
may be seen to be UIJ..dergoing change to iron oxide along its mar_gin. In some ~e<;.tions the varipus stages of alteration from fresh
>glauconite to irop ._oxiQ.e may be disfinctly traced. The .spongy
porous mass of si!ica which ren1ains after the treatment of the ~particles of iron oxides with hydroch1oric acid, apparently repre. -sent the original, ,_,or a. part pf t4e Gtigim.al, silica of the gl~uconite, which becomes dissociated during the process of alteration.
The presence or absence of g:~<wconJ.t.e in the Clinton ores de:J!ends chie~y, .as heretofore $i_ate4,--t;r.pon the amount of weathering to which the ores P,ave b~e)l_ sp,qj-e~q, therefore, other things being , equal, the further: tl~e ore occurs fr.om the outcrop the greater is the ~percentage of glauconite. This is well i11ustrated by samples gf ;the ore fr9:m: tl~e _f?i:rmi-nghal-J-1 c;lisprjg, w'her.e the ore at the outcrop

PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

19I

,shows but little glauconite, but a diamond drill core taken a halfmile from the outcrop, and at a depth of about 8oo feet from the :.Surface, reveals a large amount of glauconite. Should this rate in the increase of glauconite continue, within a few miles at most from the outcrop, the beds of iron ores will pass into the unaltered beds of glauconite.
The chemical composition of the Clinton ores also bears out the same facts as revealed by the microscope. It was noted in the re11!arks on the chemical composition of the ores that the general .c.verage of the ferrous iron_, the condition in which the iron occurs in the glauconite, of the hard ores, is found' to be over 4 per cent. .,of the total iron contents, the maximum being r6 per cent. and the minimum I~ per cent. On the other hand, the ferrous iron in the soft ores averages 3/Ioper cent., which is approximately about I/I4 :as much ferrous iron as that carried by the hard ores. It has been suggested that the ferrous iron which appears to be so abundant in the hard ore, as shown in the chemical analyses, possibly exists as a car-bonate in the place of a silicate, as above assumed. This suggestion .seems quite plausible on first view, however, an examination of the analyses shows that there is likely no iron ca.rbonate present, owing -to the insufficiency of C02 to combine with calcium, magnesia and -iron. With only six exceptions, there is only enough C02 to com-bine with the calcium present. The presence of more or less potassium in the ore would seem also to indicate the presence of glau.,-conite.
As to the original source of the iron prior to its deposition as _glauconite, it was no doubt derived from the weathering of the . crystalline rocks, which formed the old Appalachian land surface. Then, as no.w, in the usua'l process ,of rock weathering, the iron :present seems to have b~en taken largely in solution by meteoric waters in the form of a carbonate, in which condition it was borne to the ocean, where, -upon the 1oss of carbon dioxide, the ferrous oxide thus liberated, at once took up oxygen and was precipitated .;as a hydrated peroxide. This stable form of the oxide after reaching the sea bottom, in the presence of fine muds containing car;tonaceo_vs rpa_terial _und_er~oi1~& .d.ecomposition, becatn.e reduced to

I92

. THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

a ferro.us ~qndi#pn, in whish- form it .Cl:]pears to have combined ~vith the colloidal silica .present, to form.. ghmconite. The original iron constituent 'of the mud'~ themselves, w~s probably also drawn

upon in this process of chemical change.

. It seems to be' quite likely, as noted by Hueppe, that iron forming

algae or bacteria of the muds on the sea floor shared in bringing

about the reduction cif the hydrated peroxide, and indirectly in the

formation, of glauconite. Having thus fol~owed thr= several changes fh1~cnig'h which the iron aJ_Jpears to have undergone from its origi-

nal source in the crys~ctiline rocks to glauconite, it now remains to

explain the changes which it has otherwise p.ndergone in assuming

its present form. In other words, we must now assume certain

'

i

other changes before the cycle is complete, and the ore is in the

form of a stable oxide and so concentrated as to be of commercial

importance.

.

Subsequent to the depo?ition of ore as a glauconite, it was buried

beneath limestone, shales \ind sandstones, having an aggregate

thickness of several th' ousa.nd feet.

Later the entire sea bottom .

.alqng the western margin of the old J\ppalachian land a.rea emerged,

a11d .at the same timethe rpcks were ,pressed intohU:ge. ~nti~linaland

synclinal folds, aa1.d profound faults wer~ produ~ed. Th~ ~e~~rly

made. 1~110 .wP.S no;w . ?.ttC~;P~ep. w;ith. vigor by atl;l1:0$pheric ~nd a.que-

ou~ agencies, and after a long .interval ~f time the surface assumed

its present form. During the cycle of changes, as here outlined,

glauconite like the various other deposits, associated therewith,

underwent greater or less chemical changes. The calcite, originally

chiefly in the form of shells, crystallized apparently over and over

again, and was often wholly or partly replaced .by silica or ferrous

oxide. In this process of chai1ge new minerals w'ere probably formed and others were segregated. Meteoric waters ca1~tying

carbonic acid an.sJ. free oxygen, which reached the deeply buried beds

along ;fissures and fault plains were no doubt. the main agents pro-

clueing the chemical change. Such waters coming in contact with

silicates .of iron, such as glauconite, would readily take the iron

into solution. The iron being thus brot~ght into solution as a car-

bonate, was, as has been pointed out by Leith, either immediately

PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE CLINTON ORES

193

oxidized and hydrated and precipitated as terric hydrate, through the agency of oxygen carried by the solution, which brought about tbe carbonation,, or tbe iron carbonate, may have been in part carried some distance until it met -vvaters carrying an abundance of oxygen, and vvas thus precipitated. Simultaneously with the formation of iron carbonate from the glauconite, there was also set free silica, which appears to have largely become entangled and precipitated with the iron oxide, \vhen it was thrown down in a ferric condition. In no other way does it seem possible to explain the intimate relation of the iron oxide and the silica in the small rounded particles of the ore.
The glauconite beds which afterwards J:>ecame beds of iron ore, c.ppear to hc.ve been, from the time of their emergence c.bove the surface of the ocean, water carriers of greater or less import::mce. Their porous condition, due mainly to the presence of innumerable fragments of organic remains, their continuity throughout extended areas and the nature of both the overlying and the underlying rocks, all seem to indicate that these thin glauconitic beds have always been some of the most important water carriers of the whole series of Clinton rocks. This appears to have been especially true, subsequent to the decapitation of the anticlinal folds. Prior to this event, the glauconitic beds by reason of their porous nature, were no doubt always completely saturated with water, but as ,there was no free outlet to the su.rface, except probably by small tortuous fissures, there were but little or no currents in the imprisoned waters. The remova.l of the folds, however, by erosion, at once set up a free circulation, and thus the glauconitic beds became great trunk currents, so to .speak, of underground water circulations. These currents would, from time to time, reverse their course as erosion in the adjacent valleys progressed. The lowering of the line of outcroppings of glauconitic beds in one valley to a lower level than the line of outcroppings of the same beds in an adjacent valley, would immediately set up a current to the latter, which would become at once reversed upon deeper erosion of the former. These reversions of currents or what may be called und<Srground stream captures, were probably many times repeated as erosion progressed.

194

THE FOSSIL IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA

The ingoing waters, on the one hand, coming as they did )mme-

diately from the surface where they were taken up by the upturned

edges. of the porous stratum as they flowed from. the hillslope, al--

ways carried abundance of oxygen, carbonic and other acids, the

chief agents of chemical change in minerals and rocks. The _out-

going currents in the adjacent valley, on the other hand, were poor

in oxygen and carbon dioxide, but at the same time were probably

more or les~ heavily charged with calcium carbonate, silica and

other minerals, which are-most frequently met with in underground

waters. In addition to the currents from valley to valley, there

were probably also local ingoing and outgoing currents from time

to time along the same line of outcroppings in the same. valley, con-

ditioned by the variation of elevation of outcrops at different points;

and, again, 'it is also possible as erosion deepened the anticlinal

-valleys faf below the line of ore outcroppirtgs, that ingoing waters

on the hillslopes, after traversing the ore beds for some distance,

gained the valley below bry way of some underlying stratum whose

Olttcr~pping .occurred at a ,lower leveL In the last instance, the

distance to which the ingoing waters would traverse the ore .beds,

vvo1lld depend upon ~he depth -of the -valleys, and the distance :intei-. -~:~riinghefween the ore bed and the underlying water;.:b:eadng strata.

These ingoin'g meteoric waters, -by whatsoe~rer rmeatis the currents

~.

'

. '. '. ~.. '

were proqu~ed, were the main agents no doubt which changed the

gla11con.ite . into -irop -ores; howevet, we should not overlook the fact

that they were probably also at the same time active agents in aug-

IJ,1enting the iron contents of the original glauconite beds from ex-

traneous.sour:ces.. It is not at all improbable that part of the iron now

form-ing the ,ore beds was originally in the form of sitlphides or car-

bonates in the asso-ciated sandstones a_.nd shales, but was removed

therefrom and precipitate~ in glauconitic beds by descending sur-

face waters.; Only by some such concentration, as here suggested,

does 1t seem :possible to account for the nigh percentage of iron in

beds which were originally glauconite;



INDEX

I> age

Page

Analysis of Fossil Iron Ore on

Algood's Property, Mrs. .T. T ...... . 87 Allison's Property, vV. A .......... . 70
Alumina, The .................... 180
Analyses of Georgia Fossil Iron Ores, table showing ...... 177-179
Analysis of Fossil Iron Ore on Frank Costello's property .. 90-91
Connelly's Property, John .... 143 Dalton Iron & Coal Company's

Smith Property, The ........ 141

Thurman's Property, E. L .... 113

Tinker Property, The . . . . . . . . . 71

Virginia Iron, Coal & Coke

Company's Property

110

Weatherly's Property, R. W. 138-

139

west Property, The ......... . 88

Woodstock Iron & Coal Com-

pany . . . . . . . . . . ......... 125-126

Property .......... 126, 127-128

B

Dickson-Cameron Property,

The . . . . . . . . . . .......... 111-112 Baker's Property, G. B .. ........ 93-94

Fisher's Property, M. M....... 121 Ball Lot, The F. L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Georgia-Alabama State Line,

Ball Prope:-ty, The Jno. S......... 95

near .................... 127-128 Georgia Iron & Coal Company's

Bangor Limestone, The . . . . . . . . . .
Bibble's Property, G. A. R........

47 66

Property .. 60, 63, 115, 116,117-118 Blake's Property, T. B........... . 67

Glenn-Warthen Property .. 102, 106- Bloom's Property, W. A .......... 93-94

107 Bowran, Mr. H. M., quoted ... : .. 154-155

Henry's Property, W. T..... 123-124 Brown, Gov. Joseph E .............. 142

Henson's Property, 1\il:rs. Lizzie,

Brown, Mr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

95-96 Kensington Iron & Coal Com-

c

pany's Property .......... 99.-100 Lawrence's Property, A. J .. 124-125 Long's Property, Moses . . . . . . 89 Lot 115, lOth District, Dade
county . . . . . . . . . .......... 81-82

Calcite, large granules of ...... 171-1'(2 Calcite, Rhombohedral crystals of. 172 Cambrian Rocks ................ 44-45 Carbonate, Calcium ............ 181-183 Carboniferous Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Lot 152, lOth District, Dade

Carbon Dioxide .................. 183

county

79 Catlett (}ap ...................... 101

Lot 251, lOth District, Dade

Catoosa county, Fossil Iron Ores

county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

of ............. . . ....... 140-143

Maddox's Property, I. vV ..... 135 Cedar Grove, Outcroppings South

Martin's Property, D .... :- ..... 84-85

of ........................ 95-96

Menlo Iron & Coal Company's

Chamberlin, Prof., quoted ...... 147-148

Property ............... 125-126 Chattanooga Valley, Fossil Iron

New England Company's Prop-

Ores VVest of ............ 118-121

erty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Chattooga county, description of

Ostrem's Property, William .... 142

Fossil Iron Ores of .......122-136

Parks Property, Mrs. Alice, 119, 120 Partain Property, The . . . . . . . 93

5th District, lots 65, 66, 104, 105, 110 and 111 ........... . 133

Phillips' Property, M. M...... 92

6th District, lots 166, 168, 205,

Rome Furnace Company's Property .............. 130-131

207, 209, 223, 224, 247, 248 249, 2'50, 251, 254 and 256 .. 134

(195)

Ig6

INDEX

Page

Page

Chattooga county, description of

Dade county, The Fossil Iron Ores

Fossil- Iron Ores, of 13th Dis-

of lot 186 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

trict, lot 143 ............... , 130

Dot 212 .........-........... 77-78

Lot 210 .................. 125-126

Lot 214 . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Lot 222 - ............... 126-127

Lot 251 ................... 76-77

Lot 2 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 6

11th District, lot 37 . . . . . . . . . . 76

Lots 249, 256 and 283 .... 127-128

18th District, 'rot 5 .......... 75-76

14th District, lot 140 ...... 130-131

Lot 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Lot 141 ............ .'....... 131

Lots 10, 18 and 23 . . . . . . . . . . 74

Lot 150 .................... 130

Lot 22 ................. ... 72-73

Lots 149, 170, 171, 173, 174

Lot 35 . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 73

and i97 ................... 131

Lot 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Lot 172 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129-130 Dal~on Iron & Coal Company .... 126

Chemical Composition of the Geor-

Dana, J. D., cited .......... 17, 19, 157

gia Clinton Ores .. , ...... 177-184

Quo_ted ............ :' ... 147, 157, 158

Cherokee Ii~on Works ............ 7 6-77 Dayton Iron & Coal Company .. 9o, 120

Chickamauga Iron Company

Deakin's Lot, The' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

87, 88, 90, 92, 93 Dean Property, T.he ............. 68-69

Chickamauga Limesto:rie, The .... 45-46 Deei'head Cove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Cleghorn, . Billings . & Shropshire

Deschption of Fossil Iron Ores, 164-169

Property, The ............135-136 Desctiptfori of Fossil Iron Ores of

Clinton Ores of AlEtbama . . . . . . . . 33

Chattooga county ....... 122-136

Maryland . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

Lookout Valley ........... 68-85

Ne~ Y.ork .......... : ...... 29-30 d'Invilliei:s quoted ...... : ....... 30-31

Ohio and Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . 35 Devoriii:m R<;>cks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . ..... 30-31-. Distribution of Fo.ssil Iron Ores of

Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2

I)ade county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32 Distribution of the Clinton Ores in

Clirrton Or.es, Origin of .. , .... 141-156:

the United Stlit~s _....... , .,29-35

T.h~ most probable origin of .185-194 Dic'Kson:..caip.efon Property; Tl~ejfit-112

Th,e Georgia, Ch~rtiical Compo-. , Dirtseii.er Mountain ........ .. 128-132

sition Of- .............. 177-1~4.

Clinton Rooks, The ............. ,.. 1:8....:19

E.

Geological Coria.itions d.U:ring

Ehrnberg quoted ................. 186

Deposition of ........... 157-:-163 Empire State Coal Mining Com-

Collier's Pr'o:Petty, L: S.' .......... 69~7.Q

pany ...... ' . .. .. .. .. .. .. . 72

Colter Property, The ....... :. : ... 123 Estelle Mlniiig Company ...... 100-101

Condition:s favorable for worldng'

Evitt:s Property, Edmund . . . . . . . . 96

.

Fossil Iron Ore ............ 56-58. Extent of Developments of. the

Connasauga Shale, The ........... 44-4'5

Fossil Iron Ores of Dade

Connelly's Property, John ........ 14:).

county . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 55-56

Copeland,'s Lot, I. w............ 108-109

F

CostE)lio's Property, Frank ....... 90-91

Coulter's Lot, Thomas . . . . . . . . . . ... 94 Farnaham, ex-Governor Roswell. . 74

CrawfiSh Creek . ; ................ 68, 69 du:rriberla11d Plat~au ............. 48-49

Fault, The- Rome .......... :; '-
Faults of ~the Appa:lachian vanEi,Y,

51

The .. ::. ; . . . . . . . . . . .... : :. 51

D

Finley's Property; J. c ....... , .... 93-94

Dade county, detailed description

Fisner's Property, M. M.... ; ... 120.:..121

of Iron. Ore.Properties in ... 58-85 Floyd Shale, The ........... ; . . . . 47

T.lte Fossil Irou Ores of....... 53-85 lOth District, )ot 25 .......... 80-81
Lots 114, 128, 129, 149 and 177 ....................... 82 Lot. 1'15 ................... 81-82 Lot(l 136, 135, 119 and 98 .... 79-80 Lot 152 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Lots 173 and 174 .......... 78-79

F;oerste, Mr. Aug.. F;, citea .... 153-154 Fort Pay,ne Chert ........; ", ..... 46-47 Fossil Iron Ores of Ca;toosa coun-
ty ................ ' ....... 140-143 Chattooga county, description
of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 122-136 ~ooll:out Va.lley, description of. 68-85 Walker county .............. 86-121

INDEX

I97

Page

Page

Fossil Iron Ores of Whitfield

Johnson's Property, Mrs.......... 101

county .................. 137-139 Judd, Mr. J. W., quoted ............ 155

vVest of Chattahoochee Valley

near Georgia-T e n n e .s s e e

K

State Line ............... 118-121

Fossil Iron Ores, description of. 164-169 Kensington Iron & Coal Company's

Microscopic examination of .170-176

Property . . . . . . . . . ....... 96-101

Fuller Lot, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Kimball, Mr. James P., quoted .. 151-153

I Knox Dolomite, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

G

Kyle's Property, W. F ........... 136

Gaylor's Ridge ................ 132-133 General description of the Fossil
Iron Ores of Dade county. 53-85 Geological conditions during the
deposition of the Clinton Rocks .................. 157-163 Georgia Iron & Coal Company.. 58-66,
68, 142-143 Georgia Iron & Railroad Company's
Property ......... 114-118, 133, 134 Georgia-Tennessee Line, Fossil
Iron Ores near ......... 118-121 Gilbert's Property, W. P. . . . . . . . . . 67 Glenn-wartheri Property, The .. 101-1"07 Goff, Lena ...................... . 68 Gwinn's Property, Solon .......... 65-6 6

Lawrence's Property, A J ...... 124-125 Leith, Dr. C. K., quoted ........ 188-189 Lesley, cited .................... 147 Local distribution of the Fossn
Ir~n Ores in Georgia ..... 36-40 Long's Property, Moses .......... 88-89 Long Property, The .............. 114 Lookout Mountain ............ 122-128 Lookout Sandstone ............. 47-48 Lookout Valley Anticlinal......... 49 Lookout Valley, Fossil Iron Ores
of ....................... 68-85 Loss of Water on Ignition ........ 179

H

M

Maddox's Property, I. W ....... 134-135

Hall, C. A .118-119 James 68 75

M agnes1 a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.83 Manganese .................... 180-1'81

Hall's Property, J. P 108 Marsh Estate, The E. W .. 91, 92, 93, 94,

Hammond's Property, p. J 111

95, 108, 109

Hard Ore, The 16 5-169 Marsh Property, The E. V\T ........ 108

Harris Property, Mrs ~141 1Martin's Property, D ....... , ..... 83-84

Hartline's Propelty, Mrs. Sarah. 6 t-68 Martin's Lot The J. M............. 94

Hatfield Property, The Minda 95 Matrix. The' ................... 170-171 Hayes, C. W., cited ; 18 McConnell's Property, J. D ....... 112-113
Quoted 20 43 McFarland's Prouerty, W. C .... . 121

Henry's Property, J. M. 93 McGill Lot The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 ViT. T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123-124 McLean D~ J. H . . . . . . . . . . ' . . . . . . . 77
Henson Property, The, James. 95. McLean;s P~operty, A ............ 82-83

The. Mrs. Lizzie ............ 95-961 McCutchen, A. J., cited .......... 18-22
H~r:z Property, Miss R .. . ... 1~: 1 Medina Rocks, The .............. 17-18

H1ckson Lot, The 8 1 1. Menlo Iron Company ............ 125-126
Hiles' Property, T 1~~ I' Microscopic examination of Fossil

Hitchcock, C. H ............ .... '[)

Iron Ores ............... 170-176

Hunt Property, The, A ........... 95 i Miller Orchard Company ......... 132

I

Millican & Looney Property . . . . . . 95

Introduction, Fossil Iron Ores of

; Millington, Mr. R. H. F., quoted. . 72 : l\!ode of Occurrence of Fossil Iron

Catoosa county 140,

Ores in Dade countv ...... 54-55

Vi'alker county . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86' Morgan's Property, J. C . ."........ 94
Iron:F!~~~~ :::::::::::::::::::::: ~~~i Murray & Renard, quoted ...... 185-186

Iron Oxide .................... 174-176' N
J Napier Property, The .............. 114
Jackson Property, The R. Vir... . . . 85, :Narrows. The .................... 140 Johnson Crook, Fossil Iron Ores of. 58-68 Keal's Property, A. J .......... 122-123

INDEX

Page:

Page

Nesbitt and other properties, The 68 . Simms' Ridge . ................. 136

Newberry, Prtif. J". ,.S., quoted . 146...,.147: Slaton Prop.erty; The ........ ' 66

New England Company, The .... 74-'-75. Smith, Eug,ene A., citell . . . . . . 23

Niagara Rocks, The . . . . . . . . . . . . _19. S.mith Pr.oprty, The._ ..... :70,; 140-141

Nickajack Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

137' Smyth, D:t. c. H., J'i'., 'quoted .. 29-30;148-

.

149

0

Soft Ore, The ................164-165

Origin of the The Most

Clinton Ores ....144-156 Probable ......... 185-194

Southern Steel
Spencer, .r. W.,

Company .......... 100 cited ...... 22, 24, 25, 48

Ostrem's Property, William Owens and M~11ican Property

142 95.

Steel, Mrs. Mahuldy . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephens' Lot, J". D ~ .. '..........

68 94

Stoner..:caldweli Property, The.... 87'

p

Stratigraphy ..... . . . . . ......... 43-48

Structural Geology ........... 48-52

Parks' Property, Mrs. Alice ....119-120: Pa~:r;ish Property, The ...... . . . . 91

Sulpitur ..... :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sutton Property, The . . . . . . . . . . . .

183 83

Partain Property, The ..... , ...... 92-93

Patterson and ViTilson Properties, .

;. 'Th Payne's Phillips'

e~rop..er t..y,.. Property,

~ .. ~ T-homas M. M....

,

.

.... ' 9.2; ..-.7901---7'9;.12:;

Tadpole Branch . Talley Lot, The Tatum and Gilber

.
. t

......... .... :. ... ~ Properti-

, . , . . es,

. .. . ,, .. The

73 l20
66

Phoenix Iron .& cCoal Company'.s

T ayl or,s and D1' ck.' s R.1'dge.s ....... . 11'4

Property .... . - 72-74 Tay1ors R1'dge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133- 13'6

Phosphorus .. ' ...... , ... ' .' ..... Pigeon :Mountain ....... : ..... .; Pigeon Mountain Synclinal . . . . . . . .

183; 5906~(

-T.h .omas' Th
urman

p ropert y,

p

t

roper y,

E. M Th e

. .o. . . . . . . .


.

67 95

J:>ricket's Property; .Silas . . . . . . . 'Pudcl:ing Ridge :; .: .. ::. : . . ::.. , .. ;,68,

7~29;.;

Thurman's Property, E. L ...... 113-114 Tinker -Property, The ............ 71-72 Topogra-phy . . . . . . . . . .......... 41-43

~ :T.oPO.g.raphy .aT.rd.~ Geo'la:gy ............ 41-53

- ' Tuome'Y. cited ..'.. . .. .. . ":. ~ :, ""' :.

22

Q.uar,tz . ; . .'.. ;' ... ;., ..... : ... 173.C.l74]

. u

"i.

;R

UJ;rup'.s .Forge .... ~ ... :. . . . . . . . . . . 76

':Red. Mountain: Forniatiori, The. . . . 24

v

Rising Fawn Furnace, The ...... 63-'-64 Rocks Associated with the 'Fossii -
Ores, The .......... ; ...... 17-21 Rocks of Georgia deposited during
the -Niagara Peri.od, T.he .... 22-28

Veatch, Otto, Notes py ...... 100-101 'Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Com-
pany's Property .........109-111
w

Rogers, Prof.. H. D., quo'tea ... ,144:...145 Rockmart Format~ on, The .... 25~2~, 46 Roland'.s Lot, Thomas ..... , . . . . . 95 Rome Fault; The . ,, .............. 51
Rome FormatioiJ.; .'I'he . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Rome Furnace Con' 1_pa.ny .... 128, 131
s

Walden's Ridge Sandstone ...... 47-48 Walker county,. detailed description
of individual properties in. 87-121 Fossil Iron Or.es of ........ 86-121 7th District, .lot .42 ........ 109
Lot 127 ..:...;,, .... .. :., .... 116 . Lot 200 : ............. 115-116 Lot 236 . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 115

Safford, J". M., cited ...... 1.7, 18, 20, 2.3

Lot 304 ................... 114-1'15

Sand Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

9th District, Lots 78 and 67. . . 121

w. Sand and Lookout. Synclinals . . . . 49
Shadden.'s Property; H., .... 138-13.9

lOth District, Lot 162 ... ~..... 88 Lot 235 ................ ;.... 90

Shaler, Prof. N.''t-:I., cited .......... 150

11th District, Lots 87 and 88.. 93

Shaw's Property, G. W............ 93

13th District, Lots 132, 133, 154

W. H ........................ 108

and 15_5 . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 183-184

26th District, Lot 7 ....... 117-118

Silurian Rocks .................. 45-46

Lot 66 ................ , . 118

Simms' Lot, Mrs ................. 121

Lot 70 ..................... 117

INDEX

199

Pa-g-e -

Page

Warrenfel's Property, J. L .... 107-108 Williams' Property, J. A .......... 112

Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Wisdom Property, The . . . . . . . . . . 90

Weatherly's Property, R. W ...... 138 Wood's Gap ................... 118

West Property-' The ............. 87-88 Woodstock Iron & Coal Company,

White Oak Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

125-126

Whitfield Co., Fossil Iron Ores of

137-139

BULLETINS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF GEORGIA

r. Marbles of Georgia, by 'S. W. McCallie, 1894, 87 pp., r6 pl., and "2 maps!

Out of print. " ;:, " ". "



I.. M~~bles of Georgia, Second 'Edition, Revised and Enlarged, by S. W. Mc-

Callie, I907, !26 pp., 52 pl., and 2 maps. Postag-e I3 cents.

2. Corundum Deposits of Georgia, by Francis P. King, 1894, 133 pp., 6 pl., I

map. Postage 9 cents.



-3. A Part of the Water-Powers of Georgia, by C. C. Anderson and B. M. Hall, I896, ISO pp., IO pl., and 2 maps. Postage 9 cents.

4 A Part of the Gold Deposits of Georgia, by W. S. Yeates, S. W. McCallie

and Francis P. King, 1896, 542 pp., 21 pl., and I map. Oztt of print.

s. A Part of the Phosphates and Marls of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, I896,

98 pp., 3 pl. Postage 7 cents.



6. A Part of the Clays of Georgia, by Geo. E. Ladd, r898, 204 pp., I7 pl. Postage II cents.

7. Artesian-Well System of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, r898, 2I4 pp., 7 pl., and 2 maps. Postage I3 cents.

8. Roads and Road..:Building Materials of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, I90I, 264 pp., 27 pl., and r map. Postage I4 cents.

9. A Part of the Granites arid Gneisses of Georgia, by Thomas L. Watson, 1902, 367 pp., 32 pl., and_ 4 maps. Postage 2I cents.

ro. Iron Ores of Polk, Bartow and Floyd Counties, Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, 1900, I90 pp., 8 pl., and Lmap; Postage II cents.

rr. Bauxite Deposits of Georgia, by Thos. L. Watson, 1904, I69 pp., 12 pl., and I rtiap. Postage ro cents.

r2. Coal Deposits of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, 1904, r2r pp., 14 pl., and I

map. Postage 9 cents.



t3. Ocher Deposits of Georgia, by Thos. L. Watson, Igo6, 8r pp., II pl., and 3 maps. Postage 6 cents.

I4. Manganese Deposits of Georgia, by Thomas L. Watson, 1908, 195 pp., 8 pl.,
and 2. maps. Postage I2 cents.
rs. Underground Waters of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, r9o8, 376 pp., 29 pl.,
and 2 maps. Postage 23 cents.

r6. Water-Powers of Georgia, by B. M. and M. R. Hall, I908, 424 pp., I4_ pl., and I map. Postag,e 25 cents.

17. Fossil Iron Ore Deposits of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie, I908, 199 pp., 24 pl.,

and 3 maps. Postage I4 cents.

I8. Clay Deposits of Georgia, by Otto Veatch. Ready fo1' p1ess.

19. Gold Deposits of Georgia, by S. P. Jones. In prepa1ation.

20. Mineral Waters_ of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie. In p1eparation.

21. Marls and Limestones of Georgia; by Otto Veatch. In p1eparation.

22. Brown Iron Ores of Georgia, by S. W. McCallie. In j;reparation.