Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-08-10

il proposed, to first ascertain whether mate
ria,s equally unfavorablc to operations of ,I
KIND do not exist.
10 the Report Of Professor r. 10 The .es
'ion OF last winter he makes the follow ing I G
marks :-'Oi the weiye rocks each MARI .,
ny certain distinctive characters composins
The mountains and valleys Of this region !
has been determined that at least eight ar,
accompanied ~ beds Of iron ore. Each or,
has distinctive marks by which il may lie re
| c"gnized, and peCuliaritiPs of composition
| hitlng IL Tor certain uses 10 which others
would he less happily adapted. Thus. in IN,
quantity and variety ui this material in all il,
valuable forms, our stale is now proved n
have no rival, unless, perhaps, Pennsylvania
may ee such. Looking 10 the immense ex.
| tent al the region over which these rocks ar.
| spresd, and 10 The structure Gifts mountains
ana va'ieys-bringing To light at various
| points each oi the twelve PRINCIPAL STRATA
which II comprises -freightet. ia great mar,
with The most inestimable of metallic pro
ducts, II becomes evident al once shat the
! topography at the rocks and mineral resour.
ces OF this region, as II will be exhibited in
lie general geological map, Is dest ined 10
oestow upon II a new and almost unhuped
for interest. With such Incentives. and with
such guide, enterprise directed 10 this mar.
ION of the stale can neither ialier or he dis
appointed. Anticipation coniiiing in the
certain deductions of cautious scientific re.
search already begin To sketch the gladden..
| irg picture OF successful indus;ry-crow ding
population and wide spreading Improvement
which, at no remote day, it will be its happy
lot to realize W.
he coats OF tins region were examined
at numerous points, from the Potomac To the
ne:ghhorhood OF the Tennessee line. and al
| though much additional Investigation is re-
CURED 10 ascertain the number and extent nj
the workable seams of this mineral, .enoupb
has already been done 10 satisfy me that they
VIII, ere long, be regarded as one of the most
vaihaoie resources at his part Of the state.
On former occasion adverted to the pecu
liar adaptation of some of these Goals in the
raw state, la the manufacture of iron. The
analysis ofspecimens from several ocalilies
not visited before this season. indirates a
comparison admirably suited 10 this use. As
examples OF Goals Of this description. will
refer TO the three following:
"lst. The semi bituminous coal. from
ihnm's creek and SiroubIe's run, in Mont.
gomery county. This consists OF
Carbon, so 90
Biumen, Sc, 1860
ash, go
'The comhustible value or calorific power
OF 100 parts Of this coal is equivalent TO that
oil % 5 parts OF carbon
2nd. Semi biIuminous coal from near
Lee isburg, consists of
Carbon, 1884
Bilumen, sc. l4I6
Ash, 700
lie calorIhc power of 100 parts Of this
| coal is equivalent 10 81 parts oil carbon.
Sd Catawba semi>bituminous coal-Bs-
tetourt county. This consists Of
Carbon
Bitumen, Is so
Ash On
The calorihc power OF one hundred PARTS
| OF Tins Coal is equivalent TO that Of So 4 PARTS
ofcarbon.
These and similar results obtained with
regard to specimens from other localities ia
| The Appalachian region. ilustI ate the fitness
oil these Goals Tor the manufacture of iron, a
qualify which must he look ed upon as giving
Them incalcuiable value, when their imme-
diase vicinity TO inexhaustibe supplies OF The
ore IS taken into the account.
| 1.-The soil OF the region,' says Professor
X. "from the Blue Ridge east as far ss the
lime stone, are IN many places OF deep red
| or chocolate colour, bile in others thew
present greyish or yellowish hue Those
"f the former kind are usually regarded as
most fertile; and chiefly give value to the
lands OF Albemarle, Amherst, and other
counties IN that part of the Stale In ac>
counting for these striking pecullariles OF
colour and agricultural properties of the soils
IN question, IL has been usual 10 regard them
as resulting from the hornblende, frequently
met with in the rocks Of this region, which
ny its iron would give colour, and by its
lime Impart fertility 10 the land" The dark
sreenish blue sand stone has also its effect
upon the SOIL, by lis iisintegrations. Pro
lessor K. says that this sand stone and the
resulting soil by analysis has been found to
| contain two per cent OF lime. Portions of
The red soil in Nelson and Amherst, arising
from the decomposition of red sand stone
aud cong lomerate before described, contain
lime in still more considerable proportion,
Rocks from which they are procured in some
cases presenting per cent and upwards Of
carbonate Of lime.