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

'oieSs"I i>"SerS gives a most interesting ac
count. ltcomprisesa great variety of states
sand stones, schsls, and other rocks. Vein,
OF quartz are frequently met i,b. some of
which the Professor says are believed Ia he
aurIferous, though no profitable mine has as
yet been opened in them Tho Professor
enters into u scientific detail of the character
OF the rocks OF this region, exposing The ge
neral error ia the classification which tlesip.
mates them as belonging Ia tho primary or,
Ger. Our extracts mustb he confined 10 bare
expose OF such simple facts as may be yaIu-
able IN aa agricultural or economical poin,
ofview
There occur in this region a variety OF
rock, which is found admirable for building
and OF most durable nature. A mile or
two east of aleriwether's bridge, on the Ri
wanna, there occurs a rock so hard as 10 proye
"iihcnit OF separation In the quarry, If a
green color. The grey and yellow sand
stone traversing the Country in the general
range olrncks, TO a cons ider able distance are
sound To produce valuable building material:
when in'erset,ed by frequent beds OF quartz
Al rs found extremely hard and valuable for
ate durability. The hardness and conseouep
Suiue of the rock varies much in the same
beds at points little distant. A bed which
on the eastern flank OF Peters mountain. near
Hordonsville, yields building stone which
comes from the quarry in long quatIranguIar
sents at the distance Of some miles TO The
South, crumhline mass, valuable as poud
material Tor The manufacture of fire bricks.
Professor Rogers gives a minute descrip
lion oil the rocks OF ihis region, and uscIihes
INC peculiar position and character 10 the eff
feet ct violent agencies. ia Orange, Nelson,
and Amherst counties, and the neighboi hood
81 Scetts'ille, in A lbemsrle, and in other
places IN the same general range, can inter
10
sometimes angular. sometimes more or less
eA'erworn. cemented together by particles
81 sand, and occasionally a small adnixiure
al Carbonate oi lime" The Professor saws
81 Is tho representative OF the Potomac mar.
ole IN tais portion of the State, and that some
OF II when polished. would present surface
oil equal beauty aud varieiy-that this rock
marks the shock OF violent action, in which
the neighhoring strata, of which il NAV he
considered as embodying the ruins, were
broke" into Fragments and subjected for some
time 10 the rounding agency Of water, at the
bottom OF which the coarse and fine sedi-
ments were al length Consolidated in 10 rock
a curious fact is related by Professor K
discovered by Professor II. ID. Rogers which
Indicate tina. the Potomac marble contains in
Iis compoSition fragments OF limestone. re-
iefao'e 10 no nearer source than the great
valley west Of the Blue Ridge In some of
the columns of the Senate Chamber. a,
w ashinsion, he detected fossil remain
which abOunds in the bed OF limestone near
the western flank of ihe Blue Ridge, and
which is NOT discov cradle in the lime stone
Nkirting the eastern flank OF The south west
ern mnuntain.
In the vicinity Of Lynchburg there occurs
abeauifol grey ish sand stone, W hich is large
ly quarried. On the western declivily OF The
green mountains, beds OF s.eatiiic rock &c.
cur, furnishing very fine soap atone A
quarry OF Il has been opened near the resi-
dence at Fucker Coles, ESQ.,, from which
slabs and Jan,bs for fire places have been
Pfoc"red-with the exception OF tho finer
kinds quarried in Vermont, there is probably
no soap stone used in this country which
combines The valuable characteristics Of this
rock.
In The southwest mountain, and on the
Butaioe Ridge, micsCious and ina netic iron
ore occur. Near Stone Wall NJ ills, Buck
,ngham, these ores are particularly abundant
hemallte containing some manganese is seen
IN Buckingham. Little value has heen hi
therto attached 10 these ores; but Professor
Rogers supp0ses that under a judicious svs>
tenn OF operating, they might become prof.
table. The highlands of New jersey pro.
duce an ore OF the same character, from
which forged os we'll as cast iron is manu-
tactured-ihe difficulties in smelling, the Oh
jectioos urged here, having been overcome
there
Specimehs oil copper ore occur in Orange,
buckingham and Campbell and indications
perhaps at intermediate points. Professor
Rogers had not entered into an examination
sufficiently minute TO form positive opinion
relative TO the value and extent Of the ore
No distinct vein, or bed OF ore, indicated it,
self, according 10 Professor R. Since the
reconnaissance of 1885, mine has been o.
rened IN Amherst, some account of which
has appeared in this paper.
Beds OF chioTitic steatiie, and chlorite
slate, occur near the Variety Mills in the
region is galena or sulpburet of lead in veins;
IN quartz al Rennet-bag creek, franklin
sulphate CT haryta in numerous localities :
suiphurei OF iron in cubical aud other forms
very frequent plumbago in considerable
masses In BGckiBg ham and Amhersl brown
oxide OF titaniUm in the neighborhood oil
Lynchhurg.
A bed Of rock exposed near the Universe.
~, has been found by Professor Emmett, 10
furnish a material which can he spplied in
various useful modes. When baked at a
high temperature, il may be made into homes
of fine and sharp teXture--it may he Cnry ed
or turned into UrUcibles, and other useful
implements, for which il is we'll fitted, by ils
power for wiIhstanding heat, also forming g
very valuable fine brick.
Relative to the rock OF the Blue Ridge
Professor Rogers says /: Gin tho profile, all
these rocks are exhibited dipping steeply &c
the East, which is their position as observed
siTurk's Gap But at Balcony Falls, where
the exposure Of rock is extremely grand snC
interesting, the beds on the Eastern flank q
The Ridge, are seen dipping West East o