Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1854-02-09
Geological Survey Of the State Of Wisconsin.
BIZ PROF. DANIELS,

consin
The Act authorizing the Survey required tina,
the district known as the Lead Region" should
be first surveyed This district embraces all Of
the counties of Grant, Lafayette, Iowa, and the
western part of Green and Dane-containing an
area Of about $500 square miles. Having Cor
merly published descriptions of the more promi
nent physical features of the country, it is not nee
essary to give them further notice.
The redero or succession, position, and relative
thickness of the rocks of the district will be
on inspection of the following vertical section
Ist, Clay, from 10 to 60 feet thck-say rs
feet
I'd, Thin Bodied hard white limestone, 800
feet
3D. Shale of blue or brown color
4;h, Thick bedded gray limestone, 200 feet.
9Th, Thin bedded blue or brown limestone with
layers OF shale so feet.
9th, Yellowish thick beddeL limeston. o5 feet
7th, Sandstone of various colors generally light
gray, or red. 40 feet.
sih, Limestone with intercalations Of sandstone
The stratlhcaiion of these beds is ccnformabe
or very neary SO. The whole series have south
westerly dip az the rate OF about ten fee. TO the
mile
Perhaps the most interesting deposte, geologi.
cally considered and which, as yet HIS been but
little studied, is the clay. II attains It's maximum
thickness in the southwestern portion of the dis
trict, where il the form of pipeclay pre-
senting several distinct beds. The Included fossils
which are often found in great abundance, proves
this TO be of fresh water origin. But the fossils OF
greatest interest peculiar this deposite, are the
gigantic bones which have al several places been
found imbedded in il. Those found at Farplay.
belonged 10 an Elephant and Mastodon, and SINH
lar ones were dug up at Potos The remains OF
an elephant have also been discovered at Sexton
Vile. Richland county. These discoveries prove
that in ages UNNECESSARILY remote the Elephant
and Mastodon roamed over Wisconsin, and found
favorite places OF refreshnent and repose on our
hills and valleys. and even upon the sites of our
populous towns. The antiquity of their era may
be imagined when, to quote the language of the
Report, "the lakes and rivers from which they
drank, are now dry !; and the forests amid which
they wandered, and upon whose luxuriant vegeta-
ton their colossal forms were fed, have disappear
ed forever Reader +! our prairies were not always
pralrles; nor was the ''gnarled oak chief forest
tree. The silent processes of change, operating
from age to age, level the Everlasting hills" turn
mountains and rocks TO dust, lift continents from
the bosom OF oceans alter climates and the condi-
lions OF organic existence. fitting for new and un-
fitting old creations, which enjoy their epoch.
reach their eliminating point, decline and pass
away like a dream. This is the law of prosres-
slve developnent-the grand 1se:en1psychosis Of
Nature. We speak of our Indian Mounds as an
cent; and, relatively, they are-but compare
them with the age of these gigantic mammalia /
Yet these mammalia are themselves but recent
creations in geological chronology. It is but
proper to add, that very recent discoveries seem
to settle the origin OF the human race as cotempo-
Tares with the nlastoGon. Fossil human teeth
and number of perfect skulls have been found in
the Swaban Alps during the past year in strata
OF the mammoth period. proving the creation of
the human race al period very much earlier than
has generally been believed or admitted.
The clay seems to have been formed by the
decomposition of the rock whose place it occupies
lis peculiar characteristic is its freshwater origin,
which renders it quite certain that lake once
covered large portion of the district whose bot
tom two or three hundred feet higher than
the present level of the Mississippi. There is no
drift, properly-.hat is, sand, gravel bouiders,
&c.-in any part Of the district nor any evidence
of diluvial action manifest over large portion
Of the state. Had such deposits covered the
mining country, the discovery of mineral had
L
that at the dr.lt period the mining region an
immense Island, upon whose shores impinging
icebergs dropped their loads of igneous debris.
Judging from the present appearance of that de
post along its eastern margin.
But we cannot give place 10 any extended notice
Of the several strata. Their mineral contents and
practical value. are the main objects of the Report
Let US examine for a little, some of the facts OF
especial importance it ha; pretty definitely estab
lished Mining. until quite recently, has been con
fined to the Upper Magnetism Limestone of
Owen This is known as the lead rock = inme-
dately underlying which is the Blue Fossili!erous
Limestone, differing from it entirely in compost
tion texture, &c. Now il has been generally
supposed that the metallic veins would be lost
hope of finding them beneath. The survey has
established the tact that extensive veins are now
being worked below the blue, in buff colored
limestone, in layer of sandstone. above the Lower
Magnesium, and the question has long anxiously
been asked by miners, whether the interposed
sandstone not an effectuaI bar TO all hope of
finding mineral below. The survey has established
the fact, not only that the Lower Magnetism
is lead bearing, but that at one locality alone over
100000 lbs. of mineral have been raised within
year or two-the miners themselves not being
aware OF the deposit they were working in Thus
there is three instead of one lead bearing deposit
as formerly supposed. They may be thus arranged
or classified:
Metahierous- Non-Me: slife -ous.
Upper Magnesium, 400 r.. Blue Limestone ST,
auf toid Limestone, 40 Z" Upper saud.toae 4os
Lower Magne@ian $50
In 4 prarri-aI view