New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-17
IRON MOUNTAIN.
Frcn Tae s. Log, Ecrublel1.

Frcr Itc - LoZn hfF4otf4l
The Iron Mountain OF Missouri is probably one q
the greatest natural curosi,ss on he sursee OF our
globe. Think OF msmGlllsry formed mound or
mountain Of iron three Gles n circumference, Iains
In the form Of core or pyramid three huncred test
high above the surrounding Valleys crest mass OF
the richest specular iron knoFn, wecgsd IN o-tsssn
country formed Of mSgnesisn linestone on t1e one
side ard porphyritic granite on the otnsT. NAsle
did THE great mountain OF ron come ton YES IL
formed the rop age OF our globe and Fnen dld Tue
iron age have its commencement and end Lei US
take the igns thst the science OF the rocks nse re-
vesed, snd 90 back with the geoogitts II the e4tIy
sses Of the Iron Mountain region BIOLOGISTS sy
that the rock the west eide OF the mou1.sh
belongs 10 tre lower sllurian limestone era. lne
boring Of Bechers ArtesIan Well. tells us that
this same bed Of rock which forns tie surface Of
the country on the west eide OF the molntaio, is
in the well coo feet below the bed OF the Mississippi
River, dip Of , 500 feet from the mountain to s..
Louie Geologsts say that this dip Was necessary to
form the srest bssins which coutan coal N ne GEO
rs part Of Illinois. On the esst -ife OF the )unsn
grsIite couutry il found Il this grsnlte older or
newer than limestone aud il the mountain OF the
ssme age as the granite These are questions tnat
present themselves in the study OF TINS great Iron
Center. The Iron Mountain ia the period or terminus
of what is known az the Ozark Mountains, range OF
granite ridges and table lands thai resch through
Mlssouri ATksness and the Indian country ID the
Rocky Mountains. One fact may be kept 10 view IN
the study of the age of the Iron Mouatan. Is found
that ls the developments in the vegetable or min
y
ing 10 the Ysnts Of animal organisms thit eI-
isted at the came era. ln the tine OF the ms'to.
don ard huge saurian dynasties, the veget ri On
was Of corresponding gigantic growth, the atmosphere
was also suited to thst class OF snims hfe Reasoning
from this analogy, We might conclude that the Iron
Moun.sin formed ct comparatively recent seoo-
gical epoch it evidently formed 10 supply Elth
iron the wants of the present race OF man, and there
was 10 recesssity for its existence ur' man was %
position to il. Le. 90 back 10 the age OF our
globe when commenced the era OF the sursn system
OF rocks. The district where now stands the Iron
Mountain wss az that period tabular mass of strait
fed rocks in the bed of ancient ocean. No valley,
ridge or mountain had yet come into existence Tne
beautiful system Of physical geography the abrasion
OF valleys in the solid rock fountain from which
now break out thousand springs in this rondistrct,
were yet in embryo. But this tabular mass of rock in
the bed Of this ocean is always to remain repose.
The elevatrg and sbredug forces, the ges. working
laws of nature to act. This region OF country
placed under their nfuence-snd silently and quietly,
sratied rocks raised granite ridges come to-day
above the surface of this Meteorc forces,
rected with the sun and every planet solar sys
tenn are in sction-we might say that electricity aud
its active partner magnetism, prime agents-age
after age rolls round. The Devonian system OF rocks
il formed. The wonderful Of the formation of the
coal bearing rocks ard the growth Of the vegetation
entombed in coal fields has lis comment and end,
following this the tertiary with It's masto
dors and huge monsters-efier them the sbo-
rgires and then the present race Of msn. Let us
loC again. The horiZantsl table OF rock of the slu
ran era in the bed of that ancient ocean Is the
Iron Mountain region modelled by the great working
laws Of Nature to one OF the most interesting mineral
centers on the surface Of globe. The task Of the
geoloes for coming ages will be to trace out by obser
vstion tie charges through which this country has
psssed and map out and mark down in each era
spoken Of the charges of the Iron Mountain from the
siluran era down TO tos present time.