The Van Buren press., 1859-08-10
Franklin County.

Eg- Extracts from DAVID DAIE Owens
Geological Examination of Franklin Co.
Arkansas
The milestone grit series prevails in the
northern part of Franklin county. compos.
ed of ccngomerates and thick-bedde
coarse sandstones, fagstones and red and
blue siiales. Only thin beds of Goals can
be expected TO be discovered in such materi-
ais as lie below the true productive coal
measures.
y slight wave in the strata, carries the
coal of Crawford county beneath the sur
face in the northern part of this county,
ami IT Is not until you reach the waters of
! ilorsebead Creek, IN johnson county, that
I this coal again makes its appearance ut the
surface on the north side Of the Arkansas
river.
One and half miles northeast of Ben
ner's mill, near William Parker's house.
there Is all excellent cbalybeate spring,
which was found on examination to con-
tain
A trace of free sulphusetted hydrogen
Bi-carbonate of lime
Bi-carbonatc of magnesia
Bi-carbonate Of the protox;le of iron.
This water appears to contain consider
:
Therefore somewhat remarkable that il also
should indicate. with acetate Of lend the
presence Of sulphuretted hydrogen. a com
bination that can only exist when the OK
ide of iron is held in solution bv a free
acid
This water win have tonic effect. com
biued with an action on the skin and kid.
neys.
a apR T.
the following succession OF rocks COARSE
grained sandrtone, alternating with Aag-
stones, reddish, yellow and gray shales in
all about two hundred feet In the gray
sha!es, ten feet above the spring, there is u
thin coal dirt
On Mulberry river the thick beddel sand
stone of the millstone grit series attains "a
thickness Of more than three hundred feet
From he base Of one of the cliffs of this
sandstone, on Mulberry river. section sc,
township Ii north, range % west, there is
sues saline water, from a fssure in the
rock, that is known as the State salt spring
The spring has lately been given up by the
State, and is now the property Of Mcssrs.
Basham and Ward. 1t contains:
Chloride of sodium. Common salt).
Bi-carbonate of lime:
B-carbonate Of magnesia
Bi-cnrl onste of the protoxide of iron
; Sulphates, trace.
This is . weak brine, which might be-
come much stronger by deep boring. as it
occupies the same geological position in
: which the strongest brines are found in the
western states.
- There is another saline spring, reported
70 be Of about the same strength, situated
= higher up on Mulberry river, which l did
, not have az opportunity to visit.
The qualitive chemical examination OF a
mineral water on Spirit creek, branch OF
Mulberry, township ii north, range g west
resulted as follows
Carbonate of the protoxide Of iron
f strong).
Bi-carbonate of lime.
Bi-carbonate of magnesia
This is a good chaly beate water, and it's
effects will be that of an active tonic.
A chalybeatc spring was also examined
at MIR. William Hams, on Mulberry river.
This water contains the same ingredients az
the preceding though the oxyde of iron is
not in such large quantities
, Between MIR. Hams on Mulberry river.
and Ozark, the following section was OBJ
tanned
Siliceou. fagstones 100 feet.
Siliceous iron ore 6
Yellow, red and gray shales 60
Coal dirt, or thin decomp'p black hades