New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-27


Want Of Observation-Disclosures
The Beat Way 20 Work Miues-Adii
LeveIs-BIassing-A eeidenss-Life In
she Mines.
From Our Special Correspondent.
DoNootA, H.. Dec. T. 1865.
GEOLOGICAL MATTERS.
In these letters only general idea of the ge-
illogical character Of the lead mines be given.
When one goes to Galena and travels thence through
the country he sees rocks the tops Of the bills some
times wholly covering the surface. and In large or
small pieces or they appear in cliffs or large masses,
sometimes standing ont from 40 to 80 feet In diameter
sometimes they ju from hiIlsdes in the midst OF
cliffs like ruined castles Of ancient days. On the Mis-
sissippI, two miles below Dubuque cliffs which
attract every eye Often in the valleys are found large
peces of rock which fell from the nights above. Where
small streams run into the larger ones they have high
steep hills on either side with bare rocks on their sides
and tops and as there is little timber they give to
the scene an aspect Of great antiquity. The line be-
tween the States Of Illinois and Wisconsin runs nearly
through the center Of the richest dggngs. and only
eight miles north Of Galena. saw places along the
Galena River In Wisconsin which so far from remind
| ing me that was in new Western State made me
Of the City of Rome now e or they might be like the
hills surrounding Athens jerusalem and some were
so dssoute and old thought of Mount Sinai and the
wild region of Idumea and the City Of Petra Tor any
in the rocky wilderness. However, back from tue
points Of these hills the country rises into smooth
swels where no rock appears except when taken out
Of the dggings which in places cover the surface for
miles so thicxly that one scarcely can ride through
| hy
into the abund pits. Then there large spaces
where tho surface is unbroken and Is covered With
blue grass and hazel bushes. Within the mineral
ranges there are few Enclosures and only in the valleys
are the elds often occupied by miners living in small
warm houses. There exceptions to this FOR even
on the richest mineral ground there are few good
firms which never have been pospected on and there
is no doubt but they contain beneath immense stores OF
wealth
The antique appearance of the rocks arises from the
snrface being indented or elevated with scars. lumps
or ridges and from their brown. messy color This
the cliff the magnesa, or according to late authors
the Galena limestone. The rocks at Niagara Falls are
Of similar character and they are said to be amonl
the Oldest on the globe This Galena limestone Is gray
thick bedded sometimes fne.grained. distinctly crys
aine and firm, but generally coarsegreined and fine
posits 1t opens into small cavities.
The geological order of strata connected with thi
rock is arranged as follows:
Magnetism Niagara limestone Seventy feet of .hale
Gslpna limestone Blue limestone.
81. Peters sandstone, Lower Magnesan, cslcifer
Potsdam sandstone. Gus sandstone.
| The Gaena limestone everywhere is fossilferous
and in particular presents the sunfOwer cora and ii
the lower beds are fine specimens of the Favorite Tit
Niagara limestone Is found in places along Rocl
River near Dixon and Sterling. The lead-bearine
rock of Missouri Is said to be the Lower Magnetism
The Galena limestone contains from IS to 40 per cent
carbonate of magnesa from ls to 20 per cent Of pur
magnesia; and when heated In a solution Of sulphuriC
acid will yield no less than from ITO to 100 parts o.
crystalized Epson salts and co parts Of gypsum to 0
parts Of sock Owen.
It is understood that the Gnlena limestone outcrop'
In the neiehborhood Of the latitude OF Mineral Point
40 miles north Of Gaena. and that in going south Il
gradually descends till ia lost and covered by the coa
formation. The importance Of this fact will be under
stood when state that lead Is not found except In con
Dection with the Galena limestone.
The depth of this mineralbearing rock. at VARIOUS
places above ss sss ssS aSGTi as SS s
| At Fair Play, 800 feet At Mineral Point, feet.
| At Hazel Green, 800 feet. At Linden 50 feet.
At Wigyie and Franklin Il is nearly all out.cropped
sandstone the lower magnetism being at the surface
In which some ore has been found. Going SOUTH the
surface covering OF the Gaena limestone continually
grows thicker till at last very great depth has to be
sunk before mineral is found More might be said 1t Is
easy to use hard words; the above statement only
But If one were to 20 hher for tie purpose of en-
paging In mining Ii would be important for him to be-
come familiar with all the facts by which the depths OF
the different diggings have been ascertained. He
should know enough Of geology to be familiar with the
scale OF strata from the primary to the tertiary periods
and then examine the subdivisions IN connection with
for him to go down into the mines then out along the
cliffs and into the valleys. where the Galena and the
blue limestone can DC seen IN their relative postiops
useful. He should peck up the rocks examine the
structure and the fossils aud become familiar with the
peculiarities OF each or course he will need guide
well acquainted with the country, and 1t 10 important
that he should be an intelligent practical miner. Nor
will he fail to examine the face OF the country and OBJ
serve the elevations and depressions OF the cliff. along
Of the soil the hillsides and compare 1t with that
which out OF productive mites. Special geology
Cabinets are extremely uscfu No coarse is 50 profit
able personal examination, and one always should
carry basket and hammer.
In the early days OF mining many ignorsnt men sue.
ceeded very well, though probably the mineral was
30 easily found that IL was simply snrface-digging
Some Of these. to-day who have opened and are ope-
rating most valuable mines. know nothing about ge0
ogy and care nothing about II. AS general thing
miners hold scientific knowledge In contempt for they
say tell them where to find lead; and. In
short that all the books ever written on mining and all
the surveys that made will not help them TO
strike lode There is truth In this, but II is
truth also that geological surveys when made by scen
tfc biologists, will inform miner where he may
search with good prospect and also when his search
win be useless.
THE USE OF GEOLOGY IN MINING.
The Germans are great minersi perhap: no other
people has greater experience, and IN high degree
they unite the practical with the scientific They have
schools in which mining Is taught and the graduates Of
these become ssperintendents Of mines This course
has been found most profitable for their knowledge viii
save months and years Of ruitess labor Properly sci
entifc knowledge Is only recorded experience The eI-
perience Of the practical has the defect Of being
limited On the other hand scientific men lack real