Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-10-27
MINING DEPARTMENT.

The short delay in material for the min
ing department has been OccaS:on0d by
nv absence on trip to the north part OF
the Stale.
In following out the evidence of a north
aud south axis of elevation l found they
increased as extended my observations
10 tie sGuit! of the lead district. And as
this u a question that IuyUlvS not only
the interest OF the lead district, but the
mineral recorces OF the State, it Is lmp2r-
tant that we obtain all the Information
possible that win throw any light on IT,
10 obtain such Information l felt that a
trip to the northern part OF this STATE,
along the south shore of Lake Superior,
was almost essential, inasmuch as there
the underlying strata of the lead district
would be fully exposed at the surface. and
the physical conditions along such an axis.
although partially hid in the lead district,
by thin accumulations of sandstone and
limestone, would there be very distinct
After stating my reasons to the Governor,
who, by the way is always ready to do
what is for tho general good, obtained
permission, on the condition of paying the
expenses of the trip out of my own funds
"A privilege cheap, thought, when COM
pared with the value of the information |
expect to give.
The necessary preparations made, was
soon on the Milwaukee and St. Paul train,
bound for the north by way of Prairie du
CHEN, St. Paul and Duluth. Leaving Nc
Gregor about 9 p. NJ, took passage in
the sleeping car, in order to be fresh fer
observation the next day, for che object OF
the trip was to get as near as possible the
geological position of the strata as expos
ed along the Mississippi, and the altitude
of these strata when compared with the
same class of rocks near the fourth prn-
cipal meridian along the same line east.
After a very pleasant sleep. | was arouse
ed by the porter about five o'clock in the
morning, just in time to get ready Tor
breakfast After stopping half an hour,
the train started for St. Paul just as the
first rays Of the sun were drawing back
the curtains from the vast prairies of the
west, whose unduations in the distance
looked like the swelling OF the ocean when
storm was dying away.
The large granite boulders on the sur
idCC, Atu luC IOuht'Ch1 wa ~ -
pebbles in the cuts through which the
road was built, assured Tie Of the fact that
was still along the hne of the DRIFT that
extended up the west side Of that drittless
strip of land on which the lead district
vas found.
Getting near to 81 Paul, where the road
had TO cross the StrcaluS ruHnin9lntO the
mississippi, good section of the rock wa
obtained ironi thu window Of the car, anc
found no difficulty in making out The
blue lime stone o! the lead district forming
the lodges 81 rock along the streams. Al
irving II ST. Paul, made Il thorough cX-
animation oi inesc rocks, and fnund no,
only ,he blu: limestone Of the lead Dis
,rlut out iosni it resting on the sam
KISS q sandstone (St. Petel's) that III
deri,es It t:t4rc.
Having sada 1Xaminaton> due east OF
thl, place Igrrat gears ago along the WIS
cof>in river through u nod county, anc
obtained the geological position there, and
also last spring, due east of this alon-
the west shore of Green Bay, am nov
prepared to submit thus question Of north
and south axis to fgureS-along this por
ton Of the State - but let US first notice
the relative position of the strata.
| Taking the azoic formation as basis
! we invariably find III this State the Pots
dam sandstone, a layer Of rock about 43O
| or 500 feet thick resting on It; the lower
! magnetism limestone about 300 feet ths k
resting On the Pots,iam; the St. Peter,
i sandstone, about so or 100 feet thick, rest
| ing on the lower magnetism and the blue
! limestone resting on the St. Peters. This
is the geological order, and about thu
! thickness of these strata when every bee,
is in its place.
At Green Bay we find the blue lime
stone about on level with the water
near St. Paul it occupies about the sam
relative position to the MisSissippi; buf
through Wood and Clark counties the /.
zoic is in places many feet above where
the blue limestone would have been il
there had been no elevation there. If VT
now draw line on horizontal plane
from the water level at the Mississippi, t
the water level at Green Bay, We shall find
at each end Of the line there will be
least 800 feet of the azoic while along
the line through Wood and Clark countc
the azoic will stand not less than 200 feet
above it. Now let Us take the depth Of
| the strata TO the azoic at the end Of tn,
| line, and put it on the azoic where it il
above the line, aud we have the height OF
the elevation, which is not less than l00t
feet.
These are facts and figures which We
cannot gainSay and their teachings in rel
: erenCc to the natural resources OF the state
| are very important Ia she first place wc
may infer from them that we have q hej
of land running through the entire STATE
that we may regard as the physical basis
of mineral strata, along which we may
confidently expect to fird mineral districts
OF extensive deposits Of ,neta}s or then
ores. In the next place, they prove that
we have no extensive deposits OF coal il
! the State, aud furnish Us reason why :
| The fact that along this axis of elevation
| the silur al for nations w.re hrough tup to
| a level above the coal formations, rs we
| finds them in Michigan and Minnesota to
| the east Of it, and consequently was an g.
ovation OF dry land at the time of the coal
formation. Hence the physical conditions
Of the ca,b1n'erous sra have never exist
! ed in Wisconsin, unlpSs thcr> should ha
some local depression OF the northwest
| side, near Minnesota.
j MURRISu
Mazomanic, Oc' "A, 1871.