The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-04-04
From the Tennessee Tribune.
Iron Ore; Its Formation.

Much speculation exists among
Biologists as to the formation of the
various iron ores, that are found in
our State. We have a variety, that
is used by man for the various pur.
poses of civilized life; within the
historic period, it has been one ofthe
most important metals il civilized
life !; the Greeks and Romans by rude
furnaces prepared the metal for use
We have arrived at great perfection
in separating the ore, and preparing
the metal for the various purposes O
civilized man even within the las
twenty years, great improvements
have been made furnaces that made
from four to five tons per day, thirty
years ago, now yield from fifteen TO-
twenty tons.
The ore is found in large quaint.
ties in the Middle and Eastern divi.
sions of the State. Some few coun.
ties bordering on the Tennessee river
in the Western divisions have oies.
The question presented to the mind
is, how were these ores Toned? We
find them in various forms, in Mid
die Tennessee, they are found in
large deposits, in solid masses or in
the form of pots, or round globes in
small pebbles or gra vel form, or in
the form of stalactites, commonly
called pipe ores the latter is never
reliable for quantity. In the Eastern
divisions it is found in stratiied
form combined with fossils. The pres
arc never found beneath the carbon
ferrous Strata of limestone of which
we have any knowledge. Hence, we
arrive at the conclusion that Chaly-
beate water did not exist in the earth
before that period.
1t is manifest to any one, who has
examined the iron beds that the iron
was held in solution at the period of
its formation, and by chemical agen-
cy, it was precipiLated. Streams Or
currents of water, containing iron in
solution, must have passed over
the places, where the beds are now
formed, and powerful chemical agents
coming in contact precipitated the
iron and it formed the stratta's that
we now find compact and firm.
There may have been, and proba-
bly, was an attraction like that of the
magnet that drew the masses to.
gether. The pot pres are all hollow
and are from the size of an egg to
Il barrel, and is frequently from an
inch and half TO two inches thick
when these pots are broken, they
appear to have undergone the &C
ton of fire, which we have no doubt
is true. Small particles of matter,
by chemical action, gathered from
the waters the ores held in solution,
this continued to grow in size from
the deposits around it.
The combinations embraced with
in the ball, contain substances that UNI
der certain conditions would ignite;
did so, and the force within expand
ed the mass, produced the ball we
now call the pot ore. The pipe ores
were evidently formed from Springs
of Chalybeate, coming in contact
with matter that would preclpitate
the iron, and by slow process formed
the ore we now find in stalactite
form !; it is upon the same principle
that Stalactites are found in caves.
The mode upon which the Cop
per is precipitated at the Duck Town
mines, in East Tennessee, illustrates
this principle; the water which is
taken from the mines, is put into
trou5hs, in which old iron is placed /;
the water in passing the iron dis
solves it, and precipitates the copper,
so was the iron ore in this formation
precipitated.
The fossil ores, of East Tennessee,
are in a strattafied form, and were
evidently gradually precipitated,
and in the process of time formed,
the Strata we now see from an inch
and a half to two inches thick, COM
bined with shells and other fossil.
The bog.ore of the East is formed
from the shells of animalcules, that
extracts the iron from the waters.
After working and excavating a
mine in twenty or twenty-five years,
the bog is again worked, hence, the
miners say iron ore grows.
It has been very clearly demon
stratcd by the microscope, that the
ore is the shell of animalcnles, that
had their day and died. Wond-
erful are the works of the Almighty,
hat even the most infinitesimal an
should contribute to the COM
forts of man, yet how ungrateful he
Is for the unnumbered blessings