Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-12
the ridge, extending from Crooked Greek, ut
Shippers Mills, towards Ashbys Gap, at Paris,
a heavy deposit of iron ore.

'hG iiuec, tAteuuiuB iTom tIookeu CTeek, al
Shippers Mills towards Ashbys Gap, at Paris,
a heavy deposit of iron ore.
A MOUNTAIN OF IRON.
10 July, 1875, myself aud brother mrde
visit TO Mr. Shippers. and continued our search
for The vein. Mr.. Shippers at that time was
not prepared 10 commence work iu mining, bur
he introduced US to his neghbor, Mr.. George
n. Slater, owning the farm adj lining The Settle
farm, and 10 the north OF MIR. Shippers. The
ridge containing the IRON ore, extending into
aud through Mr.. Slater farm, Mount Bleak"
We made arrangements with Mr. Slater TO
make mineral survey 90 his land, for the pur.
pose OF determining the proper location of
shalt for the uucovering Of the bed of ore We
located shalt on the summit of the ridge, at
Its most elevated point, short distance to the
north Of the dividing line betweeo Shippers
and Slater farms, about a miles from D4a
planes Station, on the Manassas branch rail-
road, and commenced work, with the following
results: At , feet below the surface We found
thickness of the vein bad increased to Que foot;
at % feet below the surface the vein is S feet
inches 10 width. This is the extent oil the
shaft, its centre being exactly under the centre
line Of the shaft, as il was stakcd eff, the vein
proving to be vertical ooe-d rake Uein-the
vein rock being Guess, lhe wall or county rock
being Syenite, the formation of the ridge te
longing to the Arcf &c 10 Time, and the upper
portion 10 the Laurcutian Period la the val
ley oil Crooked Creek aud the valley of the
northwest fork OF Gap Run, which cuts through
this ridge, We fnd HombIends Tacose, Chic
rade aud Mica states, and Shales, belonging to
the Huronlan Period. The formation in which
We tlUd this magnetic IL similar to the forma-
tons of the Laureutisn Period Of the Adirou
dack Mountains Of New York, Francois, in
New Hampshire. to the GRANTEES and Porpho-
ries of the Pilot Knob, the Iron Mouutain aud
Shepherd Mountain Of Missouri, aud the Mag.
net Cove of Arkansas, their Geological, as we'll
as their Physical features, being very similar,
thus establishing the ancient and primitive age
Of the formations Of Lodestone Rdga, belong
ing to the first aud most primitive iron lorna
tons OF the earth, and enabling us to classify
those ores as Primitive, belonging to the same
age aod formation as the tar-tamed Swedish
iron ore at Dsnuemora, and Taberg 10 South
eru Sweden, as Well rs 10 the mountains OF
Norway and Lapland Similar ore in similar
formation is found 10 Siberia. and from this
| pure Siberian iron ore has been manufactured
10 modern times, within the present century,
sword blades, equal to the famed Damascus
blades Of ancient times. From similar ore,
found in similar geological formation. is mau-
uiacturcd the celebrated IudaI iron and steel
upon great scale, near Madras, from crystal
IL i magnetic ore Of that country, also the Gel
cura!ed lnIia natural steel, uaued Wootz, held
IN considerable estimation by many eminent
| Loudou cutters. made from all orc similar to
tie ore found on l. ,dcstone K dge. In another
article will! give the proofs to sustain the above
| statements.
We iai here, 10 Fauquicr cnunty, 65 miles
Only from Alexandria, as IN Missouri. at the
| Shepherd Nlouutan, and on the mountains nf
Lake Superior a true magnetic iron ore the
natural Lodestone, similar 10 those found in
Siberia and China. We also find associated
with the l. ,destone, true, pure black magnet
ic oxide OF iron, and associated with these ores,
Specular or Hcmctite iron ore, having the
red streak plainly exhibited, when struck by
the pick 10 the process Of removing the mineral
from the mine. Two analyses have beeu made
Of he ores Of Lodestone Ridge, one by Prot.
| VIM. 7. ToOry Maryland Institute, BaIti
more, with the following result
Metallic iron, s2S per cent.
Silica, 4G ~
The iron exists 10 combination With oxygen.
Prot. Tonry pronounced this ore TO be Of the
best quality Of Primitive ore that it is free OF
sulphur or titanic acid. MIR. Slater selected
this specim u out of the shalt at his niue, aui
| he informs me that the sample which he had
aualyzs was a sample which had pronounced
not the best not rich enough to be c!assed as
paying ore, being taken from the gaUgue. or
outer edge of the vein, his otj"c! for taking
Inferior ore for analysis Was because the best
would be analysed elsewhere. THIS specimen
corresponds very nearly with the famous WooIz
ore out Of which the native Hludoos nan uiac
turc the Indian slat, or Wootz quote from
| Wre's Dictionary of Arts Manufacture aud
Mines, vol. ii, page 73l: "Woolz ore consists
OF the magnetic oxide Of iron, united with
quartz, in proportions which do not seem L.
differ much, being generally about ~ OF quar.z
and IS Of magnetic oxide. Its graIos are Of
varug siz.s down to sandy texture.
Prot. Toury gives 1920 silica or quartz, Il
slight dlf.ret &c. The richer ores will have ii
larger per ut of metallic iron, and less silica
or quarz. We may expect the richest ores to
be Is high ~ - per cent Of metallic iron, aud
an average OF vein to reach 81 per cent This
ore, trom the gangue Of the vein may be raukcu
az u Slllary or SlIican ore.
HUGH THoS. DOUdLAS.