Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-04-14
the Iron Interests OF Virginia-The
Geology Of LOdestOne Ridge and
Crooked Kun Valley, FaHquier Co.,
Eiroiuf1.

Virginia.
To the editor Of the alexandria Gazette:
TIE country rock forming Lodestone Ridge |
is principally syenito, containing large per ct.
of potash teIdspar, land in some OF the ou'Ilers
soda lcIdspar.) horobleode, quartz, &c. The
Sycntc shows Itself in MASSIVE Lodges lie the
Valley OF Crooked Hun, where the ridges arc
cut through at Byoue's and Shippers. At the
head Of the run, Oh the land Of Dr. Alban
Payne, is found massive deposits of magnetism
and taIcosc marbles, a dyke of porphory, sand
stone, soapstnnes and other formations Of the
Huropi4o period. | AIN Inclined to believe that
Iodcsone Ridge is an older, more ancient for
NATION, than even the main Blue Ridge range
Of mountains, being connected to it by lateral
ridges aud laying to the west of it, la speak
ing of the topography Of Lodestone Ridge ADD
Crooked Creek Valley called Lodestonc Ridge
an CUTLER Of the Blue Ridge. 10 the super
foal observer this ridge will appear as an cut.
her, but | ar, incncd to believe that it is one
Of tLc original wrinkles CT the world, caused by
the primitive upheavalS Of the earth 5 crust;
the cooling aud settling OF the crust Of the
earth caused this wrinkle, and the rest Of the
melted tlui mass OF pure primitive iron ore
filled The crack 10 the carth's surlaca, and thus
u
time This iron mountain ii witness L l1,ti
meet 70 the power Of the Almighty, the Su
prcua Coo, OF Ills Torolh0ught aud his great
goodness to the race u man, for here 10 Eau
quirr county, alter IN interval Ut millions OF
years, this deposit OF non is now revealed for
the use oi the peoples Of tbs age, when such
pure ores are in great dclnaul aud sought after
10 iatrieata the "Bcssrmer steel, late dis
cavcry, and SOW rendered necessary, uot only
to the railroad interest OF the world, but to
valuable and necessary Uses IN modern land and
naval warfare This iron mountain, forming
the ORR lnal backbone, or one Of the original
ribs Of this section VI the American continent,
and this wrinkle or uphcavai being nearly on
the meridian, being nearly north and south,
such - the wrinkles or earth ribs would have
assumed in the primitive ages Of the world be-
fo.tithc Glacial period, and astronomical causes,
produced the change 10 the axis Of the earth,
the changes in the seasons, thus producing the
equinox, and thus, at q more modern period,
causing the wrinkles, tho great mountain up.
heayaIa to take the direction n. E. and S. W.,
aa is nearly the general direction OF the Blue
Ridge range, aud the Appalachian ranges OF
mountains extending from L2bradcre to the
Gulf of Mexico This deposit CT iron orc in
mass is primitive, Was au uphea7al from the
great laboratory OF nature, melted III the grand
natural turu.:cs OF the interior OF the earth,
being INJECTED 0utwacjs from The great couver-
ter OF natures laboratory thus forming the
primitive iron mou1tGl1s OF the world lis
mass Gao Dot be estimated, its depths are faith
omle5s its richness and purity Will improve as
its depths are penetrated and uncovered. We
find on the surface stratifed ore VANS, the re,
suit OF the grinding down Of the primitive iron
mountain, thus forming stratiied deposits or
veins of iron ore with the formations of the
Hurouian period. The regular rooflikc slope
Of Lodcst01e ridge reveals to the geologl-
cal expert the .m0untaip-Ike mass Of orc
under the shallow covering Ct syeote and
aIIuyial material tormiug its surface. No
doubt G1ios Of ore will be found and worked
and New jersey, but the main suppIs, and
the most valuable. will be found under the
covering Of Lodcstone Ridge This formation
belongs to the Upper Llwrentian Period, and
above this formation, 10 the covtS anu Ia7lnes
Of the Blue Ridge. and 10 the valley Of Gap
and Crooked runS, as far down as Dclaplaoe,
at the mouth OF Crooked run, will be found
the l1ur0nlgn States aud shaCs. On the top OF
the Blue RIDGE is found the RtSt{an. sandstone.
This sandstone, with ripple marks, worm holes,
is found Oh the top of the Blue Ridge, about
two miles southwest ol Linden, a station %
the M2u4ss:ss Gap branch RAILROAD, 4 short DIS
lance eastward Of the Fauquiar and Warren
county line, 10 Fauquicr county, 90 the land Of
DR.. Hudnc Prot. Wm. B. Rogers in his
Geological REPORTS Of Virginia, 10 1S3T-'3S,
refers 10 this sandstone as his No. |, resting
% the ;opald western slope Of the Blue Ridge,
and iormGg the western loot hills OF that ridge,
aud thus establishing the more molern age Of
the Blue Ridge proper, and establishing the
Lawreutlan age Of Lodtsouo Ridge. L. was
raised up above the surface Of the Drin1Iire
rntelS amongst the first lands that appeared as
islands on the future continent. And its rocks,
its mineral formations, its iron ores are amongst
the earliest primitive ores of tine earth, and as
consequence are the pNrest u'on ores N &C.
iStGncc will here mention that in numerous
examinations | have made OF tie strike and dip
Of tie rock strata, Throughout. the valley OF
Gap run and the valley of Crooked run, from
Paris to DelGplaue, and thence along the road
leading from Delapa1e to Salem, | find the
general strike of the strata OF all the older and
Azoic formations to be nearly north and south,
with an eastern dip, thus corresponding with
the axis Of Lodestone Ridge, and showing the
c!evatlUg forces acting upon the primitive
wrinkles, or earth ribs, to have raised them
fact is most striki0gly illustrated along the road
south Of Dir. Douglas Gibson's residence, in
the valley Of Gap rub; also Gin be noticed be-
tween Oak Hill and the sandatOnG formation,
forming the ridge 1T he head OF Carriers rum
rs you approach Salem. At Sacm, As you pass
along the main street, yGu will notice ali out
crop Of granite, forming the ridge on which
Salem is situated. After leaving Earrowsvic,
situated about one mile above Markham and
about one mile above FarrowsvilIe, on the side
OF the road crossing the Blue Ridge at Manas
sas Gap, in tho valley Of Goose Creek, a dc.
post Of granite is exposed, and above, and
resting on the graEltc, Is guess, and above
this, sYcnIte. Asy you approach the summit you
will notice rocks belonging to the liuronian
period, showing that the base OF the Blue
Ridge Is composed u! primitive grancic rocks.
The granetIc lJrmatlda at Salem has north
east and southwest strike and southeast dip.
This section Of Virginia possesses many inter.
estng features for the study Of the gcologist,
and presents many problems difficult to be prop.