Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-02
Tno Cabinets of the university.
(coNTINUED.)


The Cabinets of the University.
CONTINUED
The metals and their ores are per
haps, in general, more interesting
than the majority of the mineral
which we have already passed ovel
in our rapid survey. The metals
constituting so very important d
part of our materials of construc,
ton, their mode of occurrence in
natures and the requirements for
their reduction, are most essential
elements of knowledge, upon which
depend all development and prog-
ress in the various arts and indus
tries of a country. In looking over
this portion of the Cabinet, we are
forcibly impressed by the scarcity
of specimens of native, uncombined
metaIs-the crust Of the earth fur
nishes in the great majority of cases
only the rough ore, which must be
manipulated by the skill of man be-
fore its valuable properties can be
utilized, as if to emphasize the prov
erb, "NOthing, without labor" AS
a notable illustration of this fact,
we find amongst $50 representatives
of the Iron minerals, but a single
specimen of pure Iron-and this sol
itary example was derived from a
source outside of our earth-at is a
piece of q n1eteOrite that fell near the
city of Mexico it is therefore not
1t is considered prob
able that no native Iron is of ter
restrial origin. The numerous ores
of this most abundant and useful
metal are fully represented, occupy
ing dozen or more shelves, some
of them very beautiful. The first Is
the common Sulphide, called Iron
Pyrites, which occurs almost every
in quite perfect cubical crys-
tails of a golden yellow color, often
mistaken for the precious metal,
and, in consequence, spoken of as
Fools Gold" The specimens are
very brilliant and handsome. Next
we come to the oxygen compounds of
Iron: Magnetic, or Magnetic OK
Ide, the LoadstOne, the material of
our natural magnets. One large
piece tenaciously holds on to nee
die which was submitted to its
grasp many years ago. Then, there
is a splendid set of Specular Iron
ore, and the various other forms of
Hematite-as Red Ochre, Red Chalk
and Clay Iron stone-and some very
heavy handsome specimens of the
radiated fibrous variety. The Brown
Iron ore, known as Limonite, is to
be seen also. Then there is Frank
Unite, a compound of the Oxyds of
Iron Manganese and Zinc, Chronic
Iron, Spathic Iron (Carbonate),
(Phosphate), and many
1ther compounds, too numerous to
mention.
After leaving the Iron group, we
come upon the numerous com
pounds of those rather closely relat-
ed metals, Manganese, Cobalt and
Nickel. Although some of them
ire represented under handsome
forms, there are no i'm
oortant characters connected with
hem, that need detain us. One
very interesting specimen, hOwev-
Or, may be noticed ; micaceous
quartz rock covered with Dendritic
from the Island of FL
oa beautiful but deceptive. 1t
ooks like an incrustation by vege-
able remains, but it is not /; it is
simply the result of what we might
:all the vagaries of metallic depo-
;ition. In another case, there is a
very large and splendid illustration
If the same formation, on slab of
limestone slate from Solenhnfen,
Bavaria.
Here are specimens of metallic
Bismuth, both natural and artificial;
md here is a prepared mass of the
are metal, Cadmium. Some of the
Cobalt compounds, as also some OF
possess rich pink col
)r, rendering them prominent and
objects.
Next come the ores of Zinc,
which we notice the finely
,rystallizing Blende (Sulphide),
(Carbonate), Calamine
Silicate), and the Red Oxide. Then
hose of Lead, chief among which
stands Galena (the Sulphur COM
Dound), so universally diffused, in
brilliant metal-like cubes. The Red
the white Sulphate, the
Jerusite (native Carbonate), the
strange green tuft-like masses of
crystals of Pyromorphite (Phos-
Dhate), and the brilliant Minium
Red Lead all are here, and deserve
careful attention and study.
Anthony and Arsenic, too, are
present, in the condition of pure
metals and ores. One beautiful
specimen of Anthony Glance in
Quartz, from Hungary, appears as
if consisting of a bunch of most per-
fectly polished steel needles, clus-
tered together and crossing one an
other. The most common ores of
Arsenic are the Yellow and Red
respectively denomina-
ted Orpiment (Auri pigmentum)
and Realgar. Mercury is generally
found as Cinnabar, the Sulphide, of
a deep red color, of which many
specimens are seen. There is also
quite a number of specimens exhib-
iting the metal in small globules
diffused through various rock
Another drawer is devoted to the
ores of Tin. This very common