The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-04-01
BELLEVUE La, THURSDAY. APRIL / 1884,

what went on in that old ocean, where
by 1t deposited its treasures of metals
Life appeared, and death and decay en-.
sued. The decay of all this animal and
vegetable matter reduced the sulp hates
to insoluble sulphides, which were de
posted. In this way do we account for
the diffusion of various sulphides
throughout the great masses of stratified
rock. Thus, pyrites are found every-
where, and the most fossiliferous strata
contain the greatest deposits of sui
phides. GBf
This does not, however, as vet, ac-
count for the veins. They We're ev-
identity formed by infltration, in, some
eases, that is, being under water, the
metallic substances were filtered into
them; but, with the exception of few
veins of chloride of silver, this does not
account for their formation. Min
eral veins generally are veins
that traverse various of the strata
of deposited rock, and vary in dip
and in width and richness according to
what strata they pass through.
These veins contain successive LAYERS of
deposits and frequently cavities in their
center. In a specimen shown were sue
cessive layers of quartz, iuor spar, cal
cite, together with various sulphides.
The richest parts of such veins are those
which traverse strata in which the me-
tallic ore is the most widely disseminated
and are commonly in porous sandstone.
Let rs suppose such a stratum to be
traversed by fissure, the hot water
passing through it would gradually con-
vert the sulphides to soluble sulphates,
and would carry them into the vein,
where they would be deposited again
by the action of sulphuretted HYDROGEN.
These, then, were in general the sue
cesslve actions that took place. First
sulphates formed and held in solution
by the ocean, then deposited as sui.
phides by decomposing matter, then re.
converted and carried into the veins by
currents of water and finally redeposited
by the action of sulphuretted hydrogen.
In some veins in Cumberland, England,
IN the quartz crystal are found cavities
partly filled with water. If these be
heated until the water fills the cavity, it
will at once show the temperature of
the water from which the crystals were
formed, which has been aseertained to
be between 300o and 1902, which, there
fore5 YVES the original temperature of
the water.
In regard to the deposits Of native
copper, another agent must be taken
into consideration. The richest depos-
its are always found between two strata
Of different dsnsities, as conglomefate
and sandstone. Now it is well known
that between bodies of different natures
an electric current is always made. |
These two great masses of different rock,
therefore, formed great battery, with |
The decomposing pole at their junction,
and water coming through the porous
contained sulphate of copper
n solution, which being easily decom-
posed by weak current, the deposit |
vas made between the two strata, SO
hat native copper is the result of nat
lral electric and chemical action. 1t
las been thought that the copper was
brown up in dixie, but this can not
,e, as there are found in it nodules Of |
liver, which wo,ld in that case have |
ormed an alloy; moreover, it is found
associated with calcite, which is aIwa7s
obtained from solution,