Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-09
The Granite Formation of
Southeast Missouri.
BY THOMAS CALLAHAN.


BY THOMAS CALLAHAN.
Having noticed some facts in connec.
ton with the iron forma ton of this sec.
ton of the country, we now proceed to
! look at another class of volcanic devel-
opments, only promising that there is a
great variety in the specimens, and tina,
their weight per cubic foot is sure test
of their fineness. firmness and value for
mechanical purposes.
In going into our work, we will begin
with that mass found at GraniteviIle,
near Middlebrook, in Iron county, Mo-,
because it is the most widely known,
and it is nearest to US. @
1t is located in township "a, north,
range 3 east of the principal meridian,
on land belonging to the Iron Mountain
Company; who, about thirteen years
/ ago, leased the location to Messrs. B.
Gratz Brown, of Iron county, and p. w.
Schneider, of st. Louis, Mo.
1t is sufficient to say that the quanti-
ty of the deposit is inexhaustible, SO far
as the capacity Of the country to use it
is concerned. Itnot only forms noun
tain at this point, but shoots up again at
point some two miles away on the road
leading from Middlebrook to the east
fork of Black river; the formation at the
latter named place being if any differ
ence better than that at Graniteville,
which was probably selected because it
was nearer to the st. Louis, Iron Noun
tain and Southern railroad.
| In quality the stone is popularity
rated as red granite, but the propriety
of SO estimating is not clear. 1t will
not be found to be the same as the red
Scotch granite. The weight will de-
termine that fact. Red Scotch granite
of standard quality weighs 172 whilst
the best material accessible at Granite
vile in 1873 weighed 1853 pounds to the
cubic foot. The writer saw the stone
| dressed, measured and weighed.
This difference in weight leads to
closer investigation, and that will dis
close the fact that the stone referred to
is rather coarse and open in it's texture.
and tinged somewhat with carbonate
of iron, which chemistry will pro-
nOunce All active agent of disintegra-
ton. The feldspar which is one of the
constituents of granite, has strong
affinity for carbon, of which material
there is u portion in rain-water. The
carbon in the preparation of iron
| mixed with the stone, imparts addi-
tional carbon to the rain and SO has
tens its work in dissolving the field
spar. The extent to which that work
has progressed will appear from the
fact that every mass of granite stand
| ing above the general level of the for
nation is round. Originally angular
in their formation, the rain, the sun,
and the frost, have chipped off the cor
ners OF them.
First-class granite must be free from
carbonates to be permanent. In this
| respect the material at Granitevilie is
inferior to that found in equally great
abundance in the region of Knob Lick,
in st. Francois county, Mo-, and owned
at least in part by the Cayces, of Farm
ington. The difference in favor of the
latter named article will be between
two and three pounds to the cubic foot
IT is blue-gray in color and very fine in
the grain.
] The writer has also heard of q forma-
| ton in township 33, north, of range
east, which is said to be almost black
in color, and very fine in texture; but
he has not seen any specimens Of it.
Perhaps it is an advance beyond even
the Knob Lick formation.
There is a connection existing some
how between the granite and kaoIin
formations of our country. All Through
tile kaolin formation. noduies of pure
granite are found; aut whether granite
is crystalized kaolin. Or kaolin is de-
composed granite, is the puzzle. A
similar connection exists between man
ganese and blue speeular iron ore, be-
ing similar puzzle.
But it was stated some time ago, that
in 1868 Messrs. Brown and Schneider
leased the quarry at Graniteville, and
carried on the work in o sms II way,
supplying some stone for the State
House at Springfield. Illinois, and more
| for the st. Louis bridge, and some to
private parties.
But it was day of small things, un-
til 1873, when the United States gave q
contract for the stone for the basement
and endorsement Of the Custom House
at st. Louis, Mo-; and for some materi-
ais for the Custom House at Cincinnati
ii, Ohio.
But the question will arise. # the
; material at Graniteville is inferior in
quality to that found at another place
equally accessible from st. Louis, how
did the contract come to Graniteville?
Fvyr 80