The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-01-24
COAL AND lkOS.

that of Eng Observation-Disclosures of Tons of
Iron per Acre on the Surface -Obtaina- |
BILE Without the Aid o:Pick or shovel
The following communication from the
pen of Professor Acob Boil, formerly cit
izen OF this city, but now deceased, was
published in the Galveston News two or
three years since,and is reproduced in these
columns now by request;
After the middle OF December of the
past year, set out, under Il contract with
Professor Cope, of Philadelphia, with one
man, one wagon and three horses, in order
TO make archaeological examinations in
Texas.
| took nOrthwestery direction as far as
the Little Wichita, which tributary OF the
Red river | examined along its whole
course from its mouth TO IT'S remotest
sources, together with all its right and left.
hand branches. After that | went to the
Big Wichita, and Travelled over all that re.
gion for about 100 miles, from the mouth OF
the river and along Its branches on both
sides.
The time which consumed in these re.
gions amounted TO over SIX months. The
result Of my Investigations surpassed, in
scientific aspects, all my expectations. |
animals, consisting Of petIiIled erns, fishes
and reptiles, but discovered now extinct
vegetable and animal world, hitherto
wholly unknown in America. 1t Is not
proper for Inc to.report moro on this sub
jeCt, and, instead, take OCCASION TO speak at
the region visited by me IN meteorological
aspect.
Although up TO date much Biological ana
mineralogical matter has been published
about these Regions, yet those inquiries
cannot be considered rs In the least suilici'
emily satisfactory, since no one before me
has discovered there any fossils, or sub
jected the minerals to an accurate anal ysis.
Fossils only ARE adequate TO decide deiin.
itely about the geological character OF
country. have supplied this last require
ment, and subjected the minerals 10 lnd.by
me to an analytical examination, both physi
cally and chemically qualitative.
According to these petriiiciti0ns, the
whole region spoken of belongs 10 the
transition period, and especially to the
pernian formation; both the lower and
the upper are therein apparent.
In meteorological view | have found
there th0fOllowing; A. Rocks--sandslon
as well as limestone, is abundantly dillused
and eminently suited Tor building pur
poses, both Oh ,oCunt OF their hardness al d
atiticatiop.
b. Metals--l. Iron ores; q, spar iron ore,
or sphmrQsiderite, pure and clayey; b.
brown iron ore; q, yellow iron ore, as bean
or lmonite d, henatitc and ironglancc, or
silcate Of iron.
9, Copper ores; II, malachte; b, copper
SIAnce; Z, azurite.
N''''',e ores; II, zincspath; b, zincblendc
rss< ore; as leadgiance.
49,. u ores, the pure and clavey
sp.S s2-sco,e appears mos. frequently.
ThGEs Ss.S ~ variegated clay strata, often
50 and GO feet thick, are almost always over
laid with sandstone or limestone; all iron
ores are contained in these clay deposits,
and laid in compact masses, . inches to =
feet thick, in more or less regular strata or
in pockets.
Brown iron ore is seldom deposited as
such in coy, bat appears mostly from
spnWrosiderile, exposed to the air aud
weather beaten. On tho other hand, yellow
iron ore is found bound together IN round
pieces, from the size of n pea TO that of Il
pigeon egg, abundant in some places, and
is then called bean ore. or u forms hard,
br wn-red, having masses, containing very
many animal remains, in which il is named
limonite.
Through the influence of succeeding geo
logical periods, the sandstone and limestone
covering the clay strata were in some places
destroyed; the SOFT clay laid bare was IN
the, course OF time by rain washed away,
and mus lhere were produced the valleys,
blutis, hollows and ravines' The heavy
masses oil IRON ores remained behind, aud
have by degrees so accumulated that
there are stretches a mile vide on which
hundreds Of tons Of iron ore can DO gather.
ed on the surface of one acre, without the
aid of shovel or pick, When the spnrosi-
derites are disintegrated ana washed
ont they 0'ten acquire the appearances OF
Stag, and nave therefore formerly been
taken Tor volcanic scora.
The IRON ore Oh the permiah period OF
northwestern texas Is unused over sur
lace when EXTENDS over more thah loO
miles IN length, ana over hity miles In
width: Inc Out'wnsheu ana cieansea mass
on the surface IS 80 large TINT " would SUI
iico TO supply the whoie united states with
iron Tor ten years,
Here must not omit 70 STATE mat the
iron yearly produced III England Is nine,
mostly from the permian formation, and
purihed.
Copper ore IS there often encountered, es'
peciaily US inalachlte ana cCpperslance; the
latter Is often mixed win coai, PARTICULARLY
when the petriued mass Is formed IRON
wood. however, l nave now mere seen
these ores IN inexhaust,oie quantities !
iounu tnem most aounuAht on ihe
lands OF thc Texas copper Mimi.
ana Manu,acturlng company, zinc, IN lhe
form Oh Alnespar anu Nnoo'enu eiists ~
some places, .here " aiso iron ore'espesla'iy
srmr9siderlte, containing h'nc, Lead IS
iouhu spa,,ngly ,n!ec,eu IN sp"roSueri'c
ana very nnrn gay masses, , i,
navc hvwn.,eyJs ,oH hn, v ,S uepos a ~ !.
oordered ON mo who,e south SIDE by the
genuine o9ai lormaton, when covers the
ia.ser ~ ANNOY. .ne eh i en.sm, ,.
| ovsl iave,s wv W e'snn ,ec. ,u n GONE
20 ,ne sur.ave some ",, MI, om iron, 'ht
ooudy "e s, ~ " 10Y. ws m s', rsaeh u,
-. A., Ia.,,s 80. a.. -. ~ ~.
~, i'. , 80. w "NfNS"''" 'e'