The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-06-28

& NOC S0eu covered Win IaQQSilueS-- Az
5. Llgnltlc sands, lig nitized sticks, and
leaves. dark gray SO
4. Illuminated gray sand, no clay, no
leaves, no Ignite 100
5. Shay clay 1920
g. Landslides and talus, of which
lower 20 feet has some washes to
show it merely mass of detritus 100
$50
The bed of limonite indicated in
the above section resembles in text
ure and lamination the compact ore
seen at Rusk, Cherokee county. Both
are lacustrine deposits. but the ore of
the Gilmer field was probably formed
at much later date than that of
Cherokee county. At Rusk erosion
has removed the strata from about
the old lake bed and left it elevat-
ed on the hill-tops. At the Gilmer
field and elsewhere throughout the
region in which like ores were formed
the depressions which held the ponds
still exist and the manner of forma-
ton of the ores is readily recognized.
We may also trace the genesis of the
Gilmer field ore by its variation in
quality in different layers: on top is
quartzite scarcely colored by iron;
beneath this a sandstone cemented
by ferric oxide. followed by sand
stone with streaks of hmonite; then
alight porous limonite which incloses
innumerable sticks and leaves; and at
the bottom the heavy compact ore,
two to three feet thick. This lami-
nation is what we might expect in
lacustrine deposit, as was stated in
discussing the varieties of iron ore
A piece of the heavy brown ore was
analysed and yielded the following
result:
ANALYSIS OF IRON ORE FROM GILMER FIELD,
PHELPS LAKE.
Per cent
Silica and sand Observation-Disclosures. I2l5
Phosphorus. o.
Sulphur. Observation-Disclosures. 0S
Iron NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1897
The field in which this ore was
found is spot of red land three
fourths of mile long by less than
one half mile wide; it is probably
only part of the original site of the
pond in which the ore was deposited.
Similar ores occur in beds which have
no connection with this one, nor with
one another on Sections 6 and 7, Z.
22 N, r. ID W., and at Mr.: Keller's,
on Manderville branch, on Sections
% and q, T. % N, r. Ii w.
Hills of detrital material rise high
above all these deposits and the mas
sive sand beds resemble the true
Orange Sand more closely than is
generally the case in Louisiana.
Eastward and northeast from
Phelps lake compact limonite occurs
in various places in small bodies
One or two may be mentioned: the
W. ! of the SW. ! of Sec. %, T. 33
n. r. ID W., and Sec. "a, t. % N,
r. Ii W., at Major Wyche's. Near
his house, on a much lower point
hypsometrically, some god poot ore
was found.
In the vicinity of Red Land, which
takes its name from the characteristic
soil, there is much compact limonite,
like that at Phelps lake. 1t was seen
in the NV. of the Sc. / of Section
%, T. % n, r. II W., and elsewhere
in the same section, and also in Sec
tiou 20 of same township and range.
These are superficial outcroppings,
showing that the whole is repetition
on larger scale of the occurrences
at the Gilmer field, on Phelps lake.
At one Of the lowest points of the
development (SW. I of SW. ! of Sec
20, 7 % n, r. II W. a little ocher-
Gus hydrated ore was found, with
casts of shells.
Limonite occurs at various locali-
ties between Red Land and Rocky
Mount, but nowhere in sufficient
quantity to be of great Importance.
A sandy, ferruginous rock was seen
at Bixler's, Section 26, T. % n, r.
IL w, and at Sanders Nursery, SEQ.
Is, same township. 1t contains casts
| VI SldlOoLhO AOooAlo, duo Sualho tOCoD
were obtained from the "black dirt
in Bixler's we'll. At Mr.. Curry's, in
Sec. 30, I. % n, r. - W., nodulal
lfmonite of good quality, but of mod.
crate development, was reen.
Rocky Mount derives its name
from tbs rocks of ferruginos sand
stone which flank the red lands, be
ginning near that village. This is thu
most southern development of this
particular series of the red lands o
Bossier parish between Bodcau bayor
and Red river, extending some q
miles north and northwest, with
width of six miles, interrupted, how
ever, by areas of deep Orange Sand
) The ore at Rocky Mount is of tn
type seen in the Gilmer field, o.
} Phelps lake. An occurrence of it ma
be seen in a cellar six feet deep unde
) Hughes storehouse. The clay is
/ deep red and pretty firm, containing
coxoxol 1oyore IS f,,,op,&o ~ %b1