, 1890-11-13
Recent Discovery in the
Ozark Mountains
SUPERIOR TO MEXICAN STONE
The Only Quarr.es Known Pre-
viously on the Habitable Globe
We're in Mexico.
[st. Louis Globe- pemocrat.l

io"'i'SS VI tle HUoi'hoio Biopc-
those in the state of Puebla, Mexico,
which, since the failure Of the quar-
ries at Oberstein, Germany. supplied
the world with this beautiful dec
orative material. Some centuries
ago the quarrles in Arabia, whence
King solomon drew his supply of
onyx for the decoration of the in
terror of his temple, and where an
cient Rome and Greece procured
their stone for the adorninent Of
their palaces and the homes of the
patricians, had become exhausted,
and with the working out of the
veins at Oberstein, Germany, IL was
supposed that Mexico possessed the
only quarries of this rich and rare
stone. Recent explorations In the
Ozark mountains show that such
was not the case, as two caverns
have been found literally filed from
floor to dome with this beautiful
material, as we'll as hillside de-
posit from which the walls and roof
of the cavern have been gradually
washed away by the action of the
elements.
The credit of this discovery lies
with Mr.. Horace f.. Rood, of this
city, who owns the entire tract, en-
bracing 500 acres, who became i'm
bued with the idea that the Ozark
range, so rich In mineral, also con-
tanned onyx, If 1t could but be un-
earthed. Acting upon this belief,
Mr.. Rood, since early in the sum
mer, has had mincralogists and as
sistants at work in Crawford county
to verify his theory, If possible.
That the result OF their search was
emiuently successful is shown by
the fact that in that county, near
the banks Of the Meramec, and
within seventy miles of st. Louis,
vast and practically ineXhaustibie
deposits of onyx have beeh found.
The importance Of this discovery
will be appreciated when 1t is stated
that onyx sells at from So to SO per
cubic foot, and even then has to be
purchased on speculation, as there
are no surface indications to show
whether block Is without a flaw
Or not.
The onyx in the first cavern dis
covered il of q superior grade, beau
tifully colored, striped or banded,
and is highly translucent. 1t is
found mostly in the form of couches
or wide, thick layers, and can be
easily quarried. 1T takes on n glass
like polish, and in beauty of color
ing and wave lines is in many re-
spects superior to that found in
Mexico. This cave Is easy of access.
the entrance large, and the stone
can be placed on the market at IA
slight cost. The deposits found in
the second cavern are much larger
in extent than are those found in
the first, cave, and Of even higher
grade. 1t is unquestionably the
largest and finest body of onyx ever
discovered. 1t is found chiefly in
huge blocks or benches on and
ugains: the walls OF the beautiful
grotto, extending outward and up
ward along the walls for many feet.
This cavern, in addition to the
benches aforesaid. is also studded
with stalactites and stalagmites of
solid onyx, from O few inches in
diameter to that of many feet. The
stone here runs in color from a clear,
translucent white to q deep, rich
chocolate. The cavern has been ex-
plored for fully mile without
reaching its limit, and is IA solid
mass of ONYX of variegated hues its
entire length.
About Il quarter of a mile from the
entrance to this cavern second and
smaller cave branches of west
wardly for distance of half IA mile.
This, too, is filled with blocks of
onyx of superior quality. These
are In lodges, in many places feet
thick, 10 in width and about 80 in
length. The rear part of this smaller
cave or chamber Is filed from floor
to roof with translucent blocks of
this beautiful decorative material,
and how much further IL extends
into the hill has not yet been deter
mined, nor can 1t be until the onyx
| in sight has been removed, which
will require the work OF years. The
floors of these two caves seem to be
composed of the same material as
the walls and roof. But little de-
velopment work has been done here,
only enough to show the quality of
the stone. 1t is proposed, however,
to commence quarrying early in the
spring.
In the second cavern hundreds of
thousands of tons OF onyx are in
sight, in some places towering up i'm
gigantic masses not unlike the bluffs
on river banks. These columns or
or bluffs range from 80 to 100 feet in
height, 20 to 40 feet thick and nearly
100 feet length. The onyx in this
cavern alone is amply sufficient to
supply the markets Of the world for
century.
The third, or hillside deposit, is
u peculiar formation, and has been
developed enough toshow that here,
too, the supply is practically mex
huustible. five men having taken
thercirom in one week l40 tons of
superior grade onyx varying In size
from that of u mans head to blocks
eight and ten feet long, while many
larger pieces were uncovered. The
quality of the deposits here Is of a
superior grade, equal to the choicest
discoveries in either OF the caverns
above mentioned. The process of
erosion or crumbling away can be
plainly seen here at all points, show
ing that at one time this vast de-
posit was also inclosed In a cavern
from which the walls and roof have
4 l.. 4 -. q IA