The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1902-05-10
CHALK OF SOUTHWESTERN ARK
ANSAS.
Notes on Its Adsptabillty to Hydraulic
Cement Manufacture.

Notes on Its AdsptsbilIty to Hydraulic
Cement Manufacture.
The chalk and chalk-msrl deposits Of
Southwestern Arkansas, said Mr.. Joseph
A A. Taft in Part III of the twenty-second
annual report of the United States
Geological Survey, now in press, were
FIRST described by Mr., Robt. 7. Hill IN
the annual report of the Geological
Survey of Arkansas for 1888. In which
volume Dr.. j. Z. Branner. then state
geologist Of Arkansas. briefly described
the manufacture of Portland cement
and showed that the chalk deposits
compared fsvorsbly with the best Eng
lish chalk as Portland cement materials.
The publication of the Arkansas Survey
called attention to these chalk deposits
and as 4 result an extensive Portland
cement plant was established at White.
cliffs. This development caused greater
interest in the Arkansas chalk deposits,
creating further demand for informs-
ton.
The chalk deposits Of southwestern
Arkansas occur in low rolling plain
from the vicinity Of Rocky Comfort,
about so miles from the state line,
northeastward towards Arkadelphia
1t is the northesstward part of the great
chalk formation which extends from
central Texas into Arkansas. The purer
chalk outcrops in three separate areas,
az at Rocky Comfort 10 Little River
county, (2) Whiteclitfs in Little River
and Sewer counties, and (3) eastward
from Saline Landing in Howard and
Hampstead counties. The chalk in
these areas balongs to the same forma'
ton and are separated by later deposits
Of gravel and sand.
The pure chalk formation has vari'
able thickness from more than 100 feet
In the western part of the area to thin
ner deposits in the eastern part. 1t oc.
ours In the midst of fine chalky and
clay marls into which it grades with
gradual change. Throughout its oc'
currence 1t Is we'll exposed and suitably
located for exploitation. The Rocky
Comfort chalk lies within one mile OF
the Arkansas & Choctaw railroad. which
extends westward from the main line Of
tUt hHHsHS WY Coutuci y ~ 3houuown
The White Cliffs chalk outcrops In cliffs
and bluffs above Little River, where it
is we'll and conveniently exposed for
use in the manufacture of cement near
the cement works. A branch road con-
meets the Whitecliffs deposits with the
main line of the Kansas City Southern
railroad ut Wilton. The Saline Land.
ing area lies between the Arkansas and
Louisiana and West Saline river and
ten miles from the main line Of the st.
Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern rail
road. The chalk at Saline Landing is
at the head Of navigation for small
steamers on the Saline river and is sep
arated from the chalk at Whitecliffs by
a space of about l-2 miles.
Lying above the pure chalk OF the
Whitecliffs formation and separated
from 1t by nearly 200 feet of marls,
there Is q formation Of chalk-marl
known rs the Saratoga chalk-marl
This formation occurs in three separate
areas, one extending from the vicinity
OF Saline Landing northeastward be.
yond Washington, another in the region
Of Oklahoma. and third in the Deeper
creek valleys near Arkadelphi8. This
chalk.marl formation resembles closely
the lower and more sandy portion of
the Whitecliffs chalk. This formation
continues throughout Its known occur
renee with little variation In thickness
of abont 40 feet,
Mr.. Taff's report discusses briefly the
nature Of natural and Portland dement's
and their methods of manufacture, Civ.
Ing analyses Of both natural and Port.
land cements, also of the various chalks,
marls and clays In the Arkansas region,
which show that q considerable part OF
the chalk deposits In Arkansas approach
very closely in composition TO natural
and Portland cement limestones which
have been utilized IN France and In the
eastern part Of the United States. A
large part Of the chalk. however, Ia
shown to rival the purest chalks In
England which have been used In the
manufacture Of the highest grades Of
Portland cement. To the pure chalk
for Portland cement 1t Is necessary TO
add clays or narls carrying a large per-
centage of clay. Clays of the very best
RTNut are IOUUu III tne VcTllHTy uep'sItS
lying immediately south Of this region
and further east along the st, Louis,
Iron Mountain g Southern railroad tow.
ard Little Rock. The fine textured
marls which occur here associated with
the chalks are shown by their analyses
TO contain clays adequate when mixed
with the chalk 10 produce proper com.
bination for high grade Of Portland
cement, II Is evident that there Is
sufficient chalk and mari in the Arkan,
sas region to produce an unlimited
amount OF Portland cement,
The nearest Portland cement manu-.
factories occur In north Texas and
Kansas, leaving the whole region Of
Indian Territory, Oklahoma, Arkansas,
q large part OF Louisiana, and other
Southern states east of the Mississippi,
which could be supplied with little
competition by the Arkansas dement's,
Transportation north and south is direct
by the Kansas City Southern, northeast
and southwest by the st. Louis and Iron
Mountain, and east and west by the
Choctaw, Oklahoma Il Gulf and the
a IL. a A.