The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1902-06-06
ARKANSA ) CHALK BEDS.
Interesting Result Of an Investigation
&. lnIf.d ..tASs.s (3x.0IoszisI

ARKANSAs CHALK BEDS
Interesting Result OF an Investigation b,
eOnit=d states Geologis..
The chalk and chalk-marl deposit,
OF Southwest Arkansas, said Mr.. JOS.
enh - Ian. in Dart Ill of the twenty
s. ''p:i.. annual report of the United
Stat >...., ~ survey. now in press
weIe -. cesc..i,ed by Mr.. Robert I
hill In The ANA. report of the geolog
lcal survey or A.i. ansas for 1888. il
which volume DR.. j. c. Branner. theD
state geOlOgist of Arkansas. briefly
described the manufacture of Portland
cement and showed that the chalk de.
posts compared favorably with the
best English chalk as Portland cement
materials. The publications of the
Arkansas survey called attention tc
these chalk deposits and as q resCi;
an extensive Portland cement plant
was established at Whitecliffs. Ihla
development caused greater interest ir
the Arkansas chalk deposits. creating
further demand for Information.
The chalk deposits off SouthwesterE
Arkansas occur in q low rolling plain
from the vicinity of Rocky Comfort.
about fifty miles from the state ilne.
northeastward toward Arkadelphia. II
is the nOrtheastward part of the great
chalk formation which extends from
Central Texas into Arkansas. The
purer chalk outcrops in three separate
areas. ID at Rocky Comfort. in Little
River county; (2). Whiteciiffs. in Lit
tie River and Sewer counties, and 81:
eastward from Saline Landing, In
Howard and Hampstead counties. The
chalk in these areas belong to the sane
same formation and are separated by
later deposits of gravel and sand.
The pure chalk formation has q vari-
able thickness from more than 100 feet
in tie Yves tern part OF the area to tn IN
deposits il the eastern part. 1t occurs
In the midst of fine chalky and clay
marls into which it grades with grad
ual change. Throughout its occurrence
1t Is well exposed and suitably located
for exploitation. The Rocky Comfort
chalk lies within one mile of the Ar
kansas and Choctaw railroad. which
extends westward from the main line
of the Kansas City Southern at Ash
down. The Whiteclif1s chalk outcrOpi
in cliffs and bluffs above Little rivel,
where it is well and conveniently ex-
posed for use in the manufacture Of
cement near the cement works. A
branch road connects the Whitecliffs
deposits with the main line of tha
Kansas City Southern railroad at vii
ton. The Saline Landing area lies be-
tween the Arkansas and Louisiana and
West Saline river. and ten miles from
the main line of the st. Louis, Iron
Mountain & Southern railroad. The
chalk at Saline Landing is at the head
Of navigation for small steamers on
the Saline river. and Is separated froai
the chalk at Whiteclins by a space of
about four and a half miles.
Lying above the pure chalk forma
ton of the Whitecliffs formation and
separated from it by nearly 700 feet OF
marls, there is q formation OF chalk
mari known as the saratoga CHALK
mari. This formation occurs in thee
separate areas, one extending from the
of Saline Landing northwest
ward and beyond Washington. another
the Deeper creek valleys near Arka-
This chalk-marl formation
resembles closely the lower and NO. e
sandy portion of the Whiteciins cnain.
..s ~. nation continues throughout
It's known occurrence with little varIa-
ton in thickness of about forty feet
MIR. Taff's report discusses briefly
the nature OF n-..i ID and Portland &C.
monts and tneir i..elnOds OF manuiaI-
ture, giving AM 49,. VI both naIdrai
and Portland cEu.>. i... also of tue
various chalks. nIa. d, and clayS in ihs
Arkansas region WITCH show that -
part .. ;ne chalk deposit
In Arkansas appu..,,. very closely l..
to n4,u.ai And POrIlaE''
cement iimeSlOne, w.iicl nave Deeh
utilized IN rfa.,c a..u IN the eaStelE
part of the UniLeL STATES. A large pal t
. IA c.alA, now, Il. is shown 70
rival the Durest ciialks in England
which nave been used in the manufac-
ture of the highest grades OF Portland
cement 10 the pure chalk for Port
land cement. 1t Is necessary to adt
clays or mArls carrying large peg.
c0ut6&0 Vi Gay. Ways Va tAS way WV
Grade are found In the territory de-
post lying Immediately south OF this
region anu further east along the St
Louis, Iron Mountain 4 Southern rail-
road toward Little Rock. The hne
textured marls which occur here assO-
ciated with the chalks are shown BY
their analysis to contain clays adequate
when mixed with the chalk to produce
\ proper combination for a high grade
Of Portland cement. 1t is evident thai
there is sufficient chalk and mari III
the Arkansas region to produce an I'M
limited amount of Portland cement.
The newest Portland cement manu-
factories occur in North Texas and
Kansas, leaving the whole region OF
Indian Territory. Oklahoma. Arkansas.
! large part of Louisiana. and other
Southern states east Of the Mississippi.
which could be supplied with little
ION. petition by the Arkansas ceraents.
north and south Is ci-
-ect by the Kansas City Southern.
northeast and southeast by the st.
Iouis & Iron Mountain. and east and
vest by the Choctaw. Oklahoma & QUIZ
nd the Momnhia n ChOctaW railroads.