The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-06
s011TH CAROLINA RESOURCES
Annual Report of State Geologist-
EariedMineral Wealth Being
Explored-Valuable New
Finds.

has filed with the governor his re-
port for the year 1904 The report is
technical in its nature but contains
much interesting matter. Two months
were devoted to the exploration OF
territory adjacent to certain coastal
rivers not heretofore fully treated.
"There in connection with interest
ing deposits OF economic value,
writes Mr.. Sloan. Il discovered two
formations. the equivalents OF which
have been recognized in but few To-
cahties in the United States These
are marls, one OF the oligocene period
and the eoccnc Period. The former
is on the Savannah, river and the latter
on the Black at its confluence with
the Black Mingo.
The most promising work, how
ever" writes Mr.. Sloan, ''consistcd in
the discovery of phosphate rock in
the form OF phosphatized mari, torn
from the bed Of the ocean by the
waves and stranded along the beach
of Horny county, He says that this
shows 81 per cent. Of calclc potash
and the powders are large. He
thinks there are large quantities on
the narrow strip OF land between the
Waccamaw river and the ocean,
northeast of Conway.
In this same region he found a
compact, peaty formation about 2S
inches thick which contains little
more than 3 per cent. Of ammonia.
eff expected Developments disclose
this peat in good quantity, it should
afford a valuable neighborhood ferti-
lizer, representing an ammonia value
of $50 per ton. i, addition it would
be humus for sandy soils"
Mr.. Sloan continues hat from
July to December his field work had
been confined to Piedmont counties
along a more or less consistent geo.
logical zone-Oconee, Anderson,
Pickens, Abbeville, Laurens, Union,
Spartanburg, Cherokee, York and a
part of Greenvil!e He studied the
highly important tin deposits of Cher
okee county, which, he says, "constl-
tutes the most valuable tin area yet
discovered in the United States" He
found heretofore unnoted localities
where there are valuable formations
of limestone, marble and feldspar.
There has been marked increase Of
interest in the gold mining industry
and the following are now active pro-
ducers: Halle of Lancaster; Brewer
of Chesterfield; Ferguson OF York;
Ophir OF Union; Schlegcnitch Of
York: Magnolia OF York; and the
Calais and Douglass OF Abbevillc. Will
soon be started Up. Mr.. Sloan states
that cyanide plant was started at
one of the York mines and has de-
mons,rated its capacity to treat good
sulphurets, This will stimulate the
development Of number OF proper
ties in the Piedmont which heretofore
have resisted successful treatment.
While examining the formations in
the Piedmont country he studied
other extensive deposits OF mineral
ores, such as monazite. zircon. corrln-
dunn, asbestos, graphite, mica, abrasine
garnet, superior iron ores, pyritcs,
manganese, barytes, clays and st7uc-
tural stone. all OF which will be dis
cussed in volume nearly ready for
the press; "A catalogue Of the min
eral localities of South Carolina"
He declares that great interest hcs
been manifested in the monograph on
the clays of South Carolina. pub-
lication presented to the Legislature
last year.
Mr.. Sloan explains that there is not
time for him to make quantitative All
aiyses Of minerals submitted by in
iividuals although he does so when
ever the requests come from the par
ticular zone in which he is working.
He has no assistance other state
geologists have. Mr.. Sloan explains
that he was called into consultation