The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1906-10-17
work Carried on in zoos BY the United
States and Virginia Geological
Surveys.

iron ores of Virginia. This
work was placed in charge of
F. c. Espell. who also did most
Of the actual field work on the
Oriskany and Clinton ores,
while r. J. Holden, of the Nir-
ginia survey. did all the work
on the New River Cripple Greek
brown ores and spent some time
in the Oriskany district. J :
Gratsv carried out a real map
ping in the Orisk-ny district,
covering a few small areas left
unmapped by Professor II. ID.
Campbell, who in previous years
and largely at his own expense,
has made detailed maps of most
Of this region.
Detailed reports on the work
above mentioned are now in
preparation and bulletins on
the iron ores of Virginia will be
issued Independently by the
Federal and State geological
surveys as the field work in the
different districts is completed.
Iron Ores Of yirgiuls,
Considered from either an in.
dustrial or geologic viewpoint,
the iron ores Of Virginia fall
into six groups.
]. Magnetites and specular
hematites Of the Blue Ridge and
Piedmont districts.
II. Red hematites Clinton
ores, If ossil ores" "oolitic
ores'0 Of the foothills of the
Allegheny Mountain.
III. Brown hematites lOris-
kany ores) OF the Goshen-LOng-
dale LowmOor-Oris k kany dis
trict, mostly in Augusta, Bath,
Botetout, Allegheny and Craig
counties.
~. Brown hematites of the
New River Cripple Greek dis
trict. mostly in Wythe and Pu-
laski counties.
" Brown hematites of the
Roanoke, Shenandoah and Page
Valleys.
VI Brown hematites ("gos-
san ores of Carroll and Floyd
counties.
Ore Reserves and iron Production.
The most strik ing fact
brought out by the work of last
year Is the small amount of
workable ore now in sight. Few
OF the furnaces are in an en-
tlrely satisfactory position as
CARDS ore reserves, while sew
eral have only d few years sup
ply available. Most of the brown
ore districts worked ten years
ago are now within measurable
distance of exhaustion and new
deposits are not being developed
rapidly enough TO otfeset the
drain on the older beds. Sew.
eral rich deposits of the Oris.
kany brown ore have been
opened within the last year OF
two, but elsewhere little OF
promise has been uncovered.
in the counties of Allegheny
Augusta, Rrockbridge, Bath
botetOurt and Craig, and TO {
less extent In the other areal
OF Central West Virginia, large
deposits of brown iron ore ar,
associated with certain beds Oi
the SIlurian rock. The deposits
are frequently overlain by the
OriSkany sandstone, and mos
Il Observers have considered tn,
ores TO be original deposits in
That formation has come int,
common use. Careful exami
nation, however, shows tha
the ores are requirements
mainly of the "Hildberg" o.
k Lewiston limestone, but also o
H the adjacent beds of the Oris
Kany. AS a matter of conven
q ience, the term Oriskany ore
B may be retained, though it i
k somewhat misleading.
3 In the face of such condition
as TO brown ore supply, it woul'
seem wise TO commence activ
and careful exploration of tn
olner two classes of ore knows
70 exist, in workable quantities
n the State. There are Cd tn
xlinton red or fossil ores G