The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-25
ALABAMA HOLDS
THE THIRD PLACE
Is One of the Leading Iron Pro-
ducing States
THE BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT
United States Geological Survey Is
sues a Statement Of Interest
on The Mineral Wealth of
Alabama.
THE BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT

washington, March 24.-(Special)- )-Since
1894 Alabama has held third place among
the iron producing states, according to
a statement issued by the United states
geological survey today.
AS the Birmingham district produced
in 1905, 2,561, ,264 tons of red hematlte' OF
S6.7 per cent of the total tonnage OIL 'lie
state. particular interest attaches 10
study of the Clinton, or red ores OF -ene
district. which Mr.. Ernest F. Burchafd
of the United States geological survey
carried on last summer.
Nv the Birmingham district is meant
the area from which the furnaces at
birmingham, Ensley and Bessemer derive
their iron ores 1t is comprised WITHIN the
southeast half of the Birmingham thirtS-
minute quadrangle, together Win u'e
northwest quarter of the Bessemer GUARD
rangle. and the northeast quarter OF the
Brookwood quadrangle.
The city of Birmingham and lts SUD
urbs are built in the heart of the valley
region of Alabama This Valiey iesiot'
lies between the Cahaba coal neio on liio
southeast and the Warrior coal nelo on
the northwest. Its rectilinear rloge anu
valley type of topography is strongly con-
trasted with the irregular, roughly us
sected topography of the coal fields.
= Tho birmingham valley, the largest anu
from, an Industrial standpoint the most
important of these valleys, has iehs.n
of nearly seventy-five miles, an aVeraso
width of more than six miles, and an
I'VE. of nearly 500 square miles. This
valley Is divided into minor valleys ny
low ridges.
Red Mountain.
Red mountain the main minor ridge
within the Birmingham valley, furnishes
nearly all the red ore smelted IN the
district. while the Woodstock area, IN the
soutl,vvest part of the valley, produces
The major part Of the brown ore. Cohliis
coal is mined in the Warrior coal iieiu
only a few miles distant from the Iur-
naces Dolomite and limestone snitaple
for flllxing occur in the valley ROCKS Us
low and above the red ore. only III lno
southeast Appalachian iron ore district is
tbere grouped such a series OF deposits
each member OF which IS more OF less
,,ependent upon tie others, Dut WHICH
when taken together form such inatcn-
less combination of raw materlais. iie
simnle. regular, topographic features ol
~ ,,si,ay have made accessible the ores
and stone at every point where they are
Of workable character, and enterprlsing
railroad companies have fast 1mproVeu
The opportunities for developing the re-
arIon. The only serious problem lnVoiveu
Nv the valley topography is that OF op-
taining a water supply adequate LOT man
,fact,,ring purposes. That there Will pe
no difficulty about this if another large
ooueduct is built from Cahaba river, IS
assured. -, a.,
outcrop acreas of the lockwood iorma.
Il11 amt q n
beer found Of sufficient thickness anu
,urity to be worked on an important
tcale The workability of the ore de-
,,eras largely upor the attitude of the
toclosing strata. The beds OF Red noun
lain dip southeastward at moderate an
giles. which are usually fairly constan.
for the distance of mile or more along
the strike.
Red Hemalitc.
The ores consist essentially or req
hematite. intimately mixed with varying
neroentases of lime and silica. Accord-
inc as the ore is high or low in lime 1t IS
.sr,,,ed .hard' or s.soft'' ore While the
soft ore carries higher percentage OF
iron. the hard ore has the advantage OF
containing almost enough or, IN places,
enough lime to flux the silica which II
contains
THE lockwood, or "Red mountain for
NATION in which the ores occur is ex-
:renely vars BILE in thickness and in the
details of it's stratigraphy. The presence
of beds of hematite somewhere within
the formation is. however, remarkable
.-o-s'stent feature. not only throughout
the whole length of the Appalachians, but
in rocks of equivalent age in Wisconsin
ard New Brunswick.
Mining conditions at present are doubt
less at their most favorable stage. In the
summer of 1906 there were no less than
thirty-three mines actively producing rcd
ore in the district, besides seven or eight
workings which have been inactive since
the soft ore was exhausted from them.
In July, 1906, the deepest slope in Red
mountain was reported to be 21Oo feet
long No deterioration in either quality
or thickness of the hard ore in the direc-
ton of dip has yet been disclosed by the
deeper slopes. This is an encouraging
fact in so far as it can be used as a
measure of the ore ahead of shorter
slopes.