Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-12


Engineering WORLDLY
This region Ia In northwestern New
Mexico, bounded on the north by the
north slope of tho Jemez mountains.
ON the southwest by the Rio Puerco.
and on the southeast by the Sandia
mountains Near its south limit Is the
city Of albuquerque; IN the Jemes
mountain district is the indian village
OF Jemez.
Besides the minerals described
hereafter this section abounds in an
unlimited supply Of sand, gravel. clay
building stone. fire-clay, clay shales.
cement shales. marls. iron ore. gyp-
sum, lime, rock, mineral springs salt,
etc.
Copper.
Copper is found IN the Jemez uplift
principally To the west OF the Naci.
miento mountains. II occurs In A sort
Of loose cOnglumeratc In blanket for
nation In the lower Permian (and also
IN the Trias 90. II also often occurs
In the form OF pelrfled wood. The
trees of IT, II has been mined az Cop
per City west OF the mountains. az
mine. nc Senorita and at Cuba; but
all these mines have been abandoned.
The copper examined was nearly
pure carbonate, though other yariiies
are 10 be found In the region. Better
prospecting likely, would prOuuce a
paying industry.
Gold.
Both the Jemez and Sandia noun
talns are crossed and re-crOssed In
all directions by quartz veins carry.
ing gold. Some In the Sandals are
being worked.
Placer Mining.
Placer mining has been carried on
In the Placiias- TETON region. but on
account OF the lack or water, u has
not been a paying undertaking. BY
the dry-washer process, men how
ever have been able 10 make 81 per
day. The gold here Ia In a gravel con.
oenirate al the north terminus OF tho
Sandals.
Coal
The Jemez Series.-The Gallup Du-
range coal formation. now known as
the Mesayerde formation has an al
most continuous exposure from the
vicinity OF the Rio Chama north or
the Jemez mountains, all the way
around 10 the west front OF the Ma
cimiento range, and around to the
southeast of Mesa Blanca. the most
southern outlier OF the Jemez-Naci-
mientO mountains. The Nacimiento
sawiOOth crest, extends in a north and
south direction from Gallina TO Mesa
Blanca, near San YsldrO, distance
OF 35 miles, ranging from 5000 10
5000 feet in elevation Along the
west side of these mountains the sedi-
meniary strata are nearly vertical and
considerably crushed and faulted
Owing "a the steep dip on that side OF
the uplift the PaleOzoic desconds into
n deep basin filled with a great thigk-
MISS Of CretaCeOus and Tertiary
rocks, which reach nearly 20 the foot
OF the mountains. II Is in the Mesa
verde division OF the Cretaceous here
that the most OF the coal Is found.
though some coal Is found both ina the
Maneos and Lewis co division The
Mesoverde division was called Fort
Union beds By the writer when de-
scriblng the geology Of the region IN
1902.
The coal formation Is about 500 feet
In thickness n shows psed0m.,
nance ~ soft. yellow sandstone. inter-
bedded with clays and sandy shaies.
They contain beds OF brown coal
which are freely exposed IN the per-
lpendicular walls OF the u.esas 4 six
foot vein of coal Is being worked
near SenOrita .'hs caal seams south
OF Mesa BlanCO. nrar san YsilrD are
from two TO - feet In thickness AM
10 the west of Mesa nlancO, alung the
great north and south fault, 20 feet
OF coal "a exposed Ia one view. In
examining these fields Il was observed
that In many instances the strata had
been destroyed boy Ere: and, the coat
bling burned out. the roofs had caved
Ia by u succession OF faulting Or had
collapsed under pressure, That the
/ destroying agent Was fire Is atiested
not only by the clay accompanying thg
aeams being transformed into form
resembling burued brick. but also ny
masses OF Stag composed OF sillCates