The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-16

Floyd -Grayson Counties, traceable for
distance of eighteen miles, is the
most extensive one of the gossan leads
| 1t is quite variable in width, ranging
/ from few feet up To more than $50
feet The Eossan consist of light
brown or yellow limonite. which ex-
tends TO depth Of from ten TO sixty
feet and has been mined in many
| places.
OF the Appalachian Region.
The brown iron ores OF the Appa =
| lachian region. which include the
mountain valley or limestone and
I Oriskany ores. are commercially the
most important ores in Virginia The
| specular hcmatites of the Blue Ridge
are second in Importance. the Clinton
fossil ores third. and the remaining
| types are of minor Importance. These
types of ore are briefly described be-
| low.
Spccular hcmatite occurs in work
able quantity along the Blue Ridge in
hedford. Botctourt and Roanoke Coun-
ties. 1T occurs interbedded with lower
Cambrian Quartzite and shale. and is
! believed to be sedimcntary in origin
| The ore bed is OF variable thickness
and has been worked at eight local.
ties, as follows: "Thc Arcadia and
| Wood mines, about four miles south
east OF Buchanan; the Ironville and
on, Grubb-Spccular and Edith mines.
ABOUT three miles northwest OF Blue
Ridge Springs; and the Grifiin-S pecu
lar mine. about i've miles south of
! Roanoke. OF these. the Arcadia Wood.
Dewey and Edith mines are at present
/ IN operation The ore Is very slice.
GUS dark-rcd hcmatitc, in which the
iron content ranges from less than 90
per cent to 45 per cent, and the silica
content from 30 to 40 per cent
Fossil hcmatite. interbedded with
shale and sandstone Of the Clinton
| Rockwood) formation OF the Silurian
/ system, occurs in workable quantity in
Allegheny. Lee and Wise Counties. In
Ai!eElany County fossil ore has been
Mountain. three miles southeast Of Low
Moor, and in the bluft northeast of
jackson River, at Iron Gate. Only one
workable bed OF ore is known. which
averages less than two feet In thick
ness The ore mined is of the soft
variety. from which the calcium car
Donate has been removed BY surface
! waters. and IL carries &c to 81 per cent
! or metallic iron. According to Hayes
nearly 10000 tons Of fossil ore were
shipped in 1907 from mines in the Al
Ieghany County district
Where Ore IS Found.
In the Lee Wise Counties district OF
southwest Virginia, fossil hematitc ore
( is mined south OF Big stone Can. on
\ Walen Ridge. and in Powell Valley
/ ana southwest of Pennington Cap
along Poor Valley Ridge. The Weary,
/ irondalc, keystone and Oreton mines
have been opened south Of Big stone
cap, and the Pennington, Lavinc, Ben
/ Itur, Truro. Noes Siding, Grabill
. Boonc's path and Ewing mines arc
opened along Poor Valley Ridge. In
the Southwest Virginia District there
are three ore beds which have been
mined. ranging in thickness from six
ihches 10 two and "A half feet The
ores mined are chiefly OF the soft va
ticty ana arc OF lower grade than OF
me AileBhany County district
Inc mountain brown ores. SO called
ncctusc OF their occurrence along the
"aHhs or at the base Of a sandstone
or quart2itc ridge. extend along the
wcat Slope Of The Blue Ridge from neal
froht Royal In Warren County, to q
pp'nt south OF Roanoke. and along tho
c"sl sidc OF tho New River Cripple
'reck district. in Pulaski County, ane
4 1Iohs ana near the Wythe Carol
Countess boundary. The ore deposit,
"re associated with Cambr.an quartz
.te or its residual material, usual.
ne latter. show great variation II
!pIth ana texture, and range in iroI
,oHteht IRON 10 To 80 per cent and II
silica content from 10 to 30 per cent
WIN usually Nigh manganese ant
phosphorus. They are OF lower grad