Year: 1872

The Iron Deposits of Alabama.


A correspondent writes to a Gin
cinnati paper concerning the iron
deposits of Alabama as follows:


This great bed of ore is in close
proximity to the Cahawba coal fields,
and both are crossed and cut through
by the new railroads. Some ten
miles south Of here the road enters
these coal fields, and within q dis
tance of two miles the road Is cut
! through the out-oropping edges Of
twelve or fourteen seams of coal,
varying from two to FIVE feet in
thickness. At this point the CahaW-
ba River is crossed, which flows
along the basin formed by the syn
cIinal position of the strata on either
side, and most of the seams of coal
that are crossed on the south side Of
the river re-appear at the surface on
the north side. So that within four
or five miles along this portion of
the road there have been already de-
Yeloped at the surface some fifteen or
twenty workable seams of excellent
coal, the aggregate thickness of
which is estimated to extend fifty
feet. The width of this coal field at
the point crossed by the railroad is
near twelve miles, which Is about
the average. The seams of coal
found along the line Of the road have
been observed, SO far as explorations
have been made, TO occur with great
regularity throughout the entire
length. The western portion of the
coal field has not yet afforded indi-
cations of the existence of workable
seams, although the rocks are inter
stratifed with thin deposits of coal
until the underlying beds of the Up
per Silurian are reached.


These form n range of hills known
as Red Mountain, before mentioned,
and which we visited yesterday.
This immense deposit of red fossilif-
erous hemitate extends from q point
twenty miles southwest of here to
the northern extremity of the State,
q distance of near hundred and fif-
ty miles. This bed of ore, which is
pronounced by judges to be the most
remarkable IN extent in this country,
is over twenty feet in thickness, and
affords practical yield In the blast
furnace of over fifty per cent. ofirOn.
The iron made from it in the cold
blast charcoal furnace, now in oper-
alton below here, proves finely adapt
ed to the manufacture of car wheels,
guns, and all castings requiring great
tenacity. The line of the new road
passes through a gap IN this noun
tain, and side cutting for the road
bed presents a fine exposure of the
ore, as before mentioned.


Coming from the south, the road
crosses the mountain at this gap
and enters Jones Valley, where re.
poses the fresh but promising city of
Birmingham. This valleyi s pictur-
esque to look upon, extending north
east and southeast farther than the
eve can reach. It seems to have
been formed by the upheaval of the
Lower Silurian limestones, IN a line
which is an extension of the Cum
berland range of she Alleghanies,
and which has broken in two the
everything strata and formed of them
the range Of hills which inclose the
valley on each side. The soil, being
largely derived from the limestone,
is fertile, and well adapted to clover
and the cereals, if the inhabitants
had the energy to properly cultivate.


Pursuing its way nOrthward from
Birmingham the road enters the
Warrior River coal-felds, which COW
er nearly the entire northwestern
part of the State, having an area of
nearly 5000 square miles. Imme-
diately after entering this immense
field, the road commences crossing
seams Of coal outcropping at the
surface, and rarely is there an exca-
vation that does not exhibit seams
of coal of greater or less thickness.
Before reaching the Warrior River
of which stream shall have more to
say Hereafter of coal are
crossed by the road, the aggregate
thickness of which is fully seventy
feet. The strata In this coal field Is
much less inclined than in the Ca
hawba, the inclination being about
80 degrees in the latter, and some 20
degrees in the former.


About twelve miles above this
place is a seam of carbonate of iron
which viii probably yield twenty-five
or forty per cent. of iron and is suit
able for admixture with the fossil
ore. 1t viii thus be seen that in
Jones Valley in a hitherto isolated
and neglected portion of Alabama,
all the material for iron manufacture
exists In close proximity, requiring
only some money and backbone to
develop it.