THIRDLY, THE CUMBERLAND IRON REGION.
37 lines✦
7. While examining the coalnstrata of Cumberland Mountain, inAnderson, Morgan, Campbell, Scott, etc., the pleasure was afforded us of discovering Yftliiable deposdta of an iron^ore not before observed,BO fax as we are informed, in Tennessee* It k the <cla^ irofirst&ne ; litappearance, and in composition, quite different from those at pretentworked within the State. . It is an impure carbonate of iron. An analysis before ns, by Pro^feasor Rogers, of one of the best specimens fonnd in Fennsylyania, is,in 100 parts of ore,* Protoxyd of Iron, ; 63.03 Carbonio Aoid, 85.17 Lime, »... 8.83 Magnesia, ^... 1.77 SiUca, 1.40 Alumina, 0.63 Peroxydof Iron, «.... 0.28 Bitumen, 8.03 Waier,... , 1.41 100.00 Throwing it into another form, we have, in 100 parts, MetalUc Iron, 41.25 Oxygen of the Protoxyd aboTe, 11.78 Carbonic Acid , 85.17 Impurities a&d Water, >4.»........ 11.80 100.00 The best ores, therefore, contain a little more than 40 per cent, ofpnre iron; practically they yield 30 or 33 — sometimes, however,approaching 40. This ore occurs in nodules and balls, or in flattened Concretions,disposed in layers, and interstratified with the shales of the coal-measures. These balls, or concretions, run up in size from smallpebbles to masses weighing a ton or more. 78. The clay iron-stones are generally considered a variety of thecrystalline carbonate of iron called spathic or nparry iron. Thoughnot as rich as some ores, they are, nevertheless, highly valued onaccount of their association with stone-coal. * Taken from Overman's Manufacture of Iron, p. 80.
✦