IRON ORES.
Though this subject also belongs appropriately to another part of this book, we feel justified in noticing it here, since this region is a terra incog nita to the iron-master.
Two prominent seams of iron ore exist,—one as shown by figure 124, on its proper geological level over B, as found and worked at Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, and which exist in variable quality and quantity wherever this seam of coal exists. In some places it is rich and productive, while in others it is lean and worthless. Here, however, it appears at the surface as a brown oxide of great richness, yielding 60 per cent. of metal in the furnace ; but the bed is naturally a calcareous ore, where not oxidized, yielding here from 40 to 45 per cent. of metallic iron. Its size is from 3 to 4 feet when in its best condition, accompanied, however, by leaner shales or argillaceous ores. The second seam of ore is generally argillaceous and not very rich. Its proper position is between E and D, and near the Free port or Curlew limestone, which underlies the lower bench or bed of E. In the anthracite regions imme diately underlies the Mammoth; but, as we have several times stated, the Mammoth divides, in its westward spread, and forms several seams in the bituminous regions.
Figure 123 represents the general form or topo graphy of the valley from Elk River on the north, at a, to Coal River on the south, at c. While this is a transverse section of the valley, it is through a longi tudinal portion of the Great Alleghany coal-field. The figure gives an approximate representation of the main strata; but a more comprehensive and systematic detail is given in figure 124 of the coal measures. But in vertical section, figure 189, under the head of Petro leum, will be found the order of succession in which the oil, salt, and coal exist in this valley.
In figure 124 we give the approximate places of the coal-seams, iron ores, and principal limestones. It will be found to differ slightly from the generalized section representing the coal measures of the Alleghany field, but the difference simply exists in a greater num ber of seams, or the enlargement of seams which are generally too small to be enumerated.
In figure 124 the letter C represents cannel coal, L limestone, and S Mahoning sandstone. The dotted lines represent iron ore. The distances are approxi mate from seam to seam, but the general position of the principal seams is very near their proper geological horizon ; while the limestones, iron ores, and sand stones identify them with their cotemporaries in other sections.
G, or the Pittsburg seam, does not exist on the river hills, as may be seen in figure 123, but is found on the higher mountains back from the river. This seam is smaller than our representation makes it, and seldom produces over four or five feet of merchantable coal in this region. E is a
double bed, divided by about twelve inches of fire-clay, and B is also some times found divided in the same manner by fire-clay. Its size is less, generally, than that of E, and more variable, ranging from 4 to 10, and sometimes even 20, feet in thickness. But when such great enlargements take place, several of the smaller accompanying seams are merged in the main body, or only separated by comparatively thin slates or fire-clay part ings. When this seam is in its best condition, it is very productive and worked with much economy. With rare exceptions, it is the best furnace coal in the Alleghany field, and whether worked for such a purpose at Blossburg, or Johnstown in Pennsylvania, or elsewhere, it always produces a hard, dense coal in which the carbon predominates. But here, accord ing to a natural law which we have before described and accounted for, the coal of all the seams contains more bitumen, and consequently less carbon, than at the localities named, or, in fact, any point east and north. Some of the small seams between B and E also produce good furnace coals. But their quality for such purpose seems to increase towards the head of the Kanawha, or above Gauley, since the carbon increases and the bitumen decreases in that direction, but, we must say, to sonic extent at the expense of purity. There are but few places, if any, where the coal of the Alle ghanies is better in quality and quantity than in a line, with the section given in figure 123.
The cannel coal-seams are marked on the side of figure 124 C, and are not enumerated, as the common bituminous seams are, alphabetically, because we find no equivalent for these cannel seams in the anthracite regions to which our nomenclature applies particularly.
We are not certain, however, that this conclusion is correct. The first regular cannel seam is found above B, and cannot be a "split" of that seam, since the fossiliferous limestone and calcareous ore intervene. It may possibly be identical with C; and the small seams found above it, and that which we have designated as C in figure 124, may be mere enlarge ments of the numerous coal-strata, which are too insignificant to obtain attention in other localities. But whether the cannel coal between B and C be part of C, or a peculiar production of the bituminous regions, it does not invalidate our identification of the principal seams, since they occur in such systematic order and are accompanied by such unmistakable associates that their peculiar characteristics are always prominent.
In order to present some of the advantages of the Great Kanawha Valley as a mining and manufacturing locality, and its availabilities for trade and transportation, we give a small map of the Great Kanawha Valley and its resources of iron ores.