USA > Indiana > The state of Indiana delineated: geographical, historial, statistical, and commercial, 1838 > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
172
a
38
602
a
Do. of Graham fork of Muscatatack,
Do.
of Big creek,. ..
Do. of middle fork of Big creek,.
Summit of ridge between Ohio and Muscatatack,.
High water mark of the Ohio at Madison, ...
IN INDIANA.
Do. of do. opposite Washington,.
Turman's creek at crossing of old Carlisle and Terre Haute road, ... Lebanon, on summit of ridge between Wabash and Bussero creek, ... Bussero creek-surface of low water, ...
Maria creek-surface of low water,. .
Wabash river at Vincennes, high water mark,.
299
31
b
165
b
399
a
308
b
40
b
174
b
390
309
b
41
b
175
b
389
a
216.37 b
51.63 a
82.37 b
481.63 a
251
b
17
a
117
447
a
337
b
69
b
203
b
361
a
Turnpike Survey from New-Albany to Vincennes.
Low water of Ohio at New-Albany,.
345
77
b
211
b
353
a
Court-house at New-Albany,. .
272
b
4
b
138
b
426
a
Summit between Big Blue river and west fork of White river, near Vandeveer's house, ..
208
A
476
a
312
a
906
a
Surface at Greenville,.
61
a
329
195
a
759
a
Do. at Fredericksburgh, ..
101
b
167
a
33
a
597
a
Paoli court-house, ..
99
b
169
a
35
a
599
a
271
b
3
b
137
b
427
a
White river, east fork, low water, ..
267
b
1
a
133
b
431
a
Mount Pleasant, . .
114
b
154
a
20
a
584
a
Washington, ... ..
206
b
62
a
72
b
492
a
White river, west fork, low water, ..
290
b
22
b
156
b
408
a
Do.
do. high water,. .
275
h
7
b
141
b
423
a
Summit of ridge between Wabash and west fork of White river, ..
145
b 123
a
11
b
553
a
52
b
68
a
66
b
498
a
293
b
25
b
159
b
405
a
308
b
40
b
174
b
390
8.
White river at mouth of Robb's Mill creek, high water mark,.
Patoka river -high water mark, 400 yds. west of Columbia mills,. Princeton, sill of court-house door,. .
Ridge, between head waters of Little Pigeon and those of Big creek, a tributary of the Wabash, (near Hornbrooks, Vanderburg county,) . High water mark at Evansville,.
233
bl
35
a
99
bị
465
a
Do. at Blue river, ..
129
b
139
a
5
8
569
Surface of Lost river at crossing of present road,.
TABLE OF ALTITUDES
200
Turnpike Survey from New-Albany to Crawfordsville.
Summit of knobs between New-Albany and Greenville, .. Do. of do. do. Greenville and Blue river, ..
202
a
470
a
336
a
900
a
Surface of branch of Blue river,. ..
31
b
237
a
103
a
667
Summit between branches of Blue river,.
255
a
523
a
389
a
953
a
Salem court-house, ..
35
a
303
a
169
a
733
a
Surface of branch of Blue river, ..
16
b
252
a
118
a
682
a
Surface of Blue river at Salem,.
9
a
277
A
143
a
707
a
Summit between Blue river at Salem, and waters of White river at Bono, ...
191
a
459
a
325
a
638
a
East fork of White river, surface of low water, ...
224
b
44
a
90
b
474
a
Leatherwood cr., surface low water, 100 yds. above Hempstead's mill, Guthrie's creek, surface low water, ...
202
b
66
68
b
496
a
231
b
37
a
97
b
467
8
18
b
250
8
116
a
680
a
233
b
35
a
99
b
465
H
Bloomington court-house, ..
73
a
341
207
a
771
a
Surface, low water, of Bean Blossom creek, ..
162
b
106
a
28
b
536
a
Do. low water of west fork of White river,
163
b
105
A
29
b
535
a
Gosport on the hill, ...
105
b
163
a
29
a
593
a
Greencastle court-house,.
132
a
400
a
266
830
41
b
227
a
93
a
657
a
Surface of low water of Walnut fork of Eel river, .. Do. of low water of Raccoon creek, ..
14
a
282
a
148
a
712
Crawfordsville court-house, ..
46
a
314
A
180
a
744
a
Rail-Road Survey from Indianapolis to Lafayette, via Danville and Crawfordsville.
Summit of ridge between Eagle and White Lick creeks,. Surface of White Lick Creek, ...
141
a
409
a
275
a
839
a
55
a
323
a
189
a
753
a
53
a
478
a
344
a
908
a
Bono, ..
45
b
223
a
89
a
653
c 1 Bedford court-house, ...
Surface of Salt creek, ...
a
IN INDIANA.
210
Summit of ridge between heads of White Lick and heads of Eel river, Surface of east fork of Eel river, ..
Do. of middle fork of do. Do. of west fork of do.
156
a
424
a
290
a
854
a
156
a
424
a
290
a
854
a
221
a
489
a
355
a
919
a
101
a
369
a
235
a
799
643
a
124
a
392
a
258
a
822
a
7
a
275
a
141
a
705
a
100
b
168
a
34
a
598
a
Danville court-house, ..
245
a
513
a
379
a
943
a
Rail-Road Survey from Indianapolis to Lafayette direct.
Surface of Eagle creek, ..
41
a
309
175
a
739
a
Do. of Little Eagle creek, ..
10
a
278
a
144
a
708
a
Summit between Big and Little Eagle creeks, ..
109
a
377
a
243
a
807
Do. between Big Eagle and Sugar creeks,.
254
a
522
a
388
a
952
a
Surface of Sugar creek or Rock river, ..
81
a
349
a
215
a
779
a
Summit between Sugar creek and the Wabash at Lafayette,.
110
a
378
a
244
a
808
a
Court-house at Lafayette,. .
160
b
108
a
26
b
538
a
Survey of a Canal from Indianapolis to the Wabash and Erie Canal.
Surface of White river at mouth of Stoney creek,.
37
a
305
a
171
a
735
a
Do. of ground in Noblesville, .....
· Do.
Do. of White river at Andersontown, ..
124
a
392
a
158
a
822
a
176
a
444
a
310
a
874
Do.
of White river at Muncietown, ...
22L
a
489
a
355
a
919
a
Do.
of prairie north of Muncietown,.
244
a
512
a
378
a
942
a
Do.
of Mississinewa north of Muncietown at outlet from Prairie, .. |
196
a
464
a
330
al
894
54
a
156
a
424
a
290
a
854
a
Summit of ridge between heads of Eel river and Raccoon creek, .. Surface of Raccoon creek, ...
55
b
213
a
79
a
Do. of Sugar creek, } mile from Crawfordsville court-house, Summit of ridge between Sugar creek and heads of Wea creek, .. Surface of Wea creek near its head, .. ...
329
a
597
a
463
a|1027
TABLE OF ALTITUDES
52
a
320
186
a
750
8
of ground at Andersontown, ..
Do. of do. 4 miles from Lafayette,.
Surface of Pipe creek at James' mill. .
128
a 396
al 262
a| 826
a
167
a
435
301
a
865
a
Do. of Mississinewa at Marion, ..
86
a
354
220
a
290
a
854
Wabash and Erie Canal from State line to Terre Haute.
Summit level of Wabash and Eric Canal,.
47
a
315
a
181
a
745
Surface of Maumee at state line,. .
6
b
262
a
128
a
692
Do. of the Maumee at Fort Wayne, ..
22
a
200
a
156
a
720
A
Average level of ground in Fort Wayne, ..
55
a
323
a
189
a
753
a
Surface of Wabash at mouth of Little river, ..
16
b
252
a
118
a
682
a
Do. of Wabash at mouth of Salamonia,. .
49
b
219
a
85
a
649
a
48
b
220
a
86
a
650
a
Do.
of the Wabash at the mouth of Mississinewa,.
89
b
179
a
45
a
609
a
Do.
of the Wabash at the mouth of Eel river, ...
136
b
132
a
2
b
562
a
Do.
of the Wabash at the mouth of Tippecanoe,.
196
b
72
a
62
b
502
A
Do.
of the Wabash at Lafayette, ..
206
b
62
a
72
b
492
A
Do.
of the Wabash 3 miles below Clinton,.
258
b
10
a
124
b
440
a
Do.
of the Wabash at Terre Haute,. .
265
b
3
a
131
b
433
Bottom of canal at Terre Haute, ...
252
b
16
a
118
b
446
Canal Surveys from Lake Michigan to the Wabash and Erie Canal.
Summit level of canal from Lake Michigan to Fort Wayne, surveyed in 1830,. .
245
a
513
a
379
a
943
a
2
b
266
a
132
12
696
8.
248
a
516
a
382
a
946
a
Surface of Little Fish lake, source of Fish creek, ..
180
af
448
al
314
a
878
a
55
IN INDIANA.
Bottom of canal at the town of Wabash,.
Surface of the Wabash at the town of Wabash, ...
60
b
208
a
74
a
638
784
Pipe creek summit level,. .
156
a
424
a
Summit level of the St. Joseph and Kankakee canal, surveyed in 1930, Surface of Pigeon Lake-summit between St. Joseph of Lake Michi- gan and St. Joseph of Maumee, ..
Do. of summit between Kill-buck and Pipe creeks,.
Surface of St. Joseph of the Maumee 2 miles below mouth of Fish cr.,
Do. of St. Joseph of Lake Michigan at mouth of Little Elkhart, ..
Do. of Elkhart river at its mouth, ...
Do. of Big St. Joseph, 8 miles above South Bend,.
24
b
244
a
110
a
674
a
8
b
260
a
126
a
690
a
3
a
271
a
137
a
701
a
Levels in various sections of the state, ascertained by Random Level Party.
Surface of White river at crossing of National Road,.
29
b
239
a
105
a
669
a
10
b
258
a
124
a
688
a
Do. of Pleasant run at crossing of state road from Indianapolis to Madison, ...
15
b
253
a
119
a
633
a
5
a
273
Q
139
8
703
&
95
a
363
a
229
a
793
a
24.35 a
292.35 a
158.35 a
722.35 a
5
a
273
a
139
a
703
11
b
257
a
123
a
687
A
Do.
of do.
do. at crossing of Michigan road, ..
54
a
322
a
188
a
752
a
Do.
of Brandywine creek at crossing of Michigan road,.
60
a
328
a
194
a
758
a
Do.
of Blue river at Shelbyville, ..
42
a
310
a
176
a
740
a
Do.
of do.
Marion, .....
78
a
346
a
212
a
776
a
Do.
of Sugar creek, crossing of Indianapolis and Madison state road, ..
41
b
227
a
93
a
657
a
Do.
of Blue river, crossing of Indianapolis and Madison state road,
52
b
216
a
82
646
a
Do. of Flat Rock, do.
do.
do.
do.
90
b
178
a
44
608
A
Do.
of Driftwood at Columbus, ...
104
b
164
a
30
a
594
a
Do.
of Haw creek south of Columbus, ..
97
b| 171
a
37
601
&
56
34
a
302
a
168
a
732
0
8
A
276
8
142
a
706
a
Do.
of Yellow river at crossing of canal line 10 miles from its mouth,
Do. of Devil lake in St. Joseph county, ...
80
a| 348
a/ 214
778
a
·
Do.
of ground on summit between Young's creek and Pleasant run, of Franklin court-house door sill,.
Do.
of Hurricane creek at Franklin,
.
Do.
of Sugar creek, crossing of road from Franklin to Shelbyville,
ʻ
TABLE OF ALTITUDES
Do. of Lick creek at crossing of state road from Indianapolis to Madison, ..
Do.
Do. of Pogue's run, Meridian-street, Indianapolis, ..
c 1*
Do. of branch of Big Blue river near Salem, ..
16
b
252
a
118
a
682
a
67
a
335
a
201
a
765
a
158
a
426
n
294
a
856
a
Surface of the Patoka above mill dam at Jasper, ..
270
b
2
b
136
b
428
a
Do. of the Driftwood at Hindostan,
282
b
14
b
148
b
416
a
Do. of Fall creek at crossing of Michigan road,
7
b
261
a
127
a
691
a
Summit of Prairie between Andersontown and Pendleton,.
169
a
437
a
303
a
867
a
99
a
367
a
233
a
797
a
Do.
of Salamonia at crossing Fort Wayne state road, ..
89
a
356
a
222
a
796
801
a
Do.
of Rock creek at crossing of Fort Wayne state road,.
86
a
354
a
220
a
784
a
Do.
of Wabash at crossing of do.
do ..
60
a
328
a
194
a
758
A
Do.
of do. 8 miles above the crossing of
do .. .
73
al
341
al
207
771
a
b
149
a
15
a
579
a
Do. of Big Sand creek 1 mile from its mouth, ..
132
b
136
a
2
a
566
a
Do. of Driftwood at Rockford below mill-dam, ..
150
b
118
a
16
48
a 612
a
Surface of Muscatatack at Stanford's mill, ..
172
96
a
38
b
526
541
a
Do. of do.
at Slate ford, ...
185
b
83
a
51
h
513
a
Do.
of Pigeon-roost creek at Vienna, ..
149
b
119
a
15
b
519
a
Do.
of ground in Collins' Gap, sec. 19, T. 2 N. of R. 7 E., being
80
b
188
a
54
a
618
a
B. M. on top of knob on road from Salemto Lexington, 8 m's W. Vienna, Surface of ground in Salem, ...
299
a
567
a
433
a
997
a
60
a
328
a
194
H
758
a
IN INDIANA.
57
Surface of Clifty creek 1 mile from its mouth, ..
110
bļ 153
al
24
al
588
548 a
Summit between Driftwood and Mutton creek, near Rockford, ..
86
b
182
a
Do. of do. at mouth of Graham's fork,
157
b
111
a
23
b
· the lowest gap in the ridge between White river and the Ohio, east of Dubois county, ...
Do. of ground in Livonia, ...
B. M. on ridge at crossing of Paoli and New-Albany road,.
Do. of do. 8 miles above crossing of do.
103
a
371
a
237
a
Surface of Mississinewa at R. M'Cormick's,. ..
Do. of Little Sand creek ¿ mile from its mouth,.
119
58
GEOLOGY.
GEOLOGY.
David Dale Owen, Esq., the State Geologist, presented a report to the General Assembly in De- cember, 1837, the concluding chapter in which he sums up the result of his observations, is inserted below :-
The practical and very important inference from the foregoing report, may be summed up in a few words.
Three geological formations exist in Indiana. 1st, a bituminous coal formation, occupying that portion of the state west of the se- cond principal meridian ; 2d, a limestone formation, (similar to the mountain limestone of European geologists,) prevailing in the coun- ties east of that meridian ; 3d, a diluvium, consisting of deposites of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders; overlying, and in many places covering up, the two other formations, to a greater or less depth, particularly in the northern part of the state.
Now, as in this country no perfect seams of bituminous coal are found associated with calcareous deposites, similar to those of Mid- dle and Eastern Indiana, the geologist can confidently predict, that it is a waste of time and labour to search for coal in any part of the state east of this second meridian ; for instance, as has been done in the neighbourhood of the black bituminous aluminous slate, which is represented on the map stretching north in a narrow band, com- mencing at New Albany in Floyd county, and extending through part of Clarke. Scott, Jennings, Bartholomew, Decatur, and proba- bly beneath the diluvium, in a northerly direction, towards Elkhart.
If we were to speculate from geological observations, on the fu- ture condition of Indiana, we should say, that the western counties are destined to beconie, one day, the chief manufacturing counties ; since, with a few exceptions, all large manufacturing towns and districts are situated on the coal formation.
The freestones of this formation being often soft and fissile, owing to the existence of mica disseminated in layers through their sub- stance, and to the ferruginous cement which unites their particles, being liable to undergo alterations by the action of the atmosphere upon it, a careful selection by the builder is always necessary. In several places, particularly towards the base of the formation, or near its eastern boundry, as at Attica, Williamsport, on Pine Creek, and near the French Lick, with a little care, freestone, white and fine grained, and excellently suited for architectural purposes, may be readily obtained. In character and geographical position it re- sembles the celebrated Scotch freestone, of which the new town of Edinburgh, and a portion of the town of Glasgow are built.
At New Harmony there is a quarry of freestone, yielding rock
59
GEOLOGY.
that has stood the test of twenty years; yet it is by no means equal to the strata above alluded to, in our eastern counties.
A freestone of a very fine grain and white colour is quarried at the French Lick, west of Paoli. It is manufactured into whetstones, that answer admirably for putting a fine edge on tools, and for pol- ishing. They are exported to all parts of the United States.
Good grindstones are also manufactured from a similar stratum of these freestones, of a coarser grain.
The eastern boundary or base of the coal formation is the most likely place to afford salt water ; for we find the most productive salt wells throughout the western country occupying in the inferior members of the coal formation. Thus, should symptoms of salt water make their appearance in the counties of Perry, Spencer, Du- bois, Martin, Daviess, Greene, Owen, Clay, Putnam, Montgomery, or Tippecanoe, the encouragement to make a search would be greater than if found elsewhere in the state.
Salt, however, is not, strictly speaking, constant in its geological position. In Europe, it usually occurs in the new red sandstone- a formation higher and of more recent origin than the bituminous coal formation : while on the Holston, a tributary of the Tennessee river, there is a fine salt deposite, surrounded by gypsum or plaster of Paris, lying on the Grauwacke formation.
Two or three salt wells have been sunk in the knobs east of Bloomington, through the silicious beds belonging to the sub- carboniferous group. The salt is of excellent quality ; but the water has hitherto proved too weak to afford a fair profit. The boring after salt is, in truth, at all times attended witha considerable uncertainty.
Quantities of argillaceous iron ore-from which in Great Britain 600,000 tons of iron are annually obtained-occur in some of the clay slates of the bituminous coal formation of Indiana.
Some of the clay slates answer well for fire-brick. That now excavated near 'I'roy is to be manufactured into fire-brick for sale- an important article of commerce, in a country where steam engines are so entensively used, and indispensable where furnace operations are carried on to any extent.
Some of our clays in the coal formation answer well for the ma- nufacturing of stone ware and gray pottery-ware. Such wares are now manufactured from them at Troy.
Since I first called the attention of the proprietors to the deposite of the hydrated brown oxide of iron, near the Falls of Eel river, ex- aminations have been made, by digging in four or five different places : ore has been struck in all of them; many tons have been thrown up, and the prospects are so encouraging, that the proprie- tors of the Falls are now endeavouring to form a company, to erect a furnace, and commence, on an extensive scale, smelting the ore.
Sandstone being the predominating rock in the eoal formation; and the greatest part of the soil of those western counties being
60
GEOLOGY.
formed from its disintegration, we find it generally of a sandy cha- racter.
The dip and position of the various beds belonging to coal mea- sures are generally constant, unless where, from the protrusions of basalt or greenstone, those volcanic disturbances called by the mi- ners, "faults," " troubles," or " dykes," have disturbed the regu- larity of position. If, then, the general dip and order of succession of the strata can be ascertained, and these should appear to be free from faults or material undulation, a pretty correct estimate might be formed of the depth of the various seams of coal and other strata in different parts of the coal fields of Indiana.
Most of the limestones in the oolitic series- that is, those occur- ring in the counties of Crawford, Orange, Lawrence, Monroe, Owen, and Putnam-make good building materials. The enerinital lime- stones in Harrison, Washington, Jackson, Bartholomew, and Mor- gan counties, are also very suitable for that purpose; but the sili- cious strata, or sand rocks, in these counties, are generally soft and crumbling, and by no means durable. The only use that the black bituminous aluminous slate, occurring in the sub-carboniferous group, can be put to, is for the manufacture of alum .* The sub- carboniferous group affords a water-lime, which appears to be a compound chiefly of limestone and clay, with some bituminous inatter. It is associated with the black bituminous aluminous slate above mentioned. Some of the limestone in its neighbourhood- for instance, those rocks which are excavated at the top of the hill behind Madison-contain green earth, and some are impregnated with bitumen and sulphuret of iron. In making a selection of build- ing materials in such strata, care should be taken not to use any such, unless their durability has been well tested; for they are ge- nerally liable to decay.
The fosiliferous limestones of East Indiana, namely, those found in Jefferson, Switzerland, Dearborn, Ripley, Franklin, Fayette, and Union counties, are durable rocks, and some of them make beau- tiful marbles.
The sub-carboniferous formation of Indiana is identical with the formation occurring in Middle Tennessee, in which the enormous deposites of the hydrated brown oxide of iron, constituting so much of the mineral wealth of that state, are found.
The deposites of this kind of ore in Indiana, however, although
* For this purpose it must be heaped together in piles, and set fire to, for it will burn for a short time, as we have before explained. After combus- tion, the sulphur and iron are both oxidized ; the former becomes sulphuric acid-the laiter, oxide of iron. A portion of the sulphuric acid unites with alumina, and the rest with oxide of iron, forming a double salt. the sulphate of alumina and iron. The iron has now to be got rid of. For this pur- pose, potash or ley is added, which throws down oxide of iron, and appro- priates its sulphuric acid to itself-thus forming a sulphate of alumina and potash, or alum.
61
GEOLOGY.
found in the same formation. are not associated with exactly the same strata. In Tennessee, they are in the silicious strata, just above the enerinital limestones; those at present discovered in In- diana are either resting on the oolitic series of limestones, or near the bituminous aluminous slate.
The soil in Crawford, Lawrence, Orange, Monroe, Owen, and Putnam counties, being formed chiefly from the oolitic linestones, has a calcareous character, and is admirably adapted for the growth of grasses.
Clay will be found to predominate in the soil of the counties of Floyd, Clark, Scott, Jennings, and parts of Bartholomew, Decatur, Shelby, Johnson, Marion and Hancock; because the soil of these counties is underlayed by clay slates. Hence we find the beech tree, which delights in a clayey soil, there growing luxuriantly.
The soil of Jefferson, Switzerland, Dearborn, Ripley, Franklin, Fayette, Union, and parts of Decatur and Rush, being formed upon alternating strata of clay and limestone, must partake chiefly of these two earths. This soil is also well adapted to the growth of grasses.
The soil of the northwestern counties appears to be a siliceo- calcareous sand, resting upon a clay bottom. This I conceive to be the reason why it is so much more productive than its external ap- pearance promises. These points, however, I intend more fully to verify, by analysis, so soon as I can get samples of all the various soils. As yet, my opinion has been formed chiefly from ocular observation, and reasoning from general principles.
The water in the northwestern counties is strongly impregnated with carbonic acid. This, acting as a solvent upon limestone and the protoxide of iron, dissolves them whenever it meets them in its passage to the surface. And thus we find these waters often highly charged with these two ingredients, forming calcareous and chaly- beate springs. As they lose very soon, by exposure to the air, the excess of carbonic acid, which acts as a solvent of these ingre- dients-and as iron is brought also by the same exposure to air, to a higher degree of oxidation, and therefore to a more insoluble form-these two causes acting together, soon produce deposites of calcareous tufas and bog iron ore, so frequently found in that coun- try. The quantity of bog iron ore is, therefore, continually on the increase.
The greater part of Indiana must have been, at some period of the earth's history, covered by an ocean; for most of the fossils in the limestones are of a marine origin.
None of the precious metals will ever be found in Indiana, unless in minute portions in boulders, or in small quantities in combination with other metals ;* because the primitive and grauwacke forma-
* The gold of the United States occurs in micaceous and talcous slates, which never contains fossils. Stream gold is, indeed, found in alluvial de-
62
GEOLOGY.
tions, in which alone productive mines of gold and silver ore occur, do not exist in Indiana. It is true that, in some rare instances, sil- ver is found as a sulphuret and as red silver ore, in such formations as exist in the western country ; but I have seen no symptoms of any such in our state. The same may be said of bismuth, tin ore, and native arsenic. The only metals which we need look for, are iron, lead, antimony, manganese, zinc, cobalt, and possibly some va- rieties of copper and arsenic ores.
It is not likely that anthracite coal will ever be found in Indiana, because that mineral is usually found in the primitive and grau- wacke formations.
Several detached pieces of native copper have been found in the state, one weighing five pounds; but, from the nature of the ore, its occurring in washed gravels, and only in isolated pieces, I have reason to believe that they do not originate in the state. I may add that the Kupferschiefer of the German miners yields, at the mines of Mansfield, in Thuringia, an abundant supply of copper ore. This copper slate, as found at the bottom of the new red sandstone form- ation, which overlies the bituminous coal formation, and copper ores, have been found in the carboniferous and mountain limestone ; there is, therefore, a possibility of discovering workable copper ore in the formations of Indiana.
The fertility of the soil of Indiana is universally admitted, yet few are aware that it arises mainly from its geological position. It is
posites ; but these are never far distant from the non-fossiliferous slates, from the disintegration of which they have been formed. One or two extraordinary exceptions to the general rule of gold being found only in non- fossiliferous rocks, are instanced by Humboldt. He mentions mines being worked for the precious metals in a limestone corresponding in age to the magnesian limestone of England, and one in a deposite as recent even as the oolitic series.
That brilliant metallic-looking mineral, sometimes of a golden yellow colour, and at other times of a silvery white appearance, and often crystalized in cubes, so frequently taken for gold and silver, is iron pyritce,-a compound of sulphur and iron. It may be easily distinguished by putting a piece of it into a shovel, and placing it over the fire ; if it be iron pyrites, a sulphurous smell will be perceived-or, in more common language, it will smell of brimstone, and a dark, brittle substance will remain.
The only use to which this sulphuret of iron, found so abundantly in many parts of our state, can be put, is, for the manufacture of copperas or sulphate of iron. For this purpose, fragments of the ore are strewed in a convenient situation, so as to be acted on by the atmosphere-where the sulphur becomes sulphuric acid, and the iron oxide of iron. A small stream of water is made to pass slowly over it; this dissolves up the sulphate of iron. 'This solution is conducted into kettles, and evaporated or boiled down; fragments of iron ære thrown in, to unite with and neutralize the free sulphuric acid, which is always in excess ; and the salt crystalizes as soon as it has arrived at a sufficient degree of concentration.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.