I have not been able to make a complete analysis of the ore of Mr. Embree's establishment-one specimen which I took with me when visiting his works gave me about fifty per cent. of iron, some zinc and lead this ore was composed of small fragments and grains, mostly composed of hydroxide of iron, but too much injured to give a mineralogical description of it. The description and analysis of this and other iron ores of East Tennessee, which is rich in iron must be postponed for the present; till I shall have received the specimens which I know are now on their way to Nashville, and the result of my labors will be communicated in my next report. I have examined a vein of iron ore which runs along the base of the eastern declivity of Cumberland mountains, where I have traced it with some interruptions for about fifty or sixty miles. It furnishes the ore for the works of Mr. Gordon and Kimbrough. This ore belongs to the red oxides of iron and is known under the name of scaly red iron ore. According to my analysis of a pure specimen, it contains: Peroxide of iron, 93,00 Carbonate of lime, Alumma and Silex, Loss, 3,50 2,00 50 100,00 The iron ore of Blooming Grove creek, Montgomery county is considered as the most valuable ore in Tennessee, because the iron it produces is very good and the ore is easily worked, it is nevertheless not as rich in iron as some of our other West Tennessee ores; it is composed of Peroxide of iron, Water, Alumina and Silex, Loss, 72,00 16,00 8,50 3,50 100,00 This ore occurs generally in Stalactical concretions and is known amongst the workmen under the name of Pipe ore. It is of an orange brown color, not hard and formed of a combination of cylindrical Stalactites closely connected together. The same furnace possesses another bank; its ore is more complicated. It contains some pitchy iron ore-the proprietors have neglected to send me the specimens which I had requested, and judging from the small fragment which I took with me it seems to contain some Sulphur and Phosphorus, and must therefore yield an iron of bad qualities. The vein of Pipe ore runs from Blooming Grove creek in a southern direction, and may be traced on the left side of Cumberland river, where it is visible at some places, to the furnace called Sailors Rest, where a good ore is worked, somewhat of the same kind as the Pipe ore of Blooming grove furnace. Towards the west of Blooming grove furnace are extensive deposits of iron ore, but no works are as yet erected there. The furnace of the late Col. Love in Perry county possesses extensive ore banks. The ore of the bank called "March Bank" is a mixture of brown Hæmatite and compact brown iron stone-this is a pure ore and yields as much iron as any of the ores of Middle Tennessee. The ore of the "Perry Bank" is compact brown iron stone and liverore, as it is technically called, more or less intermixed with earthy matter, nevertheless it is good ore and smelts somewhat quicker than the former. The ore of the "Cow Hollow" bank is compact brown iron stone. The ores of Mr. Vanlier's iron works situated in Dickson county-it is also a mixture of brown iron stone,' Hæmatite, and pulverulent varieties of the same ore and gave me on an average about sixty per cent. of iron. Mr. N. C. Napier works the Etna furnace, situated 3 miles from Duck river, in Hickman county, possess extensive ore banks-he ore is composed of brown iron stone, brown Hæmatite and the earthy varieties and yield equally well as the ores already mentioned. Mr. Napier had the kindness to contribute his part to my contemplated statistical account already mentioned. His furnace is conducted by water power, which is pretty constant. The works have not been long in operation, but judging of what has been done, Mr. Napier calculated that they will produce 1200 tons of pig metal and castings per year, for which he uses 2400 tons of ore, and 6500 cords of wood at about 40 cts. per cord, and employs 1 Master Collier, I had the good fortune during my last excursion to make a discovery which may eventually be of great importance, Stopping for the night at the house of Capt. Eastland, on Clifty creek, on the Cumberland .. mountains, he handed me some small fragments of ore. As it was night, and candle-light not being fit to discriminate minerals, I told him that I should examine it when I arrived at home; they were ac cordingly wrapped up in paper and marked with his name. Next morning I left that place, and passing through Sparta, I descended to the Calf-killer creek to water my horse; my attention was there attracted by something uncommon amongst the gravel; I dismounted and took up the substance which had drawn my attention. Not being willing to remain longer amongst the dangerous miasmata which were rising at that time from this creek, and which had infected the whole town, I did not think it prudent to examine this place further. When at home, I examined both these ores, and found that the fragment of Capt. Eastland, as well as that found by me on the Calf-killer, was sulpuret of silver, that of Capt. Eastland containing also sulphuret of lead; that found on the Calf-killer was pure sulphuret of silver covering and penetrating crystalised fluate of lime. The sulphuret of silver is one of the richest silver ores; when pure it contains: I am at a loss to make any conjectures as to the locality of this ore. The banks of the Calf-killer, which takes its origin in the Cumberland mountains, only a few miles(perhaps twenty) to the north of Sparta, are mostly composed of oolitic limestone, of which mention is made in this report, and this limestone is covered here and there by the sandstone of the coal formation, and no vein of silver or fluate of lime can be expected to be found in it. It is the same with the oolitic limestone, which is the highest stratum of our mountain limestone series, in which I never found any metallic vein or other mineral substance, it must therefore belong to some older rocks. The only stratum, for as much as I know, in which fluate of lime is found, is in Smith county. Now the perpendicular height of the Calf-killer is much elevated above the place where the fluate of lime is found, which is not far from the Cumberland river, about 400 feet below Sparta. I do not know from whence Capt. E. obtained his specimen-as he told me it was about 15 miles from his residence. MINERAL WATERS. I have analyzed several mineral waters, which generally belong to what is called Sulphur waters, that is, waters impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen gas, and a few chalybeate waters. Most of these analyses have been published in our periodical papers. One which I have analyzed lately has not yet appeared before the public; it is a water from the Cumberland mountains-the spring belongs to Mr. Hoffman-it contains: 20 fluid ounces-Carbonic acid, 3 cubic inches, Oxide of Iron, 1,85 grains, } A trace. |