xt7mw6693h3p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7mw6693h3p/data/mets.xml Peter, Robert, 1805-1894. 1856]  books b96-11-34698728 English A.G. Hodges, state printer, : [Frankfurt, Ky. : This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Geology, Economic Analysis. Chemical report of the minerals, rocks, and soils  / made by Robert Peter. text Chemical report of the minerals, rocks, and soils  / made by Robert Peter. 1856 1856] 2002 true xt7mw6693h3p section xt7mw6693h3p 










CIE MICAL



REPORT



OF THE



MiINERALS,



ROCKS,



AND SOILS,



MADE BY



ROBERT PETER, M. D.,
    CHIEMICAL ASSISTANT.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 




                INTRODUCTORY LETTER.










                CHEnICAvL LABORATORY OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, t
                         Lexington, Ky., September 24, 1855.   S
     DEAR SIR: I herewith transmit to you my Summary Report of
the Chemical Analyses made for the Geological and Chemical Survey
of Kentucky.
   It contains the results of more than two hundred days of incessant
labor, but yet exhibits the composition of a very suall proportion of
the valuable minerals of the State, as you will doubtless demonstrate
in your forthcoming Report. Sufficient is shown, however, even in
this brief and partial sketch, to prove the great wealth, i7n substanlial
riches, of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
  Blessed with the most fertile soil in the world, on its central geolog-
ical formations; the decomposing soft limestones and marls of which
continually renew its supply of phosphates, sulphates, and the alkalies,
&c., &c., as they are removed by cropping; a great portion of its
eastern and western boundaries include mineral wealth in the greatest
abundance, in the form of iron ores, coals, limestones, clays, salt, &c.,
&c., of great variety, requiring only capital, skill, and industry, which
they must eventually invoke to their exploration, to change the re-
gions containing them-some of them now very sparsely settled and
little known-into the locations of numerous and lucrative manufac-
tories, and centres of an active and extensive commerce.

 

4INTODUCTORY LOER



   By an examination of the descriptions and composition of the iron
ores which were analyzed, it well be seen that they are, generally, of
the most profitable and productive kinds.
   The limonites are in great variety; and almost all of them are com-
paratively soft and porous; thus, easily to be reduced in the furnace.
Some with an excess of s8li-ious matters, others of calcarcous; and
generally containing earthy materials enough to form a sullicient amount
of the iiecess'ry furnace slag, (or cinder, so called,) either alone or
with admixture of some of the neighboring poorer ores or limestones.
  Very few of them contain much phosphoric acid, or other injurious
ingredients; and even those which, at some furnaces, are considered
"twipracticable,' or difficult to smelt, are found to be hard to manage
mainly because of their richness itself; and require only the admix-
ture of poorer ores, or some argillaceous, silicious, and calcareous sub-
stances, abundant everywhere, to flux them and make them yield their
content of iron.
  The proportion of this metal, in some of them, may seem to be
small; but it is well known to practical men that the most profitable
oies of iron are those which contain less than fifty per cent. of that
metal; and many containing not much more than half that proportion
are economically smelted.
  The black band iron ores, from the lower portion of the State, and
from Greenup county, are interesting.  Most of them which were ex-
amined proved to be as good as those of Europe, from which iron is
most cheaply made. A few disappointed the hopes which were ex-
cited by their appearance, and proved to be too poor in iron to be con-
sidered workable, or too much contaminated with phosphate of lime.
Doubtless, in many parts of the extensive coal fields of the State, this
valuable kind of iron ore, of good quality, may be found in great abun-
dance.
  The economy introduced into the iron manufacture, by the use of
this ore, in Scotland, is illustrated by the celebrated David Musbet, in
his voluminous practical "Papers on Iron and ASteel," by the compaxa-
tive statement of the burthen and produce, at the Clyde iron works,
of two furnaces, blowing each for one week, and using pit-coal and the
bot-blasst, as follows:



254

 

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.



                                                      Tons. COws. Qrs.
I- With black band ironstone-
    Coals to the ton of iron, -1 6 3
    Roasted ore, ("mine,")                             1    14    1
    Limestone, -0 3 3
2. With clay ironstone-
    Coals, to tie ton of iron,-2                             3    2
    Roasted ore, -2                                          6 2
    Limestone,-                                        0 11 2
Saving from the use of the black band-
    Coals, per ton of iron, - -    -     -     -      0     15    S
    Limestone, -        -     -      -     -                 7 3
Additional produce of iron in the week,               20     4    0
  The iron manufacture in this State is only in its infancy. We now
produce only charcoal iron, of the best quality, while we import, an-
nually, immense quantities of coflmonl iron, for railroad and other pur-
poses.
  With the black band, or some of our other good fusible ores, and
the use of coal and the hot-blast, the cheaper kinds of iron, so exten-
sively used, could doubtless be made to great advantage in Kentucky,
and thus a foreign drain on our capital would be checked, and a new
source of wealth established.  This will be found necessary for self-de-
fence if our railroad improvements are much extended, as they doubt-
less will be; and will be the more easily effected as the price of labor,
from well known causes, is becoming higher in Europe.
  For this kind of manufacture those of our coals which contains
but little sulphur, and less than five per cent. of ashes, would be
well suited, more especially the variety called dry or splint coal, which
abounds in our State, which need not be coked before it is used in the
furnace, and thus is chcaper than coke. This kind of coal, while it
does not soften or swell up much when heated, so as to choke up the
furnace and check the blast, gives out much combustible gas to aid in
reducing the ore, and carbonating the iron.
  I have not thought proper to give a detail of the processes used in
the chemical investigation; they have been various, according to the
requirements of the specimen under examination-generally those de-
scribed in that monument of industry and accuracy, the "Handbuch
der Analytischen Chemie, Von Heinrich Rose," (last German edition)-
but sometimes modified to suit the circumstances of the case. In the



2655

 

INTRODUCTORY LEER.



separation and estimation of the alkalies, and the separation of mag-
nesia from the alkalies-processes which so frequently occur in miner-
al analysis-the important improvements of Dr. J. Lawrence Smith,
(detailed in Silliman's Journal,) were found to be greatly better than
the old methods.
  The total amount of carbon in the specimens of pig-iron was as-
certained by means of iodine-a method with which I am not entirely
satisfied. The phosphorus, in that metal, was estimated by solution in
fuming nitric acid, and evaporation to dryness to render the silica insol-
uble, re-solution in hydro-chloric acid, and precipitation of the oxides of
iron and manganese with suiphuret of ammonium and a sufficient quan-
tity of caustic potash. The alumina and phosphoric acid, dissolved by
the caustic solution, were separated by known methods-the latter be-
ing weighed as phosphate of magnesia.
  In the examination of the soids it was thought proper to substitute,
for the ordinary process of digestion in water, to ascertain the propor-
tion of readily soluble matters, that of digestion for some weeks in
water which had been saturated, under pressure, with carbonic acid gas.
This plan was adopted in order more nearly to imitate the process of
nature in the solution of the nutritious ingredients of the soil for the
food of plants. The water which falls as rain, &c., being always charg-
ed with carbonic acid, the proportion of which is increased in it, when
it percolates the soil, by the slow oxidation of the organic matters;
and this, with the very small amount of nitric or hypo-nitric acid
sometimes produced in the atmosphere during electrical excitements,
and the soluble organic matters themselves, are the principal means by
which the fixed or mineral elements of plants, indispensable to their
organization, are dissolved and introduced into their tissues.
  The investigation of the soils was not as thorough as it should have
been, the time allotted to the chemical analyses having been nearly
consumed by other objects before they were commenced; their exami-
nation was therefore too hurried, and consequently the proportions of
some of their more minute ingredients, (of the most valuable also,)
such as the chlorides, sulphates, and phosphates, were not, in all cases,
separately made out.
   Amongst the ores. the coals, the rocks, the sails, the mineral waters,
&c., &c., of the State, a wide unexplored field still remains for exami-
nation-



256

 

                     nITRODUCTOBY Lzr.                     257

  Hoping that this brief and imperfect investigation may be but the
beginning of a still further and complete study of the geological his-
tory and the mineral riches of the State of Kentucky,
                               I remain yours respectfully,
                                           ROBERT PETER.
DAVID DALE OWE', Al. D.,
    Principal Geologise of Kentucky.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 


A SUMMARY



                              OF THE

                  CHEMICAL ANALYSES

                                OF


Ores, Foils, Coals, Limestones, Pig-Iron, Iron Furnace Cinder, &c.,

                           OF RENvIUCKY,

MOSTLY PROCURED BY DAVID DALE OWEN. M. D.. PRINCIPAL GEOLOGIST
    OF KENTUCKY. AND ANALYZED BY ROBERT PETER, M. D, CHEM-
       ICAL ASSISTANT TO THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.


   ARRANGED IN THE ALFHABETICAL ORDER OF THE COUNTIES II WHICH THEY WERE OBTAINED.


                         BALLARD COLTNT.
No. 1-SOIL. Labeled "Soil fron heavy timbered land, southern part
  of Ballard county, Kentucky," beltveen the waters of Bowle8 and
  west branch of Mayfield creeks.
  Color yellowish grey, or dirty buff, in its dried state. Carefully
washed with water it left about forty-seven per cent. of very fine sand,
which was nearly of the color of the soil; a larger proportion could
doubtless be obtained by devoting more time to the washing, for it is
so fine as easily to be washed away with the lighter particles, and to
escape ordinary observation.
  One thousand grains of the air-dried soil were digested, for about
a month, in a closely stoppered bottle, at a temperature not above
100 P., in water which bad been Eaturated under pressure with car-
bonic acid gas; the liquid, filtered and evaporated to dryness at 212
F., left 1.53 grains of solid matter, which had been dissolved by the
acidulated water.

 

CEEMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



  This solid extract, when treated with pure water, left, of insoluble
mnatter. 0.603 gr., which had been dissolved by the carbonic acid, and
which was of the following composition, viz:
Silica, -0.137
Carbonate of magnesia, -.259
Brown oxide of manganese, -.117
Alumina, oxide of iron, and traces of phosphates,                 .067
Potash,            --                            -.005
Traces of carbonate of lime and loss,     -     -      -.018
  The portion of the extract which was dissolved by the water was of
a dark brown color, and weighed 0.9 gr. when dried at 2120 F.; when
ignited over the spirit lamp a portion of it was burnt off, with a mixed
smell of burnt animal matter and burning peat, leaving 0.4 gr. of fix-
ed residuum.   The composition of this soluble portion was found to be
as follows:
Organic and volatile matter,   --                    -0.500
Carbonate of lime,         --                          -          .098
Carbonate of magnesia,       --                      -.112
Carbonate of manganese,      --                       -.051
Alumina, oxide of iron, witl traces of phosphates,  -  -        .007
Potash,      ....036
Soda,              --                            -                .067
Loss, -.029
  The lime, magnesia, oxides of manganese and iron, and the alumina
and phosphates were, in the extract, doubtless combined with the or-
g inic acids, which are included above under the general name of or-
ganic matter, and which, when burnt ofl, leave most of these fixed sub-
stances in combination with carbonic acid.  Water saturated with car-
bonic acid was used, in this process of analysis, to enable me to esti-
mate the relative amount of soluble materials immediately available for
the nourishment of vegetables. The water which falls from the at-
mospbere always contains some of this acid which, with the organic
acids resulting from animal and vegetable decomposition, is the princi-
pal agent in the solution of the nutritive elements of the soil for the
support of plants.
   Had sufficient time been at my disposal I should have examined this
soil more minutely, for other soluble ingredients, as ammonia, the ni-
trates, chlorides, and sulphates, but having nearly approached the end
of the present term of labor, before the soils were commenced, I was
obliged to be contented wiLb a less extensive investigation.



260

 


CHEMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



   One hundred grains of the air-dried soil, exposed to the temperature
of 340' F., lost of noisture 1.84 grains.  Treated in the usual man-
ner, by digestion in hydrochloric acid, &c., its composition, dried at
340, was found to be as follows, viz:
Organic and volatile matters,                                    3.040
Carbonate of lime, -.034
Carbonate of magnesia,-.40 I
Carbonate of manganese, -.4 11
Alumina, oxide of iron, and traces of phosphates,                3.930
Potash-,      --.108
Soda,      -.037
Silica and silicates insoluble in hydrochloric acid,  -  -  -  92.010

                                                               100.031

No. 2-SOIL.    Labeled "Soil from the norMl-western part of Ballard
                  coutIy, Asj., ner Col. Gholson's."
  Color of the dry soil of a dark brownish grey.  Washing with wa-
ter gave about firty-three per cent. of very fine sand, of a dirty buff
color, which is doubtless oniy a portion.  Treated with water acidula-
ted with carbonic acid, as above described, this soil gave up 1.943 gr.
of solid m itter, (dried at 212'); which re-dissolved in pure water left
0.9-5. gr. of insoluble vialler, which bad been dissolved by the carbon-
ic acid, of the following composition, dried at 2120:
Silica,     ....170
Carbonate of lime,      --                        -.227
Carbonate of magnesia,  ....321
Carbonate of manganese,          -         -          -.200
Alumina, oxide of iron, and traces of phosphates,  -  -  -     .037
  The portion which dissolved in the pure water weighed, when dried
at 212, 0.988 gr.  Heated to redness in a platinum capsule the organ-
ic matter was consumed, giving out a smell of burnt horn, leaving
0.425 gr. of fixed resilduum.  The composition of the soluble portion
was found to be as follows, Yiz:
Organic and volatile matters,  .0.530
Carbonate of lime,    --                          -.127
Carbonate of magnesia,       --                      -.181
Carbonate of manganese, trace.
Potash,                         -           -.006
Soda, -.054
  One hundred grains of the air-dried soil gave up 2.44 grains of



261

 


CHEMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



moisture, when dried at 320 F.   Its composition, thus dried, -as
found to be as follows, viz:
Organic and volatile matters, -4,120
Carbonate of lime,-                                               .134
Carbonate of magnesia, -.280
Carbonate of manganese, -.081
Alumina, oxide of iron, and trace of phosphates,                 4.850
Potash,        ---.139
Soda,                        --.063
Silica and insoluble silicates,--                    -89.650
Loss,         -           -       -                               .683
                                                               100.000
No. 3-LIGNITE.    Labeled `Lvqnite, blif of Fort JfJerson, Ballard
                            cointny, Kgy."
  A dull brownish-black friable substance, full of irregular cracks or
fissures, which appear to have been produced by shrinkagle or drying;
quite absorbant of moisture, adhering slightly to the tongue; fresh
fiacture, presenting a dull pitch-like lustre in some of the layers, ap-
preaching, in some rarts, the lustre of coal.  Over the spirit lamp, on
platinum  foil, it burnt at first with a smokey flame, somewhat like
coal, but with the odor of peat; it continues to burn like punk or rot-
ten wood, when removed from the flame, until it is reduced to a bulky
ash.
    Its specific gravity is, -1.219
Composition, dried at the ordinary temperature-
    Moisture, -   -    -    - 13.20 Total volatile matters,  - 60.60
    Volatile combustible matters, 37.40
    Carbon,   -    -    -   - 38.10 Hi
    Ashes, (buff-colored,) -  -11.3  lack residuum,   -    - 49 40

                               100.00                           100.00
Its composition, when thorouglby dried at 212', may be stated as follows, viz:
    Volatile combustible matters, -43.088
    Fixed carbon,                                               43.894
    Ashes,                                                      13.018
  The buff-colored ashes were found to contain a trace of pbosphoric
acid, and notable quantities of oxide of iron, alumina, and lime.

No. 4-CLAY.     Labeled "Potters' day, four miles south of Blanduille,
          Ballard county, Kentulcky; Mr. SamucI's farm."
  Color, light yellowish-grey; exhibits minute spangles of mica before



262

 


CHMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



the lens; heated before the blowpipe becomes first dark-colored then
burns white.
Composition, dried at 212-
    Silica, -71.94
    Alumina, with a trace of oxide of iron,                      20-70
    Lime, --          -       -.37
    Magnesia,               -       -         -       -           .35
    Potash,    -.63
    Water, with a trace of organic matter, -   -    -    -        6.20

                                                                100.19
  This was examined for the general ingredients by fusion with mixed
carbonates of soda and potash, &c., and for the alkalies by fusion with
carbonate of lime and chloride of ammonium.



                            BATH COUNTY.
No. 5-LnmoNiTE. Iron ore from MIessrs. Robert 4. A. G. Carter's
  furnace, Bath counly, Kenite,y, five miles beyond the Olympian
  Springs, adjloining the While Sulphur Springs; (fourteen miles from
  Oa'ingsville and fifty-three miles front Lexington.)
  Ore beds described to be from eight to twelve inches thick, on a ba-
sis of limestone, covered by blue clay and fire clay.
  Ore, a compact, hard, apparently pure hxematite; powder of a dark,
brownish, red color.
    Specific gravity,                                3.266
Composition, dried at 212 F-
    Oxide of iron, (peroxide,)  79.90 55.95 per cent. of Iron.
    Oxide of manganese, -    -   1.801
    Alumina,  -    -    -    -   1.10
    Carbonate of lime,  -      0.10
    Carbonate of magnesia,      1.63
    Silex and insoluble silicates, -  9.00
    Water and loss, -   -    -  6.57

                               100.00
  The air-dried ore lost 3.1 per cent. of hygrometric moisture when
dried at 212.
No. 6-Coa. From the same locality as the preceding. Reported to
  be in beds four feet thick, or in two beds, each of two fedt, separated
  by two feet of black shale.
  A splint coal; cleaving in rather thin lays, separated by fibrous car-



263

 


264



CHEMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



bonaceous matter, (fibrous coal;) cross fracture of a pitch black color
and lustre; fissures and edges of the layers coated with ocbreous oxide
of iron.  The fibrous matter presented the appearance of vegetable
impressions, and is to some extent infiltrated with pyrites.
    Specific gravity,                                 1.321
  Heated on platinum foil over the cphit lamp, it swelled up somewhat, but did
not soften very much; does not appear to be a good coking coal.
Composition dried at 212-
    Volatile combustible matters, 38.00
    Carbon in the coke,  -   - 53.90  Coke6
    Ashes, (light grey color,)  -  8. ioi  . 62. per cent.

                               100.00
  The recent coal lost three per cent. of moisture when dried at 212'.
The ashes contain a small proportion of sulphate of lime.
  By a separate process the total per centage of sulphur in this coal
was found to be about 0.99.
  The locality from whence these two minerals are obtained is describ-
ed as an outlier of the coal formations.

                            BUTLER COUNTY.
No. 7-GREY CARBONATE OF IRON. Labeled "Carbonate of iron, shale
           bank, Alum Spring, Butler county, Kentucky."
  A hard, compact mineral, of a dark grey color; streak, light grey;
fracture, fat-conchoidal; structure, fine granular.  Outer surface, to
the thickness of about one-sixteenth of an inch, reddish-yellow from
the per-oxidation of the iron.
    Specific gravity,                                 3.490
Composition, dried at 212 F.-
    Carbonate of iron,  .    - 65.96)
    Peroxide of iron,            7 19  36.90 per cent Iron.
    Carbonate of lime,  -        6.90
    Carbonate of magnesia,       6.03
    Carbonate of manganese,     1.67
    Phosphoric acid,      -      2.64
    Potash,   -    -    -         .23
    Soda,     -    -    -         .06
    Bituminous matter,  -        1.03
    Silex and insoluble silicates,  8.70
    Water and loss, -   -         .69

                               100.00

 


CHMCAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



265



  The air-dried ore lost 0.8 per cent. of moisture when dried at
2120 F.

No. 8-COAL Labeled "Tygert's coal bank, on the waters of Hickory
                Camp creek, Buller county, Kentucky."
   A friable, pitch-black coal; fissures stained with ochreous oxide of
iron; charcoal-like fibrous coal between the layers.
    Specific gravity,-                                 1.291
Composition, dried at the ordinary temperature-
    Moisture,   -    -    -   - 7.20. Total volatile matters,  - 38.60
    Volatile combustible matters,  31.40T
    Carbon in the coke, -  -   - 56.90
    Ashes, (light yellowish grey,) - 4.50  Coke, (moderately light,) 61.40

                                 100.00                         100.00
Composition, dried at 2,2'-
    Volatile combustible matters,    -                 33.84
    Carbon in the coke, -     -      -      -61.27
    Ashes, ---4.89
                                                       100.00
  Sulphur is found in it in the proportion of 0.29 per cent. The ashes
contain no appreciable quantity of sulphate of lime.
  Heated over the spirit lamp, on platinum foil, it swelled up and soft-
ened considerably, leaving a cellular coke. It appears to be a pretty
good coking coal.
  A singular fact was observed in relation to this coal, which, however,
may possibly be accidental, as the experiment was not repeated. Some
of the coal in very fine powder, folded in paper, placed in the sand-
bath at the temperature of about 4000 F., took fire spontaneously.

NO. 9-COAL.     Laheled. "Pardon Sheldon's coal, head weaters of Welch
                   creek, Butler county, Kentucky."
  A very pure looking, soft coal, of a pitchy-black color and strong
lustre, not soiling the fingers; presenting no appearance of fibrous coal,
nor of pyritous or other impurities.
    Specific gravity, -1.247
  Heated over the spirit lamp, on platinum foil, it softened and swelled up a good
deal-the volatile matter burning off with a very smoky flame, leaving a light
spongy coke. It appears to be a good coking coal.

                  34

 


266



CEMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



Composition, dried at the ordinary temperature-
    Moisture,      -    -       -  4.00  Total volatile matters,  38.70
    Volatile combustible matters,  - 34.70
    Carbon in the coke, -  -   - 60.70
    Ashes, (dirty salmon color,)  -  60Coke, (light, spongy,)  - 6130

                                  100.00                         100.00
Composition, dried at 2120 F.-
    Volatile combustible matters.                     36.146
    Carbon in the coke,       -      -      -         63.229
    Ashes,        --                       -            .625

                                                      100.000
   The total per centage of sulphur is 0.268.  The salmon-colored ashes
contain only a small trace of sulphate of lime. This coal is remarka-
ble for the very small amount of ashes which it leaves.

No. 10-SOIL.     Labeled 'Soil and sub-soil, four miles south of Roch-
             eefpr-ridge land-Butler county, Kentucky."
   The dry soil is of a dirty buff color. Washed with water it left
more than 47. per cent. of very fine sand, containing a few larger
rounded gains of silicious mineral.
   One thousand grains, treated, as before described, with water charged
with carbonic acid gas, gave up 1.884 grains of solid matter, dried at
2120 F. This extraet, treated with pure water, left of insoluble matter,
which had been dissolved by the carbonic acid, 0.837; the composition
of which is as follows, viz:
Silica,                                                           0.190
Carbonate of lime, -.077
Carbonate of magnesia,                                             .603
Alumina, oxide of iron and trace of pbosphates,  -  -   -       .067
  The portion which was dissolved by the water weighed, when dried
at 2120 F., 1.047 grains. Ignited in a platinum capsule, there were
burnt o'l nf it. with a smell of burning animal matter,
    Orgfanic and volatile substances,                             0.600
The residue consisted of
    Carbonate of lime, -.167
    Carbonate of magnesia, -.140
    Carbonate of mangane-e, -.042
    Potash,                                                        .082
    Soda, -.013
    Also, a slight trace of alumina and phosphates.

 


               CHMICAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

  One hundred grains of the soil dried at 3200 Fah.,
by the usual mode gave the following results, viz:



267



when analyzed



Organic and volatile matters,     -3.460
Carbonate of lime, -      --.097
Carbonate of magnesia,       --                       -.306
Carbonate of manganese, -          -          -       -.025
Potash,             --                            -.204
Soda,      -.074
Alumina, oxide of iron and trace of phosphates,                   6.030
Silica and insoluble silicates,--                     -90.690
Loss,              --                             -.216
                                                                100.000
  This soil contains very nearly as much potash as the rich soil of
Fayette county, but does not yield as large a proportion of the phos-
phates.
                            CARTER COUNTY.
No. 11-Ixo.u ORE.    Labeled "Mr. Wallace's iron ore, near falls of
                  Blain, Carter' county, Kentucky."
  A dark reddish-brown mineral, with interspersed spots of null yel-
lowish; appearance generally dull, but slightly glimmering, like spar,
in the yellowish portions. Powder of a brownish-buff color.
    Specific gravity, -2.731
Composition, dried at 21V F.-
    Oxide of iron,    -   -    - 23.20t 19.24 per entL of &os.
    Carbonate of iron,  -       -  6.28)
    Carbonate of lime,            5--1.35
    Carbonate of magnesia,     -  1.63
    Carbonate of manganese,    -  3.41
    Alumina,     -    -         -  1.95
    Phosphoric acid,  -         -   .24
    Potash, -    -     -    -       .23
    Soda, ----                      .18
    Silica and insoluble silicates,  9.67
    Water and loss,   -            1.96

                                 100.00
  The air-dried ore lost 1. per cent. of moiSture when dried at 2120.
Containing a large proportion of carbonate of lime, and a small amount
of alumina, this mineral may be valuable to flux, in the furnace, with
ores containing too large a proportion of aluminous or silicious matter.

 This ore was inadvertently labeled Carter county; it should have been Lawrence county.

 


268



CHMiCAL REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.



By itself it would not give good results, because of its small relative
quantity of iron, and large excess of lime.

No. 12-LrDoMTL       Labeled "Ore from Tygert's, Carter county, Ken-
              tucky, on the sub-carboniferous limestone."
  A dark reddish-brown mineral; dirty ochreous on the exterior; ad-
hering to the tongue. Powder dirty yellowish-brown color.
    Specific gravity, -                                3.256
Composition, dried at 2120 F.-
    Peroxide of iron,  -  -    - 71.60- 50.07 per cent. of Iron.
    Alumina,     -    -    -   - 2.45
    Magnesia,    -            -  1.03
    Brown oxide of manganese,  -  1.37
    Potash, -    -      -          .34
    Soda,   -    -      -      -    .12
    Silica and insoluble silicates,  - 11.97
    Combined water,     -      - 11.59
                                 100.37
  The air-dried ore lost 1.7 per cent. of moisture when dried at 2120.

No. 13-LmoNrm Labeled "Best ore, Sandy furnace, Carter county,
                              Kentucky."
  A dark reddish-brown ore, in irregular layers, separated by soft yel-
low ochreous mineral. Powder of a brownish-yellow color.
Composition, dried at 212 F.-
    Peroxide of iron,  -  -    - 67.40 -  42.20 per cent. of Iron.
    Alrmina,     .    -    -   -    .87
    Carbonate of lime, -  -    -   .57
    Magnesia,    -   -    -    -  1.80
    Brown oxide of manganese,  -  .96
    Potash,.                        .50
    Soda,     ..16
    Silica, and insoluble silicates,  - 17.57
    Combined water,  -    -    - 11.65

                                 101.38
   The air-dried ore lost 2.2 per cent of moisture when dried at 2120.
   These two are very rich and valuable ores, requiring, however, the
use of lime to flux them in the furnace, which may, perhaps, be profit-
ably substituted by the use of the next described mineral, in proper pro-
portions.

 


CHEMICAL REPORT OF GE3LOGICAL SURVEY.



269



No. 14-FnaBuomous LmoNE.            Labeled "Green Rock, which cuts
           out the ore, Sandy Furnace, Carter county, Ky."
  A dull looking bluish-grey-green rock, mottled with lighter green
and dirty yellowish-brown; small spangles of mica and specks of spar
visible under the lens; as hard as ordinary limestone; powder of a
greenish-grey color.
    Specific gravity, -                                  2.809
Composition, dried at 2120 F.-
    Carbonate of iron, -       - 14.26
    Oxide of iron,    -        - 16.77  - 18.66 per cenL of Irnm.
    Carbonate of lime,  -      - 36.16
    Carbonate of magnesia,     - 6.54
    Carbonate of manganese,    -   .84
    AlumiDa,     --     -      -  5.8
    Potash, -.29
    Soda, -.08
    Silica and insoluble silicates,  - 19.17
    Water and loss,     -      -  1.06

                                 100.00

No. 15-Con.      Labeled ",Kilqore's Coal, Williams' creek, on the Ler-
  ington and Big Sandy railroad-fourteen miles from. Ashland- Car-
  ter county, Ky."
  A pure looking splint coal, having a lamellar fracture, with vegeta-
ble impressions between the layers, not in the form of dbrous coal, but
smooth and hard, not soiling the fingers; cross-fracture pitch-black,
lustrous; no appearance of pyrites or other impurities; heated over
the spirit lamp it swelled up somewhat but did not soften much.
    Specific gravity, -1.313
Composition, dried at the ordinary temperature-
    Moisture,    - -    -      - 6.401 Total volatile matters,- 41.00
    Volatile combustible matters,  35.60
    Carbon in the coke,   -    - 66.00  Co
    Ashes, (pale grey,) -  -   - 4.001    ke, (pret