﻿JOURNAL 
  

  

  OF 
  THE 
  

  

  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  

  

  Vol. 
  12 
  February 
  4, 
  1922 
  No. 
  3 
  

  

  MINERALOGY. 
  — 
  Tschermigite 
  {Ammonium 
  Alum.) 
  from 
  Wyoming. 
  

   E. 
  Theodore 
  Erickson.^ 
  U. 
  S. 
  Geological 
  Survey. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION 
  

  

  A 
  sample 
  of 
  mineral 
  to 
  be 
  tested 
  for 
  potash 
  was 
  received 
  from 
  Mr. 
  

   C. 
  R. 
  McGregor 
  of 
  the 
  firm 
  of 
  McGregor 
  Brothers 
  Company, 
  contrac- 
  

   tors 
  and 
  builders, 
  Ogden, 
  Utah. 
  The 
  mineral 
  was 
  identified 
  as 
  tscher- 
  

   migite, 
  natural 
  ammonium 
  alum, 
  and 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  known 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  re- 
  

   ported 
  occurrence 
  of 
  this 
  mineral 
  in 
  America. 
  Mr. 
  McGregor 
  has 
  

   kindly 
  furnished 
  information 
  regarding 
  the 
  deposit 
  of 
  the 
  mineral; 
  it 
  

   is 
  located 
  about 
  5 
  kilometers 
  (3 
  miles) 
  south 
  of 
  Wamsutter, 
  and 
  65 
  Km. 
  

   (40 
  miles) 
  west 
  of 
  Rawlins, 
  Wyoming, 
  both 
  places 
  being 
  on 
  the 
  Union 
  

   Pacific 
  Railroad. 
  The 
  mineral 
  occurs 
  in 
  a 
  2 
  meter 
  ledge 
  of 
  black 
  

   shale 
  and 
  is 
  traceable 
  along 
  the 
  brink 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  for 
  nearly 
  5 
  km. 
  

   (3 
  miles). 
  

  

  The 
  writer 
  wishes 
  to 
  express 
  his 
  thanks 
  to 
  Dr. 
  W. 
  T. 
  Schaller 
  for 
  his 
  

   cooperative 
  interest 
  in 
  the 
  work 
  and 
  preparation 
  of 
  this 
  paper. 
  

  

  ASSOCIATION 
  AND 
  PROPERTIES 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  specimens 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  Geological 
  Survey, 
  tschermigite 
  

   forms 
  the 
  cementing 
  material 
  holding 
  together 
  seams 
  of 
  pure 
  tscher- 
  

   migite, 
  fragments 
  of 
  brown 
  bituminous 
  shale, 
  nodules 
  of 
  yellow 
  

   jarosite 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  scattered 
  gypsum 
  crystals. 
  The 
  cementing 
  

   tschermigite 
  is 
  intimately 
  mixed 
  with 
  the 
  shale 
  fragments 
  and 
  asso- 
  

   ciated 
  minerals. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  pieces 
  of 
  shale 
  are 
  rudely 
  rec- 
  

   tangular 
  in 
  shape 
  and 
  where 
  these 
  have 
  fallen 
  away, 
  cubic 
  cavities 
  re- 
  

   main 
  in 
  the 
  compact 
  tschermigite. 
  An 
  abundance 
  of 
  pure 
  material 
  

   suitable 
  for 
  analysis, 
  could 
  readily 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  seams. 
  

  

  The 
  jarosite 
  coats, 
  and 
  in 
  places 
  is 
  inclosed 
  in, 
  the 
  alum, 
  and 
  also 
  

   forms 
  small 
  pure 
  nodular 
  masses. 
  It 
  is. 
  pale 
  yellow 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  very 
  

  

  1 
  Published 
  by 
  permission 
  of 
  the 
  Director, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Geological 
  Survey. 
  Received 
  Novem- 
  

   ber 
  3, 
  1921. 
  

  

  49 
  

  

  