1S77.] ^'^ ^ [Ashburner. 



been oxidized by the action of the atmosphere, and is changed from a pro- 

 to-cai'bonatc of iron into a brown peroxide. 



In many places on Wray's Hill in Todd and Carbon Townships, the 

 blossom of the ore bed, along its outcrop, is a silicious and shaly brown 

 hematite, and on Iron Knob, directly to the south of Wray's Hill tunnel, 

 loose fragments of the ore were found as a very silicious brown hematite 

 associated with and containing pieces of red and green shale. 



The lower limit of this upper member is placed on the red, shaly lime- 

 stone of the middle member. The three-fold character of the upper mem- 

 ber, which Professor William B. Rogers mentions as being everywhere dis- 

 cernible in Virginia, is to some extent to be noticed here, for we have the 

 upper 209 feet formed of variegated and alternating red and gray sandstones 

 and shale ; directly below- this 524 feet of harder strata composed princi- 

 pally of gray and red sandstones, flags and shale, the upper part exhibit - 

 ting false bedding ; while the 177 feet immediately above the limestone are 

 made up of red shales and sandstones, the former predominating. We then 

 have the following sub-divisions of this upper member : — a, from Nos. 243 

 to 239 inclusive -—b, from 238 to 233 -—c, 232. 



The No. 242 seems to be a persistent associate of the overlying ore bed, 

 it is extremely argillaceous and at times seems to be formed of clay. Small 

 specks of carbonaceous matter were found scattered through the mass on 

 the southeast flank of Wray's Hill near the road crossing to Cook's station. 



No. 241 is, probably, more variable in character than 242. In some locali- 

 ties it seems to change into, or be replaced by, red shale, not being dis- 

 tinguishable from 240. 



No. 240 and 239 are more like argillaceous marlites, easily weathering, 

 and producing a deep red soil. 



On account of the very imperfect exposure of this part of No. XI, the 

 section may not reveal the minuter and more important alternations of 

 the strata which doubtless exist. 



Professor Rogers (Final Report, Vol. I, p. 531) says, "These strata be- 

 come more silicious as they approach the Conglomerate, and in the form of 

 green, buff and hard reddish argillaceous sandstones embrace impure cal- 

 careous beds." The relative position of these beds will appear from the 

 following observations made on the west flank of Broad Top Mountain, 

 half a mile below Riddlesburg. 



(17.) No. XII, serai conglomerate not 100 feet thick, the lowest coal bed 

 above it being only about 100 feet above the limestone No. 14. 



(16.) Interval of a few feet unknown. 



(15.) Silicious slate, dull brown color, 10 feet. 



(14.) Limestone, hard, silicious, reddish, embracing plates of red shale ; 

 its fragments strew a blank space of 40 feet, occupied probably by red 

 shale below its apparent outcrop. 



(13.) Sandstone, fine-grained, micaceous, green, passing downwards into 

 olive shale, 20 feet. 



(12.) Sandstone, gray, 3 feet (exposed). 



