BLUE LIMESTONE. 



107 



The presence of so much oxide of iron in the rock, is a great 

 impediment to the process of reducing it to lime. In some of the first 

 attempts of this kind, the whole contents of the kiln were run to- 

 gether into one mass, resembling slag. When care is taken, however, 

 to separate the ferruginous crusts, and other parts of the stone where 

 the oxide of iron is most abundant, the blue and more compact parts 

 of the rock produce an excellent lime. The limestone has for some 

 time been quarried and burnt for this purpose, at Sutton-under- 

 Whitestone-cliff, and in Scugdale; and more recently in Commondale, 

 and at Maybecks. At the Maybecks quarries some specimens of rock 

 have been obtained, more highly calcareous than any other found in 

 the district, and scarcely surpassed by any in Britain. The proprie- 

 tor, James Wilson, Esq., of Sneaton Castle, having procured from 

 the lloyal Institution an analysis of some specimens of that limestone, 

 and some other limestones in this district, has favoured the authors 

 with a statement of the result, which may be exhibited in the follow- 

 ing table : 



Carbonate of Lime... 

 Silex and Aluinine... 



Oxide of Iron 



VValer 



Thornton. 



37.1 



59.6 



3.5 



100. 



Lockton. 



32.3 



63.7 

 2.9 

 1.1 



100. 



Coinnioiidale. 



No. 1. I No. 3. 



34.9 

 61. 



3. 



I.l 



100. 100 



33.7 

 63.4 

 2. 

 .9 



No. I. 

 55.6 

 40.6 



2.8 

 1. 



Maybecks. 

 No. 3. 

 98.1 

 .6 



No. 2. 



77.6 



18.9 



2.5 



1. 



100. 100. 100 



.5 



No. 4. 

 69. 

 34.3 



2.7 



4. 



100. 



The relative proportions of silex and alumine, in these speci- 

 mens, are not stated, except in regard to No. 4 of the Maybecks or 

 Sneaton limestone, which, in the 24.3 parts of silex and alumine, con- 

 tained in 100 parts of the limestone, was ascertained to yield 16.1 of 

 silex, and 8.2 of alumine. No 3 of the same limestone, is remarkable 

 for its large proportion of carbonate of lime, being no less than 98 

 parts in 100 parts of the stone. In this specimen there was found a 



