Lesley. ] ^^ [Jan. 2 and Feb. 6. 



Probable Quantity ok Ore. 



Estimates of the quantity of Brown Hematite Ores are among the 

 most uncertain of all earthly things. Hence I give special statements of 

 the size of excavation and prisms of ore ground in sight for each of the 

 ore banks, in the chapter of this Report devoted to their local description. 



The surface ore v^ash is of various depths from 1 to 30 feet. The 

 breadth of surface covered is sometimes but a few yards ; sometimes 

 several hundred yards. Intervals occur where all traces of surface ore 

 vanish fro n the belt. 



The thickness of the underlying clays varies from a few feet to a hundred 

 and more. Sometimes these clays ai'e loaded with scattered pieces of 

 ore, fine or coarse ; at others they do not show a trace of ore. Some- 

 times the mass of clay is interstratified with layers of rock ore yielding 

 richly. 



The rock-ores and pipe-ores, bedded or in packets, under the clays are 

 also excessively irregular, and nothing but actual mining can teach us 

 the quantities concealed. 



But any one who reads carefully the following descriptions of the ore 

 banks taken up in succession, must arrive at the conclusion, that the 

 Railway line connecting the ore deposits of Nittany Valley with Western 

 Pennsylvania over Tyrone, and with Eastern Pennsylvania over Lewis 

 burg, will have within the limits of my map, at its command for freight 

 to distant iron works, many millions of tons of prepared ore of the 

 choicest character. 



One of the most noticeable features in the iron history of this district 

 (and of others similar) has been denials of the existence of any ore just 

 where the deposits were proved by subsequent diggings to be most copi- 

 ous, and predictions of the speedy exhaustion of ore banks which 

 steadily grew in magnitude and richness as the excavations spread. The 

 history of Pennsylvania Furnace Bank affords a notable instance, and 

 not an isolated one. 



There are not less than 100,000 linear yards of ore belt on my map. If 

 the ore were continuous, and only 50 yards wide by 10 deep, we should 

 have 50,000,000 cubic yards of ore ground. If only one-tenth of this 

 were ore, we have 5,000,000 cubic yards of ore. It only needs to look at 

 the number, breadth and depth of the diggings, and their disti-ibution 

 on the map, and to remember that none are noted there but the princi- 

 pal cuts ; that large spaces of ore belt have for various reasons never 

 been explored ; that in some the ore is seen going down to unknown 

 depths ; and that in all the banks water has stopped work — to appreciate 

 the inadequacy of the above calculation. 



Special Descriptions. 

 I postpone further economical considerations to introduce here the data 

 upon which what I have written above is founded. The situation and 

 character of the principal mines, ai-e given succinctly, but sufficiently in 

 detail to permit others to form their own opinions. 



