1881.] ^bb [Stevenson. 



mill. It is the first ore horizon of the Knox group. The extensive deposit 

 of brown hematite on Col. Shoemaker's property near Estillville evidently 

 belongs here, as does also the fine deposit on the Big Branch of Moccasin 

 creek at about 8 miles from Estillville. The quality of this ore is good, as 

 appears from Mr. McCreath's analysis of samples from Col. Shoemaker's 

 property, which is as follows : 



Metallic iron 58.233 



Sulphur 0.053 



Phosphorus 0.075 



Insoluble residue 3.840 



Ore occurs at this same horizon on Copper ridge, having been opened on 

 the McClennan property, near the Nickelsville road. 



No. 10 is not fully exposed on the Rye Cove road and is better shown on 

 the Stony Creek road. The limestone beds are from 5 to 15 feet thick and 

 are separated by beds of shale from 10 to 20 feet thick. Very little cher^ 

 was seen here. The interval. No. 11, is almost wholly concealed on the 

 Rye Cove road and is but imperfectly exposed at other localities. On the 

 former road, it is covered with red soil holding much jaspery rock and an 

 excavation near its base has uncovered a thin silicious bed. At some im- 

 perfect exposures, seen elsewhere, it contains much white cherty rock. In 

 all probability it is but a continuation of No. 12, which is very silicious 

 and cherty in its upper part ; but the limestone increases below, where 

 chert is present only in irregular masses, which bear much resemblance to 

 colonies of Stromatopora. Everywhere it shows more or less of oxide of 

 iron and some of its cherty beds are honeycombed. Small pockets of black 

 shale were seen in several places. This is the second ore horizon and many 

 tons of brown hematite have been taken from it on Mr. Morrison's proper- 

 ty near Estillville. 



No. 15 is not shown in detail at any locality, but it is one of the most 

 important members of the group, having been distinctly recognized at 

 many localities along the summit of Moccasin ridge and along the middle 

 and northern lines of summits in Copper ridge. For 50 or 60 feet, it is a 

 silicious limestone, more or less ferruginous and cherty, which passes 

 downward into a cherty rock resembling those already described and con- 

 taining numerous thin beds of light gray sandstone. Below the middle a 

 tight blue limestone occurs, which weathers dirty white, and is persistent, 

 having been observed at many places on both Moccasin and Copper ridges. 

 Toward the base the mass becomes more and more calcareous until it passes 

 finally into a coarsely granular massive limestone. The cherty beds are 

 the horizon at which some of the most important ore deposits occur, brown 

 hematite having been obtained at Mr. Poston's, in Moccasin ridge near 

 Estillville, as well as at several other localities along that ridge ; while on 

 Copper ridge, extensive digging has been done at four places and fine 

 blossoms were seen at many others. Oxide of manganese occurs here at 

 one locality on Moccasin ridge and at two on Copper ridge. The manganese 

 underlies the iron. 



