44 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 



only by examining adjacent surface specimens that the beds 

 dug for could be identified. 



The Red Mountain here is a broad flat topped rid^e, with 

 Clinton strata from below its eastern base to about two- 

 thirds of the way down its western side, where Black Shale 

 had been exposed. 



Where the Sand Valley road crosses the mountain near 

 Noah Nelson's, the Black Shale is higher up, near the top of 

 the mountain. South of this point in a well sunk in the 

 edge of the valley, (S. E. side of Red Mountain) a seam of 

 iron ore was found. 



The massive heavy bedded sand rock that usually caps 

 the first or upper ore bed was not seen N. E. of the Warrior 

 River. It is probably wanting in that part of the mountain. 

 Its absence in part accounts for the smoothness of the moun- 

 tain, and the great disintegration of the ore beds. From 

 S. 33, T. 10, R. 4, E., to the Warrior River in S. 14, T. 11, 

 R. 3, E., a distance of four miles, no openings were found 

 .on the ore beds, nor any out-cropping of ore. The Black 

 Shale shows occasionally in place, near the top of the moun- 

 tain, or on its north-western side, and the Clinton strata ex- 

 tend down into the valley on the south-east side. The- 

 Trenton rocks are not exposed they are not even uncovered 

 in the bed of the river. The whole of the mountain here is 

 of Clinton strata which are not largely composed of hard 

 rocks. The iron bearing stratum is therefore thick. It 

 hence seems probable that ore beds of corresponding thick- 

 ness may exist here ; yet nothing unseen can be certainly 

 predicated of the protean strata of the Clinton. 



Immediately on the southwestern side of the river, the 

 Red Mountain becomes much higher. The Trenton is 

 brought up by a rapid transverse flexure. In a little over a 

 half mile, it has risen over 300 feet. Its lower stratum, the 

 yellowish magnesian lime rock, is seen over fifty feet above 

 the level of the river. For a short distance the Red Moun- 

 tain is abnormally high. This flexure is short, only about a 

 mile in length. In the town of Walnut Grove, one mile 

 from the river, the top of the Trenton rocks shows in the 



