84 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 



although only a little over 4 feet of ore was shown, yet it 

 also carries a considerable thickness of pulverent, irony 

 matter, which probably will be solid ore farther in. Above 

 it, though not in close contact, was a good thickness of irony 

 limestone, and above that another bed of iron ore about 3 

 feet thick of average quality. These were the only beds 

 found in this section. But they were found in nearly all 

 the numerous exposures of Clinton, which this Cove, and 

 Clayton's Cove, farther to the South, present. 



The region of these Coves is crossed by many faults trend- 

 ing in different directions. They are too numerous to ad- 

 mit of clear description. Two of these are prominent be- 

 tween Clayton's Cove, and Spradling's Cove. Their trend 

 is N. E. and S. W. The N. W. side of each is heaved more 

 than the whole thickness of the Clinton. It hence faces 

 the S. E. and dips N. W. till the next fault is reached. It 

 again is thrown up above the surface with a N. W. dip. 

 Thus a double exposure of the Clinton is given in that por- 

 tion, and a great amount of iron ore is rendered available. 

 This N. W. dip terminates at the vertical Trenton and Clin- 

 ton strata, heretofore noted at the S. E. edge of Spradling's 

 Cove. A fault trending nearly N. and S. for a short dis- 

 tance, exists here, with several hundred feet of displacement 

 of strata. Between this fault and the great Murphree's Valley 

 fault, the, dip is southeast. Spradling's Cove is an area of 

 depression, th*e meeting line of the N. W. and S. E. slope^ 

 and yet it is floored with sub-Carboniferous strata, while 

 Silurian strata rises high above it on both sides. 



It may be here remarked that the whole region, embrac- 

 ing Spralding's, and Clayton's Coves, and their out lying 

 ridges in the fork, or bifurcation of the great Birmingham 

 and Cahaba valley, is a region of much faulting, and diverse 

 displacement. Yet the stratum brought prominently to the 

 surface by these faults, and displacements, is the iron bearing 

 Clinton. And that in consequence of these faults a vastly 

 greater breadth of ore, can be reached, and a much greater 

 number of productive mines can be operated, than if these 

 faults had not existed. This region is destined to be a rich 



