88 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 



profitable mining. Each mile contains 5,162,666 cubic yards 

 of smelting ore, and the 10 miles 51,626,660 cubic yards. 



The specific gravity of this ore is from 3 to 4, usually 3.8-10. 

 Estimated at 3, it weighs over 2-J tons to the cubic yard, or 

 12,906,665 tons per mile. Each mile would supply a 100 ton 

 furnace, in constant blast, with 200 tons per day for 176 

 years. And assuming the net product of iron to be 45 per 

 cent., would yield over 5,800,000 tons of iron f which at 

 present prices would represent a gross valuation of over 

 $116,000,000, or for the 10 miles from Turkey creek to 

 the Blackburn Fork of the Warrior, a total gross value of 

 $1,160,000,000. 



To avoid any appearance of exaggeration in this calculation, 

 the Cove ores were omitted, the beds assumed to exist only 

 where already seen, the mining area put below the actual, 

 and the specific gravity of the ores taken over one-fifth too 

 low. These it was thought would more than counterbalance 

 the amount necessarily left, and wasted in mining. 



For the next 20 miles the ore is more uniform, though of 

 less aggregate thickness, in the Red Mountain. But it is 

 higher, and the extent of slope up which it may be mined is 

 increased. In this portion it may be reckoned at 600 yards, 

 or 1,036,800 square yards per mile. The beds show an ag- 

 gregate of 5 to 11 feet. Assuming them only to average 5, 

 and that the iron ore on the S. E. side would only add 1 foot 

 to this, or a total for both sides of 6 feet, and that the spe- 

 cific gravity is, as before, taken at 3. Then this area con- 

 tains 42,240,000 cubic yards of ore, weighing over 105,600,000 

 tons. Sufficient to run 10 hundred-ton furnaces, or one every 

 two miles, for 145 years. 



The next teu miles have not yet been sufficiently opened up 

 to be estimated, but they will add something to the general 

 aggregate, if they only add an amount equivalent to two 

 miles of the preceding area, or 10,560,000 tons. Then this 

 valley.holds by estimate over 245,226,650 tons of Red Hema- 

 tite ore, with a spot cash value, at 15 cents per ton royalty, 

 of over $21,000,000. 



The amounts are beyond the grasp of the ordinary mind, 



