90 , GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 



be searched for with hopes of success, a more detailed de- 

 scription of the several horizons is given. 



The First or Lowest Limonite Horizon Is the top of the 

 Upper Cambrian or base of the Lower Silurian. The top 

 members of the Cambrian are usually heavy bedded, mas- 

 sive, siliceous lime rocks. Sometimes in this valley these 

 are covered by a thin member of coarse, rusty colored sand- 

 rocks. Above this, in the Lower Silurian, but conformable 

 to the underlying Cambrian, is the Lower Limonite horizon. 

 No iron ore is found beneath this in our Silurian valleys. 

 While the oldest member of the Knox Dolomite, or Lower 

 Silurian is iron-bearing, the iron occurs in available quanti- 

 ties only in certain localities. 



This ore is usually associated with, and imbedded in, 

 large quantities of irony clay, or dark red ochre. Hence its 

 presence in some quantity may be anticipated, wherever 

 there is much of the latter, even though there is little or 

 none of the ore exposed on the surface. The exposure of 

 the base of the Silurian is along only a narrow belt in xthis 

 valley, hence many exposures of this deep lying ore could 

 not be reasonably expected. One of these, and the most 

 prominent, is on the Township line between Tps. 12 and 13 

 of R. 2 East, and known as the Champion Mines. A de- 

 tailed description of these will be given hereafter. From 

 Champion Mines the ore may be traced along the base of 

 the Silurian towards the S. W. to S. ^2, T. 13 of R. 1 E., 

 where strong indications are found of the existence of an ore 

 deposit, though it does not show on the surface. 



In S. 34, T. 14 of R. 1 W., near Village Springs, a body 

 of brown ore is found, but as the Cambrian rocks do not 

 there come to the surface, it is uncertain whether it belongs 

 to this horizon, or the next one above. Also a deposit near 

 Palmer's Station is left unclassed for the same reason. 



At Mt. Pinson the Cambrian rocks are again exposed, 

 and this iron bearing horizon is a^so largely exposed for 

 several miles to the S. W., and ^ives fine indications of 

 holding bodies of iron ore. Good ore has been seen on the 



