98 GEOLOGICAL RECONNOISSANCE 



the attention of the iron manufacturer. Iron is found here in quantities 

 which might be sufficient to supply a smelting furnace. An attempt was 

 made, in this vicinity, to establish iron works; but, in consequence of the 

 death of Belcher, one of the principal parties interested, the enterprise 

 was never fully carried out. 



In the high ridge dividing the waters of the Osage fork of King's river 

 from Piney, the succession was as follows: 



1. Cherty sandstone. 



2. Encrinital limestones. 



3. A great mass of chert, replaced sometimes by sandstone. 



4. Magnesian limestones, interstratified with some sandstone. 



At Stevens' mill, on Piney creek, the encrinital limestone is underlaid 

 by 60 to 80 feet of sandstone. 



The soil, derived from the cherty sandstone, forming the summit of the 

 above "divide," supports a growth of pine. 



On the ridge between Piney creek and the Dry fork of King's river, the 

 strata of the preceding section appear to have dipped considerably 

 towards the south-west, so that they lie lower in the ridges, and are capped 

 with white, subcarboniferous limestone and sandstone, overlying the cherty 

 sandstone of the preceding section. 



In descending from these strata to the Howard farm, on the Dry fork of 

 King's river, a great mass of chert was passed over. 



No black shale was visible in any of the sections in this part of Carroll 

 county. 



The rock in the bed of the Dry fork of King's river, at Howard's farm, 

 is light-grey limestone and chert, at least 50 feet in thickness, and 

 apparently of subcarboniferous date; but, if so, there must be a rapid dip 

 of the strata between the Piney and Dry forks of King's river. 



Some lead ore is said to have been plowed up in Howard's field. 



A large spirifer was found in the limestone of the Dry fork, allied to 

 Spirifcr str talus, and casts of Orthis crinistria in the overlying chert, both 

 of which species belong to the subcarboniferous era, and, therefore indicate 

 the age of these rocks. 



In passing from the Dry fork to the main branch of King's river, a ridge 

 of about 330 feet in height was passed over. At the base of this ridge, is 

 the aforementioned light-grey limestone, 50 feet or more in thickness; over 

 this is a slope of chert, containing casts of Or this crinistria, surmounted 

 by sandstone, which forms the top of the ridge, where we passed over it 

 into Madison county. 



