42 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Uii the eastern end the hematites can be traced as far as the 

 (3neida-Herkinier county border, without any noticeable changes 

 of character. After passing that line their thickness falls off 

 quite rapidly. At the outcrop west of Frankfort hill, in the 

 town of Frankfort, Herkimer co., the oolitic bed measures only lo 

 inches, which is about one third the amount represented at Clinton, 



9 miles west. The red flux bed on the other hand is still fairly 

 well maintained as regards thickness, showing about 40 inches. 

 Following the strike to the southeast across southern Herkimer 

 county, the beds appear to give out within a short dis- 

 tance, for they can not be identified in the outcrops, or else they 

 shade off into a ferruginous sandstone that is much different 

 from the normal ore varieties. In the exposures along the hills 

 south of the Mohawk river, between Frankfort and Herkimer, 

 neither the oolitic nor the red flux bed can be seen, but there are 



10 feet or more of deep red sandstone heavily charged with 

 hematite. The latter functions as cement to the quartz grains, 

 but does not encrust them. The iron content of the sandstone 

 may be placed at about 10;/. The entire Clinton disappears, so 

 far as surface indications are concerned, near the eastern border 

 of Herkimer county. 



The ore seams thus attain their fullest development in re- 

 spect to thickness within the stretch from eastern Oneida to 

 western Wayne county. Beyond these limits they have little 

 economic importance for the present, at least, and their explora- 

 tion is not of immediate concern. 



The information gained from the test drilling, described else- 

 Avhere in this report, serves to show the distribution of the more 

 valuable ore bodies with some precision. It has been found 

 that the ore is mainly gathered into four areas which succeed 

 each other along the outcrop, after longer or shorter intervals 

 that are characterized by thin seams, much below the average, 

 or by their almost complete disappearance. There is a possi- 

 bility of one or two additional areas being present that have] 

 escaped notice by reason of the wide spacing of the holes, but] 

 they must be of minor extent compared with the others. 



The area which centers about Clinton, Oneida co., has been] 

 the principal source of the ore in the past. There are two seams! 

 here, an upper of fossil character called the red flux bed audi 

 a lower oolitic bed that is sometimes split into two portions] 

 by a layer of barren rock. The fossil ore is too lean to be used 



