IRON ORES OF THE CLINTON FORMATION 43 



in the furnace. It attains the notable thickness of 6 feet. The 

 oolitic bed extends through the towns of New Hartford, Kirk- 

 land and Westmoreland and is of mineable grade over most of 

 the territory in which it is exposed. It ranges from 20 to 36 

 inches, with an iron average of 40;^ or a little more in places. 

 A subordinate area, perhaps connected with this, is found in 

 the town of Verona, where some ore was obtained for the early 

 furnaces. The workings are 7 miles distant from the proximate 

 outcrops in the town of Westmoreland. The bed measures from 

 12 to 20 inches and is of fossil nature. The oolitic bed is absent 

 from this section. 



The test hole at Lakeport, the only one put down in the 

 stretch of 30 miles from Verona Station to the west end of 

 Oneida lake, was unfavorable for the presence of any consider- 

 able volume of ore in this vicinity. At Brewerton, 15 miles 

 from Lakeport, a 16-inch bed of oolitic ore was found. This 

 is a new discovery and is nowhere exposed at the surface. That 

 It underlies a considerable area seems quite certain, and it doubt- 

 less attains a greater thickness than indicated by the test. Fur- 

 ther exploration is needed to ascertain its full value. 



After an interval in which the formation crosses the south- 

 western corner of Oswego county without the appearance of 

 any considerable ore bodies, the third area is encountered in 

 northern Cayuga county, beginning near Sterling Station. The 

 excavations along the outcrop here show from 30 to 36 inches 

 of fossil ore, while within i mile to the south the bed is re- 

 ported to increase to 40 inches. The bed has been proved as 

 far west as Wolcott where the drill encountered 21 inches while 

 an overlying 12-inch seam comes in at this place. The drill hole 

 ] ut down at Red Creek midway between Wolcott and Sterling 

 Station showed the main- bed to be 30 inches thick. The two 

 drill tests have demonstrated the extent of the ore to be much 

 greater than hitherto known. All that has been done previously 

 in the way of exploration consisted of sliallow open cuts and 

 drill holes on the eastern end, which aflforded no satisfactory 

 evidence of the character and volume of the ore to be found 

 to the south and west. The average iron content of the main 

 l)cd may be placed at about 35^^ to 38'/. 



The continuation of the ore 1)C(1 ininicdiately west from Wol- 

 cott has not hccn prospected. It may bo assumed. liowoNor. 

 that tlie main scam tliins in tliis direction, or is broken np l>y 



