44 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



intercalations of limestone, which is in accordance with the re- 

 sults found at Wallington, lo miles from Wolcott. At about 

 the same distance beyond Wallington, in the town of Ontario, 

 Wayne co., is an area that contains a bed of fossil ore from 

 i8 to 30 inches thick. This seam has been worked for a distance 

 of 5 or 6 miles east and west and explored by the mining- com- 

 panies several miles farther along the outcrop. It diminishes 

 very gradually westward so that at Rochester it is still 14 inches 

 thick. The ore from the surface workings in the town of On- 

 tario averages 40,^ or slightly more in iron. 



The above outline of the distribution of the hematites is neces- 

 sarily tentative; it is an effort merely to interpret the data thus 

 far at hand. There are many gaps to be filled in, and much addi- 

 tional information is required concerning the sections even that 

 are best known before an ultimate survey of the conditions is 

 possible. The available evidences sufifice, however, to indicate in 

 some measure the possibilities of the Clinton formation as a future 

 source of iron ore. 



The volume of ore which is subject to estimate within the areas 

 mentioned is such that it must be considered one of the more 

 important reserves in the present fields of iron mining. A great 

 proportion, of course, will not be subject to profitable extraction 

 for many years to come. But if limitations be put upon the estimate, 

 so as to bring it into relation more or less close with the existing 

 status of the mining industry, the total will still be large. 



Thus, to provide a reasonable basis of calculation, we may exclude 

 all ore that is below 18 inches thick or more than 500 feet from the 

 surface, also leaving out of account the beds that are below the 

 average in iron content. Under these restrictions the quantity 

 available in the three principal areas may be placed at approximately 

 600,000,000 tons. 



The larger part of the ore resources available for underground 

 mining is represented by the western areas of Cayuga and Wayne 

 counties. The inclination of the beds in this section is usually 

 less than 50 feet to the mile, while the surface rises very gradually 

 southward ; consequently mining could be extended for a long dis- 

 tance (from 5 to 6 miles) on the dip before the depth of the work- 

 ings would reach 500 feet. That the ore may be expected to hold 

 out for such a distance has been practically demonstrated by the 

 borings at Wolcott and Red Creek which penetrated the beds at 

 points about 3 miles back from the line of outcrop. Its continuity 



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