2 Johnson and Warren — Geology of Rhode Island. 



Part I—JVotes on the History and Geology of Iron Mine Hill, 

 Camber land, JR. I. 



Location and Topography. — The cumberlandite forms a 

 rather conspicuous ridge, known locally as " Iron Mine Hill," 

 situated in the northeastern corner of the state of Rhode 

 Island, in the town of Cumberland, and about three miles in a 

 nearly easterly direction from the town of Woonsocket. The 

 locality is easily reached from the latter city by taking a trolley 

 car marked " Manville " for a distance of about two miles to a 

 point known as Chipman's Corner, and thence walking for 

 about a mile due east. The locality may also be reached by 

 leaviug the Boston and Providence P.P., Franklin Div., at a 

 station known as " Diamond Hill " and walking thence for 

 about two miles along the main Woonsocket road, taking the 

 first turn to the left and following it for a few rods. 



An idea of the general topography of the region may be 

 obtained from an examination of the Providence and Franklin 

 quadrangles of the topographical map of the U. S. Geological 

 Survey. The relief is not great and the hills for the most part 

 rise to approximately the same altitude, which will not exceed 

 much over 100 feet above the surrounding country nor 400 to 

 500 feet above the sea-level. The country is heavily drift- 

 covered, and much of the present topography is due to the 

 glacial deposits. The area is drained by the Blackstone river, 

 which runs in a southerly direction a mile to the west. 



Historical. — The existence of an entire hill composed of a 

 rock of such high density and unusual appearance as the cum- 

 berlandite doubtless attracted attention to it at an early date. 

 That it was a possible ore of iron appears to have been known 

 at the beginning of the eighteenth century, for in 1703 the 

 rock was mixed with hematite from Cranston, R. I., and smelted 

 for iron by one Philip Brown. It is stated that his foundry 

 was located in the town of Cumberland, but just where, the 

 writer has so far been unable to discover. It is also said 

 that a part of the cannon used against Louisburg in 1715 were 

 cast at this forge. 



From time to time since, mostly in the early and middle part 

 of the present century, attempts have been made to use the 

 rock as an ore of iron by mixing it with high grade ores 

 at many smelters in New York, Pennsylvania, and New 

 England. Old excavations on the side of the hill indicate 

 that a total of at least several thousand tons has been taken out, 

 and according to Professor Shaler, loose bowlders of the rock, 

 which were once abundant on and about the hill, have been 

 extensively collected and shipped away for use as ore and for 

 other purposes. The relatively low percentage of iron (30 to 



