DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMATIONS. F\ 49 



All attemr>ts to find this bed of ore in the west of Perry 

 county will fail unless it should, as sometimes happens, oc- 

 cur in lenticular masses or pockets, in which case accident 

 alone is likely to reveal it. The greater quantity of lime- 

 stone in the Clinton group of the western townships is 

 a strong reason for doubting the presence of iron ore at this 

 horizon. 



Tlie Sand Bock and Sand Vein Ore Bed. 



This is the most important seam of ore in Perry county 

 and the one which has contributed more than any other to 

 its wealth. From it is taken all the ore mined near Millers- 

 town, and, with small exceptions, all that has ever been 

 mined there. It is of good thickness, from one foot to 

 eighteen inches, but variable, and lies on top of the sand 

 rock so that its extraction is easy. On both sides of the 

 river immense quantities of ore have been taken out during 

 the past fifteen years and the bed has been joroved at vari- 

 ous places up the Raccoon valley. At some of these it is 

 hard and too expensive to mine ; at others it is soft, but the 

 distance from railway and canal is a great obstacle. In the 

 present depressed state of the iron trade little is done ex- 

 cept close to the river. 



This is, however, the bed which may be sought with the 

 greatest prospect of success in the west of the county. In 

 numerous places there are evident indications of its pres- 

 ence, as in Kennedy's valley, on Buck hills and Coneco- 

 cheague mountain. It is present, too, apparently in good 

 quantity and quality. Should improved communication in 

 the future render this ore available, some land in the west 

 will become much more valuable than now. 



The Ore Sand Rock is an unfailing guide to the place of 

 the ore if present. As shown in the section it lies close on 

 the top of the rock. The small, thin bed in the sandstone 

 has no economic value even at Millerstown. and elsewhere 

 I have not seen it. 



The following analysis of the ore from this bed north of 

 Millerstown on the river was made by Mr. A. S. McCreath, 

 chemist to the survev : 

 4F\ 



