114 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



5. Dark brown and greenish colored sand, showing a dark chocolate colored 



interior 3 feet. 



6. Thin layer of iron 2 inches. 



7. A.sh gray and blackish green colored sand to water 3 to 5 feet. 



These sands, although hard when taken from the bank, are very friable 



and readily crumble between the fingers. 

 The following is the analysis of this sand: 



Silica 45 . 80 



Alumina and iron 38.40 



Lime 2.20 



Magnesia 2.23 



Potash 1.14 



Sulphur 0.77 



Phosphorus Trace. 



Soda 6.00 



Loss on ignition ' 4.21 



100.75 



LIGNITES. 



Several deposits of lignites are known to exist in various parts of the 

 county. In the boring of a deep well at Jefferson three beds of lignite were 

 passed through at different depths, the first one being struck at thirty-four 

 feet. Lignitic deposits are also found at many places along the north side 

 of Caddo Lake, both in the wells and in the channels of many of the numer- 

 ous streams which enter the lake on that side These deposits are, however, 

 reported as being too thin for practical purposes, the thickest at present 

 known being not more than eighteen or twenty inches in thickness. 



These lignite beds have not yet been studied sufficiently to determine their 

 actual thickness or areal extent and qualities. 



The lignite deposits of Marion County belong to the great lignitic deposits 

 which are found extensively developed throughout the whole of Eastern 

 Texas, lying at different depths and of varying thicknesses, and at the same 

 time of a generally fair character. 



In speaking of Texas lignites. Dr. Penrose says (First Annual Report of 

 the Geological Survey of Texas, p. 95): "These lignite beds occur through- 

 out all East Texas, from the top of the basal clays on the western edge of 

 the timber to beyond the middle of the Fayette Beds, sometimes to within 

 a hundred miles or less of the gulf coast. They are not confined to any 

 special strata. Yet they are so numerous and often so thick that if they 

 were to be used on a large scale vast quantities of the material could be ob- 

 tained. They vary in thickness from a fraction of an inch to over twelve 

 feet." 



