V 
Record of Geology of Texas, 1887-1896. 81 
Blake, William P. 
Mr. iCharles Allen, of (Socorro, GST. M., .an exploration of the region, with 
the result of finding the einnahar-deposits and locating them for develop- 
ment. My attention was directed to them through Mr. James P. Chase, 
0 ‘f iSocorro, with whom I visited, the locality in the month of August, last. 
About the same time a notice of the discovery was printed in Los Angeles, 
Cal.,'-'' (*The Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1894), and it was also mentioned in one or 
more of the papers in LI Paso, and later in the Manufacturer’s Record, 
published in Baltimore. 
‘The locality is in the southern portion of the part of Texas within 
the (Big Bend of the Bio Grande river, about 80 or 90 miles south of 
Alpine station, and 90 or 100 miles from Marfa station, on the Southern 
Pacific Railway. It is 50 or 60 miles from Presidio del GSTorte, and about 
10 or 12 miles from the Rio Grande. These distances, it will be noted, are 
approximately stated, as there has not been any survey of the region. 
The longitude is about 27 W., and lat. 29.30 N. The cinnabar is best 
reached from Marfa by team through an open country, with a gradual 
descent from the Marfa table-land to the Rio Grande valley, following first 
the valley of Alamitos and then over a low divide to the Tres Lenguas, 
which is followed southwards, genevally between the flat-topped hills of the 
mesas on each side, until nearing the (Rio Grande, where the road winds 
among the higher and more rugged hills. The last six miles of the route 
is impassable for wagons, and the cinnabar camp is reached by a pack- 
trail, which turns westwards from the wagon-road and leads across a 
country much broken and intersected by dry ‘washes’ or creek beds. 
“The hills are low, but are much broken by escarpments of nearly horizon- 
tal strata of cretaceous limestone. The elevation of the camp is shown by 
the .aneroid barometer to be 3250 feet above tide.” 
Topography. Major Emory’s description of the region. Nature of the 
'Country between Marfa and the Tres Lenguas. Table-lands capped with 
basaltic lava. Church Mountains. iSan Diego Peak. Beds under the lava 
thought to be Pliocene and Miocene Tertiary. Descending the valley of 
thC' Tres Lenguas cretaceous rocks appear. Discussion of the genesis of 
cinnabar. Occurrence of cinnabar different from that at New Almaden. 
“In considering the source and origin .of the cinnabar, we should not 
lose sight of the fact that there is an intrusion of doleritic rock near by, 
and that this probably has a direct and close connection, not only with 
the disturbance of the strata, but also with the source of the metalliferous 
impregnations.” 
The conditions for working the ore not as favorable as could be wished. 
No water near.. (Wood from the Rio Grande would cost $5.00 and $6.00 
per cord. The low grade ore would probably remain useless. 
20. Beoadhead^ G. C. 
■Mi'tcliell County, Texas. 
Correspondence of the American Geologist. VoL II, pp. 433- 
436. Minneapolis, 1888. 
Texas and Pacific Railroad passes east and west through centre of the 
county. 'Crosses Colorado river at Colorado City. Course of Colorado 
river. “Red Beds” exposed. Paucity of fossils. (Section at Colorado 
