3CRCHARD.]      IRON    ORES    IN    BROOKWOOD    QUADRANGLE,    ALA.  323 
IRON  ORES. 
Iron  ores  that  are  being  mined  in  the  Brookwood  quadrangle  are 
(1)  red  ore,  or  hematite,  and  (2)  brown  ore,  brown  hematite  or 
imonite.  This  is  the  order  of  their  importance  in  the  State  as  a 
vdiole,  but  in  the  Brookwood  quadrangle  at  present  much  more  brown 
>re  is  being  mined  than  red  ore. 
THE    RED    ORE. 
Distribution,  geologic  relations,  and  de  velopmen  t. — Hem  a  t  it  e 
x-ciirs  in  minable  quantities  to  the  east  and  northeast  of  the 
Brookwood  quadrangle,  in  the  East  Red  Mountain  ridge,  which 
separates  Jones  and  Shades  valleys,  and  in  West  Red  Mountain, 
which,  lies  between  Jones  Valley  and  the  Warrior  coal  field.  The 
>re  is  in  regularly  stratified  beds,  forming  a  part  of  the  Rockwood 
lormation,  which  is  of  Silurian  age  and  which  has  been  termed  by 
he  Alabama  Geological  Survey,  the  "  Red  Mountain  "  or  "  Clinton." 
The  Rockwood  formation  is  somewhat  variable  in  thickness  in  the 
[uadrangle,  but  averages  about  350  feet.  It  consists  for  the  most 
)art  of  reddish  ferruginous  sandstone  interstratified  with  yellowish 
hale  and  clay,  and  in  places  carries  limestone  beds  and  conglomeratic 
landstone  in  its  upper  part,  The  ore,  which  consists  of  calcareous, 
ferruginous  sandstone,  sometimes  very  fossiliferous,  occurs  near  the 
niddle  of  the  formation,  and  where  exploited  is  in  from  one  to  five 
earns,  which  vary  in  thickness  from  a  few  inches  to  30  feet.  Just 
>eyond  the  border  of  the  quadrangle,  along  East  Red  Mountain, 
rom  Birmingham  to  Bessemer,  is  a  practically  continuous  stretch  of 
nines  and  strippings  on  the  outcrop  of  the  ore,  about  15  miles  in 
ength,  constituting  the  .most  extensive  development  of  the  Clinton 
>re  that  is  known.  The  Rockwood,  or  "  Red  Mountain,"  formation 
las  been  traced  into  the  Brookwood  quadrangle  in  strike  with  West 
fed  Mountain,  near  Bessemer.  It  extends  parallel  to  and  less  than  a 
nile  south  of  Rock  Mountain,  and  is  practically  continuous  from 
/alley  Creek,  in  sec.  13,  T.  19  N.,  R,  5  W.,  to  a  point  in  sec.  17,  T. 
!l  N.,  R.  6  W.,  about  1  mile  northwest  of  Bibbville.     This  strip 
If  the  formation,  while  not  everywhere  presenting  an  outcrop, 
oubtless  passes  diagonally  across  portions  of  the  following  sections, 
yhich  are  between  the  limits  mentioned  above:  Sees.  13,  24,  23,  26, 
■5,  and  34,  T.  10  N.,  R.  5  W. ;  sees.  3,  10,  9,  16,  IT,  20,  and  19,  T.  20 
L,  R,  5  W.:  sees.  24,  25,  20,  35,  and  34,  T.  20  N.,  R,  6  W.,  and  sees. 
.,  4,  9,  8,  and  IT,  T.  21  N.,  R.  6  W.  It  would  be  preferable  to  repre- 
ent  the  distribution  of  these  important  beds  geographically,  but  as 
naps  are  not  to  be  published  with  this  brief  article  the  locations  may 
