BtrncHARD.]      IRON    ORES   IK    BROORWOOD    QUADRANGLE,    ALA.  329 
Analyses  of  red  ore  from  cut  in  \  W.  I  of  SW.  I  of  sec.  .!',.  '/'.  21  N.,  R.  6  W. 
Upper 
seam. 
Upper 
seam. 
Lower 
seam. 
Ferric  oxide  . 
87. 088 
4.280 
Trace. 
88.385 
5.  L60 
.279 
64. 138 
Silica .. 
6. 485 
Phosphoric  acid 
,192 
Within  the  valley  along  McAshan  Mountain  occurs  another  strip 
of  the  Rockwood  formation  nearly  parallel  to  the  strip  southeast  of 
Rock  Mountain.  Its  strike  is  approximately  N.  40°  E.,  and  its  strata 
dip  generally  to  the  northwest  at  angles  of  20°  to  45°.  It  crosses 
diagonally  portions  of  the  following  sections:   Sec.  35,  T.  19  N..  R.  5 
W.,  and  sees. 
10.  9,  16,  IT.  20,  19,  and  30,  T.  20  N.,  R.  5  W.     It 
terminates  apparently  in  the  vicinity  of  Bucksville.  This  strip  of  the 
formation  carries  two  and  possibly  three  small  seams  of  variable  ore, 
which  have  been  traced  by  numerous  prospects  as  far  as  the  NE.  ]  of 
sec.  10,  T.  20  N.,  R.  5  W. 
Character  of  the  red  ore. — The  red  hematite  ores  may  be  divided 
into  two  classes:  (  1 )  The  soft  ores,  that  contain  little  or  no  calcium 
carbonate,  and  (2)  the  hard  ores,  that  contain  from  12  to  20  per  cent 
of  calcium  carbonate.  The  soft  ores  are  usually  found  on  the  outcrop 
and  may  extend  underground  for  200  to  300  feet  on  the  dip,  depend- 
ing on  the  thickness  and  character  of  the  overlying  material.  The 
soft  ore  originally  was  identical  with  the  hard  ore,  but  it  has  suffered 
a  loss  of  its  calcium  carbonate  through  solution.  It  consequently  is 
the  richer  in  iron,  as  it  is  poorer  in  calcium  carbonate.  Its  content  in 
metallic  iron  runs  from  15  to  50  per  cent,  and  its  content  of  silica 
from  25  to  30  per  cent.  On  the  other  hand,  the  hard  ore  has  the 
advantage  of  containing  almost  enough,  or  at  times  sufficient,  lime  to 
flux  the  silica  contained  in  it.  It  carries  from  35  to  40  per  cent  of 
metallic  iron  and  12  to  18  per  cent  of  silica.  Soft  and  hard  ores  each 
carry  on  an  average  0.35  per  cent  of  phosphorus,  which  is  so  high  as 
to  preclude  their  use  for  making  Bessemer  steel.  In  the  Pinckard 
mine  the  line  of  demarcation  between  the  soft  and  hard  ores  is  not 
sharp,  and  it  doc-  not  lie  parallel  to  the  outcrop.  This  irregularity 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  hard  ore  is  encountered  in  the  first  right 
entry,  while  opposite  to  it  the  first  left  is  in  soft  ore.  In  the  ore  at 
the  Pinckard  mine  only  a  few  trace-  of  fossils  were  seen.  This  ore 
appears  to  consist  chiefly  of  minute  flattened  pebbles  and  grains  of 
ferric  Oxide  having  a  siliceous  core.  In  the  hard  ore  these  grains  are 
cemented  with  a  ferruginous  calcareous  cement.  In  the  soft  ore  these 
grains  often  fall  loosely  apart,  especially  when  dry.     The  hard  ore 
