bukchakd.]      IRON    ORES    IN    BROOK  WOOD    QUADRANGLE,    ALA.  331 
brown-ore  or  limonite  deposits  that  surface  indications  rarely  afford  a 
true  index  of  their  extent  or  value.  This  is  especially  noticeable  at  the 
Central  Iron  and  Coal  Company's  (Edwards)  ore  banks  at  (riles. 
Here  the  active  workings  cover,  roughly  estimated,  5  or  6  acres,  but 
the  ore  does  not  reach  the  surface.  To  the  west  of  the  present  open- 
ings, and  across  the  railroad  track,  five  or  six  small  test  pits  50  to  60 
feet  deep  have  been  sunk,  in- all  of  which  there  is  a  fine  showing  of 
ore  about  20  feet  below  the  surface  and  continuing  downward  for  10 
to  30  feet,  although  no  ore  whatever  shows  at  the  surface.  A  good 
typical  section,  and  one  which  illustrates  the  position  of  the  ore,  is 
given  by  McCalley,0  and  is  in  substance  as  follows: 
Section  at  the  Edwards  limonite  hauls. 
Ft.        in. 
4.  Very  red  loam    ("Lafayette"),  with  small,  rounded  flint  pebbles, 
about    10     0 
3.  Hardpan,  an   irregular  crust  of  micaceous  ferruginous  sandstone 
or   conglomerate,    from 0  to    1     0 
Reddish    sandy    loam,    with    some    pyrolusite    and    manganiferous 
limonite  as  soft  smutty  powder  and  as  crusts,  from 0  to    4     0 
1.  Limonite.  in  a  matrix  of  micaceous  sand,  with  some  flint  and  chert 
pebbles  and  irregular  streaks  of  stiff,  laminated,  gray  clay 
("Tuscaloosa")  ;    the  clay  frequently  predominates,  about 40     0 
In  the  surface  loams  of  the  Tertiary  and  Quaternary  are  many 
irregular  beds  and  lenses  of  ferruginous  sandstone  which  have  broken 
down  into  scattered  bowlders.  Some  of  this  material  is  of  a  concre- 
tionary nature,  and  certain  of  its  beds  appear  to  be  a  low-grade 
siliceous  hematite  rather  than  a  limonite.  Although  occurring  in 
abundance  over  some  of  the  hills  in  the  pine  woods  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  quadrangle,  its  use  has  not  been  found  practicable  as  yet. 
Character  of  the  broum  ore. — The  brown  ore  varies  considerably  in 
physical  character.  No  stratified  seams  of  importance  have  been 
noted  in  this  quadrangle,  so  that  this  description  applies  only  to  the 
pocket  ore.  This  has  evidently  been  deposited  by  percolating  water 
and  occurs  in  solid  masses,  or  in  honeycombed  ramifying  masses,  or  in 
loose  chunks,  bowlders,  concretions,  nodules,  and  gravels.  The  harder 
portions  of  the  ore  are  light  to  dark  brown  in  color,  usually  showing  a 
dull  luster  on  smooth,  freshly  broken  surfaces.  Cavities  in  the  con- 
cretionary forms  are  usually  lined  with  a  yellow  or  red  ocherous 
powder.  Ore  from  near  Gallant  Creek,  in  ^v.  0,  T.  21  X..  K.  6  \\\. 
is  a  dark-brown  limonite  cementing  angular,  weathered  chert  frag- 
ments into  a  breccia. 
Two  partial  analyses  of  brown  ore  from  the  Edwards  ore  banks 
at  Giles,  furnished  herewith,  are  by  the  Central  Iron  and  Coal  Com- 
a  Op.  cit.,  pp.  463-4G4. 
