17  Q. 
c  o:. 
TJTIONS    TO    ECONOMIC    GEOLOGY,  1905. 
The  mines  formerly  worked  to  supply  the  Fort  Payne  furnace  are  located  about  half 
a  mile  northwest  of  the  furnace,  in  the  gap  above  mentioned.  The  original  report  on  this 
property  gave  the  following  analyses  for  the  ore  from  the  mines: 
Analyses  of  ores  from  mines  near  Fort  Payne,  Ala. 
Silica  (Si02) 
Metallic  iron  (  Fe) 
Lime  (CaO) 
Phosphorus  (F) . 
Soft  ore. 
Hard 
ore.     ) 
10.37 
4.11 
55.34 
25.  39 
1.07 
30.13 
.4(1 
.34 
While  these  analyses  arc  quoted  from  a  prospectus  and  the  name  of  the  analyst  is  un- 
known, the  analysis  of  the  hard  ore  al  least  seems  to  contain  internal  evidence  as  to  its 
accuracy,  for  no  prospectus  writer  would  imagine  a  25  per  cent  ore. 
Analyses  by  J.  L.  Beeson  "  of  samples  from  old  surface  cuts  near  the  Fort  Payne  mines 
gave  the  following  results: 
Analyses  oforefrom  surfaa  cuts  near  Fort  Payne,  Ala. 
Silica.  (Si02) 
Metallic  iron  >  Fe  i 
Lime  (CaO) 
Phosphoric  anhydride  I  l\<  >' 
Soft  on-. 
Hard 
ore. 
7.  93 
3.  97 
56. 02 
26.  41 
n.  d. 
29.  8( 
.52 
.8( 
It  will  be  seen  that  these  check  closely  with  the  reported  analyses  of  the  Fort  Payrij 
furnace  ores. 
Portersville.  The  Portersville  mines  of  the  Southern  Steel  Company  are  located  aboil 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  northwest  of  Portersville  station,  near  the  northwestern  flank  o 
Red  Mountain.  A  switch  track  from  the  mines  to  the  Alabama  (heat  Southern  Railroa( 
parses  on  a  very  easy  grade  through  a  convenient  gap  in  the  red  ridge. 
The  principal  openings  at  presenl  are  on  the  north  side  of  this  gap,  though  extensive 
stripping  i-  now  in  progress  <>n  tliu  south.     The  main  slope  shows  a  section  about  as  follows 
Section  m  main  s/ojx of'  mine  near  Portersville,  Ala. 
Inches. 
Shales. 
Ore ; 24 
Sha  1.' 12-18 
<  >  re 24 
This  slope  is  now  down  400  feet    on   the  dip  of  the  ore,  which  is  15°  SE.;  and  beloA 
cover  the  ore  beds  thicken  slightly  in  places  to  give  a  total  thickness  of  \\  feet.     Owin  , 
to  the  heavy  shale  parting  between  the  seams  the  stripped  ore  is  hardly  as  clean  as  t ha  ■ 
of  the  Crudup  mines. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  gap  5  to  :•><)  feet  of  stripping  (soft  greenish  shale)  is  hein  ; 
removed  so  as  to  get  hack  to  a  point  where  the  roof  is  firm  enough  to  permit  undergroun  I 
mining. 
"McCalley,  Report  on  the  Valley  Regions  of  Alabama,  ]>t.  2,  p.  153. 
