THE  BROWN  IRON  ORES  OF  THE  RUSSELL VILLH 
DISTRICT,  ALABAMA. 
By  Ernest  F.  Bi  rchard. 
LOCATION   AND   SURFACE   FEATURES  OF  THE   DISTRICT. 
Russellville,  Franklin  County,  Ala.,  is  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
the  State,   25   miles  east    of  the  Mississippi   State  line  and    IS   miles 
south  of  Tennessee  River  at  Sheffield.     The  Russellville  ore  district! 
comprises  an  area  of  about  25  square  miles  within  a  rectangle  having 
dimensions  of  S  miles  from  west  to  east  and  about  .'->  miles  from  north  ijj 
to  south,  Russellville  being  near  the  middle  of  its  northern  edge,  j 
The  line  of  the  Northern  Alabama  Railroad  from  Sheffield  to  Par--n 
rish  passes  north  and  south   through  the  area,  connecting  the  ore-] 
mines  and  limestone  quarries  near   Russellville  with  the  blast  fur--j| 
naces  at    Sheffield.     The  district  lies  within   the  drainage  basin  off] 
Tennessee   Riv^er.     The   northern    part    of   Franklin   County   imme- 
diately  surrounding   Russellville   is  a  region  of  comparatively  low 
relief.      Russellville  has  an  altitude  of  about  315  feet  above  Tennessee 
River  and  stands  relatively  high  on  the  south  slope  of  Little  Moun- 
tain, the  divide  between  the  creeks  that  flow  directly  north  into  Tela 
nessee  River  and  those  that  make  a  detour  to  the  west  before  reach-  I 
ing  the   main  stream.     East  of  Russellville,  Payne  and  Mud  creeks, 
small   branches   at    the   headwaters  of  Cedar  Creek,   have  cut   their 
courses  down   100  feet   or  more  below  the  upland  levels,  fragments 
of  which  remain  in  the  form  of  flat-topped  hills  and  ridges  that  show 
a   somewhat   even   sky   line.     South   of   Russellville,    toward    Sand 
Mountain,  the  relief  becomes  much  greater. 
GENERAL  GEOLOGY. 
The  rocks  exposed  from  Tennessee  River  southward  to  and  includ- 
ing the  Russellville  district  are  grouped  as  follows  under  the  forma- 
tion names  employed  by  the  Alabama  Geological  Survey." 
a  NfcCalley,  Henry,  Report  on  the  valley  regions  of  Alabama,  pt.  1,  Alabama  Geol.  Survey,  1896; 
pp.  147    187. 
152 
