GRAY    IRON    ORES    OF    TALLADEGA    COUNTY,  ALA.  167 
that  the  character  and  continuity  of  the  ore  in  depth  has  not  yet  been 
determined.  It  seems,  however,  that  the  ore  becomes  gradually 
l&ore  and  more  compact  with  increase  in  depth. 
On  account  of  the  slight  amount  of  prospecting  that  has  been  done 
by  the  company,  little  is  known  about  the  extent  and  form  of  the  ore 
bodies.  It  has  been  shown,  however,  that  the  ore  at  one  or  more 
horizons  continues  for  at  least  a  mile  and  a  half,  or  to  the  limits  of  the 
company's  holdings,  south  and  west  of  the  mine.  The  amount  of 
float  indicates  that  in  at  least  two  places  in  this  distance  a  great  thick- 
ness of  ore  may  be  expected.  Both  of  these  areas  occur  in  sags  be- 
tween hills,  but  as  there  are  no  exposures  of  underlying  rocks  at  these 
places  the  structure  could  not  be  determined.  It  seems  probable, 
however,  if  the  iron  series  lies  below  the  Weisner  formation,  as  has  been 
supposed,  that  the  apparent  thickness  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  sur- 
ace  here  bevels  across  the  bowls  of  synclines.  This  suggestion  needs 
careful  and  thorough  consideration,  as  its  bearing  on  the  economic 
problems  involved  is  very  important. 
The  other  mine  of  the  Gray  Ore  Iron  Company  ;s  about  three- 
ourths  of  a  mile  north  of  the  Mesaba  mine,  on  the  same  range,  at  a 
joint  where  it  is  cut  through  by  Emauhee  Creek.  Operations  at  the 
Emauhee  have  been  suspended  while  work  at  Mesaba  is  being  pressed . 
En  consequence  the  pits  are  filled  with  water,  so  that  most  of  the  mine 
^ould  not  be  visited. 
The  method  of  development  at  Emauhee  differs  from  that  used  at 
Mesaba,  for  the  facilities  there  for  stripping  are  not  so  good  and  an 
ncline  some  300  feet  in  length' has  therefore  been  driven  and  drifts 
lave  been  turned  off  every  50  feet.  The  main  mining  work  has  been 
lone  on  the  south  side  of  the  creek.  When  the  company  resumes 
vork  the  lowest  drift  will  be  driven  northward  at  a  depth  of  about  100 
!eet  under  the  creek  and  will  connect  with  the  surface  workings  on  the 
3ther  side  by  an  upraise.  This  connection  will  afford  good  ventilation 
md  will  block  out  considerable  ground. 
The  ore  at  Emauhee  is  similar  to  that  at  Mesaba,  but  is  more  dense 
|md  quartzitic.  This  massive  character,  coupled  with  the  additional 
expense  of  underground  mining,  makes  the  cost  at  Emauhee  much 
Liigher  than  in  the  more  easily  shaken,  less  massive  beds  at  the  Mesaba 
ijriine,  which  for  the  present,  at  least,  can  be  handled  in  open  cuts. 
There  are  two  veins  at  Emauhee.  The  more  eastern  vein  has  been 
jnost  extensively  developed  and  carries  the  better  ore.  This  vein  con- 
sists of  two  benches  of  hard  quartzitic  ore  separated  by  a  thin  parting 
pf  iron-impregnated  slaty  schist,  very  similar  in  character  to  the  slates 
(at  Mesaba.  The  thickness  of  this  slate  parting  varies  considerably. 
In  some  places  it  disappears;  in  others  it  is  several  feet  thick.  The 
pre  also  varies  in  thickness,  but  near  the  mine  it  averages  approxi- 
mately 5  feet  7  inches.     This  lead  has  been  traced  southward  and  a 
