GRAY    IRON    ORES    OF    TALLADEGA    COUNTY,  ALA.  169 
determined.  The  ore  occurs  in  a  series  of  arenaceous  schists  and 
slates  which  have  a  nearly  northeast-southwest  strike.  The  main 
openings  are  on  the  west  side  of  the  easternmost  range  of  the  Weewoka 
Hills  opposite  the  house  of  Doctor  Heacock  in  sec.  9,  T.  20,  R.  4  E. 
The  ore  bodies  are  intricately  folded  and  the  structure  is  compli- 
cated. The  valley  between  the  western  range  of  the  Weewoka  Hills 
on  Mallory  Mountain  and  the  eastern  range  on  Heacock  Mountain  is 
occupied  by  down-faulted  limestone  which  is  of  either  Knox  or 
Aldrich  age.  The  range  consists  of  schists,  slates,  and  sandstones, 
and  in  the  extreme  upper  portion  of  quart zite. 
In  the  slates  there  are  several  beds  of  gray  ore,,  no  less  than  five 
being  exposed  between  the  foot  and  summit  of  the  hill  on  the  west 
side.  It  seems  evident,  however,  that  all  of  these  do  not  represent 
separate  strata,  but  rather  the  folded  limbs  of  the  same  bed.  At  least 
three  of  the  five  belong  to  the  same  bed,  and  it  is  a  question  whether 
the  other  two  belong  together  or  to  the  folded  vein  to  which  the  first 
three  belong.  Many  important  points  regarding  the  details  of  these 
ore  horizons  can  not  yet  be  determined,  owing  to  the  small  number  of 
openings. 
The  old  work  done  at  the  Heacock  consisted  in  stripping  the  eastern- 
most vein,  the  one  nearest  the  top  of  the  ridge,  for  nearly  a  hundred 
yards.  This  vein  averages  about  3  feet  in  width  and  consists  of  good 
clean  hematite  ore.  About  100  paces  southwest  of  its  northern  end 
this  bed  is  folded  back  on  itself  so  abruptly  that  it  has  broken  and 
the  southern  continuation  has  slipped  past.  The  vein,  therefore, 
occupies  nearly  20  paces  less  space  than  it  would  if  the  lead  were  con- 
tinuous. This  feature  is  mentioned  in  detail  because  it  must  con- 
stantly be  taken  into  account  in  developing  these  ores.  Where  the 
beds  have  been  much  faulted  and  folded,  the  value  of  the  ore  increases, 
so  that  the  associated  difficulties  of  mining  are  in  some  measure  com- 
pensated for  by  the  higher  tenor  of  the  ore. 
In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  field  this  vein  lies  west  of  the  summit 
of  the  ridge,  but  its  strike,  somewhat  less  westerly  than  the  strike  of 
the  ridge,  soon  brings  it  onto  the  east  side  of  the  range.  It  has  been 
traced  more  or  less  continuously  for  about  500  paces,  though  many  of 
the  old  prospect  pits  are  now  filled  in,  so  that  no  ore  is  exposed  in 
place. 
About  50  paces  west  of  this  vein  there  is  another  vein,  which  stands 
nearly  vertical  and  has  a  nearly  parallel  strike.  This  vein,  where 
exposed  in  the  entrance  of  an  old  adit,  appears  as  a  3^-foot  bed. 
Twenty-three  paces  within  this  adit  in  an  easterly  direction  is  another 
vein  which  has  a  flatter  easterly  dip  and  a  more  northwesterly  strike. 
On  the  surface  the  two  veins  have  approached  each  other  to  within 
about  4  paces.  Consequently  it  seems  evident  that  the  two  veins  in 
the  adit  are  the  same,  for  the  strikes  are  converging  as  well  as  the  dips. 
