GRAY    IRON    ORES    OF    TALLADEGA    COUNTY,   ALA,  173 
art  of  the  range  there  have  been  no  openings  except  a  few  old  pits 
ug  in  the  hard  bluish  quartzite  that  forms  the  summit  of  the  ridge 
ear  the  point  where  it  is  crossed  by  a  road  1  mile  south  of  Looney 
[ill. 
In  Columbiana  Mountain,  a  few  miles  east  of  Columbiana,  in  Shelby 
iounty,  there  is  a  bed  of  reddish  hematitic  iron  ore.  As  its  position 
dth  respect  to  the  Weisner  quartzite  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  gray 
res  of  Talladega  County, -mention  of  its  mode  of  occurrence  may  be 
f  interest.  The  structure  of  the  mountain  is  very  complicated.  Ac- 
ording  to  Dr.  E.  A.  Smith,  the  lowland  west  of.  Columbiana  is  formed 
f  Mississippian  sandstones  and  shales.  The  lowland  at  the  foot  of 
tie  mountain  on  the  west  flank  is  composed  of  Knox  shales  and 
mestones.  Higher  up  the  mountain  a  fault  causes  an  abrupt  tran- 
ition  into  a  series  of  sandy  shales  with  some  quartzitic  beds.  The 
iimmit  of  the  mountain  is  formed  of  heavy  quartzitic  sandstone,  such 
s  characterizes  the  summits  of  the  range  in  Talladega  County.  The 
3rm  of  the  mountain  is  roughly  elliptical,  the  longer  axis  pointing 
ortheast-southwest.  The  massive  quartzitic  sandstone  forms  the 
im  of  this  mountain,  except  where  it  is  breached  by  i3eeswax  Creek 
i  the  northwest  and  southeast.  The  form  of  this  mountain,  with  its 
igh  elliptical  rim  and  low  basinlike  central  portion,  is  very  peculiar, 
ut  is  in  some  respects  similar  to  the  canoe-shaped  folded  mountains 
f  the  northern  Appalachians.  A  section  along  the  Columbiana-Mardis 
3rry  road  eastward  from  the  summit  of  the  western  limb,  1^  miles 
rom  Columbiana,  is  as  follows: 
Section  along  Columbiana- Mardis  ferry  road. 
Paces. 
hutrl  zite,  top  of  ridge 1 
rery  red  soil,  all  sandstone  float 50 
[early  level,  practically  no  float 100 
toad  descends  more  abruptly;  sandstone  with  little  quartz  veins 175 
token  shaly  sandstone;  dip  38°  SE 178 
Iroken  shaly  sandstone;  dip  72°  E 183 
'hree-foot  quartzite  ledge,  with  numerous  quartz  veins;  dip  47°  E 204 
laty  sandstone ;  dip  vertical 270 
ilaty  sandstone;  dip  20°  E 279 
lather  heavy  fine-grained  sandstone ;  dip  1 8°  E 304 
Jght-greenish  thinly  laminated  slates  quite  arenaceous;  dip  22°  E 374 
)ne-foot  quartzite;  dip  22°  E 404 
leavy  quartzitic  sandstone 458 
leavy  sandstone  float 517 
minly  laminated  shah 's  breaking  into  small  pieces.;  dip  E.  (?) 538 
^wo-foot  bed  of  ore  forming  slight  ridge  in  read 550 
Six-inch  bed  of  ore 557 
^hree-foot  bed  red  iron  ore:  dip  27°  E 5(30 
ireenish  shaly  slates;  dip  uncertain 564 
Fault;  beyond  this  the  dip  is  48°  E 584 
Treenish  shaly  slates ;  dip  30°  E 594 
Bull.  315—07 12 
