RECENT  ZINC  MINING  IN  EAST  TENNESSEE. 
By  Arthur  Keith. 
The  zinc  deposits  of  East  Tennessee  have  been  known  and  worked 
for  many  years.  Some  of  them  were  described  in  the  Morristown 
and  Maynardville  geologic  folios  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey.  Considerable  developments  were  being  made  when  those- 
folios  were  in  course  of  publication,  and  it  seems  desirable  to  make 
public  the  additional  knowledge  since  obtained. 
Location.- — Deposits  of  zinc  ore  are  found  at  numerous  places  in 
East  Tennessee.  Those  in  which  recent  developments  have  been  made 
lie  between  Knoxville  and  Morristown,  in  Knox  and  Jefferson  counties. 
They  are  thus  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  East  Tennessee  Valley.  The 
area  in  which  the  zinc  is  found  is  less  than  40  miles  long,  hardly  over 
a  mile  in  width,  and  has  a  general  northeast-southwest  direction.  In 
all  cases  thus  far  developed  the  zinc  is  within  a  mile  or  two  of  the 
main  line  of  the  Southern  Railway.  From  southwest  to  northeast  the 
zinc  localities  are  as  follows:  On  Loves  Creek,  5  miles  northeast  of 
Knoxville;  close  to  McMillan  station,  9  miles  northeast  of  Knoxville; 
2  miles,  1  mile,  and  one  half  mile  west  of  Mascot  station;  one-half 
mile  east  of  Newmarket;  \\  miles  southeast  of  Newmarket,  and  at 
Jefferson  City. 
Topography. — The  surface  of  this  portion  of  the  valley  consists  of 
lines  of  rounded  hills  and  intervening  valleys.  These  follow  straight 
or  irregular  courses,  according  as  the  underlying  rocks  change  their 
trend  and  dip.  Near  Knoxville,  for  instance,  they  run  in  regular 
lines,  while  around  Newmarket  there  is  considerable  variety.  The 
crests  of  the  hills  are  all  from  1,000  to  1,100  feet  above  sea,  and  form 
a  plateau  below  which  the  streams  have  worn  their  channels.  Holston 
River  drains  the  entire  zinc  belt,  and  is  from  200  to  300  feet  below  the 
general  level  of  the  plateau.  Its  larger  tributaries  have  cut  their 
channels  to  about  the  same  depth,  while  the  smaller  ones  descend  to 
the  river  with  numerous  rapids.  The  slopes  adjoining  the  streams  are 
usually  much  steeper  than  the  rest  of  the  plateau  slopes,  and  contain 
many  rock  ledges  and  cliffs.  The  supply  of  water  in  the  streams  is 
good,  and  the  larger  ones  are  unfailing.  Most  of  the  water  of  the 
208 
