Page:Report on the geology of the four counties, Union, Snyder, Mifflin and Juniata (IA reportongeologyo00dinv).pdf/324

296 F³. here, dipping 50° towards the south, and was entirely hematite as far as developed, about 75′ beneath the surface. This operation is likewise abandoned, and very little can be seen upon the ground to confirm the report of the good quality of the ore mined from here.

The McCormick ore banks is a name given to a series of openings, now all abandoned, situated in the center of the synclinal ridge, south of the Kansas valley, and a little east of the Wayne township line. The ridge in which these openings are located is very irregular and the erosion of the Oriskany sandstone composing it has strewn the surface of the narrow No. slate valley occupying its central line, so as to largely conceal the character of that formation and its associated ores. A profuse outcrop of surface hematite ore, extending along the summit is apt to give color to the belief in a large deposit of iron in this vicinity; but, like many other outcrops associated with the Oriskany rocks, this material is merely a ferruginous sand-rock, which, when broken open, is seen to contain little or no iron except as an outside coating. Similar occurrancesoccurrences [sic] might be mentioned in connection with a description of nearly every one of these Lewistown valley townships, and the same is equally true of Juniata and Snyder county. One of the openings south of Jas. Rhodes’ house on the south dip of the synclinal has evidently been made on material of this kind slightly richer. It is certainly associated with the Oriskany sandstone, and upon analysis was found to contain only about 31 per cent. of iron and 44 per cent. of insoluble residue. The ore bed itself was only about 1 foot thick. Another higher bed, 1′ to 2′ thick, occurring in the shales immediately above No., showed practically the same quality of ore.

This is the most western township of the Lewistown valley and of Mifflin county. It contains, roughly, about 40 square miles and, like the other townships of this valley, has the Jack’s mountain crest for its north line, about 7½ miles long,