Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/234

 222 MARYLAND Atlantic coast of Maryland has no harbors, and is bordered throughout by a sandy beach from a few yards to more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, enclosing a shallow lagoon. In the variety of its geological formations and mine- ral productions, Maryland is one of the most remarkable states in the Union. Along the seaboard and the shores of Chesapeake bay occur alluvial deposits of the present epoch. Next older are the beds of the pleistocene rec- ognized in St. Mary's co., whence the forma- tion extends southward along the coast of Vir- ginia and North Carolina. The eastern shore is overspread almost exclusively with the clays, sands, and calcareous marls of the miocene; and the same formation is found on the W. side of the bay, reaching back to the E. edge of the metamorphic rocks, the line of which is commonly marked by the lowest falls of the rivers, as they descend from this platform of ancient rocks. The miocene formation is exposed in the banks of the creeks and rivers, and its beds of shell marl are there largely excavated for their valuable fertilizing mate- rials. Deposits of bog ore are found in this formation, as well as in more recent ones. Among the tertiary ferruginous sands and clays spread over the western shore, from the vicinity of Washington to the head of the bay, are numerous deposits of argillaceous carbonate of iron in flat bands and balls. The cretaceous formation enters the N. E. corner of the state from New Jersey and Delaware ; but it is lost S. of the Susquehanna river. Immediately back of Baltimore are hills of metamorphic rocks, talcose and mica slates, and limestones, which extend N. E. and S. W. across the state. Among them are serpentine rocks, which con- stitute barren hills known as the " Bare Hills." In these, beds of chrome iron have been exten- sively worked, and their products have been converted into chrome pigments, and also ex- ported to Europe. The same formations have yielded large quantities of the silicates and hydrates of magnesia. Mines of copper ore have also been worked in the metamorphic rocks, and others of hematite support numer- ous blast furnaces ; in the same group of rocks are also extensive quarries of limestone and marble. At Sykesville, on the Patapsco, specu- lar iron ore is found, and worked in connection with pyritous copper ores. Passing westward across the metamorphic belt, and included in it, is a narrow strip of the "middle secondary red sandstone," which is traced from New Jersey through Pennsylvania and Maryland into Virginia. It passes through Carroll and the eastern part of Frederick co., crossing the Potomac just W. of Montgomery co. In this region was obtained from this formation the breodftted marble of which the pillars in the old hall of representatives in the capitol at Washington were made. In Frederick co., along the range of this belt, have been work- ed several copper mines. The portion of the metamorphic group lying W. of this trough of the middle secondary is but a few miles wide; and in the Catoctin and South moun- tains, on the W. line of Frederick co., are found the Silurian rocks, the Potsdam sand- stones, and the Trenton and associated lime- stones, the lower members of the Appalachian system of rocks. The calcareous strata over- spread the E. portion of Washington co., ex- tending N. in a broad belt into Pennsylvania and S. into Virginia. The finest valleys of the middle states lie on their range, and wherever met with these rocks give fertility to the soil and beauty to the scenery. Newer members of the Appalachian series of rocks succeed toward the west these lower formations, and are repeated with them in successive parallel ridges, which are the eastern members of the Appalachian chain. At Cumberland in Alle- gany co. commences the ascent of the main ridges. Up their slope the middle Silurian rocks soon give place to the red shales and sandstones of the Devonian, and these are suc- ceeded by the carboniferous formation, which caps the summits of Dan's and Savage moun- tains, and overspreads the intervening valley of George's creek, as the strata dip in each direction into the trough-shaped basin. At Frostburg, Lonaconing, Westernport, and other points in the valley, is obtained the semi- bituminous coal known in the eastern markets as Cumberland coal. Extensive works have been in operation at Mt. Savage, and also at Lonaconing, converting the iron ores of the coal formation into pig iron, and this into rails and other forms of wrought iron. The supply of ores, however, has proved uncertain, and, like most other attempts to found large opera- tions upon these ores, the enterprises have not prospered. From this point to the W. bound- ary of the state the country continues moun- tainous, consisting of parallel ridges and val- leys, the former capped by the coal formation or the underlying conglomerate and red and gray sandstones, and the valleys occupied by the coal measures. According to the census of 1870, the number of mining establishments in operation was 80, having 32 steam engines of 888 horse power, and 2 water wheels of 32 horse power; number of hands employed, 3,801 (1,241 above and 2,560 below ground) ; amount of capital invested, $25,369,730 ; wages paid, $1,839,952; value of materials used, $205,547; of products, $3,444,183. There were 22 mines of bituminous coal, yielding 1,819,824 tons, valued at $2,409,208; 43 of iron ore, yielding 98,354 tons, valued at $600,- 246 ; 2 of copper, producing $71,500 worth of ore ; 2 marble quarries, yielding $275,000 ; 2 slate, and 9 stone quarries. Of the coal mines 20 were in Allegany co. Of the iron 50,487 tons were produced in Baltimore co., 18,300 in Carroll, 12,000 in Frederick, 9,300 in Alle- gany, and 6,190 in Anne Arundel. The cli- mate of the state is temperate, and in most places salubrious, although the lowlands border- ing on the bay are subject to miasmata which