q} E f
/# 5 SEVENTH
. A/3
GEOLOGICAL REPORT
to run
TWENTY-FIFTH general ASSEMBLY
of THE
state of TENNESSEE
MADE NOVEMBER, 1843.
By G. TROOST, M. D.
Geologist to the State; Professor of Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology, in the
Nashville University, and Member of the Geological Societies of
France and Pennsylvania.
NASHVILLE :
W. F. BANG & Co., AND B. R. McKENNIE, PRINTERs.
1844.
&lryvºº, ſ ºts
\- *** - - A
* > -\ 0 a.
GEOLOGICAL REPORT.
To the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee: *
The Geologist of the State of Tennessee, begs leave to lay
before your honorable body the following Report:
My investigations since my last report to your honorable
body have been principally confined to the counties of David-
son, Williamson, Maury and Perry. I have also partly ex-
amined the counties of Dickson, Humphreys, Henry, Carroll,
Henderson and Hickman. ", s 4
The surface of Davidson county exhibits two different kinds
of strata of rocks, one limestone and the other sandstone; the
latter being covered with a light Sandy soil, forms the elevat-
ed tracts, while the limestone forms the lower and most fertile
part of the county.
It must have struck the most superficial observer, that even
in the small circuit of this county one part is covered with a
most luxuriant vegetation, while other parts exhibit a quite
different growth; he has also observed, that not only the vege-
tation, but also the rocks are different, and must have conclud-
ed from these observations, either that the soil influenced the
rocks and the vegetation, or that the rocks influenced the soil
and consequently the vegetation also. Now, as I have already
observed in my former reports, that the ground is partly form-
ed by the disintegration of the rocks, it must be obvious that
this disintegration influences the composition of the soil and
the growth of plants; that this is the fact, will become more
evident from the Geological and Mineralogical description
which I propose to lay before the public. It is my intention
to give at the same time a succinct descriptión of the organic
remains which I consider characteristic of the strata in which
* they occur; and this will be followed by an enumeration of
other natural productions that are peculiar to our State.
4.
In order to secure a regular view of the Geology of David-
son county, I have taken Nashville as a centre, and from it
various excursions have been made to the limits of the county.
I shall, therefore, commence by describing the rocks on which
this town is built, as far as they have been penetrated, from
which it will become evident, as I have already mentioned in
former reports in which I have given a general outline of the
geology of the whole State, that Nashville is constructed on
strata which belong to that division of geological formations
called silurian. & *k, ,
Though Nashville stands upon an apparently elevated spot,
which renders its situation exceedingly healthy and beautiful,
its strata of rocks are, nevertheless, in a geological point of
view, lower than those of the other parts of Davidson county;
for whenever any other strata make their appearance, the
Nashville strata are covered by them. This is the reason
why we commenced our excursions from this point and ex-
tended them to the limits of the county.
The lowest stratum of rocks which is visible near Nashville,
on the bank of the Cumberland river, is limestone. As no
excavations or quarries, to my knowledge, have been made
in it, I was not able to investigate it minutely, in regard to its
imbedded organic remains. It is mostly of a bluish gray,
approaching to a blackish gray color; fine grained more or
Jess splintery fracture, passing into coarse granular, uneven
and flat conchoidal, here and there intermixed with spathose
glistening particles of carbonate of lime. At other places it
has a more chrystaline granular structure approaching the
granular (primordial) limestone. It has a smell approaching
to that of the bituminous limestone. This limestone, though
pretty pure, it being composed of
Carbonate of lime, ------------------------ 89,00
Insoluble earthy matter, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10,30
Iron, (protoxide:) ------------------------- 0,70
5
is very subject to decomposition which can be traced by the
gradual changes produced by the action of air and water,
when the stone is broken; the original color as mentioned above
is of a dark gray. When exposed to atmospheric influence
this color changes gradually to an ashy gray, approaching
more or less to a reddish hue, owing probably to a higher state
of oxidation of Iron? the coloring matter. It not unfrequently
contains nodules of silex, resembling chert or horn-stone,
which are evidently formed by infiltration, filling the cavities
of decomposed organic bodies. They have not always a nod-
ular shape, but vary from globular to oval, and sometimes
they form elongated or flat masses of 3, 4 and even 10 yards
in length, and perhaps an equal depth, and 2 to 3 inches thick.
These accidental materials being silicious, while the rock is
calcarious and more subject to decomposition, they often pro-
ject out of the limestone, the water worn surface of which
shows, that the whole was composed of marine organic bodies,
but so mutilated and deformed that it is impossible to define
them. The fossils which I consider as characterising this
lowest stratum, and which are generally in a silicious state
3.re:
1. Favosites flabelliformis, nobis-It is composed of parallel,
quadrilateral tubes—they are often distorted so as to appear
obtuse rhomboidal or elliptical—they are in immediate contact,
and small, not quite 2 millimetres in diameter, 36 Occupying
a centimetre square—they are longitudinally curved and
waving, no transversal septa nor connecting pores are visible.
It is doubtful whether this fossil belongs to the Favosites.
According to the definition of de Blainville of this genus, it
is no Favosites, nor is it a Calamopora of Goldfuss, the distinc-
tive characters of which are transversal septa and connecting
pores. I have examined hundreds of these fossils, and I never
discovered any traces of these septa; nor do they belong to
the Alveolites, which they resemble in several respects, be-
cause they are not formed of incrusting layers. This fossil
characterises particularly this stratum—masses of 4 and 3
feet in diameter are often found in it
h 4.
y s -
§ 6
~, n t
2. Large Orthoceralites are also seen where the water of the
river has worn down the rock; they are abundant in some
places; their specific character, as they are entirely incorport
ated with the rock, cannot be ascertained. . . . . º
Such is the lowest stratum of limestone that I havé observ-
ed, and I do not believe that any lower than it appears to view
in Middle Tennessee; and similar strata from one to two feet
in thickness form, in general, the bank of the Cumberland
river, near Nashville, to the depth of about 40 or 50 feet, and
afe followed by a stratum of a different kind of limestone.
I have been enabled to examine the superior strata of lime-
stone near Nashville more minutely, for which examination
the extensive excavations for the water works and for wells to
supply the inhabitants with water and in the construction of
the turnpikes, have been particularly favorable; and as these
strata are pretty much the same as those that pervade the
whole of Middle Tennessee, I have been particularly atten-
tive to ascertain their character, and the imbedded organic
remains. These strata are not all composed of the same kind
of limestone. The lowest stratum of this series, which also
forms the floor of the réservoir of the water-works, and coin-
cides in its nature very much with the generality of the strata
for about 10 or 12.feet, is composed of granular limestone,
which alternates with the strata of com pact and more brittle
limestone. The granularis bluish or blackish gray; some of
it so dark as greatly to resemble in color and texture the well
known black marble from near the Maese in the Netherlands.
This granular structure is not uniform; it is sometimes coarse-
ly granular, the grains having a lamellar structure, from which
it gradually passes into the fine grained. It is often separated
from the adjacent strata by an earthy slaty limestone, which
is seldom more than 4 or 5 inches in thickness. This granu-
lar variety being very tough, is very seldom used for Macad-
amizing the turnpike roads in this vicinity. The compact
limestone, which breaks easily, is used for that purpos?, and
as it is soon ground up by the wheels of wagons, it is the
*
w
7
cause of the dust with which all our turnpike roads are cov-
ered, except those that are Macadamized with river pebbles.
This compact limestone has a gray, sometimes a greenish
gray color, and a flat conchoidal splintry fracture, containing
here and there chrystaline particles of calcarious spar. It
contains, often, particles of granular chloride or green earth,
forming a kind of gray marble with green spots and clouds.
It receives a good polish, but its brittleness makes, it unfit for
slabs or angular work.
The organic remains found in these compact and granular
strata differ from those that occur in the inferior ones. I never
found in them the favosites flabelliformis, which I consider as
characteristic of the lower strata. Several species of Ortho-
ceralites, zoophites and molusca occur in them. Most of these
fossils have been enumerated in a former report, in which I
gave a general list of the organic remains characterising the
whole of the silurian division of the State of Tennessee. I
will, therefore, now only mention those by which these strata
are characterised in Davidson, and the two adjacent counties,
Williamson and Maury.
I consider the following fossils as characterising these
strata: -
1. Stromatopora concentrata.
O
*} &
— polymorpha. -
These two zoophites occur in large masses in the limestone,
not only in the vicinity of Nashville, but through the whole
of Middle Tennessee where I have been able to examine these
Strata. -
3. Columnaria alveolata.
This fossilis also abundant; it being generally of a silicious
nature, it has withstood the decomposing action of the atmos-
phere, and is found everywhere amongst the disintegrations of
these rocks forming our soil, and are generally called by the in-
habitants yellow jackets nests or honey comb. There is no doubt
but that some coral masses, in a certain state of decomposi-
tion, are erroneously referred to this genus. This is the case,
8
very probably, with some Favosites or rather Calamopora,
when deprived of its stellar camella, resembling then the co-
lumnaria—but it is certainly the case with a zoophite which
is found in the same strata and which in some respects resem-
bles the columnaria, from its having star-lamellae and the
Favosites, because of its transversal septa.
4. Conotubularis.
5. Isotelus.
6. Ceriopora
7. Cosimopora. -
But the principal fossil which I think characterises the group
here, and through almost the whole of the Western States, is
8. Spirifer Lyma.
This fossil, with slight modifications, is found in the lime-
stone of Middle Tennessee—near Cincinnati, Ohio, in Ken-
tucky and in Indiana.
Some of the strata of limestone above enumerated, all of
which are horizontal, are characterised, besides the organic
remains, with different minerals which are found in cavities,
particularly in the granular limestone. These cavities very
probably have been formed by the destruction of marine ani-
mals, which once occupied them and are now filled up with
different mineral substances, having mostly a chrystalline struc-
ture. It is often calcarious spar assuming the chrystalline form
of the metastatique of Haüy, and some of its numerous modi-
fications. I have specimens in which the chrystals are more
than half an inch in length; but these cavities are often filled
up with other minerals. Confining myself more particularly to
the strata of Nashville and its vicinity, which have been more
broken up by numerous quarries than at other places in our
State, and which coincide pretty much with the generality of
the strata of Middle Tennessee,_these minerals are as fol-
lows:
1. Sulphate of Strontian (celestine.) It occurs chrystallised,
lamellar and fibrous—of a fine sky blue colour—sometimes
pearly white and of all the intermediate shades of colour be-
9
tween sky blue and white. Seven miles from Nashville on the
Nolensville road, where the limestone is quarried for building
purposes, I found chrystals from one half to an inch in length
(Epointé, Haüy). The lamellar masses cleave very easily, in
short rhomboidal prismes of 104° 20' and 75. 40. The
lamellar variety is not always of a blue colour and is then
easily mistaken for sulphate of barytes, which is also found
in these cavities, but any one acquainted with mineralogy
knows that the primitive form of this mineral is a straight
rhombodial prism with angles of 102° 71 and 77° 43' 47 —
this and the above mentioned characters distinguish this min-
eral from the sulphate of barytes. -
2. Radiated Sulphate of Strontian. Very fine masses of
this mineral are found in these cavities, and in this form it may
easily be mistaken for radiated blue anhydrite, which also
occurs in these cavities, but its greater specific gravity and
its behavior before the blowpipe, distinguish it from the latter.
3. Fibrous Sulphate of Strontian. This variety is occasion-
ally found in these cavities, but handsome specimens of it are
found in Wayne county, where its occurs of a fine blue color
of a silky or pearly lustre, forming a small vein in decomposa-
ble limestone. It is similar to the variety which was discov-
ered for the first time near Frankstown, Pennsylvania. It
was in the fibrous sulphate of strontian of that locality that
Klaproth first discovered the existence of the sulphate of
strontian, the carbonate of this earth being only known at that
time.
I beg leave here to make a remark for the student of mine-
ralogy: There are two minerals which very much resemble
each other, namely the sulphate of strontian and the sulphate
of barytes, both found in these cavities; in fact the sulphate
of strontian was always considered as belonging to the sul-
phate of barytes, and Haüy, who first observed the difference
between these two substances, but did not know to what to at-
tribute this difference, which he found only in the difference of
the angles made by the junction of the faces of their chrystals
10
WaS, puzzled very much, and was only convinced of its real dif-
ference, when the chrystals from Sicily were analysed by Vau-
quelin; he then found that it was identical with the fibrous sul-
phate of strontian of Frankstown, analysed by Klaproth. Since
that time the sulphate of strontian has been found in several
places in Europe and America. Besides our State,it is found in
Moss Islandin Lake Erie, at Lockport, N.York, and severaloth-
er localities. Both theseminerals in several forms are foundin
Tennessee, and may serve the student to discriminate the
characters which distinguish them.
As is observed above, the lamellar and chrystalised variety
occur in Davidson county—and a vein of handsome chrystal-
ised sulphate of strońtian traverses the granular limestone
near the Nashville rolling mill, and shows itself in the rock in
which the road to the Cumberland River is excavated—fine
cabinet specimens have been obtained from it—the chrystals
belong to 6pointé of Haily. . . . . . .
4. Sulphate of Barytes. This mineral also occurs in the
mentioned cavities in the limestone, but it is not abundant; it
occurs more frequently in small veins. At the Southern ex-
tremity of Nashville, on the Cumberland River near the creek
between the rolling mill and the town, an out crop of a vein
of chrystaline, or lamellar, sulphate of barytes upwards of
10 to 12 feet wide, is visible—itis lost directly under the bank
and buildings, so that its extent cannot be ascertained. It con-
sists of an aggregate of small chrystals in which, particularly
in the cavities, well terminated chrystals may here and there
be found; it has a yellowish gray colour. -
5. Compact of Sulphate of Barytes. This variety is not unfre-
quently met with, in the environs of Nashville. It is of an
earthy dull lustre, and it seems in this vicinity to be always
connected with sulphuret of lead (galena.) A large vein of
it, is in the vicinity of Haysborough in this county on the
premises of the late Mr. Craighead, and it forms the gangue
of the above mentioned, lead ore (sulphuret of lead). It is
composed S . . . º !-
Lead. ---------------------- ,- - - - - - - - - - - 83,50
Zinc, -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,- - - - - - - - - - - - -, - - - - 1,41
Sulphur, -------------------------------- 13,25
Loss, ----------------------------------, 1,84
100,00
It is very probable that this vein is very extensive and rich,
and the ore is good. It has been penetrated about 10 or 12
feet, and has already at this inconsiderable depth produced
about 1000 pounds of lead. This vein being situated near a
rivulet, the work was impeded by the water and the operation
abandoned. By an accurate search, the same vein may be
found at a more convenient place; or by erecting pumps, the
vein may, perhaps, be worked with advantage. It is very
probable, as I mentioned above, that this vein is extensive;
tráces of it are found on the bank of the Cumberland River in
several places. Doctor Overton gave me a specimen of this
ore, composed of the same sulphuret of lead and compact sul-
phate of barytes as the oré near Haysborough; such pièces are
occasionally ploughed-up on his farm, which is situated on the
right bank of the Cumberland River, opposite the mouth of
Stones River, a few miles above the principal vein. Another
small vein, running South and North, makes its appearance
above ground and crosses. Brown's creek about half a mile
, above the Nolensville Turnpike Road; this vein also, as
regards the lead ore and sulphate of barytes, is similar to the
one at Haysborough, but it contains sulphuret of zinc, and fluor
spar, of which I have found only traces in the ore from Hays-
borough; so that there seems to be no doubt, but that they are
ramifications of this principal vein at Haysborough, which
would seem, therefore, to be very extensive under ground.
The next substance which occurs under various shapes and
textures in the liméstone in Davidson county, is the sulphate
of lime in both states as hydrate and as ānhydrate. . . .
The hydrate or common sulphate of lime, occurs in the
above mentioned cavities in the granular limestone, as:
*
12
6. Selenite. In lamellar masses for the most part perfect-
ly transparent, often of a pearly lustre. I have a fragment of
it 9 inches long, which is penetrated by chrystals of blue sul-
phate of strontian. -
7. Fibrous Gypsum. This variety fills also often the crevi-
ces or rents in the limestone—it is from a half to a whole inck
in thickness—the fibres are often curved.
8. Granular Gypsum of a snow white. *
9. Compact Gypsum of a fine grained structure and splin-
try fracture, similar to the fine Italian alabaster—I have a mass
of it 10 inches in diameter—
10. Snowy Gypsum—resembling in appearance and white-
ness, fresh fallen snow—it is handsomer than any I have seen
from Mount Martre near Paris, a locality celebrated for this
mineral. -
The three latter minerals often entirely fill up the cavities
in the coarse grained limestone. -
Several beautiful varieties of anhydrous sulphate of lime
occur in some of these strata, such as:
11. Spary Anhydrite—in beautiful laminated masses, ex-
hibiting its rectangular clevage and its cubical chrystals of a
white pearly lustre. It is most translucent and passes some-
times into what Haüy calls epigène; In this case its pearly lus-
tre is increased and its transparency diminished, being near-
ly opaque, and preserving its former structure and cleavage.
12. Granular Anhydrite.
13. Compact Anhydrite, both of a light smalt blue colour.
These two latter varieties occur frequently in the same speci-
mens, passing gradually the one into the other, and not unfre-
quently into the following variety: -
14. Fibrous Anhydrite. This is a beautiful variety, often
of a blue colour and a pearly lustre—the fibres are generally
broad and diverging.
Besides the enumerated accidental minerals that fill the ca-
vities, the limestone contains also occasionally small parcels
of sulphuret of iron, sulphuret of zinc and brown spar.
13
Such are the accidental minerals that occur in the strata of
limestone in the vicinity of Nashville, as far as I have been
able to investigate them, and similar strata prevail through
the greater part of Middle Tennessee. There are some
strata in this same series which are not only destitute of these
'cavities and accidental minerals, but also of organic remains,
and which alternate with those, in which they abound.
The minerals which fill these cavities, form an interesting
subject for those naturalists who delight in tracing the origin
of things. I shall not attempt to investigate whence came
the Sulphate of Strontian, Sulphate of Barytes, or Sulphate
of Lime, which now fill the cavities which are very probably
moulds formed by the decomposition of marine animals, and
the Silex into which the organic remains themselves have been
transformed: nor will I attempt to show how these minerals
were produced; but it seems certain that this limestone was
permeated at different times by solutions of the above men-
tioned minerals, each in succession, and by examining these
deposits, we see the order in which they were introduced into
the cavities, and consequently in what order they pervaded
the strata. In some of these strata, we find in these cavities
nothing but carbonate of lime, sometimes crystalised, some-
times annorphous, and in that case, the organic remains in
these strata are calcarious. In other strata, all the fossils are
silicious, and the cavities are lined with quartz and filled with
the above mentioned minerals. After these fossils had assum-
ed their silicious nature; it is difficult to say which of the
above mentioned minerals first pervaded these rocks. I have
now a specimen before me, the cavity of which is filled with
layers of these mineral deposits, in the following order: 1st,
quartz—2nd, carbonate of lime—3rd, sulphate of strontian—
4th, brownspar; which shows evidently that the one has been
introduced after the other, because we cannot suppose that
this cavity was once filled with a fluid which kept all these
substances in solution at once, and that they became chrystal-
ised in succession, according to their greater or less degree of
14
solubility, as we see in Some operations in the chemical labora-
tories. All the cavities are not filled up as the one here 'de-
scribed: but from my observations on a great number of them,
I came to the following conclusion: It is difficult to say
whether the quartz or carbonate of lime had the precedency,
as some are lined with chrystalised carbonate of lime, and
others with quartz; I have never found them lined with any of
the other minerals. Upon the carbonate of lime and quartz,
has followed the sulphate of strontian; the impressions of the
chrystals of carbonate of lime or quartz are mostly perceptible
in this mineral. Then follows the sulphate of lime: as men-
tioned above, the chrystals of sulphate of strontian sometimes
penetrates the masses of selenite. The sulphate of lime gene-
rally fills up the interior of the cavities, as snowy or compact
gypsum. The sulphate of lime, as already mentioned, is often
anhydrous, exhibiting the spary and compact varieties. I
found no indices to ascertain the order which was followed
by the brownspar. I believe, nevertheless, that its deposi-
tion is anterior to that of sulphate of lime. As these minerals
were introduced in a fluid state by infiltration, it was to be ex-
pected that they should be very pure, and this is the case—
the sulphate of lime is as white as snow; the selestine and
some varieties of anhydrite of a fine blue color. When the
hydrous and anhydrous sulphate of lime occur together, the
latter always occupies the centre.
Upon the strata, which contain the cavities mentioned above,
follows one which I consider as the highest in the vicinity of
Nashville, and which is only found here and there on elevated
positions, as the ridge on the Murfreesborough turnpike road,
between Brown's creek and the tan-yard. The limestone
forming these elevated places, when examined in unaltered
specimens from the interior of the rock, has all the appear-
ance of homogenious compact limestone, and the exercised
eye only of the Geologist perceives some slight traces of
fossils in it—now this limestone, where acted upon by the at-
mospheric agencies, shows that it is entirely composed of a
15
very delicate byvalve and a few other fossils. This byvalve
resembles very much the orthis striatelle dalm, but it is more
elongated. It is perhaps entitled to form a new species.
Amongst these fossils are found a few pieces of trilobites, and
some parts of a fossil, which perhaps belongs to a crinordeal
animal, and resemble somewhat the articulations of the column
of these fossils, but the articulating surfaces in these, is not
flat nor radiated, as in those of the columns of crimordea, but
is convex, and the opening which corresponds with the ali-
mentary canal of the crinordea is larger in proportion than that
in these fossils. . -
This stratum, being the uppermost in the vicinity of Nash-
ville, must of course be wanting wherever the currents of
water have worn down the surface. Thus we find it
forming the upper stratum, where the stone for the construc-
tion of the engine-house for the waterworks, have been quar-
ried; it is then lost; and the stratum next to it, is alone visible
as far as Brown's creek, where it makes its appearance again
on the east side of the creek, forming there the highest point
where it has been cut through for the construction of the turn-
pike road. The current which has formed the low place
where the tan-yard is situated, has washed away this stratum,
and we find it again towards the east of the bridge, where it
runs under the ground. We shall have occasion to dwell
more at large upon the effects which have been produced by
currents in our vicinity. -
I must now speak of a stratum of limestone that is quite dif-
ferent from those described, and which I consider as subordi-
nate to them, and thongh this limestone is characterised by or-
ganic remains different from those found in the adjacent strata,
the character of these fossils, which consist of Orthoceratites,
trilobites, etc., shows that they belong to the same geological
age as the circumjacent rocks. In the excavation of the bank
of the river for the building of the Nashville water works, I
have had a good opportunity of examining this stratum; it is
found at the north part of this excavation, and is there about
16
eight feet thick; but its thickness diminishes gradually from
thence, and at the distance of a few hundred yards, disappears
altogether. I have not been able to ascertain how far it ex-
tends down the Cumberland river; it is not perceptible near
the rolling mill, but it is found again a few hundred yards lower
down where the old water works were formerly situated;
where it is visible at a lower level, and runs thence nearly to
the bridge. Leaving the river, we find it at several places; west
of the University, it comes above ground and continues to the
Franklin turnpike road, and is visible again near the first toll
gate of that road, on the premises of the late Major Boyd, of
the late Jesse Wharton, Esq., and in several other places it is
quarried for building purposes. In fact, it is the best building
stone that is found in Davidson county. The quarries on the
Charlotte road, near the Penitentiary, those of Mr. Hardin on
the old Franklin road, 6 miles from the city, on the old Leban-
on road, 7 miles from the city; those of Mr. Hinton, on the
right side of the river, 3% miles from the city, are all in this
stratum, and several quarries may be opened in it—as at Mr.
Frank Foster’s, on the Nolensville road, and other places; but
not so convenient for Nashville as the above enumerated places;
and the Union, now the State Bank, the Penitentiary, the
Episcopal church, and several other fine buildings in Nash-
ville, are constructed of this stone. The thickness of the strata
of this limestone varies very much, they are sometimes 10, 20,
and more feet thick, while the same stratum diminishes to 14
and 2 feet in thickness, and this is the size that is mostly se-
lected for building purposes. -
The stratum above mentioned, at the new water works, is
composed of two different varieties of limestone; the one form-
ing the upper part of the stratum, is of a black red, and the
lower part of an ash gray colour; its structure is coarse, gran-
ular, more or less porous, the lower part more compact and
Soft than the stone of other strata, and is particularly selected
by the stone cutters, and is often erroneously called, by our
masons, free or sandstone. ,”
17
This limestone, as I mentioned above, is differently charac-
terised by its fossils from the adjacent rocks. It contains
amongst others, great numbers of a Bellerophon and of a Ve-
nus, which do not occur in the adjacent limestone. This Bel-
lerophon, which I have called Bellerophon Nashvillensis, is
sometimes so abundant, that parts of the rock are entirely
made up of fragments of this shell—and though very abun-
dant, I have never had the good luck to find a single entire
specimen—they are all fractured, those that are in the solid
rock as well as those that are found amongst the disintegra-
tions of it, and they must have been so before they were con-
solidated in the limestone, as they have all the marks of having
been brought to this mutilated state through erosion by water,
the edges angle's showing all the rounded surfaces resulting
from the action of water. These remarks are equally appli-
cable to above mentioned Venus; accumulations of several feet
extent being entirely composed of fragments of these shells,
amongst which, nevertheless, sometimes an entire single valve
is found, but I never found the valves connected together.
Not only do these two fossils show the effects of erosion, but
they and the fragments of other fossils exhibit the marks of a
long continued action of water—it is therefore very probable,
that this interpolated stratum contains the remains of a beach
upon which these shells were for a great while exposed to the
rolling motion of the waves, by which the most destructible
parts of these shells are worn down; this fact is evinced by a
specimen of this rock in my collection, which is almost wholly
made up of sephuncles of a multilocular shell, which I have
described under the name of conotubularia. These Sephun-
cles are from half to three fourths of an inch in diameter, and
form annulated tubes. The surface of the specimen is 8 by 9
inches, and about 3 inches thick, and on it I have counted 66
of these sephuncles, or parts of them, some 4 and 5 inches
long, the interstices between them being filled up with ex-
tremities of orthoceratites and other fossils—now the septa
forming the chambers and the outer shell were very thin, and
C
I8
consequently were soon destroyed after the death of the ani-
mal by rolling on the sea beach; the sephuncle being more
solid, resisted this action, so that these shells were not mutilat-
ed after their fossilification, but before it; the interior of these
annulated or knotted tubes is now filled up partly by calcari-
ous spar, partly by fluorspar. Besides the above enumerated
shells, there are some fragments of two species of modiolus,
which are probably identical with those that I have found in
the inferior and superior adjacent Strata. t
The group I have described, pervades the greatest part of
Davidson county; in fact it is only the northern extremity and
the western part of the county, in which other rocks make
their appearance; and we see from the map, which accompa-
nies this report, and on which the part where this series pre-
vails, is colored yellow, that it runs from the eastern limit of
the county, to what on the west is called Harpeth ridge. Near
the Harpeth river, and its different ramifications, where the
water has removed the superincumbent strata, the limestone
strata of the vicinity of Nashville again make their appear-
ance. On the right side of the Cumberland river also, near
Bullrun creek, the strata composing Harpeth ridge, make
tº • * & ſº • ,
their appearance, and run thence in an east, north eastern di-
rection towards Paradise hill' and White creek springs, to .
Mansco's creek. The statum which forms these elevations,
are designated on the map by a pink colour. -
In order to get from Nashville to this superior stratum, we
have to traverse several different strata; these are remarkably
well displayed where we ascend the Harpeth ridge, about 6 or
7 miles in a south western direction from Nashville, near Mr.
J. Harding's. After having traversed here several strata of
limestone which differ more or less in colour and texture, we
get on a stratum of aluminous slate which is at several places
penetrated with bitumen, so that both names, aluminous and
bituminous slate, are equally applicable to this stratum. Upon
this aluminous slate follows a stratum of silicious rock, which *
sometimes has the appearance of sandstone and sometimes as
a rock which is called chert. *
*
* 19
It is necessary to give a complete description of these su-
perior strata, as they, together with the rocks of the vicinity of
Nashville, pervade the whole of Middle Tennessee, from the !. -
Cumberland mountains to a few miles west of Tennessee
river, and the line which separates Kentucky from Tennessee,
to the line which separates this state from Alabama, including,
towards the east, part of Fentress, Overton, White, Warren
and Franklin counties; and towards the west, part of Henry,
Carroll, Henderson and Hardin counties, while it includes the
whole of Stewart, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne, Hickman,
Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson, Davidson, Williamson,
Maury, Lawrence, Giles, Lincoln, Bedford, Williamson,
Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Smith, and Jackson counties,
The upperor silicious stratum is also particularly interesting.
because it is in this stratum that all the ironore of Middle Ten-
nessee, to which the state partly owes its prosperity, is found.
I cannot say much of the limestone strata which we traverse
in ascending the Harpeth ridge, they belong to the same group
as those in the vicinity of Nashville, and are characterised by
the same fossil, but in a much less abundance. . It is necessa-
ry, however, to take some notice of the stratum which imme-
diately follows—it is the shale or aluminous slate, which as I
have already observed, is in some places penetrated with bitu-
men, and may then be called bituminous slaté. It is generally
penetrated by sulphuret of iron, (Pyrites) often so intimately
mixed, and in such small particles that they are hardly per-
ceptible, even with a magnifying glass, but their presenice
soon becomes manifest when exposed to the action of moisture
and air, as it is then soon. decomposed; at first it swells and
exfoliates, a saline efflorescence is formed in the interior and
exterior of the mass which now contains a quantity of sulphate
of iron, and sulphate of alumina. It is this substance that I ,
spoke of in my preceding report, when I advised the use of it
for the manufactory of alum. The bitumen, which this slate
contains, and which gives some of it the property of burning
for sometime, has induced several persons to consider it unripe
Y
20
stone coal, as they call it; or coal that is not sufficiently cover-
ed with superincumbent strata—and this has induced several
persons to digin it for stone coal, but as was naturally to be
expected, without success. A man in the slightest degree fa-
miliar with the stratification of rocks, might have predicted
that no coal could exist in this stratum, at least as it is situated
in Tennessee. Conversing one day with a person who had
spent some money in searching for coal, I asked him whether
he thought coal could be found by digging in the limestone at
Nashville—his answer was no! Well, you see the strata at
Nashville continue horizontally towards the place where you
are digging—in fact, you may see at the foot of the hill, the top
of which you are perforating, the same limestone that you find
at Nashville—it runs in the same horizontal, manner, as is
plainly perceptible—now measure the vertical distance from
this limestone to the bottom of the pit (he had just then struck
the upper part of the stratum of the aluminous slate) and you
will find it 12 or 15 feet—if you penetrate that distance, you
will be in the strata of Nashville, in which you do not expect
to find coal—examine now the edge of the black stratum as it
makes its appearance on the declivity of the hill—and if you
find coal there, you may at once construct a horizontal shaft.
He was convinced, and abandoned his operations—neverthe-
less, I have met with persons that I could not convince, and
who are yet searching for this combustible where the geologi-
cal age of the rocks forbids the hope of success.
I have no doubt but that this shale belongs to the same silu-
rian age as the strata near Nashville—not that I have been
able to determine it by positive proofs, as I have never found
any fossils in it; but I am convinced from its imbedded organic
remains, that the stratum which covers it, belongs to a silu-
rian group. Some Geologists consider this shale as identical
with what the New York Geologists call Marcellus shales—
it may have some analogy with that shale, but I shall continue
to call it by the name by which this substance was known
long before the strata of the village of Marcellus, in New York,
21
were examined by a naturalist. The New York aluminous
slate (Marcellus shale) contains, according to Mr. Vanuxem,
strata of limestone and large masses of septaria—this is not
the case with the Tennessee aluminous slate, and the thick-
ness of the stratum is nowhere a hundred feet—very often
only 8 or 10 feet—whereas the New York Geologists speak of
1000 feet.
Upon this stratum of aluminous slate follows a silicious
stratum which exhibits great changes in its appearance, and
is of great extent through Middle Tennessee. This silicious
stratum in several places rests immediately on the aluminous
slate; nevertheless it is often separated from it by a blue
limestone which changes into gray limestone and has in the
Harpeth Ridge a thickness of from 10 to 12 feet, and a stratum
of encrenital limestone, which is sometimes entirely made up
of crinoideal remains—both these strata of limestone are vis-
ible in Davidson county. In ascending the Harpeth Ridge we
have the blue limestone above the shale; this limestone is
poor in fossils, I found in it a few columnar joints of encre-
nites—in descending the Harpeth Ridge near Cutler's marble
quarry, we have two strata of limestone, the one mentioned
above (the blue and gray limestone) which rest on a stratum
which is composed almost entirely of cronoideal remains and
is there about I5 feet thick. Similar stratum occurs also near
White creek springs. I had the good luck to find amongst
the fossils of this encrenital limestone several undescribed
crinoidea. It was to be expected from the fact mentioned
above, that this stratum is in some places entirely wanting,
that its thickness must vary; I accordingly found it 1 and 2
feet thick and again from 12 to 15 feet. -
The aluminous slate is sometimes replaced by a redish
variegated clay—this is the case near the tunnel on the nar-
rows of Harpeth, and this variegated clay contains the same
fossils as the limestone below it. In regard of the fossils, I
discovered there a singular fact. I found in the mentioned
stratum of clay a favosites it was calcarious, while a similar
22
favosites which I found 10 or 12 feet lower in the above men-
tioned strata of limestone was silicious.
The silicious stratum is composed of sandstone of various
appearances. In some places it is silicious sandstone, the
grains being merely agglutinated without any cement. In
other places no granular structure is perceptible and it as-
sumes the character of hornstone and chert; again in other
places it has an earthy appearance. In the latter case it has
often a brownish orange colour and may easily in some places
be mistaken for tripoly (a substance used on the European con-
tinent for what, in England and the United States is called
rotten-stone). Where this stratum assumes the appearance
of sandstone, no organic remains, so far as I have been able
to ascertain exist in it, but in the two latter slates, the chert
and earthy parts, contain fossils, particularly the earthy varie-
ty, which in several places is wholly composed of fossils,
the most characteristic of which are several species of Gor-
gonia, Lin., Fenistella, Lons. And amongst these the Gorgo-
nia antiqua, Goldf. This last fossil when it is white and
spread over abrownish orange rock, forms very beautiful speci-
mens, particularly when broken in the directions of the reticu-
lar extensions—but these zoophites are in this rock so delicate
that the least friction destroys them. These same reticular
fossils are met with also in the part of the stratum which has
the shorty appearance—they are in some places very abun-
dant in this rock, and as they in this rock are more solid, I
have been able the better to investigate their structure and
have thus become convinced that it contains several different
species, amongst which the G. antiqua is most abundant.
These fossils penetrate the silicious rock in every direction;
I have found them dispersed in this manner through the inte-
rior of a translucent part of the rock—and the fossil being of
an opaque white,_while the rock has a yellowish chalce-
donic appearance, it formed quite a handsome object. These
remains, as before stated are, in some localities very abundant
in the cherty part of the stratum. I have in my possession a
23
specimen which I broke from a large piece on the Cumber-
land River, near the mouth of the Harpeth; it is about 8 by
5% inches, it contains the gorgonia infundibuliformis, and the
G. antiqua, and 20 individuals are visible on that space. I
found these also in abundance between South and West Har-
peth, near the dwelling of Mr. Powers, on the Charlotte and
Nashville road. Some crinoidea and bivalves are occasion-
ally found in this stratum, but they are so much altered during
their fossilification, that they cannot be determined. Some
other fossil resembling more or less fucoides is also occasional-
ly found in it. But the most remarkable fossil that I have
found in this stratum, is a new species of pinna—I believe this
is the first of this genus which was found in the silurian stra-
ta. This silicious stratum is well displaced, where the Cum-
berland River has cut its way through it, above the mouth of
Harpeth River; it is nevertheless very much broken up and
disturbed there. I attribute this derangement to the action
of the Cumberland River—this river its bed there in the
limestone strata—having worn out the limestone which form-
ed the lower part of the river bank, and which served as a
support to the silicious stratum and the aluminous slate, both
these strata have fallen down.
I will have occasion to speak of this stratum very frequent-
ly in future, as it contains all the deposits of iron ore in Mid-
dle Tennessee.
I mentioned above, that the silicious stratum covers only
the elevated parts in Middle Tennessee, and consequently
currents and our rivers have cut their way through it, and
have their bed in the limestone, so that we may expect in
traveling over Middle Tennessee, the surface of which is quite
undulating, to find frequently a change of rocks, and conse-
quently a change of soil; the latter, whenit results from the de-
composition of the silicious stratum, being light and Sandy;
but when from the limestone strata, more fertile and stiff. For
instance, traveling due West from Nashville towards the Ten-
nessee River, we have a fine rich soil for about 6 or 8 miles
24
—we then ascend the Harpeth hills and have a light silicious
soil, till we descend the ridge on Harpeth river; here the sili-
cious stratum disappears and we have a rich soil covering the
limestone. Crossing the river, we soon ascend again the sili-
cious stratum, and travel over a light soil till we come to
Charlotte—here again we have a limestone country, as is seen
on Jones' creek, which has cut through the superincumbent
strata. Leaving Charlotte, we soon ascend the silicious stra-
tum again and hardly meet with any change till we reach the
Tennessee River. On the contrary, traveling in a Southern
direction, we have only a thin crust of this silicious stratum
between Nashville and Franklin, where the Harpeth hills ter-
minate, and every where a good soil. Going from Franklin
towards Gideonville and Farmington, we have, about 3 miles
from Franklin, some change in the soil, and here also termin-
ate some of the Harpeth hills, the limestone is the same as
that in the vicinity of Nashville,_characterised by the same
orthoceratites, cyrtoceratites and sporifer lynx—near Gideon-
ville, in Bedford county, the hills are covered with the silici-
ous stratum,_but no aluminous shale separates it here from
the limestone; the sandstone becomes ferruginous—and in the
immediate vicinity of Gideonville, it is pretty pure sandstone
and is wrought into grindstones. The limestone there, is sim-
ilar to the stone used for building purposes in Nashville; near
Gideonville it is made into tomb stones. Traveling now from
Gideonville along by Chapel Hill and Farmington, we con-
tinue over the same limestone,—even the ridge which sepa-
rates Bedford from Lincoln county, is limestone, which con-
tains Orthoceratites and most of the fossils of the vicinity of
Nashville. This limestone continues through Fayetteville; the
high ridge about 4 miles South of Elk River, being of the
same rock, characterised by the same fossils. Nevertheless
this ridge, which I believe runs somewhat in a Northwest di-
rection, is in several places covered with the silicious stratum.
The land now remains pretty high, covered here and there
with a thin crust of the silicious rock, to the dividing ridge
25
which separates Tennessee from the State of Alabama, which
is again composed of the same strata as Harpeth ridge near
Nashville, namely limestone covered with aluminous slate
and this by a silicious statum.
IRON ORE IN THE SILICIOUS STRATUM OF HAR-
- PETH RIDGE. -
I have repeatedly spoken of the iron ores which are used
in all the iron furnaces in Middle Tennessee, they all belong
to one kind, the brown hydroxide of iron, forming a mixture
of the brown iron stone, brown hematite, and earthy brown
ironstone or ocher. But a singular iron ore occurs in the Har-
peth hills, which, as it seems, from the ore on the surface of
the ground, to be very abundant, will some day, become very
valuable. It is an intimate mixture of carbonate of lime and
hydroxide of iron, and from the analysis to which I have
subjected it affords about 46 per cent. of malleable iron. As
it contains carbonate of lime (limestone) its treatment in the
high-furnaces, must be different from that to which the com-
mon iron ore in Tennessee is subjected. From the essay
which was made on a small scale, mixing it with Sand, pow-
dered charcoal, and borax, and exposing it in a crucible to a
great heat in a blacksmith's fire, I obtained a button of mal-
leable iron amounting to 46 per cent of the ore as just stated.
We have no diluvial deposits properly speaking in David-
son, Williamson or Maury counties—all the loose materials
that form our soil, that I have observed, bear the characters
of the rocks which prevail in the counties—the gravel of the
D
26
land and of the islands in the river, is mostly silicious, and
several pebbles show the organic structure of the fossils that
are imbeded in the rocky strata, particularly enerenites which
are so abundant in the stratum which rest immediately on the
aluminous slate. The only circumstance which indicates a
diluvial deposit are the remains of Mastodons and Elephants
which are found in the three counties. I have already spoken
in my former reports of bones of Mastodons that I found in
the Harpeth, near Nolensville and in Williamson county, and
of Elephants in Maury county—but all these remains I have
found imbeded in a soil which showed evident indications of
disintegration of the surrounding rocks. I found only in one
instance a fragment of mica slate of between 2 and 3 feet in
diameter, it lay on the Harpeth ridge near the Williamson
county line, one of the most elevated spots of Davidson coun-
ty, and it was partly buried and surrounded by pebbles,
which were produced by disintegration of the surrounding
rocks; it lay in a place where it could not well have been
brought by men—where never any carriage could have passed,
where the primitive forest still exists like it was when the
native American visited it in his hunting excursions. Now the
primordeal or chrystalline rocks, particularly those amongst
which the mica slate is found, is more than 300 miles in an
eastern direction from the place where the fragment was found.
A few alluvial tracts are found on the Cumberland and Har-
peth Rivers—the most extensive is Lewis's bottom above
Nashville.
I have been engaged in a general analysis of the different
soils of the three counties. I have to repeat these operations
during next winter—it is only lately that I have become ac-
quainted with the great improvements that have been made in
organic and agricultural chemistry.
27
METEORIC MASSES.
In a former report I have spoken of an interesting mass of
meteoric iron which fell in Cocke county—I was not then well
acquainted with all the facts relative to the history of these
meteorites, and having only a small quantity at my disposal,
I could not analyse but some of the disintegrations which were
produced by the decomposition of the exterior of the mass.
I have since become proprietor of a large quantity of this me-
torite, and have become more acquainted with its history.
It seems that two of these masses fell—the one in Sevier
county, and the other in Cocke county; it appears also, that
the quantity of nickel in these masses varies in several parts;
in fact, judging from the disintegration formed by atmospheric
action upon the mass, there seems to contain some small par-
ticles of almost pure nickel, which are exhibited amongst the
disintegrations in the shape of minute green tufts; for as much
as I have been abletofind out by proper reagents, these minute
particles are oxide of nickel, and from these the discrepancies
which have appeared in this respect, between my analysis
and the one of Professor Charles Shepard, and an analysis
performed since on all the materials which are found in the
mass, by Professor A. Litton and myself, during last winter.
In the same report in which I gave a description of the
Cocke county meteoric iron, Ienumerated two other masses
of meteroic iron, the one discovered in DeKalb county, and
another in Dickson county. I am now owner of these two
masses—the one in DeKalb county, by purchase; and I owe
the other, discovered in Dickson county, to the kindness of
the Hon. Senator Voorheis, of Charlotte—the latter, though
the smallest of those that are discovered in Tennessee, is cer-
tainly the mostinteresting for its shape and its structure; and
28
I can now add to the number of the Tennessee meteoric mass-
es, a fourth which fell in Greene county, Tenn., the know-
ledge of which I owe to my friend, Mr. Eastabrook, President
of the University in Knoxville, and the Hon. Judge J. Peck.
This mass differs much from the above mentioned varieties.
All these masses will be analysed and described by Profes-
sor Litton and myself, during next winter.
In order to give an accurate idea of the proportions of the
limestone, and the silicious strata in the three counties, David-
son, Williamson and Maury, I have annexed to this report a
map, whereon the parts where these rocks prevail are exhibit-
ed by different colors.
I have already observed that there exists some irregulari-
ties in the succession of the strata between the limestone at
Nashville and the silicious stratum forming the elevated parts
in Middle Tennessee. That in some places it is separated by
aluminous slate alone. That this stratum is at other places
replaced by indurated variegated clay. Again: that the stra-
tum of aluminous slate is in some places in immediate contact
with the silicious stratum, while at other places these two
strata are separated by strata of different limestone. That
Some of these strata are composed of an accumulation of
crinordeal remains, etc. I can, therefore, only give an ap-
proximate section of the succession of these strata. The sec-
tion represented on the map was taken from the most compli-
cated locality that I have found, namely, on the Harpeth ridge.
It shows, first, the strata of limestone which we traverse when
traveling from Nashville, -
When we begin to ascend the ridge, we have -
first a gray granular limestone, with red points, FEET.
about - 15 thick.
29
This stratum is seen forming the surface in sev-
eral places in Maury and Perry counties.
Upon this follows a stratum of compact lime-
stone of a gray color. -
This stratum is similar to the one that pervades
almost the whole of the lower part of Middle Ten-
messee, where it alternates with the granular lime-
St0rne. - -
Then follows a stratum of very impure argil-
laceous or marly limestone.
This is seen at several places in Middle Ten-
nessee, it is very susceptible of decomposition, and
forms in some places a kind of clay or loam which
contains variable quantities of carbonate of lime.
Upon this we have a coarse granular limestone,
Then follows a granular calcarious sandstone,
This stratum is often wanting, I have met with
it only in two localities.
Upon it follows the aluminous slate,
This is the thickness in the Harpeth ridge. I
have found it in some places as much as 60 feet
thick.
. Upon this aluminous slate follows the Encre-
nital limestone,
This stratum is visible in several places, as near
White creek springs and several places in Maury
county, and is the favorite resort of the amateurs
of fossils.
We have then a stratum of compact limestone,
This stratum was some time ago worked as
marble on the Harpeth river, and known as Cut-
ler's marble quarry.
FEET.
12 thick.
12
12
15
10
Upon it we have the silicious stratum which forms all the
high hills and table lands in Middle Tennessee, and is very
irregular in thickness.
30
GREEN SAND.
In speaking, in one of my preceding reports, of green sand,
I mentioned that large beds of this valuable substance occur-
red in McNairy county, where in some places it makes its ap-
pearance near the surface. This substance, which also exists
in New Jersey and other of the Atlantic States, has been
used largely for agricultural purposes, particularly in Penn-
sylvania, for more than half a century, and experience has
amply tested its pitility as an active manure, and this has been
theoretically verified by Liebig and other chemical agricul-
turists.
According to, an analysis made of the green sand of Mc-
Nairy county, I found it composed of ( ,
Sileca . sº 48,00 gº 45,30 tºº 51,70
Alumina - 7,00 ſº 6,20 tº 6,50
Protoxide of Iron 20,70 - 18,00 - 21,20
Potash - - . 10,10 sº 10,40 Eº 11,30
Carbonaté of Lime 5,70 tº 10,80 iº 2,00
Water 8,00 - 8,50 - 7,30
Loss ,” 50 - - 80 - 00
100,00 100,00 109,00
In these analyses I consider the carbonate of lime as acci-
dental, being doubtless introduced by the fossils which are
very abundant in some parts of it, some of which, principal-
ly the small ones, are entirely decomposed, and form ñow
part of the materials which cement the green sand; the large
fossils, as the evorgera costata and gryphaea dilatata are yet en-
tire, but are in such an altered state that they can be rubbed
to powder between the fingers. The specimens used for an-
alysis also were not properly selected, as no use, as yet, is
made of this substance in Tennessee. No excavations have
31
Y
been made in it, and I had therefore to content myself with
parts which had been more or less acted upon by atmospher-
Ic agencies.
This green sand Ifound in some places below the marl; but
it is doubtful in other places whether the green sand or 'the
marl lies uppermost. • * *., t
This mineral substance is in our Atlantic States so well
known that it would there be unnecessary to mention anything
about its properties and uses. Several of the geologists and
chemists of those States have written about it. It is therefore
only necessary to transcribe what has been said about it by
Professors Rodgers, Booth and others, to show to the Ten-
nessee farmers the valuable properties of it. } w
“When we behold a luxuriant harvest, gathered from fields
in which the original soil is a kind least of all congenial to vé-
getation; when we find that all this fertility, contrasting so
strikingly with the barrenness around it, proceeds from a few
granules of a substance sparsely distributed through the enor-
mous and counteracting excess of sea-beach sand, more arid
than the soil to which it is applied, are we not led to look with
admiration on the potent properties of this curiously consti-
tuted mineral? The developments of geology are full of in-
stances like this, showing in how many unlooked-forways the
mineral world may be made subservient to the good of man-
kind.” º
“This striking proof of the fertilizing power of the marl
ought to encourage those districts not directly within the tract
where some of the strata possess the green granules in a sen-
sible proportion. It expands most materially the limits of the
territory where marling may be attempted, and points us to
many beds as fertilizing, which otherwise would be deemed
wholly inefficacious.”—Professor Rodgers.
There can be no doubt that the agriculture of part of the
Western District and Middle Tennessee is destined to derive
essential benefit from the extensive deposits of green sand
which occur in McNairy county.
I F-
!
w
32
This green sand exhibits various appearances. It is gener-
ally in the form of small dark grains of the size of gunpowder,
of an olive or blackish green color; they are not gritty, and
may be bruised between the finger-nails. These grains are
sometimes merely agglutinated without any cement, but are
often cemented together by marl or by friable carbonate of
lime, resulting from the decomposition of fossil shells, as men-
tioned above, and which distinguish the Tennessee mineral
from that of New Jersey, in which, according to the analysis
of Professor Rodgers, no carbonate of lime occurs. Accord-
ing to that gentleman, the New Jersey variety contains also a
small quantity of magnesia, in some instances, in the state of
Epsom salts, which he supposes are sometimes produced by
grains of dolomite. This substance I did not detect in the
strata of McNairy county.
There is a great resemblance in the composition of green
sand to that of glass, each being principally a compound of
silex and potash. The investigations of Liebig demonstrated
the indispensable importance to the growth of many plants,
and especially to wheat, of silex and potash in that state of
composition called silicate of potash. He even went so far
as to declare the opinion that one of the best of manures that
could be applied to a wheat crop would be a solution of glass.
In making this admirable induction, he was, apparently, una-
ware of the fact that a natural kind of glass or silicate of pot-
ash, under the form of green sand had been long spread over
the American fields with the most striking advantages to the
growth of wheat and other crops.
The effects of green sand applied as a manure, are strong-
ly set forth in the following extracts of Professor H. D. Rodg-
ers' Report.
“Mr. Woolley manured a piece of land in the proportion
of 200 loads of good stable manure to the acre, applying up-
on an adjacent tract of the same soil his green sand in the ra-
tio of about 20 loads per acre. The crops, which were timo-
thy and clover, were much heavier upon the section which had
33
received the marl (green sand;) and there was this additional
fact greatly in favor of the fossil manure over the putrescent
one, that the soil was also entirely free from weeds, while the
stable manure had rendered its own crop very foul.
“There can be no doubt that 20 loads of marl per acre
must be regarded as an unnecessary bountiful dressing; but
computing the relative cost of the two manures, when employ-
ed in the ratio above stated, we find a considerable disparity
in favor of the green sand. Placing the home value of farm-
yard manure at 100 cents per each two-horse load, and that of
the marl at 25 cents per load, we have the expence of manur-
ing one acre $200; of marling the same $5.
“This being an experiment, an extravagantly large dressing
of manure was employed, but not exceeding the usual ave-
rage application more than the 20 loads of marl surpassed
what was necessary. i
“Experience has already shown thatland once amply marl-
ed retains its fertility with little diminution for at least 10 or
12 years, if care be had not to crop it too severely; while with
all practicable precautions the stable manure must be renew-
ed at least three times in that interval to maintain in the soil a
corresponding degree of vigour.
“At the Squankum pits, which are very extensive, the marl
(green sand) is sold at the rate of 374 cents per load, the pur-
chasers having to dig it. It is transported by wagons to a dis-
tance, in some directions, of 20 miles, and retailed, when
hauled that far, at the rate of 10, or even 124 cents per bushel,
being very profitably spread upon the soil in the small propor-
tion of 25 or even 20 bushels to the acre.”—Prof. Rodgers.
This is certainly a strong proof of the high estimation in
which green sand is held as a manure by the prudent and
thrifty farmers of New Jersey.
“When it is decomposed by the ordinary processes of labo-
ratory (says Prof. Booth) only a small quantity of sileca and all
the other constituents being dissolved, we may regard the OX-
ide of iron, potassa, and alumina as performing the principal
E
34
functions, assisted by the presence of water. The useful ac-
tion of potash or of ashes in the soil has been long acknowl-
edged, and hence, as soon as it was known that the green sand
contained potassa, its utility was immediately referred to that
alkali; latterly, however, the opinion has gained ground that
the protoxide of iron plays an important part by acting with
the organic matter in the soil, in a manner resembling the Sa-
ponification of oil by potash. r
“The addition of much unleached ashes to a soil determines
the formation of salts of potassa, which, being very soluble,
are taken up in excess by growing plants, and produce such
luxuriant vegetation as to cause it, technically speaking, tc
burn up. The same operation would probably occur with pro-
toxide of iron, were its salts not soon converted into more in-
soluble humate and crenate of the peroxide. -
“It might be objected by many that green sand being de-
composed with difficulty by the powerful acids in the labora-
tory, there is little probability that it can be resolved into its
constituents by the feeble action of humic or atmospheric
agents. Independently, however, of the proof of its décom-
position by its inducing increased fertility, and of the mode by
which nature, operating with feeble agents during a lengthen-
ed period of time, produces great results, it may be shown
that it is more readily decomposed than is generally admitted.
William M. Uhler, in conjunction with the author of this me.
moir, has lately been engaged in making a series of experi-
ments on this subject, which, although incomplete, neverthe-
less afford sufficient grounds for drawing a few conclusions.
Diluted acetic acid decomposed green sand after the lapse of a
week or more; Oxalic acid produced the same result in a few
days, and in the course of two weeks nearly all the green sand
had disappeared, and the yellow oxalate of iron precipitated.
But the most surprising effects were produced by the action of
carbonic acid, one of the feeblest known to the chemist, the
use of which for this purpose was proposed by Mr. Charles
Roberts of Philadelphia. By a well-charged solution of this
35
acid a large portion of the sand was decomposed in a few
days, and a weak solution induced the same effects in the
course of a few weeks. Although few experiments were made
to determine quantitatively the relative amounts of the con-
stituents taken up by the acid, yet the qualitive tests were
sufficient to show that all the ingredients were separated from
each other, and that the green sand might be analysed even
by the feeble operation of carbonic acid.
“As the present state of our knowledge of these subjects is
limited when compared with that advanced stage which we
firmly believe chemistry will produce in process of time, it
would be presumption to make unhesitating assertions relative
to the modus operandi of organic and inorganic manures; we
may nevertheless, and indeed we ought to draw such infer-
ences as are consistent with our present knowledge of facts.
The potassa of the green sand appears to act on organic mat-
ter in the soil by catalysis forming soluble salts of potassa;
the protoxide of iron acts in a similar manner, but is itself
changed to a less soluble compound; and the alumina probably
has a similar action, proportional to its feeble affinity. To the
question that, since potassa acts in this manner, why does not
a large quantity of green sand produce excessive luxuriance?
it may be answered, that it does where the quantity is very
large, but that its action is modified and extenuated by the
difficulty with which the marl is decomposed, and by the pres-
ence of other bases besidês potassa. When green sand is de-
composed by nature or in the laboratory, a small quantity of
sileca is taken up, and even this substance, by forming a Salt
with crenic acid, may assist in increasing fertility, as it is an
essential constituent of plants. -
“There are two points touching the theory of the operation
of green sand which remain to be noticed, the first of which
is, that when its decomposition has commenced, it advances in
an increasing ratio; and the second, that the constituents of
green sand in their nascent state, that is, at the moment of their
disengagement from the compound, act with much greater en-
36
ergy. Thus it would appear, then, that all the constituents of
the marl exerciseaninfluence in promoting vegetation; and this
action must take place in proportion to their respective affini-
ties, potassa being the most powerful, followed by lime, mag-
nesia, protoxide of iron, alumina and silica; that the first four
assist in the generation of organic acids, with which they and
a small portion of the alumina and silica combine to form salts
of different degrees, but generally of different solubility,
which nourish and invigorate nascent vegetation; that by the
presence of a large portion of bases which will form salts of
difficult solubility, a more prolonged and healthy action is in-
sured. t
“The above remarks relative to the mode of operation of
marl, apply equally to the several varieties, as far as relates to
the content of green grains, but the calcareous species owe
their action partly to lime, in proportion as its carbonate exists
in the marl. When phosphate of iron occurs in quantity,
some notice must be taken of its probable influence, for in re-
gard to it, we can only reason from theory, since it has never
been applied directly to land, with the view of ascertaining its
effects on vegetation. It appears from the analyses of Ber-
thier, that both phosphates of lime and of iron existin appre-
ciable quantity in the ashes of plants; for, in the composition
of oak-ashes he divides the 7 per cent of phosphoric acid be-
tween lime and iron in such a manner as to form nearly 14
per cent. of phosphate of lime, and ; per cent. of phosphate
of iron; and in other cases he gives the amount of the salt of
iron as high as 9 per cent; and we believe from experience
that the utility of bone manure is largely due to its phosphate
of lime; and hence we may infer that the marl alluded to may
be serviceable, or even very valuable, fiom its phosphate of
iron; and that if it were mingled with a little lime, where it is
wanting in the marl, the atmospheric and humic agents, if the
expression be allowed, will cause such a transmutation of the
constituents as to bring both phosphates to exert their influence
in advancing the growth of plants. It would appear unne-
**
37
cessary to add lime, when there is already a small quantity in
the marl, were it not that there is still another substance men-
tioned as occurring sometimes in marl. This substance is the
sulphuret of iron, the presence of which is shown by the large
amount of white efflorescence with which it becomes coated
after exposure to the air, precisely similar to those pits where
it is observed in pieces of considerable size. After the marl
has been exposed to the air for a short time, a whitish efflores-
cence forms on its surface, which has a strong styptic taste,
and is sulphate of iron, formed from the sulphuret; but the
snow-white efflorescence is chiefly sulphate of lime or plaster;
and hence this operation of nature in the formation of plaster
from sulphuret of iron points out to us the manner of obtaining
the same result, viz. By mixing with marl which exhibits an
efflorescence after exposure to the air, a quantity of lime suffi-
cient to convert all the sulphate of iron into sulphate of lime;
for if this be not done, the sulphate of iron, or copperas, will
be formed, which is known to be prejudicialto vegetation. The
quantity required for this purpose will vary with the amount of
sulphuret of iron: where the efflorescence islight, one bushel of
lime to 100 of marl will be amply sufficient; and where it is
abundant, it may be necessary to use two, three or four to the
100 of marl. If the green sand contains already a portion of
lime, a smaller quantity will be required. The best method
of applying it will be to remove the marl from the pitto any con-
venient adjoiningspot, to form a stratum not more than two feet
thick, and, after it has been exposed to the air for two weeks
or a month, to cover it over with slacked lime. After exposure
to one or two rains, it may then be most thoroughly mixed by
passing a plough through it, or digging it down with a spade.
“In what manner and in what quantity should the green
sand be applied? All varieties of the marl are more or less
compact, when freshly extracted from the pit, and if applied in
such a state, would be unequally distributed over the soil; and
hence the first precaution is to suffer it to be exposed to the
air for a few days according to its compactness or tenacity in
38
order that it may crumble to powder, if possible: for the finer the
pulverization, as shown of lime, the greater will be the imme-
diate benefit. There is another advantage attending this de-
lay, that we may then observe the efflorescence, and obviate
its ill effects by lime: Indeed, in a majority of cases, the ad-
dition of lime in small quantity will prove serviceable, since it
is generally wanting in the pure green varieties, and yet it is
an important requisite in the fixed constituents of vegetables.
The most economical method of applying the marl as above
proposed, will be to cart it from the pits immediately into the
fields to which it is to be applied, to throw it into heaps at con-
venient distances for spreading, and then to put a small quan-
tity of lime on each heap, which should remain exposed to the
air for a longer time. In regard to the quantity to be applied,
a variety of opinions exist; and hence from 50 to 1000 bushels
per acre have been tried, with and without success. A little at-
tention to the theory of its operation will enable us to approx-
imate to the true proportion. Its strong bases appear to act on
the organic matter in the soil, and to combine with it; hence it
would be useless to apply a large quantity to a poor and light
soil, for which 60 to 100 bushels would suffice; but a clayey
soil would be rendered looser by it; and as there is usually
more organic matter present in such a case, from 100 to 200
may be employed with advantage. Where the land is alrea-
dy of good quality, from 200 to 500 may be used, according
to its richness and tenacity. Many persons believe that be-
canse one kind of mari is inferior to another, a much larger
quantity will be required; but the truth is, that the differences,
although important, are less so than is generally believed, and
should not lead to the employment of quantities greater than
have just been enumerated. Notwithstanding the effects of
marl will be shown to be striking on ordinary, and even on
very poor land, yet it is essential that the soil should contain a
fair proportion of organic matter, in order to reap the highest
benefit from it. Hence the failure of some experiments made
with the green sand; for although it stands superior to
39
ime in requiring the presence or addition of less organic ma-
nure, still the views offered to explain its mode of action show
he necessity of some organic materials on which to operate,
ind this conclusion is strengthened by experience.
“The difficulty of overcoming prejudice is clearly exempli-
fied in the progressive employment of green sand in Delaware.
One of the first experiments made with it in St. George's hun-
dred may probably be dated as far back as the year 1826,
when a small quantity was drawn out from the site of the ca-
mal. One spot of ground where this was applied, was observ-
ed in 1837 on the farm of James Wilson, eleven years after its
application; and although that soil had received no other as-
sistance, a luxuriant growth of corn clearly pointed out the
limit to which it had been spread.”
In imitation of some of the Geologists of other States, who
have given lists of the natural products of their States, I beg
leave to offer an enumeration of the objects of the animal king-
dom that are found in our State—some of which are only found
there.—This list is very imperfect but it will be completed
in subsequent reports.
LIST OF REPTILES
INHABITING THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.
Emys hieroglyphica. Holbrook. Ameiva sex-lineata. Holb.
geographica. Lesueur. Anolius Carolimensis. Cuv.
Troostii. Holb. Tropidolepis undulatus. Bosc,
Cistuda Carolina. Edwards. Phrynosoma cornuta. Harl.
- Var. o., 3, y, 3. Scincus faciatus. Lin.
Kenosternon Pennsylvanicum. lateralis. Say.
Edw. quinquelineatus. Lin.
Sternothoerus odoratus. Bosc. Coluber quadrivittatus. Holb.
Chelonura Temminckii. punctatus. Lin.
Troost. Oestivus. 6 &
Serpentina. Heterodon platirhinos. Holb.
Trionyx ferox. niger. Catesb.
miticus. Lesueur.
40
Trigonocephaluspicivorus. Hyla squirilla. Bosc.
Holb. Salamadra dorsalis. Harl.
contortix. “ gutto-lineata. Holb.
leucostoma. glutinosa. Green.
Troost. faciata. & 6
Crotalus miliarius. Lin. venenosa. Barton.
durissus. & 6 longe caudata.
Ophisaurus ventralis.
Green.
Rana pipiens. auriculata. Holb.
haleciria. Kalm. Memobranchus lateralis. Say.
Scaphiopus solitarius. Holb. Abranchus Alleghaniensis.
Bufo Americanus. Lecont. Harl.
centiginosus. Shaw. Syren lacertina.
Hyla versicolor. Lecont. Amphiuma means. Garden.
NAIADES.
GENUS MARGARITA.—I. SUBGENUS UNIO.
Unio Æsopus. Green. Unio dactylus. Lea.
alatus. Say dehiscens. Say.
a.IIlO&IlllS. Lea. dolabelloides. Lea.
anadontoides. & G. dromas. “
arcoeformis. & 6 ebenus. & &
argenteus. ( & Edgarianus. C &
asperrimus. % & elegans. & C
Barnesianus. 6 & ellipsis. & C
biangulatus. & 4 fabalis. C &
Bigbyensis. { % fatuus. ( &
brevidens. foliatus. Hild.
Creridens. « fragosus? Con.
capsoeformis. & & gibbosus. Bar.
circulus. C & gibber. Lea.
coelatus. Con. glaber. “
clavus. Lam. glans. & 6
gonradicns. Lea. gracilis. Barnes.
Cooperianus. “ Haysianus. Lea.
Cornutus. Bar. Holstonensis. “
Crassidens. Lam. interruptus. “
crassus. Say. iris. & C
creperus. Lea. irroratus. & 4
Cumberlandicus. “ lacrymosus. “
Cuneolus. § { lenior. 46
cylindricus. Say. lens. 6&
41
Unio Lesueurianus. Lea. | Unio pustulosus. Lea.
liemosus? Con. pyramidatus. “
Menkianus. Lea. Ravenellianus. “
moestus. & 6 rectus. Lam.
metanever. Raf. regularis. Lea.
Mühlfeldianus. Lea. retusus. Lam.
multiplicatus. & 4 rubiginosus. Lea.
multiradiatus. & C securis. & 6
mytiloides. Raf. - simus. & C
monodontus. Say. Sowerbianus. “
Nashvillianus. Lea. sparsus. 6 &
nitens. 6 & Stonensis. & C
(10tatus. 6 & subrotundus. “
obscurus. & & subtentus. Say.
Occidens. & 6 Sulcatus. Lea.
ochraceus? Say. tener. & 4
orbiculatus? Hild. Tennesseensis. Lea.
ovatus. Say. triangularis. Bar.
parvus. Barn. trigonus. Lea.
patulus. Lea. Troostensis. “
pectorosus. Con. tuberculatus. Bar.
perdix. Lea. tuberosus. Lea.
perplexus. Lea. undulatus. Bar.
personatus. Say. Vanuxemensis. Lea.
Phaseolus. Hild. varicoses. , 6 &
pictus. Lea. ventricosus. Bar.
pilaris. “ verrucosus. Bar.
plicatus. Sesueur. Zeiglerianus. Lea.
pulcher. Lea, ZigZag. ( &
pustulatus. “
II SUBGENUS MARGARITANA.
Margaritana complanata. Lea. Margaritana Holstonia. Leo.
curreyiana. “ marginata. “
deltoidea. “ Raveneliana. “
fabula. tº rugosa. € $
TV SUBGENUs ANoDONTA.
Anodonta argentea. Lea. Anodonta marginata.
Harpethensis. Lea.
42
UNIVALVES.
MELANIAE.
Melania acuto. Lea. Melania gracilis, Lea,
acuto-Carinata. Holstonia. & 4
armigera. Say. monozonalis. “
blanda. Lea. nitens. & 4
caliginosa. “ nodulosa. & 8
CaStanea. “ - obtusa. * {
Cincinnatiensis. Lea. Ocogensis. . . “
circincta. Lea. pilula. & 4
clavoeformis. “ plicatula. & K
columella. 6 & regularis. K &
concinna. { { rufa. € $
Corrugata. ( & Sordida. ( &
costulata. “ Spixiana. & 4
crebri-costata. “ striata. 6.9
Curreyana. “ strigosa. & 6
decora. & C subcylindracea. “
dubiosa. & C Subglobosa. Say.
Duttoniana. “ Subsolida. ( &
ebenum. ( & Sulcosa. & 4
Edgariana. “ tenebrosa. C 9.
elongata. “ terebralis. 66
€Xarata. ( & teres. 6 (;
fuliginosa. & 4 Troostiana. “
fusiformis, “ VēIlúSta. & 4
globula. 9 & ! virgata. (.6
Io.
Io fusiformis. Lea. | Io spinosa. Lea.
PolyGYRA.
Polygyra Dorfeuilliana. Lea. | Polygyra Troostiana Lea.
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SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
REPORT OF THE GEOLOGIST OF THE STATE OF
TENNESSEE. -
*-
Since I had the honor to lay before your honorable body my
Seventh Report, I have spent about five weeks in an excur-
sion through the Eastern part of our State, from which I re-
turned a few days ago. I beg leave, therefore, to present to
your honorable body a small addition to this Report, contain-
ing remarks on some mineral deposits which I examined dur-
ing this excursion. I allude to the deposits of lead and zinc
OſęS. -
The first of these deposits are generally known in the coun-
try. Weins of it are seen on the surface in several places. In
Several places they cross Clinch river, and it requires only an
enterprising person to ascertain the most convenient place to
explore these veins and render them available.
But my present object is more particularly to direct the at-
tention of the inhabitants of the mountainous districts of East
Tennessee, to the deposits of a metal which is not so general-
ly known as that of lead. I allude to the zinc ores, of which
there seem to be immense deposits in East Tennessee. I have
already spoken, in my former reports, of the zinc ores at
Mossy creek and other localities in Jefferson county. In my
last excursion, which has been principally in Claiborne coun-
ty, I discovered several large deposits of this ore, particular-
ly five miles from Gen. Frazier's forge, and near the residence
44
of Mr. Happer—an other not far from the house Mr. Henry
Moyer, near Powell’s river—a third about a mile from gº
Frazier's forge, and at several other places traces of it are
observed.
Now, these deposits, in a country where the fuel is so abun-
dant, and a great part of it not fit for agricultural purposes,
because of its broken condition, cannot fail to be of great im-
portance. In order to make this evident, I beg leave to men-
tion the properties and uses of this metal, which seem to be
unknown, particularly in the places where these ores are
found.
The use of the Metallic Zinc, was till lately very limited,
and it was seldom extracted from its ores. The zinc of com-
merce was particularly obtained from the lead and zinc ores
from the Goslar in the Hartz, which produced only between
25 and 30 100wt. annually. At present it is extracted from
Calamine (a zinc ore similar to that which exists in East Ten-
nessee) in Holland, England and India. It is probable that
the toutenague of China is the only pure zinc extracted from
Calamine from Tonquin (Kempfer).
The zinc, which, at that time, was considered as not malle-
able, was only used in the compositions employed for the trink-
ets resembling gold, under the names of Prince Rupert’s met-
al, pinchbeck, tombac, Dutch or Manheim gold, etc. It was
only during the time when the countries which possessed large
deposits of Calamine, particularly Lemburg and Gullik, be-
longed to France, that an establishment was erected at Liege,
where the zinc was extracted from its ores, and the properties
of this metal being now better known, it was manufactured
in sheets and wire at Giret.
As some of the properties of this metal render it very use-
ful for certain purposes, it being harder than tin and less fusi-
ble than tin and lead, and more so than copper, its usefulness
has much increased since the establishment was made at
Liege.
It is not my intention to mention the scientific purposes for
45
which zinc is used—its great and indispensable use in Gal-
vanism, nor the several preparations in Pharmacy in which
ºts oxides form the principal constituents, etc., but I will only
mention that in its metallic state, in sheets, it is used for cov-
ºring houses, the residence of our former President, General
ackson, being covered with it. In the state of sheets it may
be used for lining reservoirs, bathing tubs, and I believe it
has been used for coating ships—it may be formed into tubes
for conducting water, as it has not the poisonous properties
of copper and lead—it can be soldered together like lead and
copper. These are only a part of the purposes for which me-
tallic zinc may be used. But its oxides (the ore as it exists in
East Tennessee) are of a more extensive use. I need only
mention the composition of Brass, which is a compound of
copper and zinc. It is made in the United States by combin-
ing copper with the metallic zinc, which is all imported from
Europe and the East Indies, while in Europe it is made of the
very ore which lies useless in East Tennessee.
The various states in which brass occurs in commerce, and
the various purposes to which it is employed are very numer-
ous. So far as I know, the cast brass is the only kind that is
prepared in the United States, all the malleable brass, as sheet
brass, brass wire, etc., is imported, and the various imported
articles made of brass are immense.—All our watches and
other timepieces; our mathematical and philosophical appa-
ratus; our brass kettles and kitchen utensils; the several wire
textures for seives, etc., our pins, etc. etc.; for all these pur-
poses the neglected materials of East Tennessee may be pro-
fitably used.
I have collected parts of these ores, which I will subject to
analysis, during this winter, and will communicate the result
of my investigations in my next report.
Respectfully,
G, TROOST.
Geologist of the State.