ont ih. alll 39.68/4: GYL 20 Bulletin No, 20 aay 1 RIGHTON April, 1921. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS James F, Woodward, Secretary BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY George H. Ashley, State Geologist PENNSYLVANIA IRON ORES By J. Ross Corbin Kinds of ore, Maes Cites hematites, brovm-ores, carbonates, - and bog-ores have been succes sfully mined 2§ iron-ores in Pennsyl-- vania, These, although of widely different origin, oecur within well-defined. districts or areas. The longest dimensions of some of these areas sre approximately parallel. Océurrence,. Magnetite occurs at Durjam, Vera Cruz, Ritten- house Gap, Boyertown, Fritz Islend, Cornwall, ‘Dillsburg and at other places southwestward to near Fairfield, Adams County. In the mein these ores represent » replacement of dime stones ndjacent to igneous intrusions, but the ores of the first three localities may have had ao very different origin, _ imonitic ores occur southeast of the magnetite belt in or near the limestones of Lancaster County, and southwestward through York (City) and Conewago. Part of the limonite ‘belt in the limestone yoelt extends from Easton through Bethlehem; Allentown, Alburtis, Muhlenberg, Lebanon, Hummelstown, Carlisle, Shippensburg, Chambers- burg and Waynesboro, These ores apparently represent concentrations of iron originally deposited in overlying sedimentary rocks, cad Hematites occur in detached ereas in the South Mountains and in narrow but very continuous outcrops in the Clinton and Oriskany for- ‘mations, extending from Orbisonia and Fort Littleton northeastward to Selinsgrove and Lewisburg. These latter ores, following. the fold- ing of the rocks, extend in zigzog lines throughout the Juniata : region. Forming another belt to the northwest, extending from New Enter- prise through Henrietta and Williamsburg to State College, is another limestone valley with its accompanying ores. At State College this 4 ity hay Weiee ¥ ade | Avy limestone forms two large branches extending northeasterly, one to Mackeyville, the other to Woodward, In the southwestern portion of the State and occurring as nodules in beds of shale in the conl measures or 28 a thin bed just on top of the Vanport or "ferriferous" limestone are ores ‘called voriously "siderite," "spathie iron ore,” "clay ironstone," "argill- a eous iron ore," etc. On the outcrop of this bed the action of WwW athering has converted this carbonate ore into a brown ore, oY limonite, In the northwestern part of the State, particularly in the Alle- gheny Valley, occur locally important bog-iron ores. First Forge. Beginning with the Pool Forge in 1716, numerous "forges" wore built in Pennsylvania, Charcoal was used for fuel, Successful operations were then established where ore, timber and water poweriexisted together, Later, changes in processes, fuel and ore supplies, eliminnted 211 smelteries, (or as now called "blast furnaces") except those in commercially strategic localities. Sondi tion .of industry; Wo one doubts but that the present stag- gation is merely temporary, ong that with a stabilization of gon- ditions in general must come a stabilization of production in*v&kich the iron and. steel industries are very basic factors. The opening, by American corpordticns, of foreign ore-deposits totalling billions of toys indicates that the large producers have no fear of lack of future: opportunities, Is any iron ore left. in Pennsylvania? The Survey believes there 1s. The early iron founders took the ore most easily available, unconsciously following a definite economic law, arge modern plants demand large deposits; but "merchant cre" is still salable in sm2li quantities. large deposits snd tonnages with long hauls fostered economical methods, The Lake Superior ores would not be what they are‘if mining methods head not progressed, Pennsylvanies ore, if mined, must compete in price snd quelity with outside ores. FPor’various reasons the magnetites seem to offer the best field for Gevelopments of the immediate future. These will therefore be the first of the iron cores to be investigated. The other types will Similerly be taken up in the order of their merit. Published reports. The First and Second Pennsylvania Geologi-~ cal Surveys and the Commission Survey published reports on the iron resources of the State, which, whiic helpful at the time, “re now out-of-date because of the advances of commerce and science; also they have been out of print for many years. More recently the United States Geological Survey hes purlished various builetins relsting to certain restricted localities in Pennsylvanin. All of these reports are available in many of the’pvblic libraries throughout the State. In addition to the foregoing, articles heave appeared from time to time in the technical press relating tc the many phases of Pennsyl- vania resources, : The lists given below name the principal reports written on the 3ron ores of Pennsylvania. i re) ‘ Digitized by the Internet Archive — in 2022 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates httos://archive.org/details/oennsylvaniaironOOcorb ~ The following reports published by the Sccond Pennsylvanie Ssvr- vey ean be obtained only from second-hand book denlers or consulted in librsries: Ircn Ore Belts, York and Adams counties C Magnetic and Micaceous Ore Relts of York, Adams, : Cumberland ané Franklin counties Ce Geology of Lancaster County CS Iron intustry of Chester County C4 Brown Hematite Ore Ranges of Lehigh County D1 Brown Hematite Deposits of the Siluro-Cambrian _ simestoncs of Lehigh County De Limestone Belt snd Iron ore mines of Lehigh _ and Northampton counties DS; Vol. I. ilagnetic Iron ore mines of Bers County DS, Vol. II, Possil Iron Ore Beds of Middle Pennsylvania B Iron ores of Cumberlané Vailey 7 MS Ifon Furnaces of Bedford County Te Troma ingubtry of Center County T4 Irga cres, genesis of D4. [ron ores, mining methods T4 Iron ore mines, Cumberland and Lebanon Valle ys Ann, Rep. 1886 p, 4 Cornwall ore mines Ann. Hep. 1996 the following publications of the U. S. Geological Survey eam be obteined from the Supt. of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D, C., at the prices tmmed. (Send only Money Orders): #conomic geology of the Kittanning and Rural Valley quadrangles DULa cna s., Us5.G, 5... Puddetin- No, 279 ‘50 cents Brown Iron Ore near Dillsbureg, York County, Pe., Harder, F.C. Ui eae buat. Oya soo Mp e6Os255 60 ecnts fron Ores of the United States. Hayes, o, W., | Weeds Cobden anton a4 40 cents Magnetite Deposits of Cornwall type in Pennsylvania. Spencer, A,C. per Gs.5 kos VANOe Soo. 20084) $2.90 Jauss Iron Mine, Dillsburg, Pa. Spencer, A. C, U.5.G.5. Bull, No, 430 pp. 247-249 60 cents Geology of Mercersturg-Chambersburg quadrangles, Stose, G. W., 1T i oa U.S.G,5, Folio No. 170 5 cents. since the foregoing was written a great deal of information hes been collected by ficlai work conuncted by the present Pennsylvania Geological Survey. in process oF vublication is a preliminery velume on iron ores and mevliods of their formetion. Owing to circum- stances beyond our control the dite at which this will be ready for distribution is indefinite. The interested pvblic ere urged to correspond with the State Geologist for information concerning Specific localities, deposits, or minerals, Second edition June 22, 1922. ba Ne nn Hn 0112 077640818