URBANA t Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/preliminaryrepor55715lama ST ATI; OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION A. M. SHELTON. Director DIVISION OF THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. LEIGHTON. Chief REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS— NO. 15 PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE FULLER'S EARTH DEPOSITS OF PULASKI COUNTY BY J. E. LAMAR PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS URBANA, ILLINOIS 1928 STATE OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION A. M. SH ELTON. Director DIVISION OF THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY M. M. LEIGHTON. Chief Committee of the Board of Natural Resources and Conservation A. M. Shelton, Chairman Director of Registration and Education Charles M. Thompson Representing the President of the Uni- versity of Illinois Eoson S. Bastin Geologist Jeffersons Printing & STATIONER! V» Springfield, Illinois 1928 CONTENTS Page Introduction 7 Acknowledgments i. 8 t teology 8 t ieneral stratigraphy 8 Tin' Porters Creek formation 9 Lithologic character 10 Thickness 10 Areal distribution 10 Puller's earth 12 Physical properties 12 \ .iluc of chemical analysis 13 Commercial value 13 Uses 13 The fuller's earth industry of Pulaski County 13 The deposit 13 The overburden 16 Methods of mining and milling 16 Grades of fuller's earth produced 17 Samples 19 Potential sources of fuller's earth from the Porters Creek clay 19 The Parm deposit 19 Introduction 19 Description of region and exposure 19 Lithologic character of the Porters Creek 20 Overburden 20 Extent of the deposit 20 Samples 21 Prospecting and testing 21 Topographic maps 22 Mining ■. 22 The Mounds deposit 23 Introduction 23 Description of region and exposure 23 Lithologic character and thickness 24 Overburden 24 Extent of deposit 25 Samples 25 Prospecting and testing 25 Alining 26 The Watson deposit 26 Location, description of region and deposit 26 Lithologic character and thickness 26 Thr Watson Deposit — Concluded Page ( )verburden ?g Extent of deposit > tl Sample 27 Prospecting and testing 27 M ining 27 Sampling and testing 27 Sampling 27 Testing 27 rest for specific volume 28 Test for apparent acidity 28 Tests on clays from Alexander, Massac, and Pulaski counties 28 Tests on fuller's earths not in southern Illinois 30 I lescription of samples tested and not previously mentioned 30 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Map of Pulaski County and the adjoining part of Alexander County 6 2. The mill of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana 14 3. The mill of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana 14 4. Map of the Olmstead area 15 5. Fuller's earth in the mine of the Sinclair Refining Company 16 i>. The mine of the Sincliar Refining Company 17 7. Sketch map of the Parm deposit 18 8. Sketch map of the Mounds deposit 25 TABLES 1. Tests on clays from Alexander, Massac, and Pulaski counties 29 2. Tests on fuller's earths other than those found in Illinois 30 FIXER S EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY Fig. 1. Map of Pulaski County and the adjoining part of Alexander County. PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE FULLER'S EARTH DEPOSITS OF PULASKI COUNTY By J. E. Lamar INTRODUCTION \ series of unconsolidated sediments, but little known elsewhere in the State, outcrops in Alexander. Massac, and Pulaski counties of south- '<-" ni«iois (fig. 1). To these sediments the geological names Cretaceous < ocene, and Pliocene systems have been applied. The fuller's earth deposits form a part of the Eocene system. The mining of fuller's earth in Illinois was begun by the Sinclair Refining Company at Olmstead in 1920, and later the Standard Oil Company of Indiana opened a mine near the same town. Since 1920 Illinois has increased its output of fuller's earth until, in 1926. only Georgia and Florida exceeded the State's production. The fuller's earth deposit at Olmstead was generally supposed to k the only one in southern Illinois. During- reconnaissance field studies o! the economic mineral resources of Alexander. Pulaski, Union and Massac counties in the summer of 1927 three additional deposits of' clay, which are similar in appearance to the Olmstead deposit, were discovered m Pulaski County. Two of these deposits are located along railroads ■Mid the other is about one and a half miles from a railroad. Still other deposits probably exist which were not noted because of the recon- naissance character of the field work. Only the territory within half a mile of railroads was carefully studied. The Cretaceous and Eocene beds of southern Illinois contain a Variety of clays which possess in some degree the essential property ot fuller's earth, that is, the ability to remove basic colors from oils These clay deposits are not as thick or as extensive as the three deposits that are typically similar to the Olmstead deposits, and there is doubt as to the practicability of working such clays in competition with known feller s earth deposits unless the clays are of exceptionally high quality. This report is therefore confined to those deposits of clay that are similar to the Illinois fuller's earth of known value. S FULLERS EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to acknowledge the willing and able assistance of Mr C E. Dutton in the field work, and of Mr. C. R. Clark in the lab- oratory work done in connection with this investigation; also the courte- sies extended by Mr Floyd Cannon, manager of the fuller's earth plant of the Sinclair Refining Company, and by Mr. J. F. Shanley, superintend- ent of the plant of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. 1 o Dr. M. M. Leio-hton Chief of the Illinois State Geological Survey, the writer desires to express appreciation for valuable and constructive criticism of tins report. GEOLOGY General Stratigraphy The field work done in the three counties, though by no means detailed stratigraphic nature, was sufficient to indicate the succession d formations given in the following table. The sequence outlined check- well with the general stratigraphic succession given for Kentucky an Tennessee 1 Usually it is difficult to determine exactly the contacts any of the formations given below, yet they are recognizable as genen units of sandy or clayey sediments. The correlations with the 1 ennes.ee and Kentucky sections are on the basis of lithology alone, inasmuch a- fossils are extremely rare. Generalized section of post-Paleozoic sediments of Alexander, Pulaski and Massac counties RCC GraS-d. ■* and clay in the flood-plains of present streams, particu.arl, Mississippi, Ohio, and Cache rivers. Tlcistocene system Loess formation . . :„i a nH from Loess, brown, noncalcareous, found principalis some miles mland hroad alluvial flats. ii„ w ;.| Loess gray, found on the margins of the highlands bordering the alluml flai, noncalcareous; especial!, well developed south ol Gale « ander County, and in the vicinity of Cache in the same County. Col t:; i ::;;:tz^ M g ^ ^ *,, or ^, *«. ******* «- an d C l ay; visible in cuts along Illinois Central Ra.lroad about A mfle south of Villa Ridge in Pulaski County, and in the ..ravel pit ol I Elco Gravel Company at Elco, Alexander ( ounty. i Glenn. 'I, C CJndergro 1 waters ol Tennessee and Kentucky -^ofjen; River and of an adjacent ««a In JJImJ < • trrigation Paper, No 164, pp. 21-51, 1906. FULLERS EARTH OF PULASK] COUNTY f Pliocene s\ stem ( olluvium Clay, red and brown, containing sand, gravel or angular sandstone frag- ments; best developed near Round Knob, Massac County. "I .afayette" formation ( herl gravel, polished, brown, let-ally underlain by a very coarse red sand; red sand and gravel well developed at Fayville, Alexander County; gravel well developed south of Unity, and at Mounds, Pulaski County, and al Metropolis and Round Knob, Massac County. Eoci ne system Lagrange formation Clays, doniinantly white, pinkish, greenish or gray, with interbedded sands, and thin gravel strata locally; also thin lignite or lignitic beds. The clays worked at Kaolin, Union County, are probably part of this forma- tion, also the elay, sand and thin gravels exposed along Mississippi River between Fayville and Thebes in Alexander County, and the clays and sands along the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway northeast of Grand Chain in Pulaski County. Porters Creek formation t lay, gray-black or blue-gray, dominantly buff-gray, locally sandy in the basal portion. The upper part of this formation is the source of the fuller's earth at Olmstead. It also outcrops a few miles south of Unity, at Mounds, and about 2 miles east of Villa Ridge, all in Pulaski County. Cretaceous system Ripley formation Sands, fine- to medium-grained, micaceous, locally yellow, with thin interbedded clays. The basal portion contains sandy clays. The sandy phase of this formation is well exposed at Dam 53 northeast of Olmstead, at Post Creek cut-off, and northeast of Olmstead in Pulaski County; the sandy clays at Round Knob and Choat in Massac County. The Porters Creek Formation The Porters Creek clay is persistent both lithologically and strati- graphically. It does not become plastic when wet and consequently does not slump and slide as do the majority of the Cretaceous- Tertiary clays. In a number of logs of wells drilled in Alexander and Pulaski counties the Porters Creek is described as gray or blue shale or marl, and from the description and its thickness is easily recognized. Neither the upper or lower contacts of the Porters Creek were observed but it is thought to be unconformable with the Ripley below and con- formable with the Lagrange above. The basal unconformity results in considerable irregularity in the base of the formation and therefore great variation in thickness. 10 FULLER'S EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY MTIIOLOGIC CHARACTER The Porters Creek, as seen in outcrop, is a massive gray-black. buff or gray, micaceous, clay. It is very tough when wet and develops a slippery surface but does not become plastic except after thorough kneading. Because of this property it stands in unusually steep faces where topographic conditions are favorable. The formation consists ol two distinct units, an upper 15 to 40 feet of gray or buff, very slightly sandy clay, and a lower 40 to 65 feet of blue-gray or gray-black, com- monly sandy clay. The upper gray portion is that mined and sold a8 fuller's earth. \n outstanding feature of the Porters Creek, observed in outcrops, is its concretionary or nodular structure which is especially well shown in the weathered exposures of the upper gray portion of the formation. As a result of this structure the talus developed from the gray Porten Creek is composed typically of conchoidal or shell-shaped fragments Bedding occurs but on the whole is not well developed except as a gross feature Vertical or nearly vertical jointing is pronounced in some areas and is usually accompanied by iron stains along the joint planes. THICKNESS Where the Porters Creek is well developed, as at Cairo, its thicknesj varies from 112 to about 130 feet. The formation apparently thins t the north and northeast for at Mound City it is 100 feet thick as re- corded in a water well, and at Olmstead 80 feet and less At Mounds 65 feet of Porters Creek was encountered below 55 feet ot alluvial gravels but this is not thought to represent the entire thickness of the formation in that area. _ , . • The sand contained in the upper 30 feet ol the Porters C reek is pn* cipallv quartz with very small amounts of zircon and tourmaline. Th lower" portion of the formation is the more sandy part, and in the cxtren basal portion the formation contains thin interbedded sand strata. AREAL DISTRIBUTION Extensive natural exposures of the Porter, Creek are rare because the overlying Lagrange formation contains many very plastic clays and ( 1 ucntlv slumps Lily. Beginning at Olmstead where the upper nart of the Porters Creek is mined as fuller's earth, the formation "I, d apparent.v thins, to the east. At Caledonia Landing a very non dLtance 1 northea. of the fuller, ^.P^Y^^oS McNairy sands of the Ripley formation appear ,n the base ol the OS River bluff, and still farther northeast they form the major portion ol FULLER'S EARTH OF PULASKI county 11 pie bluff. The base of the Porters Creek is very irregular so that the thin marginal portion ol the formation has a "pockety" distribution. It Is thoughl to be thin northeast from ( Hmstead in the direction of ECarnak. Clays and sands, apparently of Lagrange age, which arc exposed in the railroad cut about a mile northeast of Grand Chain, suggest that the Porters Creek may be present at a shallow depth in this vicinity if it lias not pinched out. Southwest from Olmstead the Porters Creek is thought to extend almost due southwest to Mounds, with small outcrops about two and a half miles east of Villa Ridge and just north of Mounds. From Mounds the outcrop probably trends northward along the east side of Cache KJver and may be seen about one and a half miles south of Unity. From this point north the formation is visible for but a short distance and either disappears under the alluvium of Cache Creek or pinches out The accompanying well logs show that the depth to the Porters Creek is 180 feet at Mound City and 375 feet at Cairo. Between the cities of Mounds and Cairo, a distance of about eight miles, the forma- tion dips about 380 feet, or 48 feet per mile. From Mound City to Cairo the dip is about 25 feet per mile, indicating that the dip of the beds is principally south or southwest. Log of Ice Plant well at Mound City Thickness Depth Feet Feet 6. Clay, surface 20 20 5. Gravel and sand '. 160 180 4. Shale, blue - 100 280 3. Sand, dark 25 305 2. Gravel _ 300 605 1. Limestone 45 650 Red 6 of the above log' is probably river alluvium. Bed 5 is thought to be river gravel, "Lafayette" gravel, and Lagrange sand. The blue shale, bed 4, is the Porters Creek and bed 3 the Ripley sand. The gravel, bed 2, is probably fractured Clear Creek chert similar to that outcropping near Olive Branch. Bed 1 is probably the Backbone limestone. Both beds 1 and 2 are of Devonian age. in contrast with the overlying beds which are of Cretaceous, and later age. (See geologic column, pp. 8-9.) 12 FULLER'S EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY Log of well at Cairo Electric Light and Power Company, Cairo Thickness Depth Feet l : cct 12. Soil • 4-S J.S 11. Clay, sandy, blue " 3U ^ "_ 10. Sand and gravel 9. Sand, with "kaolin" partings 8. "Kaolin" '""" 7. Sand, with a thin layer of "kaolin" and traces ot ,. ., 240 *)/4 hgmte 12 4 498 6. Shale, or marl, slate colored ' - il Companj of Indiana, Olmstead, Illinois FULLER'S EARTH hi PI I. ASM COUNTY 15 dair Refining Company's mine the deposit rises sharply to the north or northeast. About a quarter of a mile southwest of Caledonia Landing the Porters Creek formation forms the river bluff just above the level of the Hood plain. At the landing 30 feet of Ripley sands and silts is 1 mile Fig. 4. Map of the Olmstead area exposed below the Porters Creek. In sec. 13 the Porters Creek formation has thinned to such an extent that only a feather edge remains, probably the thin beds of the basal portion which are sandy and interbedded with sand and clay. Conspicuous settling and creep has occurred along the margin of the Ohio River bluff, particularly where the underlying Ripley sands and silts form the lower part of the bluff. In the mines, however, where the formation is best exposed, it shows but little slumping or creeping. The top of the Porters Creek is fairly level, but is irregular enough to cause a variation of from 15 to 40 feet in the thickness of the upper white, or light buff zone, of the formation. 16 FULLERS EARTH <>l PULASKI COUNTY The best fuller's eartli is found in the upper huff or light gray por- tion of the PorTers Creek formation. The lower portion, which is dark gray or blue-gray, is commonly inferior in quality to the gray earth, due probably to it's" higher sand content and a difference in the quantity and character of the colloidal material present. The gray color of the upper earth is apparently due to weathering, tor the greatest thicknes appear to occur in those tract-- that arc highest with reference t> major drainage lines of the region. ■'. : Fig. 5. Fuller's earth in the mine of the Sinclair Refining Company, Olmstead, Illinois The upper gray fuller's earth exhibits gross features of bedding hut is nodular and fractured by vertical or nearly vertical joints (fig- 5). Because of the nodular character of the deposit the material appears to have a conchoidal fracture. Parts of the deposits an- speckled with brown spots of iron stain and similar staining is found alone; many of the joint planes. Till: < '\ ! RBl'RDI N The overburden at both the Sinclair Refining Company's mine (fig. 6) and the Standard ( )il Company's mine consists of 3 to 5 feet ol clayey, brown chert gravel, overlain by 10 to 25 feet of loess. As tin deposits are worked back into the hills it is probable that clays and sands of the overlying Lagrange formation will be encountered. Methods of Mining and Milling Both mines are operated as open pits; stripping and loading is bj --team shovel (fig. 6). The mine cars are pulled up the incline to the EARTH 01 PULASKI COUNT? 17 pi, mi h\ cable (fig. 2) and dumped into a bin which feeds by a chain, or plate feed, into a wet roll crusher. In the Sinclair Refining Company's mill the earth from the crusher is elevated to a bin and spouted to rotary driers which discharge to bucket elevators. 'These convey the earth to bins which discharge to pulverizers. From the pulverizers the earth is transferred bv an air injector system to the dust collectors, from which Fig. 6. The mine of the Sinclair Refining Company, showing the method of loading, the overburden, and genera! character of the deposit. Olmstead, Illinois. it goes to Ro-tex screens. From the screens the earth goes to bins which discharge to the sacking machines- In the Standard Oil Company's mill the earth from the crusher is clc\ated and spouted directly to rotary driers. These discharge to bucket elevators, which convey the earth to bins from which it is dis- tributed to the pulverizers. Bucket elevators transfer the earth from the pulverizers to Ro-tex screens and flour mill sifters which discharge to the sacking machines. Grades of Fuller's Earth Produced The pulverized earth is produced in four standard grades, namely : Through 16 mesh, retained on 30 mesh Through 30 mesh, retained on 60 mesh Through o() mesh, retained on 90 mesh Through 100 mesh. It is sold in sacks holding 100 to 200 pounds and is used for clarify- ing mineral, vegetable, and animal oils. The capacity of the plant of the Sinclair Refining Company is 200 tons in 24 hours, and of the plant of the Standard Oil Company 120 tons in 24 hours. 18 FULLER S EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY R.2 W. R. 1 W. Fig. 7. Sketch map of the Parm deport I >ESCRIPTI< >.\ i IF L( iC AUTIKS i Lafayette gravel 2. Lagrange sand 3. Gray-black fuller's earth i Graj fuller's earth Gravel pit, "Lafayette" gravi i Light gray fuller's earth Parm house Light gray fuller's earth Gravel pit "Lafayette" gravel fuller's earth of pulaski county l9 Sam pi.es The Olmstead Euller's earth is known to be oi high quality and samples were therefore taken from the mine of the Sinclair Refining Company, as indicated below, to serve as a basis lor comparison with other fuller's earths of southern Illinois. Sample 63 — west quarry face, Sample 64— lower 25 feet of dark gray earth. Nut being quarried. Sample 65 south quarry face. Sample 66 prepared earth from mill. POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FULLER'S EARTH FROM TIM'. PORTERS CREEK CLAY Tin-: I'arm Deposit [NTRODUCTION Exposures of the Porters Creek formation on the Farm farm, and therefore referred to as the "I'arm deposit," occur in the SW. *4 sec - 7, T. 16 S., R. 1 \\\. and in the SE- corner sec. 12, T. 16 S.. R. 2 W. (fig. 1 >. As shown in figure 7 the deposit lies about one and three quarters miles south of Unity on the east side of Cache River. DESCRIPTION OF REGION" AND EXPOSURES In this region the Cache flows in a channel along the east margin of its flood-plain. It is bordered on the east side by bluffs, in some places steep, elsewhere moderately gentle. In the specific area of the Parm deposit the flood-plain on the east side of the river is comparatively narrow (fig. 7) and is locally succeeded by a low terrace. At locality 7, figure 7. this terrace is composed of gray fuller's earth, which outcrops along small valleys intersecting the terrace and forms talus on the frontal slopes of the terrace itself. At locality 5, where the terrace and bluff appear to have combined, a similar grav fuller's earth is visible in the small washes. East of the terrace is the bluff of the east valley-slope. This is for the most part covered by vegetation, but some of the small valleys, as at locality 1. and gravel pits, 8 and 9, expose brown chert gravels and associated red or yellow sands of the "Lafayette" formation. Other valleys contain outcrops of white or gray sands thought to be part of the Lagrange formation. The following section is exposed at locality 2 : 20 filler's earth of pulaski county Thickness Feet "Lafayette formation" Gravel, composed of white and brown chert 1 Lagrange formation Sand, white, clayey, fine- to medium-grained- 4 Sand, yellow, clayey, fine- to medium-grained 5 Covered Some of the valleys cutting back into the bluff also expose fuller's earth, and at 3 about 7 feet of gray-black Porters Creek clay outcrops in the west bank of a small valley. LITHOLOGIC CHARACTER OF THE PORTERS CREEK From an examination of the scattered and small outcrops of the I 'niters Creek formation in the Parm deposit it appears that the forma- tion is similar to that at Olmstead, and consists of an upper light gra) or buff member underlain by a gray-black basal portion. The upper member is probably not over 30 feet thick in the Parm deposit and will doubtless be found to vary considerably in thickness, depending on whether it has been subject to much or little river erosion. The upper gray portion of the formation has the same general physical character- istics as that mined at Olmstead, particularly the nodular character and the property of weathering into thick conchoidal or shell-like fragments. The lower gray-black member is also similar to the lower member at Olmstead. No data are available to indicate the thickness of this part of the formation. OVI RBURDEN As indicated, the overburden on the Porters Creek in the bluff area consists of sands, gravel, and loess. The thickness varies from a few feet at the riverward margin of the bluff to a maximum thickness estimated at between 40 and 60 feet in the higher parts of the bluff and upland. In the terrace tract the overburden is thin, probably not more than three feet in most places, and in many places less than a foot. The exposed overburden on the terrace consisted of river silt and soil, but near the base of the bluff it is probable that some sand and gravel. washed on to the terrace from tin- bluff, will also be found. EXTENT OK DEP0S1 r The approximate extent of the Parm deposit, as known from out- crops of the Porters Creek formation, is shown in figure 7. The deposit probabl) extends further northeast than shown and also somewhat fur- FULLER'S EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTV 21 ther southeast. The Porters (reck, however, disappears in the bluff ra>t of Unity about one and three quarters miles farther north, either because it pinches out or dips below the level of the flood-plain of Cache River. To the southeast, outcrops, if present, were concealed by a mass of vegetation and by slope wash at the time the area was visited. It seems probable, however, that the formation extends in this direction, but for what distance it remains above the level of the flood-plain of the river is not known. The area west of Cache River is all a part of the river flood-plain and consequently, though the lower part of the Porters Creek probably underlies the alluvial filling of the flood-plain tract, there are no data to indicate its depth or character. SAMPLES It is impossible to determine accurately the character of the Parm deposit without digging test-pits to obtain samples from the entire ver- tical thickness of the deposit. However, three samples were taken to indicate what certain parts of the deposit would test, and to show, if possible, whether further sampling, as outlined below, would be war- ranted. Sample 35 was taken from locality 3; sample 35a from locality 5 ; and sample 36 from locality 4. The results of the tests made on these samples (p. 29) indicate that the dark gray earth from locality 3 and the gray earth from locality 5 are about the same in regard to specific volume. Sample 35 has the higher apparent acidity- In these properties the samples compare favorably with the earth from Olmstead. Sample 36 has an apparent aciditv comparable with the other samples but has a somewhat higher specific volume. Samples of gray fuller's earth from this deposit were tested at the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College and were reported to be an excellent grade of earth for bleaching vegetable oils, leaving them water white, but having practically no effect on mineral oils. 4 TROSPECTING AND TESTING INTRODUCTION Though it appears from the foregoing discussion that there is proba- bly a workable deposit of fuller's earth in the area discussed, it is highly recommended that thorough prospecting and testing of the deposit be undertaken before a mine or mill is put into operation. This prospecting should take into account the thickness, character and distribution of the ■4 Personal communication, A. M. Davis, International Silica Company, Cairo, Illinois, Oct. IS, 1927. 11 II LLERS EARTH OK PULASKI COUNTY gray fuller'- earth, and the overburden. Should the gray-black clay beneath the gray earth be found to be valuable, the data secured con- cerning the gray earth and overburden will furnish information on the gray-black clay also. The data obtained from the prospecting will serve as a basis for directing the exploitation of the deposit, and for estimating resources. TEST DRIL] ISC In order to thoroughly test the deposit it is suggested that test-h- he diilled on the terrace tract and on the portion of the bluff that borders the terrace. The hole- should he drilled about 500 feet apart and equi- distant. All tests should penetrate all of the gray earth and at least uiic should he carried through the gray-black clay to ascertain its char- acter. In test-drilling it is desirable that a practically continuous core of the formations penetrated he obtained, in order that a complete description of the deposit may he made and that representative samples may he available for laboratory tests. A portable diamond-drill, capable ci taking 3-inch cores to a depth of about 100 feet, would serve very well for testing this deposit. If the laboratory tests on the cores indicate that the fuller's earth is of good quality, and the size, character and shape (if the deposit are favorable for commercial exploitation, it would doubt- less be advisable to dig a pit in a representative part of the deposit in order to obtain a sample of such size that it could be tested in commercial filters. TOPOGRAPHIC MAI'S Such small scale topographic maps as are available 6 will be of value in directing preliminary development work. If, however, tests on the samples prove the deposit of commercial value, it is highly desirable that a topographic map be made which will indicate in detail the surlicial features of the deposit. This ma]) should be made on a conveniently large scale, for instance, 1 inch to 500 feet, and for the deposit under consideration should have a contour interval of 5 feet. MINI M. It i> impossible, from the limited data available concerning the de- tails of the I'arm deposit, to specify just where and how mining should be undertaken. Attention may be called, however, to some factors which should hr considered in outlining open pit mining operations. The mine Topographic maps of the northern third of Pulaski County the Jonesboro and Dongola quadrangles are now available. The quadrangles covering tin- remainder of the county, the Thebes and Mounds quadrangles, are In the course "f preparation and maj be secured when printed bj addressing tin- Chief, Illinois State Geological Survey, Urbana, Illinois, PULLER'S EARTH hi miasm COUNTV 23 will probably be worked so that its bottom will be at or below the level of the flood-plain of Cache River, Inasmuch as tins flood-plain is subject in overflow at times of high water, precautions should be taken to pre- vent flooding" of the mine at such times. It is probable that the stripping and waste material involved in opening the deposit will be sufficient to construct a levee along the west margin til" the deposit. The precise placing oi the levee can be best determined from the topographic map. This levee can be repaired or added to with overburden incident to stripping as the deposit is worked. The surface water from the bluff tract is normally cared for by small gulleys running from the bluffs, through the terrace, to the Cache. The disposal of this run-off demands serious consideration. Possibly a ditch at the foot of the bluff, so located as to intercept the water before it gets on to the terrace, and to discharge at some convenient place into Cache River, would be effective- From the data at hand there seems to be no reason why steam-shovel stripping and loading- as practised at Olmstead should not be feasible lure. The location of the mill for drying- and grinding the earth will depend on information obtained during the exploration work. It would seem desirable, however, to locate the mill along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad on the west side of Cache River, and bring the raw fuller's earth across the river to the plant. The Mounds Deposit introduction The deposit near Mounds, described as the Mounds deposit, is lo- cated near the center of the E. x / 2 E. y 2 sec. 16, T. 16 S., R. 1 W. (figs. 1 and 8). The extent of this deposit is not known but its favorable loca- tion topographically and with reference to transportation make it worthy of testing. DESCRIPTION OF REGION AND EXPOSURES The exposure of Porters Creek clay, thought to be fuller's earth, occurs in a small gullev in the bottom of one of several gravel pits operated by Mr. C. F. Wheeler. These gravel pits are located in a south- facing, comparatively gentle bluff that extends to the east and west of the gravel pits. A composite section of the formations exposed in the gravel pits follows : _M FULLER'S EARTH hi PULASK] C01 \TV Thickness Feet Pleistocene system Loess formation Loess, dark graj 5 to 20 Loess, brown trace to 10 Pliocene system Lafayette formation Gravel, chert, brown, and interbedded sand. The sand is rounded, white, yellow and red. It occurs in lenticular deposits and locally contains claj lenses 5 to 1? Eocene system Lagrange formation ( lay, buff and pink, .-illy 3 to 5 Porters Creek formation Clay, gray-black 3 Clay, buff, gray 3 i overed Extending south from the fool of the bluff is a terrace which passes into the general level of the valley flat without any sharp line of demar cation. The surface of the terrace is slightly rolling and is from 10 to IS feet above the level of the valley flat. A spring zone just smith of the road near the east end of the gravel excavations probably indicates the in]) of the Porters Creek at that place. LITHOLOGIC CHARACTER AND THICKNESS Because of the limited number of outcrops of the Porters ('reek it is impossible to state the character of the deposit as a whole. However the light and dark gray clay exposed is, to all outward appearances, similar in physical properties to the gray and dark gray fuller's earth at Olmstead and in the Parm deposit. A water well drilled on the race adjacent to the bluff where the gravel pits occur is reported to have penetrated 40 feet of gray clay, suggesting that at least -10 feet of the .''orters Creek formation is present. What part of this is valuable as fuller'- earth cannot Ik- told without testing- OVERBURDEN The overburden on the terrace, which would doubtless be the site of the mine were the deposit worked, consists principally of silt and. near the bluff, of -and and some gravel wasli from the bluff. In places the overburden on the terrace is probably less than 3 feet thick; elsewhere it may average 5 or 6 feet. I I I I. IK S EARTH (>!■ I'l I. ASM C'OI VI V 25 EXTENT OF 'I'll E DEPOSIT The deposil probably extends in the terrace east and west of the gravel pit for a considerable distance. However, there are no data to indicate its exact extent. □ T E R R A C E VALLEY FLAT o CITY O F MOUNDS Scale £ mile Fig. 8. Sketch map of the Mounds deposit SAMPLES In order to test that part of the deposit which was exposed two samples were taken. No. 87 from the basal three feet of light gray fuller's earth and No. 88 from the upper dark bed. Both samples have a higher specific volume than the Olmstead fuller's earth, but the apparent acidity is slightly lower (p. 29). These tests may indicate that the earth would absorb less oil than the Olmstead earth but would be somewhat less efficient as a bleaching agent. It should be noted, however, that only the upper six feet of the deposit was tested, and that below this the deposit may be similar in quality to that at Olmstead. PROSPECTING AND TESTING It is recommended that a procedure similar to that outlined for the Parm deposit, with reference to test-drilling and topographic maps, be followed for the Mounds deposit. 26 fuller's earth or PULASKI COUNTY MINING The details of mining can best be worked out alter the test-drilling. The plant could probably he located on the valley flat, either on on. the switch yard tracks of the Illinois Central Railroad or on a short spur. The Watson Deposit location, description of region and deposit This deposit is located on the Watson farm in the SE. Y\ >ec - 36, T. 15 S.. R. 1 W. (fig. 1). The exposure of Porters Creek, thought to be fuller's earth, occurs in a small valley approximately at the center of the W. Yz SE. J4 °f the section. This valley is one of a number which dissect the region into a series of long sweeping hills, and is part of a drainage system which extends southeast from sec. 36. LITHOLOGIC CHARACTER AND THICKNESS The exposure of Porters Creek consists of about 3 feet of buff -gray clay, possessing the general physical properties of the upper buff or gray earth at Olmstead and the Parm deposit. The outcrop is covered above and below by loess. However, at the Watson residence about a half mile east, a water well penetrated the following formations: Log of Watson well Thickne>~ Feet Soil - 16 Gravel 1 Soapstonc, gray 35 - Bottom of well The soapstone bed mentioned is doubtless the Porters Creek. OVERBURDEN The above well log gives an idea of the character and thickness ol the overburden at one place. However, because of the irregularity of the topography, it is impossible to give similar figures for the deposit as a whole. It is probably less than three feet in places, and back in the hills away from the outcrop it may be well over thirty feet. Part of the Overburden will be found to be loess; the rest probably gravel, sand, and clay "I the Lafayette and Lagrange formation-. EXTENT OF THE DEPOSIT Tlic distance between the outcrop noted and the Watson well is M I I. Ik's EARTH OF PULASKI COUNTY 27 about a half mile, and therefore the deposit can be assumed to have at least that extent. SAM PLE Sample No. 122 was taken from the 3-foot outcrop of Porters Creek. The specific volume of the sample is but slightly less than that of the Olmstead earth and its absorption of oil may, therefore, be about the .same. Its apparent acidity is slightly greater than some of the < >lmstead samples. PROSPECT! m; AND TEST] Mi It is recommended that the same general plan of prospecting and testing outlined For the Parm deposit be undertaken for this deposit, with the additional suggestion that test-holes be located so as to prove that part of the deposit where the overburden is less than 25 feet thick. The location of successive tests will he governed by data from preceding tests. MINING The procedure to be followed in mining cannot be outlined without data on the character of the deposit. Inasmuch as the deposit is located about one and a half miles west of the Illinois Central Railroad at Villa Ridge and the intervening country is hilly, it might be desirable to haul the fuller's earth by truck or wagon to a mill located along the railroad at Villa Ridge. A grave] road to V" ilia. Ridge lies along the north line of section 2 about a quarter of a mile north of the outcrop described. SAMPLING AND TESTING Sampling In sampling a fuller's earth deposit all weathered material was re- moved from an area about two feet wide and the height of the exposure. From all parts of this area equal amounts of clay were taken to make up a 30-pound sample. The sample was placed in a cement sack and labeled with the location of the deposit and a sample number for reference. Testing Inasmuch as it was impossible to obtain even approximately repre- sentative samples from the undeveloped deposits because they are of such limited vertical extent, no bleaching tests were made. Two simple tests were made, however, for comparison with samples of the earth being mined at Olmstead and elsewhere in the United States. The 28 fuller's earth of pulaski county results obtained are not absolute and should be considered as merely suggestive. TEST FOR SPECIFIC VOLUME The specific volume of a clay is the weight of a unit volume of finely ground clay, compacted as much as possible, expressed as specific gravity, or pounds per cubic foot. The specific volume was determined for two sizes of earth ; that passing a 20-mesh and retained on a 40-mesh screen, and that passing a 60-mesh and retained on a 100-mesh screen. Each sample was thoroughly dried and then placed in a small Erienmeyer flask of known volume and weight. The flask was tapped on a table until it would hold no more earth. It was then weighed and the weight of the earth determined by subtracting the weight of the flask from the total weight. In regard to the value of specific volume determinations Parsons says, "The volume occupied by a definite weight of fuller's earth is of importance as affecting the number of times a filter press must be opened for a given quantity of earth and also in determining the size of measure to use in adding the earth to the oil." Shearer, discussing specific vol- ume measurements made as outlined above states, "It was found that, allowing for errors in the rather rough methods used, the absorption of oil by an earth varies inversely as the density." 7 TEST FOR APPARENT ACIDITY This test was made by titrating two grams of fuller's earth in sus- pension in 100 cc. of water with N/10 sodium hydroxide solution, using phenolphthalein as an indicator. The result is expressed as the amount of sodium hydroxide necessary to produce a "neutral" condition in a suspension of 100 grams of clay in water. This test does not indicate that the fuller's earth actually has any acid properties, but merely indicates the power of the earth to absorb bases. Concerning the importance of this test Parsons says, "Although it should lie noted that the bleaching power is not proportional to the degree of 'acidity' it is. however, a strik- ing fact that those earths which show by this test the highest absorptive power for bases, are also those which have the strongest bleaching power." 8 TESTS ON CLAVs FROM ALEXANDER, MASSAC VND PULASKI COUNTIES In table 1. which follows, are given the results of tests made OD southern Illinois clays and fuller's earths. Some of these have already been described in the text; a description of the others follows the tabic-. a Parsons, C. L., Puller's earth: U. S. Bur. Mines, Bull 71. i> SO, L918. j Shearer, H. K . The bauxite and fuller's earth "i the coastal plain "f Georgw ieol Survey of G -gria Bull 31, p. 157, 1!'17. - Parsons, C. L I >i> elt, p FULLERS EARTB OF PULASKI COUNTY 29 a, 3 o H I w .-C "J 4-> o c dity N/1' per of c ooooooooooo C o o tOMTftOooCOOt vc o oo a ft "OS < v ^o\o\root^r^'t"t^""> ■<*• CM t^ < aj i~ 5? *> o ^-< o + >ONNO\f0MTj-00000000 CM On ON mooootTf«N\oiCHC NO On -f o , Ocoro l O^O^^^rO , t , t ■<<• iO CO s NO u 1 J_, 1) ft 1) o s 3 .a ►J + o 00VOO\0\00^O'*)l>'000 m ON t^. ~hOC\0\~hOO\0\0\ t *-'-< © ■* oo > T r^TffiirNNONOCifSCJ^-iO io NO C5 o IS 1 o OCOOO**0 1 '"'HON t^ On LT> <-H ,_ aj NO u 1 be 1 JS o o cy ■5T io"i^ioa>o*'^ , t' rH ''' Tf CM ft + o cm 1 hCvOOiOiO^^O^M* 00 O NO T—l r ~ H ■a V i, fl X cu 0>— '■— '^-OOCTnOnOnOnIO LO — r^ u *"' c ) RS ft 3 ■" o p i> >, •3 -d Ti Ti w ^ D i; (t (4 d [Q to en "re o ■ — ■ — CD a; CD ti r^^^'C'^ C/J CO (/) tfl P O .« •« ■- ^ >, p p P p P -r E JS (J U p P C r? rrt .i .i .i . i O : o ~ Hp^htOOOO^ s « > « S3 ft -o a) E E tmir, OMOi^*"l>£N oc eg cm MrorotO^fOC\0C\C0!) X ON CM rt P CO £ 30 FULLERS EARTH OF PULASKI CO! i TESTS ON FULLERS EARTHS NOT IX SOUTHERN ILLINOIS Table 2 gives the results of iests, similar to those in table 1, which have been made on fuller's earths foreign to Illinois. It is of interest to note that analyses of Illinois earths compare quite favorably with the analyses of earth- shown in table -'. except fur the high apparent acidity of the Georgia earth, and the high specific volume of the English and Arkansas earths. Table 2. — Tests on fuller's earths other than these found in Illinois" Locality England (IXL brand | Georgia (Pikes Peak brand) Ellenton, Fla. Klondike, Ark. Summerville, Tex. Vacaville, Cal. Specific volume Lbs. per cu. ft. 75 40 36 75 61 51 Apparent acidity cc. N/10 XaOH per 100 grams of fuller's earth 60 230 30 65 120 0.0 ((Parsons, C. L., Fuller's earth: U. S. Bur. Mines, Hull. 71. p. ::i-.:l'. 1913. DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLES TESTED \XI) NOT PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED Sample No. 24, Elco gravel pit of Internationl Silica Company, E sec. 7, T. 14 S., R. 1 W. Sample of white, cherty clay from the west face of the east pit. Sample 39 i> taken from an outcrop of 3 feet of gray clay exposed in Miami Hollow, about half a mile east of the south end of the powder plant at Fayville, in the E. ) .. sec. 27, T. 15 S.. R. 3 W. It would be practically impossible to obtain any quantity of this clay except by underground mining, inasmuch as the overburden i- very heavy and this is the lowest formation exposed in the \ alley. Sample 38 i- taken from a 4-foot bed of drab gra) cla\ lying 7 feet above sample 39 al the same location. Between it and the bed from which sample 39 was taken are 6 feet of clayey -and underlain by one foot of ferruginous conglomerate. The overburden on Sample 38 is FULLER'S EARTH OF hi. asm county 31 heavy and underground mining would be necessary to obtain the clay in any quantity. Sample 92 was obtained from the southernmost clay pit of a series of pits located about half a mile south of Round Knob near the center of sec. 2, T. IS S., 1\. 4 E. The section in this vicinity is as follows: Thickness Feet Loess - 3 to 20 Conglomerate, brown chert yi to 2 Sand, rod, locally cemented to sandstone 2 to 7 Clay, huff (Sample 92) 20+ R'S" LIBRARY BINDERS 507 3. Goodwin UrbanB.nL