A Report on the Bauxite and Fullers' Earth of the Coastal Plain of Georgia
A Report on the Bauxite and Fullers' Earth of the Coastal Plain of Georgia by Harold Kurtz Shearer (1917). Full text and reference in the Mountain Man Mining…
Public-domain full text preserved in the Mountain Man Mining Library. Original source: archive.org.
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The Aew Tork
Pubucubrart
AtTOR, LENOX TILBCN FOUNDATIONS
GEOLOaCAL SURVEY OF GEORGIA
S. W. McCALLIE, State Geologist
Bulletin no. 31
A Report
On The
Bauxite And Fullers Earth
Of The
Coastal Plain
Of
Georgia
By
H. K. Shearer,
Assistant State Geologist
Atlanta, Qa.
The Index Printing Company
State Printers
The New York
ASTOn. LLN-X AND Tli-DLi; FOUND,/: IONS
The Advisory Board
Of The
Geological Survey of Georgia
In The Year 1917
(Ex-Officio)
His Excellency, NAT. E. HARRIS Governor of Georgia
President op the Board
Hon. PHILIP COOK Secretary of State
Hon. W. J. SPEER State Treasurer
Hon. W. a. WRIGHT ComptroUer-General
Hon. CLIFFORD WALKER. Attorney-General
Hon. J. J. BROWN Commissioner of Agriculture
Hon. M. L. BRITTAIN Commissioner of Public Schools
Letter Of Transmittal
Geological Survey op Georgia, Atlanta, June 14, 1917.
To His Excellency, Nat. E. Harris, Oovernor and President of the Advisory Board of the Geological Survey of Georgia,
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the report of Mr. H. K. Shearer, Assistant State Geologist, on the Bauxite and Fullers Earth of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, to be published as Bulletin No. 31, of this Survey.
Very respectfully,
S. W. McCalub, State Geologist.
Preface And Acknowledgements
The accompanying report on the Bauxite and Fullers Earth De- posits of the Coastal Plain of Georgia is the result of field work dur- ing the summers of 1914, 1915 and 1916, and includes such tests of fullers earth as could be made with the laboratory facilities avail- able. The tests were made by the writer in the laboratory of the Geological Survey, following methods commercially employed in test-
ing fullers earth. While there is a large field for research work on the properties of fullers earth, it was found to be impracticable to do much along that line with the time and materials available.
The writer wishes to express his thanks to Mr. K. R. Slocum of the General Reduction Company, Mr. W. L. lacGowan of the Floridin Company, Mr. J. T. Mitchell of the Lester Clay Company, and Mr. Thos. C. Law and Mr. Wm. Kelley of the Picard-Law Lab- oratories, for advice and assistance in the work on the fullers earth; also to the managers and superintendents of all the bauxite mines
visited for their courtesies and interest in the work.
All of the analyses, unless otherwise stated, were made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist for the Geological Survey of Georgia. Mr. J. P. D. Hull, Assistant State Geologist of Georgia, has rendered assistance in making tests of fullers earth and in preparation of illustrations. '
Harold K. Shearer.
June, 1917.
Table Of Contents
Page
Advisoby Boabd ii
Lbtteb or Transmittal iii
Preface and Acknowledgments iv
Table of (Contents v-xii
IdST OF Illustrations xiii-xv
Intboduction
Topographic and Geologic Featuees of the Coastal Plain 1-18
Physiography 1-6
Topography 1-2
Drainage 2-3
Elevations 3-6
Structure 6-7
Geology 7-8
Pre-Cambrian rocks 8-9
Lower Cretaceous 9
Upper Cretaceous 9-11
Eutaw formation 9-10
Bipley formation 10-11
Midway formation 11
Wilcox formation 11-12
Claiborne age 12-14
McBean formation 13
Undifferentiated Claiborne 13-14
Jackson age 14-16
Ocala limestone 14-15
Twiggs clay member 15
Barnwell formation 15-16
Yicksburg formation 16-17
Apalachicola group 17
Chattahoochee formation ' 17
Alum Bluff formation 17
Miocene series 18
Pliocene series 18
Pleistocene and recent series 18
Pabt I
Bauxite Deposits 19-140
Definition 19
Occurrence and distribution 19-25
(General distribution 19-20
T
Paox
Foreign localities 20-22
France 20
Germany 21
Austria 21
Hungary 21
Ireland 21
India 22
Italy 22
Guiana 22
American localities 22-25
North Georgia-Alabama-Tennessee 22-24
Arkansas 24-25
New Mexico 25
Bauxite deposits of the Coastal Plain of Georgia 25-91
History 25-26
Lower Cretaceous bauxite deposits 26-60
Geology of the Lower Cretaceous 26-32
Conditions of deposition in eastern United States 26-28
Areal distribution in Georgia 2S
Stratigraphic position 28-29
Lithologic characters 29-30
Strike, dip and thickness 30-31
Physiographic expression 31-32
Paleontologic characters 32
Location of bauxite deposits 32
Description of individual deposits 32-60
Wilkinson County 32-5
Parker-Honeycutt-Daniel group of properties (Mclntyre' mine) 32-39
General Bauxite Corporation property 39-45
Canon property 45-46
Cason property 47-48
Holleman property 48
J. U. Parker property 48-49
Underwood property 49-51
Fountain property 51-52
Dupree property 52-54
Jones property 55
McNeal property 55-56
Butler property 56
Sheppard property 56-57
Columbia Kaolin and Aluminum Company 57-59
R. L. Stubbs property 59
Baldwin County , 59-60
Ethridge property 59-60
Twiggs County 60
Washington County 60
Page
Midway baiudte deposits ' 61-91
Geology of the Midway and Wilcox formations 61-66
Areal distribution 61
Stratigraphic relations 61-62
lithologic characters 62-63
Thickness 63-64
Physiographic ezpresalon 64
Paleontologic characters 64
Location and age of the bauxite deposits 64-66
Descriptions of individual deposits 66-91
Sumter County 66-78
Sweetwater mine 66-73
Thigpen lot 73-74
Easterlin mine 74-78
Hodges property 78
Macon County 79-89
Kalbfleisch Corporation property 79-80
EngHsh property 81
Kleckley property 81-83
Bobinson property 85-86
Park property 86-88
Morton property 88
Ideal localities 88-89
Schley County 89-91
Stewart property 89-90
HoUoway property 90-91
Stewart County 91
Physical and chemical charaeteristies 91-110
Physical characteristics 91-94
Classification 91-93
Pebble ore 91-92
Pisolitic and oolitic ore 92-93
Yesieular ore 93
Amorphous ore 93
Hardness 93-94
Color 94
Microscopic structure 94-103
Chemical and mineralogical composition 103-110
Genesis of deposits 111-132
Origin of kaolin 111-113
Belation of bauxite to kaolin 113-123
"Middle Mine/' Edgar Brothers Clay Company 113-117
Qaymont mine 117-119
Dnpree property 120-121
Adkins property 121-123
Paob
Origin of bauxite 123-132
ConditionB to be explained 123-125
Source of Bolutions 125-126
Chemical reactions and mode of deposition 126-128
Minor reactions and forms of deposits 128-131
Solubility of kaolin in dilute sulphuric acid 131-132
Methods 132-135
Mining 132-133
Preparation 133-134
Transportation 134
Exploration 134-135
Uses 136-139
Production of bauxite and aluminum 139-140
PABT n
I'ULLKEs Eabth Dkposits 141-318
Definition 141
Historical 141-144
Occurrence and distribution 144-150
Foreign localities 144-145
England 144-145
American localities outside Georgia 145-150
Arkansas 146-147
California 147
Florida ' 147-148
Massachusetts '. 143
Mississippi 14g
New York 148-149
South CaroUna I49
South Dakota 149-150
Texas 150
Virginia 150
Tests for fullers earth 150-168
Preparation of samples 160-151
The Loribond color scale 153-154
After-bleach 154-155
Absorption of oU 165-166
Specific volume 166-167
Apparent acidity 167-168
Fullers earth deposits of Georgia 168-318
Fullers earth of Jacksoa age 168-269
Geology of the Twiggs clay member 168-163
Areal distribution 158
Stratigraphic relations 158-159
Page
lithologic characters 159-161
Strike, dip and thickness 161-162
Ph78iographic expression 162
Paleontological characters 162-163
Description of individual deposits 163-259
Twiggs County 163-217
Pikes Peak locaUties 165-183
General Beduction Company property 165-183
LocaUties north of Pikes Peak 183-193
Atlanta Mining and Clay Company .183-184
American Clay Company 184-185
Mrs. F. M. Tharpe property 185-188
Georgia Kaolin Company 188-190
Savage property .' . . .190-193
LocaUties west and south of Pikes Peak 19;{-202
Crump property 194-1'j6
Dorsey property 196
Abandoned railroad 196-198
Wall property 198-199
Delzel 199-200
John Tharpe estate 200-202
LocaUties near Fitzpatrick 202-205
Solomon property 202-205
Kennington property 20t>
LocaUties between Fitzpatrick and JeffersonviUe 20D-209
Sizteen-milepost 206
Eighteen-nulepost 200-207
Nineteen-milepost 207-20?
Localities near JeffersonviUe : 209-2211
Four miles northeast of JeffersonviUe 20P-211
LocaUties near DanviUe 211-210
HiU property 211-212
Porter property 213-214
Hughes property 214-218
LocaUties south and west of DanviUe 21C-217
Bleckley County 217 220
Deese property 217-220
AinsUe 220
Houston County 220-222
Boss HiU 221-222
Crawford County 222-224
Bich HUl 222-224
WUkinson County 224-230
LocaUties near Gordon 225-226
Dupree property 228-227
Hall and Toler properties 227-229
m
it
Paox
StephenaviUe 229-230
Toomsboro 230
Jonea Coimly 230-231
Roberts 230-231
Baldwin County 231-23
Hall property 231-233
Washington Comity 233-240
Buffalo Creek 234-236
. Irwin property 237-238
Chalker 238-240
Glascock County 240
Jefferson County 240-245
Wrens 241-243
Hatcher's MUl 243-244
Louisville 244-245
Burke County 245
Richmond Countv 245-247
Mount Enon 246-247
Columbia County 247-259
Phinizy GuUy 248-251
Grovetown 251-254
Fiske esUte 254-258
Harlem 258-259
Fullers earth of the Alum Bluff formation 259-28i)
Geology of the Alum Bluff formation 259-265
Areal distribution 259-260
Stratigraphic relations 260-261
Lithologic characters 261-264
Strike, dip and thickness 264
Physiographic expression 264-205
Paleontological characters 265
Descriptions of individual deposits 265-289
Fullers earth mines of Gadsden County, Florida 265-270
Decatur County 270-279
Lester Clay Company 270-275
Gibson property 275-270
Smith property 277-278
Amsterdam and Wataga 279
Grady County 278-280
Whigham 279-280
Thomas County 280-281
Brooks County 281
Lowndes County 281-284
Withlacoochee Biver 282-284
Old Troupville 284
Echols County 284 287
z
Page
AUapaha Biver 2U2S7
Appling and Toombs counties 287-289
Grays Landing Bluff 287 2S9
Screven Ck)unty 289
Fullers earth of the Wilcox and Clairbome formations 289-290
Physical and chemical characteristics 290-309
Physical properties 290-303
Bleaching power 291 1:96
Theories as to bleaching power 291-JU2
Adsorption 29L'93
Forms of colloids 293
Action of fullers earth 293-290
After-bleach and reversion of color 296-297
Plasticity 297-298
Hardness 298
Porosity and density 298-299
Absorption of oil 299-300
Spontaneous combustion 301
Apparent acidity 301-302
Fractionation of petroleum 302-303
Microscopic structure 303-306
Chemical and mineralogical composition 306-309
Genesis of deposits 309-311
Methods 311-312
Mining 311
Preparation 311-312
Uses 312-316
Petroleum refining 312-313
Bleaching of cotton oil 313-315
Manufacture of pigments 315
Detecting coloring matter 315
Talcum powder 315-316
Medical uses 316
Production 316-318
Appendix A 319-324
Bauxite deposits of Meriwether County 319-324
Geologic relations 319
The deposits 319-321
The ore 321-322
Origin 322-824
Appendix B 325-329
Notes on the bauxite deposits of north Georgia 325-329
Mining operations in 1917 325-327
Hermitage mines 326
Merrimac mine 326
Booger Hollow mine 326-327
Page
and CVucd Pbia bauxite deposits. . . .327-329
,jadeMl CompuT 330-332
xU
Illustrations
Platx Tacino Faox
1. Frontispiece. Fullers earth mine of the General Beduction Company,
Pikes Peak, Twiggs County Frontispiece.
II. A. Bauxite drier, Bepublic Mining & Manufacturing Company, Mc-
Intyre mine, Wilkinson County 32
B. Working face in the Mclntyre mine, Wilkinson County 32
III. A. Working face in the Mclntyre bauxite mine of the Bepublic Min- ing & Manufacturing Company, showing bedded bauxite with
an unconformity above 34
B. Mclntyre mine. Upper surface of the bauxite stripped prepara- tory to mining, showing ''pot holes'' and irregularities 34
lY. A. & B. Working face in the Sweetwater bauxite mine of the Be- public Mining & Manufacturing Company, Sumter County,
November, 1914 66
v. A. Sweetwater bauxite mine and drier of the Bepublic Mining &
Manufacturing Company, Sumter County 72
B. Close view of bauxite drier and storage oin, Sweetwater mine,
Sumter County 72
YI. A. & B. Easterlin bauxite mine, Sumter County. July, 1916 76
YII. A. Bauxite exploration pit on the Kleckley property, Macon county. . 82 B. Bauxite explorations on the English property, Macon County. ... 82 YIII. A. Sec. S-44. Bauxite pisolite and oolitic matrix, with fractures filled with amorphous material and cavities outlined by crystal- line gibbsite. Transmitted light. Magnified 11 diameters 94
B. Sec. S-44. Same area as A. Beflected light 94
C. Sec. S-232. Large bauxite pisolite made of oolitic material
Transmitted light. Magnified 11 diameters 94
D. Sec. S-75. A bauxite pisolite largely recrystalized to gibbsite.
Crossed nichols. Magnified 11 diameters 94
IX. A. Sec. S-52. Showing a portion of a red pisolite and a gibbsite crystal apparently altering to amorphous material and back again into crystalline gibbsite. Transmitted light. Magnified 37 diameters 98
B. Sec. S-52. Same area as A. Crossed nichols 98
C. Sec. S-52. Showing structure of the red pebbles or pisolites.
Transmitted light. Magnified 11 diameters 98
D. Sec. S-52. Showing a quarts crystal altering to amorphous ma-
terial. Crossed nichols. Magnified 37 diameters 98
X A. Sec. -196. Bauxite pisolite cut by veinlets of pyrite. Trans- mitted light. Magnified 37 diameters 102
XI u
Plate Facing Page
B. Sec. S-196. Bauxite pisolite of oolitic material, with veinlets of
pyrite between the oolites. Transmitted light. Magnified 37 diameters 102
C. Sec. S-196. BauxitQ oolite with a mass of fine pyrite crystals
for a nucleus. Transmitted light. Magnified 110 diameters... 102
D. Sec. S-2. Fullers earth, showing granular and porous structure
and traces of fossils. Transmitted light. Magnified 110 diameters 102 XI. A. Claymont kaolin mine, Wilkinson County. The projecting bed
is a lens of nodular, slightly indurated clay 116
B. ''Middle Mine" of the Edgar Brothers Clay Company, Mclntyre, Wilkinson County. The hammer marks the contact between
massive and nodular kaolin 116
XII. A. North face of the Adkins mine of the National Bauxite Com- pany, Wilkinson County, showing ''chimney rock'* overlying
clay and bauxite 122
B. East face of the Adkins mine of the National Bauxite Company, Wilkinson County, showing the Eocene basal conglomerate above
clay and bauxite 122
XIII. A. Fullers earth mill of the General Reduction Company, Pikes
Peak, Twiggs County 166
B. Inclined tramway and mill of the General Reduction Company
from the fullers earth mine. Pikes Peak, Twiggs County 166
XrV. A. Fullers earth mine and mill of the Lester Clay Company, At-
tapulgus, Decatur County 270
B. Working face in the fullers earth mine of the Lester Clay Com- pany, Attapulgus, Decatur County 270
XV. A. Sec. S-133. Silica (chalcedonite or pseudochalcedonite) filling a fissure in indurated fullers earth. Crossed nichols. MiCgnified 110 diameters ; 304
B. Sec. S-133. Spherulitic silica (chalcedonite or pseudochalcedon
ite) filling a cavity in indurated fullers earth. Crossed nichols. Magnified 37 diameters 304
C. Bauxite mine of the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Com-
pany near Warm Springs, Meriwether County, showing contact
of bauxite and kaolin 304
XVT. A. Bauxite mine of the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Company on the property of Wynne and Large, near Warm Springs,
Meriwether County, September, 1916 320
B. Exposure of red bauxite on the property of Wynne and Large,
near Warm Springs, Meriwether County 320
Figures.
1. Topographic sketch map and section of the Mclntyre bauxite mine of the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Company, Wilkinson County 33
2. Sketch map of bauxite explorations on the property of the General Bauxite Corporation, Wilkinson County ' 40
Page
3. Section in mine of the General Bauxite Corporation, showing distri- bution of bauxite and chimney rock 44
4. Section along branch, Dupree property, Wilkinson County, showing re-
lation of bauxite, kaolin, and fullers earth 53
5. Section on property of the Columbia Kaolin & Aluminum Company, Wilkinson County, showing relation of bauxite and kaolin 58
6. Working face in Sweetwater mine, Sumter County, showing relation
of bauxite to kaolin 66
7. Sweetwater mine and Thigpen lot, Sumter County, showing distribution
of bauxite deposits 68
8. Easterlin property, Sumter County, showing distribution of bauxite de- posits 75
9. Section on Easterlin property, along line A-B, Fig. 8 75
10. Sketch map showing bauxite exploration work on the Eleekley property,
lot 37, Macon County 82
11. Map of the Park estate, Macon County, showing location of bauxite pros- pects 86
12. Analyses of bauxite from the Mclntyre mine plotted on a triangular
diagram to show gradation from gibbsite to kaolinite 107
13. Analyses of bauxite from the Sweetwater mine plotted on a triangular
diagram to show gradation from gibbsite to kaolinite 109
14. Section in Edgar Brothers Clay Company, "Middle Mine," Wilkinson
County, showing relations of massive and nodular kaolin and geodes. . 115
15. Section in the Claymont kaolin mine, Wilkinson County, showing relation
of massive and nodular kaolin 118
16. Detail of contact of massive and nodular kaolin, Dupree property, Wil- kinson Coimty 120
17. Section in Adkins bauxite mine, Wilkinson County 121
18. Hypothetical sketch illustrating formation of bauxite 128
19. Topographic map of the property of the Oeneral Beduction Company, Pikes Peak, Twiggs County, showing the distribution of fullers earth exposures 168
20. Section along the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Bailroad near Pikes Peak station 171
21. Sketch map of the fullers earth prospects on the Savage property,
Twiggs County 191
22. Section in Phiniasy Gully, Columbia County 249
23. Working face in the fullers earth mine of the Lester Clay Company, Decatur County 271
24. Sketch map of the bauxite deposits of Meriwether County 320
Map.
1. Geologic map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, showing locations of bauxite and fullers earth deposits 16
Bauxite And Fullers Earth Of The Coastal Plain Of Georgia
Introduction
Topographic And Geologic Features Of The
Coastal Plain
As an introduction to the description of the bauxite and fullers earth deposits it is necessary to describe briefly the physiography and general geology of the Coastal Plain. These subjects are more fully discussed in the recent report on ''The geology of the Coastal Plain of Georgia,** by Otto Veatch and L. W. Stephenson; but the field work in preparation of the present report has shown the necessity of mak- ing important changes in the correlation of the strata, notably in the areal distribution of the Jackson and Claiborne strata.
PHYSICXiRAPHY
The Coastal Plain includes the portion of the State lying south and southeast of the Piedmont Plain. The diyisi9n between the two is the Fall Line, passing through Columbus, Macon, Milledgeville and Augosta. The area underlain by Cretaceous and later sediments is about 35,000 square miles, but as a physiographic unit the Coastal Plain includes also several thousand square miles of the crystalline area formerly overlapped by these sediments.
Topography, — The region is a low plain with an average tilt to southward or southeastward of three to four feet per mile. The eleva-
QeoH. Survey of Ga. Bull. 29, 1911.
2 GEOLOGICAL SUBVET OF GEOBQLi
tion varies from sea level to a maximum of 700 feet along the Fall Line.
The surface is sufficiently diversified to justify the recognition of several physiographic areas, of which the most distinctive is the Fall Line Hills area, a b€|lt 40 to 50 miles wide extending entirely across the State just south of the Fall Line. This belt is characterized by flat-topped hills having a uniform elevation, intersected by. deep val- leys with steep slopes, which are cut by deep Y-shaped gullies. The larger rivers have cut their valleys down more than 400 feet below the level of the upland plains.
The Fall Line Hills belt coincides roughly with the outcrop of the Cretaceous and Eocene beds, in which occur the bauxite deposits and the more extensive beds of fullers earth treated in this report. Throughout the area good sections of the geologic formations are exposed in creek beds and gullies, so that the working out of the geology is comparatively easy.
A large area south of the Fall Line Hills is included in the Dough- erty Plain and Altamaha Upland. These areas are flat to gently roll- ing, but the Southern Limesink region, comprising the southern tier of counties in the western half of the State, exhibits more broken topog- raphy, although the relief is much less than in the Fall Line Hills. In the Limesink region are found most of the fullers earth deposits of the Alum Bluff formation.
Drainage, — The Coastal Plain is made up of seven drainage basins : (1) Savannah; (2) Ogeechee; (3) Altamaha; (4) Satilla and St. Marys; (5) Suwanee; (6) Ochlockonee; and (7) Apalachicola, drained by Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. The first four drain into the Atlantic, and the other three into the Oulf of Mexico. The rivers rising in the Piedmont are Savannah, Ogeechee, Oconee, Ocmulgee, Flint, and Chattahoochee, all of which have cut deep valleys through the Fall Line Hills belt, and are in many places bordered by high bluffs. These rivers are characterized by their muddy water; while the smaller rivers rising in the Coastal Plain are clear, but usually discolored by organic matter in solution or suspension.
Phy8I00Sapsy, 8Tbuctubs And Qeoloqy
The rivers flow south or southeast, corresponding to the initial slope of the new land surface on which they started their courses; but occasionally deflected by slight irregularities in the original sur- face or by geologic factors. In the areas underlain by the soft lime- stones of the Jackson, Vicksburg and Chattahoochee formations, lime- sinks and caverns are common and a considerable portion of the drainage flows through underground channels.
EUvaUons. — As no topographic maps have been made within the area of the Coastal Plain, excepting portions of the Columbus, Tal- botton and Milledgeville quadrangles, a list of elevations of places mentioned in the report is given below. Most of the elevations are taken from a list previously published; the others are based on aneroid barometer readings, carried from near-by points of known altitude, and checked several times in most cases. The limit of error for such elevations is believed to be about 10 feet.
List of Elevations
Locality
Abbeville (low water, railroad bridge)
Adams Park
Adel
Albany
Americus
Andersonville
Augusta (Union Station)
Augusta (river gage)
Bainbridge
Bainbridge (river level)
Bath
Bazlej
Belair
Berzelia
Bonaire
Boston
Authority
Elevatioii
Feet
U. S. A. Eng. U. S. G. S. O. S. A F. Cof Ga, G. of Ga. C. of Ga. City Engineer Weather bureau A. C. L. Aneroid Aneroid U. S. G. S. Ga. B. B. Ga. B.B. G.S.&F. A.C.L.
Geology of the Coastal Plain of Georgia; Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 26, pp. 51- 67, 1911.
Ground waters of the CoasUl Plain of Georgia; U. S. Geol. Survey Water-sup- ply paper 341, pp. 44-51, 1915.
Geological 8Ubvet Of Georgia
LoetUty
BullardB
BTTomville
BjTon
Cairo
Chalker
dimaz
Cochran
Coley
ColumbuB (Unioii Station)
ColuxnbuB (river level)
Cordele
Cnthbert
Danville (M. D. A S. station)
Davisboro
Dawson
Dixie
Dover ,
Dry Branch ,
DubUn
Dublin (low water level)
Dudley
Elko
EUaville
Faceville
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fort Gaines
Fort Gainee (zero on river gage)..
Fort Valley
Gallemore
Gibeon (Augusta Southern station)
Gordon
Greens Cut
Griswold
Grovania
Grovetown
Harlem
Hawkinsville
Hawkinsville (low water level)
Hephzibah 1
Irwinton (Court House)
Jeffersonville
Authority
£levtion
U. 8. G. S.
A. B. & A.
C. of Ga.
A. C. L.
Aneroid
C. L.
u. a G. a
Sou. By,
Cof Ga.
u. s. G. a
G. 8. & F.
C. of Ga.
Aneroid
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
A. C. L.
C. df Ga.
M. D, & a
M. D. & a
231 f
U. S. A. Eng.
M. D. & S.
325 f
G. S. & F.
J. W. Spencer
A. C. L.
A.B.&A.
M. D. & a
C. of Ga.
Aneroid
C. of Ga.
M. D. & a
394f
Aneroid
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
G.a&F.
Ga. R.R.
Ga. R. B.
Weather Bureau
IT. S.A. Eng.
Weather Bureau
Aneroid
M. D. &. S.
Psy8I0Qbapsy, 8Tbuctubs And Qeoloqy
Locality
Autbozity
Elevatiom
Feet
Kathleen
Knoxville
Lewiston
LiUy
IiOuiBville
Louiaville (Court House)
Lumber City
Lumber City (low water level)
McBean .
McBean
Melntyre
Macon (near old Sou. By. station)
Macon (low water level)
Macon Junction
MarshaUville
Metcalf
Midville
Milledgeville
IfiUedgeville (low water level)
Millen
Montezuma
Montrose
Oconee
Ogeechee
Oglethorpe
Ousley
Perry (Court House)
Pikes Peak (station)
Quitman
Bichland
Boberta
Roberts
Bocky ord
Sandersville (Augusta Southern station)
Shell BlufP (low water level)
Shell Bluff (highest point)
Shellman
SmithviUe
Sunhin
Swift Creek
Tennille
Thomasville
G. S. & P.
J. £. Thomas
Cof Ga.
A. B. & A.
364 f
Weather Bureau
Aneroid
U. 8. G. 8.
XT. S. A. £ng.
aof Ga.
134 f
Aneroid
C. of Ga.
u. a G. S.
U. 8. A. Eng.
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
A. C. L.
C. of Ga.
Ga. R.B.
U. 8. A. Eng.
C. of Ga,
C. of Ga.
M. D. & 8.
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
C. of Ga.
A. C. L.
Aneroid
M. D. & 8.
A. C. L.
8. A. L.
Bough estimate
Ga.B.B.
C. of Ga.
Aneroid
U. S.A. Eng.
U. 8.A. Eng.
Cof Ga.
379 f
Cof Ga.
Cof Ga.
M. B. A S.
324 f
Cof Ga.
A.Cl.
Geological Svbfet Of Georgia
Lolit7
Aatiwri
ElenUon Fert
G8.RB. A.C.L. G. a F. C. of Oa. A. C. L. Q. S. ft F. CofGa. Ga. KB. Aneroid Cof Oa. U. S. G. 8. A. Ci. Aneroid
Wartben
Wtt neitmra
The sbbreviationB lued are :
A. B, A A. —Atlanta, Biriningham ft Atlantic Railroad.
A. C. L. — Atlantic Coast Line Bailroad.
C. of Oa. —Central of Georgia Bailwa;.
Oa. B. & — Georgia Biulroad.
G. S. ft F. _Georgia Southern £ Florida BaUway.
U. D. ft 8. — Macon, Dublin ft Savannah Railroad.
8. A. L. — Seaboard Air Line.
U. 8. A. Eng. — United States Army Engineer.
n. 8. Q. 8. —United SUtaa Geological 8urv,
Structure
The geologic structure of the Coastal Plain formations is simple,
as the beda are almost ondistnrbed except for a gentle tilting which
has given them a general southward and coastward dip. There is
evidence of slight folding, prodacing broad anticlines and jrnclines
which have had some effect on the drainage, but can not be detected
by ordinary observation. The crystalline basement at the Fall Line
if 60 to 75 feet per mile, the Lower Cretaceous beds prob-
much as 40 feet per mile, while the younger formations
ssiTely lower angles of dip Qp to the Almn Bluff forma-
liea practically horizontaL Within the Coastal Plain all
Physioobaphy, Structure And Geology 7
economic deposits of clay or bauxite have the form of nearly horizontal beds or lenses.
Geology
The Coastal Plain of Georgia, considered as a geologic unit, is underlain entirely by strata of Cretaceous and later age. The beds consist of a variety of sands, clays, marls, and limestones, dominantly of marine origin, resting unconf ormably on the eroded surface of the ancient crystalline rocks which make up the Piedmont and Appa- lachian provinces. The Coastal Plain beds are to a large extent xm- consolidated, and have been but little altered from their original con- dition. They have not been subjected to any great orogenic move- ments, the only disturbance being an uplift accompanied by very slight tilting and warping.
The thickness of the sedimentary beds of the Coastal Plain has been estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 feet. On account of the variability of the strata and lack of good exposures over a large part of the area it is impossible at present to make a closer estimate.
The subdivisions of the beds are shown in the accompanying table.
Geological 8Vbvey Of Georgia
TmkU of Geologic Formations of the Coaetal Plain
smm SoBEi
Group
Ck>lum- bia
Formation
. Member
-
Ness
Eeecnt
Plorto-
Satilla formation
Imo
Ohm
Okefenokee formation
Pi3ccse
Charlton formation
Unde- term
Duplin marl
Marks Head marl Alum Biuff formation
Appa- lachicola
Tcrtaiy
OUgo- cene
Chattahoochee forma- tion
Vicksburg formation Barnwell formation
50?
Eocene
Jackson
Clai- borne
Sand and marl Twiggs clay
1 150?
Ocala limestone
100?
McBean formation
[ 100?
Undifferentiated CI. Wilcox formation
Midway formation
Upper
Ripley formation
Providence sand member
'
Creta-
Cuseta sand member
ceous
Marine beds
Eutaw formation
Tombigbee sand member
Lower beds
J
Lower
Not subdivided
Pre-Cam-
brian
Pre-Cambrian Rocks
The crystalline area of Georgia, including the Piedmont Plain and the Blue Ridge, is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks, in- cluding granites, gneisses, schists, basic eruptives, and highly meta- morphosed shale, sandstone, and limestone. These constitute the old- est rocks of the State, and are in the main of pre-Cambrian age. They have been deeply buried and subjected to intense differential pressure, which caused complex folding and faulting, with the development of schistosity.
Phy8I0Gbapht, 8Tbvctube And Oeoloot
From the rocks of this area has been derived practically all of the material which makes up the sediments of the Coastal Plain. The bulk of the sediments represents the products of the erosion of 2,000 feet or more of rock from the crystalline area of the State. The un- conformity at the top of the crystalline rocks represents an enormous interval of time. The Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas remained above sea level during the entire Paleozoic era and the greater part of the Mesozoic; and when the Coastal Plain portion finally became submerged, in early Cretaceoui time, the land had been reduced to an almost featureless plain.
Lower Cretaceous
The Lower Cretaceous beds consist chiefly of coarse, cross-bedded, arkosic sand with subordinate lenses of light-colored to pure white clay approaching kaolin in composition. Interbedded with the white clays are smaller lenses of bauxite. The series contains no marine fossils and is of shallow water, and presumably of fresh water origin. The origin of the kaolin and the bauxite with detailed descriptions of the beds will be taken up under the discussion of the bauxite deposits. It is evident that the coarse sands and more or less pure kaolins were derived from the thoroughly weathered material which must have covered the surface of the crystalline rocks when the forces of erosion became active after a long period of quiescence. The absence of lime- stone and other calcareous sediments is notable, and is significant of deposition of completely weathered material in shallow water.
Upper Cretaceous
Eutaw Formation
The Eutaw formation, of Upper Cretaceous age, consists of cal- careous sand, sandy limestone and more or less sandy clay of marine origin, and crossbedded sands and clays of shallow marine or estuarine origin. The basal beds are arkosic, micaceous sand and dark gray to black clay containing lignite. There is considerable variation in the character of the materials, both vertically and horizontally, but fossil
Physiogbapht, 8Tbuctube And Geology 11
imconfonnity is ah important one is shown by the fact that few, if any, species of plants or animalB sarvived from the Cretaceous into Eooene time.
Mtoway Foemation
The Midway formation consists of ferruginous sand and local beds of white clay, together with fossiliferous limestone, marl, clay, and calcareous quartzite. The basal beds consist of sand and clay which resemble lithologically the underlying Cretaceous material. Higher in the section limestones become prominent, and are exposed at Fort Oaines and along Flint River near Oglethorpe. Overlying the lime- stone along Flint Biver is a series of shallow water deposits of coarse sand with lenses of white clay and associated bauxite, almost identical with the Lower Cretaceous beds in appearance and composition. These beds are destitute of fossils, and are referred to the IVGdway formation on account of their geographic position, although there is a slight possibility that they may belong to the Wilcox.
The estimated thickness of the Midway formation is 400 feet. Like the Upper Cretaceous beds, it is overlapped by later formations to the northeast, and disappears in Houston County.
Wilcox Formation
The Wilcox formation consists of dark-colored, lignitic and glau- conitic clay in the nature of fullers earth and vari-colored unconsoli- dated sand and clay. On Chattahoochee River the formation consists largely of glauconitic shell marl, characterized by Ostrea thirsae (Gabb), but farther eastward determinable fossils are very rare.
In the Coastal Plain Report the following statement is made: ''In Schley and Macon counties and in the vicinity of Andersonville, the strata which might be referred to this formation on the basis of geographic position are mainly red and vari-colored sands with mas- sive beds of white clay, very pure and in the nature of sedimentary kaolin, bearing little resemblance to the strata on Chattahoochee
Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 26, p. 228, 1911.
12 Geological Sdbvet Of Oeoboia
River." When that report was written the unconformity at Copperas Bluff on Flint River lact not been reccnized, and the Sweetwater baoxite mine, whieh ahowa an imconformity between the kaolin and the red aauda, had not been opened. In this report all of the bauxite and kaolin are considered as belonging to the Midway formation, while the red sanda and the pyritic beds of Copperas Blofl are cor- i-elated with the Wilcox. As there is no paleontologic evidence to sup< port this correlation, it miut be considered subject to revision.
The maximum thickness of the Wilcox formation is estimated at 150 feet, and the width of the belt of outcrop between Chattahoochee and Flint rivers doea not exceed five or six miles. No exposures at- tiibntable to the formation are found east of Flint River, as the Jack- son formations overlap onto the Cretaceous a short distance from the river. The Wilcox beds are separated from the Midway by a distinct unconformity, but the relation with the Claiborne strata is obscure. Apparently deposition was practically continuous from the Wilcox up into the Claiborne, although evidence of a slight unconformity is found at several localities.
Claiborne Age
Field work by J. E. Brantly, formerly Assistant State Geologist of Georgia, Dr. C. Wythe Cooke, of the United States Geological Survey, and the writer, has shown that the Claiborne is of much smaller area! extent than formerly mapped, and that the "Congaree clay member of the McBean formation" and a large part of the "Barnwell sand" should be referred to the Jackson.'
The Claiborne in Georgia consists of two formations, which are, however, not areally continuous, as the strata of Claiborne age are overlapped by the Jackson thronghont the central part of the State.
ntlBraph7 o( the Eocene bed* ol the CoKitail Pl>.tn of OeorglB It dll- t nwnUBOrlpt report by C. W. Cooke and H. K. Shearer, now awaiting by the U. 8. Oeologlcal Survey bb a Profeaelonal Paper of the lerle* r contribution! to general geology." The evidence for chatigres In cor- il nomenclature of ihe formatlonB maklnc up the Claiborne and Jackaon 1 In that paper.
FEYaWGBAFHY, 8TBUCTUBE AND GEOLOGY 13
McBBAN FORMATION
The McBean formation consists of sandy shell marl and argilla- eeons, glauconitic, calcareous and lignitic sands. It outcrops only in the Savannah and tributary valleys, in Richmond and Burke coun- tiesy the best exposures being at Shell Bluff, Savannah Biver, and along McBean Creek.
A thickness of 80 feet of McBean beds is exposed at Shell Bluff, and the entire thickness is something more than 100 feet. The Mc- Bean formation overlies beds of Lower Cretaceous age with marked unconformity, but deposition was almost continuous upward into the Jackson, and only locally is there any indication of an unconformity.
Undifferentiated Claiborne
Beds of Claiborne age also outcrop in western Georgia, with the best exposures in the Fort Gaines Bluff on Chattahoochee Biver and in the Danville Ferry Bluff on Flint River, 16i miles east of Amer- icus. Fossiliferous beds are exposed at both these localities, and the horizon has been determined as equivalent to the beds below the Ostrea georgia/na horizon at Shell Bluff; in the area between the two rivers the formation is thin and fossils are rare.
Along Chattahoochee River Langdon recognized a lower buhrstone and an upper calcareous member of the Claiborne. The division, however, can not be carried farther eastward, so the beds are classed as undifferentiated Claiborne, although at least the lower portion is probably equivalent to, and areally continuous with the Tallahatta buhrstone of Alabama.
Between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers the Claiborne rests upon the Wilcox formation, and at Fort Gaines and Cuthbert there is evi- dence of an erosion unconformity, probably of minor importance, separating the two formations. It is overlain by red argillaceous sand belonging to the Jackson or Yicksburg formations, but as the upper and northern portions of the Claiborne also weather to red sand, it is difScult to locate the contacts. The thickness of the Clai-
Geology of the Coastal Plain of Alabama; Geol. Survey of Ala., p. 744, 1894.
14 Geological Subvey Of Georgia
borne on Chattahoochee Biver was measured by Langdon as 212 feet. At Fort Gaines the total thickness of beds which may be considered as Claiborne is 200 or 205 feet, but at Cuthbert it is reduced to 50 feet or less. The average thickness of beds outcropping between Cuth- bert and Americus probably does not exceed 100 feet.
Near Fort Gaines certain strata of the Claiborne have some resem- blance to fullers earth, but the clay is not likely to be of any economic value.
Jackson Age
The Jackson in central Georgia reaches its greatest development east of Mississippi, and is by far the thickest and most important Eocene formation of the State. At the close of the Claiborne period a marked depression of the land occurred in central and eastern Geor- gia, and the entire area covered by earlier Eocene and Cretaceous beds sank below sea level. Strata of Jackson age were deposited, covering all of the earlier Coastal Plain formations and overlapping onto the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont area.
The *'Congaree clay member of the McBean formation" and the greater part of the Barnwell sand" of the Coastal Plain report have been found to be of Jackson age, as they overlie the typical Jackson bryozoan limestone throughout central Gteorgia. The sub- divisions of the Jackson group described in the paper previously men- tioned are as follows :
Jackson
2. BamweU forination.
Twiggs clay member of Barnwell. 1. Ocala limestone.
OCALA LIBfESTONE
The Ocala limestone is a thick stratum of highly fossiliferous limestone and marl, characterized especially by Pecten perplanus Morton, Periarchus pileus-sinensis (Rav.), and numerous Bryozoa, known as the '*Rich Hill fauna", from a typical exposure at Rich
I Geol Survey of Ga. Bull. 26, 1911. See footnote p. 12.
Tbysiogbaphy, 8Tbuctube And 0E0Loq7 15
Hill, Crawford County. Along the course of Flint River below Dooly County, and throughout southwestern Georgia, the Ocala limestone makes up the whole of the Jackson ; but to northward and eastward, as the Jackson shore line is approached, the limestone grades into day and the clay into sand not only vertically, but also along the strike. The typical Ocala limestone is not found northeast of Wilk- inson County, although the Jackson strata farther northeast carry local lenses of limestone with a somewhat different fauna.
Twiogs Clay Member
The Twiggs clay member of the Barnwell formation, formerly described as the ''Congaree clay member of the McBean formation is named from Twiggs County, Georgia, where it is best exposed and seems to be thickest. The member consists of extensive, but not en- tirely continuous, beds and lenses of clay, var3dng from porous and siliceous to calcareous, glauconitic, pyritiferous, carbonaceous, or lignitic. Almost all of the clay has some of the characteristics of fullers earth, and a large part of it is light and porous and free from calcium carbonate, pyrite, and carbonaceous matter, and therefore likely to be of commercial value as a bleaching earth.
The clay member occurs at the base of the Barnwell formation and near the northern margin of the area of deposition. It lies con- formably above the Ocala limestone, which passes from pure lime- stone into marl, calcareous clay, and fullers earth by insensible grad- ations, and is overlain by red sand of the Barnwell formation. Local unconformities 4>etween the clay member and the red sand have been noted at several points near the northern margin of the formation. The Twiggs clay member, including some interbedded sand, attains a thickness of at least 100 feet in Twiggs County, but the average thickness is much less.
Barnv7Ell Formation
The Barnwell formation lies principally above the Twiggs clay member, and the entire formation, where the clay member is absent,
Geol. Survey of Oa. BulL 26. pp. 267-284. 1911.
16 Geolooical Bubvet Of Georgia
consists dominantly of argillaceous and glauconitic sand which be- comes red or mottled on weathering. There are local beds of lime- stone, oceuring principally in Washington County, and beds made up of Ostrea georgiana shells in a matrix of marl or calcareous clay become increasingly prominent from Wilkinson County eastward to Savannah Biver. Local beds of plastic clay and fossiliferous chert layers, which were originally limestone or calcareous sandstone, are also abundant.
The thickness of the Barnwell formation has not been accurately measured, but it is considerably in excess of 100 feet. As the coast line during Jackson time moved farther inland than at any time since the Lower Cretaceous, and as the Jackson deposits near the shore consisted entirely of argillaceous sand which, in the absence of the limestone and fullers earth strata, must be correlated with the Barnwell formation, it overiies unconformably all of the earlier sedimentary deposits of the Coastal Plain, and locally overlaps onto the crystalline area. The relation of the Barnwell to the overlying formations is not well determined, principally on account of the similarity of its materials to some ot the overlying beds. In eastern (Georgia it is overlain unconformably by sands and clays of the Alum Bluflf formation. West of Oconee River it is overlain by red, argil- laceous sand containing fossiliferous chert which indicates Vicksburg rOligocene) age, but the boundary between the formations has not been accurately located. Li southwestern Georgia and southern Ala- bama the Barnwell formation is absent, and the Ocala limestone is conformably overlain by very similar limestone of Vicksburg age.
Vicksburg Formation
The Vicksburg, the earliest Oligocene formation in Georgia, is thin, and consists principally of bright red argillaceous sand, which is largely residual and shows no trace of stratification. Fossiliferous chert fragments and ledges are abundant, derived from the complete silicification of thin beds of impure limestone. Unaltered limestone
Pobucubrary
Tbbubwtork
Pdbucubrart
Phy8I0Gbapht, 8Tbuctube And Geology 17
of the formation is found only along Ocmnlgee Biver below Hawkins- ville.
The thickness of the Vicksburg formation cannot be accurately estimated, but it is certainly less than 100 feet over most of the area of deposition.
Apalachicola Group
The Apalachicola group of the Oligocene series consists of the Chattahoochee and Alum Bluff formations.
Chattahcxkupe Formation
The Chattahoochee formation consists of gray and drab, compact, fossiliferous limestone and a little calcareous sand or sandstone. The maximum thickness is estimated at 200 to 250 feet, but the area of surface exposures is small, and the outcrops are confined to narrow belts along the rivers in the southern part of the, Coastal Plain.
Alum Bluff Fobmation
The Alum Bluff formation presents a number of lithologic phases. Fullers earth and local beds of marl and calcareous sand, and clay occur in the lower part of the formation. The upper beds include coarse, angular sand, aluminous sandstone or grit, greenish or gray argillaceous sands, and sandy, laminated clays.
The greater part of the mottled sands and clays, which form the most extensive superficial formation of the Coastal Plain, and which were formerly described as the Altamaha" or "Lafayette" forma- tion of the Pliocene series, is believed to be weathered material of the Alxun Bluff formation. This weathered and residual material covers most of the i>ortion of the State east of Flint Biver and south of Vienna, Dublin, Hawkinsville, Sandersville and Waynesboro, but the outcrops of the fullers earth and calcareous beds follow th courses of the larger streams throughout the southern part of the State, and are exposed almost continuously along the Florida line. The thickness is not more than 200 or 300 feet, but the beds lie almost horizontal, which explains the large area of outcrop.
18 Geological Survey Of Geobgia
Miocene Series
The Miocene series consists of two thin marl formations, the Marks Head and the Duplin, which are exposed only along the lower courses of the rivers flowing into the Atlantic.
Pliocene Series
The lower part of the Pliocene series is the Charlton formation, which is calcareous. Widely distributed sand, clay, and gravel, devoid of fossils and calcareous beds, have been referred to as the ''Altamaha (Lafayette!) formation'' of the Pliocene, but over a large area they can not be distinguished from the weathered material of the Alum Bluff formation. The original 'Altamaha grit" of Dall be- longs to the Alum Bluff formation.
Pleistocene And Recent Series
The quartemary strata are divided into the Okefenokee and Satilla formations of Pleistocene age and recent surficial sand de- posits. The Pleistocene beds consist of flood plain and coastal ter- race deposits, swamp deposits, and beach sand and mud.
Bauxite Deposits Of Tee Coastal Plain 19
Part Bauxite Deposits
Definition
The statement has been made many times that there are three hydrated oxides of aluminum: diaspore (AlsOgHgO), bauxite AI2O3.- 23-20), and gibbsite or hydrargillie (AlaOs-SHO). Of these, diaspore and gibbsite are definite minerals, found in crystalline form ; but the dihydrate has never been identified and its existence is doubtful. For practical purposes, bauxite may be defined as an ore rather than a mineral, being a hydrate of alumina, or a mixture of several hydrates, of sufScient purity to serve as a commercial source of aluminum or its salts.
Cx:Currence And Distribution General Distribution
Although aluminum is the most abundant metal in the crust of the earth, its tendency to enter into combination, especially with silica, is so great that the free metal is never found in nature, and rather unusual geologic conditions are necessary for the separation and accumulation of the oxide or hydroxide. As no method for extracting aluminum from the silicate minerals has proven profitable, and since the limited deposits of corundum, the anhydrous oxide, are more valuable for abrasives than as a source of aluminum, bauxite at the present time provides all the aluminum of commerce.
Bauxite is found in a limited number of localities, widely dis- tributed over the earth, but the known deposits are all comparatively small. In view of the rapidly increasing demand for aluminum and its compounds these deposits are likely to become exhausted in the near future, so all new discoveries, however small, are worthy of careful investigation.
The known bauxite localities are: in France, in the departments of Bouches du Rhone, Var, Herault, Ariege, and Puy-du-D6me, es- pecially near the villages of Baux, Thoronet, and Villeveyrac; in Germany, principally near Vogelsburg; in Austria near Wochein and Freistritz and in the province of Istria ; in Ireland in the Glen- ariff Valley, county Antrim; in India, rather widely distributed in
n
- -7' -a
uH-ra
r-'n -r-fi
-ZLZ-=:i5.
Z. ♦r-57', liiSS:
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 21
Oermany, — The German deposits occur principally in the vicinity of Yogelsburg. The bauxite is associated with iron ore, both occur- ring as small masses in a gray or reddish-brown, slightly rearranged residual clay. Both clay and bauxite are products of weathering of the basalt, as the ore retains the texture and some of the minerals of the basalt. The ore is dominantly the trihydrate. The German de- posits are of small commercial importance, and no production is re- ported in recent years.
Aiistria, — The bauxite of Wochein, in the province of Styria, Aus- tria, is dense and earthly, without nodular structure. On account of its unusual character it is given the distinctive name of wocheinite. The aluminum content is high, over 70 per cent in some analyses, but the iron oxide is also high and the low content of water is insuffi- cient to form even the monohydrate.
Bauxite deposits are said to be of frequent occurrence in the form of small pockets in a red sandstone in the province of Istria, near the port of Torre. The ore is of good quality and uniform composi- tion. There sre calculated to be 1,000 workable pockets containing an average of 300 tons each.
Hungary. — Extensive deposits, estimated at 5,000,000 to 18,000,- 000. tons, occur as irregrular lenses and superficial accumulations in a Jurassic limestone of the Bihar Mountains in Hungary. The occur- rence seems to be similar to the Baux deposits of France.
Ireland. — The deposits of Ireland are found in Qlenariff Valley, county Antrim, in the extreme northeastern part of the island. The ore forms a continuous bed associated with pisolitic iron ore, with flows of dolerite and beds of tuff both above and below. Hayes states that both iron ore and bauxite appear to be lacustral deposits, derived from the volcanic rocks largely by alteration in place and secondary replacement. They are, therefore, in many respects similar to the German and Arkansas deposits. The dominant aluminum mineral is the trihydrate, and the ores contain high percentages of one or more of the impurities silica, titanium dioxide, or ferric oxide.
Hayes, C. W., Bauxite: IT. S. Oeol. Survey Sixteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 3, p. 549.
22 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobqia
India. — The laterites of India are superficial deposits due to com- plete weathering, during which practically all of the silica has been leached from the rock. In samples from the Bailier tahsil, Balaghat district, the alumina ranged from 52 to nearly 59 per cent, with silica from 0.58 to 2.65 per cent. The proportion of titanium oxide is al- ways high, and the iron oxide is usually so, although in one sample it was only 2.70 per cent. Small quantities of ore have been mined and shipped to Europe, but the recent production has been used only in the manufacture of cement.
Italy, — In Italy, one bauxite mine has been in operation since 1907, with an annual production of about 6,000 tons. The ore forms a surface deposit (1,000,000 square meters of a thickness of 3 meters) on the slope of Monte Turchio. The bauxite is highly ferruginous, sometimes containing over 25 per cent of FejOg, and was formerly classified as an iron ore.
Guiana. — During the last two or three years there has been con- siderable activity in exploring for bauxite in British and Dutch Guiana. An American syndicate has purchased or secured the min- eral rights on about 20,000 acres of land. The deposits are known to be large, but no description of the geology has been published. The known deposits are located on or near Demerara and Surinam rivers, along the line separating the recent sedimentary beds of the Coastal Plain from the mountainous crystalline area.
AMERICAN LOCALITIES North Georgia-Alabama'Tennessee. — Bauxite was first discovered in the United States near Borne, Ga., and the first mining was done on the Holland property, in Floyd County in April, 1888. The prin- cipal deposits of the region are found in the valley of the Coosa River, between Adairsville, Ga. and Jacksonville, Ala., but several important deposits have also been found in Tennessee near Chattanooga.
MoUnarl. Dr. Ettore. General and Industrial Inorganic chemistry, Translation of 3d. ed., p. 571, 1912.
Phalen. w. C, U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources 1916, p. 162. 1916.
Hayes, C. W.. Bauxite: U. S. Geol. Survey, Sixteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 3, pp. 647-697. 1896.
Watflon. Thomas L... A preliminary report on the bauxite deposits of Georgia: Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 11. 1904.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 23
The deposits differ from all other American, and from most of those of foreign countries, as they are not bedded, and are not the product of weathering of any associated rock. The bauxite occurs in compact, irregularly shaped masses or pockets, always in residual material from the Ejiox dolomite or in immediately overlying forma- tions. The deposits are not associated with any particular horizon within the dolomite ; on the other hand their stratigraphic range is at least 4,000 feet. The pockets are, however, localized in groups about certain centers and along fault lines, and nearly all outcrop between 850 and 950 feet above sea level, although the relief of the district varies between 650 and 1,200 feet. The ore is closely associated with, and usually surrounded by, masses of white or mottled kaolin, but neither the ore nor the kaolin contain any calcareous matter from the dolomite, nor any fragments of the chert which are so abundant m the surrounding residual clays.
These facts indicate that the deposits were formed near the sur- face during a period when the land was nearly base-levelled. This condition exislied during Eocene time. The best explanation of the genesis of the deposits is that proposed by Hayes, who supposes that the alumina was derived from the thick beds of the Conasauga shale underlying the Knox dolomite. The aluminum was dissolved from the shale as sulphate, pyrite being abundant enough to provide a source of sulphuric acid. Later the solutions found outlets to the surface, especially along fault lines or in areas of fracturing of the rocks, and issued as large springs, probably thermal, and may in some cases have formed geysers. In passing through the dolomite formation the aluminum was precipitated in the form of hydrous oxide, which was carried up and deposited in the vents and spring basins. The soft and freshly precipitated alumina was kept in motion by the ascend- ing current of water, which accounts for the pebble and boulder structure of a large part of the ore. There are all gradations be- tween bauxite and kaolin, so the latter must have had a similar origin ; but for some reason the silica was present in quantity and condition to combine with the alumina before and during deposition*
toii is
ir ir 30
A
- 1. I ;r!
C -.J
:!::- CTs
"w- r-
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 25
Bauxite lenses occurring interstratified with the Tertiary sedi- ments consist of material' which has been removed from its place of origin by Tertiary streams.
2. The texture of the kaolinized syenite has been essential to the alteration of the kaolin to bauxite.
3. The oolitic or pisolitic texture of the bauxite has developed in place from the granitic or amorphous t3rpes of bauxite."
The tonnage of the deposits was estimated by Hayes at 6,600,000 tons in outcrops and 43,700,000 tons under cover. Mead says that these estimates are very greatly in excess of the amount shown up by detailed exploratory work, but the deposits constitute by far the greatest known reserves of bauxite in the United States.
New Mexico} — The deposits occur in the vicinity of Silver City. On account of di£Sculty of transportation they are considered com- mercially unavailable at present. They are most closely related to the Yogelsburg t3rpe of deposits, as they are derived from the altera- tion of a basic volcanic rock in place. The area is about half a mile square, of nearly horizontal beds of volcanic porphyry and basalt breccia. Aluminous solutions of solfataric origin, produced by the decomposition of pyrite, are drawn to the surface by capillary action. As the climate is arid, the sulphate of aluminum (alunogen) is de- posited at the surface, while the internal residual mass is bauxite. The structure of the bauxite is amorphous, perhaps because the lim- ited amount of water present was insufficient to permit the rearrange- ment of the alumina in nodules.
Bauxite Deposits Of Th Coastal Plain Of Georgia
History
The discovery of bauxite in Wilkinson County was made by Otto Veatch, Assistant State Oeologist of Georgia, in the course of field work carried on in connection with the preparation of a report on the day deposits of the State. A brief description of the deposits was published as an appendix to that report, in 1909. The first shipment
Blake, WllUam P.. Alunogen and bauxite of New Mexico. Trans. Am. Inst. Min. Bng., vol. 24, pp. 571-573, 1894.
r nv-,i - 'X Lit
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Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 27
both the Appalachian Mountains and the area of the present Pied- mont Plateau had been degraded well toward base-level. Little warp- ing of the surface therefore appears to have been necessary to convert portions of the coastal lands into sites of sedimentation.
The part of the Lower Cretaceous series exposed along the Atlan- tic coast is known as the Potomac group. A corresponding series is exposed in a continuous belt of outcrops, extending from eastern Ala- bama across Georgia and South Carolina into North Carolina. These two series are not traceable into one another on the surface, and the only fossils found in the southern series are a few poorly preserved leaves, but physical evidence indicates that they represent approxi- mately the same period of deposition. Beds representing the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous series were never deposited in the South- eastern States, or were removed by erosion before the Upper Cre- taceous beds were laid down.
The Potomac group and the Lower Cretaceous strata of the South Atlantic and Gulf States belong to the terrestrial rather than the marine t3e of deposits. The whole eastern mountain and plateau region seems to have suffered peneplanation during the Jurassic pe- riod, attended inevitably by the deep decay of the underlying crystal- line and other rocks, and the consequent accumulation of a heavy mantle of residuary earth and insoluble rock. The warping which inaugurated the Lower Cretaceous period seems to have involved a rise of the axis of the Appalachian tract, and a consequent rejuvena- tion of the drainage from it, while the coastward tract was left rela- tively flat, or perhaps bowed downward, making it a zone of lodgment for the sediments brought down from the north and west. The quick- ened drainage of the axial tract, acting on material prepared for easy removal, loaded itself with a burden it could not carry across the low coastal tract, and deposition resulted. Marshes, lakes, and lagoons were probably features of the area, and the perfect separation of the sand from the clay at many places points to the existence of local conditions which allowed of the differentiation of sediments to an un-
Stephenson, L. W., Cretaceous deposits of the eastern Gulf Region: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 81, pp. 10, 11, 1914.
- "" -i.At "*Bt I.'.ITI - n . '.-5 - :>rt .GTB'rri
Tt.-rr.-ns Jl
-i4 ur:v -a -he
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v?xnk. ;?ur\t?y cf 3a. s*: — IS
; Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 29
Between Chattahoochee and Ocmnlgee rivers the formation is overlain nnconformably by Upper Cretaceous strata belonging to the Eutaw and Bipley formations, and to a very limited extent where both of these formations are absent, by Eocene strata. Between Ocmnlgee and Savannah rivers it is overlain nnconformably by the Claiborne and Jackson stages of the Eocene.
Lithologic characters. — The Lower Cretaceous materials consist dominantly of arkosic sand, with, however, a considerable percentage of clay in the form of interbedded lenses. The sands are usually coarse to very coarse in texture, and generally cross-bedded. They are composed largely of angular to subangular quartz grains, with an important percentage of mica flakes and disseminated grains and particles of kaolin. In addition, there are subordinate amounts of un- decomposed feldspar and various other minerals derived from the crystalline rocks of the adjacent Piedmont region. Locally the sand beds have been indurated, forming friable sandstones. The clay lenses vary in lithologic character, shape, and extent. In thickness they range from an inch or less to a maximum of 30 or 40 feet, and in horizontal extent from a few square yards to many acres. In gen- eral, the clays are light drab or gray in color, and are more or less sandy. Locally, however, there are commercially important clay lenses of remarkable whiteness and purity, approaching kaolin in composition. Lamination is rare, the beds being as a rule massive and breaking with a hackly or conchoidal fracture.
For the most part the formation displays great irregularity of bedding, but in places a distinct banding of the clay and sand layers is apparent, individual beds being traceable for considerable dis- tances.
Locally, coarse gravel lenses and layers occur in the formstion, this being especially true of the basal portions. Unconformities of little or no time significance occur locally within the formation. As a re- sult of the shifting of the channels which produced these unconform- ities clay beds within the formation have been torn to pieces and re- deposited, as evidenced by the large number of rolled clay balls and boulders which in many places occur scattered through the sands.
30 Geological Subvey Of Georgia
The better grades of commercially important clays, so far as known, occur in the region between Ocmulgee and Savannah rivers. Beds of very fine quality are especially abundant in Twiggs and Wilkinson counties where raining operations have been carried on more exten- sively than elsewhere.
Strike, dip, and thickness, — The strike of the Lower Cretaceous beds in Georgia is in general northeast and southwest, with the dip a little south of southeast. On account of irregularity of bedding and of the limited extent of the exposures, the exact amount of the dip can not readily be determined. It is greater, however, than the gradi- ents of the larger streams and probably averages 25 or 30 feet to the mile. Data are available for a fairly accurate determination of the thickness of the formation in the Chattahoochee Valley below Colum- bus. The point on Chattahoochee River adjacent to Columbus, where the surface of the basement rocks passes beneath water level, has an elevation of about 195 feet above sea level. Data furnished by well borings near the mouth of Bull Creek show that this surface dips southward at an average rate of between 50 and 60 feet per mile. The top of the Lower Cretaceous terrane passes below water level at Broken Arrow bend 7 miles south of Columbus, in an air line, and about 180 feet above sea level. If the dip of the surface of the basement rocks is 50 feet to the mile, 7 miles south of Col- umbus it would be 350 feet lower, or 155 feet below sea level. The thickness of the formation at Broken Arrow Bend would therefore be 155 plus 180, or 335 feet. If the dip of the basement rock surface is 60 feet, the thickness is 405 feet. The average of these amounts, 370 feet, is believed to be a close approximation to the total thickness at this point.
Calculations based on well data have shown that the probable general dip of the unconformity separating the Lower Cretaceous and the overlying Eutaw beds in this region varies from 48 to 50 feet per mile. If the upper and lower planes of unconformity maintain their apparent angles of dip they diverge and the Lower Cretaceous for- mation thickens southward, but it is not likely that the crystalline
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 31
surface maintains so great a degree of slope for any great distance from the Fall Line.
A well at Reynolds, Taylor County, is said to have penetrated 600 feet of strata before encountering the underlying crystalline rock. As the well starts in Lower Cretaceous strata, the whole thick- ness should be referred to this formation.
Three and a half miles southwest of Louisville, Jefferson County, a well 1,143 feet deep is believed to have penetrated about 790 feet of Cretaceous strata between the overlying Eocene beds and the base- ment rock. None but Lower Cretaceous strata outcrop from beneath the Eocene beds along the Fall Line to the northwest of Louisville, but it is not at all certain that all of the Cretaceous beds penetrated in the Louisville well should be referred to that division. In fact it seems highly probable that buried Upper Cretaceous strata exist be- tween the Eocene and Lower Cretaceous beds. The thickness of the Lower Cretaceous at this point is therefore believed to be consider- ably less than 790 feet.
From well data and other considerations, it may be shown that in general along the line where the formation passes beneath the Upper Cretaceous or Eocene formations, as the case may be, its thickness ranges from 350 to 600 feet.
Physiographic expression. — The belt in which this Lower Cre- taceous terrane outcrops constitutes part of a dissected plain which IS characterized by a broken, hilly topography, the area presenting in fact the roughest surface of any portion of the Coastal Plain of Gteorgia. The elevation of the upland surface ranges from 400 to 600 feet above sea level. The major streams crossing the area have elevations at the fall line ranging from 100 to 250 feet. The surface relief therefore reaches a maximum of at least 400 feet. This hilly topography is the result of active stream erosion caused by the rela- tively high elevation of the area and favored by the unconsolidated, sandy character of the materials of which the formation is predomi- nantly composed.
The surface soil throughout the greater part of the area is com-
32 Geological Survey Of Georgia
posed of loose gray or yellowish sands, the product of the weathering and leaching of the underlying sand beds of the formation. These surface sands have been shifted more or less by winds and torrents so that in places they have been entirely removed, and elsewhere have been heaped up to abnormal thicknesses. The area forms a part of the so-called **sand hill" region of the northern part of the Georgia Coastal Plain.
Paleontologic characters. — few faint, indeterminable leaf im- pressions have been observed in white, sandy clay in a cut of the Georgia Railroad at Carr's Station, Hancock County. With this exception no fossil remains have been discovered in the beds of this formation in Georgia.
Location of bauxite deposits, — Although the outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous beds extends in an unbroken belt across the State from the Chattahoochee to the Savannah, bauxite has been found only in a limited district near the central part. The greater number, and also the richer of the deposits are in Wilkinson County, but the area of bauxitic clays with some smaller deposits is known to extend into Twiggs, Washington, and Baldwin counties.
Descriptions Of. Individual Deposits Wilkinson County
The Lower Cretaceous strata are exposed in the valley of the Oconee River in the eastern part of Wilkinson County, and in the valleys of Commissioners and Big Sandy creeks almost to the south- em boundary. Deposits of bauxite are known in all parts of the county, and are likely to be found throughout the area of outcrop of the formation. All known deposits are at or near the contact of the Cretaceous with the unconformably overlying Eocene beds.
PABfcER-HONEYCUTT-DANIEL OBOUP OF PROPEETIES (MCINTYEE MINE)
(Map locality W-1)
Location, — Bauxite occurs on the property of Mrs. W. R. ParkcJr, J. R. Honeycutt, W. E. Honeyeutt, and James Daniel, located 3
BAUXITB OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF QEORiUA
A. BAUXITE DRIER, REPUBLIC MINING & MANUFACTURING CO.. MolNTVBB MINE,
B. WORKINQ FACE IN THE MoINTTBE MINE, WILKINSON COUNTY.
THE NEr YORK
Public Ubraryi
AtTOfl, LVNOK ntVeN FOUNDATIONi
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
miles northeast of Mclntyre and 1% miles north of the 159* mile- post on the Central of Gkora Railway. The mining rights on all of the properties are held by the Republic Mining and Manufacturing Company. H. M. Skelton, of Irwinton, is the superintendent of the mine which is commonly known as the Mclntyre mine.
The ore is found along both sides of a small branch of Com- missioners Creek ; the best bauxite, and the only part which has been worked, being on the Parker and Daniel tracts, west of the branch. The topography, location of the bauxite outcrops, and workings up to November, 1916, are shown in the accompanying sketch and sec- tion (fig. 1).
Scale In Feet
Fig. 1. — Topographic sketch map and section of the Mclntyre bauxite mine, of the Bepublie Mining & Manufacturing Co., Wilkinson County.
34 Geological Subvet Of Geobgia
Geologic relations. — The bauxite has the form of a lens at the top of the Cretaceous beds. It grades down into white or stained and mottled plastic kaolin, and is overlain unconformably by Eocene sands and clays. Although the character of the ore varies greatly, it is evident that aU exposures belong to the same lens, which has been partly eroded by the branch.
The character of the underlying beds is plainly shown in the well at the drier. The well is 17 feet deep, starting several feet below the base of the bauxite bed, and when examined contained only 5 feet of water. At the surface is yellowish clay with occasional large soft nodules, which grades down into smooth, plastic kaolin. Several feet above the water line the kaolin is splotched and mottled with red, while the material from the bottom is tough, plastic, maroon colored clay.
The upper surface of the bauxite is a distinct unconformity, ap- proximately plane and level, but very irregular in detail. Along the face northwest of the drier there are circular cavities like pot holes filled with Eocene clay, some of which penetrate the entire thickness of the ore bed (see PI. Ill, B). The material overlying the bauxite in the mine consist of 3 to 4 feet of tough sandy blue clay, pecu- liarly stained and mottled with red and yellow, and several feet of loose gray sand forming soil and subsoil. There is no marked bed of basal conglomerate, but the blue clay contains occasional boulders of bauxite up to one foot in diameter, and rounded quartz pebbles up to 2 inches. In the slope of the hill to the west, which rises about 50 feet, small gullies and washes show typical red and yellow argilla- ceous sands of the Eocene.
The deposits. — The exposures west of the branch are the working face of the mine and exploration pits to the north. The length of the face northwest of the drier is 200 yards, and exploration work has shown up ore continuing around the slope 20 yards to the fence line and about 100 yards in the cultivated field beyond. The base of the workable bauxite is about 15 feet above the level of the branch. The thickness of ore is said to have been as much as 9 feet in the worked-
Baviite Of Tbs Coastal Plain Of Georoia
ROKKING FACE IN THE McINTYRE BAUXITE MINE OF THE REPUBLIC MINING & MANUFACTURING CO., SHOWING BEDDED BAUXITE WITH AN UNCONFORMITY ABOVE.
B. McINTYRE MINE. UPPER SURFACE OF THE BAUXITE STRIPPED PREPAI TO MINING. SHOWING "POT HOLES" AND IRHEGULARITIBS. Pkelo hy S. W. McCaUit
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 35
out portion on the Daniel property, but the greatest thickness ex- posed at the time of examination was little over 6 feet. The ore along the face northwest of the drier, which was being worked in November, 1916, had a maximum thickness of 6 feet, with average hardly 5 feet, and was thinning rapidly toward the west.
Where the working face swings around at the south end of the pit the ore not only thins but changes in character, becoming softer, with larger and more scattered nodules. It is evidently grading into kaolin along the strike as well as in depth.
On the Honeycutt property, which lies east of the branch, no mining or exploration work has been done since Veatch's examination. Red, highly ferruginous bauxite, in a bed at least 4 feet thick, out- crops in the slope east of the branch, about 150 yards from the mine and at the same level. Lower on the slope is an outcrop of dark red, plastic clay. Another small outcrop of red bauxite occurs in the public road near the Honeycutt house. The bauxite outcrops are 500 feet apart, on opposite sides of a small knoll, which rises only 5 feet above the exposures. If the bed is continuous in the intervening dis- tance the area underlain is about 4 acres, with overburden nowhere exceeding 5 feet.
The ore. — The upper 3 feet (more or less) of the bauxite bed in the mine is hard, white, finely pisolitic ore. This charges m depth into softer, iom-stained ore of similar texture, which in turn grades into soft kaolin with scattered nodules. The nodules in the best por- tion of the ore average less than one-fourth inch in diameter, but there are scattered complex pebbles with a maximum diameter of 6 inches. The complex pebbles consist of a number of small, soft pisolites in a gray or brown, dense, flinty matrix, but most of the bauxite has a white, porous and chalky, instead of a flint-like matrix, and is therefore softer than the high-grade ore from other occurrences in the vicinity. As a rule the pisolites have a thin hard shell with softer or powdery center, and are the same color or a little darker than the matrix.
At the angle of the face nearest the drier the ore is only 3 feet
Geological 8Ubvet Of Georgia
thick, and is ferruginous and dark yellow in color. Along the face to the southwest, several hundred feet from the drier, the bauxite becomes horizontally banded, with thin white and thick red layers, ap- parently due to variations in iron content during deposition (see PL III, A). The bauxite of the red bands has light colored pisolites in a red matrix. On the contrary, the low grade red bauxite of the Honey- cutt property, a part of the same lens, is made up of dark red, pebble- like nodules in a white, sandy matrix.
The ore in the face northwest of the drier is also, in part, dis- tinctly stratified, with layers of bluish plastic clay up to 2 inches in thickness, while some beds are more ferruginous than others. Per- pendicular veins'* a few inches thick and occasional larger irregular masses of soft, white, kaolinic material, with the same pisolitic texture as the bauxite, but of very different composition, cut across the bed- ding.
When exposed to the weather, the bauxite becomes lighter in color, harder, and apparently higher in alumina. The lightening of color and enrichment are probably due to removal of clay and iron oxide while the hardening is caused by repeated solution and re- crystallization of very minute quantities of silica and alumina.
Veatch collected surface samples from these properties before mining was started, the analyses of which gave the following results :
Analyses of surface samples
Constituents
SiUca (910.)
Alnmina (A1,0,)
Ferric oxide (Pe,0,)
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TIO,)
Moisture
"Sot
1. Surface sample from Parker property.
2. Surface sample from Honeycutt property.
3. Surface sample from Honeycutt property.
4. Red clay underlying bauxite, Honeycutt property.
Veatch, Otto, GeoL Survey of Ga, Bull. 18, pp. 440-442, 1909.
Bauxite Dbposits Of The Coastal Plain
To show the gradation of bauxite into kaolin with depth, a series of samples was taken by the writer from the best part of the face, 100 feet southwest of the drier. The first sample was from the Eocene sandy clay overburden 6 inches above the unconformity, the second was bauxite 6 inches below the unconformity, and the remainder were taken at one foot intervals, giving a total section of lOV feet below the contact. Average samples were taken, but the large fer- ruginous concretions scattered through the lower part of the bed were avoided. A thickness of feet of the section below the un- conformity may be called bauxite, as that is the portion mined and shipped. A pit was dug 5% feet below the floor of the mine for the purpose of getting these samples. The lower part of the bauxite in the face, and the clay to a depth of 7 feet below the unconformity, are stained yellow, and the clay carries large, soft nodules to a depth of 8 feet. From 8 to 10 feet the white kaolin is mealy, while be- low 10 feet it is soft and plastic. Through the material from 5 to 10 feet are scattered large, irregular, hard, ferruginous concretions, with maximum dimensions up to one foot. The concretions seem to have been affected by weather, as they lack the soft centers of pyrite, sul- phur, and soluble salts found at other localities.
An auger boring 8 feet deep in the bottom of the pit penetrated some red-stained clay, and was in gray-blue plastic kaolin at the bottom.
Analyses of ore from Republic Mine, shaming gradation into kaolin
ConstituentB
SiO, .. A1.0, . Fe,0, . FeO .. MgO . CaO .. Na,0 . Ignitioii
S-63
Jil
S-64
S-65
S-66
S-67
52i)S
S-68
i.:4
iOl
rO
.1)0
jo
o
.Jo
♦.Si
:oo ' loojir
.n
3-r4
y5j5
39.0ft
13
,H
.O
.oe
m
'i
a2
'
i4.r4
'
.1
m
Is 93
5
V
Bauxite Dbposits Of The Coastal Plain 39
The maximum overburden being moved (November, 1916) wad 11 feet, 25 feet back of the working face northwest of the drier. The overburden will not increase much more, as this is about the limit of the extent of the ore bed to westward. Stripping and mining have been carried on entirely by hand labor. As the overburden in the area likely to be underlain by bauxite does not exceed 10 or 15 feet, with average less than 10 feet, it has not been considered profitable to use steam shovels.
The ore is dried in a rotary kiln, and hauled in wagons miles to the railroad siding at Wriley station.
Production and uses. — The mine was opened in 1912, and during 1913 produced about a carload per day. Work was stopped for several periods when the demand for bauxite was not great, but in 1916 the mine was being actively worked and was producing about two cars per day.
The greater part of the ore shipped has been low in iron, and has been used principally in the manufacture of alum. All of the ore known on the Honeycutt property, and a part of that remaining on the Parker property contains considerably more than two per cent of ferric oxide, and will probably therefore be used for aluminum manu- facture.
Oenebal Bauxite Corporation Property
(Map locality W-fS)
The bauxite property formerly owned by Dr. N. T. Carswell was purchased in 1916 by the General Bauxite Corporation, 52 Broadway New York, of which Mr. A. Rust-Oppenheim is president. It is situ- ated just south of the Central of (Georgia Railway, 3 miles west of Toomsboro. This property is one of the first on which bauxite was discovered, in fact. Dr. Carswell claims to have known of the occur- rence before Veatch announced the discoverey near Mclntyre.
A considerable amount of prospecting has been done in the vaUey of a small branch which flows northeast into Commiodoners Creek.
'l
Obolooical 8Ubvet Of Georgia
Vh0 nt the pxtB deKcibed is ahown on the accompanying
-r :i iSf-
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 41
indurated clay in a matrix of mottled clayey sand overlies the Cre- taceous indurated bauxitic clay. The upper surface of the Cretaceous is irregular, as kaolin is found up to an altitude of 280 feet at pit No. 1. The Eocene beds overlying the bauxite and kaolin belong to the Barnwell formation of the Jackson group. No continuous section of the Eocene beds is exposed, but there is apparently about 40 feet of red sandy clay or argillaceous sand immediately above the Cretaceous. Calcareous, pale yellow clay of the character of fullers earth, is ex- posed in gullies near the tops of the hills to the east and west of the valley, at an altitude of about 300 feet, and one mile southwest of the bauxite locality is a bed of bryozoan limestone, typical of the Jackson group, at approximately the same horizon as the fullers earth.
The Lower Cretaceous strata consist of white, plastic kaolin; in- durated and bauxitic white kaolin; red kaolin, both plastic and in- durated; white kaolinic sand; and bauxite, all of which is rather siliceous. The character of the material shows great local variation, and none of the beds are continuous for any great distance along the strike.
The ore. — AU possible gradations between kaolin and high grade bauxite may be found on the property. The following table includes all analyses of kaolin and bauxite made by Dr. Edgar Everhart for the Geological Survey of Georgia. The samples marked ''S'' were collected by the writer, others were collected by Otto Veatch and H. C. Parker. These analyses are arranged in order of alumina content, to show the gradation between kaolin and bauxite.
— X
I.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 43
4. 8-8 7B. Average sample of soft, nodular clay from 8 feet of beds in pit No. 5.
5. Indurated nodular day or "chimney rock." Yeatch, Otto, Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 18, p. 165, 1909.
6. Average sample from top to bottom of pit No. 11. Ck>llected by H. C. Parker.
7. Average sample from bottom and walls of pit No. 10. Collected by H. C. Parker.
8. Bauzitic clay from bottom of pit No. 11. Collected by H. C. Parker.
9. S-89. Bauzitic clay, average sample from 8 feet of beds exposed in pit No. 9.
10. S-182. Bauzitic clay, average sample of 6-foot bed of bauxite in pit No.> 11, on site of the mine.
11. S-231. Average sample of 5-foot beds of bauxite in a cut on the slope above pit No. 3, on the site of the mine.
12. Hard nodules of high-grade bauxite. Yeatch, Otto, GeoL Survey of Ga. Bull. 18, p. 444, 1909.
Pits No8. 1, 2, and 3 cut only indurated white clay, with scattered clayey nodules. The material is only slightly bauxitic, and has no value at present except as a fire clay.
Pit No. 4 shows 6 feet of indurated, nodular, maroon-colored clay. The material is the same as that in the preceding pits, except that it contains a higher percentage of ferric oxide.
Pit No. 5 cuts 5 feet of indurated whte clay, underlain by 8 feet of softer, light-colored clay with soft pisolites. According to Dr. Carswell, the pit penetrated 27 feet of the latter material, which ap- pears to be bauxitic, but the analysis (S-87B) shows it to run very lit- tle higher in alumina than an ordinary kaolin. Pit No. 6 is said to hare cut 14 feet of clay similar to that in the bottom of pit No. 5.
Pits Nos. 7 and 8 are in the branch, and were filled with water when examined. As may be seen from the material excavated, they cut some clay with nodules one inch in diameter of hard, high-grade bauxite. It was from this locality that the sample (analysis No. 12) was taken. The rock in the branch immediately beneath the un- conformity, which is well exposed, is a very hard white claystone with irregular flinty concretions (analysis S-88).
Along the slope northwest of the branch are several pits. Nc of these show good bauxite, but they cut more or less indurated kaolin, massive or nodular, and one reaches plastic kaolin. Pit No. 9, directly opposite pit No. 4, is the best looking prospect, showing 8 feet of mealy, very unplastic clay containing a few hard pisolites. Analysis
Geological Subvet Of Georgia
of an average sample (S-89) shows it to be a low grade bauxite, but the percentage of alumina is higher than the appearance of the ma- terial would lead one to believe.
The pits above described are the earlier explorations. During the summer of 1915 two more pits, Nos. 10 and 11, were dug in the slope above Nos. 2 and 3. These pits disclosed a lens of bauxite of con- siderable extent and of much better quality than any previously dis- covered on the property. Pit No. 10 just reached the bauxite, while No. 11 penetrated the bed, showing the following section :
Section in pit No. 11
Feet
3. Sandy soil containing fragments of bauxite 1
2. White bauxite, of medium hardness, containing hard
pisolites up to one inch in diameter 6
1. Somewhat plastic white kaolin 1
Samples 6, 7, and 8 in the preceding table of analyses were taken from these pits by H. C. Parker, and sample 10 (S-182) is an aver- age of the 6-foot bed of bauxite in pit No. 11. Sample 11 (S-231) is from the same bed, exposed in a cut in the slope a few feet below pit No. 11.
Mining operations were started on this property by the General Bauxite Corporation in 1916. The mine was opened on the slope be- tween pits Nos. 3 and 11. When visited, in November, 1916, the opening was small and only six carloads of ore had been shipped. The working face was 50 feet long, and the maximum thickness of the ore was 5 feet at the south end of the workings, but the bed is known to become thicker farther south in the hill. The ore occurs in small and irregular lenses, cut by masses of chimney rock." The rela- tions of ore to indurated clay are shown in the accompanying sketch
(fig. 3), which shows the working face in November, 1916.
S
MOmTBD CLAY CHIMNEY ROCK
Mg. 3. — Section in mine of the General Bauxite Corporation, showing distri- bution of bauxite and chimney rock.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 45
All of the ore shipped is of good quality for alum manufacture, contining less than two per cent of ferric oxide, but the silica content is too high for use in the manufacture of aluminum. The alumina content of shipments is kept above 52 per cent, while the best car- load analysis received was 58 per cent.
No high-grade, low-silica bauxite has been found except the hard pisolites from the pits at the junction of the branches. The material containing these nodules was not visible at the time of the writer's visits, and it can not be stated whether or not the nodules are in sufficient abundance to make a washable ore.
Besides the lens of 52 to 58 per cent alumina bauxite now being worked, there is a large quantity of clayey bauxite which would carry over 50 per cent of alumina after drying. The low grade bauxite mixed with plastic kaolin would undoubtedly produce a fire brick of superior quality.
Conditions ajfecting mining, — The deposit is very favorably lo- cated in regard to transportation, as the principal prospects are with- in half a mile of the Central of Georgia Railway. The bauxite lens is so far above water level that drainage will cause no trouble. The principal mining problem will be the handling of the overburden, which will become heavy if the deposit is extensive.
Development, methods, and tonnage. — tramway about three quarters of a mile long has been built from the mine to Nadine Sta- tion on the Central of Georgia Railway. Mining is done by manual labor. The ore body is well drained, and the ore as mined contains only 3 or 4 per cent of moisture, so it is shipped without preliminary drying.
About 500 tons had been shipped up to March, 1917. Dr. T. Poole Majnaard, of Maynard and Simmons, who have conducted the recent exploration work, states that the reserve of bauxite in sight is 25,000 tons, with a possibility of discovering more.
Cannon Pbopkety
(Map locdlity W-S)
A deposit on the property formerly belonging to Mrs. Cannon, ly
of an ay. the peic. terial \v( The : suimncr above sidera! covert ' No. 11
fr. i.s
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 47
Cason Fbopbbty
(Map locality W-4)
This deposit is located three-tenths of a mile east of Toomsboro , station, about 60 yards north of the railroad and 40 yards south of Commissioners Creek, just on the edge of the creek swamp. Work was started June 1, 1915, by the National Bauxite Company.
The area known to be underlain by bauxite measures 35 by 75 yards, and the thickness of workable ore is 7 feet. The overburden consists of 1 to 3 feet of superficial loose sand. As is usual, the bauxite grades downward into white kaolin. The ore shipped during 1915 is said to have contained nearly 60 per cent alumina when air dried, with average iron oxide content of less than two per cent. An average sample of about a carload of ore in the drying shed in March, 1916, has the following composition :
Analysis of bauxite from the Cason mine
S-232 SlUca (SiO,) 4.30
Alumina (AlA) 61.06
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 1.61
Ignition 30.89
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.63
Moisture 44
The ore is coarsely pisolitic, with hard nodules in a matrix vary- ing from hard to soft. On account of the lack of impervious over- burden the ore is considerably iron stained, but the stains are only on the surface of the nodules, so the iron content is not nearly so high as it appears. A part of the ore is stained black by carbonaceous mat- ter washed down through the sandy soil, but this stain does not ma- terially affect the quality.
As the quantity of ore is known to be small, it has not been con- sidered advisable to install a drier. The ore is shipped after drying in sheds or in the sun for several days.
About 6 inches of the ore at the top of the bed is mixed with
miles I pany, i
Th. 250 fc grade, white
to 01)'.
taeeoi, ning i meah .
kaolii Tl
The §heJN I: ings
but
piso'
dui-i:
difli. and
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 49
nodular clay overlying soft, white kaolin. A few feet farther down the dope fragments of high grade bauxite are found in the soil. Sandy soil with bauxite boulders is found for a distance of half a mile down the valley, and covers an area of many acres. By aneroid read- ings, the nodular clay outcrop is at an altitude of 370 feet and the bauxite area from 310 to 350 feet. A number of test pits in the bottom show that the soil contains bauxite to a depth of only about 18 inches, below which is yellow-stained kaolin.
The boulders vary in size from one foot down, and are of very high grade ore, as shown by the following analysis :
Analysis of J. U. Parker bauxite
SUica (SiOO 2.12
Alnmina ( A1,0,) 60.55
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 1.89
Ignition 32.97
Titanium dioxide (TiOg) 1.96
The bauxite is light drab in color, hard and flinty, with scattered pisolites, few of which are over half an inch in diameter. In a thin section the matrix is also seen to be made up almost entirely of small nodides.
No bauxite in place has ever been found, although two carloads of float ore were shipped some years ago. It seems probable, judg- ing from the topography, that the original bauxite lens was at about the horizon of the present bauxitic clay outcrop, overlying the kaolin bed; but it has been entirely eroded, leaving only detrital material scattered through the soil of the bottom.
Undebwood Pbopebty
(Map locality W-?)
The property of Andrew Underwood (colored) is situated miles southeast of Irwinton.
Fragments of bauxite are found in the soil on a small knoll.
Veatch, Otto, Oeol. Survey of Qa. Bull. 18, p. 443. 1909.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 61
Analysis of baiutite from S-foot bed, Underwood property
B-42
SiHca (SiOO 12.51
Alumina (AlaO,) 56.11
Ferric oxide (FeaO,) ' 1.93
Ignition 27.81
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.72
Moisture 28
Where the public road crosses a small branch, one-eighth of a mile east of the bauxite deposit, the unconformity between the Cre- taceous and Eocene beds is exposed. The basal beds of the Eocene contain pebbles of kaolin, but no bauxite.
A rOUNTAIN PaOPKaT7
(Map locality WS)
The Fountain property is situated about half a mile south of the Underwood property, or 2 miles southwest of Irwinton.
The bauxite prospects are in a spur running west, from a flat- topped hilL A pit at the end of the spur, just above a plantation road, ahows a thickness of 5 feet of bauxite, overlain by 2 feet of red argillaceous sand containing pebbles and boidders of bauxite. An average sample was taken from the 5-foot bauxite bed in this pit. The bauxite is stained yellow by limonite, but analysis shows that the iron content is not excessive, and it is probable that where the overburden is a little heavier the percentage of ferric oxide will be less.
Analysis of bauxite from S-foot bed, Fountain property
SiUca ( SiOO 14.32
Alumina ( AlaO,) 55.67
Ferric oxide (Fefi) 2.10
Ignition 25.39
Titanium dioxide (TiOg) 2.36
Moisture 55
-however *-ii-.ai
"j;' '"'' 'P it
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
Section along branch, Dupree property
Eocene Jaekfon group Bunwell formation
8. Yellow clayey sand, in head of tbe gully. . . . . . . . 10
7. Yellow-gray, stieky, plastic day
8. Occasional outcrops of fullers earth, mostly of good
quality, but contains some sandy layers. Possible thickness 45
5, Bed-and-blue mottled sandy day with a thin basal conglomerate containing small pieces of kaolin and bauxite and small, well-rounded quartz pebbles.
( Unconf ormily ) Ixmur Cretaceous
i. White, massive, slightly indurated kaolin on one side of the branch; on the other side, poft, findy nod- ular, light colored, sandy bauxite.
3. Soft red bauxite, consisting of red pisolites or pebbles in a white, sandy matrix. The bed has a maxi- mum thickness of at least 10 feet, and grades up- ward into light colored, slightly indurated clay with scattered soft nodules.
2. White kaolin, plastic and free from grit. Between 2 and 3 feet exposed, but the thickness is prob- ably considerably greater.
1. light colored kaolinic sand, with interbedded layers of white clay breccia.
The relations of the beds are shown in figure 4.
About % Mile
Fig. 4. — Section along branch, Dupree property, Wilkinson County, showing rdation of bauxite, kaolin, and fullers earth. Numbers in the section refer to beds described in the text
The bauxite of bed No. 3 is of an unusual type. It is both fer- ruginous and siliceous, as shown by tiie following analysis of an average sample from a pit beside the branch:
64 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
Analysis of red bauxite from Dupree property
S-49
SiKca (SiOO 22.10
Alumina ( AlaO,) 45.96
Ferric oxide (Fe,Ot) 7.77
Ignition 22.05
Titanium dioxide (TiOg) 1.37
Moisture 1.14
The pisolites" are dark red. Many are perfectly round and about the size of buckshot, others are irregular in shape and an inch or more in diameter. The outside of these nodules or pebbles shows traces of botryoidal structure, but the interior structure is not con- cretionary. They appear to be water worn pebbles around which a thin shell of limonitic material has been deposited. The interior of the pebbles is usually made of angular grains of soft white material, easily cut with a knife, and of bauxitic or halloysitic nature, sur- rounded by red bauxite which has the appearance of limonite, the whole being cut by later veinlets of a white, translucent mineral. The matrix is almost white, and is made up largely of grains of quartz sand, with a little white mica, cemented by bauxitic material. Although quartz is so abundant in the matrix, sand grains within the pebbles are rare, which suggests that the two materials were trans- ported and deposited together by the action of water. The distance of transportation, however, may have been very small.
A pit in the bank of the stream shows 5 feet of this material. Another pit, about 4 feet deep is at the top of the bank, 10 feet above the level of the stream. This pit shows that the red bauxite grades upward into a white, slightly indurated clay with large scattered nodules.
The base of the bauxite bed can not be seen, as the unconformity cuts down below the level of the branch. The next exposure of the Cretaceous, 7 feet lower, is very pure, white, plastic kaolin.
I E Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 55
Jomu Fbopkbtt
I'f W. A. Jones, of Gordon, adjoins th6 Dupree prop-
1. Hard lump bauxite, analTzad for PeosBlTBiiia Sajt MaDnfaetuiing Compuij,
at Natrons, Pennsylvania.
2, VeBtch, Otto, GeoL Surrey of Ga, Bull. 18, p. 446, 1909. 8-S2. Sample from 8-ineb twd of liard red bauxite in test pit.
lltmUL PBOPCKFT
Th.e liatmte deposit ou the property of J. R. MeNeal is ntnated tres£ of ttisX on the Jones property, across a amall vall.
The occurrence is similar to that just described. An area of a
56 Geological 8Usvet Of Geobgia
number of acres is strewn with fragments of hard red bauxite, some of which must have been derived from a bed at least 3 feet thick. Analyses show a composition very similar to the Dupree and Jones deposits..
Anaylds of red bauxite from the McNeal property
SiUca (SiOt) 17.97 16.02
Alumina (A1,0,) 43.12 43.98
Ferric oxide (Fe>0,) 18.73 15.43
Ignitioii 17.30 20.89
Titanium dioxide (TiOg) 2.72 1.89
99.84 98.21
Moisture 2.65 2.;;$)
Occasional fragments of hard, flinty, high grade bauxite are found, but none has been discovered in place. A pit 16 feet in depth, be- low the level of the main bauxite bed, was filled with water when visited, but the dump shows that the material penetrated was mostly porous, chalky, mealy or indurated clay, with at least one bed of red bauxite.
Butlib Pbofkbty
A small tract of land north of the McNeal deposit is owned by Judge Butler, of Irwinton. Several shallow pits have been sunk, showing only yellowish, slightly bauxitic clay, with occasional soft, light colored nodules.
Sheppabd Pbopebty
The property of J. M. and J. J. Sheppard adjoins the* Jones and Dupree places on the southeast.
The deposit differs from the others of the vicinity, as the bauxite is light colored. An area of a number of acres in the valley bot- tom is strewn with fragments of indurated clay and bauxite, some of the latter being of the high-grade pisoUtic variety with flinty
matrix.
There is one pit from which a carload of ore was shipped by
,ii
Veatch, Otto, Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 18, p. 446, 1909.
Bauxite Deposits Of The C0A/3Tal Plain 57
Hatfidd Brothera, of Irwinton. An average sample of the bed ex- posed in the pit, 4 feet in thickness, gave the following analysis :
Analysis of bauxite from ike Sheppard property
SUiea (SiO.) 25.06
Alumina (AIA) 49
Fenie oxide (iVA) 2.09
Ignitioii 21.30
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 2.00
90.7S Moifltiire
This bauxite is not nodnlar, but consists of iiregolar or shell- like, white, flinty concretions in a soft, grannlar, gray matrix. There is a little iron stain along fractures. The pit is at the foot of a gentle slope, so the overburden will not increase rapidly.
There is another pit, 150 feet east of the preceding, which shows 5 feet of very similar material. There are small lenses, usually about one foot thick and a few feet in extent, of high-grade baux- ite, but the indications are that it would be difficult to mine ore con- taining over 50 per cent of alumina.
The Sheppard, Jones and Dupree properties have been pros- pected by Maynard and Simmons, engineers, of Atlanta.
COLVlfBIA KAOLIN AND ALUMINUM COMPANT
(Map locality W-IO)
The property formerly owned by Mrs. Z. T. Miller has been pur- chased by the Columbia Kaolin and Aluminum Company, Walter Swindell, of Washington, D. C, being president. The location is 3 miles south of Gordon, and a tramway from Gordon was under con- struction during the summer of 1916. The intention is to mine both bauxite and kaolin.
A large area, at least half a mile in length, is strewn with frag- ments of indurated kaolin, and numerous small outcrops occur. Several shallow pits cut more or less indurated clay with scattered nodules.
Sb
Obolooical Sdrvet Of Oeosgja
Half a mile south of the public road is a hill 50 feet high, the eouth and west sides of which are strewn with fragments of hard, high grade, flinty bauxite, resembliag that of tbe AdkJns and J. U. Parker properties. A trench 120 feet long, with a maximnin depth of 20 feet has been dug in the southwest slope of the hill. The re- lations of the beds exposed- in the cut is shown in the accompanying sketch (fig 5).
tion on property of tbe Columbia KftOlin & AltuninniD Co., WiUia- >Triog relation of bauxite to kaolio.
seems to be due to the influence of the lens of resistant e following is the analysis of an average sample from d of bauxite exposed in the trench.
bauxite from the Columbia Kaolin and Aluminum Company property
a (810.) 10.92
nina (Al.O,) 57.26
ie oxide (Fe/>,) 1.13
tion 28.69
Dium dioxide (TiO,) 1.99
ysis shows an ore of good qtiahty for the manufacture
le quantity is not laie, as the bed, 8 feet thick, nnder-
e area of only an acre or two.
burden consists chiefly of argillaceous red sand, and
ed a thickness of 10 feet at any point.
I and nodular clay ia found on the property of J. W.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 59
Batchelor, Jr., and at other places in the vicinily of the Colxunbia Kaolin and Alnmirnim Company's property.
K. L. Stubbs Pbopebty
(Map locdUiy W-ll)
Bauxite occurs on the property of B. L. Stubbs, near Oconee Biver, about 9 miles north of Toomsboro. The occurrence has been examined by H. G. Parker, who states that bauxite boulders are found on the surface, but no bedded deposit has been discovered. The ore is finely pisolitic and of good quality, as shown by the follow- ing analysis of a sample taken from loose boulders :
Analysis of bauxite from R. L. Stubbs property
Silica (SiO,) 13.52
Alumina ( AlaO,) 67.19
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 48
Ignition 27.00
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.07
Moisture 09
Baldwin County
Ithbidqb Fbopebtt
(Map locaiity Ba-1)
On the property of J. I. Ethridge, 2 miles northeast of Stevens Pottery, is an occurrence of bauxite. An area of several acres on the north slope of a hill is strewn with float ore. A shallow pit at an altitude of 410 feet (aneroid reading), cuts only Tertiary sand. A second pit, 10 feet lower, cuts a foot of bauxite, with hard nodules predominating over the softer matrix, and grading down into iron stained kaolin. A third pit, 10 feet below the second, cuts a foot of clayey bauxite with hard nodules, also grading down into stained kaolin.
The ore found on the surface is hard, white, and apparently of good quality. The structure is coarsely pisolitic, with simple nod-
60 Gbolooical Susvet Of Gboegia
ales ov half an inch in diameter. The quantity in sight is too small to be of commercial valne, but the quality ia good, and it is not impossible that a workable bed migt be found by more care- ful prospecting.
Twiqq6 County
The Lower Cretaceous strata are exposed in all valleys in the northern part of Twiggs County, but up to the present no baux- ite likely to be of commercial value seems to have been discovered. At Myrick Mill on Big Sandy Creek, in the northesatem part of the county, is a bed of indurated, nodular clay which has superficial appearance very much like bauxite, but low alumina content. A part of the kaolin in the mine of the Georgia Kaolin Company is very slightly bauxitic.
Southwest from Twiggs County to Chattahoochee River the kaolin beds become less extensive, and no trace of bauxite is known.
Washington County
The area of bauxitization of the Cretaceous kaolin extends from Wilkinson County across the Oconee River into Washington County near Oconee station.
On the property of Dr. L. A. Orable and on the Elkins estate (Map locality Wa-1), 1 to 2 miles southwest of Sheppards Bridge over Buffalo Creek, are a number of exposures of more or less baux- itic, nodular and indurated clays. A few test pits have been dug, but no bauxite of workable grade has been found. Nevertheless, the area between Buffalo Creek and the Oconee River is worthy of care- ful examination.
Northeast from this point to Augusta ther are abundant expo- sures of Cretaceous kaolin, but traces of bauxitization were noted at only one point. In the lower portion of the kaolin bed at the plant of the Albion Kaolin Company, near Hephzibah, Richmond County, are a few scattered, hard nodules of bauxitic material.
Bavxits Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 61
Midway Bauxite Deposits
Geology Op The Midway And Wilcox Foemations>
Areal distribution. — The Midway occurs in a narrow belt, extend- ing from Fort Gaines on Chattahoochee River to Montezuma on Flint River, and thence a short distance into Houston County. The average width of the belt is 8 to 10 miles. It is the surface forma- tion over portions of Clay, Quitmai;, Stewart, Randolph, Marion, Schley, Webster, and Macon counties. The Wilcox formation extends from the vicinity of Fort Gaines to Flint River in the northeastern part of Sumter County. The width of the Belt of outcrop is on the average perhaps not more than 5 or 6 miles.
Stratigraphic relations. — The Midway formation rests unconform- ably upon the Upper Cretaceous. No conclusive physical evidence of an unconformity representing a considerable time interval be- tween the Cretaceous and Midway has yet been discovered in Georgia, but there is paleontologic evidence that this interval is as great as in adjoining States. Irregular contacts that appear to represent erosion unconformities between the two divisions were noted, espe- cially in the gullies north and west of Lumpkin, Stewart County. The strata of the basal Midway and the Upper Cretaceous seem to be lithologically similar and on account of the inadequate exposures considerable difficulty is experienced in determining the exact loca- tion and nature of the contact.
The Wilcox formation includes the strata lying between the Mid- way and the Claiborne. At Fort Gaines the Wilcox and the Midway are separated by a remarkable erosion unconformity, represented by holes in the white limestone of the Midway formation filled by black sandy clay of the overlying formation. Paleontologic and lithologic differences and the erosion unconformity furnish a sufficient basis for the separation of the formations at Fort Gaines. East of this locality, however, the paucity of the fossils, the fact that no uncon- formity could be discovered, and the unsatisfactory character of the
Abstracted from Geol. Survey of Qa. Bull. 26, pp. 216-236, 1911.
62 Qeolooical 8Ubvet Of Oeoboia
evidence furnished by the lithologic composition of the strata, has rendered the discrimination of the two formations very difficult; therefore, the boundary line as mapped is necessarily tentative.
Lithologic characters, — The Midway is mainly a marine forma- tion and consists of sands, clays, marls, and limestones. Much of the sand, however, has a fresh-water aspect. The lower part of the formation consists principally of sands and clays and the upper part consists of marls, days, and limestones, but there is such variety in the character of the sediments that sharp lines of division based upon lithology can not be drawn. Thin layers of flint interbedded with sands and clays were noted in the lower part. The sands are vari-colored, generally friable, and in several places contain lentic- ular, massive layers of white clay. In the lower part of the forma- tion limonite is rather widely distributed in the sands in the form of thin crusts and as hollow concretions having black, polished, and botryoidal interiors. The limestones are fossiliferous, usually very hard and generally highly arenaceous. Friable marl, made up of glauconite, quartz sand, clay, and shells occurs, and also laminated, black clay, and fullers earth. The limestones are conspicuous at several localities and are more abundantly fossiliferous than other parts of the formation. Individual beds of limestone in natural ex- posures are thin, from 2 or 3 to 25 feet in thickness, and are inter- bedded with clays, marls, and sands. Sands and clays make up by far the greater part of the beds. The lithologic character and the character of the fossils indicate a very shallow water deposition for the whole formation.
The Wilcox formation on Chattahoochee Biver is made up of sandy, glauconitic shell marl, dark colored, laminated, often lignitic, sandy clay, in places consolidated into mudstone, and usually dark or gray glauconitic and lignitic sand. The laminated clay exposed in the bluff at Fort Oaines can be traced northeastward, having in Randolph County north and west of Cuthbert the nature of fullers earth, which is locally glauconitic. Farther eastward in Schley and Macon counties and in the vicinity of Andersonville, the strata which
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 6B
might be referred to this formation on the basB of geographic posi- tion are mainly red and vari-colored sands with maasive beds of white clay, very pure and in the nature of sedimentary kaolin, bear- ing little resemblance to the strata on Chattahoochee Biver.
Aa a result of later investigations, these kaolin-bearing beds are believed to belong to the Midway formation, while the carbonaceous and pyritiferous beds of Copperaa Bluff represent the Wilcox.
Thickness. — The thieknesa of the Midway on Chattahoochee River was estimated by Langdon' at 218 feet. The width of the outcrop on Chattahoochee River is about 8 miles and it is believed that Langdon's estimate is nearly correct, but it is probably excessive rather than too small. The thickness of the whole ldway northeast- ward is probably greater, and while it can not be accurately estimated, is about 300 to 400 feet The width of the outcrop on Flint River is about 15 miles and it is not believed that an estimate of 400 feet is excessive. As recorded dips of the strata are variable, individual beds not continuous, and only a few well data available, no accurate estimate is possible.
It seems very probable that Langdon's estimate of 402 feet for the thickness of the Wilcox is excessive, in view of the small thick- ness of the formation at Fort Gaines, and from the fact that Vaughan haa determined Exogyra costata from the Blakely well at a depth of 500 to 510 feet. The thickness of strata between the Claiborne and the Mdway formations at Fort Gaines does not exceed 75 feet. It is difScult to form an accurate estimate of the thickness of the Wilcox formation as is true also of the Midway formation, for east of Chattahoochee River neither the base nor the top of the formation bos been accurately established. There is a natural exposure of the formation revealing an estimated thickness of 100 feet of strata at Peterscm Hill, 4% miles northwest of Cuthbert The maximum thickness at any place over the area of outcrop probably does not
of strata of Wil- verlapped by the
Qeo. SuTTsy of Ala.,
64 Geological Subvet Of Oeobgia
Claiborne, but afisuming that the strata lying between the Midway formation at Dripping Bluff and the Claiborne or Jackson forma- tions is Wilcox, the thickness is perhaps 100 feet. Considering the kaolin-bearing beds to be Midway, the thickness remaining for the Wilcox formation is even less than this estimate.
Both the Midway and Wilcox formations have a gentle dip to southeast, amounting to only a few feet per mile. On account of the slight inclination and the inconstancy of individual beds, it is not possible to make direct measurements of the strike and dip.
Physiographic expression. — The topography of the area under- lain by these formations is rather broken and hilly, somewhat similar to the Cretaceous area to the northward, and in contrast with the level topography of the areas to the southward underlain by Upper Eocene and Oligocene strata. A few limesinks occur in the vicinity of Fort Gaines and north of Cuthbert.
Paleontologic characters, — Both formations are poorly fossililer- ous. Thirteen invertebrate forms and one vertebrate (a turtle) have been reported from the Midway. Thirteen invertebrates make up the entire known fauna of the Wilcox. These fossils are found only in the limestone and chert beds, and are therefore of little value in cor- relating the kaolin and bauxite deposits.
Location and age of the bauxite deposits, — The bauxite deposits of the Lower Eocene are associated with a horizon of plastic to indu- rated and nodular, white, sedimentary kaolin and white kaolinic and micaceous sand which extends from Flint Biver in northern Sumter County through Macon County and the eastern part of Schley County. The kaolin beds of this horizon cap the hills near Ideal, Macon County, and dip beneath the level of Flint River a little below Copperas Bluff, Sumter County. During the time of forma- tion of these beds the depositional conditions were practically iden- tical with those which existed during the Lower Cretaceous period.
The exact age of the kaolin and bauxite deposits can not be stated with certainty. Along Chattahoochee River two Lower Eocene for- mations, the Midway and the Wilcox, are exposed, separated from
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 65
each other and from the underlying and overlying formations by recognizable unconformities. The beds contain sufficient fossils for definite identification. Along Flint River the calcareous and fossilif- erous Midway beds have been identified in bluflEs near Montezuma, but the presence of the Wilcox formation has not been positively determined by fossils.
White, sedimentary kaolin of sufficient purity for use as fire clay, if not pottery and paper clay, are recognized in both Midway and Wilcox formations. It is probable, although not absolutely certain, that all of the bauxite-bearing beds west of Flint River belong to o|ily one of these formations. These beds overlie the fossiliferous Midway beds, but are not klown to be separated from the latter by an unconformity. Like the Lower Cretaceous beds, the kaolin and associated sands are free from fossils. The bauxite and kaolin are overlain with marked unconformity by crossbedded red and white sand in the Sweetwater mine, and by the pyritiferous, sandy clay which forms the copperas bed" in Copperas BluflF. The former of these exposures of the unconformity was not opened up, and the lat- ter seems not to have been recognized by the authors of the Coastal Plain report. In this report these formations are classified respec- tively as Midway and Wilcox, although it is admitted as a possibility that the kaolin and bauxite may belong to the Wilcox and the over- lying sands to the Claiborne formation.
The bauxite deposits are in the form of rather small lenses in the kaolin, and are confined to the valleys of Sweetwater, Camper, and Buck creeks. The ridges between the creeks are capped by sand formations, so the likely places for prospecting are the middle and lower slopes of the valleys of the creeks and larger branches. East of Flint River no bauxite had been found, and the probability of its discovery is slight, .because the Wilcox formation and the upper part of the Midway have been removed by erosion, or are overlapped by latter deposits. Both formations disappear in Houston County. To westward the area in which bauxite may occur is not limited, but none has yet been discovered beyond the eastern part of Schley County, excepting at one locality in Stewart County.
66 Geological 8Ubvey Of Georgia
In general, all occurrences of white kaolin are likely to contain de- posits of bauxite, especially if the kaolin is indurated or has nodular structure. Bauxite is invariably associated with kaolin.
Descriptions Of Individual Deposits
Sumter County
Sweetwateb Ions
(Map locality S-t)
Location, — The mine is situated near the center of lot 187, miles west of Flint River, on the south slope of the valley of Sweet- water Creek, which here forms the boundary between Sumter and
w
Macon counties. It is miles by road from Andersonville, the nearest railroad station, but only miles from Republic Spur, on
the Central of Georgia Railway, where the ore is loaded.
The deposit was discovered and explored in 1912 by L. M. Rich- ard, and mining operations were started in May, 1914. The mine is operated by the Republic Mining and Manufacturing Company, 6. H. Harris b&ig the superintendent.
Geologic relations. — The bauxite has the form of a true bedded deposit, conformable with both underlying and overlying strata. The section exposed in the working face in November, 1914, is shown in the accompanying sketch (fig. 6).
T-*
Fig. 6. — Working face in Sweetwater mine, Sumter County, showing relation of bauxite to kaolin.
Section in Sweetwater bauxite mine
Feet Recent
7. Sandy soil lto2
WUcox formation
Bauxite Of Tbk Coastal Plain Of Georgia
Cturing Co.
TiLitM
J
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 67
6. Bed and yellow, clayey sand and very pore,
white sand, interbedded and crossbedded. ... 2 to 80
( Unconformity ) Midway formation
5. White, plastic kaolin. The maximum overburden at the time of examination was 30 feet, and the greatest thickness of kaolin was 20 feet, reaching almost to the surface at one point. For 2 or 3 feet below the unconformity the kaolin was stained and mottled with red and purple, but the lower part of the bed was pure and exceptionally free from grit to 20
4. Oradational phase, consisting of soft clay with small, soft nodules; contains also a few fer- ruginous concretions filled with soft granular material consisting of sulphur, marcasite, and ▼arious sulphates 1
2. More or less stained bautle" MpI|% ifSmi . downward into non-bauatic clay. ..II .'. .. . .v '
1. Covered interval to level of the creek 2(
The elevation of the bauxite hdSil/i'LfiiMQ sea level by aneroid measurement, which is approximately 100 feef below the rail- road ade at Andersonville.
In July, 1916, an area of 6 or 8 acres had been worked out giving a working face about 200 yards along. The section exposed remained about the same as that described, but the maximum overburden had increased to 45 feet, while the greatest thickness of the kaolin overlying the bauxite had decreased. The kaolin in sight was stained and not of as good quality as the thicker portion already stripped off and thrown away.
Geological 8Ubvet Of Georgia
ft5
t3
d
o
a S
a to
s
T
Bauxite Deposits Of Tee Coastal Plain 09
The accompanying map, figure 7 (after Bichard), shows the ex- tent of outcrop of the bauxite lens and its relation to the topography. Actual outcrops of the bedded ore are uncommon, but pits and bor- ings together with the bauxite fragments in the soil show that the bed is continuous around the slope, the distance between the most widely separated exx>osures being 1300 feet.
In 1916 the working face, 200 yards long, cut across the end of the hill in a northeast-southwest direction. The average overburden was at least 30 feet, and the ore bed varied between 5 and 6 feet in thickness, except at the edge where it had been partly cut away by the unconformity.
At pit No. 2 a little stripping had been in preparation for start- ing mining. There is here from 3 to 4 feet of workable ore, over- lain by plastic kaolin and grading downward into bauxitic clay.
At pit No. 3 the bauxite is also overlain by kaolin. Only 1 foot of ore is in sight ; this, however, does not represent the entire thick- ness of the bed.
Pit No. 4 shows 4 four feet of workable ore, which is apparently not the entire thickness. The bauxite is overlain by kaolin.
Drill hole No. 2 is said to have penetrated bauxite 8 feet thick at a depth of 45 feet.
The bed of ore is horizontal and shows only slight variations in thickness. The greatest thickness in the portion of the mine already worked out was 7 feet, while the maximum reported in borings is 8 feet. The thickness in the working face when last visited was a lit- tle less than formerly, the average being about 5 feet and the maxi- mum only 6 feet. Near the center of the face the ore thins to 4 feet on account of a rise in the underlying clay, the upper surface re- maining horizontal. The mass df clay forming the rise is finely nodular and iron stained. Above it the ore shows banding, produced by iron stains, at various angles, but the red bands do not enter the nodules. This banding appears to be original, and formed by the currents which deposited the ore. The rise in the base of the ore is circular and about 100 feet in diameter. This may mark the inlet
Oeolooical 8Ubvet Of Oeobgia
of the original source of the mineralizing solutions (hot or add spring), but unfortunately the structure of the underlying clay can not be seen.
The ore, — The best portion of the ore makes up a bed 3 or 4 feet thick. It is hard and conglomeratic in appearance, consisting of nod- ules of rather irregular shape, varying in size up to 14 inches, in a softer matrix which is locally iron stained. The volume of the nod- ules or pebbles is considerably greater than that of the matrix. When broken the nodules are seen to be compound, made up of hard, light gray, flinty material containing lighter colored and softer pisolites. The bauxite grades into white kaolin both upward and down- ward The upper gradational phase is thin, and the distance sepa- rating hard bauxite and plastic kaolin without nodules is only 1 to 2 feet. The lower gradational clay is more coarsely nodular and extends through a much greater distance, the clay being bauxitic for some feet below the floor of the mine.
.T&e following series of analyses shows the gradation, from the overlying kaolin down to the base of the workable portion of the bed.
Analyses of bauxite from Sweetwater mine
Constitutents
S-109
S-110
S-112 8-113 8-114
8-116 8-117
SiO, ... AlA .. FeA .. FeO ... MgO . . . CaO ... Na,0 .. K,0 ... Ignition TiO, ...
Total . . Moisture
tr.
tr.
tr. tr. 2.74 3.08
tr.
tr.
tr.
tr.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 71
These samples were taken from a vertical working face at one foot intervals. Sample S-111 is from the top of the hard ore bed; S-110, from the soft but nodular clay one foot above S-111; S-109, one foot higher than S-110, is white plastic kaolin, shown by analysis to be slightly bauzitic, although it shows no trace of nodular struc- ture. Samples S-111 to S-117 are from the face of ore as worked. The average of these samples from the ore bed is as follows :
Average analysis of seven samples from working face Sweetwater
mine
SiUca (SiO.) 11.80
Alumina (AljO.) 56.30
Ferric oxide (Fe,0.) 1.80
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 20
Magnesia (MgO) 02
Lime (CaO) 00
Soda (Na,0) tr.
Potash (K,0) tr.
Ignition 27.60
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.42
Moisture
Near the edges of the deposit, where the overlying impervious bed of kaolin has been cut away by the unconformity, the ore is badly stained by iron deposited from water percolating through the red sand. In the central part of the lens, however, the bauxite shows no sign of alteration by weathering.
In the southwest end of the pit a mass of bauxite containing con- siderable pyrite was encountered. The pyrite occurs principally within the nodules, sometimes in crystals visible to the naked eye, but mostly so finely divided as to appear only as a gray stain. Micro- scopic examination shows that the pyrite occurs as small cubes and octahedra forming the nuclei of the smaller oolites, as veinlets filling fractures in the pisolites, and as very fine, disseminated grains. (See detailed description, p. 101 and PI. X, A, B and C.)
The quantity of pyrite is sufficient in some places to give deter-
J
72 Geologic Al Subvey Of Geoboia
ininationB of over four per cent ferric oxide, or more than is con- tained in the red-stained bauxite around the edges of the deposit.
The ore in the southwest part of the face ia becoming more clayey, and appears to be grading into kaolin. .On this account the average grade of ore is not quite so high as in the earlier part of the work.
Development and methods, — The mine and other pits have been previously described. Two trestles lead from the mine and pit No. 2 across the valley of Big Branch to the drier.
All work, both mining and stripping, is done by manual labor, although this is apparently not the most economical means of han- dling an overburden which averages 30 feet of soft material over a large area. A little blasting is done to loosen the overlaying kaolin, but this would probably not be necessary if steam shovels were used. The overburden is dumped into the valley of Big Branch and into the worked-out part of the pit.
A small amount of ore around the edge of the pit is mixed with the superficial sand and clay. This portion is passed' over a screen of one-fourth inch mesh, that passing through the screen being re- jected. Some bauxite is lost by this method, but the quantity of such ore is so small that it would not pay to install a washer. Most of the ore goes to the drier without any preliminary treatment.
All of the ore is put through a rotary drier, 30 feet long and 3 feet in diameter, which is heated by a wood fire. This removes all of the hygroscopic and a part of the combined water, bringing the percentage of alumina up to between 58 and 60 per cent.
The dried ore is hauled to the railroad with a four-ton motor truck, which is able to make, in dry weather, one round trip per hour, or ten trips a day.
Most of the ore contains less than two per cent of ferric oxide, and is used principally in the manufacture of alum and other alum- inum salts. The ore carrying more than two per cent of ferric oxide is used in making aluminum.
Tonnage estimate. — The outcrop of ore has a length of 1300 feet, so the deposit may safely be assumed to have the form of a half cir-
Bavxite Of The Coa.8Tal Plai\ Of Oeorqia
a CLOSK VIKW OF BAUXITE DRIER AND
Bin, Sweetwater Mine.
The New York
Pubucubrarti
Mtm, U
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 73
cular lens of that diameter. Assuming an average thickness of four feet and 15 cubic feet of ore per ton, the tonnage would be 175,000. This is a reasonable estimate of the amount of ore in the deposit, but it may not all be available, because the overburden reaches a thickness of 60 feet over a part of the assumed area.
The production of the mine recently has been about 1,000 tons per month.
Thigpen Lot
(Map locality 8-g)
Lot 214, known as the Thigpen lot, lies west of lot 186. Sweet- water Creek crosses the northeastern corner of the lot, but all of the bauxite is on the south, or Sumter County, side of the creek. The Republic Mining and Manufacturing Oompfiiny hens the refusal of the deposit, but no mining has yet been done.
The bauxite deposit lies acrops the vaUey of Big Branch from the Sweetwater mine, and at the same altitudA. rThere is a possibility that the two deposits may have been continuous before the valley was cut.
Outcrops or indications of bauxite in the form of nodules and boulders in the soil are found for a distance of 3,000 feet around the contour of the hill, while a straight line joining the ends of the exposures measures 1,750 feet.
Pit No. 1 (See map, fig. 7) is at the summit of a small knoll, which is covered with blocks of hard bauxite. The pit exposes 5 feet of bauxite, overlain by only a few inches of sandy soil. The ore is hard at the top, becoming softer and more clayey, with small and scattered, but hard, nodules toward the bottom. It appears to be rather badly iron-stained, on account of the lack of impervious over- burden, although the iron content is really low. An average sample of the 5-foot bed was taken for analysis.
Analysis of bauxite, pit No. 1, Thigpen lot
S-118
SUica (SiO.) 8.30
Alumina (A1,0,) 57.45
74 Qsoloqical 8Ubvey Of Oeobgia
m
Feme oxide (FeiOg) 1.77
Ignition 30.01
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.72
Moisture 58
Pit No. 2 is across the old plantation road, 800 feet southeast of Pit. No. 1.
Section in pit No. 2 Thigpen lot
Feet
3. Yellow daj soil 2
2. Finely nodular white clay, like that overlying the
bauxite in Sweetwater mine 1
1. Bauxite 4
The bottom of the pit was filled with water at the time of exami- nation, so the bauxite may be thicker than indicated by the section.
Pit No. 3 is a cut in the hillside northeast of No. 1, showing 4 feet of bauxite.
Although the ore body has not been very thoroughly explored, the ore seems to be of approximately the same grade as that on lot 187. The location is more favorable for working than at the Sweet- water mine, as the maximum overburden is less than its increase on working back from the outcrop will be more gradual. The outcrop is more extensive than at the mine, but the bed seems to be thinner, and its continuity throughout the area between outcrops is somewhat
doubtful.
f
Easteblin Mine
(Map locality S-S)
The property of B. F. Easterlin of Andersonville comprises nine land lots, but bauxite is known to occur only on lot 277, on the south side of Sweetwater Creek, 3V miles from Flint River and 3.8 miles, by road, east of Andersonville, the shipping point. The deposit has been known since 1912, but continuous mining was not started until March, 1916. The mine is operated independently by Mr. Easterlin.
The bauxite outcrop is 30 feet above the level of Sweetwater
Bavxite Deposits Of Tee Coastal Plain 78
Creek, and is a little higher than the deposita on lots 187 and 214. The geologic relations are similar, the defHudt being a lens of banz- ite in a of kaolin.
On account of the hardness of the ore and lack of overburden ever a considerable area, the depotdt makes a great surface show- ing. Bauxite caps a small knoll and outcrops around the slope of a hill, aa shown on the map (fig. 8), and section (fig. 9).
g, 8, EcLBterlin propertjr, Sumter Connt, sbowing diatribution of bauxite
deporits. Ntunbered pita are deflcribed in the tzt Slap by L. If. Biehard.
Hg. 9. — Section od EastnUn property, along line A-B, flg. 8.
Geological Subvey Of Geosoia
Pit No. 1, from which 150 tons of ore was shipped some years ago, shows the following section:
Section in pit No. 1, Easterlin property
Feet
3. Sandy toil . . . . / 2
2. Hard, finely nodular bauxite with gray, flinty matrix 1% 1. Coarsely nodular bauxite with jBofter matrix, becom- ing olayey toward the bottom 2
Analyses of bauxite from pit No. 1, EasterUn property
SiUca (SiO,) 7.63
Alumina (AW,) 57.67
Ferric oxide (FeiO,) 2.89
Ignition 28.97
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 2.80
Moisture
8-119 — Average of bed No. 2 in aboe section. 8-120 — Average of bed No. 1 in above section.
Pit No. 2 is 4 feet deep, cutting 2 feet of stained, coarsely nodu- lar bauxite, which grades downward into stained, nodular clay.
Pit No. 3 exposes 2 feet of bauxite consisting of hard nodules in a soft, stained, clayey yatrix. This ore would probably require wash- ing.
Pit No. 4 shows 1 foot of material similar to that in No. 3.
Pit No. 5 is below the bauxite horizon, and cuts only mottled, sandy clay.
Pit No. 6 on the edge of the bauxite knoll, cuts 2 feet of hard red bauxite, underlain by mealy clay of a bright maroon color. Samples were taken from the bauxite and red clay, 6 inches apart.
Analyses of bauxite from pit No. 6, EasterUn property
SiUca (SiO.) 18.29
Alumina (AlA) *7.88
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 7.39
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 82
Magnesia (MgO) 08
BAUXITE OF THE COASTAL PLAIX OF GEORflfA
The Nlw Yori
Public Ubrart
MTM, t TILMN
fOUHPATfHt
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 77
lime (CaO) 00 00
Sodiiim oxide (Na,0) 06 14
Potassiuin oxide (K0) 04 12
Ignition 23.65 16.95
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.08 2.22
99.79 99.87 Moisture 42 64
Pit No. 7 is also at the edge of the bauxite, showing 1 foot of ore in place, underlain by indurated, maroon colored clay.
Pit No. 8 is at the summit of the knoll, and cuts 4% feet of work- able bauxite, which grades downward into mealy, yellow clay. As in pit No. 1, the upper part of the ore is hard and finely nodular, while the lower part is coarsely nodular, with hard pisolites in a softer matrix.
A boring 200 feet southeast of pit No. 1 penetrated 40 feet of
sand and clay, without cutting aiy bauxite, showing that the extent
of the ore lens into the larger hill is small.
The overburden on the knoll is aioaost nothing, and on the larger hill it will not exceed 12 feet; On account of the light overburden all of the bauxite in the knoll and a large proportion of that around the slope is badly stained by iron carried down by surface water, and a part of the bed had originally high iron content, as shown in pit No. 6. There is little **alum ore,'' containing less than two per cent of ferric oxide in sight, and it is doubtful if any considerable amount will be found. Besides the high iron content, roots have opened up crevices in the hard ore, which have become filled with sand. This will necessitate washing or screening a large part of the ore.
Up to July 10, 1916, about 1,000 tons of ore had been mined and shipped, all of which was taken from the knoll. There was no real working face in the mine, but the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest exposures of good bauxite was 8 feet. This is. greater than the thickness shown in the pit at the top of the knoll, the greater thickness around the edges being apparently due to the creep of masses of ore down the slope. Most of the ore shipped
78 Geological 8Ubvet Of Oeobgia
has consisted of boulders and hard nodules obtained by screening the sandy soiL It is shipped without drying or other preliminary treatment except the screening of the sandy portion.
The bauxite exposed in the workings from which the soil has been stripped is coarsely nodular or gravel ore, similar to that of the Sweetwater mine, except that its color tends more to red or yellow. An average sample of bedded ore was taken from a shallow cut in the top of the knoll, and represents approximately the grade being shipped. This ore is high grade with respect to alumina, and the iron content is by no means excessive.
Analysis of bauxite from the Easterlin mine
SiUea (SiO.) 5.65
Alumina (AlA) 60.22
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 2.42
Ignition 29.50
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.91
Moisture 90
Hodges Pbopebty
(Map locality 8-4)
Bauxite is reported on the property of A. F. Hodges, near the Dixie Highway bridge over Sweetwater Creek, one mile south of Andersonville. A sample, consisting principally of hard pisolites, was sent to the Survey by Mr. Hodges. The analysis is as follows :
Analysis of bauxite nodules from Hodges property
SiUca (SiO,) 4.34
Ferric oxide (FeA) 1-13
Magnesia (MgO) 00
Lime (CaO) 00
Ignition 31.12
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.73
Moisture 85
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 79
Macon County
There are two groups of bauxite deposits in Macon County. One group is in the southern part of the county very close to the Sumter County line, along Boggy Branch, a tributary of Camper Creek, and the other is in the central part of the county in the valley of Buck Creek.
KALBFLEISGH COBPORiLTION PBOPXBTT
(Map locality M-l)
Two small properties purchased in 1915 by the National Bauxite Company and later transferred to the Kalbfleisch Corporation, of Chattanooga, Tenn., ai*e situated on the south slope of Boggy Branch, miles north of Andersonville and 1% miles from the closest point on the Central of Georgia Railway.
The bauxite exposures are found in two spurs of a hill, running north toward Boggy Branch, with a slight valley between. The altitude of the bauxite bed is 360 feet above sea level by aneroid measurement, and from 10 to 15 feet above the surface of the branch.
On the first, or northeast, spur of the hill loose nodules and large blocks of hard bauxite are found in the soil covering a part of the slope. Six test pits have been dug in a cleared field, but these are below the horizon of the bedded bauxite and cut only mealy, stained kaolin. One pit a little higher penetrates the bed of bauxite in place, showing 3 feet of ore which consists of very hard nodules or pebbles, averaging an inch in diameter, in a softer, rather clayey matrix. The composition of an average sample is as follows:
Analysis of bauxite from the National property
S-123
SiUca (SiO,) 14.47
Alumina (A1,0.) 54.57
Ferric oxide (Fe,0.) 1-93
Ignition 26.93
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 1.63
Moisture .60
80 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
The second spur is located about 200 yards southwest. Explora- tion work shows that the bauxite bed extends for a distance of 200 yards around the slope. Most of the work has been done by boring, but one pit penetrates the thickness of the deposit. The ore resem- bles that in the Sweetwater mine, consisting of very hard, compound nodules an inch or more in diameter, in a softer matrix, and grades into mealey kaolin both upward and downward. The layer contain- ing hard pebbles is 3 feet thick but the entire workable thickness may be as much as 4 or 5 feet. An average sample taken from 3 feet of the bed showing the best ore gave the following analysis:
Analysis of bauxite from the National property
Silica (SiO,) 18.08
Alumina (A1,0,) 52.24
Ferric oxide (Fe,0.) 1.62
Ignition 25.73
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.64
Moisture 1.10
Both exposures of bauxite here described may belong to one Jarge lens, or fhey may represent two smaller lenses, as the develop- ment work does not prove the continuity of the ore in the interven- ing depression. In any case, an area of 3 or 4 acres in the south- west deposit, and probably a little less in the other, is underlain by bauxite, whose thickness is not known to be anywhere more than 4 feet. All of the ore is low in iron but has rather high silica content. The slope of both spurs is steep, the overburden in each reaching a thickness of 40 feet about 100 yards back from the outcrop, and if the deposit is sufficiently extensive, the overburden will increase to 60 feet.
The deposit was opened by the Kalbfleisch Corporation in the spring of 1916, and about 1,000 or 1,200 tons of ore shipped.
. Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 81
English Fbopsbty
(Map locality M-)
:y of Charles and Albert English lies on the north Branch, just opposite the National Bauxite Company's . 'viously described.
,()sit is small, but of fair quality and favorably located with
transportation. Exploration work has been principally
irs, 80 that not much of the deposit is visible, but workable
" 6 feet thick is said to underlie an area of an acre. The fol-
i: is an analysis of a sample taken from a pit near the branch,
I'e a 2-foot bed of the best looking bauxite is exposed:
Analysis of bauxite from the English property
S-Uo
SiUca (SiO,) 16.70
Alumina ( Al.O.) .' 53.12
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 1.33
Ignition 26.41
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.80
This ore is similar to that across the branch, consisting of hard pebbles in a clayey matrix.
The slope of the hill to north is gentle, and the overburden of the area likely to be underlain by bauxite is light, probably not ex- ceeding 5 feet on the average.
Kleckley Property
(Map locality MS)
The property of J. L. Kleckley is situated on the south slope of the valley of Buck Creek in the western part of lacon County, 8V2 miles west of Oglethorpe and 9i/> miles east of EUaville. The ex- posures of bauxite are on lots 24 and 37, 29th district.
The lower slopes on these lots consist of more or less pure kaolin and fire clay, prevailingly white and containing lenses of indurated nodular clay and bauxite, mantled by a few feet of gray or red
80 Geological Subvey Of Georgia
The second spur is located about 200 yards southwest. Expl tion work shows that the bauxite bed extends for a distance oi yards around the slope. Most of the work has been done by Ix but one pit penetrates the thickness of the deposit. The ore bles that in the Sweetwater mine, consisting of very hard, coi' nodules an inch or more in diameter, in a softer matrix, aii<' into mealey kaolin both upward and downward. The layer ing hard pebbles is 3 feet thick but the entire workable may be as much as 4 or 5 feet. An average sample taken f of the bed showing the best ore gave the following analys
Analysis of bauxite from the National proper
Silica (SiO.)
Alumina (AlaOg)
Ferric oxide (FeA)
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
Moisture
Both exposures of bauxite here described i large lens, or fhey may represent two smaller Ic ment work does not prove the continuity of tin ing depression. In any case, an area of 3 or west deposit, and probably a little less in t by bauxite, whose thickness is not known to 4 feet. All of the ore is low in iron but has r The slope of both spurs is steep, the overlr thickness of 40 feet about 100 yards back f i deposit is sufficiently extensive, the overl feet.
The deposit was opened by the Ki\ spring of 1916, and about 1,000 or 1,20-
Uoperty. Macon County.
Property, Macon County.
Ss Geoloqical Sdsvet Of Obosqia
sand. The hills are capped by red sand of the Wilcox formation which overlies the white clays unconformably.
The prospec hillside sloping northwest of K The accompau} the location o work and prob deposit (fig. 10
A detailed openings is as ]
Prospect Nc feet in length at the head, shi section in the h
Fig. 10. — Sketch maip ihomng baux- ite sxploT&tloii work on the Kleckle; propertT-, Lot 87, Maeon Conn. Nnmberad pita and boriogs are de- scribed in tbe text.
Section of prospect JVo. 1
4. Band aoll
5, Light-colored clayey bftoxite with acattered nodut'
not quite ao bud aa the CTetaceopa "chitnT
roeli" of Wilkinson Count/, wbieh tt reeemli
In texture
2. Tallow, finely nodular, ela,
the same textnre as tbe
wbieb appears to weath
approaebea tbe surface i 1. Pink or pale maroon, fini
The nodules are almost
tban the matrix
Prospect No. 2 ifl a pit 4 feet containi lai, hard, ferruginous Htains.
Prospect No. 4 is a pit 2 feet i pebbles and loose nodules of bard
Prospect No. 5 is a pit 2 feet i of indurated clay with scattered i
No. 6.
ixite d kaolin. IS foDows :
' of vialt 3
.]u3t above the water level
imioa.
cutting 3 feet of sandy aoil
hbles of indurated clay and
4 feet of nodolar kaolin. The
. and ferruginoos, with maroon
individual nodules and groapB
Geological Survey Of Georgia
Prospect No. 11 is a boring which struck bauxitic material at 5y2 feet.
Prospect No. 12 is a boring showing bauxitic material at feet.
Prospect No. 13 is a boring which reached white kaolin, npt ap- parently bauxitic, at 28 feet.
Prospect No. 14 is a boring showing pink bauxitic clay at 25 feet.
Prospect No. 15 is a boring with hard bauxitic material at 18 feet.
Prospect No. 16 is a boring which struck hard material at 9 feet.
The analyses of samples from this locality are as follows :
An(Uys€s of bauxite from lot 37, Kleckley property
Constituents
S-136
Silica (8iOa)
Alumina (AlaOt)
Ferric oxide (FctO,)
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
8-135 — Average sample from 3V2-foot bed of bauxite in the bottom of pros- pect No. 6.
8-136— Average sample of beds Nos. 2 and 3, prospect No. 1.
8-137 — Average sample of bed No. 1, prospect No. 1.
8-139 — Average sample of the lower 6 feet of bed No. 2, prospect No. 8.
The exploration work covers an area of about 4 acres, and shows that this area is underlain by a large deposit of clayey bauxite carrying 40 to 50 per cent alumina with average content of ferric oxide less than two per cent. There is apparently only a small amount of bauxite of better than 50 per cent grade, and a very little above 55 per cent. All is probably too siliceous for use as aluminum ore. On account of the rather low grade of the ore, the heavy overburden, and the haul of at least 8 miles to the nearest railroad, this deposit is hardly worth working at the present price of bauxite; but it is almost certain to be worked in the future.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 85
The exposure of bauxite on lot 24, known as the "Stone Spring" locality, is a mile northwest of Kleckley's residence. A trench in the hillside 50 feet from Stone Spring" exposes a thickness of 10 feet of rather soft, finely pisolitic bauxite, with nodules averaging one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. The composition of an average sample is as follows :
Analysis of bauxite from lot 24
SiUca (SiO.) 14.77
Alumioa ( A1,0.) 53.70
Ferric oxide (FsaO.) 2.10
Ignition 23.13
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.65
The hill slopes to north, and 200 feet south of the pit is a gully exposing 20 feet of sandy, micaceous, iron-stained kaolin above the level of the bauxite. This is overlain unconformably by 30 feet of red sand. However, the slope is gentle, so the overburden will not increase rapidly. Several borings on the slope above the bauxite exposure passed through the kaolin and struck a water-bearing sand stratum, which could not be penetrated by the auger, at about the level of the top of the bauxite bed.
As bauxite is exposed at only one point, it is impossible to make any estimate of the quantity; but the bed is much thicker and ap- parently more uniform in composition than that on lot 37. The aluminum content could easily be brought up to over 55 per cent by drying. The iron content is a little high for an alum ore, but it is likely that the percentage will decrease on working back into the bed. If this deposit is found to have any considerable extent along the strike it should be of more value than the apparently larger deposit on lot 37.
Robinson Pboperty
The property of Mrs. Mary iRobinson adjoins the Kleckley prop- erty on the south. There are indications of a small deposit of baux-
Geological 8Vhvey Of Georgia
Prospect No. 11 is a boring which struck bauxiti
5y2 feet.
Prospect No. 12 is a boring showing bauxitic in;r
feet.
Prospect No. 13 is a boring which reached whitr
parently bauxitic, at 28 feet.
Prospect No. 14 is a boring showing pink bauxit Prospect No. 15 is a boring with hard bauxitic Prospect No. 16 is a boring which struck har
The analyses of samples from this locality ar-
Analyses of bauxite from lot 37, KU
( I
Constituents
BiHca (8iO.)
Alumina (A1|0b)
Feme oxide (FeA)
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
8-135 — Average sample from 3Vl-foot pect No. Q.
8*136— Average sample of beds Nos. 8-137 — Average sample of bed No. 1, i 8-139 — Average sample of the lower
The exploration work covers i. that this area is underlain by carrying 40 to 50 per cent ali oxide less than two per cent. '! of bauxite of better than 50 55 per cent. All is probabl On account of the rather h*- and the haul of at least s y& hardly worth working' almost certain to be woi
Jl
for
along
luanch,
Tlie rela-
ixitic clay
oinpanying
is exposed in
i)ottom of the hill
iMiis pit cuts 5 feet
21 feet additional.
undant but rather soft,
1 lowing is an analysis of
1:
" Coastal I'Lais
9S.S9
ove described the kaolin
t-ral pits show iudorated
cuts 5 feet of hard material
1-ufit-like concretions. Thia
analyffla shows it to have the
Jurated by deposition of silica.
kaolin from Park estate
S-144
4Lm
: 16.03
TiO.) 2.3S
97.S0 '
iit the bansdte discovered conmsts of two very
of the area of indurated kaolin. The slope
P, so the overburden will increase rapidly. The
iy of bauxite containing 50 to 52 per cent alumina
Aliile there is a considerable amount of bauxitie clay
' per cent alumina. Analyses of the two best samples
.Maynard and Simmons from this property are as fol-
Analt/ses of best bauxite from Park estate
Silica (SiO,) 16.40 19.25
Alumina (AI.O,) 51,90 50.18
Ferric OJdde (Fe,) 2.00 1.60
Geological 8Ubvey Of Georgia
it on the boundary between the two properties, the the bed lying under a hill on the Robinson propert feet south of the boundary line cut 4 feet of sand by 2 feet of stained kaolin which grades downwa- low grade bauxite, consisting of scattered hard n( of kaolin. As nothing of possible commercial v. samples were taken ; the locality, however, is wort pecting.
Park Pboperty
(Map loccUity M-4)
There is an occurrence of bauxite on the t Park, 22 miles southwest of the Kleckley pr* of Ellaville, the nearest railroad station. Ti. small branch on the west side of lot 83, 29tli
The pre
ly exploi
mons, oi
pits an
holes.
a dist
the si
whic!
tioiis
are Fig. 11. Map of the Park estate,
Macon County, by Maynard and Bininions, showing location of baux- ite prospects.
at the southeast end of the prosp< of bauxite, and a boring in the The material is pale yellow, with averaging half an inch in diamet* an average sample from the 5 fo
"Vy IAN LOT UM€
t
KAU M rcer.
#
is
W.
houses
hile in
lie level
O/At 89
discovered, but e likely to be asso-
a the property of J. T. .rth of the BUaville-Ogle- ullaville.
area. One thousand feet
IS covered with bouders with
iht red, hard,' finely nodular
. lea penetrated 4 feet of white,
ferruginous sandstone, showing
a higher horizon. South of the
lit cuts 3 feet of sandy soil over-
ixite is of medium hardness, con-
verage size, one-fourth inch) in a
lueh softer than the boulders, the
this stratum by surface hardening.
u:ently to southward, and will not ex-
eral acres.
d a number of pits at higher level than tly bauxitic clay. One pit, 500 feet east with the boulder exposure cuts light yel-
The pit was partly filled, so the thick- ted, and the sample had to be taken from
p. ses indicate the grade of ore which may be
88 Geological 8Ub7Et Of Geobgia
Ignition 29.94 27.29
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 1.00 1.50
101.24 99.77
Morton Pbopsrty
Bauxite has been discovered on the property of J. S. Morton, of Byromville, Georgia. The property is lot 119, 29th district, Macon County, situated in the extreme southern part of the county, and the deposit belongs to the Camper Creek group.
Samples of nodular clay and bauxite were sent to the Survey by Mr. Morton. Analyses of these samples are given below. The baux- ite resembles in texture that from other deposits along Camper and Sweetwater creeks. It consists of hard, compound pisolites up to one inch in diameter in a softer matrix. The samples appear to have
been taken from surface boulders, and the extent of the deposit is not known.
Analyses of clay and bauxite from Morton property
SiUca (810,) 43.22 10.53
Alumina (A1,0,) 38.05 56.45 '
Ferric oxide (Pe,0,) 1.23 1.23
Magnesia (MgO) 08 .08
Lime (CaO) 04 .06
Ignition 13.82 29.21
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 2.73 2.34 i
99.17 99.90
Moisture 44 .72 i
IDEAL LOCALmSS
(Map locality MS)
On the north side of Whitewater Creek, 2 miles northeast of Ideal, are exposures of both soft and indurated nodular kaolin, which is only slightly bauxitic. Exploration work has been done on the W. A. Aldrich and Chapman-Hardison properties. The bauxite lenses near the top of the Midway formation here cap the hills, while in the southern part of the county they are only a little above the level of the creeks.
>.i
'j
*fi(UST.
option by
\-U miles west
lewart County.
ilj'ses are avail-
v he expected in
if the Macon and
Acteristics
greatly in color and tex- classification of the north to the ores of the Coastal
to structure, Hayes classified
.lile, (2) pisolitic, (3) oolitic, (4)
riie varieties of ore pass into one
'ns, and in general a single deposit
ties. All of the ore is characterized
lie elay-like and granitic varieties re-
lot being found in the Coastal Plain.
:iixites are described as follows:
Geological Subvey Of Georgia
Constituents
S-141
S-142
S-148
Silica (SiO.)
Alumina (A1,0)
Ferric oxide (Fe,Oi)
Ifirnition
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
8-141 — Average sample from surface boulders of hard bauxite. S-142 — Average sample from 3% feet of bauxite in pit south of the boulder area.
S-143 — Light-colored bauxite from pit 500 feet east of the plantation road.
All of the ore is siliceous and ferruginous, but there ,is a consider- able amount containing between 50 and 55 per cent of alumina in its natural state. Bauxite is shown up at two points, 1,500 feet apart, and there is a possibility that it is continuous throughout the inter- vening area. Even if not continuous, there are two lenses which may be expected to yield a considerable tonnage, while the over- burden is light as compared with deposits which are being worked. The haul to Ellaville, the nearest point on the railroad, is 5.7 miles, over a good road without heavy grades, which would not be prohib- itive for a good grade of ore.
Hollow Ay Pbopebty
(Map locality *Sc-S)
On the property of G. W. Holloway, situated in the southern part of Schley County, between LaCrosse and AndersonviUe, is an exposure of bauxitic material of unusual character. It is hard and nodular. The color is yellow, showing that the large percentage of iron occurs as yellow limonite. The bed is 4 or 5 feet in thickness, and the outcrop extends for about 100 feet around the slope of a hill.
Analysis of bauxite from Holloway property
Silica (SiO,)
bat ocea-
often
)ends
t' piso-
s which
vesicular
only those
'f the north
i oolites, but
uiin all possess
ds of the truly
oiu a microscopic
principally amor-
' pears amorphous to
'u to be made up of
s is truly amorphous,
this term can not be
Coastal Plain deposits.
varies with the alumina
(1, because some of the non-
is are indurated by silicifica-
of the nodules in the highest
of the deposits, have a hardness
I about equal to flourite ffour in
w interior of the deposits are not
oulders and the bedded deposits for
liave undergone case-hardening" by
inute amounts of silica and alumina as
t by rain and baked by the sun.
94 Geological Survey Of Georgia
From the maximum hardness of four the material varies, with decrease of alumind and increase of silica content, to that of plastic kaolin, which has a hardness of about one, when dried.
Color
The color of the bauxite varies from tones of pale gray, buflf, and brown to deep red. The color depends in a general way on the iron content, but it is not always a safe criterion for judging the percent- age of iron. A given amount of iron carried in by surface water and spread as a film of limonite over the surfaces of the nodules and along fractures has a much greater coloring effect than an equal amount originally present in the ore, which is disseminated through the entire mass and probably replaces aluminum. Some of the gray ores contain minute, disseminated crystals of pyrite, so that their iron content is higher than that of other ore which is stained red by super- ficial coatings of iron oxide around the nodules.
Some of the deposits are stained dark gray or black near the sur- face by infiltration of organic matter, but such stains do not materially affect the composition.
Microscopic Structure
The structure of the bauxite as revealed in thin sections under the microscope is fully as important as the megascopic features on which the preceding classification is based, particularly in its bear- ing on the origin of the deposits. For this reason rather detailed descriptions of slides of several types of ore are here given.
Specimen 8-44. — This is a hard, high grade, pisolitic bauxite from the J. U. Parker property, Wilkinson County. The specimen prob- ably contains over 60 per cent AljOs, and approximately two per cent each of SiO„ FcjOs, ad TiO,. It has a light brownish gray color, with numerous pisolites reaching a maximum size of about 1 cm. Pisolites and matrix are of the same color and hardness, so that the whole mass breaks with a hackly fracture, and the pisolites are hardly distinguishable in the hand specimen. Some of the pisolites are hard throughout, and soft nuclei, when present, are very small.
SAME AHEA AS A. REFLECTEn LIGHT.
. SEC. S-ZI2. LAItUE BAUXITE PISOLITE MAnt.- rit. ,.r.- .., .
MITTED LrCHT. MAGNIFIED 11 DIAMETERS ""'I-'TiC MATERIAL. THANS-
'. SEC. 8-75. A BAUXITE PISOLITE I ARCPr v uii-r ,
CROSSED NICHOLS. MAGNIFIED itAMETlls ™ GIBBSITE.
Tqu
Qkcubrar'
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 95
Microscopically, the ore is seen to be made up basically of amor- phous, flocculent grains, and the larger structures are due to the arrangement and degree of compactqiess of these grains. The ma- terial is translucent, yellowish brown by transmitted light, milky white by reflected, the color being due to finely divided iron and tita- nium minerals.
The section cuts two large pisolites, each 8 mm. in diameter, and made up of six or eight irregularly concentric shells, varying in thickness from almost nothing to 1 mm. The outer portion of each shell is denser and more opaque than the inner, but the outer shell of each nodule is notably more transparent than the inner ones.
Scattered through the material of the nodules are angular grains made up of finely crystalline gibbsite (the crystalline form of this mineral is sometimes called hydrargillite). The largest grains noted are 0.25 mm.* in length, but they are made up of numerous crystals.
The mineral identified as gibbsite i# transparent, and has indices of refraction almost equal to that of Canada biBilsam, with moderate birefringence giving gray to yellow interference -colors. The indi- vidual crystals are negatively elongated with maximum extinction angles of about 25°. Many crystals show twinning along one set of planes, a few show two sets of twinning bands like the combined albite and pericUne twinning in feldspars. A poor interference figure was observed, showing positive character, with optic angle very small, if not 0.
The centers of the nodules are cut by numerous cracks which show some slight tendency toward radial and concentric arrangement. Almost all of them stop abruptly before reaching the outer shell of the nodule. The cracks are due to shrinkage of the soft interior of the nodiUe during the process of drying and cementation. In many cases these fractures cut across the areas of crystalline gibbsite, show- ing that the gibbsite grains formed a part of the original structure of the nodule. The fractures are filled with transparent, very fine grained, non-ferruginous material, almost amorphous, although with the highest power of the microscope portions of it shows traces of
96 Geological Survey Of Georgia
double refraction. It is evidently amorphous or cryptocrystalline gibbsite, differing from the mass of the nodule only in the absence of iron.
The matrix between the large nodules, apparently amorphous to the naked eye, is made up principally of oolites from 0.5 mm. in diameter down to exceedingly minute spherical aggregations of ore granules. Only the larger of the oolites are made up of concentric bands. Most of them have no definite nucleus, but in some cases the amorphous material has been deposited around a small mass of crystal- line gibbsite, possibly an altered fragment of feldspar, or around a grain of ferro-magnesian mineral (amphibole or pyroxene).
The spaces between the oolites, once cavities, have incrustations of crystalline gibbsite, and the centers are filled with cryptocrystal- line, transparent material like that filling fractures within the large nodules. The gibbsite incrustations are uniform and continuous around the walls of the cavities, and are 0.03 to 0.06 mm. in thick- ness, consisting of needle-like crystals elongated perpendicular to the walls.
Accessory minerals noted were apatite, zircon, muscovite, and ferro-magnesian minerals. Quartz and feldspar do not occur in the slide as determinable individuals. No titanium minerals are deter- minable in this or other bauxite slides, although the TiOg content in- variably ranges from two to four or five per cent. It is most probable that the titanium exists as the alteration product leucoxene, a whitish, granular, fiocculent mineral indistinguishable from the mass of amorphous aluminum hydroxide.
Apatite occurs in a few minute needles, 0.03 mm. or less in length.
Zircon occurs in water-worn, rounded to sub-angular grains, 0.03 to 0.04 mm. in diameter.
Only one small scale of muscovite was noted.
Very small, angular fragments of ferro-magnesian minerals occur, and form the nuclei of some of the smaller oolites.
Specimen 8-52, — This is a typical hard, red bauxite from the property of W. A. Jones, in Wilkinson County. (See p. 55.) Its
Stal Plain 97
lles from the property, is ent each of HjO and SiO,,
, dark red pebbles up to about
, sandy matrix. The slide cuts
.s, the largest of which is 6 mm.
.morphous, granular, bright red ma- regular cracks which are filled with 1 al. Although no microscopic identi- 'C made, it is evident from the analyses hydrate of alumina, approximating the colored by disseminated grains of hydrated [lacing a part of the aluminum. The frac- ks, filled by aluminum hydrate dissolved and u.
])ebbles in the section shows clearly concentric
lias only one shell. One pebble consists of gran-
. fragments of the isotropic, transparent mineral,
iiitic material, and has no trace of nodular structure.
,'ibbsite forms incrustations around the pebbles from
thick. The small gibbsite crystals are arranged with
v's perpendicular to the boundaries of the nodules. There
fW small angular areas of gibbsite within the pebbles, and
,)ic mineral filling veinlets occasionally shows traces of crys-
matrix consists essentially of gibbsite, quartz, and an amor- . isotropic mineral, evidently a hydrate of alumina, with a little li or hydroxide of iron in dust-like grains disseminated between .stals of the other minerals.
The gibbsite crystals in the matrix are of two generations. The older are large crystals, which have undergone partial alteration to the isotropic mineral. The latter mineral apparently recrystallizes again into gibbsite of the finely crystalline variety. The photographs
98 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geoboia
(PI. IX, A and B) show these alterations clearly. The large, twinned crystal of gibbsite has a length of 0.85 mm. The shape and outline of the remnant proves that it has altered to the surrounding band, 0.06 mm. thick, of isotropic material. The line between the two is sharp and distinct, but as the two minerals have about the same index of re- fraction, it can be distinguished in ordinary light only by the ending of the cleavage lines in the gibbsite. Both minerals are free from iron stain. Finely crystalline gibbsite forms a band with an aver- age thickness of 0.1 mm. around the isotropic mineral. The crystals have grown into the latter, apparently pushing before them the grains of iron oxide, very few of which are included in the crystals. The ends of gibbsite crystals projecting into the isotropic mass are termi- nated by definite crystallographic faces.
Another photograph (PL IX, D) shows a crystal of quartz, origi- nally 0.3 mm. in length. The quartz is largely replaced by isotropic, amorphous material, the same in appearance as that due to alteration of the original gibbsite. The fragments of quartz remaining are optic- ally continuous portions of one crystal. There are a few small crystals of gibbsite within the original area of the quartz crystal, but the gibbsite crystals of the surrounding crust start at the border and grow outward, there being none with crystal terminations within the area. Thii| is an indication that there is some difference in com- position or in time of formation of the isotropic material replacing quartz and that due to the alteration of gibbsite.
Besides the partially altered or replaced crystal fragments there are small areas of amorphous mineral due to entire alteration of gibbsite or replacement of quartz. The nature of the boundaries of these areas shows from which mineral they were derived.
The interstices between the nodules and the original grains of quartz and gibbsite are filled by gibbsite of later crystallization, mostly very fine, but having some elongated individuals as much as 0.6 mm. in length.
The only accessory mineral noted was zircon. Within one of the
U. rl,MX OF nEOROIA
:.i. SHOWING A PORTION OF A RED PISOLITE AND A GIItBSITB CRYSTAL AUKNTLY ALTERING TO- AMORPHOUS MATERIAL AND BACK AGAIN INTO IVSTALLINE GIBBSITE. TRANSMITTED LIGHT. MAGNIFIED 37 DIAMETERS. <-a2. SAME AREA AS A. CROSSED NICHOLS.
/
SEC. S-S2. SHOWING STHIICTUKU OK THIC HKD PEIUILRS OH PISOLtTES. TRANS- MITTED LIGHT. MAGNIFIED 11 DIAMBTERS. . SEC. S-B2. SHOWLNG A QUARTZ CRYSTAL ALTERING TO AMORPHOUS MATERIAL. CROSSED NICHOLS. MAGNIFIED 37 DIAMETERS.
The New York
Pobucubrarti
TltttHjOUMOATlga
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain W
red pebbles is a sub-angular zircon fragment, with greatest dimension 0.08 mm.
Spedmen 8-75. — This specimen is hard, finely pisolitic ore from the outcrop of the bed at the Mclntyre mine of the Bepublic Mining and Manufacturing Company. An analysis of a similar sample made for Yeatch showed about 57 per cent AI3O,, 10 per cent SiOs, and less than one per cent FeOs. nodules are all simple, ranging in size from 5 mm. down, the majority being about 3 mm., and consist of a thin, hard shell with soft interior which has weathered out from the superficial nodules, giving the ore a vesicular appearance. The matrix is light brown, hard and fiinty in appearance.
In the slide, the soft interiors of most of th nodules were lost in grinding. Evidently the material forming these soft centers approxi- mates kaolin in composition. The matrix And outer shells of the nodules are of almost pure aluminum hydrate, and no crystalline quartz is visible, so the silica content must be principally in the nodular material.
The hard shells of the nodules are made up of the usual finely granular, amorphous material, colored yellowish brown by finely dis- seminated oxides of iron and titanium. As usual, no titanium min- erals can be definitely identified. The small quantity of iron oxide in the ore is largely concentrated in the outer shells of the pisolites. The material of the shells is cut by small fractures which are filled with finely crystalline gibbsite, and small scattered crystals of the same mineral are very abundant. A pisolite shown in the photograph (PI. VIII, D) is made up largely of crystalline gibbsite.
The matrix is finely oolitic, with oolites ranging in size from 0.5 mm. down. The oolites are hard and solid throughout, unlike the larger pisolites. Small fractures and inter-oolitic spaces are filled with finely crystalline gibbsite, but the isotropic, transparent material observed in other sections is absent.
The only accessory minerals noted were a few very small fiakes of mica and fragments of ferro-magnesian minerals. There are a few
roTivi
100 Geolooical Survey Of Oeobgia
minute plates of a mineral with very low birefringence, which is be- lieved to be crystalline kaolinite.
Specimen 8-76. — This is a typical indurated kaolin or "chimney rock," from the bed overlying the lens of bauxite on the old AdMns property, near Mdntyre, Wilkinson County. It is made up of white material, showing only the faintest traces of nodular structure, with fractures and small openings stained by iron oxide. The analysis (p. 123) shows a slight excess of silica over the necessary ratio for kaolin. The hardness is considerably less than that of calcite, being readily cut with a knife.
MicroscopicaUy, the slide is made up entirely of granular, amor- phous material. In appearance, this amorphous kaolin is much like the amorphous bauxite of the high grade ores, but there is no crystal- line gibbsite present. The section is cut by numerous straight and curved lines of material more transparent than the maA, but prob- ably not differing greatly in composition. Microscopic pores and larger openings are numerous in the slide.
Accessory minerals are small grains of zircon, mica, and ferro- magnesian rock-forming minerals. No feldspar nor crystalline quartz is visible. It is evident that the induration is due to a small amount of hydrated silica.
Specimen S-92. — This is a compound nodule of hard, high grade bauxite from a deposit of pebble ore in the abandoned mine on the Gannon property, near Toomsboro, Wilkinson County. The pebbles are found in a matrix of white, soft, clayey bauxite. For analyses of pebbles and matrix see p. 46.
The section is cut from a compound nodule 2 cm. in diameter, and contains several pisolites up to 5 mm. The section resembles very much that of pisolitic ore from the Mclntyre mine (S-75), except that the soft, clayey centers of the pisolites are smaller and the pro- portion of crystalline gibbsite much less. Angular cavities in the slide contain gibbsite incrustations 0.01 to 0.02 mm. in thickness, but are not completely filled, as in several other slides. Gibbsite-filled
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 101
fractures are few, and the gibbsite crystals disseminated through the mass of amorphous material are very small.
The matrix between the pisolites shows imperfect oolitic structure.
Specimen 8-93. — This is a speciment of hard ore from the same mine as the preceding. The matrix is of yellowish brown, flinty bauxite. The nodules are very irregular in size and shape, up to 1 cm. in diameter. Most of them have only a thin hard shell, with a soft, clayey center.
The nodular material is not shown in the slide, as it is so soft that it was lost in grinding. The matrix is made up of usual flocculent, granular material, arranged in oolites of varying shapes and sizes. As in the preceding specimen, there is very little crystalline gibbsite.
Specimen 8-196. — This is a pebble ore from the pyrite-bearing portion of the deposit in Sweetwater Mine, Sumter County. The pebbles are of varying sizes up to about 5 cm. in diameter, in a softer, more clayey matrix. All of the pebbles are compound, consisting of hard, pisolitic ore. Pyrite occurs principally, if not entirely, in the pebbles. A very few of the pyrite crystals are visible to the naked eye ; most of the mineral is in such fine grains that it merely gives a gray tint to the ore.
The slide is cut from a large pebble. It shows two pisolites, 1 and 2 mm. in diameter, in an oolitic matrix. The larger pisolte is made up of five distinct, concentric shells, while the smaller has oolitic in- terior structure. Both are cut by series of radical fracture filled with pyrite and crystalline gibbsite. (See photographs, PL X, A and B. The thickness of the pyrite veinlets varies from 0.03 to 0.04 mm. It is evident that the pyrite and gibbsite were deposited at about the same time, but the pyrite seems to be a little later, as at places it fills the centers of the fissures, with thin borders of gibbsite along the sides. In the larger pisolite none of the veinlets reach the outer layer of the shell, indicating strongly that they were formed before deposition was completed. In the smaller pisolite the location of the pyrite veinlets is determined by the pre-existing oolites.
102 Geological Subvey Of Georgia
The matrix surrounding the larger nodules is of finely oolitic, fioceulent material with disseminated, dust-like grains and a few larger cubes, octahedra, and masses of crystals of pyrite. Many of the smaller oolites have for nuclei cubes of pyrite, and contain pyrite dust in concentric layers. Crystalline gibbsite in the matrix exists only as minute, irregularly distributed individuals.
The distribution of the pyrite shows that it was introduced after the formation of the larger pisolites, but before the consolidation of the oolitic matrix. The order of formation of the minerals and struc- tures was as follows :
1. The larger individual pisolites were formed by accretion of newly precipitated aluminum hydrate. Some were formed by deposi- tion around a single center, others are aggregations of oolites.
2. Before deposition on the outside of these nodules had entirely ceased, shrinkage cracks were formed in the interiors, and were filled almost immediately by crystalline gibbsite.
3. The nature of the solution changed so that pyrite crystals were formed simultaneously with the precipitation of aluminum hy- drate. The solution penetrated the nodules previously formed and deposited pyrite in fractures j numerous free grains and small cubes and octahedra of pyrite were also formed in the solution.
4. The oolitic matrix was formed around the pisolites, crystals or groups of crystals of pyrite often forming the nuclei of the oolites.
5. After becoming at least partly consolidated the mass of the ore was broken up and the pebbles rounded by attrition.
6. The mixture of amorphous aluminum hydrate and kaolin form- ing the clayey matrix to the pebbles was deposited.
Specimen 8-232, — This is a high grade, coarsely pisolitic ore from the Cason mine of the National Bauxite Company at Toomsboro, Wil- kinson County. The ore is irregularly nodular, most of the nodules appearing simple to the naked eye. (See analysis, p. 47.)
The section was cut from a sample taken near the surface, and contains more iron than the average analysis, but otherwise has about the same composition. It cuts two nodules, the larger of which is
il.lTK CUT BY VEINLKTS OF PYKITK. THANSMITTKD
, litAHKTERS.
Isolite Of Ool.Ittc Matbrial. With Vkinlkts Of
nili OOLITES. TllANSMITTKD LIGHT. MAUNIFIELI 37
S-198. BAUXITK OnLlTK WITH A NCCLKUa. TRANSMITTED LilGMT.
S-2. Fullers Earth Showing Traces Of Fossils. Tkansmitti
PTHE NEt YORK
Public Library I
niMtH FOUNPATtOWl
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
oval in shape and 1 cm. long. The interior structure of the nodules shows concentric banding, but the bands consist of finely oolitic ore, with oolites up to 0.3 mm. in diameter. Only the outer shell of the large pisolite, 0.1 mm. thick, is really amorphous. The pisolites are not cut by shrinkage cracks or gibbsite veinlets, as is the case in most ore. The. only crystalline gibbsite present is a few scattered crys- tals 0.03 to 0.04 mm. long.
The matrix is more coarsely oolitic than the material of the piso- lites. It is much stained by iron carried in by surface waters, solu- tions which did not penetrate the larger nodules. There are no gibb- site veinlets, but a few small cavities are filled by crystals of a trans- lucent red mineral, probably iron-stained gibbsite.
Chemical And Mineralogical Composition
There are three generally recognized hydrates of alumina, with the following compositions:
t
Constitaents
Diaspore -
Bauxite Alfi 2H,0
Gibbsite AlO,. 3H.0
Water (B.JO)
I have found no analyses which correspond very closely to the formula given for bauxite, and the existence of such a mineral is de- nied or considered doubtful by many writers who have made a careful study of bauxite deposits. Clarke says of it :
Although many writers have regarded bauxite as a distinct min- eral species, having the empirical formula AljOs, 2H2O, few samples of it have exactly that composition. It is usually intermediate be- tween diaspore and gibbsite ; but is sometimes near one and sometimes near the other. It seems, in fact, to be a mixture of the two hydrates, but in an amorphous condition. When solutions of sodium aluminate
Clarke, F. W., U. 8. Geol. Survey Bull. 491, p. 476, 1911.
104 Geological Survey Of Georgia
are decomposed by carbon dioxide, only the trihydrate is thrown down, at least so far as crystalline products have been observed. The ordinary, precipitated, gelatinous hydroxide has the same composi- tion, according to E. T. AUen ; but at 100® it loses water and becomes a dihydrate. The latter, in moist air, regains water readily — an order of change which renders its occurrence on a large scale as a natural mineral highly improbable. Even if a dihydrate were formed it would speedily be altered into something more nearly resembling gibbsite."
In this connection it is notable that all of the deposits formed in comparatively recent time by alteration of igneous rocks, or found in undisturbed stratified material, approach gibbsite very closely in composition; while those in folded beds which have undergone dyna- mometamorphism to a greater or less degree, such as the Baux de- posits, contain a lower proportion of water.
In a tabulation of all the analyses of north Georgia bauxites avail- able at the time of publication of his report, Watson shows that all of the ore is very close to the trihydrate in composition. Wysor* has published analyses showing the presence of diaspore in the oolites, but not in the matrix, of the Arkansas bauxite. Some of the oolites have almost the composition of diaspore, and others are intermediate between that mineral and gibbsite, but the existence of the dihydrate as a separate mineral is not demonstrated. Leith and Mead,* in de- scribing the same deposits, call the amorphous form of the trihydrate bauxite and the crystalline mineral of the same composition gibbsite. This is a variation from the older and more commonly used termi- nology of Dana,* who defines the trihydrate of alumina as gibbsite, with a crystalline variety, hydrargillite.
Laur® states that bauxites" constitute a mineralogical family, having as a basis the dihydrate of alumina (HAlgOj or Al20(0H)4) which acts as an acid in combining with iron and as a base in com-
Chem. News, vol 82. p. 75, 1900.
Bauxite deposits of Georgia, Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 11, p. 42, 1904. "Wysor, D. C. Aluminum hydrates in the Arkansas bauxite deposits, Econ.
Geol.. vol. 11, p. 42, 1916.
Leith, C. K. and Mead, W. J., Metamoi- geology, p. 27, 1915. *Dana. J. D., A system of mineralogy, 6th ed., p. 254, 1893.
Laur, Francis, The bauxites— A study of a new mineralogical family, TranB. Am. Inst. Min. Eng. vol. 24, p. 234, 1894.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 105
bining with silica. In other words, the mineral always contains about 69 per cent AI2O3, 4 per cent accessories such as titanium oxide, and 27 per cent of HjO, SiO,, and FcjOs combined ; and these latter sub- stances may replace each other in widely varying proportions. He calls the dihydrate hydrargiUiie, but also refers to the trihydrate as gibbsite, which he says grades into clay and iron ore and is of little importance. He says of the Georgia- Alabama bauxite, ''It is nothing else than amorphous hydrargillite, nearly pure, with 3 to 4 per cent of accessory constituents and 27 per cent of water." This statement is entirely erroneous, according to his usage of the word hydrargillite, yet these deposits afford his only example of the basic mineral, or ''hyaline bauxite." as the French deposits are all of "mixed" types. His conclusions are not substantiated by analyses, in fact, the only analysis quoted in his paper is a monohydrate.
Phillips and Hancock investigated the solubility of the Georgia- Alabama bauxite in sulphuric acid of different concentrations. They divide the alumina of bauxite into three portions: "free," which is soluble in acid of 50° B. at a temperature of 100° C. in one hour; "combined," which is soluble in concentrated acid when evaporated until fumes of SOa are given off; and "insoluble," which is the small amount (one or two per cent) remaining in the residue after the latter treatment. The "free" alumina is shown to exist almost entirely as trihydrate, although that of the kaolin is also slightly attacked by the weaker acid; and the "combined" comprises most of the alumina combined as kaolin. This work does not prove that the lower hydrates of alumina are absent, but it shows that if pres- ent at all they are in very small amounts. The authors conclude that the titanium oxide is in the hydrated form (leucoxene), and is almost insoluble in the 50° acid, although the concentrated acid dissolves a large proportion.
The Ferguson method, now used for the determination of available alumina in alum ores, is based on this work. In this method 50° acid
Phillips, W. B. and Hancock. David, The commercial analysis of baiixlte. Jour. Am. Chem. Soc. vol. 20, p. 209, 1898.
are decomp<
down, at lea.
ordinary, pi
tion, accord i
a dihydratc.
of change v
mineral higi
speedily he
In this
in undistur
composition
mometamoi
posits, cont.
In a tal' able at the of the ore i published ; but not in have almos' between th;. as a sepam scribing tin bauxite aii<. This is a nology of '
having as i which acts
Chem. N Bauxltr
Wysor. Oeol.. vol. 1 i
"Dana, .'
Laur, 1 Am. Inst. M
— -sftij with the extrac-
z :ie analyses given
In the usual
sand, but practi-
sjziiB alumina available
is approximately
. -T-iEtage of silica. - csis to occur almost ijt found from almost 3. the limiting analyses
lO
Kaolinite A1.0|. 2SiO 2H.O
of iron and titanium, impuri,ties usually make
trdtes and kaolins. In the rft from 0.90 to 3.26 per cent ;
:aO, 0.00 to 1.13 (the latter : sbcwing more than a trace) ; .. ?.003 to 0.007 ; BaO always
oepocits, the analyses of series the working faces in the :DbT: MB plotted on triangular dia- jagrams each of the small tri- ig aiea shows the percentage of jb; position in the large triangle,
Bauxite Deposits Of Tee Coastal Plain
tbe percentages of the three principal oxides. The distance from the base of the large triangle represents the percentage of AljOs; from the left-hand side, HjO; and from the right-hand side, SiO,. All sample mixtures of kaolin and gibbsite would fall as points along the line connecting the two points representing the composition of those minerals.
Fig. 12. — Analyses of bauxite from the Mclntyre mine plotted on a triangular diagram to show gradation from gibbsite to kaolinite.
In figure 12, analysis No. 1 is the sandy, sedimentary clay of Eocene age which forms the overburden; the other analyses are all bauxite and kaolin, showing well the gradation. However, such gra- dation does not in this case indicate that the bauxite is a weathering product of the kaolin. Its significance will be discussed later.
The recalculated mineral compositions of the bauxites of this series are as follows: (See complete analyses, p. 37.)
Geological Subvey Of Georgia
Mineral composition of bauxite from the Mclntyre mine
Minerals
B-114
Gibbsite
Kaolinite
Limonite
TiO,, etc
H,0 — excess
H,0— deficiency .. . .
These compositions were computed by the following method :
1. All ferric oxide was computed as limonite.
2. All silica was computed as kaolinite.
3. The remaining alumina was computed as gibbsite. This some- times requires more water than the amount available, sometimes less. The difference is stated as excess or dificiency of HO.
4. Titanium dioxide and small amounts of soda, potash, etc., are not computed as definite minerals.
These figures show a very close approximation to a mixture of gibbsite and kaolinite. Excess of water may be due to hydration of TiOj ; to iron replacing aluminum in gibbsite, in which case it would take up more water than in limonite ; or to a higher hydrate of alumina than gibbsite, which seems to occur occasionally.
It is also a known fact that some of the silica exists as sand grains, while all has been computed as kaolinite. If a correction could be made for the free silica, the alumina used in computing kaolinite would be free to combine with a higher ratio of water, as gibbsite. A deficiency of water may be explained not only by the presence of lower hydrates of alumina, but some of the alumina may be, and usually is, in the form of feldspar, mica, or other anhydrous or only slightly hydrous silicates.
The mineral composition of the samples from the Sweetwater mine (for complete analyses, see p. 70) is as follows:
Wysor, D. C, Econ. Geol. vol. 11, p. 49, 1916.
later zniKk x>1otted on 8 tn-
oppositions as -j™ from the
Geological Subvet Of Georgia
Mineral c(miposiiion of bauxite from the Mclni
-—
Gibbsite
8D.9C
Kaolinito
12.9:
TMX, etc
3/
HaO — ezeesB
HaO— 4elleieiic7
These compositions were computed by the f o'
1. All ferric oxide was computed as limonit
2. All silica was computed as kaolinite.
3. The remaining alumina was computed times requires more water than the amou leas. The difference is stated as excess or cl
4. Titanium dioxide and small amount not computed as definite minerals.
These figures show a very close appi gibbsite and kaolinite. Excess of water - TiO,; to iron replacing aluminum in gil take up more water than in limonite ; or t than gibbsite, which seems to occur occu
It is also a known fact that some of while all has been computed as kaol made for the free silica, the alumi: would be free to combine with a li A deficient of water may be expb. lower hydrates of alumina, but s. iHoally is. in the form of feldspar sUtly hydrous silicates.
The mineral c<Mnposition of mine ,for complete analyses, se*
nt
of
as an
hut he
e Lower
/a bauxite
. bauxite in
due to ordi-
WjPMT. IX d.
GoL vol. r
4L Flain 111
iie so closely related to
i the latter, and of the
I be considered. The best
)sition of the kaolin is that
paragraphs are largely ab-
Piedmont Plateau, from which
sediments was derived, is com-
1 spathic schists, with subordinate
the whole the rocks of the region
(Imont was a land surface from the
. to the beginning of the Cretaceous.
interval the region was approximately
led by a great thickness of decomposed
before tie beginning of the Cretaceous
greatly uplifted and tilted to the southeast,
ii' the present location of the Fall Line. The
h1, and rapidly set to work carrying the great
rk down to the sea. On account of the steep
iiiis and the soft material on which they worked,
.>id deposition of a great mass of sand, gravel, and
.St. The streams formed deltas, which overlapped,
formation of sand flats and fresh-water delta lakes,
t water were enclosed by sand barriers, to be quickly
the inflow from the land. In the quiet waters of the
lids thus formed the fine clay particles were deposited as
tsses of pure white kaolin; while in shallower waters and
ling currents the masses of cross-bedded sands and pebbles
!i. otto. Geol. Survey of Ga.. Bull. 18, p. 97 1909.
112 Geological Subfey Of Georgia
were laid down. Conditions did not long remain uniform, as one set of barrier lakes would fill up while another set was forming far- ther out. Some of the beds of sand and clay first formed were re- worked by a shifting of drainage channels, forming numerous local unconformities and clay conglomerates, which have no time signifi- cance.
Marine conditions of deposition were entirely absent. No shells Dor animal remains have been found in the Lower Cretaceous beds of Gteorgia, and for some reason plant remains are also absent except in one locality. There are no calcareous beds, nor even lime nodules, which is natural in such a formation, as the regolith of the Piedmont rocks was thoroughly decomposed and leached and the most of the rocks were only slightly calcic in the first place. Gypsum, which might indicate brackish water deposits, is absent ; and the small amounts of pyrite and sulphates present are closely related to the bauxite de- posits in origin.
The remarkable purity of the kaolin deposits indicates that nature operated a very eflBcient clay washing plant on a great scale. The separation of clay and sand piirticles depended on specific gravity and fineness of grain. The weathered rock of the crystalline area consisted essentially of quartz, kaolin, mica, and limonite, as the feldspars and ferro-magnesian minerals were almost entirely decom- posed. The quartz and remnants of feldspar and ferro-magnesian minerals were dropped in the deltas and close to the shore line, on account of their coarseness of grain; most of the limonite was also deposited with the sand, on account of its high specific gravity and because a considerable part adhered as coatings around the sand grains. The kaolin, although it has about the same specific gravity as quartz, was so much more finely divided that it remained in suspen- sion and was deposited in the quieter and deeper waters of the barrier lakes, forming lenses which sometimes have an extent of many acres and a thickness of 30 or 40 feet. On account of their fineness of grain, a considerable proportion of the white mica and titanium in the form of leucoxene went with the kaolin, as well as extremely fine grains of
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 113
all other minerals and even of the heavy accessory minerals such as zircon.
Judging from the red soils which now cover the greater part of the Piedmont area, the whiteness of the kaolin and the prevailing light color of the sand beds of the Lower Gretaceons seems remarkable. Bnt these red soils are only superficial, grading down into gray or white material; and their percentage of iron is much less than would be ex- pected from a cursory examination. Forty-eight analyses of Georgia granites and gneisses by Watson show a range in content of ferric oxide content from 0.71 to 3.05 per cent, With an average of only 1.45 per cent ; while seventeen weathered rocks show a range from 1.22 to 6.33 per cent, with an average of 2.47 per cent. So all except the best deposits of kaolin and bauxite actually contain as large a per- centage of iron as the original rocks from hich they were derived.
In brief, the kaolin is a sediment derived from deeply weathered, acid igneous rocks, and deposited in shallow, fresh-water lagoons ; the conditions being unusual only in that a very complete separation of sand from clay substance was attained.
The de'positional conditions during that portion of Midway time in which kaolin and bauxite were formed were essentially similar to those of the Lower Cretaceous.
Relation Of Bauxite To Kaolin
There are several localities showing gradational phases between kaolin and bauxite which afford important evidence as to the origin of the bauxite; but as they can not be classed as bauxite deposits, detailed descriptions and analyses are given here rather than under the descriptions of the deposits.
"MIDDLE MINE," ICDOAK BROTHXBS CLAY COliPANY
(Map locality W-lfS)
This is a small, abandoned pit near the day-washing plant of the Company, about one mile west of Mclntyre, Wilkinson County. The pit is about 100 feet in diameter, and when visited there was 15 feet
Wataon, Thomas L., Qeol. Survey of Oa. BuU. 9, p. 354. 1902.
114 Geological Survey Of Georgia
of kaolin exposed above the level of the water which filled the bottom.
The contact of the kaolin with the red and yellow sand of Eocene age which overlies it is not marked by a distinct clay conglomerate. There is rather a gradational phase of a few inches, where the white clay seems to have been softened and stained before redeposition started. There are scattered rounded clay pebbles for a number of feet above the contact, and on the south side of the pit, 6 feet above the unconformity, is a distinct conglomerate layer of kaolin boulders and fine quartz gravel. Most of the kaolin pebbles in the red sand are less sandy than the kaolin in the pit, and their well-rounded con- dition indicates that they were transported some distance.
The kaolin is all more or less sandy, especially the middle portion of the bed. The quartz grains contained in it are mostly angular, up to one-eighth of an inch in size ; and there are a number of specks of dark minerals, among which were recognized hematite flakes and cleavage fragments of green hornblende. The kaolin is white and massive, and no bedding planes can be distinguished.
On the south side of the pit the upper 18 inches of the kaolin is stained by iron along dendritic channels, but it shows no sign of change to bauxite. On the east side, where the road entered, is a mass of nodular clay of the form shown in the sketch (fig. 14). When freshly broken, the nodules may be distinguished from the matrix only by their slightly darker color, as both matrix and nodules are of the same hardness. The nodules consist of light gray, very plastic, putty-like clay, which shrinks away from the matrix on drying, and are thus easily eroded out, producing superficial honeycomb structure. They contain more ferrous iron than the matrix, and become rusty" on weathering. The angular quartz grains and dark mineral frag- ments found in the massive kaolin persist in the nodular clay, and are found in both matrix and pisolites.
The upper contact of the nodular clay with the massive is marked by a band of large, soft, iron-stained clay concretions about 6 inches in diameter, while the pisolites in the mass of nodular clay average 1 inch.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
Rei Send
Fig. 14. — Section in Edgar Bros. Kaolin Co. Middle mine, Wilkinson County, showing relations of massive and nodular kaolin and geodes. A and B are places where samples were taken.
Along the lower contact are scattered large, irregular shaped geodes, with maximum dimensions of a foot or more. These consist of a limonitic shell about half an inch thick, with the interior partly filled with soft, dark colored material. When freshly broken the material contained in the geodes gives off for a few seconds a fetid odor resembling that of carbon bisulphide, afterwards an empyromatie odor persists for some time.
The material from the geodes consists of an unusual assemblage of minerals. The analysis is as follows :
Analysis of geode material — 8-59
T
Constituents
Carbon
bisulphide
solution
Water solution
Hydro- chloric acid solu- tion
Aqua regia solution
Insoluble residue
Loss on heating
8.0,
AlA ... Fe,0, ...
FeO
MgO ...
CaO
Na,0 ...
K,0
H,O(100*)
H,O(150*')
TiO,
80,
Pes,
Total d5.7S
tr.
116 Geological Subvet Of Georgia
Cursory examination of the material shows that it contains crystal- line sulphur; a transparent, soluble mineral, crystallized in fibrous forms and having a strongly astringent taste ; and marcasite, so finely crystallized that it appears black. The heavy residue after washing with water consists principally of quartz in subangular grains and microscopic crystals of marcasite. Under, the microscope the latter crystals show orthorhombic forms, with crystal faces of a very pale bronze yellow color. No pyrite crystals are present.
Only the crystalline sulphur is soluble in carbon bisulphide. It occurs in bunches of crystals and incrustations around other minerals, so that it appears to make up a larger proportion than is actually the case. The water-soluble mineral consists principally of ferrous sulphate (melanterite) with an admixture of ferric sulphate (coquim- bite) and aluminum sulphate (alunogen). The water solution has a strongly acid reaction, and it may be seen that the sulphate radical is present in a quantity far in excess of that necessary to combine with the bases. The hydrochloric acid treatment dissolved only an unimportant quantity of material, and the insoluble residue consisted principally of quartz and kaolin. The marcasite, which is, after melanterite, the most abundant mineral, all ent into the aqua regia solution. The discrepancy between the total and 100 per cent is probably due to water not lost at 150° C.
The geodes were formed contemporaneously with the surround- ing clay, and have been altered little if at all by surface waters. The limonitic shells form impervious envelopes; in cases where the shell has been fractured, allowing surface water to enter, the interior ma- terial has been altered to a mass of limonite.
Samples of nodular and massive clay were taken at the points marked A and B on the sketch, at the same level and one foot on either side of the contract. The analyses are as follows:
Analyses of kaolin, from Edgar Brothers mine
S-57 S-58
SiUca (SiOa) 45.64 45.55
Alumina (AlA) 37.54 38.07
ST 1 /, pLA/y OF amROiA
The Nev Yom
Publiclibrary
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 117
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) l.iS 1.12
Ferroua oxide (FeO) 00 .00
Magnesia (Mgo) 30 .19
Lime (CaO) -.00 .00
Soda (Na,0) 00 .08
Potaah (K.0) 00 .00
Ignition 13.92 13.85
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 1.45 1.44
100.80 100.30
Moisture 40 .30
The mineral compositions are computed as follows:
Mineral composition of kaolin from Edgar Brothers mine
S-57 B-58
Gibbdte ,. .00 00
Kaolinite , , 94.96. 96.30
Llmonite ' i:68*' 1.31
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) ...;.- 1.15; . 1.71
Quartz , 1.48 .76
Water (H,0), excess ; . . „ .43 .22
It is possible that both of these samples contain a little gibbsite, which does not show np in the recalculated analyses on account of the presence of quartz sand, which is computed as combined with alumina in kaolinite. The two analyses are almost identical, showing that kaolin may assume a distinctly bauidtic texture without any sensible variation from the massive material in composition.
Clatmomt Mdix
(Map locality W-IS)
The Glaymont kaolin mine of the Kaolin Mining Company is situated near the Central of Gteorgia Railway, 4 miles west of Mc- Intyre.
The section in the working face in November, 1914, is shown in the sketch (see fig. 15 and PI. XI, A). The section was as follows:
Geological 8Vevey Of Georgia
Section in Claymont mine
Eocene
Feet
7. Overburden, consisting of red sand at top, grad- ing down into yellow sand and this into greenish yellow, clayey and glauconitic sand. The lower portion contains clay pebbles, hard, weathered-ont clay nodules, and boulders of indurated clay, harder than any found in place in the pit 1 to 10
( Unconformity )
Lower Cretaceous
6. Kaolin containing a little sand 9
5. White, micaceous, clayey sand 2
4. Brittle, gritless, jointed kaolin 7
3. Nodular kaolin 5 to 6
2. Firm, brittle, jointed kaolin, containing a little sand, and stained along joints by oxides of
iron and manganese 4
1, White, clayey sand t
T1riS¥?Jifa.
Fig. 15. — Section in the Claymont kaolin mine, Wilkinson County, showing relation of the massive and nodular kaolin.
The nodular bed, No. 3, has concretions varying in size from pisolites to over one foot in diameter. All of- the material is soft and plastic enough to be worked, washed, and used as paper clay. The nodules can scarcely be distinguished from the matrix when freshly broken; but on drying the nodular material shrinks, becomes harder and darker in color than the matrix, and breaks with an intricate system of conchoidal fractures. There is a gradation downward into stratum No. 2, but the upper surface of the nodular layer is sharp.
The following are analyses of samples from the mine:
/ Fe Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
i(
lijses of kaolin from the Claymont mine
>iituents
;. (SiO,)
liina (A1,0,)
I ric oxide (FejOi)
rruus oxide (FeO)
Alagnesia (MgO)
Lime (CaO)
Soda (Na,0)
Potash (K,0)
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TiOs) . . . .
Moisture
tr
tr
Sm
tr
Mineral composition computed
Minerals
S-81
S-6g
S.d3
Gibbsite
Tftolinitfl
' 97.15
Limonite
Titaniiim dioxide (TiO,) . . . Silica (SiO.)
Water (H,0)— exceiB
Water (H,0)— deficiency ...
Sample S-81 is an average sample from the nodular layer ; S-82 is from the center of one of the larger nodules, about one foot in diam- eter; and S-83 is a massive kaolin taken 6 inches above the nodular layer. The nodular material is in such physical condition that it re- tains a great deal more hygroscopic water than the massive kaolin, as all of the samples were taken at the same time and had the same oppor- tunity to dry before the analyses were made. S-82 is the only sample of Lower Cretaceous material analyzed which contains any appre- ciable amount of lime. The excess of silica in this sample is prob- ably in colloidal form, as no sand grains could be detected. The nodular material contains ferrous iron, which is not found in the massive kaolin, and a little less of the alkalies and titanium.
120 Geological Subvet Of Georgia
Dupbxx Pbopebtt
(Map locality W-9
On the Dupree property, Wilkinson County, (see p. 52) the white, indurated clay bed which overlies the red bauxite also contains a
mass of nodular clay. The irregu-
<<;::5aii4r5oil'v*;*v:
t
nodular and massive clays is shown
i in the sketch (fig. 16). Along the
contact and running oflf into fissures
Fig. 16.— Detail of contact of mas- in the white, massive day is a band dve and nodular kaolin, Dupree prop- j i . i i i
erty, Wilkinaon County. ark, greenish, non-plastic clay
an inch or two in thickness.
Analyses of the massive and nodular clays from Dupree property
S>85 S-84
(massive) (nodular)
SiHca (SiO.) 45.75 41.19
Alumina (AlA) 36.85 34.82
Ferric oxide (FcO,) 2.14 6.14
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 28 .16
Magnesia (MgO) 04 .88
Lime (CaO) 00 .00
Soda (Na,0) 00 .00
Potash (K,0) 00 .00
Ignition 13.10 16.66
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 2.00 .98
Manganese (NnO) 06 .16
100.22 99.97
Moisture 78 7.78
The massive clay is mealy, but contains very little sand and no nodules. The bauzitic clay consists of nodules about the size of peas in a sandy matrix. Both matrix and nodules have a pale greenish <K)lor. The nodules are soft enough that they may easily be cut with a knife, and some of them show distinctly concretionary interior iftructure. The massive clay contains more alumina than the bauxitic material, but the higher water content of the latter indicates that it is a mixture of gibbsite and silica, while the other is a normal kaolin.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
As in the Claymont mine the bauxitic clay retains a great deal of hygroscopic moisture.
Adkins Propertt
(Map locality W-14)
The bauxite deposit described by Veatch as the B. W. Adkins property was bought by George Carswell, of Irwinton, and worked by the National Bauxite Company. It is situated just south of the Central of Georgia Bailway, 3 miles east of Mclntyre. The mine seems to be entirely exhausted, but it is of interest because it shows well the structure of the deposit and affords clues as to the origin.
The structural relations are shown in the accompanying sketch (fig. 17). On the north side of the pit Eocene red-and-blue mottled clayey sand overlies unconformably, but without basal conglomerate, a bed of indurated white clay. The claystone, which is locally known as ''chimney rock," is hard and massive, but without distinct nodules. It contains slightly more combined water than most of the plastic white kaolins, but its alumina content does not indicate bauxitization. (See analysis S-76.) The bed has a maximum thickness of 2 feet and tapers out to eastward. It is underlain by a bed of less indurated day, with indications of bedding and containing scattered pisolites one inch in diameter. This bed is more bauxitic than the preceding. (See analysis S-77.) It grades downward into roughly stratified red, yeUow, blue, and white, mealy, non-plastic clay. In this bed occurred the less of high grade bauxite, of which only small rem- nants are left. The bauxite was some of the best ore ever found in
V//AflSSlveXhfnioey
Biuxlte Remnants NeulerCley Chliiine)f Reck
Fig. 17. — Section in Adkins bauxite mine, WiiMneon Conntj.
122 Geological Subvet Of Georgia
this district, as it all contained over 60 per cent of alumina in its natural state. It has a light gray-brown, flinty matrix predominating over the pisolites, which are of softer white material and average a quarter of an inch in diameter.
On the east side of the pit the chimney rock bed is cut away by a pre-Eocene gidly. The Eocene sand here has a basal conglomerate several feet thick, with pebbles of chimney rock, bauxite, and quartz. The quartz pebbles are well rounded and average less than half an inch, the largest found being about 3 inches; showing long distance transportation. The bauxite and chimney rock fragments vary greatly in size and shape and are mostly angidar, showing local erosion and redeposition.
At one poinVa mass or pipe of clay with pisolitic structure cuts vertically across the banded clay. The bedding of the clay runs into the nodular mass and disappears. The pisolites are white, soft, and clayey, with average diameter of 1 inch; and in volume are about equal to the softer red matrix. Although this pisolitic clay (S-78) has the bauxite texture better developed than the associated bedded clay (S-79), its alumina content is less. In the soft, pisolitic clay are found occasional very small lenses, about half an inch thick by 3 or 4 inches in diameter, of hard, flinty, light colored bauxite.
In another place a mass of indurated clay with scattered pisolites crosses the bedding in a manner similar to the soft, pisolitic clay.
The underlying material, that is, the lowest exposure in the pit, is a bluish, mealy clay with occasional sand grains, and partly with pisolitic structure. Its analysis (S-80) shows it to be still bauxitic.
A test pit south of the mine cut only soft clay, and several hun- dred feet east is a valley cut down to 20 feet below the level of the mine, but no bauxite nor claystone is seen on the slope. There are no indications that more high grade bauxite will be found in the vicinity, but there is available a large amount of clayey bauxite which will contain over 50 per cent of alumina after drying, and will undoubtedly come into demand some time in the future.
t
(-TI/ fv -.r -r.-.-"t r/.irf rti
.VXI- BJk-rsZTE.
Public Ubrary
AtTii, ttnox
TILVtN FOUNDATtONI
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
Afialyses of clay and bauxite from the Adkins property
Ck)n8tituent8
S-76
8ilica (SiO,)..,
Alumina (AlgOt)
Ferric oxide (FeO)
FerrouB oxide (FeO(
Magnesia (MgO)
Lime (CaO)
Soda (Na,0)
Potash (K,0)
Ignition
Titaniuin dioxide (TiOa) . .
tr
tr
.oa
tr
Moisture
100,27
tr
100.25*
tr
tr
tr
8-76. Massive claystone.
8-77. Bauxitic clay from bed just below the elaystone.
8-78. Nodular day from mass which cuts bedded day.
8-79. Bedded day.
8-80. Bauxitic clay from lowest exposure in pit.
A. Hard, high grade bauxite. Geol Survey of Qa. Bull. 18, p. 443, 1909.
Mineral composition
Minerals
Gibbsite
Kaolinite
Limonite
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) . . ,
Water (H,0) — excess
Water (H,0)— defidency. .
Origin Of Bauxite
Conditions to be explained, — The brief summary given in the first part of this report indicates the diversity of form and mode of genesis of the various bauxite deposits of the earth. It is evident from the distribution, composition, and structural relations that the bauxite
Public Library
tIkMNroUNDATMM
I
iiul 'ion
. it is nut of
ilion of
t pyrite,
i'rite, CO-
'i;
lated phe-
csits: first,
pond must
to fonn and
y general wr
A Coastal Plain 125
acing bauxite, the large deposits kaolin, so it is necessary to ex- formed, but why there is so little
tvdrogen stQphide could have de-
of minerals found in geodes. The
the bauxite is due to the action of
into the lagoons in which kaolin was
requires an explanation of the source
a ion and the chemical reactions result-
luum hydrate.
I'iug and at the close of the Triassic period
ation — faulting and warping, attended by
rocks of Southeastern United States. The
. osion, but additional warping at the begin-
ecus period was necessary to convert parts
alities of sedimentation. The disturbance of
!ig the coast line, now the Fall Line. These
fissures and channels by which surface water
the igneous and crystalline rocks and the
♦aeeous sediments.
t' the bauxite deposits in the Cretaceous forma-
lle and upper portions. The lower beds near the
rystalline rocks, contain considerable amounts of
' 0, which was evidently the source of hydrogen sul-
II of hydrogen sulphide from the pyrite took place
First, descending water containing dissolved oxy-
!ie pyrite, producing ferrous and ferric sulphates and
remaining sulphur to sulphuric acid. On penetrating
le of oxidation this free sulphuric acid attacked other
berating hydrogen sulphide. The hydrogen sulphide
W. H., The enrichment of sulphide ores: IT. S. Oeol. Survey Bull. 629,
126 Geological Subvet Of Geobgia
solutions then found outlets, forming groups of sulphur springs which were possibly, but not necessarily, thermal.
In the Lower Cretaceous period a group of such springs appar- ently found outlets in the Wilkinson County area and during the Midway deposition a similar group existed in Sumter and Macon counties. The distribution of the bauxite deposits indicates such an origin, as they occur in groups, with areas of barren kaolin between the individual deposits, and great areas along the strike of the beds in which no bauxitization has taken place.
There is plenty of present-day evidence that hydrogen sulphide solutions have been active, as the water of many wells and some springs throughout the Coastal Plain, and especially in the bauxite areas, is rather highly charged with hydrogen sulphide. A flowing well at Irwinton is said to have been abandoned on account of the offensive odor and unpleasant taste of the water, due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide and iron salts. The water of the Toomsboro artesian wells has a decided taste and odor of hydrogen sulphide. These wells are in the center of the Wilkinson County bauxite district, and they penetrate very nearly to the crystalline basement rocks. There is a group of seven springs, known as Miona Mineral Springs, situated in Macon County a few miles north of the bauxite area. Two of the springs give water containing hydrogen sulphide. Sulphu- reted water may also be formed from the disseminated sulphides of the crystalline rocks, as at White Sulphur Springs in Meriwether County. In that county sulphur springs and a hot spring are found within a few miles of the only deposit of bauxite known to occur in the crystalline area.
Chemical reactions and mode of deposition. — Suppose deposition of kaolin to be going on in a barrier lake (fig. 18). The streams flowing in had a steep gradient, and were rapidly cutting away the kaolin- ized rock which covered the slopes of the hills. The coarse sand and minerals of high density were dumped as crossbedded strata near the
McCalUe, S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 15, p. 194. 1908.
*McCaUle, S. W., Mineral springs of Georgia: Geol. Survey of Ga, BulL 20, p. U4f 1913.
Bauxite Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 127
mouths of the streams. Kaolin, mica, and other very finely divided minerals were carried out into the quiet waters of the lake, forming a bed of pure white kaolin at the deepest part. At all times the water of the lake was turbid with the considerable amount of kaolin which remained long in suspension.
Then a hydrogen sulphide spring found its outlet in the bed of 4he lake. When the hydrogen sulphide solution entered the aerated water of the lake the following reactions took place :
2H,S + 0, — 2H,0 + 2S 2H,S 4- 30, 2H,0 4- 2S0,
If the supply of oxygen was limited, the former reaction occurred, with deposition of free sulphur ; but in general oxygen was abundant, and the latter predominated. The sulphur dioxide united with water and oxygen by two stages, forming first sulphurous, then sulphuric acid, thus: '
SO2 + HjO HaSOs H,SOa + — HaSO
Sulphuric acid was the active agent in decomposing the kaolin. The reaction is:
AI2 Si, 09 + 3H,S0 Al, (SO J , + 2SiO, + 5H,0
The aluminum sulphate was carried by circulation or difihision to a position near the vent of the spring, where hydrogen sulphide was present and the water neutral or alkaline. Here it was hydrolized and precipitated as aluminum hydrate by the following simultaneous reactions :
Al, ( SO, ) 3+3H,S=Al,S3+3H,SO, AlgSs+eHjO =2A1(0H),+3H,S
The hydrogen sulphide and sulphuric acid were thus regenerated and were able to act on more kaolin, so no large initial supply was necessary.
The aluminum hydrate formed in the above reaction at once ac- cumulated into impervious, gelatinous balls and sank to the bottom,
Obological Survey Of Geobgia
Outlet
Outki
Bauxite Spring
Fig. 18. — HTpothetioal sketches illustrating formation f bauxite.
where it was removed from the sphere of action o£ the sulphuric acid, which was thus left free to attack the more stable, but finely divided, kaolin. The silica liberated was in hydrous form and re- mained in solution. A little was carried down with the aluminum hydrate, forming an opaline cement between the granules, but most of it was finally carried off at the outlet to the lake.
Solution of alumina and deposition of the hydrate depended on the distribution of solutions by currents and on the local active mass of sulphuric acid and hydrogen sulphide. Conditions for the decom- position of kaolin might be effective at one point, while deposition of aluminum hydrate was taking place an inch away.
Finally, the outlet to the sulphur spring became clogged or di- verted to another locality, cutting off the supply of hydrogen sul- phide, and deposition of kaolin continued until the lake was filled. Usually the spring seems to have died out gradually, producing a gradational phase of bauxitic clay between the pure bauxite and the kaolin.
Minor reactions and form of deposits. — Feldspar and mica frag- ments carried into the lake were more readily attacked by sulphuric acid than the kaolin, and the alkalies went off in solution. This explains the very minute amount of soda and potash found in the purer bauxites. Iron went through the same cycle of solution and
Posits Of The Coastal Plain 129
iiinum, and titanium in the form of leucoxene lie solutions, so these two elements retain the in the bauxite as in the kaolin.
.:ite mayave been carried in by the water of the
it was precipitated. But this hypothesis does not
rrence of aluminum in solution for any consider-
its source is to be found in the kaolin which was
supplied.
. arried into the lakes would have assisted in precip-
luiiia, but their presence was not essential. The in-
is were cutting into decomposed rocks, from which cal-
alkalies had already been very thoroughly leached,
' ly that in the early part of the Lower Cretaceous period
so rapid that little soil could form and the steep slopes
t bare of vegetation. On this account plant fossils are
in the greater part of the formation. "With the dearth of
lack of elements soluble as carbonates in the soil, the
)f carbonates carried down must have been negligible.
ally, conditions were right for the deposition of the iron sul-
In geodes the solution became concentrated and strongly
so marcasite was deposited; but in the dilute, neutral solution
ating the mass of freshly deposited aluminum hydroxide dep-
m in the form of pyrite cubes took place. Allen proved ex-
i mentally that the concentration of free acid in solutions deter-
iies the precipitation of marcasite instead of pyrites on reduction
ferric salts by hydrogen sulphide. Whitman' produced pyrite
V nthetically under conditions very similar to those which must have
xisted during the deposition of bauxite. It would take too much
space to describe the apparatus used and reactions obtained, but he
concludes '*that pyrite can be precipitated from dilute (neutral or
slightly alkaline) cold water solutions under practically atmospheric
Allen, E. T., The mineral sulphides of Iron. Am. Jour. Scl., 4th Ser. No. 33. 1912. Whitman, A. R.. The vadose synthesis of pyritM, Econ. Oeol. vol. 8. p. 466, Ifltj Op. cit., p. 468.
130 Geological 8Ubvet Of Georgia
pressure, and that the precipitation is favored or induced by alum- minous material, or by fine slimes in a reducing environment."
The richness and form of the bauxite bodies depended on the supply of materials, both kaolin and hydrogen sulphide, and on local conditions, such as the relative positions of inlet, outlet, and spring vent, and rapidity of change of water. For the deposition of a bed of pure aluminum hydrate a nice adjustment of these various factors was necessary. The water must be very quiet, the kaolin must be fine and supplied very slowly, and sulphuric and hydrosulphuric acids must be present in sufficient amounts to attack all the kaolin and precipitate a large part of the alumina. Naturally, under such conditions the alumina was deposited in a flat-lying lens. In case the supply of kaolin was too abundant, only a small part of it was altered, and a bed of nodular clay was the result. Disturbance of the water by strong inflow from the springs or from feeding streams produced bauxitic masses of irregular shape, but in such cases there was no opportunity for complete alteration, so the irregular deposits never consist of high grade ore.
The inlets of the springs are inconspicuous and have not been certainly located in any case. In the Sweetwater mine a rise in the surface of the clay underlying the bauxite probably marks the posi- tion of the inlet, and in the Adkins mine a vertical mass or pipe of nodular clay cutting bedded clay was evidently a water channel. The sulphide water must have entered the lakes by numerous shifting channels through the freshly deposited kaolin, and, as the water had no power to alter kaolin until after it had come in contact with oxygen, with formation of sulphuric acid, the entrance channels can not easily be found and recognized.
The occurrence of pebble ores is also easily explainable. During periods of quiet deposition and slow introduction of kaolin, beds of very pure aluminum hydrate were formed, and lay as soft, gelat- inous coatings on the bottoms of the lakes. Then the springs changed their points of entrance, or the waters were disturbed by storms or floods, and the amount of kaolin carried in increased for a time. The
*.l
7 6' Of Ire Coastal Plain 131
up and rolled into pebbles by slight dis-
rrents. The pebbles sometimes received
lum hydrate, in concentric layers around the
rvo formed beds of complex pebbles of very
Fiiatrix.
/ in dilute sulphuric acid. — An experiment was
he solubility of kaolin in dilute sulphuric acid.
used was a washed white plastic clay from the
. amah Kaolin Company near Gordon, Wilkinson
itity of ten grams was placed in 500 cubic centi-
per cent solution of sulphuric acid, and allowed to
temperature (average 70° P) for seven days. The
:en once or twice a day. It was found that even in the
The sulphuric acid, which, like other electrolites, has a
cause kaolin to settle rapidly from suspension, the liquid
"ome entirely clear in 24 hours.
>l' the solution (250 c.c.) was then filtered off and the dis-
.umina and iron precipitated with ammonia, ignited, weighed,
ith potassium bisulphate, reduced with zinc, and the iron ti-
with potassium permanganate. A blank test was also made,
' the same quantities of reagents, but without any kaolin, for
ha correction of 0.0003 gm. had to be deducted.
rhe amounts taken in solution by 250 c.c. of acid acting on 5 gm. lay, after deducting for the weight of the filter ash and the blank st on the reagents, were :
gm.
Alumina (MO.) 0108
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 0029
The original sample contained:
Percent
Alumina ( Ala03) 44.28
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 93
Geological Subvl.
pressure, and that the precipitation minous material, or by fine slimes ii.
The richness and form of the : supply of materials, both kaolin an conditions, such as the relative p(>.>i vent, and rapidity of change of w of pure aluminum hydrate a nice at. was necessary. The water must i. fine and supplied very slowly, u. acids must be present in suffioici and precipitate a large part of 1 conditions the alumina was di the supply of kaolin was too al- altered, and a bed of nodular the water by strong inflow from produced bauxitic masses of in was no opportunity for compl''' never consist of high grade or*.
The inlets of the springs w certainly located in any case, surface of the clay underlyint: tion of the inlet, and in tlie A ' nodular clay cutting bedded el;i sulphide water must have em channels through the freshly ti oxygen, with formation of sul not easily be found and reeu:.'
The occurrence of pebMr periods of quiet deposition ;. very pure aluminum bydiuit inous coatings on the bottoii.s their points of entrance, m floovls, and the amount of k,t
.-Antity of these oxides
Percent e.23
%.iile to a certain extent
z±:eates that a long time -taBaiy for the production
.id likely to be produced : produced by the much : weathering, and sul- .' --an those acids.
u the best explanation of
L Siiterials known to have
-I'll modification if other
ieposition are discovered
i::r bauxite in the Coastal
- ;- posit worked up to the -t-ist on the slope of a hill,
z overburden and work-
- :: .riness of ore is about 10 Lis been moved in places
jt* by manual labor, the ore by hand or mule power.
o. biolin and fullers earth
:v alining would certainly
X w ivy overburden. Both
..titr-a is rarely neoessar>-.
L\:te forms a fairly sharp
134 Geological 8Ubvet Of Geoegia
part of the combined water. Phillips and Hancock carried on ex- periments which show that calcining reduces the solubility of the alumina in sulphuric acid of the strength used, although the effect is not great until about 80 per cent of the total combined water is removed. In the type of kiln used it is not likely that more than a very small percentage of the combined water is expelled.
A small amount of the pebble ore is screened to remove admixed sand and clay. The screens used are flat, inclined screens or re- volving trommels of about three-eighths inch mesh.
Transportation. — The bauxite districts are well supplied with rail- roads. All of the deposits are within 10 miles of railroad connec- tions, but none of the deposits so far worked are more than 4 miles from loading points. The ore is usually hauled to the railroad station in wagons, but one company has recently put a motor truck into serv- ice. The truck has a capacity of 4 tons, and carries 10 loads per day SYz miles to the station.
In the Sumter and the Macon county district good sand-clay roads have been built, while in Wilkinson County the materials for con- structing such roads are available but so far they are only partially improved. Sand clay roads are badly damaged by heavy hauling with wagons in very dry or very wet weather, so the use of motor trucks will render the maintenance of the roads much less expensive.
Exploration. — The known lenses of bauxite cover only a minute fraction of the area of the outcrop of the formations in which they are known to occur. There are almost certainly buried deposits which give no surface evidence of their existence, but the chances of finding them by random test holes are very small even in the most promising localities. Therefore, boring where there are no surface indications of bauxite is not advisable. When fragments of bauxite or indurated, nodular clay are found on a slope, pits or trenches should be sunk near the highest point at which such fragmental ma- terial is found. It is best to first dig pits around the edge of the ore body, in order that the workable thickness may be determined
Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., pp. 220-221, 1898.
ilPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 136
aniples obtained, after which a common clay inches in diameter, may be used to investigate .iy where the overburden is heavier.
Uses
of bauxite as given by Phalen are*: (1) in the
-letallic aluminum; (2) in the manufacture of alu-
o) in the manufacture of bauxite brick; (4) in the
alundum (fused alumina) for use as an abrasive; (5)
aeture of calcium aluminate, used to give a quick set to
,K)sition8,
most important use of bauxite is in the production of luniinum. The first step necessary is the treatment of the . obtain pure aluminum oxide. The method most commonly iiayer's process. The bauxite is fused with sodium carbon- sodium sulphate and lixivated; or is calcined and pulverized, with a little lime and treated with sodium hydroxide under ire. Sodium aluminate soluble in water is thus obtained. It lered hot, washed, and pure gelatinous aluminum hydroxide is d to the solution. The whole is then stirred continuously until sodium aluminate is dissociated and the alumina precipitated as . droxide. It has been discovered* that the alumina is precipitated L st, and the silica mainly near the end of the reaction, so the process is stopped at a suitable point, before too much silica has been pre- cipitated, the precipitated aluminum hydroxide is filtered off, and the solution containing sodium hydroxide or carbonate and some alumina is re-utilized in treating more bauxite. The hydroxide ob- tained by the Bayer process contains 40 per cent of water, and is easily soluble in acids. After drying it forms a white powder con- sisting of almost pure AI2O3, and is almost insoluble.
Sodium hydroxide or carbonate does not attack the iron oxides in
Phalen, W. C. Bauxite and aluminum: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources (or 1909. 1910, 1911, 1913, 1913, 1914, 1916.
' MoUnari, Dr. Ettore, General and Industrial chemistry, translation of 3d. ed.. p. 571. 1912. /
"McCulloch process, U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources for 1914, p. 189, 1915.
136 Geological 8Ubvet Of Geobgia
the batudte, which remain in the insoluble residue. Iron is there- I
fore not objectionable in this process, except that it increases the J
bulk of material to be treated. Silica, however, goes into solution, )
and it is diflBcult to prevent its precipitation with the alumina. Silicon is reduced along with aluminum in the electric fumAce, and its presence in the latter metal is very objectionable. Therefore, the principal requirement for aluminum ore is a low silica content, and iron may be considered a neutral impurity.
Aluminum is extracted from the pure aluminum oxide by the Hall or Heroult process. The two processes are essentially similar, but were developed simultaneously and independently by the two inven- tors. In both processes the alumina is reduced by an electric current in a bath of fused cryolite, the double fluoride of aluminum and so- dium, using carbon electrodes. The cryolite is fused and powdered aluminum oxide introduced. The alumina dissolves and is electro- lized, the metallic aluminum sinking to the bottom of the bath.
The uses of aluminum have become too numerous to be discussed in detail here. The new uses developed each year for the metal are described in the annual reports of the United States Geological Survey on Mineral resources. The use of aluminum is being cur- tailed at the present time (1916) on account of the high price, and it is reported that aluminum in actual use for electrical transmis- sion is being replaced by copper. But when prices again reach a normal level, of something like twenty cents per pound, the former rapid increase in the demand for the metal for non-military pur- poses may be expected to continue.
2. The use of bauxite in the manufacture of alums and aluminum salts ranks second to its use in the production of aluminum. The base of most aluminum chemicals is the sulphate. For making iron- free aluminum sulphate, used for high grade chemicals, the alu- minum hydroxide is first purified by Bayer's process; but in the manufacture of commercial grades of alum and aluminum sulphate the purification by solution as sodium aluminate is eliminated. The bauxite is pulverized and treated with sulphuric acid of 50 B. (1.53
Lain 187
inmuin trihydrate, lydrates which may uto lead pans, where allizes out.
.ount of potassium sul-
double salt (A1,(S04).
lirst prepared from the
taly, which contains both
tio; but since most alum
>een found that the normal
irposes as well as the more
as therefore been almost en-
.ide which may be present in
the aluminum; therefore only
cent of ferric oxide are con-
of alum by this process. Silica
not chemically objectionable. It
at the silica in bauxite is mostly
Illy is it insoluble, but it holds in
<j[ual amount of alumina, which is
mm sulphate is for the coagulation of for municipal supplies. It is also used anning, etc.
.t 2050° C, as against 1830° C for pure sted as a refractory material for furnace a in difficulties to be overcome before baux- ful use.
:aolinite would contain 46 per cent of alu-
of aluminum oxide renders the brick more re-
' bauxite brick are in common use, containing
; per cent of alumina, which represent the ex-
iv<
138 Geological Subvet Of Georgia
treme proportions of alumina of value. The brick containing 56 per cent of alumina is used in place of fire-clay brick, but is more refrac- tory. The brick containing 77 per cent alumina is used as a substi- tute for magnesia brick for open-hearth furnaces, etc. Bauxite brick for use in basic open-hearth steel furnaces should contain less than 12 per cent silica. Such bauxite brick has given good results, but normally is probably more expensive than magnesia brick.
In making the brick, the bauxite is first calcined at about 1400° C. (2500° P.). It is necessary to calcine at this great heat because the greatest shrinkage takes place between 2390° and 2500° P. The calcined mineral may be bonded with either fire-clay, sodium silicate, or lime. The brick must be carefully dried and burned at a high temperature. The brick are very hard and tough, but have a ten- dency to spall if suddenly cooled or heated.
4. Bauxite is used at Niagara Palls in the manufacture of the artificial abrasive, alundum. This is made by fusing calcined baux- ite in an electric furnace. High grade bauxite produces alundum which is practically artificial corundum, and the ferruginous varie- ties ve products corresponding to various grades of emery. Low silica content is required in the bauxite, but even highly ferruginous varieties are used. Alundum has a hardness of about nine in Moh's scale, and is particularly efficient in the grinding of steel.
Ground alundum, mixed with a binder and burned, makes a very refractory material for small articles such as muffles and crucibles, but it is too costly for extensive use in larger shapes.
5. Lastly, bauxite is used in the manufacture of hydraulic calcium aluminate, which is incorporated in plaster compositions to give them a quick set. This use is described in detail in the United States Geo- logical Survey report on Mineral Resources for 191 J .
The bauxite of the Coastal Plain, being prevailingly low in iron, but rather high in silica, is best fitted for use in the manufacture of alum and chemicals, and most of it is used for that purpose. Ores low enough in iron for use in the manufacture of alum by the acid
Seaver, Kenneth, Bull. Am. Inst. Min. "Eng., pp. 2505-2606, Dec 1915. U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources for 1918, p. 16, 1914.
even thought the
.Uminum
the United States,
Consumption
Quantity
Value
4,238
25,350
*77,675
23,768
39,916
144,799
32,697
30,840
119,643
67,107
36,218
144,021
;90i
54,410
43,112
175,875
,889-
49,684
62,976
220,990
'),374
49,257
63,035
285,961
1,726
46,517
59,855
286,809
17,809
63,221
93,141
431,532
25,066
93,208
122,84L
573,538
21,679
87,823
73,846
351,791
18,688
83,956
147,789
763,403
15,669
65,743
164,601
782,001
43,222
164,301
198,840
914,950
26,214
95,431
186,079
864,363
21,456
85,746
231,697
1,083,444
'i
24,844
96,500
244,162
1,165,694
.J4
3,420
17,107
300,461
1,531,941
S. Oeol. Survey reports on Mineral Resources.
Oeolooical Survey Of Oeoboia
World's production of bauxite, 1900-1914, in long tons
United
Year "ISUT"
United States
18,905
27,322
48,087
47,661
48,129
75,332
97,776
52,167
129,101
148,932
155,618
159,865
210,241
219,318
France Sd,SSO *76,620 *96,900 131,781 74,449 101,378 115,926 155,512 167,991 128,099 192,913 250,818 254,851 304,407
Kingdom
10,357 *9,192 6,128 8,700 7,300 6,654 7,480 11,716 9,500 3,792 6,007 5,790 6,055 8,286
Italy
8,445 6,890 8,881 4,524 5,600 6,596 6,843 3,844
India
1,184
Metric tons.
Prices. — The total production of bauxite in the United States to the end of 1915 was 1,912,122 long tons, valued at $9,016,465 at the mines; an average value of $4.72 per ton. The price has had an upward tendency during the past few years, being $4.81 in 1912, $4.75 in 1913, $4.87 in 1914, and $5.10 in 1915.
The United States now leads the nations in the production of metallic aluminum, and the rapid increase is shown in the accom- panying table. These figures give production to 1900 and consump- tion since that year.
Aluminum produced or consumed in the United States, 1885-1915,
in pounds
Year Production
1890 61,281
1895 920,000
1900 7,150,000
1905 11,347,000
1910 47,734,000
1911 46,125,000
1912 65,607,000
1913 72,379,000
1914 79,129,000
1915 99,806,000
Fullsb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 141
PART n
Fullers Earth Deposits Dehnition
Pullers earth is a variety of clay which has a high capacity for absorbing oil and grease, and also for adsorbing organic and mineral bases, including basic coloring matter, from solution in animal, vege- table or mineral oils, as weU as from some other liquids, especially water. It is of commercial value when its adsorptive power is strong, and the balance between its other desirable and undesirable proper- ties is such as to enable it to compete actively with other earths al- ready accepted as of standard quality for refining oils.
Like other clays, fullers earth is made up essentially of hydrous silicates of aluminum ; but analyses vary so greatly that the chemical composition is now known to be of almost no value in determining the efficiency of a fullers earth, or even in deciding whether a par- ticular clay is to be classified as a fullers earth at all. However, all of the better grades of fullers earth are alike in that they show a ratio of silica to aluminum considerably higher than the ratio for the mineral kaolinite, which is supposed to form the base of common clays; and they always contain a large percentage of hygroscopic moisture which is not lost by air drying at ordinary temperatures. Some fullers earths also carry a higher percentage of combined water than ordinary clays, but this characteristic is by no means universal, and in some cases the bleaching power is not destroyed by driving off the water of composition. The bleaching efficiency of an earth is due principally to its physical characteristics, of which a high degree of porosity is most important.
Historical
The original use of fullers earth, from which it derives its name, was for removing grease and fat from woolen cloth during the proc-
Geological Survey Of Geosgj
World's producium of bauxite, 1900-1914,
'Metric tons.
Prices, — The total prodaction of ban the end of 1915 was 1,912,122 long tons mines; an ayerage value of $4.72 per upward tendency during the past fe\' $4.75 in 1913. $4.87 in 1914, and $5.1(
The United States now leads the metallic aluminum, and the rapid v panjing table. These figures give p tion since that year.
Alumunum produced or consumed
19U
(I
United
Year
United SUtes
Fnnee
Singdom
liKM
76,620
*10,357
<96,900
48,087
131,781
47,661
74,449
8,700
48,129
101,378
7,300
75,332
115,926
6,654 t
97,776
7,480
52,167
167,991
U,716
129,101
128,099
9,500
148,932
192,913
3,792
155,618
250,818
6,007
159,865
254,851
5,790
210,241
304,407
6,065
219,318
8,286
'V.Vj
'
ni oil.
,:li
gave
was
prove entirely
discovered
in
y appUcable in N Dvery wa mnde . icks from elMy . . The clay proved ti'-rnian fullers earth ridin Company, and ' ry. Other companies . years are the Atbmtic Company, at El- riirth Company, at Mid-
c. a
vnjL
144 Geolooical 8Vbvey Of Geobgia
quantity imported is normally about half the domestic production, but the value per ton of the imported earth is less than for the do- mestic.
Occurence And Distribution Foreign Localities
England, — Pullers earth is found in beds of Jurassic and Cre- taceous age in England. The principal deposits occur in the Pullers Earth or PuUonian group of the Lower Oolites.
Geikie says Puller's Earth is an argillaceous deposit which, extending from Dorsetshire to the neighborhood of Bath and Chel- tenham, attains a maximum depth of nearly 150 feet, but dies out in Oxfordshire, and is absent in the- eastern and northeastern coun- ties."
Searle says of this formation : **Much of what the geologists term the Puller's Earth or Pullonian series consists of limestone rocks or brown, blue, and yellow clays at the base of the Great Oolite. These are of insignificant industrial value and must not be confused with the true 'fuller's earth.' "
The series is large and thick, but the valuable portions are small and scattered. Pullers earth from this formation is mined at Mid- ford and Wellow in Somerset, near Bath.
Pullers earth is also obtained from the Greensand formation of Upper Cretaceous age at Nutfield, Surrey, near Oxford, and at Wo- burn (Bedfordshire) ; also at Bletchingley, Reigate, and at Debt- ling near Maidstone. It is found occasionally in Silurian rocks, as in the Wenlock shales and Lower Ludlow beds in Shropshire. Pul- lers earth rock" occurs at Thornton, Dorset, but can only be used to a limited extent, as it is deficient in some of the properties of true ful- lers earth. In parts of central Gloucestershire fullers clays" lie over the solid strata of white limestone.*
Gelkle. Archibaldt Text Book of Geology, 3d ed. p. 898, 1893. Searle, Alfred B., An Introduction to British clays, shales, and sands, p. 190.
" Searle, A. B., op. cit., pp. 73 and 190.
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 145
Fullers earth mining has been most actively carried on in the region around Wobum Sands, on the border of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The fullers earth beds are found in the Lower Greensand formation. The formation is 220 feet thick, but the ful- lers earth bed has a thickness of only 12 feet, and only about half of this is mined. The work is all underground, with timbered slopes and drifts. The earth is dried on iron shelves heated by flues. After drying the earth is ground in a cyclone pulverizer, and the fine ma- terial is separated by a current of air.
There are two varieties of earth, blue and yellow, the latter being considered more valuable commercially. A similar variation in color has been noted in the Georgia earths, where it is due to oxidation and leaching out of carbonaceous and calcareous material
The product of these mines is exported for use in oil refining.
The earth from the Fullers Earth formation, mined at Midford, near Bath, was used (1898) only for fulling cloth. This earth is washed in a form of wet pan, passed into settling tanks, where it is allowed to settle for 30 days, then dried.
At present (1916) most of the earth imported from England ap- pears to have been washed, and perhaps subjected to some other treat- ment. Little has been published regarding the English mines; and the details of preparation are, to a large extent, guarded as trade secrets.
American Localities Outside Georgia
Arkansas. — The developed fullers earth deposits of Arkansas oc- cur in an area about 3 miles square which lies between Hot Springs and Benton.
These deposits differ from all others in the United States, as the earth does not occur in sedimentary beds, but is derived from the weathering of an igneous rock in place. The country rock of the
Rles, Helnrlch, The kaolins and fire clays of Europe, U. S. GeoL Survey, Nine- teenth Ann. Rept., pt. 6 (cont.), pp. 408-411, 1898.
Miser, Hugh D.. Developed deposits of fullers earth In Arkansas: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 630. pp. 207-220. 1913.
146. Geological Subvey Of Georgia
area is the Ouachita shale, a black graphitic clay shale possessing slaty cleavage. The shale is cut by dikes of ouachitite, biotite mon- chiquite, and syenite, which are later than the period of metamor- phism which produced the slaty cleavage. The time of intrusion is believed to have been late Cretaceous.
The basic dikes are weathered to a depth varying from 60 to 200 feet, according to permeability and local conditions, and the result- ing clay has the properties of fullers earth. The fresher portions of the ouachitite and biotite monchiquite consist of augite, hornblende, biotite and magnetite with abundant secondary serpentine and cal- cite, besides limonite, chlorite, analcite, and zeolites. The weathered portion forms a decidedly plastic clay, yellowish to reddish brown near the surface and light gray to light olive-green at greater depth, which still retains the texture of the unaltered dike. If the original rock contained biotite, that mineral is present in the clay, but clays containing much biotite are not considered suitable for use as ful- lers earth.
The fullers earth is a decomposition product of hornblendes and augites, rather than of feldspars, as are ordinary clays. The basic dikes, which yield fullers earth, contain much augite and a large amount of hornblende, but practically no feldspar. A syenite dike in the area produces a residual clay of kaolinic character, which is not suitable for use as fullers earth, and intrusive masses of nephe- line syenite a few miles east of the fullers earth district have been altered to high grade bauxite.
The basic dikes dip at steep angles, usually to the southeast, and vary from a fraction of an inch to feet in width. The mining is all underground work. A shaft is sunk and the earth is worked out in 30-foot stopes until hard rock is reached, but the upper 30 feet is not generally used.
The clay is dried in cylindrical driers, ground, and bolted or air- separated to pass 80 to 120 mesh. All is used for bleaching edible oils, as the product is not suitable for refining petroleum.
The production was 2,563 short tons in 1910, but it has since
nsr
ive
' eorgria -'2-934.
Ann.
i Oadsd State:
148 Geological 8Ubvet Of Geobgia
Gkidsden County, at Quincy, Midway and Jamieson, near the Qeor- gia line. The fullers earth bed seems to be a little thicker and more persistent in Gadsden County than in Georgia, but the composition, structure, and geological relations are exactly the same. These de- posits will be discussed in detail in connection with the description of the Alum Bluff earth of Georgia.
An important guide rock associated with the fullers earth in both States is a white to greenish or yellowish gray, soft, argillaceous and locally calcareous sandstone, locally called **sand rock." This rock is more resistant to erosion than the fullers earth, and often outcrops where the clay beds are entirely concealed.
Massachusetts, — On the property of E. and R. M. Famsworth, one mile north or Lancaster, Massachusetts, is a deposit of clay which has been mined for use as a fullers earth. This is a glacial silt, de- posited in the Glacial Lake Nashua, and it is the only reported fullers earth of glacial origin.
The bed has a thickness, at one point, of at least 26 feet. Analysis shows that the clay resembles other fullers earths in its high content of silica and alkalies, but the percentage of combined water is very low (3.03 per cent). It is reported that all of the earth is used in fulling cloth, and its qualities as a bleaching agent for organic or mineral oils is not known.
Mississippi, — Fullers earth is reported from Smith and Yalobusha counties, Mississippi, but it has never been worked on a commercial scale. That from Smith County probably comes from the Jackson formation, and it is said to have bleaching power equal to the English earth.
Neiv York. — A bed of clay at McConnellsville, 12 miles north of Rome, was worked several years ago by the New York Fullers Earth Company. It is a fine grained, dense Quartenary clay, occurring in
Alden, W. C, Fullers earth and brick clays near Clinton, Mass.: U. S. QeoL Survey Bull. 480, pp. 402-404. 1910.
' Lowe. E. N.. Soils and mineral resources of Mississippi, Miss. State Geol. Sur- vey, Bull. 12, p. 143, 1915.
' Rles. Heinrich, Fullers earth, New York State Museum, Bull. 35, pp. 848-851,
¥
" 4In 149
of equal ods.
Ilers earth ecording to Eocene, the clays of the le vicinity of phase, belongs, ally continuous gia. This earth aree of the Con- showing that the
ii present in South iiportance. No pro- of South Dakota are iing in plasticity, and sh earth in composition earth makes up a large beds at the base of the . formation extends from 'airbum and Hermosa far usands of square miles.
; South Carolina: S. C. Qeol. Sur-
.:. 2, 4th ser., pp. 339-861, 1908.
ikota: Am. Inst. Mln. "Eng. Trans.,
the geology and water resources of Survey, Twenty-first Ann. Rept.
-first Ann. Rept. part 6 (Cont.) p. 591,
outh Dakota, S. D. Oeol. Survey, Bull.
water resources of the Oreat Central pp. 43, 44. 176. 186. 898, 1906. s of the Black Hills region: S. D. School
y, and hlology of Melletto, Washatwugh, d South Dakota: S. D. Oeol Survey Bull.
150 Geological Survey Of Georgia
Test shipments have been made from localities near Pairbum and near Argyle, but no mining on a large scale has been done. Small samples are said to have given good results in bleaching vege- table and animal oils, but the larger test lots were not so good, owing to lack of care in selection of the material.
Texas. — The fullers earth beds of Texas occur in the upper por- tion of the Jackson formation, of Eocene age, and in the Corrigan formation, probably Oligocene. The earth in the Jackson formation is a brown clay, occurring in beds up to 12 feet thick. Its bleaching power is greater than that of the standard English earths, and filter- ing properties are good.
Two expensive grinding plants were erected about 1909, near Somerville (Summerville), Burleson County and near Burton, Washington County, but the production has remained very small, as the sale of the earth is severely handicapped by the cost of transpor- tation.
Virginia, — The so-called fullers earth of Virginia and Maryland consists of beds of infusorial or diatomaceous remains near the base of the Chesapeake formation of Pliocene age. The best exposures are in bluffs along the Potomac. At one time the deposits near the mouth of Pope Creek, Maryland, were worked for shipment, but no production has been reported in recent years.
Tests For Fullers Earth
As the chemical analysis does not indicate the commercial value of a fullers earth, it is necessary to make tests of the bleaching power and other physical properties. The earths described in this report have been tested for bleaching power on cotton oil only. No tests
Duessen, Alexander, Notes on some clays from Texas: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 470. pp. 337-343. 1910.
Phillips, Wm. B., Mineral Resources of Texas: University of Texas. Scientific Series Bull. 29, pp. 81. 97. 121. 216. 241. 1914.
Udden. Baker. B5se, Review of the geologry of Texas: University of Texas. Bull. 44. p. 147, 1916.
Parsons, Charles L... Fullers earth: Bureau of Mines Bull. 71. 1913.
Darton, N. H., Geologic atlas of the United States. Nomlni folio, No. 23. U. S. Geol. Survey, 1896.
Watson, T. L., Mineral Resources of Virginia, The Virginia Jamestown Exposi- tion Commission, pp. 296, 297. 1907.
. bleaching
. of fullers
reached in a
a laboratory
been devised.
hich the oil is
ed, the labora-
be expected in
olor scale quan-
rious earths when
of the same order
e actual bleaching
cotton oil, but for
as much importance
is used, and it must
.1 will be lost as dust
ised for all earths de-
vlPLES
rare taken, usually repre-
.posure. The samples were
;n inch, and a small sample
The remainder was dried in
perature maintained between
was then ground in a coffee-
and put through a small bolt-
W to 60, 60 to 100, and through
put through 200 mesh.
ith silk cloth. The average size
GEOLOGICAL aVJtVEY OF Ghi
!,
Test shipments have been made from lu and near Argyle, but no mining on a lar Small samples are said to have given good table and animal oils, but the larger test lot. to lack of care in selection of the material.
Texas} — The fullers earth beds of Texa tion of the Jackson formation, of Eocene formation, probably Oligocene. The earth is a brown clay, occurring in beds up to 1 power is greater than that of the standard ing properties are good.-
Two expensive grinding plants wei* Somerville (Summerville), Burleson ' Washington County, but the production the sale of the earth is severelv handicii tation.
Virginia} — The so-called fullers eai consists of beds of infusorial or diatoi of the Chesapeake formation of Plio are in blu£Es along the Potomac. At mouth of Pope Creek. Maryland, wei production has been reported in ree-
TESrrS FOR FULI
As the chemical analysis does not a fullers earth, it is necessary to i' and other physical properties. Ti have been tested for bleaching
}ul
Du<scn. Atcxar.tler. Notes on oir. Bu'l- pp. 237-343, IS 10.
rh;.l:i, Wm. B . Minera! Resource? Series KuU. SS*. pp. J7. Itl, 21. 141.
L'vMen, Bsker, Be. Review of the p 44, p. 147. 1S16.
Parsons* !ea t... Fullers arth:
Darton. X. H., Geoiogic atlas of Geol, Surrey. 15.
Watson. T, I*. Mineral Reourcca o: t!i>n Commission, pp. t;ri. 2S7,
t;
inployed at the
low" cotton oil, K'hing welL the oil must first moves free fatty forms. Oil from ries, as different re- '.t>r, differ greatly in
vaker, and heated to Weaker removed from ites then filtered im-
of driving out any ako to drive out the A SDiall amount of
action to a great is 6 per cent of
:A
He Coastal Plain 153
rwise stated, this proportion
made a large folded filter paper
.it the isame time to measure the
ion of oil remaining in the earth,
lion of the. earth in filter press, the
funnel, using suction.
' standard sample bottle and the color , and without exposing to light any
V.
Mies have a capacity of 4 ounces, and
i'lit, from the inside of the bottom to the
ttoms are ground plane and polished, as
an ordinary rough or curved glass surface
J color of the oil. Some forms of color com-
1 rectangular cells, but the essential feature
oil exactly inches in length.
'/' scale. — The Lovibond scale consists of glass
.aduated shades of the primary colors. By the
w'y and blue series of glasses almost any color can
cotton oil contains no blue coloring matter, its
'lied with color glasses of the yellow and red series.
practice that a colum of 5/4 inches of prime yellow
unbleached, can be best matched by using the 35
iss, then adding enough red glasses to match the tint.
r units of red needed is more than one tenth the num-
units, commonly between 5 and 6. If more than 7.6
are necessary to match, the oil is considered off-color.
earth has a stronger affinity for the red than for the yel<
ig matter of cotton oil; so after bleaching, it is found that
oil can be most accurately matched by using red and yel-
.is in the ratio of 1 to 10. This color ratio applies in all
nere the earth used is of fair efficiency; if an earth or clay
OEO LOGICAL Sl'in!
of the openings, measured with lows :
Mesh
Dist.'ui'H center--
The method used i 1 1 Pieard-Law Laboratcn
The oil used for t preferably one of mo lers earth has no pn. be refined by the r acids and converts the same lot shou' fined oils, even if their capability
Two hundrr.l 120 a Tweh. the burner, ai .. mediately.
The preliv trace of wat ' hygroscopic extent water in ei*
In stiH'
. ?ti may remain more
- :H5t results that can
.1 ased for the bleach-
j: ..?o be bleached with a
*Kilts compared. The
:- "XL brand of English
:zjl earth. Of these the
lighter in yellow and
_-aii earth.
*arth is further bleached
.ijied samples of oil were
-zitrd room, but in a posi-
ir:n them, .then readings
: fdfect of light is stronger iTTtf others, but sufficient : property of the earth
-i.ry the yellow coloring
-i'7* 'o light contained only a
.- r treatment with the earth,
: ss IT' units in a number of
- .\rtt gives the oil a lighter
'x'-ijix effect on the oil un-
z m-rated the light-bleach af-
fr -te can still be matcher
izicunt of red than before
trporary. The samples for two weeks. In ri* preceding reading was of color is very slow.
>l-I'O.SITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 155
ie to find out how long and to what extent
inue.
Absorption Of Oil
.
Ill most cases determined in the fullers earth resi-
I ling tests. Filtration was made through a small
using an aspirator with a gage. The maximum
: was equivalent to 25 inches of mercury, but it gen-
i to about 20 inches near the end of the suction, as
.lie more pervious to air. Suction was continued in all
lie oil came through at the rate of one drop per minute.
lue cases, required several hours of suction, and it would
ared an unreasonably long time to have sucked the cakes
dry.
entire funnel containing the oil and earth cake was weighed
gram, then the earth was removed from the funnel and filter
' and the funnel weighed again. A hard filter paper was used,
eued around the edges with a little glue, so the earth could be
.:ly cleaned out. The amount of oil remaining in the paper and in
le bottom of the funnel was the same for both weighings, and the
lii¥erence in weight represents the original 12 grams of earth plus
the oil absorbed by it. The absorption is stated as the percentage
of oil remaining in the cake after filtering.
The results obtained by this method are not highly accurate, the greatest source of error being the uncertainty as to the exact time at which suction should be stopped. The percentage of oil remain- ing in the earth after suction is about twice that left in commercial practice with the filter press, but the results are valuable as a basis for comparing the various samples.
No attempt was made to measure the time required for filtration, except to note those cases in which filtration was exceptionally rapid or exceptionally slow. In general, the very light and porous earths with high absorption filtered more slowly than denser earths, but little can be learned by laboratory tests as to the action of the earth
156 Geological 8Ubvet Of Geobgia
in a filter press, because so much depends on the method of grinding and the proportion of very fine material. The earths containing calcium carbonate also filter very slowly. It seems that calcium carbonate is sufficiently alkaline to saponify a small amount of the oil, and the minute quantity of soap so formed clogs the pores in the filter paper.
Specific Volume
The true mineral specific gravity of all samples of fullers earth runs about the same, not differing greatly from that of ordinary clays, and varying from 1.75 to 2.50. The weight of a given volume of the dried and ground earth, however, varies greatly. The relation be tween weight and volume depends to some extent upon the shape of the grains, the relative proportions of coarse and fine grains, and the method of grinding, but it is principally a function of the porosity of the earth.
Most of the Georgia earth of good bleaching power is extremely light and porous, weighing approximately half as much as the Eng- lish earth, and therefore requiring twice as many sacks per ton and necessitating the opening of the filter press a greater number of times in filtering a given quantity of oil, if the same proportionate weight of earth is used. On account of this great variation the quantity of earth used in large scale filtering tests should always be weighed, not measured.
The weight of equal volumes of different earths was determined under as nearly identical conditions as possible. The method con- sisted in taking a small Erlenmeyer fiask of known weight and capac- ity, and filling it with the dried and ground earth, at the same time tapping the flask gently on some soft surface, until it would hold no more. The weight of the contents was then determined.
The results are comparative rather than absolute, but they are of much more value than exact determinations of specific gravity, because the latter gives no indication of the porosity and the space occupied by the ground material.
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 157
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. The English earth has a density as determined by the above method, of a little over 1.0, and weighs 66 pounds per cubic foot ; almost the same as a pure kaolin. The Oeorgia earths are all lighter, several having a density as low as 0.44, weighing 28 pounds per cubic foot. Provided the particles are of about uniform size, the fineness of grind- ing has little effect on the weight of a given volume of earth. Nor- mally the portion of the earth passing through 100 mesh is a little heavier than the 20 to 40, 40 to 60, and 60 to 100 mesh grades, be- cause the smaller particles are more irregular and have a greater relative variation in mze, therefore packing closer ; but in some cases the earth through 100 mesh is so light and fluffy that it cannot be packed by the same amount of tamping as the coarser grades, and is therefore a little lighter.
As a check on these determinations, the density of pure granular
vein quartz, which has an actual specific gravity of 2.60, was deter-
mined by the same method. The 20 to 40 mesh size had a density of
1.41, weighing 88.5 pounds per cubic foot ; and the 40 to 60 mesh, a density of 1.39, weighing 86.6 pounds per cubic foot.
The density of the Georgia earths in mass is very nearly equal to that of water. As taken from the mine the earth contains about 50 per cent of hygroscopic moisturp, but after air drying it will float in water until the pores become filled. This provides an easy test for fullers earth, as a dry clay which will float is almost certain to have good bleaching power.
ft V
)'-
:a>
Apparent Acidity
i :si Fullers earth possesses the power of adsorbing inorganic bases as
well as basic colors, and this aflSnity for basic ions causes neutral
Le solutions to give an acid reaction on addition of fullers earth, al-
-X though there is actually no free acid present in the earth.
jju To test an earth for apparent acidity, a two gram sample of the
finely ground earth was placed in 100 c.c. of distilled water, which
158 Geological Survey Of Georgia
was then boiled to expel carbon dioxide and to thoroughly saturate
N the earth, and titrated with a standard — solution of potassium
hydroxide, using phenolphthalein as indicator. The results are stated
as the number of cubic centimeters of tenth-normal alkali required
to neutralize 100 grams of the earth.
Some of the earths contain pyrite, which becomes partly oxidized during drying. When placed in water these earths actually liberate sulphurous acid, and they also contain soluble sulphates of iron and aluminum, which must be precipitated by the base before an alkaline reaction can be obtained. Such earths, therefore, require a very large amount of alkali for neutralization.
In the case of earths which contain no free acid nor soluble salts the bleaching power is not directly proportional to the apparent acidity, but in general those having a high power of absorbing in- organic bases are good bleaching earths.
Fullers Earth Deposits Of Georgia Fullers' Earth Of Jackson Age
Geology Of The Twiggs Clay Member
Areal distribution. — Outcrops of fullers earth and similar clays be- longing to the Twiggs clay member of the Barnwell formation occur in a narrow belt extending more than half way across the State. The westernmost exposures are in Dooly County, and the belt continues northeastward to Savannah River near Augusta, with exposures in Houston, Crawford, Twiggs, Bibb, Bleckley, Wilkinson, Jones, Bald- win, Washington, Glascock, Jefferson, Burke, Richmond and Columbia counties. Throughout most of the area underlain by the Twiggs clay the underlying Ocala limestone and the earlier Eocene formations are absent, so the location of the outcrops is just south of the belt in which the Cretaceous strata come to the surface,
Stratigraphic relations. — The Twiggs clay member occupies a posi- tion at the base and near the northern margin of the Barnwell forma-
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 159
tion, which consists principally of glauconitic sand and marl. The clay grades downward and southward into the Ocala limestone, or into the marl and oyster shell beds of the Barnwell formation. Along the northern margin of the outcrops it is overlain with a slight uncon- formity by red sands of the Barnwell formation. This unconformity is exposed at Pikes Peak and Grovetown, but it evidently represents a withdrawal of the sea for only a short distance and for a short period of time, because farther south the clay member is conform- able with the remainder of the Barnwell formation. Northeast of Wilkinson County the Ocala limestone is absent, and the clay rests directly on the surface of the Lower Cretaceous, or is separated from it only by a thin bed of sand, and locally tongues of the clay member overlap the Cretaceous beds entirely and rest upon the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont area. The most notable of these overlaps are at Roberts and Grovetown.
Lithologic characters. — As indicated by the name, the member con- sists chiefly of clay, most of which presents some characteristics of fullers earth. The earth of commercial value is a laminated to mod- erately thick bedded, jointed clay, which is chiefly characterized by its extreme lightness and porosity. When thoroughly air-dried it will float on water. It is brittle and lacking in plasticity, so that when a fragment of the wet clay is struck with a hammer it shatters, in- stead of being deformed. Such plasticity as the earth possesses is developed only by fine grinding and mixing with a large proportion of water. The earth does not slake in water, but remains firm, and pebbles are often rolled in streams for considerable distances from the outcropping beds. The layers of fullers earth are soft and unctuous to the touch, and almost free from grit, but the stratum generally con- tains more or less sand in lenses and pockets and has thin partings of micaceous sand between the layers or laminae.
In color the dry earth is white, drab, gray, or yellow, varying in tint from pale cream color to ocher-yellow, according to the percent- age of ferric oxide. When wet the color is darker than when dry, and is characteristically gray or olive green of varying shades.
160 Geological 8Estey Of Georgia
Locally in the northeaBtern counties of the fullers earth belt, the clay is indurated by the deposition of silica in the pores, forming a clay-atone or dint clay with approximately the hardnesa of an aver- age limestone. Such clay is massive in the ground, but on exposure it breaks down in a peculiar manner into small fragments with angu- lar and conchoidal fracture. It is distinguishable from indurated kaolins of the Lower Cretaceous, which it resembles in appearance, by its method of fracturing and by its high content of silica.
Earth of good quality seems to have been deposited only in estu- aries and several miles from the shore line. On this account the de- posits, while large, are discontinuous and -Df lens-like character. The clay along the extreme northern margin of the area of deposition is denser and more plastic than the good fullers earth, and approaches common clay in composition and characteristics. The formation has this character at Stevens Pottery and at Roberts, some of the north- ernmost extensions. Locally the clay deposited near the shore line is highly carbonaceous, grading into lignite, as the Chapman Lignit mine near Grovetown and at the Harbison and Walker fire clay mine near Gibson. Where carbonaceous, the clay generally contains also a considerable percentage of pyrite, which sometimes occurs in crystals visible to the naked eye.
' Southward, as the water during the period of deposition became deeper, the Twiggs clay becomes more calcareous, and gradually merges into the Ocala limestone in the west and into marl and oyster shell beds in the east. As the percentage of calcium carbonate in- . creases the clay becomes harder, until some varieties are best de- scribed as argillaceous limestones. Most of the calcareous clay varies in color from -slate-blue to very dark gray when fresh and wet, but at the surface it becomes cream-colored by oxidation of the iron and leaching out of carbonaceous and calcareous matter. ,
At localities where the fullers earth was not deposited, and north of the limit of clay deposition, beds of yellowish -green glauconitic sand extend to the base of the Barnwell formation. Locally near the base of the formation are beds of sbnly aluminous sandstone, quartzite,
Fullers Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 161
and completely sdlieified sandy limestone. These beds and the local deposits consisting largely of oyster shells represent depositional phases during the time of formation of the fullers earth member. At a few localities the basal beds of the Barnwell consist of reworked Lower Cretaceous sands and therefore resemble the latter formation, but in general the two formations may be readily distinguished by color and presence of fossils in the Barnwell.
Strike, dip and thickness. — The line of strike of the Twiggs clay member extends approximately northeast, from the vicinity of Perry, Houston County, to Qrovetown, Columbia County.
Exposures along the Macon-Perry road (National and Dixie High- way) in Houston County afford data for estimating the slope of the Cretaceous surface. "At 5.1 miles from Perry the unconformity be- tween the Cretaceous and Eocene (Jackson) beds is exposed at an altitude of 360 feet, and at 13.1 miles is another exposure at an alti- tude of 450 feet. There are several other exposures in the interven- ing distance, which show that the Cretaceous surface is almost plane and has a uniform slope. The unconformity dips 90 feet in 8 miles, or 11 feet per mile, in the direction of the road, but the road is not perefectly straight, and it makes an angle of about 30 degrees with the line of dip of the beds, so the dip is steeper than indicated, and may be estimated as exceeding 12 feet, but not exceeding 20 feet, per mile. The dip of the Jackson beds is a little less than that of the un- conformity, and is probably about 10 feet per mile, in a direction a little south of southeast.
In Twiggs County the slope of the upland areas, remnants of the original plain, is 9 feet per mile in the direction of the Macon, Dublin, & Savannah Bailroad from Pikes Peak to Danville. No data have been secured for accurately measuring the dip of the Jackson beds, but it is a little steeper than the slope of. the plain, and is probably between 10 and 15 feet per mile.
In the eastern part of the State the upper surface of the Lower Cretaceous beds is very irregular, and the angle of dip of the uncon- formities can not be stated with any degree of certainty. At Grove-
164 Geological 8Ubvey Of Oeobgia
Topographically the county forms a part of the Fall Line Hills belt. Only Ocmulgee River and Big Sandy Creek have formed broad valleys with well-developed river swamps or flood plains, while the remainder of the county is a plateau dissected by deep narrow valleys with precipitous sides. The steep valley slopes are cut by many deep gullies, largely formed since the deforestation of the land, in which may be observed geologic sections often totaling over 100 feet of freshly exposed strata.
The Lower Cretaceous beds consist of light-colored arkosic and kaolinic sands with prominent lenses of sedimentary kaolin, which is extensively mined in the vicinity of Dry Branch. The Upper Cre- taceous, of which only the Cusseta and Providence sand members of the Ripley formation are exposed in the county, consists dominantly of light-colored kaolinic sand. Fossils, calcareous materials, and clays of ordinary composition are lacking in all the Cretaceous formations, and the character of the beds is so different from the Eocene deposits that there is never any possibility of mistaking the Cretaceous or Eocene age of the strata.
The Ocala limestone, which underlies the fullers earth beds throughout the greater part of the area of Twiggs County, has the same character as in other counties to the southwest. It consists al most entirely of bryozoan fossils, and Pecten perplanus and Periar- chus pileus-sinesis are very abundant. The maximum thickness is 45 to 50 feet in the southwestern part of the county, but it becomes thinner to the north and east.
The Twiggs clay member changes considerably in character from north to south within the county. In the northern part, near Pikes Peak, there are two well defined beds of fullers earth in a horizon having a total thickness of 100 feet. The lower bed is about 45 feet thick, the upper over 20 feet, and the two are separated by a bed of greenish-yellow fossiliferous sand which reaches a thickness of 50 feet. The earth in this vicinity is not calcareous except near the base, where it grades into limestone. Where leached and oxidized by surface water it has a pale yellow to cream color, and is extremely light and
Of The Coastal Plain 105
' \idation it is usually dark gray, and
rite. Farther south, for instance, in
Westlake, the fullers earth bed becomes
limestone thickens, and the clay becomes
:-. The calcareous earth is blue or gray where
s cream or yellow at the surface. It is much
non-calcareous variety, so the zone of leaching
.<'utly extends less than an inch from the surface,
tliern part of the county the material is usually
/lb of many feet.
lire is simple, as the beds are almost in their original
I dip slightly to the southeast. The only evidence of
.een in the railroad cut at Pikes Peak station, where there
anticline with limbs dipping 4 degrees southeast and 3 de-
'>rth\vest. The slope of the upland areas, remnants of the
lal plain, is 9 feet per mile, as the altitude decreases from 625 on the hill tops near Pikes Peak to 460 feet at Danville, a dis- nje of 18 miles. The dip of the beds is a little steeper than the iope of the plain, and is probably between 10 and 15 feet per mile.
PIKES PEAK LOCA(iITIES GENERAL REDUCTION COMPANY PROPERTY
(Map locality T-l)
The General Reduction Company was incorporated in 1908, and mining operations were commenced by Mr. James E. Carlton about that time. A great deal of experimental work was done before find- ing a satisfactory method of drying and grinding the earth, but the difficulties have been overcome and the plant is now operating steadily and profitably. At present Mrs. L. H. Carlton is president of the companyand Mr. K. B. Slocum is manager. The post-office address is Dry Branch, Georgia.
Location. — The General Beduction Company owns about 1300 acres of land in the vicinity of Pikes Peak station on the Macon, Dub-
Geological .S7 L
Topographically the county belt. Only Ocmulgee River aiui valleys with well-developcMl ri remainder of the county is a j- with precipitous sides. The gullies, largely formed siiiM ' may be observed geologii s. freshly exposed strata.
The Lower Cretaceous ' kaolinic sands with proniiu* extensively mined in the taceous, of which only t! the Ripley formation ar< of light-colored kaolini*- of ordinary compositior. and the character of tl that there is never .h. Eocene age of the st j .
The Ocala linio throughout the rci' same character as i>. most entirely of li pile US-si n( sis 45 to 50 feet in ti thinner to the in'
The Twigjxs c north to south Peak, there ar' having a total i thick, the upj)* greenish-yellow The earth in t: it grades int( water it has u
- z*;2i Macon, and half
shown on the topo-
:: exposed in and near
Reduction Company
Feet
Lses of
tough,
S.ane
layers
ntt white when
ei led, with fine
- -crral feet thick
, ij.. dakes of mica
— . r. .x'ovito) stained
v-:%'ie mass of ful-
- iit5 in nil direc-
.'jT oxides of man-
e. 'T -shrinkage, have
-r* in texture and
- and jwrous, con-
-% ."31 Me fullers earth
suirt black when wet,
-a '.Tying, The dark
rAitiles of carbona-
j. ils"* contains visible
' -ff a strong odor of
rriE cn.isTAi. pr.My of georoia plate xni
K|ILLl::itS HARTH MILL
166 GEOLOGICAL aVSVKY OF GEORGIA
lin & Savannah Railroad. The mine is 12 miles from Macon, an a mile northeast of Pikes Peak station.
The locations of the exposures described are shown on th< graphic sketch map, figure 19.
Geologic relations. — The following section is e-\posed in ai the fullers earth mine (Map locality A).
Section in fullers earth mine of the General Reduclio:
Otigocena or Encene
Vkksburg I'orniation oi* JavkauD group Barnwell iurmnliunj
5. MBHsive, dark reil, ar|{illa<:f ous bbdi]
7. (jiiBrtz sand and flue gtavel, JDcliBtinctl; bedded. . . .
6. Varicolored aandB witb laminae and lensee of tough,
plastic clay, loyally called "gumbo." Sviue layen
of the Baud are slightly indurated
( Unconfonnity ) Eocene JaekaoQ group
Barnwell formation (Twigga clay iiiemher)
G. Ligbt creatn -colored fullers earth, almost white when dry. Tbe lower portion is tli in -bedded, with flue sandy partings. Toward the top the earth becomes more iiiaBBivv, and Ilic beds ure flcveral feet thick between parting. The material along the partinga conaista of fine quart! sand and llakea of mica (damourite or partly weathered muscovite) stained yellow by oxides of iron. The whole mass of ful- lera earth ia rut by numeroiiH joints in all direc- tiona, and along the jointn, as well aa the sand parti ngti, iron-and manganese -bearing e<j have jienetratf'd, locally de pox i ting oiidea o ganeae in dendritic forma. Some of the and partings are slichensided, showing thai movenients, probably reused by shrinkagi occurred. Thin unit ia uniform in teitu compoaition, anil in very light and jwrou atituting the commercially valuable fuller) 4. Dark-colored fullers earth, almost black whi but becoming light gray on drying. Th color is probably due to fine paiticlea of ci ceoue matter, and Ihe clay also contains crystals of pyrtte, and gives oCT a strong
v,
iEOMGlA
m p f up ei ij of tba Oeneral Bednetloii Co,
tiie ififtribotion of fallen earth ezpocam.
Lectcn A to G refer to pointe deecribed
:i:e fullers earth in the mine is irregolar while the sand beds overlying it have direction. This relation indicates unconformity, which may be only (mt at Pikes Peak station between the
xi are exposed in the Macon, Dublin & Sa-
ir !iear Ikes Peak station (map locality B). A
-►Htt "SJf point to the mine, and borings have shown
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 169
that the deposit is continuous throughout the intervening distance, over half a mile.
Section in railroad cut at Pikes Peak station
Oligocene or Eoeene Yicksburg or Jackson Barnwell formation f
6. Bed sand, which caps the ridge. At the base of the stratum is a bed of fine gravel 1 to 2 feet in thickness, containing quartz pebbles up to inch
in diameter 10
( Unconformity )
Eocene Jackson group
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
5. Varicolored sands; red, yellow, and white inter- bedded 7
4. Thin-bedded and rather impure fullers earth. The upper 4 or 5 feet of the bed is a greenish, somewhat plastic day, which was apparently affected by weathering previous to the deposition of the overlying red sand and has not the proper- ties of a good grade of fullers earth 12
8. Yellow limonitic sand 0.2
2. Light-colored olive-drab fullers earth. The lower part is thin-bedded and contains a considerable amount of iron and manganese oxides along part- ings; toward the top the bedding becomes thicker 9
1. Light-colored, greenish-gray clayey sand, f ossiliferous and locally iron stained. Exposures above track level 8
The yellow sand stratum. No. 3, is persistent along the southwest side of the cut, where it shows a slight anticline with limbs dipping four degrees southeast and three degrees northwest. Between beds Nos. 5 and 6 there is a decided unconformity, although the exact line of contact is at most places obscured by weathering. The ful- lers earth beds are cut down below the track level at the station, southeast end of the cut. At the northwest end of the cut, on the northeast side of the track, the bank is made up of massive, red-and- white-mottled clayey sand; while across the cut fullers earth is
GEOLOGICAL SUBVl.i
Pig, 19. — Topographic niii|. PikM Peak, Twiggs Contit?, Baaed on a taivej by the rii in the text.
The upper surface of and pitches to north ami ' a dip of 4 degrees in ai an nnconformity, and ' ' local, is seen in the mi red sand and fullers e;i n
The fullers earth vannah Railroad cut h ridge extends from t)>
- jaonrte and re"
irs earth before the
-.c a<.-compaiiyiD? ii-s Peak station
.ketcb
- jiation a small C . The intermittent tlow grade, and flo*"
Pfak station
Feet
Bt9 li ells 1
tru *i(h thio claj
jis:v At, probably a
-.VCTiartk a
r;f lad Mt exposed 1S+
flt-ih at this point is 50 feet n -i* eot about an eighth of a
/ S Of The Coastal Plain 171
lay and mottled sand overlying both iiformity of considerable importance.
~Fullers EflrTh
- 0.4 Mile ►
. the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad near Pikes utural relations between points B and C, fig. 19.
icr of a mile southeast of the station (map lo-
t' slightly indurated red, yellow, and white clayey
At the southeast end of the cut a gully heads south
iiid in this gully a 25-foot bed of fullers earth out-
n£ the bed is 32 feet below the level of the track.
.1 yards beyond the cut is a second valley heading south
I, in which the fullers earth is exposed 28 feet below
riie bed of earth is 45 feet thick (by aneroid measure-
pparently of good quality, although rather thin bedded.
;iiii by bluish-gray, clayey and calcareous sand. The effect
rs earth bed on the topography is notable. Intermittent
;ive cut gorges 15 to 20 feet deep with frequent small falls
ds in the resistant earth. On reaching the underlying sand
lie gradient of the streams become flatter and the valleys
u greatly.
( the 13 mile post (map locality E) is a deep cut in which the
rs earth beds are again exposed above the track level.
dion in cut at 13 mile post, Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad
Oligocene or Eocene Vicksburg formation or Jackson group
Feet 5. Coarse, massive red and white sands, with a layer of
fine gravel at the base 20
( Unconformity f )
H'
Geological Survey Of Georgia.
Ky
t I
If
exposed at the same level. Along a level to the southeast the the sand formation is reached. Just below the sand beds feet of a structureless plastic clay mixed with limonite and i The upper surface of the clay is very irregular, with bo88o> ing up into the sand formation. This plastic clay appeal* residual soil formed by decomposition of the fullers earth deposition of the mottled sand.
The structural relations are shown on the accompan\ (fig. 20). The altitude of the track at Pikes Peak sta feet.
Several hundred yards southeast of the station a heads northeast of the track (map locality C). The stream passes under the railroad 13 feet below grad southward.
Section in gully southeast of Pikes Peak stal
Eocene Jackson group
Barnwell formation
12. Sandy soil
11. Iron-stained plastic clay
10. Red sand
9. Light red sandstone containing casts of smaU sL*
8. Plastic clay
(Railroad level)
7. Indurated, dark red sand
6. Softer red sand
5. Fine, soft, yellow sand
4. Interbedded red and yellow sand, with thin
beds near base
3. Interval mostly concealed. There are some o\v of red-and-white-mottled argillaceous sand.
( Unconformity f ) Twiggs clay member
2. Structureless, iron -stained, plastic clay, pro!
residual soU derived from fullers earth
1. Light-colored fullers earth, base of bed not
The upper surface of the fullers earth at t lower than the top of that exposed in the cut u
FULLEB8 EaAtH DEPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 173
road, a number of large gullies have been washed in the sand strata (map locality G).
Section in a gully mile southwest of the fullers earth mine
Eocene JackBon group
Barnwell formation
Feet
10. Massive red argillaceous sand 35
9. Indurated maroon-colored sand 0.5
8. Coarse and pure red, white, and yellow sands. Grains are well rounded, averaging one-sixteenth
of an inch in diameter 4.5
7. Very tough plastic dark gray and white clay 1
6. Coarse red sand 2
5, Tough plastic yellow clay interbedded with coarse
sand. Exposures not continuous 10
4. White sandstone containing numerous fossils, mostly
casts of pelecypods 0.5
3. Unconsolidated yellow sand 1
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
2. Pale yellow fullers earth 22
1. Fine, light gray sand, containing some clay f
The preceding section was measured in the gully presenting the best exposures. Fullers earth is also exposed in other washes about 60 feet below the hill top, or almost level with the bed of the mine. There is good reason for believing that a bed of fullers earth of good quality and more than 20 feet in thickness underlies the whole of the flat-topped hill southwest of the mine, with a maximum over- burden of 60 feet of sand and clay. The upper surface of the earth here does not show such irregularity as it does at the station, half a mile east.
Considering the property as a whole, the higher portion, above the level of the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad, is underlain in part by the upper bed of fullers earth, maximum thickness 30 feet, and maximum overburden 60 feet. Almost the entire area of the property is underlain by a lower bed of fullers earth, below the level of the railroad. This bed is thicker than the upper horizon, but the greater part of it is not available because of the overburden of 100
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF GEOBi
Eocene Jackson group
Barnwell formation
4. Slightly indurated, red and yellow, beddec Barnwell formation (Twigge clay member)
3. Greenish, rather plastic clay
2. Fullers earth, thin bedded and containing
ganese oxide along partings
1. Talus to track level
In a valley south of the track just south of fullers earth is seen down to 80 feet belo gullies near the wagon road just north of of massive red sand overlies coarse yello sand. There is no fullers earth, although i the cut.
East of Pikes Peak station is the hill I to be the highest point between Macon overtops the other elevations in the vicinii of the residence of K. B. Slocum, which i a good workable deposit of fullers eartl locality P). A 30-foot stratum of thick- pale yellow and partly blue, is exposec bed in the railroad cuts and in the mi of the exposure is a three-inch bed of stone. The underlying material is ii consists of 40 feet of red sand to the to the level of the house on the hill Oconee River side of the divide, sc started on the opposite side of the 1 cut or a tramway over the ridge to As the upper surface of the fullers dently very irregular, systematic necessary to determine the quantity burden.
Half a mile southwest of the 1
S-3
. i
:.nO
/2H
.1)8
Mtum
in the mine.
it urn
in the mil
ae.
e:lfosits or
Oastal Plain
tn the Oeneral Reduction
y
'.;.43
H)
.5(5
tr
tr
. ' 19.87
Xovember, 1912.
. Xovember, 1912.
1, November, 1913. ., November, 1913. by Otto Veatch for burning tests. 371, 1909.
Rational analysis of No. 5
Described in Bull. 18,
r 1.34
9.92 Sand 17.36
' oxide 3.47
substance 79.17
eceding analyses, as well as all other analyses of fullers this report, have been recalculated to the determined total
t
K
t
GEOLOGICAL SUBVET OF GEOh-
feet or more. Also, the lower bed containfi v. than the upper, and is not so uniform in com; power.
The earth. — Analyses of samples of fullers writer in September, 1914, are as follows:
Analyses of fullers earth from the Gener*,
mine
Constituents
SUica (SiO,)
Alumina ( Al,()t)
Ferric oxide ( Fe,0,)
Ferrous oxide FeO)
Magnesia ( M gO)
Lime (CaO)
Soda (Xa,0)
Potash (K,0)
Ignition
Carbon dioxide (CO,)
Titanium dioxide (TiO,>
Phosphorus pentoxide (PaO,) Sulphur (S)
Moisture
S-1 Commerrial fullers earth. Pike?* S-2 Light -colored earth, aversge san S-3 Dark-colored earth, average san.
I tain
;i per-
. till in
..111 those
in the per-
-i tlieir high
.m1 vith ordi-
nIiuws that the
The differences
' such character
i leaching of the
as taken a portion
ixed with the light
since heen discon-
may be expected to
. salts, and to have
that the dark earth
tests noiade on fullers
ipany mine. For com-
.ers earth, IXL brand,
A'Janta, are also stated.
He Coastal Plain
After two weeks
After two weeks
in light
in dark
M
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Ij)
.
lie bleaching power of proportions of earth smaller
d quantity of 6 per cent of the weight of the oil
cries of tests were made. These indicate that the
♦ uey increases rapidly up to 4 per cent, after which
more earth produces only a slightly better bleach.
Yellow Bed
(1%) 32 3.2
1 (2%) 28 2.8
-1 (3%) 23 2.3
S-1 (4%) 21 2.1
S-1 (5%) 20 2.0
S-1 (6%) 19 1.9
Absorption of oil .
IXL English 21.2%
8-1 (commercial) 38.4
8-2 (20-40 mesh) 46.5
8-2 (40-60 mesh) 45.9
8-2 (60-100 mesh) v 44.4
8-2 (Through 100 mesh) 45.1
Geological Survey Of Geoj.
without the hygroscopic water. All fullers large and varying amounts of moisture, so ; centages of the material dried at 100 C ar showing chemical relations and mineralogical in which the moisture is included in the
These analyses show considerable variati centages of the minor constituents, but content of silica and low content of alum* naiy days, while the one rational analy greater part of the silica exists in com) in composition of the light and dark that th may be easily explained by latter.
Whoi the sample of commercial of the bed of dark earth was being earth in the milL The use of the tinned, so samples from the preseir contain less sulphur, ferrous iron slightly better bleaching power. ?i is a poor bleaching agent.
TesU. — The following tables earth samples from the General parison. the results of tests on obtained from the Picard-Law
Lb. per ci*-
/fc
Zsjb
,
%
2Bjs
m
Aftafi for 100 gm. asrtk
19.6 ce-
163.0*
69
of pwrittm
eoneeming the foDows:
iasd period of time, the of grinding up 100 meth. Fner I: B poKible that the tf allowed to remain
. He Coastal Plain 179
.sensible eflfect on the absorption
lie material, passing through 200
u this is probably due to clogging
I at her than to inherently greater ab-
iias only a slight effect on the specific LT as the particles are of approximately i'here is some tendency for the finer grades lore to show greater density, on account of ations in size and shape of the particles when
high apparent acidity, or power of adsorbing
lid to have stronger bleaching power than those
acidity; but the presence of free acid and soluble
bleaching power, as shown by sample S-3,
er-bleach, or bleaching effect of light on an oil after
ill fullers earth, is not entirely dependant on the orig-
. but varies after the use of different earths. Thus, with
ular sample of cotton oil used, the IXL earth does not
as good an original bleach as the commercial Pikes Peak
ut after standing in the light for two weeks the two oil
s assume the same tint.
summary of the comparative tests on Pikes Peak and English
Ai made by Charles L. Parsons* is given below. The methods of
ting used by Parsons were essentially the same as those employed
u testing the preceding samples.
Parsons. Charles L., Fullers earth: U. S. Bureau of Mines Bull. 71, 1918.
Oeolooical Survey Of
S-2 (Through 200 mesh) ,
S-3 (20-40 mesh)
8-3 (40-60 mesh)
8-3 (60-100 mesh)
8-3 (Through 100 mesh)
8-3 (Through 200 mesh)
Specific voJi'
8ample used
IXL English
8-1 (commercial)
S-2 (20-40 mesh)
8-2 (40-60 mesh)
8-2 (60-100 mesh)
8-2 (Through 100 mesh)
8-3 (20-40 mesh)
(40-60 mesh)
(60-100 mesh)
(Through 100 mesh).
Apptu.
-'£s After two weeks
in dark
Bed
Yellow
Bed
<vifteOrmTit7
' Lb. per en. ft.
Lot
IXL English
Contain free acid and soluble
These tests lead to cert? properties of the earth, wli
1. If the oil is treated . bleaching power increases to the point where all of t grinding has little effect coarser grades of earth longer in contact with t-
N
— Alkali for 100 gm. of earth
60
. >.-n-iM ODrnpany 230
relations of topography and -. vc have previously been discussed :4t\ons.'' The locations of the which could be chosen. The ; 43ji the earth is transported to the by a short spur track from
Sailroad. Xa hM handled is about 40 feet,
iKPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 181
the mine will be worked back farther into
It is planned to work to northwest around
: it'll the public road is reached, then work may
he slope to southeast toward the railroad cut.
:h earth to supply the mill for a number of years
and besides having light overburden, the useless
cd part of the fullers earth bed may be avoided.
been made for working the fullers earth from the
.iiid it is not likely that this will be worked so long
iDiogeneous and more accessible earth from the upper
.n(thods.—The principal expense in mining the earth is
iig of overburden. This is removed by a self -dumping
f'l designed by Mr. Slocum, and is dumped in the valley
the mine or in abandoned parts of the pit.
earth is worked with pick and shovel, loaded in tram-cars,
'led to a storage shed at the mill, where a sufficient amount
h is kept to run for several days, so that no work need be
// the mine in wet weather. The tramway is so arranged that
ending loaded car pulls an empty car up to the level of the
reparation for market. — Preparation of the earth for the market
sts in drying and grinding.
le most difficult and expensive operation is the drying. The
aa mined contains about 50 per cent of moisture, and it is de- to drive oft as much of the hygroscopic water as possible with-
sing the earth to a temperature high enough to expel any of
bined water. To meet these requirements steam-heated tunnel'
re used.
?arth from the first storage shed is briquetted in an ordinary
chine, and the bricks are stacked on trucks in such a man- Bir may circulate freely between them. The trucks are ed into the drying tunnels. Each day about four trucks
re removed from one end of a tunnel and four more added
OBOLOOICAL avnVEY or Qh
Bleach
Sftmpto wed
Oil used
Engliiih MLTth reeeived in lump form
English earthy IXL brand
Sample from PSkee Peak
Pikee Peak brand. General Bednetion Co.. .
After tw ml)
Yellow
Specific volu
Kngliah earth reeeived in Inmp form
Sngliah earth, DCL brand
Sample from Pikes Peak
POne Peak brand, Qeaal Bednetion Comp
Apparent
jjass through
I'/issiug over
hi'.n the mill
ji'd at about
-icrable percen-
it a ined 7.29' per
comes from the
!i changes in the
ivevor and elevator i.iiinary breaker, re-
a four-roll Raymond
(' earth is carried up
by a Cyclone sep-
;it 95 per cent of the
- reen. A screen analy-
.1 a small flour bolting
he IXL brand of Eng-
!f from the Picard-Law
for laboratory tests, and
KngKwh earth reeeired in Imnp Kngliwh earth, IXL brand. . . Sample from Pikes PMk. . . . Pikeo Peak brand. General
Conditions affecting mining.— OYerborden to the falters earth under the heading of Geologic mine and mill are the most fav- mine is high and well drained, mill by graTity. The mill is i the Maeon Dublin ft Savannah
The greatest overburden w).
rs
earth
Ub
Imloo
Peak (S-1) IXL English
M
97J2
jl lOLOOO tons of prepared earth.
Of The Coastal Plain 183
sold in the United States is used
vegetable ond animal oils, especially
le the European war a large quantity
iiTmany. The exact uses made of the
I, except that a part was used in refin-
lies the following statement, which prob-
II is deposit: Certain finely ground and
adsorptive power have been imported from
I he production of clay pigments as a basis
II papers. While these samples of imported identified, certain brands strongly resemble
wo American deposits of fuller's .earth, and to believe that the material was exported and /Hiding was reimported into this country."
has been made to introduce this earth for re- oils. The dried earth from the Pikes Peak de- in that from the Alum BluflE formation of south da and offers less resistance to crushing and attri- probably not prove so satisfactory as the latter for
Localities North Op Pikes Peak
i northwest of the General Reduction Company prop-
tlie Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad between Pikes
)ry Branch, are the kaolin mines of the Georgia Kaolin
American Clay Company, John Sant Clay Company, and
,oned mine of the Atlanta Mining and Clay Company. All
-tv pits, as well as numerous gullies, expose fullers earth of
grade and thickness.
Atlanta Mining And Clay Company
..e kaolin mine of the Atlanta Mining and Clay Company is half .e east of Winthrop and 2 miles north of Pikes Peak.
Parsons, Charles L.. op. dt. p. S8.
— :rrr if oomgia
the till' Bteain c is in n
cent, mill, I. hunii<i
Tl.. to a duciiiv'
Fr. pulv( ri by a r arator. finish sis or machii lish e;; Comi); is finrr
mul Clay Company pit
s
Ou
On 4(1
On
Co
On
8(
On
In.
On
On
12"'
Throii-
Ti
Z.1Sv
uwdeUj 2-5
ft 1
ore to sandy 12+
and resembles fullers earth represent the fullers earth
T Pwpebty
. , Lit Company is situated about 1 mile south of Dry Branch.
c*-':iJi Clay Company pit
Feet -: -v and 10
- '-i. containing some
e -ATta exposed is very a-*nined, and more
- a zrit 12
rr-ta>eous beds is about 430 feet.
Fulleb8 Easth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 186
lie west end of the kaolin pit the fullers earth bed pinches out, in a well 100 yards north of the pit fullers earth of consider- ' greater thickness and better quality than shown in the preced- / section was cut.
On the same property, south of the mine, is a gully which heads ar the store on the public road. In this gully a good section is
xposed.
Section in gully south of the American Clay Company mine
Eocenef
Feet 6. Greenish argillaceous sand, weathering to bright red. Overlies the fullers earth bed with a slightly irreg- ular contact, which is marked by an inch or two of carbonaceous clay 20
( Unconformity t ) Eocene Jackson group
BamweU formation (Twiggs clay member) 5. Fullers earth horizon. About 10 feet from the base is a sand stratum some feet in thickness, and there are other rather sandy beds, but as a whole the formation is light-colored and apparently of good quality. A few feet of earth at the top of the bed
is f ossilif erous and slightly indurated 45
4. Fossiliferous sandstone 0.5
8. Yellow argillaceous sand 1.
2. Argillaceous limestone 0.5
1. Yellow sand f
Property Of Mrs. F. M. Tharpe
(Map locality T-fS)
The property of Mrs. F. M. Tharpe, on which the kaolin mine of the John Sant Clay Company is located, adjoins the property of the American Clay Company on the west.
Geologic relations. — section of the lower beds of the Jackson formation is exposed as overburden in the pit of the John Sant Clay Company.
186 Geological Survey Of Georgia
Section in John Sant Clay Company pit
Eocene
Jackson group
Barnwell formation
Feet
5. Soil and clayey sand 5
4. Massive red and yellow sand 4
3. Fullers earth horizon, here represented by olive-gray clay, iron-stained and more plastic than good
fullers earth 1.5
2. Light colored sand, partly argillaceous 10
( Unconformity ) Lower Cretaceous
1. White kaolin 15
The Tharpe residence is situated on a ridge about half a mile west of the clay pit, and 50 feet above the surface of the kaolin in the pit. A well near the house is said to have struck fullers earth with 18 feet overburden. It passed through one bed of fullers earth, then through a sand bed, and ended in fullers earth at a depth of 60 feet. Other wells along the ridge have also encountered ful- lers earth.
. In gullies on both sides of the public road, which follows the ridge south of the Tharpe house, fullers earth is exposed. In a gully west of the road are discontinuous exposures of fullers earth through a vertical range of over 30 feet, with a thin bed of hard limestone about the middle of the section.
In a gully east of the road light-colored, thick-bedded fullers earth outcrops almost continuously for a thickness of 30 feet. An average sample (S-16) was taken from the exposure. The over- burden above this deposit apparently consists entirely of red argil- laceous sand, and has a thickness of 40 feet to the top of the ridge followed by the road.
Between the house and the kaolin mine is another gully in which a considerable thickness of fullers earth is exposed, but this earth contains sandy fossiliferous beds, and is not of as good quality as that where the sample was taken.
The earth, — This occurrence is near the northern limit of the area
earth has .es Peak de- nser and ab- / the English , power is not l1 bleached with I with the stand- : earth, and when
on earth ground in
. As usual, the tests
stated for comparison.
two weeks
After two weeks
u light
in dark
I'ellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
ptian of oil
21.20?.
specific volume
Specific gravity I
ib. per ctu ft.
Geological Subvet Of Geobg
Section in John Sant Clay Compc
Eocene Jackaon group
Barnwell formation
5. Soil and clayey sand
4. MasEdve red and yeUow sand
3. Fullers earth horizon, here represented l
clay, iron-stained and more plasti
fullers earth
2. Light colored sand, partly argillaceous
( Unoonformity ) . i ly
Lownr Cretaeeoua ,1/2
1. White kaolin , SUr-
The Tharpe residence is situated on west of the day pit, and 50 feet above 1 ,,j vvbicb
the pit A well near the house is said show
with 18 feet overburden. It passed . follow-
earthy then through a sand bed, and ent ilarch*
of 60 feet. Other wells along the rid leiseartlL
In gullies on both sides of the
ridge south of the Tharpe house, ful]< west of the road are discontinuous e:
a vertical range of over 30 feet, w about the middle of the section.
In a gullv east of the road
- has been
average sample (S-16) was take .: nmer-
burden above this deposit appar am
r wvtion 19
laceous sand, and has a thickne> . contain
Between the house and the "v o
ai awp of the
a considerable thickness of fu "1 aM than
contains sandy fossiliferous b
The earth. — This occurrei. ' )*ii fueh" out
/' The Coastal Plain 189
tint where the section
heing taken hj sand. ... 5
organic matter, and con-
' black mud. Bones of the
rod from this bed. It is a
. its contact with the over-
lightly irregular, apparently
' 1 unconformity 2.5
(Hum coarse sand, irregularly
vith calcareous cement, loaded with SOS. This bed, like No. 5, pinches lorth, where the kaolin is overlain by / clay 2
( Unconformity ) hite kaolin 20
work has been done to determine the extent of l)eds, but there are natural exposures in gullies in- underlies all of the higher land to the east of the
. — The sample of earth from this property (S-11) was
the best portion of the stratum exposed in the section
above, and represents an average of a thickness of 10
ds. The lower 6 or 8 feet of the fullers earth stratum is
account of its content of sand and calcium carbonate, and
per part of the exposure has been affected by weathering, but
:ickness of beds of the best quality of earth will evidently in-
on working back into the hill.
The earth is very similar to that on the Tharpe property, pre-
.ously described. It is more plastic and denser than the Pikes Peak
arth, therefore absorbing, less oil. While its immediate bleaching
power on cotton oil is not exceptionally good, the after-bleach makes
the treated samples even lighter than the Pikes Peak and English
earths.
Tests. — AU tests of sample S-11 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
GEOLOGICAL SUBVET OF Gl
Apparent acidity K
— alkali
Pikee Peak. S-16
Oiobqia Kaolin Company
(Map locality T
/ /
The mine of the Georgia Kaolin north of that of the Atlanta Iiining miles east of Dry Branch. The altitii< face of unconformity in the mine is ul
Geologic relations. — The beds of tli form the overburden on the Lower great local variation in thickness ;i ing section, measured at the soul I 1916, is typical.
Section in pit of the ( Eocene f
7. Red sand capping the bill Eocene
Jackson group
Barnwell formation (Twi:;-- 6. Fullers earth. The ewv. affected bv weatlu rin. plastic than usual, n'- 0U9 joints by oxih- orjjanic matter, 'i sandv and ealinrc partings and thin sandy earth up t(i bed is obscured red sand, so tlio
indicated
Ocala limestone
5. White argiUaceous into the fullers
After two in dark
Yellow
Bed
4.:
u
:j
21.2%
Lb. per cu. ft.
.; 100
gm.
earth
19.6 c.c.
.
earth constitutes over- kaolin, and must there- so if the material can ' r V considered as nothing.
- 7--wrty of the Georgia Kaolin ,. jri-v to one mile east of Dry
rOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN
( (1 by H. W. Savage. The property is deposits of both kaolin and fullers earth. of fullers earth have been mined and ship- . on a commercial scale has not been started.
— The location of prospect pits are shown on
foot bed of fossiliferous sandstone in the valley
1 the kaolin of the Lower Cretaceous extends 20
:e house to the east. The gully above "A" shows
kaolin pebbles at the base. Above this is fullers
linated with sand, grading upward into massive ful-
i he horizon of the fullers earth beds exposed in the
I he gully has a thickness of 20 feet, but most of it is
tic and of poor quality.
t-
Scale In Feet
Fig. 21. — Sketch map of the fullers earth prospects on the Savage property, Twiggs Countj. Letters A to D refer to localities described in the text.
A pit at ''B" cut 33 feet of fullers earth. The upper part of the bed is light-colored, thick-bedded, and apparently of good quality
Geological 8Ubvey (
Sample used
Oil used..
Pikee Peak S-11
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak. S-II
Pikes Peak
Bleach
Original bleach
21 srtains nodules of
aect of fullers earth
Yellow
Bed
2.'J
Absorpf'-
Spi
i ( .
A])
Conditions affecting mi. burden on a valuable depc fore be moved. It is beii be put to any use the cost
A piece of land ad; Company on the west.
rannied, but the earth . ad an average sample
-. sre exposures of fullers >?SL feet thick, with much
seems to fill an erosion
- leeause in the surround-
st higher elevation than
undoubtedly plenty of
on a commercial scale,
:f the earth is unsuitable,
isT exploration work before
Tfoperty is almost identical the adjoining property dderably higher specific i aloorption, than the Pikes no unusual characteristics,
Savage property
/ rOiITS OF TEE COASTAL PLAIN 193
'),) 00
liOj) 79
xide (PA) 33
- of sample S-197 were made on earth ground in
a 100 mesh screen. These tests show very good
and high apparent acidity for an earth of so great
sorption of oil by this sample was not determined.
r(*ial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Yellow Red
used 35 6.1
.\L 25 2.5
I ikos Peak 23 2.3
s-197 22 2.2
Specific volume
Specific gravity Lb. per cu ft.
Ixl 1.05 66.0
Pikes Peak 61 38.2
S-197 71 44.4
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
IXL 19.6 cc.
Pikes Peak 163.0
8-197 131.
Localities West And South Op Pikes Peak
East of the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad in the vicinity of Pikes Peak the valley of Big Sandy Creek is cut down below the fullers earth horizon, but west and south of the railroad is a large upland area underlain by the beds of the Barnwell formation. Ful- lers earth is to be found on almost every property within 5 miles
Qsolooical Subvey Of Geo!
but near the base the earth is calcareous an ohalk (finely granular calcium carbonate).
The large pit at ''C cut a thickness of overlain by 8 feet of sandy plastic clay and s
This pit was filled with water when taken from it was stored in the drying sh (S-197) was taken from there.
In gullies at ''D" above the drying s earth. The beds are a few inches to S( sand interbedded.
The better part of the fullers earth depression in the Lower Cretaceous sn ing hills kaolin and kaolinic sands ar the base of the fullers earth beds, fullers earth on the property for but the distribution is irregular, an so it would be desirable to do eoi mining is started.
The earth. — The earth on th in composition and properties of the (Georgia Kaolin Compan gravity, with correspondingly Peak earth. The following ni except that this earth conta less silica than most of tho
t i i f/
4.'3
11 iih'li in
in about
Analysis of fulU
SUiea (SiO,) Alumina (AlaO. . Ferric oxide Ferrous oxide (I Lome (CaO) . . . Soda (Na,0). Poatsh (K,0 IgnitioD . . .
:. rthwe8t of the church the rather plastic yellow and „ f<]ual volume of sand. This the formation can change : stratum of good fullers earth
: a mile north of Stone Creek
tt of the church, is a pit 3 feet
- 3iaH containing nodules of pure
inestooe, and laminae of pale yel-
earth in appearance. The
itrtfii the fullers earth and the un-
Astal Plain
j1 borings on the slopes luUers earth, but the thick-
>-56) was taken from the bed,
ae Creek Church. The earth is
and porous, resembling the light-
i action Company mine. It absorbs
hiIe the original bleach is not espe-
\)y action of light makes the oil very
i' v)sures on the property varies greatly in il properties. i sample S-56 were made on earth ground in ii rough a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commercial nv comparison.
Bleach
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
35
AbsorpHqn of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
S6 47.8
Specific volume
TAIj
Pikes Peak. S-56
Specific gravity 1.05
Lb. per cu ft.
194 Geological 8Vevey Of Geoigl
weat and south of Pikes Peak station, but only exposures are he e described in detail.
Crump Property
(Map locality T-sj
The property of J. D. Crump, of Macon, a Clay Company and General Reduction Compai west, and comprises an area of 380 acres north
Geologic relatioiis, — The best exposures o£ property is in a deep gully at Stone Creek Cb
Section in gully on Crump property, at S Eoeeaet
4. Ked sand with thin beils of plastic overburden on the fallen earth. Ms ness, to the level of the church . . , Eoeene Jackson group
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay inein\>e: 3. FuUere earth, light-eolored anvl thi containa occasional sand partings
thickness
2. Hard sandstone bed, forming a sxi
1. Yellow sand and fullers earth Intei
equal quantitiea
In another gully a quarter of a mile fullers earth horizon is represented bi purple-stained day interbedded with au exposure and that at the church show t in a short distance from a thick>bedcleO to a mixture of impure sands and clays,
Near a house in the valley, half Church, and 100 feet below the lev\1 deep, cutting yellow fossiliferoiis ii\i white chalk, thin beds of hartl liiii low calcareous clay reseuxblingr fxil marl represents the gradation lM?t>Vf
''I
106 Geological Survey Of Geobgi.
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100
PUtea Peak
Dorset Pboperty
E. P. Dorsey owns the property south of Stoi separated from the Crump property by the public
At a spring a quarter of a mile west of the ehu: of good thick-bedded fullers earth, overlain by rec tion is not well exposed, so the exact thickness of tli be determined. Although not much fullers earth i property the prospects are very good, as it is enj by properties on which thick beds of earth are exp
Abandoned Railroad
(Map locality T€)
One and one-fourth miles southwest of Stone C public road crosses the right-of-way of the Macon v.i road, which was abandoned after a considerable a had been done.
For a quarter of a mile north of the road cro is exposed in cuts and in gullies below grade le\ of the horizon is 60 feet, but no continuous sectic earth is pale yellow, and resembles the Pikes Pe; ance, but some beds are calcareous and contaiu several inches in diameter of pure, white, finel carbonate. At the top of the highest exposure one-foot bed of yeUow ocher color, similar to th* texture, but containing much more ferric oxide bonate. The fullers earth in the cuts above ' overlain by red sand with apparent unconforii A mile south of the road crossing fullers
d is little
t a gully mile north-
t of bryozoan limestone bed erlain by yel- thick-bedded the limestone. .ers earth inter- s sand caps the cknesses of lime- stone and fullers ige is overlain by
from Pikes Peak,
l lower oil absorp-
lomic importance is
I and distance of at
1, Dublin & Savannah
'J from a thickness of
s earth horizon in the
ade on earth ground in
leen. Tests of commer*
IM GEOLOGICAL SVRTEY Of
Apparent ocidtl
N
-ttlki
PikM Peak
S-20
End point ot titration conld not be deten color of the earth.
The property of Lowe Wall Ilea 2 in a road which leaves the Macon-Jefferso west of the General Reduction Comp the public road and a quarter of a m kett residence a good section of the I
Section in gully on Loi
JackBoa groap
Baniwell formation (Twiggs 5. Light-colored fullere earth . , 4. Yellowish, foBsiliferouB, ar 3. Fullers earth, light-color c
partly uUcareouH
OcAla limestone
2. Brjoioao limestone
I. Plastic clay and mottled i
Half a mile north of this exp- of Mrs. E. F. Dorsey, a thickn is shown in a gully east of .
The Lowe Wall and adjoiDi : ply a laie quantity of fuller- enotigh and transportation £aci not present any great difficult;
Geological Survey Of Gk
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After tTva wo in light
Yellow
Oil used. . .
rXL
Pikes Peak,
Bed
Yellow
J?
Absorption of oil
Pikes Peak S-17
Specific volume
Specifi'
Pikes Peak. . ..
S-17
Apparent acif
N
'J paraife
. 'V/ least tt
Pikes Peak . . . .
itzpatrick statioi
John Thab]
" rfy
The John Tharpe estate is on t' the boundary between Twiggs ai of Bond's Store, Bibb County,
The following section, measu level of* the Macon-Marion road,
' Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 26. p. 2
Feet
lOi
' 0A8Tal Plain 203
(1 with iron stains t
IS another exposure of fullers
showing the earth to be thick-
st'ction is so poorly exposed that
The overburden here is light.
e branch and half a mile west of
tion of the fullers earth horizon is
// on the Solomon property
Feet railroad levI. At the base is a con- layer consisting of small clay frag-
. a sand matrix 65
Stic yellow clay 2
1 clay, not weU exposed 10
'ow, thick-bedded fullers earth 15
rs earth on this property is a considerable distance ->ad grade, and belongs to the lower stratum of ful- izon shown at Pikes Peak.
/. — The pit from which Savage obtained earth for test
s in the first gully above described, near the top of the
rth bed. The earth in the pit is light greenish-yellow
!, almost white when dry, and is fine grained and free from
t contains sand laminae along bedding planes and beds up
inch in thickness of black manganiferous and carbonaceous
ial. The lower beds of the fullers earth stratum are partly
and calcareous. On the whole, the fullers earth of this expo-
is much less uniform in composition and properties than that
the upper stratum at Pikes Peak, but it resembles the latter in
ts low density and strong bleaching power.
Sample S-7 represents an average of the earth from the test pit
A
GEOLOGICAL SVSFEY OF OEOSOl.
Moisture J. 10
[PalJspsr
SBndj Quartz 4.B3
[Mica .00
Ferric oiiile ( F8,0,) 2.34
CIh aiibstance end goluble silica.. 92.73
Localities Near Fttzpatrick
The gulliea heading near the Macon, Dubli road between the milepost, on the General property, and Fitzpatriek, 151/2 miles from Maui no exposures of fullers earth were found. T number of good outcrops in the vicinity of Fiti railroad between Fitzpatriek and JeSersonvilli
(Uap localtty T-S)
The property of Dr. J. C. Solomon lies no lin & Savannah Railroad just northwest of V property has been explored to some extent several carload saiuples of fullers earth were :
Geologic rilations. — A small branch flow the railroad, and fullei-s earth exposures :t' tributary gullies.
In the gully south of the branch and ;i the following section is exposed :
Section in gully an Solotno.
Eocene Jackson group
Barnwell fonnatioB
8. Bed sand to railroad level
7. Thick-bedded fullers earth
6. Blue, sand;, fosnliferoos marl.
9. Interval concealed
4. Hard aandatone . ... ..
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 203
3. Argillaceous limestone 3
2. Interval concealed 30
1. Tenacious, blue, 8and7 cla7 mottled with iron stains f
Across the branch from this gully is another exposure of fullers earth. A shallow pit has been dug, showing the earth to be thick- bedded and free from grit, but the section is so poorly exposed that the thickness can not be measured. The overburden here is light.
In another gully south of the branch and half a mile west of the first described the best section of the fullers earth horizon is shown.
Section in gully on the Solomon property
Eocene
Jackson group
BamweU formation
Feet
4. Bed sand to railroad levl. At the base is a con-
glomerate layer consisting of small clay frag- ments in a sand matrix 65
3. Tough, plastic yellow clay 2
2. Sand ' and clay, not well exposed 10
1. Pale yellow, thick-bedded fullers earth 15
All the fullers earth on this property is a considerable distance below the railroad grade, and belongs to the lower stratum of ful- lers earth horizon shown at Pikes Peak.
The earth. — The pit from which Savage obtained earth for test shipments is in the first gully above described, near the top of the fullers earth bed. The earth in the pit is light greenish-yellow when wet, almost white when dry, and is fine grained and free from grit, but contains sand laminae along bedding planes and beds up to an inch in thickness of black manganiferous and carbonaceous material. The lower beds of the fullers earth stratum are partly blue and calcareous. On the whole, the fullers earth of this expo- sure is much less uniform in composition and properties than that of the upper stratum at Pikes Peak, but it resembles the latter in its low density and strong bleaching power.
Sample S-7 represents an average of the earth from the test pit
204 Geological Survey Of Oeobgia
and from the shallow pit on the opposite side of the bra! following analyses show the composition of this sample a other sample from the property sent in by Dr. Solomon in
Analyses of fullers earth from Solomon propert
S-7 Solomon'
SUka (SiO,) 69.09 71
Alumina (A|,0,) 16.33
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 3.02 J
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 78
Magnesia (MgO) 54
Lime (CaO) 90
Soda (Na,0) 24
Potash (K,0) 62
Ignition 7.86
Carbon dioxide (CO,) 00
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 62
Phosphorus pentoxide (PjO,) 20
Sulphur (S) 12
Manganoua oxide (MnO)
Moisture 7.05
Tests. — All tests of sample S-7 were made on ea coflPee-mill to pass 4;hrough a 100 mesh screen. Tesi earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
i Yelloi
I Oil used as
Pikes Peak 19
S-7 19
Absorption of oil
Pikes Peak. S-7
Specific volume
Specific gfravit%
Fullers Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 206
Pikes Peak 61 38.2
S-7 68 42.8
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
IXL 19.6 cc
Pikes Peak 163.0
8-7 135.9
Kknnington Propbett
Pullers earth is exposed on a property owned by Dr. J. N. Ken- nington of Dry Branch, and others. The location is a mile east of Fitzpatrick station.
The elevation of the Eennington residence is 540 feet, the same as the station at Fitzpatrick. A well near the house struck fullers earth at a depth of 25 feet. On the slope of the hill several hundred yards east of the house fullers earth exposures extend down to 450 feet, showing a thickness of 65 feet for the fullers earth horizon. Half a mile farther east is another section along the public road and in a gully, showing fullers earth through a range of 70 feet.
The lower portion of the fullers earth horizon is more or less cal- careous, while the upper part contains a considerable amount of interbedded sand. However, there are beds 10 to 15 feet thick of light-colored, thick-bedded earth containing little sand and appar- ently of good quality. The earth is all below the level of the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad, and probably belongs to the lower fullers earth stratum in the Pikes Peak section.
Localities Between Fitzpatrick And Jeppebsonville
From Fitzpatrick to JeflEersonville, 15l to 23 miles from Macon, the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad follows the divide between Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers. The ridge is capped by red argilla- ceous sand, hut numerous gullies, in which good sections are exposed, head near the track on both sides.
Gbolooical 8Ubvey Of Oeobgia
SIXTXEN-lfJLBPOST
Near the 16-miIepo8t is a gully northeast of the the following section :
Section in gully near IG-milepost, Macon, Dublin &
Eocene Jackson group
Barnwell formation
4. Bed sand track level
3. Fullers earth, exposed in a cliff. The earth cobred and appears to be of good although the outcrop is stained hj iron.
2. Interval concealed; beds probably consi lers earth
1. Light colored fullers earth
The base of the fullers earth bed is not considerably thicker. The deposit is easily 200 feet from the railroad, and the maxim i exceed 40 feet.
In another gully, miles from Mar the beds is exposed, but the fullers eartl thin, sandy beds.
£IG HTEEN-M nEFOS'
In a gully southwest of the railroad i lowing section is exposed :
Section in gully near IS-milepost, Macon.
r
(
O
1'1.2%
Lb. |)er ctt. ft
32
Eocene
Jackson group
Barnwell formation
7. Red sand to track level
. ;i'i) gm. earth
6. Red and gray plastic clay . . .
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay
5. ArgiUaoeous sand, containin: bonaceous material and l:t
earth
4. Concealed interval
Il Plain 209
.E
upland plain capped
re are no exposures of
vicinity, but to east and
ood sections are exposed.
>oends from the upland 4
a fullers earth horizon 60
leroid reading below Jeffer-
uled and badly iron stained
of sand. The deposit is prob-
al value, even if means of trans-
A'est, in the vicinity of BuUards
" is cut down below the 400-foot
xpected.
s within 2 or 3 miles north, south,
' e good sections of the strata of the
n, but none of the deposits are likely
the fullers earth beds are usually very
irreat amount of sand.
.sORTHEAST 07 JEFFXBSONVniLE
Map locdliiy T-10)
: of Jeffersonville is a deep gully parallel to (jellent section is exposed.
lij four miles noriheasi of Jeffersonville
Feet tid capping hill 45
lormation (Twiggs daj member)
ugh, plastic yellow and white day interbedded,
partly sandy 5
'live-yellow clay, resembling fullers earth, bat
rather plastic . . 4
Geological 8Ubvey Of Georgia
8. Black-mottled sandy daj containing well rounded
quartz grains up to an eighth of an inch in diamet 1
7. Glaj of fullers earth character, light jellow, thin- bedded, and containing much sand along partings 7 6. Thick-bedded greenish fullers earth, of high specific
gravity 3
5. Bluish and yellow sandy fullers earth 10
4. Hard, fine-grained limestone 1
3. Interval concealed except for a small outcrop of
pale blue argillaceous sand 20
2. Hard, fine grained limestone, maximum 1
1. Soft, argillaceous, fossiliferous marl f
The earth of bed No. 6 is denser than any other Georgia earth discovered, and resembles the English earth very much in most physical properties. For this reason a sample (S-33) was taken for testing, but its bleaching power was found to be unsatisfactory.
Tests, — All tests of sample S-33 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests of commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
Pikes Peak
S-33
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
S-33 23.6
Fulleb8 Easts Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 2U
Specific volume
Speciflo grayitj Lb. per cu. ft.
Ixl 1.06 66.0
Pikes Peak 61 38.2
S-33 1.04 65.8
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Ixl 19.6 C.C.
Pikes Peak 163.0
S-33 42.0
Localities Near Danville
Danville has an altitude of 460 feet and is situated on the up- land plain capped by sand and chert of Yicksburg age, but there are exposures of the beds of the Barnwell formation along the valley of Turkey Greek. These localities are far south of the noHhem limit of fullers earth deposition and the earth shows signs of a gradation into limestone, being mostly calcareous and interbedded with impure, fossiliferous marls.
Hill Pbopbbty
(Map loodlity T-ll)
Fullers earth is exposed on the property of Robert Hill (colored), just south of the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad bridge over Turkey Greek, 1% miles northwest of Danville. The elevation of the creek at this point is 365 feet, and the following section starts about 5 feet above creek leveL
Section on Hill property
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation (Twiggs claj member)
Feet 4. No outcrops, but the slope is covered with boulders
of hard argillaceous limestone f
Oeolooical 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
3. Light yellow, slightly calcareous fullers earth, ex-
X>osed in a wash 4
2. Sandy and indurated fullers earth 1
1. Light yellow, indurated calcareous fullers earth or
argillaceous limestone 2
Tesis. — Sample S-37 was taken from bed No. 3 of the preceding section. In spite of the content of lime, this earth bleaches fairly weU, but filtration is slow. All tests were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commer- cial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
rxL
Pikes Peak
S-37
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
PUtee Peak 38.4
S-37 ; 38.5
Specific volume
Ix\
Pikes Peak .. S-37
Specific gravity Lb. per cu. ft.
1.05 66.0
lYr.
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Pikes Peak... .
S-37
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 218
Pobteb Pbopebtt
(Map localUy T-lt)
On the property of J. F. Porter, about a mile downstream from the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad bridge over Turkey Creek, is an exposure locally known as ''Kaolin Spring." The exposure consists of 5 feet of calcareous fullers earth, above which is several feet of hard argillaceous limestone. Both hard and soft varieties are dark slate-blue when fresh, but have weathered to a light olive-gray color to a depth of an inch or more from the surface.
The earth. — The earth at this locality is highly calcareous. A sample (S-36) was taken from the beds below the hard limestone ledge, principally for the purpose of determining the effect of a large percentage of lime on the bleaching power and other properties, but the results show that it has not very strong bleaching power. The analysis is as follows:
Analysis of earth from Porter property
S-36
Silica (SiO.) 25.93
Alumina (AlgO.) 6.M
Ferric oxide (FejO,) 87
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 45
Magnesia (MgO) 34
Lime (CaO) 34.94
Soda (Na,0) 37
Potaah (K,0) 12
Ignition (Lees COj) 3.51
Carbon dioxide (CO,) 25.50
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 28
Phosphorus i>entoxide (PtOs) 10
Sulphur (S) 44
Moisture 3.08
Tests. — All tests of sample S-36 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
J
Wf
ir-r ..J ti.itr:
If
kn
It
r n
r itr tr prcpertT of Ihidly B faiall Vrancli which flowB
::ns EABTH DEPOSITS OF TEE COASTAL PLAIN 215
Section along branch on Hughes property
Feet 7. Ai)pareiitl7 all red argUlaeeoas sand to road level. 60
ackson group Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
6. Chert ledge 2
5. Hard limestone 1
4. Pale yellow fullers earthy resembling the Pikes Peak
earth in appearance, although slightly calcareous 10+ 3. Hard to soft, fossiliferous, blue, clayey and sandy
marl. Analysis shows only about 25 per cent of
calcium carbonate 25
2. Calcareous, blue fullers earth-like clay resembling
that at ''Kaolin Spring" on the Porter property 5f 1. Blue clayey and calcareous sand .' . . 5f
The earth. — An average sample (S-38) was taken from the good- looking earth of bed No. 4 of the preceding section. In spite of several per cent of calcium carbonate which it contains, this is a good bleaching earth, but its oil absorption is very high and it filters with diflSculty. The analysis is as follows:
Analysis of earth from Hughes property
S-38
Silica (SiO.) 71.60
Alumina (A1,0,) 10.62
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 5.13
Ferrous oxide (FeO) ' 47
Magnesia (MgO) 04
lime (CaO) 2.47
Soda (Na,0) : 25
Potash (K,0) 70
Ignition (less CO,) 4.67
Carbon dioxide (CO.) 1.37'
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 59
Phosphorus pentoxide (PtOi) 1.75
Sulphur (S) 12
Moisture 7.95
Tests, — AU tests of Sample S-38 were made on earth ground in
Fullers Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 217
iiiid Westlake, nmneroTis sections of the Twiggs clay member are ex- posed. None of the fullers earth deposits of southwestern Twiggs County are likely to be of commercial importance, as most of them are several miles from any railroad, and the beds of earth of suffi- cient thickness and extent for working are sandy and calcareous.
One of the best exposures is at the locality known as ''Chalk Hill'' on the Burton property, 3 miles west of Tarversville, where a 30-foot bed of cream-colored, highly calcareous fullers earth over- lies bryozoan limestone, while 60 feet of calcareous earth is shown in gullies near by. Other exposures of more or less calcareous fullers earth were noted on the Bradberry property near Bichlands Church ; on the Marchman place, miles southwest of Tarversville; on the Minter Wimberly place, 14 miles north of Tarversville ; on the Irwin Fitzpatrick place, miles northeast of Westlake ; and on the Garter place, miles northeast of Westlake.
Bleckley County
As the outcrops of the Jackson beds in Bibb and northern Twiggs counties are typical of the shoreward phase of deposition, those of northern Bleckley County are typical of the deeper water deposits now found near the southern limit of exposure of the Jackson group. The Jackson beds in this county are almost entirely calcareous, con- sisting of blue clay of the fullers earth type, sandy marl, and bryo- zoan limestone, overlain by red sand which belongs largely to the Yicksburg formation. The fullers earth exposures are confined to a narrow belt along the northern boundary of the county.
Dexse Pbopsbty
(Map locality B-1)
Calcareous fullers earth is well' exposed on the property of J. T. Deese, situated on the southeast side of Shellstone Creek, 10 miles north of Cochran.
Oeologic relations. — The beds of the Twiggs clay member are ex- posed in a number of gullies, and the exposures show local variations,
218 Geological Survey Of Georgia
but the following section, measured in a gully near the Deese resi- dence, is typical.
Section on the Deese property, near Shellstone Creek
Probably Oligocene
9. Bed sand with chert ledges, to the flat sununit of
the hill 50
Eocene Jackson group BamweU formation (Twiggs clay member)
8. Blue calcareous fullers earth, thin-bedded, fossil-
iferous, and more sandy than the underlying beds 3 7. Thin bed of hard impure fossiliferous limestone,
probably 2
6. Blue calcareous fullers earth . . . 20
5. Blue calcareous fullers earth, containing harder and
more calcareous layers 10
4. Blue calcareous fullers earth, almost free from grit 20
3. Concealed interval 10
2. Interbedded massive blue argillaceous limestone and blue calcareous fullers earth. (These are vary- ing phases of the same formation, the hardness depending on the percentage of calcium car- bonate) 5
1. Botten fossiliferous limestone 5
This section is above the horizon of the typical Ocala bryozoan limestone, but the latter formation is exposed in the Shellstone Creek escarpment, miles northwest of the section just described.
The earth. — The exposures on the property indicate a thickness of at least 50 feet of fullers earth, but all is calcareous and contains interbedded layers of limestone and marl. Most of the exposures are in recently eroded gullies, so the earth is comparatively fresh and unweathered. At the surface and for a depth varying from an inch to several feet the earth is altered by leaching out of the cal- cium carbonate and oxidation of the iron. After this alteration it is pale yellow or cream colored and very light and porous, resem- bling the Pikes Peak earth.
Sample S-183 represents an average of bed No. 4 of the section described, a 20-foot exposure of fresh, blue, calcareous earth. The
Fullebs Eabte Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
analyses of this sample and of two others sent to the State Geological Snxvey by Mr. Deese in 1912 are as follows :
Analyses of earth from the Deese property
CoDBtituents
No. 2
Silica (SiO.)
Alumina (Al,Ot)
Ferric oxide (F,)
Ferrous oxide (FeO)
Magnesia (MgO)
Lime (GaO)
Soda (Na,0)
Potash (K,0)
Ignition
Carbon dioxide (CX)|)
Titanium dioxide (TiO.)
Phosphorus pentoxide (P|Of)
Sulphur (S)
Manganous oxide (MnO) . . .
Moisture
Loss on ignition less C0>
Tests. — AU tests of sample S-183 were made on earth gronnd in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. In efpite of the high content of calcium carbonate, the earth is equal to the English in bleaching power. The absorption of oil was not determined. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Yellow Bed
Oil used 35 6.1
Ixl , 25 2.5
Pikes Peak 23 2.3
S-183 24 2.4
220 Oeolooical Survey Of Oeobgia
Specific volume
Specific gravity Lb. per en. ft.
Ixl 1.05 66.0
Pikee Peak 61 38.2
S-183 72 44.6
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
rXL 19.6 C.C.
Pikes Peak 163.0
S-183 25.
Ainslie
Beds of calcareous fullers earth at least 20 feet in thickness are exposed at Ainslie, on the Southern Railway, and on the Weatherly place, miles east of Ainslie, in the escarpment on the east side of Shellstone Creek. The earth at both these localities overlies the Ocala bryozoan limestone. The earth exposed is cream-colored but highly calcareous. It has evidently undergone weathering to a suffi- cient extent to oxidize the iron, but not enough to remove the calcium carbonate, and may be expected to become blue and more calcareous in depth.
Houston County
The greater part of the area of Houston County is underlain by beds of Jackson age. The fullers earth member, however, outcrops only in a belt across the county south of Perry, passing between Tivola and Grovania and swinging southwestward into Dooly County, the best exposures being in the steep escarpment along the south side of the valley of Indian Creek and its tributaries. North of Perry the upland areas are underlain by red sand of the Barnwell forma- tion, while the larger streams have cut their valleys down into the light-colored sand and clay of the Upper Cretaceous formations, but it is evident that the fullers earth beds have been removed from this
Brantly, J. E.. Geol. Survey of Ga, Bull, 21, pp. 65-67, 1916.
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 221
area by erosion, since an erosional outlier of limestone and fullers earth is found farther north, at Bich Hill, Crawford County.
In the belt south of Indian Creek the Ocala limestone is exposed on the lower slopes of the hills, and is overlain by almost 100 feet of beds referable to the Twiggs clay member of the Barnwell formation, while the hills are capped by red sand of late Eocene or early Oligo- cene age. The clay member consists of fullers earth interbedded with much limestone and marl. The earth is almost entirely calcareous, but is always light yellow at the surface, due either to weathering or to original deposition without the carbonaceous matter which char- acterizes the calcareous earth of Bleckley and Twiggs counties.
BOSS HUiL
(Map locality E-l)
The most complete and typical section of the Twiggs clay member in Houston County is that exposed at Boss Hill on the Perry-Elko public road, 3 miles south of Perry. The following section was meas- ured in an old limestone quarry and gullies west of the road.
Section west of the Perry-Elko public road, Boss HUl, 3 miles south
of Perry
Feet Oligocene or Eocene Vicksburg or BamweU
15. Besidual red sand with flint fragments to the top
of the hiU 30
Eocene Jackson group BamweU formation (Twiggs daj member) 14. Fullers earth and glauconitic clay, apparently in- terbedded, poorly exposed. The earth is jeUow- ish-green, rather coarse grained, and is stained by iron, manganese and organic matter, but it
is only slightly or not at all calcareous 15
13. Glauconitic day-marl, yeUow-green in color, con- taining poorly preserved fossils 2.5
12. Fullers earth, with pockets or masses of glauconitic clay in the upper 2 feet. The lower part is almost white, thick-bedded, fine-grained, and not calcareous 7J5
222 Oeolooical 8Ubvey Of Qeobgia
11. Bed or lens of limeetone. The rock is hard and denae, and contains abundant but poorly pre-
sexred molluscs, no Brjozoa 1
10. Fullers earth, more or less impure, but not highly
calcareous 5
9. Hard, massive argillaceous limestone, without fos- sils 1
8. Calcareous fullers earth 15
7. Hard gray limestone, with fossil molluscs abundant
but poorly preserved 0.5
6. Calcareous fullers earthy containing nodules of soft white chalk, which do not occur in the fullers
earth beds higher in the section 3.5
5. Gray fossiliferous limestone, soft at the base, but
containing harder masses toward the top 3
4. Calcareous fullers earth. A cream-colored clay, be- coming more calcareous and containing more abundant chalk nodules as the bottom is ap- proached. There are several hard beds, more calcareous than the remainder, which show up strongly in the wash topography, and several ferruginous layers a few inches thick. The lower
portion of the unit contains Bryozoa 35
OcaJa limestone
3. Soft, argillaceous bryozoan limestone 7
2. Hard and soft bryozoan limestone 17
1. Concealed interval to the level of Mill Creek 40
The beds of the Twiggs clay member in Houston County are all calcareous and contain much interbedded limestone, so it is not likely that any of the material will find use as bleaching earth and no samples were tested.
Crawford County
Rich Hill
(Map locality C-1)
The Jackson beds extend into the southern part of Crawford County, overlapping the Upper and Lower Cretaceous almost to the edge of the crystalline area. An outljdng exposure of Ocala lime- stone and fullers earth occurs 5 miles southeast of Roberta, on the
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 223
slopes of Rich Hill, which is a conspicuous topographic feature ris- ing 150 feet above the valleys to north and south.
The beds exposed in the Bich Hill gullies show great variations in thickness and chiacter within distances of a few hundred feet, but the following section, measured in a large gully on the south side of the hill, is typical.
Section on south side of Rick HiU
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation
Feet 8. Dark red argillaceous sand, with thin beds of plastic
day near the base 40
Barnwell formation (Twiggs daj member)
7. Fullers earth. The clay is light greenish-yellow in color, very slightly calcareous at the top, but be- comes more so toward the base. 10
6. Hard, massive argillaceous limestone 3
5. Soft, massive argillaceous limestone, with few if
any fossils 7
Ocala limestone
4. Bryozoan limestone of varying hardness 10
3. Sandy marl (gradational phase) 0.5
2. Unconsolidated light yellow sand 25
( Unconformity )
Lower Cretaceous
1. Kaolinic sand with lenses of massive kaolin 100-}-
The earth. — An average sample (S-184) was collected from the ID-foot bed, No. 7 of the preceding section. The analysis is as fol- lows:
Analysis of earth from Rich Hill
S-184
SiUca (SiO.) 53.32
Alumina (AlA) 8.49
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 2.86
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 30
Magnesia (MgO) 1.36
Lime (CaO) 14.80
Soda (Na.0) 14
Stivet Of Geoegijl
St
?A' 020
Ax
W
:r> S-184 show yeiy sligfat bleaching XL earth ground in a ooffee-mill to pass Trs on commercial earths are stated
YeUow
23 2,S
SpeciHe gravity Lb. per eu. ft. . . . 1.05 66.0
... .61 38.2
. . . 1.03 64.5
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
19.6 C.C.
r.r similar to that of Twiggs. . Jackson age, while Oconee 5toi5T creeks have cut their val- jcrtia. The Jackson exposures
FULLEB8 tABTE DEPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 225
cover the southern part of the county and form a narrow tongue along the ridge between Big Sandy and Commissioners creeks and an elongated erosional outlier between Commissioners Creek and Oconee River, both of the latter areas extending beyond the northern boundary of the county. Chert of Vicksburg age is found along the southern county line, and there is a possibility, as in Twiggs County, that a part of the red sand farther north is also of that age.
The Ocala limestone bed, which is nearly 50 feet thick in Houston and Twiggs counties, pinches out before the Oconee is reached, and throughout Wilkinson County it is thin and impure, and is absent at many localities. The fullers earth member in this county is also less persistent and less pure than in Twiggs, and the material is generally too sandy or calcareous to serve as a commercial fullers earth. Locally both limestone and fullers earth are absent, and the Jackson consists entirely of red sand with a few thin beds of plastic clay, or gumbo.
Localitiss Neab Gordon
A section typical of the beds in the northern part of Wilkinson County is exposed in a pit of the Savannah Kaolin Company, a mile south of Gordon.
Section in pit of the Savannah Kaolin Company
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell f onnation
Feet 5. Bed and mottled argiUaeeous sand to the top of
the hm 60
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member) 4. Oreenish yellow fuUers earth, rather sandy and con- taining chalk nodules and a few fossils. Appar- ently too impure to be of commercial value 10
Ocala limestone
3. Sandy bryozoan limestone 3
2. Argillaceous, glauconitic sand, filling erosion de- pressions in the Cretaceous surface 0-2
( Unconformity ) Lower Oetaceous
1. Massiye white kaolin 30
226 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
A bed of fullers earth at least 25 feet thick is exposed on the property of J. W. Batchelor, Jr., miles south of Gordon. The earth on this property is of high specific gravity, resembling that of the localities near Dry Branch, Twiggs County.
Dupree Peoperty
(Map locality W-1)
Fullers earth is exposed on the property of J. T. Dupree, 44 miles northwest of Irwinton. The earth overlies bauxite and baux- itic clays of the Lower Cretaceous. The best exposures consists of 10 feet of beds outcropping in a gully a quarter of a mile south of the Dupree residence. The exposure is 60 feet below the summit of the ridge on which the house is situated, and 10 feet above an out- crop of bauxitic kaolin. Sample S-86 represents an average of the fullers earth beds. The earth from this bed is not calcareous.
No exploration work has been done to determine the extent and thickness, which may exceed the 10 feet seen in the natural exposure. In the gully above the deposit of red bauxite (see section, p. 53) the fullers earth horizon has a thickness of 45 feet, most of which consists of earth of apparently good quality.
Tests. — The earth from the Dupree property is slightly denser than the Pikes Peak earth, and therefore absorbs less oil. "While its immediate bleaching power is not especially strong, the after-bleach by exposure to light makes the oil very light in color. All tests of sample S-86 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
Txt/ T
Pikes Peak
S-86
Absorption of oil
Peak
21.2%
Specific volume
Pikes Peak 86
Specific gravity
Lb. per eu. ft.
Apparent acidity
Peak
S-86
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
19.6 ex.
Hall And Toleb Fbopebties
(Map looality W-t)
Fullers earth is exposed along the public road on the southwest dope of Big Sandy Creek near Sand Bed bridge, 3 miles south of Irwinton. The following section was measured along the road. The properly east of the road belongs to Marvin Hall; that west of the road, to N. H. Toler.
Oeoloqical Subvet Of Oeobgia
Section near Sand Bed bridge, on the southwest slope of Big Sandff
Creek
Feet Eocene t
6. Bed, yellow, and mottled aigiUaceous sand, contain- ing some thin beds of plastic daj 40
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation (Twiggs daj member)
5. Thin bed of plastic clay, not well exposed 5t
4. Fullers cartii. Contains some partings of 7eUow sand up to an inch thick, but the greater part is
thick-bedded, light-colored earth 25
8. Very plastic bluish clay, several feet exposed, but
the top and bottom of the bed are concealed. ... 5t 2. At bottom, red sand with laminae of fullers earth- like day; above, red-and-blue-mottied clayey sand 25
( Unconformity ) Lower Cretaceous
1. Massive white kaolin 15
The bed of fullers earth exposed on these properties is appar- ently workable, but is about 6 miles from Wriley, the nearest rail- road station.
Tests, — Sample S-45 represents an average of the 25-foot bed of fullers earth, No. 4 of the preceding section. All tests of this sample were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
Yellow
Oil used . IXL Pikes Peak S-46
Bed
After two weeks in light
Yellow
Bed
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Fullebs Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 889
Absorption of oil
Pikes Peak ...
Specific volume
Specific gravity
Lb. per cu. ft.
Pikee Peak . . .
S-45
44ft
IXTi
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Pikes Peak . . .
. . . 163.0
&45
. . . 128.4
Stsphknsvilli
(Map loeality WS)
The best exposure of the fullers earth formation in the southern part of Wilkinson County is at StephensvUle, 9 miles south of Tooms- boro. The following section is exposed in a gully along the public road on the south slope of Big Sandy Creek.
Section on south slope of Big Sandy Creek at Stephensville
Feet Eooenet
5. Bed sand capping the hill to the south 100
Eoeene Jackson group Barnwell formation (Twiggs claj member) 4. Follen earth interbedded with much sand and plastic
day 15
3. light-coloredy thick-bedded fullers earth, not cal- careous, and apparently of fair qnalitj 20
2. Impure, sandy fullers earth 15
1. Concealed interval to the level of Big Sandy Greek 50
The deposits in this vicinity, even if of good quality, are too far
230 Oeolooical 8Ubvet Of Oeobqia
from railroad transportation and have too much overburden to be of present commercial value.
Toomsbobo
In the immediate vicinity of Toomsboro no limestone or fullers earth is exposed, and the Jackson seems to consist entirely of red sand. Three miles west of the station, on the property of the Gten- eral Bauxite Corporation, which formerly belonged to Dr. N. T. Carswell, there are exposures of sandy and calcareous fullers earth, overlying the kaolin and bauxite beds of the Lower Cretaceous. The earth is evidently too impure to be of commercial value.
Jones County
Bobebts
(Map locality J-1)
Several small areas of Jackson beds extend into the southern part of Jones County. The most interesting exposures are in the cuts of the Georgia Bailroad near Roberts. The following is the section in the cut a mile northeast of the station, near the overhead crossing of the Central of Georgia Railway.
Section in cut 1 mile northeast of Roberts
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation
Feet 6. Loose red sand, containing a few scattered quartz
pebbles 10
BamweU formation (Twiggs day member)
5. Greenish and drab laminated fullers earth 12
4. Laminated sandy fullers earth containing white chalk nodules and casts of fossils. The upper 2
feet of the bed is very fossiliferous 8
d. Bluish, fossiliferous mud or marl , 8
Grystalline basement
2. Concealed 5t
1. Crystalline igneous rock t
Bed No. 5 of the above section is typical of the fullers earth de- posited near the northern limit of the formation. It is denser than
Fullbb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 231
the Pikes Peak earth, and may therefore be expected to have lower absorption of oil, but also less bleaching power.
Baldwin County
So far as known, there is only one tongue of Jackson beds enter- ing the southern part of Baldwin County. The Jackson material, consisting of fossiliferous marl and impure fullers earth of high density, forms the overburden in the fire-clay pits of Stevens Brothers & Company at Stevens Pottery. The section presented is very similar to that at Boberts, Jones County.
Hall Pbopesty
(Map locality Ba-l )
The best fullers earth exposures seen in Baldwin County are on the property of W. A. Hall, which consists of 190 acres, lying east of the Central of Georgia Bailway, a mile south of Stevens Pottery station.
The fullers earth bed, having a thickness of 15 to 20 feet, under- lies the hill on which the Hall residence is situated. The earth out- crops in several gullies in the hillside and is cut by the well at tb$ house. The maximum overburden is about 40 feet, and the earth itself forms the overburden on an extensive deposit of white kaolin or fire-clay.
The earth, — The earth from the Hall property is not calcareoxus, and is much denser than most varieties of Georgia earth, resembling the English fullers earth closely in physical properties, but its bleach- ing power is not strong. An analysis of a sample sent to the State Geological Survey by Hall in 1914 is as follows :
Analysis of earth from the Hall property
SiUca (SiO,) 61.76
Alumina (A1,0,) 18-26
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 3.16
PerrouB oxide (PeO) 1.43
Magnesia (MgO) 2.12
Lime (CaO) 06
Soda (Na,0) 2.10
Oeolooical 81
'/:*Jia
from railroad transportation ani' of present commercial value.
Too.'
In the immediate vicinity of earth is exposed, and the Jack8r> sand. Three miles west of the st. eral Bauxite Corporation, which Carswell, there are exposures of overlying the kaolin and bauxite earth is evidently too impure to 1
J0Ne8 (
Bob
(Map loc
Several small areas of Jackson of Jones County. The most into of the Georgia Railroad near Robi in the cut a mile northeast of the of the Central of Georgia Railway.
Section in cut 1 mile
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation
6. Loose red sand, containing
pebbles
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay
5. Greenish and drab laminate*
4. Laminated sandy fullers ( chalk nodules and casts o feet of the bed is very fos
3. Bluish, fossiliferous mud or Crystalline basement
2. Concealed
1. Crystalline igneous rock
Bed No. 5 of the above section posited near the northern limit of tl
2.U
♦ of a 15-foot bed of . Hall residenoe. All \iid in a coffee-mill to
ommercial earths are
also made on sample
it kaolin collected be-
ui gully. Tbe kaolin
"illers earth £rom this
ky mass which filters
1 not so much hy the
king the cake dry.
ks After two weeks In dark
..m1
Yellow
Bed
.(
U
21.2%
The Coastal Plain 233
nne
icific gravity Lb. per cu. ft. . . 1.05 66.0
Loo 62.2
acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
.Ton County
s most of the area of outcrop of the and Ogeechee rivers. The beds have a eastern Wilkinson County, but they wiggs and Houston counties.
IS the fullers earth of the Twiggs clay
mation. The fullers earth deposits are
in form, but the horizon may be traced
northeasterly direction across the county
rmation is absent in Washington County,
erlying the fullers earth average about 50
ig principally of calcareous clay and sand.
originally more calcareous are largely silici-
>iis fossils typical of the Barnwell formation.
Hers earth deposition the Barnwell formation
sand, which unconf ormably overlies the light
of the Lower Cretaceous.
iS overlain by a considerable thickness of red
f limestone which outcrops in a belt south of,
above, the fullers earth, extending from Wring
-onee River a little south of the Washington
234 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
County line to SunMlly passing between SandersviUe and Tennille. The portion of the county south of the Central of (Jeorgia Railway is covered with residual sands and clays, probably belonging to the Alum Bluff formation of Oligocene age.
Buffalo Ckeek
The course of Buffalo Creek is almost due south, 9 to 10 miles west of SandersviUe. The area west of the creek is comparatively low, and the Barnwell material consists only of red sand capping the hills, but the east slope of the valley is a steep escarpment, and good sections of the Barnwell beds are exposed along the public roads east of Sheppard's bridge and Turnpike bridge, 3 and 8 miles, re- spectively, north of the mouth of the creek.
Section along road east of Sheppard's bridge
Eocene Jackson group
Feet Barnwell formation
9. Bed sand with plastic clay laminae toward the base 70 Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
8. Plastic, laminated yellowish-green clay 12
7. Porous, light yellow, non-plastic fullers earth 5
6. Gray plastic clay, more or less sandy 14
5. Massive, gray, argillaceous sand with casts of fossils 6.5
4. Interbedded fullers earth and sand 7.5
3. Gray, very plastic, sandy clay, becoming more sandy toward the top. The upper portion contains poorly
preserved fossils 27
2. Gray sand, mottled with red, containing quartz peb- bles up to 1% inches long near the top 6
( Unconformity ) Lower Cretaceous
1. Crossbedded kaolinic sand, from the level of Buffalo Creek. This unit may include the basal beds of Barnwell formation, as the position of the uneon- formity can not be exactly determined 70
Fullers Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 285
Section along Sandersville-MUledgeviUe road east of Turnpike bridge.
(Map locality Wa-1)
Jackson group
Barnwell formation
Feet
9. Bed sand 35
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
8. Greenish, plastic, laminated, sandy clay 10
7. Fnllers earth. The exposures are not quite con- tinuous, and there is a possibility of interbedded sand strata in the covered inteials. All the earth in sight, however, appears to be of sufficient purity for use as a bleaching earth. It is light greenish- yellow, fine grained, non-plastic, non-calcareous, and is somewhat iron-stained on account of proxi- mity to the surface, but contains very little sand 40 6. Concealed interval, beds probably of the same char- acter as the stratum below. A spring emerges
near the top of the unit 20
5. Dark gray sandy clay 5
4. Greenish, slighty plastic clay, resembling fullers earth in appearance, containing considerable sand
and a few fossils 25
3. Sandy and calcareous clay, containing fossil corals 3 2. Gtay sandy clay at base, grading up into gumbo or
pipe clay 12
Unconformity
Lower Cretaceous
1. light-colored sand containing lenses of white kaolin,
from the level of Buffalo Creek 70
The earth, — The preceding sections are very similar, except that fhe fullers earth bed is much thicker at Turnpike bridge. A bed of fullers earth of varying thickness is likely to be found on all prop- erties along the east slope of Buffalo Creek at an elevation of 130 to 140 feet above the creek.
An average sample, S-176, was taken from all good exposures of the 40-foot fullers earth horizon in the Turnpike bridge section. The analysis is as follows :
fSaOUMlCAL SUSrST OF GEOMGIA
>oM ike SandersvUleMUledgeviUe road
Turnpike bridge
(?-. 68.18
AiA) 16.08
Fsoo 4.21
FiO) 15
) 1.09
OOb) 00
TlOi) 79
(Pa) 24
ampue S-176 were made on earth ground in ojjh a 100 mesh screen. Tests on commerdal
BUech
Yellow Bed
Spedh, grmrity Lb. per cu. ft. 1.05 66.0
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
' 168.0
Fullebs Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 287
Ibwin Pbopebty
(Map loealiiy Wori)
A good exposure of fullers earth is found on the property of Andrew J. Irwin, at the head of a branch of Little Keg Creek, 3 miles south of Warthen and 6 miles north of Sandersville.
Section on Irwin property, 3 miles south of Warthen
£ocene
Jackson group
BamweU formation
Feet 5. Massive red sand. This bed overlies the clay with a sharp contact, showing no sign of gradation,
which may represent a local unconformity 40
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member) 4. Greenish plastic clay and indurated sandy day 2 3. Fnllers earth, light yellowish gray when dry, lami- nated, brittle, and free from grit 8
2. Plastic greenish clay, with a tendency to crumble
on drying 15
1. Greenish, sandy, non-plastic clay of fullers earth character, containing thin beds of sand and plastic clay.
At this exposure the bed of good earth is only 8 feet thick and the overburden would increase rapidly, but it is possible that explora- tion might show up earth of greater thickness and more favorably situated. The locality is hardly more than a mile from the Aufirusta Southern Railroad.
The earth. — Sample S-179 is an average of bed No. 3 of the pre- ceding section. The analysis is as follows :
Analysis of earth from the Irwin property
SiUca (SiO.) 70.91
Alumina (A1,0,) 14.71
Ferric oxide (Pe,0,) 4.37
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 31
Magnesia (MgO) 50
Lime (CaO) 69
Soda (Na,0) 63
SMOIOGKAL aVMFST OF QXOBOZ
-. vjtutt Soothern Bailroad, milei . Mitkljr kioUn of Lower Cretaceona
'-. Mh£ Vnel and is overlain xinoon- . V -9 of the Barnwell f omu- .!Mt- -(ttarttfr of a mile southwest
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plaik 280
of the pottery pit there is about 10 feet of more or less indurated fullers earth exposed above railroad level, but below the top of the kaolin in the pit.
From half a mile to a mile southwest of the pottery, fullers earth is exposed in the railroad cuts. There is not more than 3 or 4 feet vertically exposed at any one point, but the exposures have a range of 20 feet. The earth in the upper part of the horizon is interbedded with sand, but there is apparently 10 feet of earth of good quality in the lower part. The earth varies from gray through pale yellow to ocher yellow in color, and is soft and rather plastic on account of weathering. It would be necessary to dig pits to determine the ex- tent and thiclmefis of the bed and to secure fairly representative samples.
A mile south of Chalker, where the road to Sandersville ascends from the Ogeechee valley to the upland plain, a section is exposed which shows well the character of the Barnwell formation.
Section along Sandersville road, 1 mile south of Chalker
Eocene Jackson group BamweU f onnation
Feet
10. Manive red and mottled sand to the top of the hill 30
9. Bed sand with laminae of white and purple claj... 17
8. Yellow and mottled sand 16
BamweU formation (Twiggs clay member)
7. Greenish laminated fullers earth, stained and some- what plastic on account of weathering 11
6. Coarse jeUof sand 11
6. Greenish laminated fullers earth, free from sand... 1
4. Concealed interval 10
3. Fullers earth containing a little sand 4
2. Sand with laminae of fullers earth 4
( Unconformity ) Lower Cretaceous
1. White sand with kaolin lenses, from the level of
Chalker station '. 55
It is not impossible that workable deposits of fullers earth may be
240 Geological 8Ubvey Of Georgia
found in the vicinity of Chalker, but the natural exposures indicate that the beds are generally thin, with heavy overburden.
Glascock County
The geological formations of Glascock County are a continuation of those of northern Washington County. There is a granite outcrop in the bed of Rocky Comfort Creek 1.4 miles north of Gibson, and the Lower Cretaceous beds are thin, although their outcrop covers a con- siderable proportion of the area of the county. At the base of the Barnwell formation is a thin but rather persistent bed of highly fossiliferous sandy limestone, locally silified to a very hard rock. This is overlain by lenses of clay of the Twiggs clay member, above which is the red sand which caps the hills in the southern part of the county.
The exposures seen indicate no fullers earth of possible commercial importance in the county, as all beds are thin and impure. Typical exposures are on the slope of Jumping Gully Creek, Gibson-Mitchell road, 2 miles west of Gibson, where the fullers earth horizon is repre- sented by several lenses of earth 2 or 3 feet thick interbedded with white, fossiliferous, calcareous sand ; and at the Harbison and Walker fire-clay mine near Rocky Comfort Creek, 2 miles east of Gibson, where the Lower Cretaceous fire-cl£\y is overlain by several feet of shaly and lignitic clay.
Jefferson County
Jefferson County is almost entirely underlain by beds of Jackscm age. Their outcrop covers all of the county except near the northern boundary, where several streams have cut their valleys down into the Lower Cretaceous beds, and south of Louisville, where the upland areas are capped by sand of Alum Bluff (Oligocene) age. However, the character of the Jackson beds has changed greatly since passing Ocmulgee River. The Ocala limestone and the fossiliferous sand beds which take its place at the base of the group farther east have dis- appeared, so that the fullers earth lies almost immediately on the Cretaceous surface.
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Flaik 241
The fullers earth of the Twiggs clay member is thin but fairly persistent, and shows up in a line of exposures across the northern part of the county. In general, the earth of this county is whiter than the deposits farther west, on account of its lower iron content. Some of it is soft and very light and porous, but on going eastward a larger proportion is indurated by deposition of silica in the pores, forming a rather hard rock. Some of the silicified fullers earth resembles the indurated Cretaceous kaolins found in the same area, but may be distinguished from them by analysis, as it has a much higher ratio of silica to alumina. Southward from the border of the Jackson deposits the earth grades into calcareous clay, marl, and oyster shell beds, which have few of the characteristics of a true fullers earth.
The upper part of the Jackson group is made up of a considerable, but undetermined, thickness of red sand, containing thin beds of plastic clay, locally silicified layers of sandstone, which is sometimes fossiliferous, and thin beds of fossiliferous chert.
Wbsns
locality Je-1)
Fidlers earth is exposed at a number of localities in the vicinity of Wrens, and has been cut by many wells in and around the village. The earth is almost white, non-plastic and non-calcareous, and shows various degrees of induration. A section is exposed on the north slope of Brushy Creek, on the Louisville road, a mile south of Wrens.
Section 1 mile south of Wrens
Eocene
Jackson group Barnwell formation
Feet 4. Yellow sand with interlaminated day, conformable
with the underlying fullers earth 20
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member) 3. Slightly indurated fullers earth, porous, laminated, greenish when wet, but becoming pure white on drying. Contains laminae and beds up to several feet thick of greenish sand 20
ut lovoacAL or cmowgi
Tb Usrt i'xiuif #ar:j: liPuiA in the rkd-nitv of wrens li that from a o& tiie prof#ertj of DiBah Hines, tJii-ee quartera o: a mile lootliiMigt of tLt sution. This earth is light sii<I porai2& almost white, eODtains flakes of bot rery little aand. and OTily aligbtlr harder than the Pikes Peak earth. The thiekneas of tlie bed is nm known, but most be ccnis: 'Arable. A sample, S-163, was eoUeeted fross the pile of material tak-n the welL The analysis as follows:
AnoIysU of *artk from Dinah Hitus property ,
Aimniwi Al/),; 10.08
Ferric oxiJe Fe/,; 3-Itf
Msgnesia MgO; 90
lAme (CaO; .OO
Sods rXa/J. 40
PoUwh rKO) 36
Ignition 4.65
Carbon dioxide (CX),) 00
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
Solphnr (8) 00
Phosphorus pentoxide ( P,0,) 47
Moisture 6.14
Tests, — All tests of sample S-163 were made on earth ground in 8 coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen This sample is among the most powerful bleaching earths found, but on account of tie great porosity the absorption of oil would evidently be high, although it has not been determined. Tests on commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Yellow Eed
Oil used 35 6.1
Fullem8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 243
Ixl 25 2.5
Pikee Peak 28 2.3
S-163 19 1.9
Specific volume
Specific gravity Lb. per cu. ft.
Ixl 1.05 66.0
Pikes Peak 61 38.2
8-163 50 31.3
Apparent acidity
N
alkali per 100 gm. earth
IXL 19.6 c.c.
Pikee Peak 163.0
9-163 186.
Hatches 'S Mill
At R. R. Hatcher's mill on Reedy Creek, 5.2 miles north of
Wrens, indurated fullers earth of the Twiggs clay member of the
Barnwell formation immediately overlies the Lower Cretaceous. The
unconformity is exposed by the roadside on the north slope of Reedy
Creek, 15 feet above water level. The Cretaceous consists of white,
mealy, slightly sandy kaolin. The unconformity where observed is
almost horizontal, but irregular in detail. The lower 5 feet of the
Barnwell formation consists of interlaminated aluminous sandstone
and indurated clay, the latter being silicified so that it has almost the
hardness of an average limestone. This basal bed contains fragments
of lignitized wood and leaf impressions, and also fragments of kaolin
from the underlying bed, but the fragmental kaolin is inconspicuous
on account of the similarity in color and texture of fragments and
matrix. The bed of laminated sandy clay is overlain by 10 feet or
more of massive silicified fullers earth, practically free from grit,
which is best exposed in the road just south of the mill. The stratum
shows almost no trace of bedding, and on weathering breaks into
small irregular pieces with angular and conchoidal fracture. The
clay is bluish when fresh, but becomes white on weathering. It re-
244 Geological Survey Of Georgia
sembles the associated Cretaceous kaolin, from which it may be dis- tinguished by its characteristic mode of fracture or by chemical analysis, as the indurated fullers earths have a high ratio of silica to alumina, while for the Cretaceous kaolins, unless very sandy, the ratio is rarely higher than 45 to 35 per cent.
The following partial analysis of a sample from the Hatcher 'rf mill exposure is typical of the composition of the indurated fullers earth, which is found at a number of other localities in Jefferson, Richmond, and Columbia counties.
Partial analysis of indurated earth from Hatcher's Mill
S-233
SiHca (SiOa) 67.48
Alumina (AlA) 18.74
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 1.45
Ignition 10.71
Titanium dioxide (TiO.) 72
Moisture .30
Louisville
Souths of the line of the Augusta Southern Railroad the fullers earth beds dip beneath the red sand of the Barnwell formation, and grade into plastic clay and marl. In the vicinity of LouisviUe no earth of possible commercial value was seen. One of the best sections of the upper part of the Barnwell formation is exposed in a gully on the east slope of Rocky Comfort Creek, three quarters of a mile west of Louisville. In this section the fullers earth member seems to be represented by 3 feet of laminated but rather plastic clay, intermedi- ate between fullers earth and common pipe clay in properties, which is underlain by calcareous and fossiliferous sand.
At Warren's mill, on Big Creek, 3 miles east-northeast of Louis- ville a bed of rock containing large Ostrea georgiana shells was ex- cavated from below water level and used in building a dam. Above water level is exposed 3 feet of blue calcareous fullers, which drys and weathers white. This grades up, by interbedding, into yellow
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 245
argillaceous sand containing laminae of fullers earth and fragments of oyster shells.
Burke County
The Barnwell formation in Burke County is of very much the
same character as in southern Jefferson County. The beds of true
fullers earth outcrop in Richmond and Columbia counties, north of
the Burke County line, so in this county the formation consists of
calcareous clay, marl, and oyster shell beds, overlaid by red sand with
ledges of fossiliferous chert. The underlying McBean formation of
the Claiborne group is exposed in the valleys of Savannah Biver
and McBean Creek, while in the southern part of the county the
higher land is underlain by beds of Alum Bluff (Oligocene) age, and
there is good evidence that the Alum Bluff beds extend as far north
as Greens Cut.
At Keys Mill, 3 miles northwest of St. Clair, near the northwestern corner of Burke County, a bed of fullers earth 7 feet thick overlies a thick Ostrea georgiana bed, and is overlain by 50 feet of red and yellow sand. The earth is light greenish-yellow in color and not highly calcareous, but it contains a considerable amount of greenish sand interbedded and in irregular pockets. The thinness of the bed and the heavy overburden preclude its having any commercial value.
At Griffin Landing, on Savannah Biver, the marl of the McBean formation dips below water level, and is overlain by a 10-foot bed of Ostrea georgiana sheUs in a matrix of greenish calcareous clay. Above the ojrster bed is a non-persistent stratum of pale yellow, laminated, calcareous clay of fullers earth type, nowhere exceeding 5 feet in thickness.
Richmond County
The greater part of the area of Richmond County is underlain by beds of Lower Cretaceous and Claiborne age. The Barnwell forma- tion caps the hills north of McBean Creek, overlying the Me&ean formation, but in the absence of beds of fullers earth or chert it is ahnost impossible to distinguish one formation from the other. No
246 Geological Subvet Of Geobgia
fullers earth deposits of present commercial value are known in the county, but in the western part the Barnwell formation contains at its base beds of indurated fullers earth, which directly overlie the Lower Cretaceous. A long narrow outlier of the Barnwell formation caps the ridge between Butler and Spirit creeks, extending northwest into Columbia County, where it overlaps the Lower Cretaceous beds to the edge of the crystalline area.
Mount Knon
Mount Enon is an isolated hill, a remnant of the original plain, situated near the Dean's Bridge road, 14 miles southwest of Augusta and about 3 miles northeast of Bath. A good section of the lower beds of the Barnwell formation is exposed near a spring on the north slope of the hill.
Section on the north slope of Mount Enon
Eocene Jackson group Barnwell formation
Feet 8. Apparently all red sand to the top of the hill. Near the top are fragments of dense, banded chert
sandstone 60
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member)
7. Soft white fullers earth; top of the bed not exposed,
so may be thicker than indicated 8
6. Argillaceous sandstone, with abundant but poorly preserved fossils and casts, and rounded quartz
pebbles up to an inch in diameter 1
5. Coarse yellow sand 11
4. Light drab indurated fullers earth, with angular
and conchoidal fracture on weathering 11
3. Gray plastic clay 1
( Unconformity ) Lower Cretaceous
2. Indurated sandy kaolin or flint clay 10
1. Kaolinic sand, etc., not measured in detail f
Bed No. 4. is similar to the indurated fullers earth at Hatcher's mill. Jefferson County. On account of the hardness, it would not serve as a bleaching earth, and the only probable commercial use
FULLEB8 EABTH DEF0BIT8 OF THE COASTAL FLAIN 2i7
T¥oxild be in the manufacture of portland cement. The following is an analysis of a sample sent to the State Survey by J. Miller Walker :
Analysis of indurated fullers earth from Mount Enon
Silica (SiOa) 76.59
Alumina ( A1,0,) 13.59
Ferric oxide (FejO,) 2.16
Magnesia (MgO) 82
Lime (CaO) tr.
Soda (Na,0) 24
Potash (KaO) ; 38
Ignition 5.59
Titanium diojride (TiO,) 39
Manganous oxide (MnO) 04
Moisture 7.42
At Bath about 25 feet of indurated fullers earth is exposed in the slope above the spring and bath house on the Walker property, and the bed is seen at several other points in the vicinity, but at Hephzibah, 6 miles farther east, the fullers earth formation is absent. In the pit of the Albion Kaolin Company, near Hephzibah, the Cre- taceous kaolin is overlain by 100 feet of red and yellow argillaceous sand without any conspicuous clay beds.
Columbia County
The Barnwell formation of Columbia County consists only of sev- eral tongues which extend into the southern part near Orovetown, Forrest and Harlem, but some of the exposures of fullers earth are of interest and importance. The calcareous beds found in the Bam- well farther south and west are here lacking, and the formation con- sists of fullers earth, clay, shale, or lignite lying immediately above the Lower Cretaceous, and overlain by red sand. An unconformity between the clay member and the red sand was noted at several places and is probably of general occurrence throughout the county. There are also indications of local unconformities within the red sand. As the beds are all of shallow water origin, these unconformities may
248 Geological 8Ubvet Of Georgia
have been produced by very sligtit oscillations in the level of the land, and do not necessarily represent any considerable interval of time.
Some varieties of leached and partly weathered earths from Col- umbia County have stronger bleaching power than any other samples tested. Among the fresh and unweathered earths from this countsr no calcareous material has been found, but the earth is usually- dark in color and contains a considerable amount of carbonaceous matter and pyrite. The latter mineral is in such finely divided form. that it readily oxidizes on drying, producing sulphur dioxide and soluble sulphites and sulphates, which diminish the bleaching power to a great extent, and probably also have a deleteri6us effect on the oil bleached. Therefore, in mining, care must be taken to avoid the dark-colored, pyritiferous and carbonaceous earths and to use only the light-colored varieties.
Locally the carbonaceous earth grades over into lignite and lignitic clay. Such material occupies the fullers earth horizon at the Chaj)- man lignite mine, 3 miles south of Qrovetown, where it was formerly mined for use as a fertilizer filler, but was sufficiently carbonaceous to be used as a fuel under the boiler at the grinding plant.
Phinizy Gully
(Map locality Co-1)
There is a good exposure showing the relation of the Barnwell beds to the Lower Cretaceous in a gully in the abandoned Augusta- Wrightsboro public road, a mile northeast of Grovetown, on the Phinizy property. The relations of the beds may be seen in the following sketch (fig. 22) and section:
Section in Phinizy Chilly, 1 mile northeast of Chrovetown
Eocene
Jackson group BamweU formation
Feet 6. YeUow to red argillaceous sand, coarse and peb- bly near the base. Gaps hill east of the gully. . . 50+ 5. Laminated, plastic greenish daj 0-3
Fullbb8 Babth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
4. Conglomerate of yari-oolored kaolin pellets in red
sand. Contains some fragments of lignitised wood 0-2
( Uneonformitjt )
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member) 8. Laminated, shale fullers earth, containing leaf im- pressions along bedding planes. The bedding dips west at a smaller angle than the unconformity below 0-6
( Unconf ormitj ) Liower Cretaceous
2. Silicified white sandj kaolin or flint claj, has been described as "argillaceous sandstone.'' The bed- ding dips 10* east, the unconformity above dips
15* west in the head of the gully 12
1. Soft plastic white kaolin interbedded with white and jellow sand, with some kaolin conglomerate near the bottom of the exposure 12
Tig, 22. — Section in Phinizj Gullj, Columbia County, beds described in the text.
Numbers correspond to
The earth. — An average sample, S-102, was collected from bed No. 3 of the preceding section. The earth exposed is thoroughly leached, and contains no sulphur or carbonates, but is considerably iron stained. This is the best bleaching earth of all samples tested, and at the same time its absorption of oil is not ezcessiye, but filtra- tion is extremely slow. The locality, however, is not favorable for working, as the bed is not known to exceed 6 feet in thickness and the overburden would be very heavy. The analysis is as follows :
eMoi4>GiCAL atsrsT or gbomoia
JmPSU of \ from Phinizy OuUy
S-102
AW i7.m>
Mh iFtrfO.' 3.81
.F0) tr.
iir:>' 238
"*0 31
?tmi 36
ua 8.44
vCO,l 00
(Pa) 112
s. —AU of Mmple S-102 wer made on earth groand in I w pas through 100 mesh wreea. Tests of commercial
BUaek
After tvowwte
inligbt
indmrk
Bd
Yellow
Bed
TeQow
Bed
8S
;i
Is
E.0
Ib
i:
"
ijorpiton of oil
2L2%
S8.4
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 251
Specific volume
Specific frravity Lb. per en. ft.
Jxl 1.05 66.0
PikcB Peak 61 38.2
9-102 59 36.6
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gnu earth
IXL 19.6 cc
Pikes Peak 163.0
S-102 177.9
Obovetown
Fullers earth is exposed in the railroad cut at Grovetown station, extending 4 feet above track level, and overlain unconformably by red sand. The large cut south of the station shows 20 feet of cross- bedded red and. white sand, overlying the fullers earth horizon. The altitude of the station is 495 feet, so the highest exposure of fullers earth is very nearly 500 feet.
Fullers earth was mined some years ago on the property formerly owned by W. M. Fiske, about a quarter of a mile east of the station. When visited the pit was filled with water, but according to the sec- tion given by Veatch and Stephenson, it penetrated 10 to 12 feet of fullers earth which lay immediately above white clay of Lower Cre- taceous age.
The earth was not a commercial success for bleaching, on account of the amount of pyrite it contains. Its bleaching power is not good, as shown by the tests on sample S-103. This sample was taken from sacks of ground earth remaining in the old storage shed.
The fullers earth bed is cut by a well at Usry Brothers' cotton gin, only a few feet from the railroad near the station. The section is as follows :
>GeoI. Survey of Oa. Bui). 26, p. 269, 1911.
852 Geological 8Ubvbt Of Georgia
Seciian in well at TJsry Brothers* gin
Jackson group Barnwell formation
Feet
4. Loose gray sand 2
3. ArgiUaeeons sand 2
Barnwell formation (Twiggs clay member) 2. Fullers earth, very massive and thick-bedded, cut bj widely spaced joints in various directions. Dark gray when fresh and wet, but becomes light in color on drying and weathering. Contains flakes of mica, small crystals of pyrite, and fragments
of lignitic material 12
L Argillaceous sand 1
Sample S-106 represents an average of bed No. 2 of the preceding section.
The earth. — AU of the earth from the deposits in the immediate vicinity of Grovetown station contains a considerable precentage of carbonaceous matter and pyrite, except a little near the top of the beds, where it has been leached and oxidized by surface water.
Sample S-103 shows the highest apparent acidity of any sample tested (1156.1 c.c. of tenth-normal alkali per 100 gm. of earth). To determine how much of this apparent acidity is due to free acid and soluble salts, a portion of the earth was boiled with water and filtered. The filtrate gave an acid reaction, and qualitative tests showed a large amount of sulphates and a trace of chlorides. Potassium hy- droxide gave a light colored precipitate, consisting principally of aluminum hydrate, and 841.9 c.c. of a tenth-normal was required for the titration of the solution from 100 gm. of the earth. The ferric and aluminum oxides (principally the latter) in the solution amounted to 2.30 per cent of the weight of the original earth.
Sample S-106 is a better bleaching agent than S-103, although it also contains over one per cent of pyrite. But S-106 was collected from an exposure in place in the well, where all soluble salts were leached out and the pyrite had not much time to oxidize before test- ing, while S-103 had remained in the storage shed for a number of
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
rearSy sizing the pyrite time to oxidize, and the soluble salts formed vere not carried away.
Analysis of earth from well at Usry Brothers' gin
S-106 Smea (SiQ.) 78Ji
Alumina (A1,0,) 15.28
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 1.06
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 59
Masnesia (MgO) 06
Lime (CaO) tr
Soda (Na,0) 26
Potash (K,0) J55
Ignition 7.15
Carbon dioxide (CO.) 00
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 61
Phosphorus pentoxide (P|Ob) 25
Sulphur (8) 74
Manganous oxide (MnO) 00
Moisture 5.40
Tests. — AU tests of samples S-103 and S-106 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Sample S-103 had been previously ground, but had become reconsolidated by standing. Tests of commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks inUght
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
Pikes Peak
S-106
854 Geological Survey Of Geobgia
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
S-103 38.8
8-106 43.4
Specific volume
Specifie gravity Lb. per oil ft
Ixl 1.05 66.0
Pikes Peak 61 38.2
8-103 73 45.3
8-106 55 34.2
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
IXL 19.6 c.c.
Pikes Peak 163.0*
8-103 1156.1
8-106 291.5
All of these samples contain free add and soluble salts from oxidation of pyrite.
nSKE ESTATE
(Map locality Co-S)
Several years ago Messrs. E. J. O'Connor and W. M. Fiske worked a deposit of fullers earth on a property belonging to the latter. The property, of about 100 acres, is situated north of the (Jeorgia Bail- poad and a quarter of a mile southwest of Forrest. The material was not used commercially for bleaching oil, but was sold for pigment or ocher.
The pit is in a small valley, 20 or 30 feet below the railroad level and about 300 yards from the track. At this point is the best ex- posure on the property, showing the following section :
Section in O'Connor paint mine
Feet
4. Bed argillaceous sand 2
3. Graj plastic clay 0.5
2. Yellow ocher fullers earth 3
1. White and drab fullers earth 9
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 255
About a quarter of a mile west of the mine is an old pit which
is said to have cut 12 feet of white earth, but it had caved in so that
only 4 feet was visible. The earth on the dump is pale yellow to
light ay, free from grit, and without taste of alum. Across the
valley, a quarter of a mile north of this exposure, is another pit
which penetrates white fullers earth. These pits are on hill slopes
where the overburden is almost nothing and surface waters have had
opportunity to leach the earth. It is probable that the earth with
more overburden will be found to contain carbon and pyrite, as in the
mine.
The earth. — The earth from the base of bed No. 1 in the mine is
drab when dry and almost black when wet. This grades upward into
earth which is chalk white when dry and light drab when wet. The
difference in color is due to carbonaceous matter, which is present 4n
considerable amount in the lower portion, but has been removed from
the upper beds of oxidation. Besides the carbonaceous matter the
lower beds contain over one per cent of pyrite in minute crystals.
On exposure to the air the pyrite oxidizes rapidly, setting free acid
which reacts with the other minerals present to form iron sulphate
and alum. The gray earth in the face of the mine, and especially
that in the drying sheds, where it has been exposed to the atmosphere
for several years, tastes very strongly of acid and alum, while the
yellow and white earths are tasteless.
Samples S-104, S-153, and S-105 represent, respectively, the fresh drab earth, leached white earth, and yellow ocher earth. The differ- ence in composition of the white and drab earths is due to weather- ing, but the yellow earth was probably deposited with a higher per- centage of iron.
5-104 /
—
I'-
r
/ 72,42
15Ji
1 ie.72
/
1L.Vh
2.
11
.4S
/
1
.oo
.oo
/
,2S
/
m
t
.58 ,
f
>J4
7jy9
.68 /
.S5
jt- '
.03 /
Joo
.03 /
:
100.17 /
-,. rr j-iint mine waa being opera>i ..er farth by the Sontheixr Cor.ca u iL't<ratory tests it gave a better -r z iit'/toiy tests the bleach iras abo:it r.ti bin the absorption with ordiiwrr . ver cent and with longer steam- .si — .3. vrile the Pikes Peak earth rmdet ' jvr r'Lt absorption and English and -fin On account of the high abeorp-
., Here made in the Survey labors-
4K>3tiDill to pass through a 100 mesh
earths are stated for compariflon.
endn' w <i- C- Hulbert, District Chemlat
Fullbbb Babth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
YeUow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
UQj
Pikes Peak
2a
8*104
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
8-104 40.3
8-105 37.4
Specific volume
Pikes Peak
Specific gravity
Lb. per cu. ft.
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Pikes Peak.
19.6 c.c. 163.0* 291.5t
Contain free acid and soluble salts from oxidation of pyrite.
f End point conld not be accurately determined on account of the color of
the earth.
In the preceding tests the yellow ocher earth (S-105) does not
258 Geological Survey Of Georgia
show excessive absorption, but it filters slowly and it would probably be diiScult to blow the oil from the press.
Conditions afecting mining. — The quantity of the yellow ocher material is too small for working as a fullers earth, because all that is in sight is a bed 3 feet thick over a limited area. The white, leached earth in the mine reaches a thickness of about 5 feet, and its thickness may be expected to vary, depending on topography and drainage. There is not here, as at Pikes Peak, a sharp line between the leached and unleached earth, but the one passes into the other by insensible gradations. The yellow and white varieties only are worthy of con- sideration as bleaching earths, while the gray, pyrite-bearing earth must be carefully avoided. Therefore, careful prospecting would be necessary to determine the amount of leached earth. Transportation would present no difiSculty, as the deposits are within a quarter of a mile of the railroad, and the only earth worth mining would be that which has small overburden.
Harlem
Beds of shaly, more or less indurated, and locally carbonaceous fullers earth outcrop at a number of places in the vicinity of Harlem, which is situated on the divide between Brier Creek and the direct tributaries of the Savannah, at the northern extremity of a tongue of Barnwell strata.
At the point where the August-Atlanta public road crosses under the Georgia Railroad, 2.5 miles west of Harlem station, is an exposure of the contact between the Lower Cretaceous and the Barnwell. This exposure is chiefly of scientific interest, aa the fullers earth is in- durated, like that at Hatcher's Mill and Mount Enon. The fullers earth reaches a maximum thickness of 10 to 15 feet. It rests uncon- formably upon kaolin of Lower Cretaceous age, and is unconform- ably overlain by red sand of the Barnwell formation, while 10 feet above the fullers earth another unconformity within the Barnwell was recognized.
At Phillip's Falls, miles south of Harlem, is an exposure of
Fullebs Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 259
24 feet of fullers earth beds. The earth is thin-bedded, hard and shaly
and contains sand along the partings. The lower part is dark gray,
containing many fragments and lenses of carbonized wood, while the
upper portion is more or less completely leached and oxidized, and is
light drab in color, with some beds stained yellow by limonite.
At Chalk Spring," li miles southwest of Harlem, is an ex- posure of 13 feet of thin-bedded, shaly, sandy fullers earth. This earth is similar to that at Phillip's Palls, except that oxidation has proceeded farther, and the earth exposed contains no carbonaceous matter.
Fullers Earth Of The Alum Bluff Formation
Geology Of The Alum Bluff Formation '
Areal distribution. — The Alum BluflE formation outcrops through- out a large area in south-central Georgia. The limit of the deposits as they exist today is approximately marked on the north by Waynes- boro, Tennille, and Vienna ; on the west by the escarpment along the east side of the Flint River valley, and on the east by a line extending from Savannah River near the mouth of Buck Creek through Sylvania, Reidsville, and Blackshear to the western edge of Okefenoke Swamp. The formation of the upland areas between the valleys of the larger streams was called **Altamaha grit" by Dall. Veatch and Stephenson in 1911 used the name **Altamaha (Lafayette?) forma- tion" which they questionably referred to the Pliocene, although they recognized that the formation included strata ranging in age from Oligocene to Pleistocene. In the later report by the same authors* these areas are mapped as 'Undiflferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene inclusive," and they make the following statement:
investigations of recent years have led to the conclusion that the bulk of the deposits included by Harper, Veatch, and Stephen-
Largely abstracted from report on Undergroun'l Waters of the Coastal Plain of Geonria by L. W. Stephenson and J. O. Veatch, U. S. Geol. Survey Water- Supply Paper 341, pp. 89-94, 1916.
Dall, W. H., UT S. GeoL Survey Bull. 84, p. 82, 1892.
'Report on the Geology of the Coastal Plain of Georgia: Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 26, 1911.
*U. 8. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 341, p. 91, 1915.
/
GEOLOGICAL s'
show excessive absorption, but ii be dilTiciiU to blow the oil from
CfHilitioiis afficting minii-i niattTJal is too small for workii is in sight is a bed 3 feet thick cv. earth in th-.' mine reaches a thi<-!.' may be expeutcd to vary, deji- There is uat here, ns at Pikes and iinlea.-hed earth, but the oir gradiitioiis. Tlie yellow and siii--ratii>n as lil'athing earths, i. must earefiilly avoided. Tin neeessary to lieteniiiiie the aiin'i. present no diflieiilty, as a mile of the railroad, and the that whii'h has small overhnrd.-i
Heds of shaly, more or less fnllei-s earth outcrop at a iinmh.' wliieh is situated on tlie divide ' tributaries of the Savannah, at Hartwell strata.
At Ilie point where the Auf.M;~ the Ueoriiia KailriKid, 2..'> uiiU-s w- of tlie eonla.t between the Lower exposuiv is eliietly of seieiititie durated. like tliat at Ilateher's ' earth rea<'iies a maximum thiekni foriuahly iipon kaolin of Lower ' ably overlain by red sand of tin- above tlie fullers earlli another was reeogni/ed.
At Phillip's Falls. V2 m'les
.' i'lNi Bluff format:
formation has ovt -—:
. i oijiidarj between it .;
; -curacy of the naj
'iiber formations, azj :
, it.Tials and Pleiso-;!-
,T formation is nin-.
iitchicola Biver, LiVrr
N including the bed.- ''
iirne formation and iz-
.\i the type locality tL
.' r. overlain by the Oi
' lie traced into Oeora.
flies the GhattafaocK h.
i-'ie oor faunal cbaoe
:';>areDt uneonformilies
HK-bee limestone nea:
vers the Alum Bluf
ne by an erosion nn- '. roaghout the greater
rmation its weathered
rnt deposits, are be- eastern Georgia it is ; deposits, ranging in
7ras along the larger - thin terrace deposits
formation are of dne suids and grits
s' OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 261
.Hers earth mine of the Lester Clay
is one certain and another probable
arth bed, and in the Alum Bluff sec-
is mentioned 26 to 28 feet above river
ive been i|oted at a number of other
'onformities were formerly believed to
i-om the Altamaha or Lafayette, but the
indicates that they occur within the
time significance.
.i) Alum Bluff formation consists entirely in, but it presents a number of different
ot* the formation are calcareous and con-
ii)ola marl forming the basal member in
ieorgia counties a part of the fullers earth
rilcareous, and calcareous beds are reported
reek Bluff, Wilcox County, on Ocmulgee
Mg, Screven County, on Savannah River.
seem to occupy a position in the lower part
')ve the marl member, where that is present.
oeiated with coarse, light greenish-gray to
often showing crossbedding, and more or
, known locally as **pipe clay." On AUapaha
phosphatic sands which are believed to lie
tahoochee formation. The light colored argil-
I ITS earth horizon is frequently indurated, form-
. which in Florida serves as a guide rock in
deposits. Sellards and Gunter* say of it:
i with and indicating the presence of fullers earth
scribed. This guide rock consists of a greenish
1 sand or sandstone. This sandstone is, in Gads-
of the fullers earth series and its presence in this
.<l Gunter, Herman, The fullers earth depoeits of Oadaden 'xeol. Survey, 2d. Ann. Kept. pp. 276, 276, 1909. 2d. Ann. Kept., p. 266, 1909.
262 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geobgia
section indicates the place of the fullers earth. The rock is in plac indurated and resistant to decay. It thus often stands out and is exposed where the fullers earth itself is entirely covered." Similar indurated sand beds are associated with the fullers earth beds in the southern tier of Georgia counties.
The upper portion of the Alum Bluflf formation is the so-called Altamaha grit, an extensive deposit of irregularly bedded sands, clays and gravels, locally indurated. The indurated sands and the conglomerates contain a peculiar greenish or greenish-gray dissemi- nated clay and are described as **gray or greenish aluminous grits." The pebbles are predominately subangular, many of them lath shaped, and the sands are invariably harsh or in shai*p angular grains. Feld- spar is abundant, and phases may be described as f eldspathic grits." The materials are very coarse grained, even at points 100 miles from their northern margin. The beds that have been locally indurated to sandstones, conglomerates, and claystones do not differ essentially in composition from the non-indurated materials. A negative pecu- liarity is the total absence of calcareous and fossiliferous materials.
The weathered residual loams from the grit beds are mottled and splotched in red, yellow, purple, and gray tints, due to unequal weathering, oxidation, and distribution of ferruginous materials. Mottled sandy clays are produced by weathering of other Coastal Plain formations, and are even found in the Piedmont area, but the Alum Bluff materials are characterized by purple tones and especially brilliant reds. Iron oxide nodules are in many places abundant in the soil, forming pebble" or pimple" lands, but these also occur locally in soils derived from the older Coastal Plain formations.
The clays of the upper beds of the Alum Bluff formation are fairly uniform in texture and composition throughout the area of their occurrence. They are greenish or drab, very fine grained and plastic, are everywhere more or less sandy, and have rather low specific gravity. They occur as irregular pockets or thin lenticular beds, nowhere persisting over any large area. In the southwestern part of the State, near Whigham and Cairo, in Grady County, the
Jfullebs Easte Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 203
sands are interlaminated with layers of light-colored plastic clay approaching the composition of sedimentary kaolin.
The fullers earth is a gray, drab or greenish, laminated clay of very lew specific gravity. It occurs as local lenses or discontinuous beds, all of which seem to be at about the same horizon within the formation. The maximum thickness of fullers earth observed in a single section in Florida is 15 feet/ but north of the Georgia line the beds are thinner and less continuous than in Florida, and none of the deposits are known to reach so great a thickness. The earth at Quincy, Florida, where protected by 12 or 14 feet of overburden, becomes calcareous and contains residual masses of argillaceous lime- stone. This fact, and the physical structure of the earth, indicates that the earth of bleaching quality may have been produced by leaching of an originally calcareous clay.
The fullers earth deposits are generally overlain by a variety of clay locally known as short bread" or false fullers earth." This is non-plastic, and resembles the fullers earth in color and physical properties, but it is not laminated and crumbles into irregular grains on drying. The short bread" usually grades up into greenish, very plastic **pipe clay." It is probable that these varieties of clay repre- sent stages in the weathering of the fullers earth.
The Alum Bluff earth differs somewhat id character from that of the Barnwell formation in central Georgia. It appears finer in grain and is more unctuous to the touch when wet. When dry it is harder, so that granular grades stand up well when used for bleaching min- eral oils, but when wet is less resistant to weathering and erosion, and is therefore rarely seen in natural outcrops. The Alum Bluff earth is prevailingly more thinly bedded, and the deposits do not reach so great a thickness. It is lighter and less variable in color, and al- though corresponding calcareous phases are found under heavy over- burden in both formations, pyrite and carbonaceous matter do not occur in appreciable amounts in any of the Alum Bluff earth.
The fullers earth phase of the formation has in places been silici-
Fla. Geol. Survey 2d. Ann. Kept. p. 94, 1909.
't
264 Geological Subvey Of Georgia
fied to such an extent that it has been converted into a very hajrd claystone, and has lost its characteristic properties. Such clay is especially well exhibited along Withlacoochee River south of Ousley.* By infiltration of opaline silica the earth has become dense, compact;, vitreous, and agatized. The clay is about three in the scale of hard- ness and it requires a strong blow of the hammer to break it. Fissures and cavities are filled by opaline silica.
Other clay beds, argillaceous sands, and gravels have likewise been locally silicified, forming claystones, quartzites, and conglom- erates. In fact, alteration by silica carried in solution in circulating waters has taken place in some degree throughout the greater part of the formation.
Strike, dip, and thickness. — The Alum Bluflf formation has a low southward and southeastward dip, certainly much less than that of the underlying Eocene formations. On Savannah River the dip does not exceed 4 or 5 feet per mile, and near the Florida line the beds must be almost horizontal, for the streams have cut through them, exposing the underlying formations. There is evidence that a broad anticline exists in the southern part of the State, and some indica- tion of minor folding has been found in Florida.
The maximum thickness of the Alum Bluff formation in Gteorgia is estimated to be 150 to 200 feet. The full thickness is not seen at any natural exposure, and the estimate is based chiefly on well records. Records at Lumber City, Telfair County, indicate a thick- ness of over 200 feet. Some of the natural exposures on Savannah River and in Decatur County reveal a thickness of 70 or 80 feet.
Physiographic expression. — The area in which the lower, fullers earth-bearing beds of the Alum Bluff formation outcrop is relatively small, although in the southern part of the State west of Lowndes County a relatively broken and hilly topography has been produced by its weathering. The higher divides and uplands underlain by the upper grit beds of the formation present a peculiar topography. Part of this area constitutes the Altamaha upland, one of the major topo- graphic divisions of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, an area of low
'
/y 265
lucer-shaped
L'eet deep, of
lid hammocks,
. and Ocmulgee
iffs along their
pography of the
'ca present a not-
' Fall Line, to the
iid-eoated plains to
Alum Bluff forma-
lacking in the upper
y contain only poorly
obtained a number of
r localities near Bain-
mauricensis, is found at
is to mark the disappear-
so common in the Vicks-
ng the characteristic fossils
Pecten madisonius var. say-
Dual Deposits Sden County, Florida
: discovered at Quincy, Florida.
eai*th mines and grinding plants
Floridin Company at Jamieson,
i >rida & Alabama Railway, 2 miles
lincy, 6 miles from the Georgia line.
s are practically identical with the
lations and quality of earth, brief
The writer is indebted to W. L. Mac-
'iieral Manager of the company, for
ud plants and for other assistance.
1!
347. 1911.
2M GtOLOalCAL SUBmr Oif GEORGIA
Jomt'ton mine.— East of the Oeorpia, Florida & Alabama at Jamitn a bed of follere earth with an average thickness : ivt underlies a flat area of many acres, the average overbnrdec 17 feet. The section in the workings in September, 1915, wsi si : Iowa:
StcUon in Jamieton mine of the floridin. Company
Aget
Few A. JuarM, nacDDMlidated nnd, Ugbt-olor0(l at top, ftt baM bmek and caTbonaeeoDa. Seema to be a awsmp
depoit o( comparatively reiit age. 8
( UDconfonuity )
AJnm formatian
4. Very ptastic yellow rlay - - -1
3. Crunilly, d'id [ilastie gieenuh clay (ibort fare*d)
at baw. crailiae up into [>Ia!'tic pipe claT". The pi[ clay ami Rhurt tirea>l are similaT in ttnxetaxe, anil the liifTorenM in plasticity my be due to iTcalberiuf; B
2. Pnllpra earth. The earth of eipoiiure is ajid not
very ilisliortly laminateO and is bine instead of grecQish nhen tret, dui? ]>robably to S Dunat amnunt o( carl-.nar e..ui matter. It dries troost whLte 10
1. Greenish argillac'ouB forming floor of pit t
Quincy Mines. — There are several mines on the property of lb Klrtridin Company, as pits have been abandoned when the overbwi iici-iiine too heavy or the ealeium carbonate content of the earth to" hig)i. The following is the section in the Magnolia Grove mine, s mile north of Quiney, where work was being done in November, 2SU-- Section in Magnolia Grove mine of the Floridin Company 01 i eocene
Alum BInS formatioii
Feet 6. Yellow arEillaceous Band 15
5. Sli'Tl bread day 1-3
4. Greeninh laminated fullers earth 6
3. Greenish tand parting 0,5-2
2. Greenish laminated fullers earth 6
1. Oreenisb argillaceoua aand forming floor of pit f
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 267
At this exposure the pipe clay, which usually overlies the fullers earthy is absent.
The earth, — The earth from the two Floridin mines is practically
identical in properties. Samples for testing were taken only from
the Jamieson mine. S-125 is the commercial product, 15 to 30 mesh,
and S-124 is an average sample of the greenish earth taken near the
edge of the deposit. As shown by the analyses, the commercial earth
contains a small percentage of lime, but all had been leached from
the bed at the point where the other sample was collected.
Analyses of earth from the Jamieson mine
8-124 S-125
Silica (SiO,) 66.06 SS-.IO
Alumina ( A1,0,) 15.46 15.43
Ferric oxide (Fe,0,) 3.45 4.95
FerrouB oxide (FeO) 31 .30
Magnesia (MgO) 09 2.44
Lime (CaO) 1.84 1.75
Soda (Na,0) 52 .27
Potash (K,0) 1.01 .66
Ignition (less CO,) 8.70 14.04
Carbon dioxide (CO,) 00 .84
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 19 .72
Phosphorus pentoxide (P,0) 1.44 .724
Sulphur (S) 38 .15
Manganous oxide (MnO) 00 .00
Total 99.45 100.374
Moisture 7.13 4.59
The above analyses show that there are considerable variations between the average commercial product and samples selected from limited portions of the bed, and the samples also show variations in physical properties.
These samples, like all of the South Georgia and Florida earths, are ahnost white when dry, and although firm and of fine texture, they are extremely light and porous, for which reason the absorption of oil is very high. S-124 is the lightest of all samples tested.
It has been found in bleaching cotton oil that the very porous earths with extremely high oil absorption are likely to take fire by
GMOlOeiCAL 8CBVBT OF QSOBGIA
I when the filter preae are blown wiii: .
---r--j -n C0I7 the Sooth Georgia and Florida eartt ;
xilj: 3 XLM acarr attbon some of tJie central Geoiu &l-.
:r; -afsriL tj.- ing umI start to bom noon, after removal ir .
-s -n araisat, m well as because of the higli absorb". :
- .— r z-. ilTia Bluff earth ba been naed in bleaching t-;-
- r :cj&. PrarticaDr all is oaed in z-efininff petrol?:;-. -J. - — '-iit is DO danger of spontaneous combnstioD.
— .a s ?f grt importance, since the oil held in
— — . --r' _ttie of the Floridin earth ix used tot Wean
5 -r-— -Tri in bleaching petrolenm hae been fi'*:
. - atafartorr laboratory tests on a small aal*
T-- - wi.-T ite tests OD cotton oil serve as a baa-
..: - - 7.- -'T-;-;* of the earth with those of e& froE
- S-li4 "as gronnd in a coffee-mill and bolie.-'
—.. -. r --irt.. :>ampl S-125. which was already siz-d
'c' i eoffee-mill. and tests wrere made ad
. 100 mesh. Terts of other commer-
--iLjIat-h
Aftrtwoiwlu in light
Aftr two weeks
TeDov
Bed
TeHow
Bed
Is
l.ft
to
£.0
B'Ullebb Easts Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 269
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
S-124 (20-40 mesh) 42.6
S-124 (40-60 mesh) 44.7
8-124 (60-100 mesh) 45.7
S-124 (Through 100 mesh) 47.6
S-125 (Through 100 meeh) 44.6
Specific volume
Specific gravity Lb. per cu. ft.
Ixl 1.05 66.0
Pikes Peak 61 88.2
S-124 (20-40 mesh) 51 81.7
S-124 (40-60 mesh) 50 31.0
S-124 (60-100 mesh) 50 31.4
S124 (Through 100 mesh) 44 27.9
S-125 (Through 100 mesh) 55 34.5
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Ixl 19.6 C.C
Pikes Peak 163.0
S-124 9.9
S-125 24.7
Mining methods and preparations for market. — At both the Flor- idin mines the overburden is removed by steam ''dredges'' with orange-peel buckets. At Jamieson the earth is worked with a steam shovel, but at Quincy the two thinner beds of earth must be removed separately and the work is done by manual labor.
The earth is broken to about one-inch size and passed through re- volving cylindrical driers heated by crude petroleum. The cylinders are 30 to 40 feet long and 5 to 6 feet in diameter, and the clay requires 15 to 20 minutes to pass through the cylinder. The earth is ground in Abbi mills and bolted into various grades for shipment. Some standard sizes are 15-30, 30-60, 20-60, 60-100 mesh, and through 100 mesh. The coarser grades bring the higher prices, because, on account of the uses made of the earth, there is some difficulty in disposing of
270 Geological Survey Of Georgia
the large quantity of fine material which is necessarily produced by any method of grinding.
The new plant of the Floridin Company at Quincy, completed in 1915, is the largest and best equipped in the United States.
Decatur County
The area of Decatur County southeast of Flint River is almost entirely underlain by the Alum Bluff formation. There are thin beds of fullers earth exposed along the escarpment southeast of Flint Eiver, but the deposits of possible commercial importance seem to be confined to the valleys of Attapulgus and Little Attapulgus creeks, in the extreme southeastern comer of the county. The upland areas are covered by red and mottled argillaceous sands of upper Alum Bluff age or later.
Lester Clay Company
(Map locality D-l)
The only operating fullers eailh mine in southern Georgia is that of the Lester Clay Company of Jacksonville, Florida. The mine is located on the west side of Little Attapulgus Creek, a quarter of a mile southwest of Attapulgus station. The company owns or controls about 800 acres west of the Georgia, Florida & Alabama Railway and 300 acres east of the railway.
Geologic relations, — The following section was measured in the workings in September, 1915. The relations of the beds are shown in the accompanying sketch (fig. 23).
Section in Lester Clay Company mine
Oligocene
Atom Bluff formation
Feet 6. At base is sandy pipe clay and light colored argil- laceous sand, locally indurated to *'8and rock,'' which is hard and sometimes requires dynamite for removal, but disintegrates quickly on exposure to the atmosphere. The upper portion is weathered material, consisting of mottled argillaceous sand. Maximum thickness 25
( Unconformity )
I.I,BKS EARTH OF THE rOASTM, PLilX OF nEORGIA PLATE XIV
S Kakth Min
i?0
TitSSl
F'Ullebs Earth Deivsits Of The Coastal Plain
5. Slightly laminatecl, greenish slightly plastic clay. It is said to have the properties of fullers earth, but on account of its plasticity it balls up in the drier and cannot be used. The bed pinches out or grades into the plastic pipe clay which overlies the fullers earth where the overburden is light 3
4. Light greenish clayey sand, overlying the fullers
earth with a slightly irregular contact 2
( Unconformity )
3. Unlaminated, crumbly fullers earth)
2. Laminated fullers earth )
1. White or pale green Indurated argillaceous sand, or
sand rock, forming the floor of the pit t
m
?M
Pig. 23. — Working face in the fullers earth mine of the Lester Clay Company, Decatur County. Numbers correspond to beds described in the text
The floor of the mine is 15 feet above water level in Little Atta- pulgus Creek, and the hill west of the mine rises about 90 feet above creek level. The mine is situated at the east end of a ridge. The working face is over 1000 feet long, and at one point the overburden reached 30 feet, but the later work has been continued around the slope to the south, where the overburden is less.
There are no natural outcrops of fullers earth on the property, but pits have been dug north of the mine, showing that the bed ex- tends for a considerable distance in that direction, and borings have shown that fullers earth underlies the hills east of the railroad, but has there heavy overburden. Vaughan states that in preliminary
Vaughan. T. Wayland, Fullers earth deposits of Georgia and Florida: U. S. Oeol. Survey Bull. 213, p. 392, 1903.
272 Geological Bubvey Of Geobgia
exploration work Mr. J. D. Lester sunk 10 pits, all of which struck fullers earth varying from to 9 feet in thickness.
The earth. — The lower i>ortion of the fullers earth bed in tlie mine is distinctly laminated, but the upper portion is massive and crumbly, resembling the short bread clay of the Florida mines. In Florida the short bread is removed with the overburden, but at this locality the entire thickness is worked as fullers earth. The bed is thin around the edge of the hill, where the weathered material is plastic and resembles common pipe clay, but both crumbly and lami- nated beds increase in thickness on working back until the maximum of 11 feet is reached. The earth is minutely joined, and near the top and edges of the deposit it is stained along joint planes by iron, manganese and carbonaceous matter, but as the overburden increases the staining becomes less. Where the overburden is heavy the lower part of the bed contains lens-like masses of hard argillaceous lime- stone, and shell-like fissure fillings of pure, crystalline calcite about an eighth of an inch thick. This calcareous material is avoided as much as possible in mining.
Sample S-127 represents an average of the working face in the mine in November, 1914, including both laminated and crumbly va- rieties. Besides the analysis of this sample, two analyses from Vaughan's report and one from Veateh's report on the clay deposits of Georgia are included in the table below. All have been recalcu- lated to a dry state.
F'Ullebs Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
A.nalyses of earth from the Lester Clay Company property
Constituents
S-127
3'
Uca (Sioa)
uinina ( A1,0)
v.'rrie oxide (re,0,)
v'orrous oxide (FeO)
slagnesia (MgO)
i.ime (CaO)
Hoda (Na,0)
Potash (K,0)
1 gnition
'arbon dioxide (COj)
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
Phosphorous pentoxide (PfO.) . . . .
Sulphur (S)
Manganons oxide (MnO)
Moisture
H. Rles. analyst. U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 213, p. 898, 1903. Oeol. Surrey of Ga. Bull. 18, p. 817, 1909.
Rational Analysts of No. 3
Feldspar 1.73
Quartz 3.63
Mica 4.69
Ferric oxide 4.02
Clay substance 85.93
T6S/5.— Sample S-127 was ground in a cofiEee-mill and bolted into four grades each of which was tested on cotton oil. Tests on com- mercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used Yellow
Oil used 35
Pikes Peak 19
Bed
A.
8-127 (Throujfh
Ixl I .;
"-'JT . 6i' I'ni ine*h)
lP-6 -e-
_:7 a iistin'tly alkaline rvaetion iwitb fAtno.- - '11.7 tested gives suo-h a rea:t:-i:, i*.'xr*-i>us earths are neutraL A qualitative ."' . 1 '::a* th<? alkaline reaction b due to the pres- ' :rL T'l* tie '-Ate.
ii -..I / hjJ mining methods. — The fuikTS
' .i:-*. i..rr.- -j.- -irainage level and within a quar-
- 'Tii i -p-jr track extending to the plant.
- -JL -:- mt f" of overhurden, and by worl'-
-1 ..- excessive for a long time.
'r. :_,.-r i-r-frburden more than 20 or
(
Jfullebs Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 275
iet will become too calcareous to be of much value. The overburden ft liandled by steam drags, and the earth is carried to the plant in ram cars drawn by a small locomotive.
Preparation for the market, — The .earth is dried in revolving
cylindrical driers heated by crude oil blast. It is ground in Abbe
mills, of which there are eight, two to each set of Wolf bolters. Silk
bolting cloth of 16, 30, 60 and 100 mesh is used in grading the earth.
The principal use is in refining petroleum.
Gibson Pbopebty
(Map locality D-fS)
William Gibson and relatives own land on either side of the Geor-
gia, Florida & Alabama Railway about a mile south of Attapulgus
station. The railroad cut south of bridge A 77 shows only sand, but
a two-foot boring with a post-hole auger besi*le the track reached good
fullers earth. Sample S-131 was taken from this hole. Fullers earth
was also reached by boring in the cut between bridges A 77 and B 77.
The thickness of the fullers earth bed is not known, but it apparently
underlies a considerable area, with overburden not much over 10 feet.
Tlie earth, — Sample S-131 is nearly white, resembling the earth
from the Lester and Floridin mines in color and texture. Tests
showed it to be a powerful bleaching earth, but it is very light and
has extremely high oil absorption. The analysis is as follows :
Analysis of earth from Oibson property
SiHca (SiO.) 61.93
Alumina (AlA) 16.61
Ferric oxide (Fe,Oa) 5.01
FeiTouB oxide (PeO) tr
Magnesia (MgO) 1.03
Lime (CaO) 56
Soda (Na,0) 43
Potash (K,0) 78
Ignition (less CO.) 12.11
Carbon dioxide (CO,) 32
Titanium dioxide (TiO,) 82
Phosphorus pentoxide (PaO.) 360
OSOLOOICAL BVnVBY OF OBOBGI
Sulphur (8)
Manganous oxide (MnO)
Moisture
Tests. — Sample S-131 was tested for bleaching powder on cottm oL All tests were made with earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass throng a 100 mesh screen. Tests of commercial earths are stated for com- parison.
Bleach
Bample used
Orisnal bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Red
Yellow
lied
YelJow / Red
Oil used
Pikea Peak
U
Absorption of oil
Xxl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4 '
8-131 52.8
Specific volume
Pikes Peak.
Specific gravity
Lb. per en. ft.
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Tirr. 19.6 c.c
Pikes Peak 163.0
8-131 27.2
Fullers Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 277
Smith Fbopebty
(Map locality D-S)
Fullers earth is exposed along the public road a quarter of a mile west of Laingkaty about 2 miles south of Attapulgus, on the property of W. E. Smith. The section along the road is as follows :
Section along public road west of Laingkat
Oligocene Alum Bloif formation
Feet
6. Yellow, redy and mottled argillaceous sand 12
4. Blue argillaceous sand and pipe claj 4
3. Crumbly, non-plastic clay or short bread 2
2. Laminated fullers earth. Grades up into short bread. Base of the bed is not exposed, so it may
be thicker than indicated 5
1. Concealed to water level, Little Attapulgus Creek. . . 20
The strata dip one degree west, one of the few indications of local folding found in South Georgia. Mr. Smith states that by boring he found the fullers earth bed to be 8 feet thick. The area undeic- lain by fullers earth is probably large, but south of the public road the overburden will become heavy, probably 30 or 40 feet.
The earth, — Sample S-132 represents an average of the exposure along the road, bed No. 2 of the preceding section. The earth resem- bles that of the mines in the vicinity, but it a little denser, with less bleaching power and lower absorption of oil. As the samples was taken from a superficial exposure, these variations in the proper- ties may be due to weathering. The analysis is as follows :
Analysis of earth from Smith property
S-132
SiUca (SiO.) 60.97
Alumina (A1,0,) 17.30
Ferric oxide (Pe,0,) 3.63
Ferrous oxide (FeO) 32
Magnesia (MgO) 4.51
lime (CaO) 1.64
Soda (Na,0) 28
Potash (K.0) 65
Ignition 9.50
Geological Survey Of Georgia
Carbon dioxide (GOs)
Titanium dioxide (TiO,)
PhoephoruB pentoxide (PsO) Sulphur (8)
1O0.55
Moisture
Tests. — Sample S-132 was tested for bleaching poiier on cotton oil. All tests were made with earth ground in a coflfee-mill to pa through a 100 mesh screen. Tests of commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow Bad
1
Oil used
Pikea Peak
S-132
Absorption of oil
Ixl 21.2%
Pikes Peak 38.4
8-132 46.2
Specific volume
Specific gravity
Lb. per cu. ft.
Pikes Peak
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
Ixl 19.6 C.C
Pikes Peak 163.0
Fullebs Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 279
Amsterdam And Wataoa
On the Attapulgus-Amsterdam road 2 miles southeast of Atta- pulgus is a small exposure of fullers earth. The section exposed is as follows:
Section on Attapulgus-Amsterdam road, 2 miles southeast of
Attapulgus
Oligoeene
Alum Bluff formation
Feet 4. Yellow and red sand capping hill, probably reaches
a thickness of 100
3. Greenish, plastic pipe clay 10
2. Fullers earth, laminated, iron stained, and slightly
indurated, grading up into pipe clay 1
1. Indurated greenish argillaceous sand f
The railroad fill on the Atlantic Coast Line miles northwest of Amsterdam shows fragments of laminated fullers earth. The ma- terial for the fill was dug up from the swamp by the roadside. It is possible that there is a considerable amount of fullers earth underly- ing the swampy bottom of Attapulgus Creek between Amsterdam and Wataga, but if so, it is below water level, can only be located by boring, and would be difScult to work.
Grady County
In Orady County the limestone of the Chattahoochee formation is exposed along Ochlockonee Biver in the southern part of the county and in Big Slough and several limesinks north of Whigham. The Alum Bluff formation outcrops over all the remainder of the county, but the fullers earth beds near the base of that formation seem to be thin and discontinuous, and natural exposures are rare.
Whiohaic
The only properties where prospecting for fullers earth has been done are those belonging to E. L. Lester and Mr. Chapman, situated in the valley of Tired Creek north of the Atlantic Coast Line, 2 miles
280 Geological Survey Of Geoboia
east of - Whigham, and the Boddenberry place, between Cairo and Whigham.
The Chapman property was formerly owned by E. A. ConnelL Vanghan states that a pit a mile south of the Connell residence showed 6y2 feet of fullers earth with 19V feet of overburden, and other pits on Sears and Wolfis creeks showed several feet of fullers earth with 5 to 8 feet of overburden. At the time of the writer's visit all of the pits had caved, and no earth was in sight. A sample sent in by Connell was tested by Dr. Everhart, who s&tes that it bleached cotton oil fairly well.
On the Lester property bluish, sandy clay is exposed along the lower courses of branches of Tired Creek. Fullers earth, if present, should be a short distance below this clay, but it would be below drainage level and working would present great difficulties.
In a railroad cut miles east of Whigham the fullers earth horizon is exposed, consisting of interbedded fullers earth and green- ish sand in layers an inch or less in thickness.
T. M. Parker, of Moultrie, collected samples of fullers earth from the Boddenberry place. He states that two strata of fullers earth of varying thickness were found. The maximum thickness of the upper is 4 feet and of the lower 9 feet, and they are separated by 3 feet of sand rock. A sample of the earth was sent to the Proctor & Gamble Company, but it was rejected because it produced spontaneous com- bustion in the filter press.
Thomas County
The Alum BluflE formation covers all of Thomas County except narrow strips along the streams in the southern part, where the Chat- tahoochee limestone is exposed, but most of the area consists of the upper sandy beds of the formation and weathered residual materials.
A well on the property of the Flowers Ice Cream Company, a quarter of a mile east of Thomasville station, cut a bed of fullers earth, apparently of good quality, at a depth of about 100 feet. The
IT. 8. Geol. Survey Bull. 213. p. 393. 1903.
Fulleb8 Babih Deposits Of Tbs Coastal Plain 281
altitude of the station is 250 feet above sea level. A complete log of the well could not be obtained, but limestone, probably belonging to the Chattahoochee formation, was struck a short distance below the fullers earth,
Brooks County
The Alum BlufE is the surface formation over all of Brooks Coun except strips along the streams in the southern part, where the Chat- tahoochee limestone is exposed. As in Thomas County, the surface ii largely covered by weathered residual material, and exposures of the lower beds of the formation are poor. Some of the most interesting exposures are along Withlacoochee River, and will be described under Lowndes County.
At Bevila Hopper, 2 miles northeast of Barwlck, there ia a large irrpilar limesink, about 60 feet deep, in a flat piney woods area. The section has been described by Brantly.' The exposure of Alum Bluff beds, about 30 feet thick, shows irregularly bedded material, varying considerably in different gullies leading into the sink. It consists principally of slightly indurated, greenish, argillaceous sand, resembling the sand rock of Lester fullers earth mine. The hardest part is at the base, toward the top it becomes softer and mottled and contains lenses of greenish plastic pipe clay, non-plastic or slightly plastic clay of the fullers earth type, both lamlted and naassive, and yellow plastic clay. The fullers earth is of poor qoal- ity, small in quantity, and of no economic importance.
Lowndes County
The Alnm Bluff formation outcrops throughout the area of
' " narrow strip along Withlacoochee
mestone is exposed. The lower beds
ich carry the fullers earth deposits,
of Withlacoochee River.
282 Geological Subvet Of Georgia
Withlaooochee Riveb
(Map locdiity L-l)
SiHcified fullers earth is exposed in blufEs along Withlaeoochee River from the Atlantic Coast Line bridge near Oasley sonthward to Stony Lake and Knights Ferry. The following typical section was measured in a small gully in the east slope of the river, 150 yarch downstream from the wagon bridge on the Quitman- Valdosta public road.
Section on east slope of Withlaeoochee River near Quitman-Vdldosta
road
Pleistocene
6. Loose gray sand 10
( Unconformity ) Oligoeene Alum Bluff formation
5. Fullers earth breccia. The fragments are hard, flinty, silicified fullers earth, and some of the larger ones when broken show concentric, agate- like banding in shades of brown and green. The matrix is partly sandy, partly a clay with appar* ently about the same composition as the frag- mental material, but it becomes white and weathers more rapidly than tfi pebbles 2
( Unconformity! )
4. Indurated fullers earth, with nodules of very hard, cherty, silicified earth in a softer greenish ma- trix. The bed is partly calcareous, and contains rounded, nodular masses of argillaceous limestone 3
3. Hard, finegrained white limestone, containing nod- ules of gray chert 1
2. More or less indurated fullers earth, partly soft enough to be scratched with the finger nail. Color is bluish when fresh, weathered to greenish yellow at the surface 2
( Unconformity! ) Chattahoochee formation
1. Hard, white, fine-grained limestone at and below
water level f
The indurated earth from this locality is described by Veatch ai
Fvllebs Eabth Deposits Of Tbe Coastal Plain 283
Stephenson as follows: "Samples of siliclfied elays from Withla- coochee Itjver, 7 miles east of Quitman, were examined in the labora- tory. They vary from blnish to light greenish and dove color, are hard, brittle, and break with a conchoidal fracture ; the rock is dense and compact, and the cracks are filled with opaline silica. Some of tbe rocks are slightly phosphatic. There are phases which might be termed opalized clay conglomerates or breccias; originally this con- glomeratic rock consisted of fragments of clay, either pebbles of clay or angular fragments, in a matrix of very sandy, lighter colored clay or argillaceous aand, the matrix often containing oyster shells. By the infiltration of opaline silica, the rock has become dense, compact, and in places vitreous or glassy to such an extent that the sand grains are no longer recognizable. The clay is about three in the scale of hardness and it requires a strong blow with the hammer to break it. The lime of the oyster shells has been replaced by silica, and they are opalized and agatized."
The structure of the siliceous fillii of cavaties and figures is shown by the microphotographs (PI. XV, A and B) taken with crossed nichols.
The following is the analysis of a sample collected by- Otto Veatch from the exposure at Stony Lake, 5y2 miles southeast of Quitman. Except for the unusually high silica content the composition is much like that of other fullers earths from the same formation.
Analyais of silicified fullers earth from Stony Lake
Silica (SiO.) 83.40
Alumina (Al.O.) 7.45
Ferric oide (Fe,0,) 2.21
MagnesiB (MgO) 94
Lime (CaO) tr
Soda (Na.O> 16
PotaBb (K,0) 32
Ignition 4.84
284 GEOLOGICAL aUSVET OF OBOBOIA
This dlicified fnllera earth is not snitable for bleaching and hu no apparent uses, bnt it indicates the position of the fullers earth horizon, and nnindurated deposits may be found at the same lereL
OLD TBOtlFVnXI
(Map loeaUty L) There is an interesting exposure of the Alum Bluff beds near the site of Old Troupville, on Little River half a mile above the junction of that river with the Coochee to form the Withlaeoochee. The fol- lowing section is exposed a few hundred feet downstream from the wagon bridge.
Section on east side of Little River at Old TroupviUe
PlewtoeeDe
FMt
4. Co&rae, ahup white und 10
Oligocene Alum Bloff foniiatiDii
8. Hard, greenish sand; limeab>n& There ie wid to have been ftn old limekiln here, but the rock is
veiy impure 6
2. QTeeoiah nodular clay. This aeemt to be a slightly bcnzitio phase of the fullers earth. The nodules are soft, and they shrink and drop out of the ma- trix, as do those of the alightlir bauxitle kaolins of the Loirer Cretaeeons and Midway formationt. The matrix is sandy and harder than the nodules. . 1 1. Orenish aTgillaceous sandstone, above river level. ... 4
Echols County
Eehola, like the other counties along the Florida line, ia almost entirely within the terrane of the Alum Bliiff formation, bat the Chattahoochee limestone is exposed along Allapsha River north and south of Statenville. Moat of the county ia a plain covered by loose sand deposits, but Allapaha River has cut a narrow valley 50 feet or more in depth, and it is only in the valley slopes and that ex- posures of beds in place are seen.
ALLAPAHA aivxx
Under the bridge at Statenville and for about h
Fulleb8 Eaeth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 285
stream the basal bed of the Alum Bluff formation, a coarse, eross- beddedy argillaceous sandstone, extends down below water leveL (When the examination was made, in October, 1915, the river was at an unusually low stage.) Farther upstream the limestone of the Chat- tahoochee formation appears, at some places extending 6 or 8 feet above river level. For about 2 miles above Statenville the limestone is overlain unconformably by the Alum Bluff argillaceous sandstone. Farther north the latter bed changes to coarse yellow sand with laminae of yellowish clay of the character of fullers earth and this soon grades into blue, slightly calcareous fullers earth with only thin partings of sand. The fullers earth reaches a maximum of 8 feet, and maintains an average thickness of about 6 feet for a distance of half a mile, then it pinches out, being overlain and supplanted by greenish plastic clay. The section at the best exposure of fullers earth, about 2 miles upstream from the bridge, is as follows :
Section on east side of Allapaha River, 2 miles north of Statenville
Pleistocene
Feet
4. Loose gray sand 10
Oligoeene Alum Bloff formation
3. Pullers earth 8
2. Sand/ and pebbly clay, forming a basal conglom- erate and grading up into fullers earth, not over 0.5
( Unconformity ) Chattahoochee formation
1. Sandy limestone, top ranges from a few inches below
to a few inches above water level f
The earth of bed No. 3 is thick-bedded, almost massive, and free from grit. It is very slightly calcareous, dark blue when wet and drab when dry. It is soft and rather plastic, resembling certain phases of the Jackson fullers earth more than any other of the Alum Bluflf deposits. Sample S-192 represents an average from the best part of the exposure.
The bed maintains this thickness and quality for a distance of 200 or 300 yards. Toward the south it becomes thinner bedded and
286 OEOLOOICAL 8UBVET OF GEOBGf
harder, with an increasing quantity of sand, until it grades into th*- argillaceous sandstone. To the north the bed becomes thinner, and half a mile farther upstream the section is as follows :
Section on west side of Allapaha River 2Vi miles north of
State nviUe
Pleistocene
Feet
7. Loose gray sand S
Oligocene Alum Bluff formation
6. Laminated, greenish, plastic clay 2
5. Sandy fullers earthy 2
4. Conglomerate of coarse limestone pebbles 1
3. Interbedded argillaceous limestone and coarse argil- laceous sand 2
2. Coarse argillaceous sand 1
( Unconformity )
Chattahoochee formation
1. Sandy limestone, exposed above water level 2-3.5
Tests, — Tests of sample S-192 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests of commercial earths are stated for comparison. These tests indicate an earth which, although not exceptionally light, has great bleaching power and very high apparent acidity.
Bleeich
Yellow Bed
Oil used
Lb.
Pikes Peak . . .
Pikes Peak. . . .
Specific volume
Specific gravity
per cu. ft
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 287
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 *gm. earth
Xxl 19.6 C.C
Pikes Peak 163.0
S-192 214.
Appling And Toombs Counties
The topography of these counties is flat or gently rolling, and the surface is deeply mantled by residual gray sand of Alum Bluff or later age. The only natural exposures of importance are in the blufib along Altamaha River, which forms the boundary between the two counties.
Grays Landing Blufp
(Map locality A-1)
One of the best exposures is in the bluff at Orays Landing, on the north side of the river, 10 miles below the junction of Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers and a mile below Mann's Ferry.
Section at Grays Landing Bluff
Oligocene Alum Bluff formation
Feet
6. Greeniah gray feldBpathic sandstone or grit 8
5. Greenish argillaceous sand, upper part containing
more clay than the lower 15
4. Sand with laminae of fullers earth-like clay 5
3. Slightly indurated greenish sand 1
2. Fullers earth, containing much sand mterlaminated
and in irregular pockets 4
1. Laminated fullers earth, paJe greenish color when wet, dries white, contains only occasional pockets of sand. Exposed above water level 2
The section was measured at the west end of the bluff. Further east the grit bed. No. 6, reaches a thickness of 30 feet, and is locally so coarse as to be almost a conglomerate. It is overlain by mottled clayey sand formed by weathering, and the upland is capped by loose
J
28 Geological 8Vbvej Of Oe0B6Ia
gray sand. The greatest height of the bluff is between 60 and 70 feet.
The fullers earth of bed No. 1 is identical with that of Decatur Conntf, Georgia, and Gadsden Coonty, Florida, in appearance, and the following analysis of a sample collected by Otto Veatch showi that its composition is almost the same :
Analysis of fullers earth from Grays Landing
SiUo. (8iO,) 67.38
AlmniM ( AI,0,) 12.85
Ferric oiide (Fa,0,) 4.50
MagnMia (MgO) 8.75
lime (CaO) 1.68
Soda CNa.0) 11
Potarti (K.0) SA
Ignition 9£2
Titsniain dioxide (TiO,) 40
Moiatura B.42
When this exposure was visited the river was about 5 feet above its normal level, so the thickness of the bed of good earth could not be measured. There is almost no possibility of working the depofiit, since most of the earth is below water level. This exposore is of importance, however, in showing the great areal extent of the Alum Bluff fullers earth and indicates that deposits may occur in any of the counties south of Altamaha and Ocmulgee rivers.
The lithological similarity of the beds to those near the Florida line is further shown by the section at Red Bluff, on the south side of Altamaha Klver, just below Mann's Ferry. The section is as foU lows:
Section at Red Bluff Oligocene
Fullbb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 289
2. Silicified fullers earth breccia in a sandy matrix, exactly like the rock along Withlacoochee Biver in Brooks and Lowndes counties 0.5
1. Softy sandy fullers earth, exposed above water level 1
Fullers earth was also exposed a few inches above water level at Piney Bluff, about 5 miles downstream from Gray's Landing.
Screven County
Along Ogeechee River, about a mile south and west of Rocky Ford, there are exposures of coarse greenish sandstone or grit and greenish argillaceous sand lithologically very similar to the Alum Bluff beds of southwestern Georgia. The beds contain laminae and small lenses of clay similar to the fullers earth beds in appearance and properties. However, no fullers earth deposits large enough to have any possi- ble commercial importance are known in any of the counties north- east of Altamaha and Oconee rivers.
Fullers Earth Of The Wilcox And Claiborne
Formations
In the Wilcox and Claiborne formations in Randolph and Clay counties there are beds of clay which have been described as fullers earth. One sample for testing was taken from the clay of each for- mation, but they were found to have only slight bleaching power, so only brief descriptions are included.
Sample S-242 was collected from a 10-foot bed of fullers earth- like clay of the Wilcox formation exposed on the Upper Cuthbert- Lumpkin road, 5 miles north of Cuthbert, Randolph County. (Map locality R-1.)
Sample S-243 is from an average of 85 feet of clay of the undif- ferentiated Claiborne beds, exposed along the Lower River road, three quarters of a mile south of Fort Gaines, Clay County. (Map locality Q-l.)
Both of these clays are light-colored, laminated, and more plastic than most earth of good bleaching quality. Their density is high,
290 GEOLOGICAL SVSVST OF GSOEGl
and they evidently approach kaolin rather than fullers earth in com- position*
Teits—TeMtB of samples 8-242 and S-243 were made on earth ground in a coffee-mill to pass through a 100 mesh screen. Tests of commercial earths are stated for comparison.
Bleach
Yellow Bed
OU uaed 35 6.1
Ixl 25
Pikflf Peak 23 2.3
8-242 81 3.1
8-243 31 8.1
Specific volume
8peciile gravity Lb. per cu. Tt.
Xxl 1.05 66.0
Pikee Peak 61 36.2
8-242 1.00 62.6
8-243 1.01 6S.1
Apparent acidity
N
— alkali per 100 gm. earth
IXL 19.6 ex.
Pikes Peak 163.0
8 242 131.
S-243 50.
Physical And Chemical Characteristics
Physical Properties
The properties of fullers earths have been described to a certain extent in the sections on tests and descriptions of individual deposits. Certain desirable and undesirable properties and their causes are here briefly discussed. All statements here made, unless otherwise specified, refer only to Georgia fullers earths, as English and other fullers earths, some of which differ greatly from the Georgia earths in composition and properties, have not been studied.
Fullers Easts Deposits Of The Coastal Flain 291
BLEACHINa POWER
Theories as to bleaching power. — Porter, after a series of tests on fullers earths in their natural state and after treatment with various solvents, reached the following conclusions to explain their peculiar properties :
'1. Fullers earth has for its base a series of hydrous aluminum silicates.
'2. These silicates differ in chemical composition.
'3. They are, however, similar in that they all possess an amor- phous colloidal structure.
'4. The colloidal structure is of a rather persistent form and is not lost on drying at a temperature of 130° C, or possibly higher.
''5. These colloidal silicates possess the power of absorbing [adsorbing] and retaining organic coloring matter, thus bleaching oils and fats.
''I have used the word colloidal in this statement in its broadest sense — to cover the whole range of conditions expressed by the words colloid, pectoid, and hydrogel. It is my opinion that the word pectoid would most properly express the condition of the active con- stituents of fullers earth, but it is not impossible that these may go into partial solution in oil and thus become true colloids."
Dana' states that fullers earth has for its base the mineral smec- tite, and possibly also malthacite, inferring that he considered these minerals the cause of the bleaching power. Both these minerals have in the neighborhood of 30 per cent of combined water, and Porter* has shown that they can not be important constituents of American fullers earths, which, as may be seen from the analyses in this report, rarely contain as much as 10 per cent of combined water.
The presence of hydrous silica and extreme fineness of grain have also been considered as causes of the bleaching action, but Parsons
1 Porter, John T., Properties and tests of fullers earth: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 815. DP. 268-290. 1907.
Quoted by Ries In IT. 8. Oeol. Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept., pt. 8, p. 876, 1896. Op. dt. p. 277.
292 Oeolooical Subvet Of Gbohoi
showed that hydrous silica in itself has no bleaching power, ami various fine powders gave negative results.
The work of Porter, Parsons\ Cameron and Bell', and the kter investigations of Ashley* have shown that the bleaching action of ful- lers earth is due to the physical phenomenon of adsorption of ba&<; ions by the colloidal matter or gels of the earth.
Adsorption. — Adsorption is a phenomenon dependent on surface tension, that is, on the difference in density or concentration of a liquid in films adjacent to bounding mediums and the density or con- centration of the mass of liquid. Haskin defines it as follows:
''Suspeisoid particles attract ions of opposite electrical charge and hold them, so that when the colloid is precipitated the ions are carried down also. This holding is not chemical union, but condensa- tion of a substance at the surfaces of contact and is called adsorptioiL So also two colloids of opposite electrical charge will hold one another by adsorption and precipitate together.
''Adsorption can occur independently of electrical consideratia2i& In this case it is to be explained solely by the concentration of the adsorbable substance at the colloidal surfaces and the lowerix ot tie surface tension of the liquid about the colloidal particles.
''The use of animal charcoal to remove coloring matters and cer- tain other substances from solutions is a case of adsorption."
The application of adsorption to the fine mineral particles of clays has been treated by Ashley. He used the adsorption ot bril* liant green and malachite' green by various clays as a measure of their relative colloid content, and attempted to rank them in order of plas- ticity by the same means. However, the plasticity was found to he dependent on colloid content only for clays of common origin.* The oie sample of fullers earth tested, described as "Eimer and kmeud' was found to adsorb the dyes much more completely than any other
Parsons. C. L., Fullers earth and its application to the bleaehlns of oils: Joor. Am. Chem. Soc, p. 598, Nov. 1906, vol. 29 (1907).
Cameron. F. K. and Bell, J. M., Mineral constituents of the soil lOlutioD: Bureau of Soils Bull. 80, p. 42, 1906.
'Ashley, H. E., The colloid matter of clay and its measurement: U. 8. Gw- Survey Bull. 388, 1909.
Haskins, D., Organic chemistry, 2d ed. p. 71, 1914.
Op. dt. p. 46.
Fulleb8 Eabte Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 298
clay sample, and therefore may be concluded to have a much higher proportion of colloids. The relation of plasticity to colloid content in Gteorgia earths is discussed under the heading ''Plasticity." (See p. 297.)
Forms of coUoids, — Colloids exist in two characteristic forms (1) as a homogeneous suspension in a liquid, called a ''sol'' or "colloid;" and (2) as a continuous jelly with pore walls (and pores) filled with a liquid, called a "gel" or "*pectoid." The terms sol and gel are considered preferable to colloid and pectoid since the word colloid is used in a general sense and may be extended to include all amor- phous substances. Solids are included as a limiting case under gels. Colloids are classified as reyersible and irreversible, according to whether they will pass from sol to gel and back to sol, or whether, having passed into the gel form, they cannot be reconverted into the soL The process of passing from sol to gel is called coagulation; from gel to sol, peptinization. When granular matter also is pres- ent as is the case with clays, the terms flocculation and deflocculation are used. When coagulation is permanent and irreversible it is called setting.
In setting, a chemical change is usually produced in the mole- cule. Therefore, more than a physical change of conditions is re- quired to reverse it.
Charcoal is an example of a set gel free from solvent, therefore an amorphous solid. "It results from a very complete decomposi- tion of organic gels by heat, and its structure depends on theirs. Liquids are probably not absorbed into the substance of its pore walls, but dissolved substances (solutes) or suspended substances (sols) are readily attached to the surfaces of its pore walls (adsorption). All of the external and internal surfaces are wetted by the liquid."
The action of fuUers earth. — The action of fullers earth in bleach- ing oils is very similar to the adsorption of colors, gases, etc, by char- coal. The colloid matter of the earth is in finely divided and porous condition, presenting an enormous amount of surface, but, if not a
'AlMtracted from Ashley, op. elt. pp. 14-16.
Ji
294 Oeoloqical Sukvet Of Oeobgia
completely set gel or amorphous solid mineral, it is in such a condi- tion that it is not readily deflocculated or peptinized in water or oil solutions.
The colloid matter of fullers earth has the power of adsorbing basis ions, that is, ions carrying a negative charge, or anions. It therefore affects basic dyes, in which the color is due to. the negative ion. Crude cotton oil is not bleached, but fullers earth exerts its bleaching power only after the oil has been refined by treatment with an alkali, which process converts the coloring matter into sodium or potassium salts of the basic dyes. But not enough work has been done along this line to state to what extent the bleaching action depends on electrical charges, and to what extent it is independent of such considerations, and corresponds to the adsorption of gas molecules by charcoal or platinum black. Also, no clear explanation seems available for the fact that fullers earth, which acts as a negative sol in water solution should adsorb ions of like charge rather than those of opposite charge.
While the power to bleach evidently depends on the presence of colloidal clay substance, the efficiency of the bleach, in the absence of soluble salts and coarse mineral grains, which act merely as di- luents, shows a very direct dependence on the porosity of the earth, which in turn may be measured by the specific volume. Thus the following tests show that Georgia sedimentary kaolins, having density and porosity about equal to the English fullers ekrth, have equally good bleaching power, and apparently the only factor which should prevent the substitution of kaolin for the English earth is that its physical constitution is such that it forms a sticky mass with oil, and would therefore not work well in the filter press. Sample S-97 is a slightly indurated and apparently very slightly bauxitic kaolin from the W. A. Hall property, Baldwin County. It is very fine grained and smooth in texture, the only evidence of bauxitization be- ing scattered soft nodules, which have almost the same composition and character as the matrix. Sample S-108 is a slightly carbonaceous kaolin from the pit of the (Jeorgia Vitrified Brick and Clay Company,
Fullsb8 Baste Deposits Of The Coastal Plain
at Campania. It is bluish in color when fresh, but bums almost white, and is a little lighter and more porous than the average kaolin, although it does not approach the Georgia fullers earth in these re- spects. Besides these tests, a bleaching test on a sample of bauxite from the Midway formation in Sumter County is stated. The baux- ite is denser than the average kaolin, but it contains a considerable proportion of silica combined as kaolin. This test shows that while bauxite has some bleaching power, aluminum hydrate in that form is not a very efficient bleaching agent, so no further tests on it were made.
Bleaching Tests
Sample used
Original bleach
After two weeks in light
After two weeks in dark
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Yellow
Bed
Oil used
TXIi Fullers earth
S-97 (Kaolin)
through 100 mesh. . . . 8-108 (Kaolin)
through 100 mesh. . . . Bauxite
through 100 mesh. . . .
Specific volume
Spedfie gravity Lb. per cu. ft.
I2L earth 1.05 66.0
8-97 .94 68.6
8-108 84 52.6
Fullers earth, as shown by Ashley's work, has the power of ad- sorbing basic dyes and bleaching water as well as oil solutions, but the adsorptive power yaries with the solvent. Thus, the coloring matter
1 U. S. Geol. Survey BulL 888. 1909.
296 Geological 8Ubvey Of Georgia
adsorbed from oil by fullers earth can be redissolved by alcohol after the excess of oil is removed by ether or gasoline. In judging the commercial value of a fullers earth, until much more work has been done in determining the physical chemistry of the bleaching process, not too much dependence should be placed on bleaching tests made with any other dye and solvent than those with which the earth is to be used.
APTERrBLEACH AND REVERSION OF COLOR
The bleaching action of light on oils after treatment with fullers earth and the reversion of color when kept in the dark are subjects which have been little studied. Parsons makes the statement:
question of color reversion is deemed important by certain refiners and these claim that with certain American earths the color tends to come back to cotton seed oil in the treatment after bleach- ing. This is a quality inherent in the earth, and if extensive would be fatal to its use."
The fact that the bleach by light varies after the use of different earths has been frequently noted. The tests made by the writer in- dicate that the presence of soluble salts (principally aluminum and iron sulphates) and of calcium carbonate makes the bleach by light less efficient, but in the absence of these substances the order of the after-bleach is about the same, whether the original bleach was good or bad. With nine samples bleached by earths containing appreciable amounts of soluble salts, exposure to light for two weeks effected a further lightening of the color averaging 6 Lovibond units of yellow and 0.2 unit of red. With six samples bleached by earths containing determinable carbon dioxide, the average after-bleach amounted to 6.5 units yellow and only 0.16 unit red. But with 21 samples bleached by earths carrying neither lime nor alum, the average after-bleach was 8 units yellow and 0.31 unit red.
There is also more apparent tendency for the color of the oil to revert after bleaching with earths containing soluble salts. Thus
*Jour. Am. Chem. Soc, vol. 29, p. 604, 1907.
FULLESa EARTH DEPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN 297
in the case of oil bleached with the Pikes Peak commercial earth pro- duced in 1914, the red tint was higher after standing two weeks in the light and two weeks in the dark than when first bleached. (In justice to the Company, it should be stated that the earth containing soluble salts is no longer worked.)
Plasticity
Fullers earth is generally described as non-plastic, but Porter states that samples tested by him were most decidedly plastic. Ac- cording to F. F. Grout V definition that "Plasticity may be consid- ered as involving two variable factors: (1) amount of possible flow before rupture; (2) resistance to flow or deformation," which cor- responds to the usual conception of plasticity, Georgia fullers earth is very slightly plastic. A fragment of the wet earth as taken from a mine or natural exposure is not deformed, but shattered, by a blow of the hammer, and its resistance to deformation is such that pebbles of the earth are often rolled for considerable distances by streams before being worn away or broken up. A great deal of the earth is hard enough to be described as ''shale." However, after drying, grinding, and mixing with water, fullers earth, like many shales, de- velops plasticity, and some samples become very sticky. Evidently Porter made his tests with dried and ground material.
The work of Ashley* has shown that while the plasticity of clay depends on the presence of colloid gels, the quantity of colloid hav- ing adsorptive power has no bearing on the relative plasticity, excep- ting for groups of clays of similar origin and which have undergone similar metamorphic changes. Indeed, there is no reason why plas- ticity should depend on the proportion of adsorbent colloids, because gels may vary in consistency from gelatinous pastes to the completely set form found in charcoal, which has high adsorbent power, but is not at all plastic.
The gels in fullers earth are evidently set to a greater degree
s U. 8. Gaol. Survey BulL S15, pp. 27S and 284. 1907.
Quoted by Porter, op. cit, p. 8.
u. S. QeoL Survey Bull. 388, 1909.
298 Geological 8Vbvey Of Georgia
than those of ordinarily plastic. clays or kaolins. They can be de- flocculated to a certain extent by fine grinding, and especially by the presence of a minute amount of alkali. Another evident cause of the lack of plasticity of fullers earth is the fact that it contains some, and usually a large amount of hydrous or opaline silica, which prob- ably forms a sponge-like skeleton structure, supporting the grains of softer colloids.
The only conclusions which can be stated as to the effect of plas- ticity on fullers earth are : (1) plasticity in itself has no evident effect on bleaching power but (2) if a clay is very plastic the porous struc- ture will be broken down and less bleaching surface presented to the oil and (3) a plastic clay causes slow filtration, although it may not retain a large percentage of oil.
Hardness
Hardness may be considered a desirable property of fullers earth. If the earth is hard the particles are not crushed so much in agita- tion and filter pressing, therefore filtration is easier and more rapid. Hardness is especially desirable for use with mineral oils, as the earth must keep its coarsely granular form in the large percolators used, and the harder the earth the less is lost as dust during revivify- ing by heating.
The hardness of the earth seems to be due to cementation of the softer clay particles by water-deposited silica. It is advantageous up to the point where the deposition of silica has been so great that it starts to fill up the pores.
Porosity And Density
As previously mentioned, the bleaching power of fullers earth depends directly on the porosity. The pore space in Georgia earths in many cases exceeds 50 per cent of the volume, as shown by the determinations of specific volume. The same is indicated by exami- nation of thin sections, which show visible pores of various sizes and
Porter, J. T.. U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 316. pp. 278 and 287, 1907.
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 299
shapes, besides which there must be a large aggregate volume of sub- microscopic pore space.
It is probably the case that bleaching efficiency is directly depend- ent on the surface presented to the oil, the mineral composition and proportion of adsorbent colloids being approximately the same in all earths. The total porosity, however, is only a rough measure of the active surface, since a fine grained and finely porous earth may pre- sent a much greater surface than one of the same density which is coarse grained and coarsely porous. With some of the best bleach- ing earths, such as S-102 and S-131 (see pp. 250 and 276), in addition to being very light, the extreme fineness of grain is apparent to the naked eye. On the other hand, some of the Barnwell earths formed near the northern margin of the area of deposition are much heavier and the mineral grains are obviously coarser. This may explain why the fine grained kaolin from the W. A. Hall property, S-97 (see p. 232) has stronger bleaching power than the coarse grained fullers earth, S-99, from the same locality, although both have approxi- mately the same density and total volume of pores.
The efficiency of the IXL English earth may be explained by the fact that, in spite of its high density, it is extremely fine grained and finely porous, thus presenting more bleaching surface than an ordi- nary clay of the same density.
Porosity is a desirable property in that it increases the bleaching power, but undesirable in that it increases the oil absorption, and for bleaching any particular oil a balance of these properties leading to good quality with the greatest possible economy is to be sought.
Absorption Op Oil
The absorption of oil, as well as the bleaching power is a direct fimction of the porosity. The oil fills the sub-microscopic pores and coats the walls of the larger openings, where it is held so firmly by surface tension that it is not removable by any ordinary process of suction, blowing or pressing.
The absorption is a quality inherent in the earth. It does not
800 Oeolooical Subvet Of Osoboia
depend to any considerable extent upon the coarseness of the par* tides nor npon the method of grinding, although these factors maj ' have a great effect upon the ease of filtration. The absorbed oil ii held principally within the pores of the fullers earth fragments, and not to any great extent on the exterior surfaces or between the frag- ments, and the grain and porosity of the earth is so fine that by ik finest practicable methods of grinding the particles are still sponge like masses with interior pore surfaces greatly exceeding the exterior surface. From the nature of the phenomenon, it seems impossible that any treatment of an earth could decrease its absorption, because anything which would close up the pores would also destroy tk bleaching power, while to press out the oil would require a pressQi sufficient to break down the structure of the earth and to close e?Gi the sum-microscopic pores.
Some interesting facts concerning the absorption of mineral oili are shown by the work of Gilpin and Oram and Gilpin and Bransky*. Mixtures of oil and fullers earth in the ratio of one cubic centimeter of oil to one gram of earth were made, and the oil was displaced from the earth by the addition of water. The quantity of oil retained in the earth was about one-third of the oil used. A pressure of 200 tons per square inch extracted very little oil from the earth after the water treatment. Heating to 165 caused more oil to distil out, and another portion was extracted by ether. But pressure, heat, and ex- traction with ether together yielded only about half the amount of oil which the earth contained. In the later work the amounts of oil re- tained by the earth after displacement with water varied from 40 to 55 per cent of the amounts supplied, depending on the specific grav- ity and chemical composition of the oil. The earth used in these tests was supplied by the Atlantic Refining Company, of Pbikdel phia, and was evidently an earth from the Alum Bluff formation of south Georgia or Florida.
Oilpin, J. E. and Cram, M. P., The fractionation of crude petroleum bj capillary diffuaion: IT. S. Oeol. Survey Bull. 365. 1908. .
Oilpin. J. E. and Bransky. O. E., The diffusion of crude petroleum throtigo fullers earth: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 476. 1911.
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 301
Spontaneous Combustion
A cause for the rejection of some American fullers earths has been that they caused spontaneous combustion when the filter presses vrere blown out with air, thus causing delays and ruining the filter cloths. So far as could be learned from statements in the literature and conversation with producers, this applies only to the earth of the Alum Bluff formation. With the Barnwell earths from central Oeorgia there is said to be no danger when handled by experienced men.
The Alum Bluff eafth is very fine grained and very porous, there- fore a film of oil is spread over an enormous surface. When air is blown through or over any oxidizable oil there is naturally some rise in temperature, and when the oil is spread in a thin film over so large a surface the heat may reach the point of combustion. The action may be compared with the ignition of a jet of hydrogen by a platinum sponge. With earths of slightly coarser grain or less porosity the danger is greatly decreased.
Apparent Acidity
When a quantity of neutral fullers earth entirely free from any acid or soluble salts, is suspended in water the mixture has an acid reaction toward phenolphthalein and other indicators, and a consid- erable amount of alkali must be added to affect apparent neutraliza- tion. This is a property of almost all clays and soils as well as of fullers earth, but fullers earth samples show especially high apparent acidity.
The phenomenon is evidently due to the adsorption of hydroxyl ions by the colloidal clay substance, leaving an excess of hydrogen ions in solution, then alkali sufficient to make up the deficit of hydroxyl ions must be added before neutrality is shown by the phe- nolphthalein, which is the indicator generally used.
The relation between apparent acidity and bleaching power is not very definite, but it may be noted that the earth with highest bleach- ing power, that from Phinizy Gully, Columbia County, had higher apparent acidity than any other earth sample free from soluble salts.
J
302 Geological Survey Of Qeoboia
The quantity of tenth normal potassium hydroxide solution required to neutralize 100 grams of this earth was 177.9 cubic centimeters. The quantity of alkali required by other earths varied from this maximum value down to zero. Some of the earths containing considerable amounts of calcium carbonate gave neutral reactions, although their bleaching power was fairly strong, and in one case an earth of good bleaching power gave an alkaline reaction, on account of the pres- ence of a trace of soluble phosphate.
English fullers earth and the kaolins tested require about 20 cubic centimeters of alkali for 100 grams of earth. Most of the Barnwell earths, unless calcareous, require much larger quantities. The Alum Bluff earths, although they are very porous and bleach well, take only small quantities of alkali, but most of them contain some calcium carbonate and a considerable percentage of phosphorus, a trace of which in the form of soluble phosphates has a tendency to neutralize the apparent acidity or even to give an alkaline re- action.
Closely allied to the iparent acidity of fullers earth is the prop- erty of adsorbing bawc analine dyes from water solution. This prop- erty has. been investigated by Ashley. It leads to the use of earth saturated with dyes in the production of pigments known as lakes."
Fractionation Op Petroleum
When crude petroleum is allowed to diffuse upward through tubes filled with fullers earth the lighter constituents rise more rapidly than the more viscous oils, and the oil displaced from the earth contained in different parts of the tube varies greatly in properties. A similar fractionation may be effected by mixing crude oil and fullers earth, then displacing the oil by successive small additions of water. These phenomena have been investigated by Day, Gilpin, Cram, and Bran- sky.*
U. 8. OeoL Survey Bull. 388, 1909.
Gilpin, J. E. and Cram, M. P., under supervision of Day, D. T., The frac- tionation of crude petroleum by capillary diffusion: U. S. QeoL Survey Bull. 365,
Gilpin, J. E. and Bransky, O. E., The diffusion of crude petroleum through fullers earth, with notes on its geologic significance: U. S. OeoL Survey Bull. 476, 1911.
Fulleb8 Earth Deposits Of Pthe Coastal Plain 803
The fractionation is independent of any properties of the fullers earth except its porosity, and is explained as follows: ''The frac- tionation is effected entirely by capillarity; oils with different surface
tensions rise with different velocitiefi through the capillary openings, such as the fine interstices and minute pores of the fullers earth.
''Any medium, therefore, sufficiently fine grained and porous to afford capillary spaces, causes a separation of the constituents of any mixture, provided they possess different surface tensions."
Microscopic Structure
A few thin sections of various types of earth were examined and notes on the slides are given below.
Specimen 8-2, — Light-colored fullers earth from the mine of the General Reduction Company, Twiggs County.
The pore space visible under the microscope amounts to almost 50 per cent of the area of the slide. The pores are of all shapes and sizes. Many are irregular or elongated, seeming to represent the space left by the solution of minute shells or fragments of shells. A number of the pores are perfectly circular in section and 0.2 mm. or less in diameter. The structure is shown by the photograph (PL X, D).
The clay substance is not resolvable into distinct mineral grains by a magnification of 375 diameters, but it consists principally of crystalline material, and shows a distinct aggregate polarization with the slow ray parallel to the bedding planes. The index of refraction is a little higher than that of balsam. Probably much of the "ground mass" consists of cryptocrysalline quartz, deposited with the long axes of the crystals parallel to the bedding.
Quartz occurs in angular or subangular grains, of which the max- imum dimension is only 0.065 mm., showing the extreme fineness of the sediment when deposited. Zircon grains up to 0.09 mm. were noted. The slide shows a number of granules of green glauconite, up to 0.05 mm. in diameter, made up of interwoven crystalline laminae.
>U. S. GeoL Survey Bull. 476. pp. 8-9, 1911.
304 Geological 8Ubfet Of Georgia
FlakeB of white mica are present in the mass of the eartti, bat are much larger and more abundant along partings, where flakes 1 mm. in diameter are seen. The small optic angle of the mineral shows it to be hydro-mica or damourite.
One small grain of orthorhombic pyroxene, probably hyperethene, was noted.
Specimen S-3. — Dark-colored fullers earth from the mine of the General Reduction Company, Twiggs County.
The structure and mineral composition as shown in the section are the same as S-2, but in addition the earth contains abundant brown to black carbonaceous matter in disseminated grains and nu- merous small opaque crystals of pyrite, mostly less than 0.01 mm. in diameter. This section also shows aggregate polarization, and it seems to contain more glauconite than S-2.
Specimen 8-124. — Fullers earth from the Jamieson mine of the Floridin Company, Oadsden County, Florida.
This is a typical specimen of the Alum Bluff fullers earth. It is decidedly finer in grain than the Pikes Peak earth, and the clay substance is so fine and uniform that it appears almost transparent and glassy under high power by transmitted light. With crossed nichols it is seen to have almost entirely crystalline structure, and shows strong aggregate polarization with the slow ray parallel to the bedding planes. The only determinable mineral present in quan- tity is quartz, which occurs in small angular grains, with m ftTiTT Hini dimensions very rarely exceeding 0.2 mm.
The porosity of the specimen is less apparent under the micro- scope than in the Pikes Peak earths. The section examined was rather thick and the pores must be largely less than the thickness of the section, if not sub-microscopic in size.
Specimen S-133. — Silicified fullers earth from "Withlacoochee River below Atlantic Coast Line bridge, boundary of Brooks and Lowndes counties.
This is a silicified sandy fullers earth of the Alum Bluff formation, similar to that described megascopically on p. 283. The microscope
Usite Of Tee Coastal Plain Of Georgia Plate Xv
I Diameters.
SEC. 8-133. SPHERULITIC SILICA ICHALCKDONITE OR PSEUDOCHALCEDONITE) FILLING A CAVITY IN INDURATED FULLERS EARTH. CROSSED NICHOLS. MAGNIFIED 37 DIAMETERS.
I THEWEiryoi?
Pubucuirart
Fulleb8 Eabth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain . 305
shows that it consists of quartz grains, angular to well rounded, with maximum dimensions up to 0.5 mm., in a cryptocrystalline matrix showing aggregate polarization. A pear-shaped cavity, 1.2 by 2.7 mm., is filled by spherulitic silica of the structure shown by the photograph (PI. XV, B), and similar silica fills fractures in the mass. (See PI. XY, A.) Although the silica in cavities and fractures has been de- scribed as opaline, no amorphous opal is seen in the sections. The fibers of the spherulitic mineral have negative elongation, and are therefore chalcedonite or pseudochalcedonite. The aggregate polar- ization of the ground mass would indicate that all of the silica exists in crystalline form.
Specimen 8-154. — Indurated fullers earth from Mount Enon, Bichmond County. This specimen is typical of the indurated fullers earth which is abundant in the Barnwell formation from Washington County northeastward to Savanna Siver ,
The material is porous, but much leiss so l;han S-2. Its granular structure is much coarser than that of the bleaching earths, and, although grains of crystalline minerals are abundant, there is no ag- gregate polarization. The slide shows cell-like and fibrous structures which are evidently of organic origin.
Angular and subangular quartz grains are abundant. Most of the grains are very small, but a few are over 1 mm. The cementing material in this earth is very probably amorphous silica.
Specimen 8-163, — Light colored fuUers earth from Dinah Hines property. Wrens, Jefferson County.
This earth is very fine grained and finely porous, and consists al- most entirely of amorphous clay substance The only determinable particles of crystalline minerals are quartz grains, which rarely exceed 0.01 mm. in diameter. There is no aggregate polarization.
Specimen 3-184. — Calcareous fuUers earth from Rich Hill, Craw- ford County.
The earth consists of a mass of amorphous clay substance with only a few very small grains of quartz and mica, but calcite is very abundant in small irregular grains less than 0.02 mm. in maximum
Obolooical 8Ubvbt Of Oboboia
dimensions. A few glauconite granules were noted. The porosity visible under the microscope is small, as is to be expected, since iht section was cut from the harder, denser, and more calcareous eartii near the base of the bed. It shows no aggregate polarization, and the induration seems to be due to cementation by calcite rather than silica.
Chemical And Mineralogical Composition
It has frequently been stated that the chemical composition is no criterion for judging the value of a fullers earth for bleaching and such wks found to be the case with the samples examined in prepara- tion of this report. In fact, the fullers earths show no decided pecu- liarities in chemical composition, and the analyses of good bleaching earths may be duplicated among alluvial and residual clays of no value for bleaching purposes.
Below are assembled the analyses of commercial earths tested, with analyses of average clays and shales for comparison.
Analyses of fullers earth, clay and shale
Cons'ts
8*2
Sio,
Mm
dd.6S
7iM
7&M
U.id
FeO
MgO
CaO
Na,0
Jz7
K,0
Ignition a
00,
TiO,
Pa
MnO
Moisture .
Fullsb8 Sabte Deposits Of Thb Coastal Plain
Constituents
A
B
D
SiO.
.13 ,
tr
Alo,
Pe,0.
FeO
MffO
CaO
Na,0
K,0
Ignition a
COi
TiO,
B
p,o,
MnO
tr
a Loss on ignition, less COt when present.
h MnO,
80,
IXL — English fnllerB earth from Pieard and Law laboratories.
8-1 ]
8-2 . General Beduction Company, Pikes Peak brand fullers earth.
?' i Floridin fullers earth, Jamieson mine. 8-125J
8-127— Lester Claj Co. f uUers earth.
A — Composite of 51 samples of marine ''red clay.'' G. Steiger, analyst. Clarke, F. W., The data of geochemistry: U. 8. Qeol. Burrey Bull. 491, p. 490,
B — Composite of 52 marine "terrigenous clays'' namely, 4 ''green muds" and 48 "blue muds,'' G. 8teiger, analyst. Clarke, op. cit., p. 490.
C — Composite of 51 Paleozoic shales, by H. N. Stokes. Clarke, op. cit., p. 522.
— Composite of 27 Mesozoic and Cenozoic shales, by H. N. Stokes. Clarke, op. cit., p. 522.
It may be noted that the sample of English earth used for com- parison in the tests is very similar to the (Georgia earths in chemical composition, although many of the analyses of English earths cited in the literature contain much less silica and much more combined
308 Geological 8Ubvey Of Oeoboia
water. The IXL earth differs from the average of the Georgia com- mercial earths only in that it contains a little more ferric iron, mag. nesium, calcium, and carbon dioxide. As a whole, the fullers earths differ from the average marine days in their higher content of silica and lower content of all of the bases, especially soda and potash. However, their composition is in no way abnormal, as compared with other marine or even terrestrial clays. They differ from the average shales in the same respects as from the clays, and also in containing more combined water.
The one distinguishing chemical characteristic of the commercial fullers earth is that, aside from any sand grains which may be pres- ent, the ratio of silica to alumina is much higher than in days of the kaolin type. The silica in excess of the kaolin ratio may be com- bined with alumina, or it may be free and in an amorphous or crypto- crystalline state. The tests, however, do not indicate that the excess of silica has any direct effect on the bleaching power, but it serves to preserve the physical texture of the earth, while clays with a larger proportion of alumina are too plastic and the grains have not enough firmness to filter well. Sloan has noted this, and says:
''It is observed that where the alumina exceeds one-fifth of the amount of silica present the critical point is approximated beyond which an increase in the densely bedding aluminous material preju- dices filtration. The silica therefore serves to maintain the required porosity."
Attempts have been made to compute the mineral composition of fullers earth from analyses, but such computations show little of practical importance. In short, fullers earth, like soils and other sedimentary clays> is likely to contain any of the common rock-form- ing minerals, besides any or all of the series of hydrous aluminum silicates or clay minerals. A complete list of these minerals has been published by Porter,* and need not be repeated here. The minerals of the clay series most likely to be present are those with a higher
Sloan, Earle. Preliminary report on the clays of South Carolina, p. 69, 1904. Porter, J. T., properties and tests of fullers earth: U. S. Oeol. Survey Bull. 31S. pp. 269, 270, 1907.
Fullebs Baste Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 309
SiO,: AI2O3 ratio than kaolin (AlsO8.2SiOs.2H2O) ;. namely, smectite (AljOa.7SiO,.12H,0), malthacite (Al,08.7SiO,.16H,0), razoumoflBs- skine (Al,0g.4Si0a.7H,0), montmorillonite (Al,Oa.3Sio,.3H,0), pyro- phyUite (AlASiO.HO), and chnolite (2Al,0,.9SiO,.6H,0). It is probable that much of the amorphous or colloidal clay substance of the earth consists of hydrated oxides of silica and alumina combined without any definite molecular ratio.
The minerals known to affect the bleaching power of the earth unfavorably are soluble salts and the sulphides, pyrite and marcasite, which by oxidation during drying lead to the production of free acid and sulphates. Calcium carbonate is also objectionable if more than a small percentage is present.
Genesis Of Deposits
Porter and others present arguments favoring an origin of ful- lers earth from basic rocks, of which augites and hornblendes are the prominent minerals, rather than from acidic or feldspathic rocks. In the case of the Georgia earths, however, the source of material was exactly the same as for the formation of the Lower Cretaceous kaolin deposits, and the causes of the peculiarities in composition and tex- ture of the earths must be sought in depositional conditions and sub- sequent metamorphic changes.
The material for the kaolins was eroded from the surface of the Piedmont area after conditions of base-leveling had permitted the accumulation of a deep mantle of thoroughly weathered residual ma- terial, and the clays were deposited in fresh water lagoons (see pp. 111-113 of this report) . In the later Eocene time, when the deposition of the fullers earth beds commenced, the residual mantle of the Pied- mont had been swept away, fresher rocks were exposed to erosional activity, and deposition took place under shallow water marine condi- tions, along the shore line or in bays.
The nature of the Barnwell and Alum Bluff deposits depends on the kind and quantity of detrital material supplied. When and
U. 8. Gtool. Survey Bull. 316. p. 268, 1907.
810 Geological Susvet Of Geobgia
where the supply was abundant and coarse the extensive beds of lan- conitic sands and feldspathic grits were laid down; finer sediments led to the formation of fullers earth and other clays; and in the ab- sence of much clastic material organic depositional factors predomi- nated, and beds of limestone or marl were formed.
As the fullers earths are clays of normal composition, deposited under ordinary marine conditions, a discussion of the genesis of the deposits requires only an explanation of the cause of the porous tex- ture.
From the field relations, it is at once apparent that most of the Georgia fullers earth was deposited as a calcareous clay. The leach- ing out of the calcium carbonate left a large volume of openings, while the silica originally present, together with that deposited from solution, formed a framework strong enough to hold the pores open. The abundant joints and sandy partings in the beds of earth provided channels for the circulation of solutions.
At many localities near the southern or off-shore limit of the area of fullers earth deposition the alteration of the very calcareous clay or argillaceous limestone to a light, porous, non-calcareous clay may be observed. Farther north, where the clay was originally less cal- careous, the alteration extends to greater depths. Along the northern margin, where the original sediments of the fullers earth horizon were coarse grained and very slightly, if at all, calcareous, the re- sultant earth is dense and compact and has little bleaching power. In the deposits of Alum Bluff age it has been noted at several local- ities that the fullers earth beds become calcareous where the over- burden exceeds about 15 feet.
Although the production of porous earths from calcareous clays at some localities is a recent phenomenon which is still going on, at other localities the leaching out of lime appears to have been nearly contemporaneous with the deposition of the clay. Thus at Pikes Peak and near Qrovetown the earth which has been affected by recent weathering is light colored, while that below the zone of oxidation is dark, containing organic matter and pyrite, but no calcium carbonate.
Fullers Earth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 311
However, the dark earth contains determinable casts of mdluscs, showing that calcareous material was present during deposition, and besides the whole shells there must have been a much larger amount of fragmental shell material. The water must have had the power to dissolve this lime almost immediately, but the siliceous matter present preserved a certain degree of porosity. The recent weathering has increased the porosity of such earths by the removal of organic mat- ter, pyrite, and the material dissolved by acids generated by oxida- tion of the pyrite.
The production of fullers earth by weathering of the ferro-mag- nesian silicates, as noted in the Arkansas deposits, may depend on a somewhat similar condition. In the alteration of the basic minerals a considerable amount of calcite is produced, which later is leached out, leaving a porous clay, but in weathering of feldspathic rocks lit- tle or no calcite is formed.
Methods
Mining. — All fullers earth in Georgia is worked by pits or open cuts. The overburden is best moved by steam shovels or steam drags, and in some cases the earth also may be mined with steam shovels. Water is a cause of difficulty in minini, and even well drained mines are not usually workable for a day or more after a heavy rain. The earth is carried to the drying and grinding plants in tram cars moved by gravity or by steam locomotives.
Preparation, — The methods of preparation have been discussed under the descriptions of plants. In brief, earth for bleaching veg- etable oils is dried at a temperature which will not drive off any of the combined water, while that for use on mineral oils may be dried at a somewhat higher temperature, but the temperature must not in any case rise above the fusing point of any of the minerals of the earth.
The grinding machinery employed should be such as will break
Mlfler, H. D., Developed deposits of fullers earth In Arkansas: U. S. Qeol. Survey Bull. 630, pp. 208-216. 1911.
312 Geological 8Vbvet Of Qeobgia
down the particles of earth to the required fineness, but will produce a miniimiTn of extremely fine dust. Abbi mills have been found most satisfactory for grinding earth which is to be graded by bolting, but in case only one fine grade of earth is desired roller mills are used, and the ground earth is carried up from the mill by a current of air. Tube and baU mills are not satisfactory, on account of the lightnea of the material and the large amount of fine dust produced.
Bolting machines similar to those used in flour mills are employed for grading the granular earth. From the bolters or air separators the earth passes to storage bins, and is weighed and sacked before shipment.
Uses
The original use of fullers earth, that of removing grease from woolen cloth in fulling, is now of little importance, as other effective methods of freeing the cloth from grease have been found. At pres- ent the greater part of the earth produced is used in refining petro- leum. Second in importance is the use in bleaching animal and vegetable oils, fats and greases. Minor uses are in the manufacture of pigments for wall paper, for detecting artificial coloring in food products, as a substitute for talcum powder, and in medicine as a poultice and as an antidote for alkaloid poisons.'
Petroleum refining*. — The fullers earth of the grade chosen is placed in a cylindrical percolator, some 15 feet in height, and hold- ing 18 to 25 tons to a charge. Te oil is forced through under pressure. When crude, dark-colored oil is introduced into the cyl- inders the first portion to pass through is water-white and of much lower viscosity and specific gravity than the original oil. As perco- lation continues the depth of color, viscosity, and specific gravity progressively increase, until finally the oil passes through the perco- lator unchanged. The quantity of oil decolorized by a charge of ful-
Bur. Mines BuIL 71, p. 19, 1918.
*FantuB, Bernard, Fullers earth; Its adsorptlve power, and its antidotal value for alkaloids: Jour. Am. Med. Assoc. yoL 64, pp. 1888-1846, May 29, 1916. 'Abstracted from Bur. Mines Bull. 71, pp. 26-89, 1918.
Fulleb8 Eaete Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 813
lers earth varies with the quality of the oil and the degree of bleach desired. The TnaximnTn quantity exceeds 700 barrels to 25 tons of earth, while the TniniTnum is less than 150 barrels to the same charge.
Fullers earth is used for various purposes, such as removing the floc" which causes turbidity of kerosene on cooling, and for decolor- izing such products as vaseline, para£Sn, petrolatum, and spindle and lubricating oils. The grades of earth most used are 15 to 30, 30 to 60, and 60 to 80 mesh. The grade of earth used, and filtering cold or preliminary heating of the oil depends on the viscosity of the oil to be treated and the character of the product desired.
When the earth becomes useless for further decolorization the percolator is blown out with air and the residue washed with naphtha to remove as much as possible of the adhering oil, then the percola- tor is blown out with steam to remove the naphtha. The naphtha is recovered by distillation and the dissolved oil is re-treated.
The spent fullers earth from the percolator is revivified by ignit- ing at a low red heat in a rotary kiln, after which it is ready for use in the percolator again. Ordinarily the earth is used 10 to 16 times, gradually losing its decolorizing power. The heating seems to have no effect on the bleaching power of the earth, so long as the point of incipient fusion is not reached.
With the earths commonly used in refining mineral oils about 3 per cent of the material treated is lost as dust during each ignition in the rotary kilns. With the softer varieties of earth the loss would be greater, so such earths would evidently be less satisfactory.
Bleaching of cotton oil. — After the refining of petroleum prod- ucts, the next most important use of fullers earth is in the bleach- ing of cotton oil. The following is the method employed :
The crude oil is refined by saponifying out the fatty acids with sodium hydroxide. It is found that in addition to the alkali required for neutralization of the free fatty acids, a considerable excess must be added to change the coloring matter of the oil into the form of basic salts which can be acted upon by fullers earth.
The refined oil is pumped to the bleaching vat, and heated to
814 Geological 8Ubvey Of Geosgia
about the boiling point of water, temperatures varying from 180 to 220° F. being used. Oil to be bleached with Georgia earth is not heated to so high a temperature as when English earth is to be used, on account of the danger of spontaneous combustion with the former. The required quantity of fullers earth is added and agitated with the oil for 10 minutes. The proportion of earth used varies from 1% to 6 per cent of the weight of the oil, depending on the effective- ness x)f the particular earth used, the bleachability of the oil, and the lightness of the product desired. One Atlanta refinery uses 3 per cent of Pikes Peak earth, which seems to be about the average amount, but Parsons states that at one plant as much as 10 per cent of earth is used at a very low temperature for bleaching oils of special quality. It is important that the oil should be dry before bleaching, on account of the strong affinity of fullers earth for water.
The mixture of oil and earth is pumped to the filter press, and after pressing, air is blown through at a pressure of about 15 pounds per square inch. The press is then blown with steam and again with air, the oil recovered by these last blowings going back to the re- finery. Care is necessary during the final blowing with air, which is stopped as soon as an acrid odor indicates rising temperature. The earth from the presses is dumped at a safe distance from the plant, as it usually starts to bum within a few hours.
All varieties of fullers earth have the property of imparting to the bleached oil a disagreeable taste and odor. The exact cause is not known, but those earths of highest bleaching efficiency generally give the strongest taste and odor. The taste and odor are removed by blowing dry steam through the oil, which is heated to a tempera- ture above the boiling point of water.
The principal use of the bleached cotton oil is for mixing with hardened oil in the manufacture of various brands of shortening, used as substitutes for lard.
The processes of bleaching other vegetable and animal oils vary in detail, but are essentially similar to the bleaching of cotton oil.
>Bur. Mines Bull. 71, p. 20, 1913.
Fullebs Babth Deposits Of The Coastal Plain 315
In American refinery practice fullers earth is used but once in bleaching cotton oil, and the residue thrown on the dump carries from 10 to 20 per cent by weight of valuable oil. According to Parsons the earth may be revivified and the oil recovered by treating with an oil solvent such as naphtha, benzol or carbon tetrachloride, an acid to convert the basic coloring matter into salts, and alcohol to dissolve the coloring matter. By mixing the solvent, alcohol and acid the process may be carried on at one operation, and the earth bleaches as effectively as at first. The objection to applying this process on a commercial scale is the fact that most individual refineries use such small quantities of earth it would not pay to install a recovering and reviviring plant, while the used earth with the oil in it can not be stored or shipped on account of the danger of spontaneous com- bustion.
Manufacture of pigments. — Fullers earth saturated with basic dyes is employed to some extent as a pigment, especially for printing on wall paper. Such colors correspond to the "lakes" formed by precipitating dye stuffs with aluminum hydroxide. They may be very brilliant, but are lacking in permanence, on account of the character of dyes used.
The use of natural yellow, gray, and white fullers earth as a pig- ment in place of ocher has been mentioned (see p. 254). On account of its lightness and porosity, fullers earth should serve well for this purpose, and it is likely that the market could be developed.
Detecting coloring matter. — In the laboratory fullers earth is used for detecting certain artificial coloring matter added to butter, whisky and vinegar. This application is based on the fact that the artificial colors used are more readily absorbed by fullers earth than the coloring naturally present in such products.
TcUcum powder, — Fullers earth is used as an ingredient in some, if not all, commercial "talcum powders." On account of its strong affinity for moisture and fats, fullers earth is well suited to this use, and perhaps it could advantageously be employed entirely in place
Bur. Mines Bull. 71, p. 22, 1918.
816 Geological 8Vkvet Of Gbobgia
of powdered talc, except where the latter is desired primarily as a lubricant.
Medical uses, — On account of its strong absorptive power, fullers earth is claimed to have value as a poultice for ulcers, bums, and sores.
In 1910, John XJri Lloyd discovered that the addition of fullers earth to alkaloids diminished or abolished their bitter taste and that alkaloids could be quahtitatively removed from solutions by it. He first prepared ''Lloyd's reagent," which consists of the finer par- tides of fullers earth, separated from the coarser material by elutria- tion. Bernard Fantus' published the results of tests with Lloyd's reagent and various other earths, showing that fullers earth, espe- cially when administered with tartaric acid or sodium dihydrogen phosphate, has antidotal value in morphin, cocain, and ipecac poi- soning, and less value in strychnin and aconitin x>oisoning.
Production
The production of fullers earth in the United States, as stated in the United States Geological Survey Mineral Besources for 1915 is as follows :
Lloyd, J. U.. Lloyd's reagent— preliminary announoement: Jour. Am. Pharm.
00., p. 626, May, 1914.
Jour. Am. Med. Amoc. vol. 64, pp. 1888-1846, May S9, 1916.
Fullebs Eabth Dsp03It8 Of The Coastal Plain
FuUers earth marketed in the United States, 1895-1915
Year
Quantity (short tons)
Value
Average
price
per
ton
Year
Quantity (short tons)
Value
Average
price
per
ton
6,900
$ 41,400
$ 6.00
82,040
1265,400 1
$ 8.28
9,872
59,360
82,851
291,773
17,113
112,272
29,714
278,367
14,860
106,500
38,486
301,604
12,381
79,644
32,822
293,709
9,698
67,535
40,697
383,124
14,112
96,835
32,715
305,522
11,492
98,144
38,594
369,750
20,693
190,277
40,981
403,646
29,480
168,500
47,901
489,219
25,178
214,497
In recent years Georgia has contributed about 20 per cent of the total production.
The amounts imported, almost entirely from England, have been as follows :
Oeological Survey Of Gbosoia
FuUers earth imported for consumption into the United States,
1897-1915
Year
Quantity
(short tons)
Average ton
Year
Quantity
(short
tons)
Value
Average
price
per
ton
1897 a
4,980
1 34,320
1 6.89 f 1907
16,406
1122,221
$ 7.45
9,356
71,044
12,166
93,413
11,558
69,640
12,752
101,151
9,154
64,797
16,857
132,545
12,058
80,697
18,224
143,594
15,134
102,580
19,109
145,337
17,100
120,671
18,628
146,001
10,222
74,006
24,977
195,083
7J1
14,563
105,997
19,441
152,493
14,825
108,695
a July to Beeember.
?r
Bauxite Deposits Of Meriwether County 319
Appendix A
Bauxite Deposits Of Meriwether County
In 1915 bauxite was discovered on the property of W. Howard Smith, at the foot of the north slope of Pine Mountain, 3 miles west of Bullochville, Meriwether County. This deposit is of particular interest on account of its situation in the area of crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau, where no other bauxite has ever been dis- covered. The property, now owned by Wynne and Large, was devel- oped by the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Company in July, 1916. About 1000 tons of ore were obtained.
Geologic relations. — Pine Mountain is a ridge of resistant, more or less schistose quartzite, which attains an elevation of over 1300 feet above sea level, while the land in the areas to north and south has an average elecation 800 and 900 feet. South of Bullochville and Warm Springs the trend of the ridge is east and west.
South of Pine Mountain, in the vicinity of Shiloh, there are ex< posures of mica and hornblende gneiss, but in the ridge and for some miles north no igneous rock was found. The mountain is made up of interbedded quartzite and mica schist. Along the Southern Railway south of Bullochville the prevailing dip of the beds is east and north- east, but farther west it changes to north and northwest. The quartz- ite layers show many minor folds, while in the schistose layers the bedding is not generally determinable, but the schistosity dips at high angles. North of the ridge is an area of sedimentary schist of varying composition; micaceous, ferruginous and graphitic. The prevailing dip of the schistosity is north to northwest at various angles.
The deposits, — The known deposits consist of two small lenses or masses, one of red and one of white bauxite. These occur at the north end of a spur running down from the mountain, at an altitude of about 1000 feet. The relative size and position of the deposits is shown in the accompanying sketch (fig. 24).
The small knoll at the north end of the spur is covered with large blocks and boulders of red bauxite. The area entirely covered by the
Obological 8Vbvey Of Geobgia
fragments is 200 feet long, from east to west. The south (upper) boundary of the area is riiarp, but smaller boulders have rolled down into the valley to the north, covering a considerable area. Scat- tered bouldensi of bauxite are found southwest around the slope to the location of the white bauxite deposit.
It is impossible to determine whether the large masses of red bauxite are real outcrops or large boulders as no openings have been made. However, it is certain that the material is very nearly in place, and it is probably the outcrop of a vertical lens or pocket similar in form to the mass of white ore. At the east end of the knoll, just below the bauxite area, is an outcrop of mealy, dark-red clay without nodules.
Four hundred feet south of the red bauxite outcrop a deep gully in the hillside exposes white, red, cream-colored and mottled kaolin. The clay is fairly plastic, and shows no evidence of structure, except- ing a small mass which has bedding or banding dipping N E at
an angle of 40. The kaolin is overlain with marked unconform- ity by a recent superficial fompia- tion, locally 15 feet thick, of red argillaceous sand containing peb- bles and boulders, both angular and rounded, of Pine Mountain quartzite, together with a few boulders of dark gneiss.
The deposit of white bauxite, which has been in a measure, if not entirely worked out, was a lens- like mass striking N 85 E and dipping 80° N. The length was 150 feet, and the greatest thick- ness was 12 feet near the center, but the ore pinched out to east and west and downward.
Scak inFtet
Fig. 24. — Sketch map of the baux- ite deposits of Meriwether County.
BAUXITE OF MERIWETHER COVyTY—APPKVDIX PLATE XVI
BAUXITE MINE OF THE REPUBLIC MINING & MANUFACTURING CO., ON THE PROPERTY OF WVNNB AND LABGE. NEAR WARM SURINGS, MERIWETHER COUNTY. SEPTEMBER, 191.
tu*
-i-siSSs
ttutil
fovi
Bauxite Deposits Of Mebiwetheb County 321
The structural relations and methods of working may be seen in the photographs, (see PL XV, C and PL XVI, A), which were taken in September, 1916. The ore body was entirely surrounded by kaolin, which was first removed from narrow cuts along both sides of the lens, after which the projecting mass of bauxite was removed.
The ore in the center of the mass was of the coarsely nodular gravel type, consisting of hard, compound pebbles over an inch in diameter in a clayey matrix, and practically identical in appearance with that of the Sweetwater and other mines in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Toward both sides it became more clayey and more finely nodular. The ore was almost white, but locally there were light red bands up to 4 inches thick dipping l5°S, that is, almost at a right angle to the dip of the lens. The body was cut by several vertical, slickensided faults, but the throw along them wfl,s probably inconsiderable.
The south, or foot wall, of the ore body was kaolin with a slightly yellowish tint. There was a gradation between bauxite and kaolin, and small soft pisolites occurred for several feet out into the clay.
The north, or hanging wall, was principally a dark, maroon-colored clay, the color evidently being due to iron and a little manganese. The bauxite graded into white kaolin, which formed a sharp contact with the maroon clay, while bands or veins of white clay cut through the red. A close view of the contact is shown in the photograph, (PL XV, C).
The ore. — The bauxite from the mine is white and exceptionally low in iron content, but contains a considerable percentage of com- bined silica and some sand grains. The red bauxite from the north exposure, on the other hand, is highly ferruginous but less siliceous. The fresher portions of the red bauxite consist of soft red pisolites, from very minute to half an inch in diameter, in a hard brownish- gray matrix. The soft material of the pisolites is usually surrounded by a thin, hard, white shell. In some portions the matrix is stained dark red, due apparently to surface alteration. Some of the boulders show distinctly slickensided surfaces.
The following are analyses of typical samples :
S22
Oeolooical 8Ubvey Of Oeoboia
Analyses of bauxite from Meriwether County
Constituents
S-248
BiUca (SiO.)
Alumina (AlOt)
Ferric oxide (FoaOs) . . . .
Ignition
Titanium dioxide (TiO.)
Moisture
51
1. White bauxite from surface boulders, collected hj 8. W. McCallie. 2 and 3. Bed bauxite from surface exposures, collected bj S. W. McCaUie. 8-248. Ayerage sample across the working face, 12 feet in width, in Septem- ber, 1916.
Origin. — Surrounding the bauxite deposits is an area of white or stained clay similar to the sedimentary kaolins of the Coastal Plain. The mica schist of the vicinity weathers to a red or mottled clay, similar in general appearance to some of the clays associated with the bauxite, but such weathered schist may be distinguished by the abundance of mica, traces of schistose structure, and pockets and stringers of quartz in parallel orientation.
Clays derived from schist are seen along the public road from BuUochville to a point a quarter of a mile beyond the bauxite occur- rence. The clay from the gully between the bauxite lenses however, shows no trac of ever having been schistose. This clay contains little mica and no bunches or stringers of crystalline quartz. The residue, after washing and treating with hydrochloric acid, consists of sand grains of various sizes, mostly angular, but some well rounded. Simi- lar clay is seen in gullies across the small valley east of the bauxite outcrops, and along the road which runs north and south half a mile farther east.
Half a mile west of the bauxite an area south of the public road is covered with boulders of ferruginous sandstone, not schistose. Some
Bauxite Bep0Sit8 Of Mebiwetsss County 323
of the boulders contain well-rounded quartz pebbles, others are masses of brecciated quartz cemented by limonite. This material resembles the limonite-cemented sand beds which are common in the Cretaceous and Eocene formations of the Coastal Plain.
A mile west of the bauxite deposits is an elevation known locally as Chalk Hill." In the road near the base of the hill on the east side is an outcrop of kaolinic sand, made up of coarse, rounded ains, and showing no trace of schistosity. A little higher is a pit from which about a cubic yard of kaolin was taken. The kaolin is almost white and contains very little grit. Like the Cretaceous kaolins, it is mas- sive and shows no bedding nor other structure, but half way up the east slope of the hill is an exposure of bedded kaolinic sand dipping 45 NW. At the summit and on the west slope of the hill, however, there are exposures of weathered mica schist, which strikes northeast and dips almost vertical.
Structurally and lithologically, the small areas of unmetamor- phosed sediments lying north of Pine Mountain, and associated with the bauxite deposits, are identical with the Lower Cretaceous sedi- ments of the Coastal Plain, which approach most closely at Geneva, Talbot County, 23 miles south. The bauxite, kaolin, and all varieties of associated clay and sand can be duplicated at numerous points in the belt just south of the Fall Line.
A possible explanation of these deposits seems to be that the Lower Cretaceous starta once covered the area. In the post-Cretaceous uplift this area of the formation was folded sufficiently to give the bedding and bauxite lenses a steep dip to the north, and slickensided surfaces in the bauxite were produced along minor faults. Lying in a pro- tected position north of the ridge of Pine Mountain, the beds have escaped erosion; while all Cretaceous and later sediments have been removed from the surrounding region.
Unfortunately, the actual contact of the unmetamorphosed ma- terials with the schists could not be found, so this theory can only be considered as hypothetical. However, the form of the deposit of white bauxite, except for the nearly vertical altitude, and the char-
324 Geological 8Ubvet Of Oeoboia
acter of the ore and associated clays, resemble the Coastal Plain de- posits much more than those of the Paleozoic formations of north Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The form and relations of the red bauxite can not be determined in the absence of underground work, but the body is apparently a lens similar to the white bauxite. There is no limestone, dolomite, nor shale associated with the Meri- wether County deposits, although these sediments surround and un- derlie the north Georgia deposits, and according to Hayes's theory, are necessary for the genesis of bauxite deposits of the Paleozoic type.
If the bauxite and associated clays of Meriwether County are really of Lower Cretaceous age, the origin is the same as that of the deposits of the Wilkinson and Sumter County areas. The presence of a thermal spring (Warm Springs) and a sulphide spring (White Sulphur Spring) within 5 miles of the bauxite deposits indicates that dynamic activity in the region has been comparatively recent, and suggests the possibility that such springs may have played a part in the formation of the bauxite, although no definite relation- ship between springs and bauxite deposits is evident.
BAUXITE DBPOSIia OF ifOSTH GBOBOIA S26
Appendix B
Notes On The Bauxite Deposits Of North Georgia
Mining Operations In 1917
The amount of bauxite mined in the Paleozoic area of northwest Gteorgia has steadily declined for a number of years, and even the increased demand since the beginning of the European war has not stimulated mining to any great extent.
Watson, in 1904, listed 39 deposits in the Hermitage district, of which 18 had been worked ; 44 deposits in the Bobo district, of which two had been worked; five deposits in the Summerville district, of which three had been worked j and two isolated deposits. Very few deposits of importance have been discovered since the publication of Watson's report, and the decline of mining operations indicates that the deposits of good bauxite in easily accessible localities are almost exhausted. However, more or less good ore has been left in most of the abatidoned pits, and there are large amounts of low grade baux- ite and bauxitic clay which will undoubtedly come into demand as the higher grade ores are exhausted. Many deposits which would otherwise have been worked remain undeveloped on account of the rapid increase in production of the Arkansas and Coastal Plain fields, while in other cases the mining companies have been unable to reach an agreement with the property owners in regard to terms and royalties. It is probable that the field will continue to produce a comparatively small quantity of ore for a number of years.
In the fall of 1916 the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Com- pany was drying and shipping an occasional carload of ore from Hermitage, and the same company was operating the Booger Hol- low and Merrimac mines. Later in 1916 or early in 1917 a mine was opened 24 miles east of Cave Spring by Asbury and Sparks, the product being a red bauxite said to be used in the manufacture of aluminum.
Watson, T. Lk, A preliminary report on the bauxite deposita of Geora: Oeol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 11, 1904.
326 Geological Survey Of Georgia
Becently, I am advised, D. E. Chisolm, of Boston, Massachusetts, has begun the shipment of bauxite from the old Warner mine which is in Bartow County about 2 miles east of Halls Station.
The production of the Alabama and Tennessee districts has also declined. The Perry mine of the National Bauxite Company, at East Chattanooga, Tennessee, was abandoned in 1916, as the pit had a depth of about 150 feet and clay slides proved troublesome and ex- pensive. In Alabama the Monahan, Indian and Klondike mines of the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Company were in operation in 1916.
Hermitage mines. — In 1916 the average shipments from Hermi- tage, Floyd County, are said to have been only two or three cars per month. Actual mining operations were not carried on, but ore previously extracted from the Stockade and Hardee mines was washed, dried and shipped, and some prospecting was done in the area north and east of Hermitage. The local opinion is that there is still a large amount of ore held in reserve. The Republic Mining & Manu- facturing Company controls practically all of the deposits near Hermitage.
Merrim/ic mine, — The Merrimac mine, 3.1 miles by road east of Halls Station, Bartow County, was worked some years ago by B. P. Curtis, and reopened in 1916 by the Republic Mining & Manufactur- ing Company. When visited, in October, 1916, tfie work in the old mine consisted principally in stripping, as a cave-in of the walls had covered the ore to a depth of 20 feet. A hundred yards east of the old mine a new opening about 50 feet in diameter and 30 feet deep had bn made.
The ore from both mines has low iron content, but runs rather high in silica. It consists largely of block ore," which is nearly amorphous. Wells in both pits have cut some finely pisolitic baux- ite, indicating that the best ore is deep in the deposits. There is no **domick ore,'' but occasional boulders are encountered.
Booger Hollow mine. — The Booger Hollow mine was worked about 1910, and was reopened by the Republic Mining & Manufacturing
Bauxite Djeiposits Of North Oeobgia 327
Company in February, 1916. It is in the Bobo district, Floyd County, neap the Polk County line, and 4.9 miles from Cunningham on the Southern Railway, which is the shipping point. When visited, in October, 1916, the mine was producing about a car of ore a day.
The new pit measured 20 by 30 feet on the surface, and the great- est depth was 30 feet, of which 15 feet was in ore. The ore varies considerably in appearance. A part consists of a hard, light-brown matrix with irregular nodules, some of which are highly ferruginous, part consists of light-brown pisolites in a soft white matrix, and part is a complex c. c. pebble .ore, stained by iron carried in by surface water. Although the ore in the face appears red, the iron content is not very high, and by avoiding the worst parts the shipments can be kept below two per cent ferric oxide, while the alumina content of all shipments has been over 52 per cent.
The deposit is known to the large, extending into the Bobo prop- erty, which lies north of the mine. The portion of the deposit on the Bobo lot has been prospected, but not worked. A well near the property line cut 39 feet of bauxite, and a boring is said to have penetrated 50 feet of ore.
Comparison Of The Paleozoic And The Coastal
Plain Bauxite Deposits
Although the bauxite deposits of the Paleozoic area differ so greatly from those of the Coastal Plain in form and mode of origin, the similarity between the ores and associated kaolins of the two .regions is remarkable.
The Paleozoic ores show perhaps a wider range in composition and physical structure, and aluminum ore" containing a low percentage of silica and a considerable amount of iron is more abundant than in the Coastal Plain, although the proportion of such ore is small in both regions. The typical **domick ore," consisting of complex boulders several feet in diameter of hard, high-grade bauxite imbedded in a softer or clayey matrix is not found in the Coastal Plain, but the complex pebble ores, which differ from dornick ore" only in the
328 Geologic Al 8Ubvey Of Oeobgja
size of the hard masses, are found in both regions. Porous or vesicular bauxite occurs principally in the Paleozoic region. Some samples from north Georgia consist of pisolites adhering only at the points of contact, leaving vacant spaces between the individual nod- ules, but in all Coastal Plain bauxites examined the spaces between pisolites are completely filled with a matrix of amorphous bauxitic or clayey material.
Chemically, both Paleozoic and Coastal Plain bauxites consist of a mixture of trihydrate of alumina with kaolin. The most notable difference is the higher titanium content of the Paleozoic ores, which frequently carry 5 to 10 per cent of titanium dioxide, while this con- stituent in the Coastal Plain ores rarely exceeds 2 or 3 per cent.
The residual kaolins in which the Paleozoic bauxite deposits are imbedded are entirely similar, chemically and physically, to the sedimentary kaolins associated with the Coastal Plain deposits. All varieties of white, stained, mottled, nodular, indurated, and plastic clays are found in both regions, and in both the kaolin seems always to entirely surround the bauxite pockets or lenses, except where cut
away by the present surface or by unconformities.
Although the Coastal Plain deposits are distinctly stratified and the Paleozoic in the form of irregular pockets, showing a great differ- ence in conditions of origin, the similarity in chemical and physical characteristics of the two types of ore deposits and the associated clays leads to the conclusion that the solutions which deposited them must have been almost identical. According to Hayes's theory, which is the most satisfactory explanation of the origin of the Pale- ozoic deposits ever presented, the bauxite was precipitated from aluminum sulphate solutions, the source of the material being prin- cipally the underlying Cambrian shales. According to the theory of origin of the Coastal Plain deposits here presented (see pp. 123- 132), those deposits also were formed by precipitation from sulphate solutions. Calcareous material, which is supposed to have acted as a precipitant of the material of the Paleozoic deposits, was absent in the
U. S. Geol. Survey Sixteenth Ann. Rept. pt. 3, pp. 587-691. 1896.
Bauxite Def08It8 Of Nobte Oeosgia 329
Coastal Plain, but whether precipitated from solution by carbonates, by hydrogen sulphide, or by hydrolysis, the alumina might be ex- pected to have about the same composition and to assume the same nodular or pisolitic structure.
In age, the Paleozoic and Coastal Plain deposits do not differ greatly. Watson concludes from the elevations of the deposits and their relation to the topography that the bauxite of the Paleozoic area was formed near the close of the Eocene period. The Coastal Plain deposits of the Lower Cretaceous were formed and indurated during Cretaceous time, as shown by the fragmental material in the basal conglomerate of the Eocene formations. Conditions for the formation of bauxite, however, persisted well into Eocene time, when the Midway beds were laid down.
Geol. Survey of Ga. Bull. 11, p. 130. 1909.
880 Geological 8Ubvet Of Oeobgja
Appendix C
Notes On Halloysite
Halloysite is a hydrated silicate of almmnum having the theo- retical composition Al2O8.2SiO3.3H2O, that is, 43.5 per cent silica, 36.9 per cent alumina, and 19.6 per cent water. It contains one more molecule of combined water than kaolinite, and the elements seem to be less closely combined than in kaolins and ordinary clays. The alumina of halloysite is readily soluble in sulphuric acid, there- fore deposits of halloysite, if sufSciently extensive, are possible sources of alum and other aluminum salts, as well as metallic aluminum.
The North American Chemical Company, — The North American Chemical Company, H. H. Shackelton of Rome, Georgia, president, for a time mined halloysite, and an experimental plant with a ca- pacity of 15 tons of alum per 24 hour day was erected at Urbana, Ohio. Treatment with sulphuric acid of 60° Be. extracted 760 pounds of alumina from one ton of halloysite, or one ton of halloysite would yield about two tons of aluminum sulphate with 17.25 per cent alumina.
The mine is on the east slope of Taylor Ridge, 5 miles north of Gore, the terminus of the Rome and Northern Railroad. There are probably several thousand feet of workings.
The halloysite is soft and waxy in appearance, with a pale green- ish tint, and contains masses of harder, brownish halloysite, of flinty appearance, but soft enough to be easily cut with a knife. Running through the halloysite masses are dendritic veinlets of black material, which the analyses indicate consists largely of oxides of cobalt, nickel and manganese.
The halloysite is overlain by massive chert (Fort Payne chert?) and underlain by plastic yellow clay (weathered Chattanooga shale T). It occurs as irregular seams and pockets, just below the chert and often surrounding angular fragments of chert. The underlying yel- low clay is locally sandy, but contains no chert. The halloysite seams and pockets vary from a few inches to several feet in thickness.
Hall0T8Ite Deposits Of Chattooga County
The masses of pure, white halloysite rarely exceed 1 foot, as most of the material is stained by the black oxides. Some small seams of kaolin were noted, but the conditions evidently were not favorable for kaolinic alteration.
On account of the small size and irregular distribution of the halloysite masses, mining seems to have been difScult, and it was necessary to move a large amount of worthless material.
Analyses, — The following table includes all available analyses of halloysite from the mine of the North American Chemical Com- pany and other localities in northwestern Georgia. All analyses ex- cept the first two were made by Dr. Edgar Everhart for the Geological Survey of Georgia.
Analyses of halloysite from northwestern Georgia
Constituents
SiO.
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
AlaO,
Pe,Oa
FeO
MffO
CaO
Na,0
K,0
Ignition
Moisture
TiO,
tr
P-O.
NiO
CoO
MnO
A
Oeolooical 8Ubvet Of Oeobgja
Cons 'ts
SiO,
AlsLlg
Pe,0,
FeO
MgO
CaO
Na,0
K,0
Ignition . . Moisture . .
TiO,
P.O.
NiO
CoO
MnO
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
.(Jo
tr
tr
tr
tr
tr
37J26
tr
1. Light halloysite from mine of the North American Chemical Company, Chattooga County. Analyst, D. J. Demorest, Ohio State University.
2. Dark halloysite from mine of the North American Chemical Company, Chattooga County. Analyst, D. J. Demorest, Ohio State University.
3. Halloysite, black. Alexander property (f), Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, collector, Sept. 3, 1913.
4. Halloysite, brown with some black veins. Alexander property, Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, collector, June 30, 1913.
5. Halloysite. Alexander property, Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, col- lector, June 30, 1913.
6. Gibbsite (f), amorphous or cryptocrystalline substance in halloysite. Alex- ander property, Chattooga County. S, W. McCallie, collector, Sept. 3, 1913.
7. Halloysite, Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, collector, July 31, 1913.
8. Chert in halloysite. Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, collector, July 31, 1913.
9. Halloysite. Chattooga County. S. W. McCallie, collector, July 31, 1913.
10. Halloysite, brown, jasper-like. Catoosa County. From T. E. Grafton, Bome, Ga., May 31, 1913.
11. Halloysite (f). Property of M. W. Cloer, Lot 245, 26th. Dist., 2d. See., Murray County. From J. B. Barnett, Chatsworth, Ga., Oct 20, 1914.
Index
Abbe mm 269, 275, 812
AbBorptlon of oil by fullers
arth 299-800
Abeorption test for fullers earth
Abrasives, use of bauxite for 138 Adkins. R. W., bauxite on . prop- erty of 121-128
Adkins mine 130
Adsorption 292-298
By fullers earth 293-296
Definition of 292
After-bleach of cotton oiI
154-156. 296-297
Aee of bauxite deposits 829
Alnslie. fullers earth deposits near 220 Alabama, bauxite deposits of 22-23
Albion Kaolin Company 60, 247
Alden. W. C, cited 148
Allapaha River, fullers earth near
Allen, E. T., cited 104, 129
Altamaha formation 17
Grit 18, 259
Upland 2, 264
Alum Bluff formation, areal dis- tribution of 259-260
Derivation of name of 260
Fullers earth deposits of..2B9-289
Geology of 269-265
Liithologic characters of. .261-264 Paleontologrical characters of 265 Physiographic expression of
Stratigraphic relations of. 260-261 Strike, dip, and thickness of.. 264 Alum, method of manufacture of
Uses of 137
Alumina, precipitation of 127-128
Aluminum, method of manufac- ture of 136-136
Production of In United States 140
Uses of 136
Alundum 138
Alunogen 116, 124
American Clay Company, fullers
earth on property of... 184-185
Amorphous bauxite 93
Amsterdam, fullers earth near. 279
Analyses of bauxite 36-37
42, 46. 47, 49-51. 54-59. 70. 71, 73 74. 76-81, 84. 85, 87. 88. 90, 91, 103, 106, 110, 115-117, 119, 120. Of fullers earth 174. 175. 182, 192. 201, 202. 204. 213. 215, 219, 223, 231, 236. 237, 242, 244, 247, 250. 263, 256. 267, 273. 275, 277, 283. 288. 306-307.
Of halloysite 331-332
Recalculation of 176-176
Andersonvllle 11
Bauxite near 66,78,79
Apatite 96
Apalachicola group, geology of... 17
Page
Apparent acidity of fullers earth
Test for 157-168
Appling County, fullers earth de- posits of 287-289
Arkansas, bauxite deposits of... 23-25 Pullers earth deposits of.. 146-147 Asbury and Sparks, bauxite min- ed by 326
Ashley, H. E., cited
292. 293, 295, 297. 302 Atlanta Mining & Clay Company, fullers earth on property
of 183-184
Atlantic Refining Company 142
Attapulgus 148
Fullers earth near 270, 277
Augusta Southern Railroad, full- ers earth near 238
Austria, bauxite deposits of 20-21
B
Baker. C. L.. cited 160
Baldwin County, bauxite deposits
of 59-60
Fullers earth deposiu of.. 23 1-233
Barnwell formation 14
Geology of 16-16
Barnwell sand 12, 14
Basllosaurus cetoldes 168
Batchelor. J. W., Jr., bauxite on
property of 69
Bath, fullers earth near 247
Baux, France, bauxite deposits
of 19-20
Bauxite 18-140
Age of deposits 329
Alabama deposits of 22-23
American deposits of 22-91
Amorphous 93
Analyses of, see Analyses of bauxite.
Austrian deposits of 20-21
Brick 137-138
Chemical composition of.. 103-110 Coastal Plain depostits of. ..25-91
Classification of 91-93
Color of 94
Comparison of Coastal Plain
and Paleozoic deposits 327-329
Definition of ! 18
Distribution of 19
Exploration methods of ...134-135
Foreign deposits of 19-22
Form of deposits of 128-132
French deposits of 19-20
Genesis of 123-132
General distribution of 19
German deposits of 20
Guiana deposits of 22
Hardness of 93-94
Hungarian deposits of 21
Hypothesis of origin of 123-1.32
Indian deposits of 21
Irish deposits of 21
Italian deposits of 22
Lower Cretaceous deposits of
9, 26-60
Index
Paire
Meriwether County deposits
of 319-324
Microscopic structure of 94-103
Midway deposits of 11, 61-91
Mineralogical composition of
Mininc methods 132-133
New Mexico deposits of 26
North Georgia-Alabama-Ten- nessee deposits of 22-28, 326-829
OoUtic 92-93
Origin of Meriwether County
deposits of 322-824
Pebble 91-92
Physical characteristics of .91 -103
PlBOlltio 98-98
Preparation for market of. 138-134 Production of in United States 189
Red 35. 86. 68-66. 92, 96-99, 821
Relation to kaolin of 118-123
Transportation of 134
Uses of 186-189
Vesicular 98
World's production of 140
Bayer's process 136
BeU, J. M.. cited 292
Bihar Mountains, bauxite deposits
of 21
Blake. Wm. P., cited 26
Bleaching power of fullers earth
Bleaching tests of fullers earth
177, 180. 187, 190, 198, 196. 197, 200. 204. 208, 210, 212, 214. 216, 219. 224, 227, 228. 282, 286. 288, 242. 260. 263. 267, 268. 276. 278.
286. 290. 296 Bleaching tests of fullers earth,
method of testing 152-166
Bleckley County, fullers earth de- posits of 217-220
Block ore 326
Bobo bauxite district 32S
Boggy Branch, bauxite near 79-81
Bond's mill, fullers earth near. . . 199 Bond's store, fullers earth near. . 200 Booger Hollow bauxite mine. .326-327
Bose. Emll. cited 160
Bradberry property, fullers earth
on 217
Branner. J. C 24
Bransky, O. E., cited 800-802
Brantly, J. E. cited 12. 220. 281
Brick, bauxite 187-138
Brooks County, fullers earth de- posits of 281
Bryosoan .limestone 14
Buck Creek, bauxite near... 79. 81, 89 Buffalo Creek, fullers earth near
Bullochvllle. bauxite near 319-824
Burke County, fullers earth de- posits of 246
Burton property, fullers earth bn 217 Butler property, bauxite on 66
Calcium alumlnate 188
California, fullers earth deposits
of 147
Cameron, F. K.. cited 292
Camper Creek, bauxite near 79-88
Cannon property, bauxite on 46-46
Carlton, Jas. E 165
Carlton, Mrs. L. H 165
Carswell, George 121
Carswell, Dr. N. T., bauxite on
property of 39
Fullers earth on property of 230
Carter place, fullers earth on 217
Case-hardening, of bauxite 93
Cason property, bauxite on 47-48
Cave Spring 325
Chalcedonite 305
Chalk Hill, Meriwether County.. 323
Chalk Hill, Twiggs County 217
Chalk Spring. Columbia County.. 259
Chalker, fullers earth near 238-240
Chamberlin and Salisbury, cited.. 26 Chapman property, fullers earth
on 279
Charlton formation 18
Chattahooohee formation, geology
of 17
Chemical composition of bauxite
Of fullers earth 806-309
Chert of the Vicksburg formation 16
Chimney rock 121
Thin section of 100
Chlsolm. D. E 326
Clairborne formations, fullers
earth deposits of 289-290
Geology of 12-14
Undifferentiated 13
Clapp, F. G., cited 260
Clarke, F. W., cited 103
Clay County, fullers earth de-
posita of 289-290
Claymont 52
Claymont mine. Kaolin Mining
Company 117-119
Coastal Plain and Paleosoic de posits of bauxite, com- parison 827-829
Coastal Plain, bauxite deposits of
Drainage of 2-8
Elevations of 8-6
Fullers earth deposits of... 158-316 Geologic formations of, table 8
Geology of 7-18
Physiography of /. . . 1-6
Structure of 6-7
Topography of 1-2
Colloids, forms of 293
Coloring matter, detection by full- ers earth 315
Columbia County, fullers earth
deposits of 247-259
Columbia Kaolin A Aluminum Company, bauxite on prop- erty of 57-59
Commissioners Creek, bauxite de- posits near 33-47
Congaree clay member 12. 14, 15
Cooke. C. W., cited 12
Copperas Bluff 12
Coqulmblte 116, 124
Cotton oil, bleaching by fullers
earth of 818-815
Cram, M. P., cited 300-802
Crawford County, fullers earth
deposits of 222-224
Crump, J. D., fullers earth on
property of 194-196
Cusseta sand member 10, 164
Index
Page
Cuthbert 14, 289
Cyclone separator 182
D
DaU, W. H.. lited 18, 259
Dana. J. D., cited 104
Daniel, James, bauxite on prop- erty of 82-89
DanvUle Ferry Bluff 12
Danville, fullers earth near. ..211-217
Darton, N. H., cited 149-150
Decatur County, fullers earth de- posits of 270-279
Deese, J. T., fullers earth on
property of 217-220
Delxel, fullers earth near 199-200
Demorest. D. J.p analyses by 332
Density of fullers earth 298-299
Devils Hopper, fullers earth at 281
Dlaspore 18, 198
Domlck ore 326-327
Dorsey, B. F.. fullers earth on
property of 196
Dorsey, Mrs. B. F., fullers earth
on property of 198
Dougherty Plain 2
Dozier, G. W., bauxite on prop- erty of 91
Drag-shovel, self dumping 181
Driers, rotary 188. 269, 275
Tunnel 181-182
Dry Branch 164
Fullers earth near 166, 188
Drying of bauxite 133-134
Of fuUers earth 181-182, 311
Duessen, Alexander, cited 150
Duplin marl 18
Dupree. J. T.. bauxite on prop- erty of 52-64
Bauxitic clay on property of 120-121 Fullers earth on property of
E
Basterlln, B. F.. bauxite on prop- erty of 26. 74-78
Echols County, fullers earth de- posits of 284-287
Edgar Bros. Clay Company. Mid- dle mine 113-117
Edwards, M. G., cited 110
Elevations, list of 3-6
Elkins estate, bauxitic clay on... 60
Ellaville. bauxite near 81, 86. 89
EUenton. Florida, fullers earth
near 142
Emmons, W. H.. cited 125
England, fullers earth deposits
of 144-146
English, Charles and Albert.
bauxite on property of . . . . 81 English fullers earth. IXL brand. 176
Analysis of 306
Ethridge, J. I., bauxite on prop- erty of 59-60
Eutaw formation, geology of 9-10
Eve, J. H 256
Everhart, Edgar 41. 280, 331
F
Fairbanks, N. K. & Co 142
Fan Line hills 2
Page
False fullers earth 263
Fantua, Bernard, cited 312, 316
Ferguson method 106-106
Fiske, W. M., fullers earth on
property of 261, 264-258
Fltzpatriek. Irwin, fullers earth
on property of 217
Fitxpatrick, fullers earth near. 802-205 And JeffersonlUe, fuUers elkrth
locaUUes between 805-208
Flint River, bauxite near 11
Florida, fullers earth deposits of
147-148, 266-270 Floridln Company, fullers earth
mines of 142, 266-270
Flowers Ice Cream Company, fuU- ers earth on property of.. 280
Fort Gaines 18-14
Fullers earth near 289-290
Fountain property, bauxite on... 61-62 fractionation of petroleum 302-808
France, bauxite deposits of 19-20
Fullers earth 141-819
Absorption of oil by 299-800
Adsorption of coloring matter
by 292-296
After-bleach of oil treated by
Alum Bluff deposits of 259-289
American deposits outside
Georgia 145-160
Anaylysea, see Analyses of fullers earth.
Apparent acidity of 301-802
Arkansas deposits of 145-147
Barnwell deposits of 158-259
Bleaching power of 291-296
Bleaching tests of, see Bleach- ing tests of fullers earth
California deposits of 147
Chemical and mlneralogical
composition of 306-309
Claiborne deposits of 289-290
Definition of JL41
Density of 298-299
Florida deposits of. 147-148. 266-270
Foreign deposits of -144-145
Ftactionation of petroleum
by ,..302-303
Gadsden County, Florida, de- posits of 265-270
Genesis of deposits of 309-311
Georgia deposits of 158-290
Hardness of 298
History of use of 141-144
Importation of 318
Jackson deposits of 158-259
Massachusetts deposits of 148
Methods of mining 181. 311
Methods of testing .150-158
Biicroscopic structure of ...303-306
Mississippi deposits of 148
New York deposits of 148-149
Physical properties of 290-306
Plasticity of 297-298
Porosity of 298-299
Preparation for market
181-182, 311-312 Preparation of samples for
tesUng 151-152
Price of 143
Production of 316-318
Properties of 178-179
Revivifying of 313, 315
J
Index
Page South Carolina deposits of... 149
South Dakota deposits of 149
Spontaneous combustion of
spent 801
Texas deposits of 160
Uses of 183, 312-316
Virginia deposits of 150
Wilcox deposits of 289-290
Fullers Earth Company, The 142
Pulling of cloth 141
Qadsden County. Florida, fullers
earth deposits of 265-270
Oelkle, Archibald, cited 144
Gels 292
General Bauxite Corporation,
bauxite on property of.. 39-45 Fullers earth on property of. 230 General Reduction Company, ca- pacity of plant of 182
Fullers earth on property
of 143, 166-183
Mining methods of 181
Preparation of fullers earth
of 181-182
Genesis of bauxite deposits of the
Coastal Plain 123-132
Of bauxite deposits of Meri- wether County 322-324
Of fullers earth deposits. . .309-311
Of kaolin deposits 111-113
Geode? 129
Composition of fillings of.. 115-116 Geologic formations, table of . . . . 8
Geology of the Coastal Plain 7-18
Georgia Kaolin Company, fullers
earth on property of... 188-190
Germany, bauxite deposits of 20
Glbbslte 18, 103-106
In thin section 95. 97-101
Gibson, William, fullers earth on
property of 275-276
Gilpin. J. E., cited 300, 302
Glascock County, fullers earth de- posits of 240
GlenariflT Valley, Ireland, bauxite
deposits of 21
Gordon, bauxite deposits near... 57 Fullers earth deposits near 225-226 Grable. Dr. L. A., bauxitic clay
on property of 60
Grady County, fullers earth de- posits of 279-280
Grafton, T. E 332
Grays Landing, fullers earth near
OrifTln Landing, fullers earth
near 245
Grit, Altamaha 18, 259
Grout, F. P., cited 297
Grovetown, fullers earth near. 251-254
Guiana, bauxite deposits of 22
Gunter, Herman, cited 147, 261
H
Halloyslte 330-332
Analyses of 331-332
Hall, Marvin, fullers earth on
property of 227-229
Hall process 136
Hall. W. A., fullers earth on
property of 281S22
Hancock, David, cited 106. 1S4
Harlem, fullers earth near.. .268-259
Hardee bauxite mine
Hardness of fullers earth 298
Harris, G. H 66
Haskins, D., cited 292
Hatcher, H. R.. fullers earth at
mill of 243-244
Hatfield brothers, bauxite shipped
by 67
Hayes, C. W., cited
19. 21, 23, 91, 828 Hermitage bauxite district 325-326
Heroult process 186
Hill, Robert, fullers earth on
property of 211-212
Hlnes. Dinah, fullers earth on
property of 242-248
History of Coastal Plain bauxite
deposits 26-26
History of the use of fullers earth
Holleman property bauxite on . . . 48 Holloway, G. W.. bauxite on
property of 90-91
Honeycutt, J. R.. bauxite on
property of 32-39
Houston County, fullers earth de- posits of 220-222
Hughes. Dudley, fullers earth on
property of 214-216
Hulbert. J. C 266
Hungary, bauxite deposits of 21
Ifyallne bauxite 105
Hydrarglllite 18. 104-106
Hydrogen sulphide solution
125, 126, 127
Ideal, bauxite prospects near 88-89
Importation of fullers earth 818
India, bauxite deposits of 21
Indian bauxite mine, Alabama. . . . 326
Indian Creek 221
Ireland, bauxite deposits of 21
Irwin, Andrew J., fullers earth
on property of 237-288
Irwinton, bauxite near 49, 61, 62
Well at 126
Istria, bauxite deposits of 21
Italy, bauxite deposits of 22
IXL brand. English fullers earth. 176
Analysis of 806
Jackson formations, geology of.. 14-16
JamI*son fullers earth mine, Flor- idin Company 266-270
Jefferson County, fullers earth de- posits of 240-246
Jeffersonvllle and Fitspatrlck, fullers earth, localities be- tween - 205-208
Jeffersonvllle, fullers earth near
John Sant Clay Company, fullers
earth on property of... 185-188
Jones, W. A., bauxite on prop- erty of 66
Index
Page
Kalbflelsch Corporation 26
Bauxite on property of 79-80
Kaolin Mining Company, Clay-
mont mine of 117-119
Kaolin, origin of 111-113
Solubility in dilute sulphuric
acid 131-132
Kaolin Spring, fullers earth at... 213
KaoUnite 106
Kennington, Dr. J. N., fullers
earth on property of 205
Keys Mill, fullers earth near 245
Klondike bauxite mine, Alabama 326 Kleckley, J. L., bauxite on prop- erty of 81-85
Knox dolomite 22
Lafayette formation 17
Lalngkat. fullers earth near 277
Lane and McMlchael properties,
bauxite on 26
Langdon, D. W.. cited 13, 14, 53
Laur. Francis, cited 104
Leith, C. K., cited 104
Lester, E. L., fullers earth on
property of 279-280
Lester, J. D 272
Lester Clay Company, fullers earth on property of
143. 270-275
Leucoxene 96, 105
Lime in kaolin 119
Limesink region. Southern 2
Lloyd's reagent 316
Lloyd, J. U., cited 316
Louisville, fullers eartti near. .244-245
Lowe, E. N.. cited 148
Lower Cretaceous, areal -
tribution of . 28
Bauxite deposits of 26-60
Conditions of deposition of. 26-28
Geology of 9, 26-32
Lithologic characters of 29
Location of bauxite deposits of 32 Paleontologlc characters of . . . 82 Physiographic expression of . . 81
Etratigraphic position of 28
Strike, dip and thickness of. . 30 Lowndes County, fullers earth de- posits of 281-284
Mc
McBean Creek 13
McBean formation, geology of. .12-13
McCallie, S. W.. cited 126, 332
McCulIoch process 135
MacGowan, W. L 265
Mclntyre, bauxite near 48, 121
Mclntyre mine, bauxite 26, 32-39
McNeaJ, J. R., bauxite on prop- erty of 56-66
M
Macon & Augusta Railroad, fullers earth .near abandoned right of way of 196-198
Page
Macon County 11
Bauxite deposits of 79-89
Macon, Dublin & Savannah Rail- road, fullers earth near
168. 205-208 Fullers earth at 16 mile-post 206 Fullers earth at 18 mile-post 206 Fullers earth at 19 mile-post
Manatee Fullers Earth Company .142
Marcaslte 116. 124, 129
Marchman place, fullers earth on 217
Marks Head marl 18
Massachusetts, fullers earth de- posits of 148
Matson, G. C, cited 260
Maynard and Simmons 57
Analyses from 87
Map by 86
Mead, W. J., cited 23, 24, 104
Medical uses of fullers earth 316
Melanterlte 116, 124
Meriwether County, bauxite de- posits of 126.319-324
Merrlmac bauxite mine 526
Microscopic structure of fullers
earth 303-306
Midway, Florida, fullers earth
near 142
Midway formation, areal distri- bution of 61
Bauxite deposits of 61-91
Geology of 11, 61-66
Lithologic characters of 62
Location of bauxite deposits of
Paleontologlc characters of. . . 64 Physiographic expression of . . . 64
Stratigraphic relations of 61
Thickness of '. 61
Miller, Mrs. Z. T., bauxite on
property of 57
Mineral composition of bauxite,
method of computing 108
Mineral Resources, United States Geological Survey, quoted
139-140, 316-318 Mineralogical composition of full- ers earth 306-309
Mining methods, for bauxite... 182- 188
For fullers earth 811-812
Miocene series 18
Miona Springs 126
Miser, H. D., cited 142. 145, 811
Mississippi, fullers earth deposits
of 148
Molinarl, Dr. Bttore, cited 22, 185
Monahan bauxite mine, Alabama 826 Morton, J. S., bauxite on property
of - 88
Mount Enon, fullers earth near 246-247
Muscovite 96
Myrick Mill, bauxitic clay near... 60
N
Nadine 45
National Bauxite Company
25, 46, 47, 121. 326 New Mexico, bauxite deposits of.. 25 New York, fullers earth deposits
of 148-149
J
Index
Page North American Chemical Com- pany, halloyslte mine of
North Georgia, bauxite deposits
of 22-23. 325-329
Ocala limestone 164
Geology of 14-15
Ocher, fullers earth as substitute
for 254
O'Connor, E. J., fullers earth min- ed by 254-258
Oglethorpe, bauxite near 81
O'Harra. C. E., cited - 149
Okefonokee formation . . . . 18
Old Troupville, fullers earth near 284
Olsen, John 143
Oolitic bauxite - 92
Orbullna unlversa 167
Origin of bauxite deposits of the
Coastal Plain 123-132
Of bauxite deposits of Meri- wether County 322-324
Of fullern earth deposits ...309-311
Of kaolin - 111-113
Ostrea georgiana...l3. 16, 162. 244. 245
Ostrea maurlccnsis 266
Ostrea thirsae 11
Owl Cigar Company 142
Paleozoic and Coastal Plain de- posits of bauxite, compari- son of - 327-329
Park estate, bauxite on 86-88
Parker. li. C 41. 43. 44. 59
Parker. J. U., bauxite on property
of 48-49
Parker, T. M 280
Parker, Mrs. W. R., bauxite on
property of 32-39
Parker-Honeycutt-Daniel, bauxite
on properties of 32-39
Parsons, C. L., cited
150. 179, 183, 292, 296. 314. 315
Pebble bauxite 91-92
Pebble lands 262
Pebble ores, origin of 130
Pecten madisonlus var. sayanus.. 265
Pecten perplanus 14,164
Pectoids 293
Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing
Company, analysis from.. 65
Perlarchus plleus-slnensis 14, 164
Perisho, B. C, cited 149
Porry bauxite mine. Tennessee.. 326 Perry- Elko public road, fullers
earth near 221
Petroleum, fractionation of 302-303
Method of refining with fullers
earth 313-315
Phalen, W. C, cited 22. 135
Phillips. W. cited 106. 134
Phillips. Wm. B.. cited 150
Phillips Falls 258
Phinizy Gully, fullers earth at 248. 251 Physical properties of fullers
of fullers earth 290-806
Physiography of the Coastal
Plain 1-6
Pigments, une of fullers earth In
manufacture of 315
Plcard-Law laboratories 152. 176
Pikes Peak 143
Geologic relations near. ..166-174 Fullers earth near... 164. 165-183
Fullers earth, uses of 183
LocaUtles north of 183-193
Localities west and south of
Pimple lands 262
Pine Mountain 319
Pipe clay 261
Pisolite bauxite 92-93
Plasticity, deflnition of 297
Of fullers earth 297-298
Pliocene series 18
Pliny, cited 142
Porosity of fullers earth 298-299
Porter, J. F., fullers earth on
property of 213-214
Porter, J. T., cited
291. 297, 298, 208. 309
Potomac Group 27
Pre-Cambrian rocks 8-9
Preparation of fullers earth for
market 311-312
Production oi fullers earth. . ..316-318 Properties of fullers earth, physi- cal 290-306
Providence sand member 10, 164
Kaolin deposits of 10
Pseudochalcedonite 305
Puy-du-Dome. bauxite deposits of 20
Pyrite 71, 124. 129
In fullers earth 166. 252
In thin section 101-102
Q
Quartz, in thin section 98
Quiney fullers earth mines, Flor-
Idin Company ...142, 265-270 Quitman-Valdosta public road.
fullers earth near 282
Randolph County, fullers earth
deposits of 289-290
Raymond pulverizer 182
Recent series 18
Red bauxite 92
Red Bluff, fullers earth at 288-289
Refractories, use of bauxite for 137-138 Republic Mining & Manufacturing
Company, bauxite proper-
ertles of
25. 32-39, 66-74, 319-324. 325-327
Mclntjrre mine of 32-39
Sweetwater mine of 12, 66-73, 130
Republic Spur 66
Reversion of color of cotton oil
Revivifying of fullers earth 313, 315
Rich Hill fauna 14
Rich Hill, fullers earth at 222-224
Richard, L. M 26. 66
Maps by 68, 75
Richmond County, fullers earth
deposits of 245-247
Ries. Heinrich. cited
52. 146. 148, 149. 291
Index
Page Ripley formation, geology of 10-11
Roberts, fullers earth near 230
Robinson, Mrs. Mary, bauxite on
property of 85-86
Roddenberry property, fullers
earth on 280
Ross Hill, fullers earth at 221-222
Rust-Oppenhelm, A 39
Salisbury, Chamberlin and, cited.. 26
Fatilla formation 18
Savage, H. W 202
Fullers earth on property of
Schley County, bauxite deposits
of 11, 89-91
Screven County, fullers earth de- posits of 289
Searle, A. B., cited 144
Seaver, Kenneth, cited 138
Sellards, E. H., cited 147, 261
Shackelton. H. H 330
Shell Bluff 13
Shellstone Creek 217, 220
Sheppard, J. J. and J. M., bauxite
on property of 56
Sheppard's bridge, section near. . 234
Short bread 263
SiliciAed fullers earth
264, 283. 304. 305
Skelton, H. M. '. 33
Sloan, Earle, cited 149, 308
Slocum. K. R 165
Smith, W. E., fullers earth on
property of 277-278
Smith, W. Howard, bauxite on
property of 319
Sols 293
Solomon. Dr. J. C.. fullers earth
on property of 202-205
South Carolina, fullers earth de- posits of 149
South Dakota, fullers earth de- posits of 149-160
Southern Cotton Oil Company. . . 256
Sparks. Ashbury and 325
Specific volume test for fullers
earth 156-157
Spontaneous combustion of spent
fullers earth 301
StatenviUe, fullers earth near 284-287 Stephenson, L. W., cited
1. 27. 200. 251, 259, 283. 289 Stephensville, fullers earth near
Stevens Pottery 59, 231
Stewart County, bauxite deposits
of 91
Stewart. J. T., bauxite on prop- erty of 89-90
Stone Creek Church, fullers earth
near 194-196
Stone Spring. Macon County 85
Stony Lake, fullers earth near 282
Structure of the Coastal Plain 6-7
Stubbs. R. L.. bauxite on property
of 59
Sulphur 116. 124
SummerviUe bauxite district 826
Sumter County, bauxite deposits
of 66-78
Page Sweetwater bauxite mine
12, 66-73. 130 Sweetwater Creek, bauxite near
66. 74, 78 Swindell, Walter 57
T
Talcum powder, fullers earth used
in 816
TarversvlUe, fullers earth near
Taylor Ridge, halloysite deposits
of 330-331
Tennessee, bauxite deposits of. ..22-23 Tests of fullers earth, methods of
Texas, fullers earth deposits of... 150 Tharpe. Mrs. F. M., fullers earth
on property of 185-188
Tharpe. John, fullers earth on
property of 200-202
Thigpen Jot. bauxite on 73-74
Thomas County, fullers earth de- posits of 280-281
Todd. J. E.. cited 149
Toler, N. H., fullers earth on
property of 227-229
Tombigbee sand member 10
- Toombs County, fullers earth de- posits of 287-289
Toomsboro, bauxite near ...39. 47. 59
Fullers earth near 230
Well at 126
Triangular diagram 106-107
Troupville. Old, fullers earth near 284
Turkey Creek 211, 213
Turnpike bridge, section near. . . 235
Turritella alclda 265
Twiggs County 15
Bauxite prospects of 60
Fullers earth deposits of.. 163-217
Geology of 163-166
Twiggs clay member 14
Areal distribution of 158
Derivation of name of 163
Geology of 15. 158-163
Lithologic characters of... 159-161 Paleontological characters of
Physiographic expression of.. 162 Stratigraphlc relations of.. 158-159 Strike, dip and thickness of
u
Udden. J. A., cited 150
Underwood. Andrew, bauxite on
property of 49-61
Upper Cretaceous, geology of. ...9-11
Urbana, Ohio, alum plant at 330
Urgonian limestone 20
Uses of fullers earth 312-316
Usry brothers cotton gin, fullers
earth near 251-254
Vaughan. T. W.. cited 147. 265. 271. 280 Veatch, Otto, bauxite discovered
by 26
Cited 1. 36. 41, 42, 48. 49, 50, 66. 56. 110. 111. 200. 201, 251. 259. 283, 289.
Index
Page
Veaicular bauxite 98
Vlcksburg formation, geology of 16-17 Virginia, fullers earth deposits of 150 Vogelsburg, bauxite deposits of . . 20
W
Walker. J. Miller 247
Wall, Lowe, fullers earth on prop- erty of 18-199
Warm Springs 324
Bauxite deposits near 319-324
Warner bauxite mine 326
Warren's Mill, fullers earth near 244 Washington Colunty, bauxite
prospects of 60
Fullers earth deposits of.. 233-240
Wataga, fullers earth near 279
Watson, T. L., cited
22, 104, 113, 150, 326, 329 Weatherly place, fullers earth on 220
Wesson, David, cited 142
Westlake, fullers earth near 217
Wilcox formation, fuUers earth
of 289-290
Whigham, fullers earth near... 279 -280
White Sulphur Spring 126, 324
Whitman, A. R., cited 129
\Vllcox formation, area! distribu- tion of
Geology of 11-12. 61-M
Llthologic characters of 62
Paleontologlc characters of . . . 64 Physiographic expression of.. 64
Stratigraphlc relations of €1
Thickness of 6S
Wilkinson County, bauxite de- posits of 82-59
Fullers earth deposits of. .224-230 Wimberly, Minter, fullers earth
on property of 217
Withlacoochee River, fullers earth
near 282-284
Wochein, bauxite deposits of 21
Wocheinite 21
Wolf bolters 27S
Wrens, fullers earth near 241-24S
Wrtley 89
Wynne and Large, bauxite on
property of 319
Wysor. D. C. cited 108
Z Zircon 96, 98
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