New York State Education Department Hon. Andrew S. Draper LL. D. Commissioner of Education DEAR SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for publication as a bulletin of the State Museum, a report on the iron ores of central New York, prepared in pursuance of a provision in chapter 578, laws of 1907, "for determining what deposits of iron ore exist within the State of New York and the extent and availability thereof." The investigations, the results whereof are here given, have been carried on by continuous drilling during the autumn, winter and spring of 1907-8 in a field where but slight effort has heretofore been made to estimate the volume of iron ore available for production. This report conclusively indicates that in the region of central New York there exists a commercial asset in iron of great magnitude and vast importance to the people of this State and the conclusions herewith set forth are in essential accord with the prediction made when it was recommended that the work be undertaken. These operations have been carried on and the report prepared by D. H. Newland, Assistant State Geologist, and C. A. Hartnagel, Assistant in Economic Geology. Very respectfully JOHN M. CLARKE State of New York COMMISSIONER'S ROOM Albany, August 31, 1908 This is the report of the State Geologist covering a painstaking investigation of the extent of deposits of iron ore in the State, and having particular reference to the territory, something like one hundred miles in length, extending through the central part of the State, from Oneida and Otsego counties on the east to Wayne county on the west, for which a special appropriation was provided in the annual supply bill of 1907. Having very earnestly recommended the appropriation, I find much satisfaction in the assurance of the Geologist that a conservative estimate, based upon this investigation, of the quantity of iron ore deposited in this region places the amount at six hundred millions of tons. If this estimate is warranted, New York might yet easily become the leading iron state in the Union. Of course, this report is scientific and technical, but surely signifies much; and if it points the way truly, as the experience, attainments and assiduity of Dr Clarke, the State Geologist, warrant me in believing it does, it adds much to the economic resources, and is of much moment to the commercial prosperity of the State. The information it contains should be extended as quickly and as widely as practicable. Publication is approved and I hope it may be expedited. A.S. Draper Commissioner of Education Published fortnightly by the University of the State of New York Entered as second-class matter June 24, 1908, at the Post Office at Albany, N. Y., under the act of July 16, 1894 The hematites accompanying the belt of Clinton strata in New York State have been worked commercially, though with some interruptions, since the early part of the last century. It is on record that a mining lease was granted in Oneida county as far back as 1797, and a small quantity of ore was shipped from Wayne county. during the War of 1812. Regular mining operations were not instituted, probably, until about 1825. A few years later charcoal forges and furnaces had been erected in Wayne, Madison and Oneida counties, as reported by the geologists connected with the Natural History Survey of the State. The production of Clinton ores has averaged about 75,000 tons for the last few years. In 1907 it was 109,025 tons. The aggregate from the beginning may be placed at from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 tons, which is approximately the yield obtainable, with the average workable seam, from a square mile of area. Mining has been restricted entirely to the surface portion of the beds, and little or nothing has been done by the mine interests, hitherto, toward exploration outside the limited fields of operations. By the present investigation it is hoped to anticipate, so far as may be, the need for a practical guide to the development of these deposits. With the aid of a legislative appropriation, specially granted for the purpose, it has been possible to perform a series of exploratory tests with the diamond drill and, from the results thus secured, to gain for the first time a general view of the ore distribution over a considerable section of the Clinton belt. A detailed account of this work is included in the report. The resources of the Clinton formation, known to exist within easy reach of mining operations, are so extensive that they seem to offer a promise of increased commercial importance for the future. The principal handicap to the use of the ores, hitherto, has been their relatively low iron content from 35 to 45%. But with the rapidly growing demand made upon other eastern mining fields which has been reflected by a steady falling off in the quality of the product in most cases its effect is now much less apparent than formerly and will be subject, doubtless, to further reduction. A factor of considerable importance, also, in this connection is the fluxing nature of the Clinton ores, which counterbalances to an appreciable extent their deficiency of iron when used in the furnace. Because of the unusual interest which is being manifested in the deposits, it has been deemed best to make the results of the investigation public at an early date. To that end some matters of more remote economic application have received scant attention or have been omitted altogether from the discussion, though they might properly come within the scope of the report. The recent field work and exploration have brought out much that is new concerning Clinton stratigraphy and shown the need for a more thorough study of the New York section, to our knowledge of which little has been added since the reports of Hall and Vanuxem. The relations of the formation to its associates, particularly, are open to inquiry. For the present nothing further can be done than to indicate some important corrections and to record observations on which such restudy may be based. For cooperation in the preparation of the report it is desired to express grateful acknowledgment to the mining and development enterprises and owners of ore properties, who have always given. a ready response to inquiries and have extended many other courtesies during the field and office work. The report has specially benefited by the assistance of Mr Charles A. Borst of Clinton, who contributed many facts relating to ore localities and mines in Oneida county, and of Mr H. M. Selleck and Mr Freeman Pintler of Ontario, who furnished much information about the ores of Wayne county. The line drawings accompanying the report have been made by Mr H. P. Whitlock. PREVIOUS STUDIES The researches of Hall and Vanuxem in connection with the first Geological Survey of New York State have been the source of most of our knowledge concerning the Clinton formation. The descriptions of its bounds and relations, as set forth in their final reports of 1842-43, have undergone no essential amendment to this day and are still standard for the recognition and comparison of the different Clinton occurrences elsewhere. Previous to their investigations, Amos Eaton had given a brief account of the ores and associated beds in his monograph, A Geological and Agricultural Survey of the District adjoining the Erie Canal. Eaton seems to have visited the outcrops along the belt at intervals from Herkimer county to the Niagara river. The hematites are placed in the class of "secondary ferriferous rocks," which are stated to consist principally of slate and sandstone. It is not always possible to recognize the various members referred to by Eaton, though there is little doubt that the class includes parts of the Medina and Rochester formations, as now understood, in addition to the Clinton beds. Vanuxem, whose field of work was in the central part of the State, first described the Clinton and Niagara representatives under a single group which he called Protean. It was later found that the upper and lower members were of unequal distribution, the latter having their strongest development in the eastern section, while the former were predominant in the west. The group accordingly was subdivided. The name Clinton was given to the lower part, from the village of Clinton, Oneida co., and as a tribute to one who spared no effort to extend a knowledge of science and to add to its acquisitions." The outcrop of the strata was traced by Vanuxem as far west as Cayuga county. In the final report by James Hall, covering the western section of the Clinton, the following subdivisions are recognized, in ascending order: I Lower green shale; 2 Oolitic or lenticular iron ore; 3 Pentamerus limestone; 4 Second green shale, with |