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Compliments of

Gilbert D. Harris.

GHhOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE

A Preliminary Report

ON

THE GEOLOGY OF LOUISIANA

BY

GILBERT D. HARRIS, Geologist-in-Charge
| AND

A. C. VEATCH, Assistant Geologist

MADE UNDER DIRECTION OF STATE EXPERIMENT STATION,
BATON ROUGE, LA.

WM. C. STUBBS, PuH.D., Director

ya e Pa <x 4 .
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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND A, AND M. COLLEGE.

Loutsiana State Board of Agriculture and Immigration.

L£x-Officio.

GOVERNOR MURPHY J. FOSTER, President.

WILLIAM GARIG, Vice-President Board of Supervisors.

LEON JASTREMSKI, Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration.
THOMAS D. BOYD, President State University.

WILLIAM C. STUBBS, Director State Experiment Stations.

Members.

JOHN DYMOND, Belair, La. Judge EMILE ROST, St. Rose, La.
A. V. EASTMAN, Lake Charles, La. CHAS. SCHULER, Keachie, La.
BK. T. SELLERS, Walnut Lane, La. H. P. MCCLENDON, Amite City, La.

Station Staff.

WM. C. STUBBS, PH.D., Director.

R. E. BLOUIN, M.S., Assistant Director and Chemist, Audubon Park,
New Orleans, La.

J. G. LEE, M. S., Assistant Director, Calhoun, La.

H. E. WRIGHT, B.S., Chemist, Audubon Park, New Orleans, La.

C. E. COATES, JR., PH.D., Chemist, Baton Rouge, La.

J. F. HARP, B.S., Assistant Chemist, Baton Rouge, La.

M. BIRD, M.S., Chemist, Calhoun, La.

SIMON BAUM, B.S., Assistant Chemist, Audubon Park, New Orleans, La.

ROBT. GLENK, B.S., Chemist, Baton Rouge, La.

Prof. G. D. HARRIS, Ph.B., Geologist in charge of Geological Survey,
Audubon Park, New Orleans, La.

A. C. VEATCH, Assistant Geologist, Audubon Park, New Orleans, La.

W. R. DODSON, A.B., S B., Botanist, Baton Rouge, La.

H. A. MORGAN, B.S.A., Entomologist, Baton Rouge, La.

F. H. BURNETTE, Horticulturist, Baton Rouge, La. ‘

W. H. DALRYMPLE, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinarian, Baton Rouge, La.

GEO. CHIQUELIN (Grad. Audubon Sug. Sch. ), Sugar Maker, Audubon
Park, New Orleans, La.

WM. D. CLAYTON, M.S., Farm Mgr., Audubon Park, New Orleans, La.

JAS. CLAYTON, Farm Mgr., Baton Rouge, La.

T. I. WATSON, Farm Megr., Calhoun, La.

J. K. McHUGH, Secretary and Stenographer, Audubon Park, New
Orleans, La.

H. SKOLFIELD, Treasurer, Baton Rouge, La.

The Bulletins and Reports will be sent free of charge to all farmers by
applying to Commissioner of Agriculture and Immigration, Baton Rouge, La.

CONTENTS

Letters of Transmission
' Prefatory Remarks
Plans of Operation

SECTION I
HISTORICAL REVIEW

BY
HARRIS AND VEATCH

SECTION II
GENERAL GEOLOGY

BY
HARRIS AND VEATCH

SECTION III
SPECIAL PAPERS

BY
VARIOUS AUTHORS |

OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS,
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND A. AND M. COLLEGE, ;
BATON ROUGE, LA., October, 1899. )

To His Excellency MuRPHY J. FOSTER, Governor of Louisiana,
and President of Board of Agriculture :

Sir: Since our last report of the Geological and Agricultural
Survey, a complete change has taken place in the personnel of
the survey. Prof. W. W. Clendenin, who performed the duties
of Professor of Mineralogy and Geology in the Louisiana State
University and A. and M. College, and geologist for the stations,
has severed his connections with both institutions by resignation,
and taken charge of Blees’ Military Academy, at Macon, Mo.

Upon his resignation arrangements were made with Prof.
Gilbert D. Harris, Ph.B., of Cornell University, who is the
recognized authority of this country in Tertiary geology, by which
he was to conduct the survey under our direction and publish
annually a report of his work. He gives considerable time to
the actual field work and writes and superintends the publication
of his reports. Mr. A. C. Veatch has been selected as his assist-
ant and gives his entire time to the field and office work of the
survey. Mr. Veatch is an acknowledged authority upon Quar-
ternary geology, and with his assistance we feel satisfied that the
entire State, which consists almost exclusively of tertiary and
quarternary formations, will be correctly and fully reported.
These two gentlemen have persistently followed their work
through freezes and sunshine, over intolerable roads, impelled
by an enthusiasm known only to lovers of science. How well
they have accomplished their work, the present volume will
testify.

Collections of typical soils have been made and are being
analyzed both physically and chemically in the laboratories of the
stations. Besides the above, in November next Prof. Milton
Whitney will place in the field two or more soil physicists who
will make an accurate soil survey of the State, and in his labora-
tory make the physical analyses of all these soils, giving the
results to us for publication. It is hoped and believed that in

LETTERS OF TRANSMISSION. 5

this way a copious volume giving full information of the proper-
ties of all the soils of the State, with accurate soil maps, will
ultimately be given to the public. Such a work will be of incal-
culable benefit to the agriculture of the State besides serving as
a guide in giving directions to the various farmers and planters
who seek daily knowledge relative to the capacity and require-
ments of their soils for growing various crops.

The within report covers the following subjects, viz.: Review
of the Geological Work already done in the State, General Geol-
ogy of the State, and Special Reports, including various topics
of economic and scientific interest. (See Section IIT.)

It is found difficult to carry on so extensive and important a
work as this upon the limited appropriation now received. To
cover accurately an area of 45,000 square miles, giving the var-
ious geological horizons ;- the agricultural and forest resources ;
the mineral and underground resources, and the water supplies,
both for drinking, irrigation and navigation, requires a large
amount of time and the best scientific talent, and money is
required for the successful accomplishment of such a huge task.
In fact, a geological and agricultural survey can hardly ever be
called completed. ‘Increasing population, progress and enter-
prise are demanding the solution of problems constantly arising,
and the State should always be ready to lend its assistance.
With increased appropriations, the work on hand could be more
rapidly prosecuted and the information gathered thereby the
more speedily given to the thousands who are seeking homes in
our State; tosay nothing of the great value to the hundreds
of thousands now residents in our borders.

I trust that sufficient funds will be appropriated to permit of
a more rapid and extensive prosecution of the work under the
able and enthusiastic men now employed in this survey.

Respectfully submitted.

WM. C. STUBBS, Director.

LETTER OF TRANSMISSION

Dr. Wm. C. StTuBBS, DIRECTOR STATE EXPERIMENT
STATIONS, BATON ROUGE, LA.

Siv: I herewith present you a Preliminary Report on the
Geology of Louisiana.

Mr. A. C. Véatch acting as assistant geologist, commenced
field work November tst, 1898, and studied the distribution of
the soils of Caddo and Bossier parishes until my arrival in the
State, December 23d. Thereafter we worked for the most part
together in De Soto, Sabine, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Cald-
well and Ouachita parishes.

After my departure from the State, the last of March, Mr.
Veatch continued work in the northern tier of parishes between
Ouachita river and Red river until requested by you to visit the
Five Islands and the Sulphur region of the southwestern part of
the State. This done, we worked on the report herewith trans-
mitted from mid-summer to late autumn, when he again took the
field and I saw to the completion of the report.

I gladly take this opportunity to inform you that Mr. Veatch
has in all his connections with this survey, shown himself a most
capable and energetic assistant; and it isto his untiring zeal,
and your never failing and well directed support that such suc-
_ cess as the survey has been able to attain is largely due.

Most respectfully submitted,
GILBERT Di HARRIS,
Geologist-in-Charge.

Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., }
Nov. 25, 1899

PREFATORY REMARKS

PLANS OF OPERATION

The prosecution of a well organized geological survey demands
an expenditure of funds far in excess of those now at our com-
mand. ‘This the reader is requested to constantly bear in mind.

With much volunteer labor, however, we have been able to
bring together, in this report such data as we believe will be of
service to those who in the future shall investigate special prob-
lems relating to the geology of Louisiana. This remark applies
more particularly to Section Iand portions of Section II. They
show what has already been accomplished, by whom, and where.
They might well be styled a summary of geological reconnais-
sance work in Louisiana.

Part III contains the beginnings of some of the special lines
of investigation that this Survey will, we hope, be able to take
up and carry out. They include:

(1) The mapping geographically, topographically, and geo-
logically, of certain areas that are of special interest either (a) on
account of the large number of inhabitants they contain and to
whom such maps would be of service, or (b) on account of some
specially interesting geological phenemenon they exhibit, or (c)
on account of their proximity to seats of learning where they
will be of service to teachers who wish to teach geology from
their own surroundings—the only true way. Detailed reports
should accompany these sheets.

(2) The gathering of information for agricultural or soil
maps, as has been explained in Dr. Stubb’s letter heretofore
affixed.

(3) The working out of the stratigraphic relations of the
various deposits of Louisiana. This can be done by (a) study-
ing with great care the fossil remains found in the various for-
mations and hence identifying deposits by the fossils they con-
tain, (b) by putting down test wells and observing the nature
of the different beds passed through, (c) by studying the stratig-

8 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA

raphy of natural sections, along rivers and smaller streams of
water.

Until a thorough knowledge is obtained of the way the different
deposits lie in the State, all questions relating to artesian waters,
extent of mineral deposits, origin of soils, etc., are unanswer-
able.

(4) The determination of meridian lines and of the amount
and direction of magnetic forces within the boundaries of the
State—primarily for the assistance of land-surveyors.

(5) The investigation of the different mineral products of
the State.

(6) The encouragement of road improvement.

So far as (1) is concerned, the earliest cooperation with the U.
S. Geological Survey should be sought. The State would pay
for but half of the field expense of topographic work, the general
Government doing all the rest.

Cooperation has already been secured for work outlined
under (2).

The Coast Survey is ready to cooperate as regards work under
(4) and its aid should be early sought.

In case funds are not forthcoming for the prosecution of all
these lines of work, then some will be discarded and such as
seem most urgent will be continued. It rests with the people to
say how much can be invested in work of this nature, and with
the Geologist-in-Charge to see that due returns are made for
the investment, be it great or small.

SECTION I

HISTORICAL REVIEW
BY

HARRIS AND VEATCH

HISTORICAL REVIEW

CONTENTS

PERIODS OF INVESTIGATIONS

FIRST PERIOD

FROM THE EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS TO THE YEAR 1867

Page Page
PATIOS CLPLOVERS A cr ee oe Lid LICK a 2 soe ts eee 18
Coen ead ce ake Dene yee UL. RELIDCMIOT ae. he On ee 18
PRUTLOUYL be otek ne Neng ae 1D) SOCIN ENON re ann ey ne 19
VOUROBT 2. © eS” ae 120 HAVO eee ee oe oe 19
UOTE TI gs eae Neen ee the T'S SOMES Ties tax ees aes cee 19
LOGI OV IG 8 CP. gE OCCA OR TGs EY CU otc eet ene oe oa 19
IN ULTOM coos ER he ee ee 15 Dickson and Brown.... 20
(CBU TH ales aaa hee 8300 TiSe COREE cone de hee eta eee a
DD EVA STCUD RE DR. 30k Paes Ti ECL a oe de kann enone eae 21
Ve COAL Ae AA a IM RSE RO EL OEE SSVI cay enero ae 21
GT ALG AOS Te ASLAN RY 17 Humphreys and Abbolt...... 22
COTA hiystes fe os een oO 18° KOWENs Se ee ee eee 23

SECOND PERIOD

RECONNAISSANCE PERIOD, 1867-1892

LLU SOV dit heh Ue ET eae B23) NGADON Ate Mente ee 37
OP IIS ate, wet eee, Wap ne 32: SJORRSOW nie ee tee ee a7
JUS TONG heh Oe gS E 36. A MOWNOn. .) vo. Dee ee 38
TT AOVOS MN. aa Gs tenes Mae Ye es 30) LID oe Oe eae a eee 38
PIOVSIUCY Rn Soy Pee Oi Chae Re 37

THIRD PERIOD

PERIOD OF WORK DONE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
EXPERIMENT STATIONS

YL FARR Sy He TERE SENS ISTO FRO ial COLIC Ph one Actor «ios ote 42
FLORHESS. Rae 8 Ae A A eRe AM UCR GREN So Fs, 5 43

HISTORICAL REVIEW
PERIODS OF INVESTIGATION

First PERIOD
FROM THE EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS TO THE YEAR 1867

Earliest explorers.—Few and desultory indeed are the contri-
butions made to the geological literature of this State up to the
middle of the present century. As might naturally be expected,
it was the Mississippi, the great river, that first attracted and
held the attention of the earliest explorers and naturalists in
this region. Commerce dictated that its mouths should be
explored and mapped at an early date, and in 1722 P. Charlevoix
accomplished this task in a highly creditable manner.* He
argued ina truly scientific spirit that ‘‘the quantity of shoals
and little islands that have been seen to form in the various
mouths of the river during the past twenty years’’ leave no
doubt as to the manner and comparatively recent date of forma-
tion of the lower delta region.

Coxe.—If the reference of Coxe to the River Natchitock can
be taken to mean the Red river, and it seems quite probable
that they are the same, the salt springs in northern Louisiana
were known and worked in the very early history of this country.
He says, ‘‘ Ten or twelve leagues higher on the west side,’’ [of
the Mississippi] ‘‘is the River atchitock, which has a course of
many hundred miles; and after it is ascended about one hun-
dred, there are many springs, pitts, and lakes which afford most
excellent common salt in great plenty, wherewith [the Indians]
trade with neigboring nations for other commodities they want.
Upon the river inhabit not only the Nachitocks, Naguteeres,
Natsohocks but higher several other nations.’’{ On the next

* Thomassy, Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane accompagné de6 planches,
New Orleans and Paris, 4°, 263 pp., figs., 1860. See pp, 27-28.

+A description of the English province of Carolina, by the Spainards
called Floridaand by the French La Louisiane, and also of the great and
famous River Meschacebe, or Missisipi, and the five vast navigable lakes

12 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

river above the river of the Natchitocks live the ‘‘ Arkansas, a.
mighty nation.’’

Bartram.*—In 1773 Wm. Bartram started on his journey of
the Southern States ‘‘for the discovery of rare and useful pro-
ductions of nature, chiefly in the vegetable kingdom.”’

He passed through Lake Pontchartrain and ascended the Mis-
sissippi as far as Point Coupé. The plains} near Port Hudson
he described as showing ‘‘ whitish clay or chalk, with veins of
sea-shells, chiefly of those little clams called les coquelles | Ran-
gia| interspersed with the white earth or clay,.so tenaceous and
hard as to render it quite sterile.”’

He described the Port Hudson{ bluff as consisting of strata
of various colors, white, red, blue, purple sand, marl and chalk.
He observed the cypress stump stratum at the base of the cliff,
and comments on the same as follows: ‘‘ These stumps are
sound, standupright, and seem to berotted off about two or three
feet above the spread of the roots; their trunks, limbs, etc., lie
in all directions about them. But when these swampy forests
were growing, and by what cause they were cut off and over-
whelmed by the various strata of earth, which now rise near one
hundred feet above, at the brink of the cliff, and two or three
times that height but a few hundred yards back, isa phenom-
enon not easily developed.’’

Dunbar.—In 1801 Wm. Dunbar, of Natchez, sent a letter to the
president of-the American Philosophical Society, extracts of
which were published in the Transactions for that year (vol. vi,

of fresh water and the parts adjacent. Together with an account of the
commodities of the growth and production of the said province. Anda
preface containing some considerations of the consequences of the French
making settlements there. By. Daniel Coxe. Second edition. London
1726. See pp. Io-Il.

*Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, east and west
Florida, the Cherokee country, the extensive territories of the Musco-
gulges, or Creek Confederacy, and the country of the Choctaws ; contain-
ing an account of the soil and natural productions of those regions, together
with observations on the manners of the Indians Embellished with cop-
per plates. By Wm. Bartram, Phila., 1791.

fIbid. p. 431.

tIbid. p. 435.

1] HISTORICAL REVIEW: FIRST PERIODS 13

pp. 40-42) recounting the discovery of fossil bones to the west
of the Mississippi, supposed to resemble those of the big bone
lick near the Ohio.

Two years later he forwarded to the same society (see vol. vi,
pp. 55-58) a letter received from Martin Duralde from the
‘“country of the Apelousas’’ relating to the occurrence of fossil
remains, supposed to be elephant bones, in that region. Fur-
thermore, ‘‘ M. Duralde in sinking a well in his cow-yard found
sound oyster shells, lying in a horizontal direction, near to each
other, at a depth of 22 feet.’’

In 1804, Dunbar contributed an extended article to the same
Transactions (pp. 165 ef seg.) entitled ‘‘ Description of the River
Mississippi and its Delta, with that of the adjacent parts of Louis-

iana.’’ This contains little of geological interest.
Stoddard.*—In his Sketches of Louisiana, Maj. Stoddard
comments as follows on the delta regiont: ‘‘ Nothing is more

certain than that the delta has gradually risen out of the sea, or
rather that it has been formed by alluvion substances, precipi-
tated by the water from the upper regions. It is calculated that
from 1720 to 1800, a period of eighty years, the land has advanced
fifteen miles into the sea ; and there are those who assert, that
it has advanced three miles within the memory of middle aged
men.’’

His notice of the Five Islands reads as follows: ‘‘There is an
island of about three miles in circumference, situated in the gulf
a few miles to the westward of the mouth of the Chafalia, ele-
vated more than two hundred feet above the level of the sea and
connected with the mainland by a sea marsh. Most of the
islands along the shores of the Mexican gulf exhibit this proud
pre-eminence, while the country for a great depth is most of the
time covered with water. Some of them are impregnated with
sulphur, and one of them has been known to be on fire for at least
three months.”’

The production of the saline springs near Natchitoches is given

*Sketches, Historical and Descriptive, of Louisiana. By Major Amos
Stoddard. Phila. 1812.
tIbid, p. 158.

14 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

as about two hundred and forty barrels of salt per month.* On
page 186 the cause of the rapids at the site of Alexandria is
ascribed to ‘‘two ledges of hard indurated clay, or soft rock
which extend across the channei at about three-fourths of a mile
from each other.’’

Lignite also receives notice in this work. He says: ‘‘Stone or
pit-coal is:an articlevef some importance. -. .-.. % 9. Tt ire
quently makes its appearance on the Washita, the Sabine, and
the Red river, particularly on the borders of a lake in the neigh-
borhood of Nachitoches. This article is of use to smiths, even
at this time, and its importance will increase as the country
becomes more populous and the villages enlarge.’’}

Darby.{S—Though Darby’s works were of a general nature as
the titles indicate he wove in many geological facts and observa-
tions quite in advance of anything that had preceded his works
and in fact by no means equalled by many of his successors.

He calls attention to the salt deposits on the Saline (Drake’s)
(see Geog. La. pp. 29 and 211 and Emigrant’s p. 89) on the
land of Mr. Postlethwait. .

He describes the occurrence of dead cypress trees in Lake

*Tbid. p. 400.

{Ibid. pp. 391-392.

tA Geographical Description of the State of Louisiana: presenting a view
of the Soil, Climate, Animal, Vegetable and Mineral Productions, Illustra-
tive of its Natural Physiognomy, its Geographical Configuration, and Rela-
tive Situation: with an account of the Character and Manners of the
Inhabitants. Being an Accompaniment to the Map of Louisiana. By
William Darby. Phila., 1816.

$The Emigrant’s Guide to the Western and Southwestern States and
Territories ; comprising a Geographical and Statistical Description of the
States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio; the
Territories of Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan ; and the western
parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. With a complete List of
the Road and River Routes west of the Alleghany Mountains, and the con-
necting roads from New York, Philadelphia, and Washington City to New
Orleans, St. Louis and Pittsburg. The whole comprising a more compre-
hensive Account of the Soil, Productions, Climate, and present state of
Improvement of the Regions described, than any Work hitherto published.
Accompanied by a map of the United States, including Louisiana. Pro-
jected and Engraved expressly for this work. By William Darby, New
York, 1818.

I] HIsToRIcAL REVIEW: FIRST PERIOD 15

Bistineau (Geog. La. pp. 31-32) and attributes the origin of
this and similarly located lakes to the choking up of small
stream valleys by Red river sedimentation.

On pp. 45-46 the occurrence of rocks (now called Grand Gulf)
on the Ouachita river on the western angle of Sicily island is
noted and they are properly correlated with similar exposures on
Red river at Alexandria. Hementionsalso rock exposures on the
Sabine, p. 23, but does not correlate the same with the Sicily
island beds.

He describes with care the river systems of the State and dis-
cusses at length the various prairies in the southwestern part of
the State. He noticed marine shells in the banks of Red river,
propably at the now well-known locality at Montgomery.*

His description of the Five Islands is much more complete
and exact than Stoddard’s, being based on a personal examina-
tion of Petite Anse. He noted the existence of a salt spring
on Petite Anse from which salt had been manufactured.t

Nuttall.—In 1821 Thomas Nuttall mentions ferruginous con-
glomerate resembling the New Jersey conglomerate (afterwards
referred to the Cretaceous by Morton) as extending for more thana
thousand miles above Alexandria.{ This seems to have been
the first of the early erroneous references of Louisiana material
to the Cretaceous.

Graham.§$—The reports of the general land office for 1824
give the location by townships of two salt springs in the region
north of Redriver. ‘‘One in township No. 12 of range No.
5 West’’ (probably Drake’s). ‘‘ The other in township No.
13 of range No. 4 West’’ (Price’s):

Delafield.|—A good description of the topographical features of
the mud-lumps of the passes of the Mississippi was given by

*Geographical Description of Louisiana, p. 48.

+ Emigrant’s Guide p. 68,

tJour. Phila. Acad. Sci., rst series, vol. 2, p. 46.

SGeorge Graham, Report of the Commisssioner of the general Land
Office in Relation to Lead Mines and Salt Springs. 18th Cong. Ist Sess.,
House Ex. Doc., vol. 6, No. 128, 1824, pp. 14-15.

|Report on the Survey of the Passes of the Mississippi, 21 Cong., Ist
Sess., House Ex. Doc. No. 7, vol. I, pp. 7-14, 1829. Reprint, 39th Cong.
1st. Sess., House Ex. Doc. No. 97, vol. 12, pp. 2-3, 1866.

16 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Richard Delafield in 1829. ‘Their life history is also fully
described.

An examination in the early part of the same year by Bernard
and Poussin resulted in a very brief description of the character
of the material thrown out of the lumps.*

Harlan.—The first: contribution to the systematic geology of
the State may be regarded as Article XII in the Transactions of
the American Philosophical Society, vol. 4, New Series, 1832,
p. 397, ef seg., entitled ‘‘ Notice of Fossil Bones found in the
Tertiary Formation of the State of Louisiana. By Richard
Harlan, M.D., etc. Read October 19, 1832.”

Dr. Harlan here describes some of the large fossil bones sent
him by Judge Bry ‘‘found on the Ouachita river in the state of
Louisiana, at a distance (south) of about fifty miles by land,
and one hundred and ten by water from the town of Monroe, in
the parish of Ouachita, and in lat. 31° 46’ or 48’.”’

Judge Bry’s comments onthe geology of northern Louisiana are
as follows: ‘‘ The hills, beginning at Cataouta, extend north to
the Arkansas river and west to Red river, whence they spread
to the Sabine. Through that country are interspersed over-
flowed lands varying in extent according to the magnitude of
the creeks, of which they form the bank at low water, and which
flow over them at high water. In these hills very few ores are
found except those of iron, which are abundant in two different
places; but no measures have been taken to ascertain their
value, The highest of the hills do not exceed eight hundred
feet above high water mark ; and in many places they dwindle
into gently rolling ground. - These hills appear to be of a much
more ancient formation than the lower section of Louisiana.
No rocks, however, enter into their composition; but a few
sandy stones and pebbles, nearly all szdzceous, are occasionally
seen scattered on their summits, or in the beds of the numerous
creeks fed by springs issuing from them.

‘“Sea shells are discovered in several places; I found them
on the highest ridge which divides the waters running into the
Red river from the tributary streams of the Ouachita. The

tract, by far the richest in calcareous substances, is the one
*22d Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 4, No. 185, 1832.

q] HISTORICAL REVIEW: FIRST PERIOD LF

within the limits where the fossil bones have been found,
extending about fifteen miles from north to south, and probably
ten or twelve from east to west. Several years ago, while
rambling among these hills, I met with a small creek, the banks
of which are in some places thirty feet high, in which I found
many different species of sea shells, among others, fectenttes,
belemnites, etc. At the sametime, my attention was attracted by
a large quantity of covmua ammonis, the largest of which did
not exceed an inch and a half in diameter, while many were
much smaller.

‘The hill, in which the bones herewith presented were found,
is within the limits above described, at a distance of not more
than two hundred yards from the Ouachita river. About three
years ago, after theoccurrence of a long spell of rainy weather,
a part of the hill slid down near the water’s edge, and thereby
exposed twenty-eight of these bones, which had been until then
covered by an incumbent mass of earth about forty feet thick.
They were embedded in a bank of sea marl, a specimen of which
is added to the bones, as well as the calcareous spar and falc
also found in the same hill. I followed the horizontal vein of
this marl, five or six inches thick, which I traced toa distance
of about forty feet, when it sinks into the valley under an angle
of from twenty-five to thirty degrees. It appeared to have
effloresced where it had been long exposed to the influence of
the atmosphere.

‘“ When these bones were first seen, they extended in a line,
which, from what the person living near the place showed me,
comprised a curve, measuring upwards of four hundred feet in
length, with intervals which were vacant. The person referred
to destroyed many of the bones by employing them instead of
andirons in his fire place and I saved what remained from the
same fate. I think, however, that a great many more bones
belonging to the same animal are yet covered, and will gradually
appear, as the soil and the marl shall be washed off by the rain.”’

Harlan was of the opinion that the bones under consideration
were of a huge lizard-like reptile and proposed for the animal
represented the name ‘‘ Baszlosaurus.’’

Morton.—The following year Morton concluded from the fos-

18 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

sils mentioned in Dr. Bry’s letter that the material represented
was Cretaceous, and from a letter received from Dr. Pitcher
states that the ‘‘ ferruginous sand formation ’’ (Cretaceous) out-
crops between Alexandria and Natchitoches.* It is hardly nec-
essary to remark that neither of these statements is supported by
our present knowledge of that region.

Conrad.—In the Journal of the Philadelphia Academy of
Natural Sciences, vol. 7, 1834, p. 120, T. A. Conrad refers to
the shells found in connection with the Lasz/osaurus to the
Eocene series, and states that the commonest fossil is Corbula
oniscus, acommon Claiborne fossil. He states that the bones
were doubtless from a nearby Cretaceous stratum, not from the
the Eocene as stated by Harlan.

In the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural
Sciences for 1841, p. 33, Conrad describes one of the mollus-
can species found at the same locality. He names it Cardiwm
nicolletz and gives its provenance as “‘ Green clay, 50 feet high,
right bank of the Washita river, Monroe County, La.’ The
same fossil is described on p. 190, vol. 8, of the Journal of the
saine society.

Deméril.;—Harlan’s description of the Aaszlosaurus soon
attracted the attention of the French savants. M. Deméril in
1838 pointed out the true character of the animal. He says,
‘““Astothe Aasilosaurus presented for comparison, it must be
admitted that the vertebrze believed to have come from this fossil
seem rather to be from a cetacean thanareptile.’’

Carpenter.—During the same period William Carpenter was
gathering together information on the geology of the southern
partof Louisiana. He records the finding of vertebrate remains
in two localities. One on little Bayou Sara in the parishof West
Feliciana where he found teeth and fragments of the jaw of a
mastodon, and a tooth of an gwus, much larger than the modern
horse. ‘This he figures in the American Journal of Science, vol.

*Am, Jour. Sci., vol. 23, pp., 288, 1833. Also Synopsis of the Organic
Remains of the Cretaceous Group of the United States, by Samuel George
Morton. Phila., 1834.

+Compte Rendu des Séances de l’Academie des Sciences, Oct. 22, 1838,
Paris. ,

1] HisTorRicaAL Review: First PERIOD MD SETG

34, p. 203, 1838. The other near Opelousas where mastodon
bones were also found.*, He described with considerable detail
the Port Hudson section, and traced in the Florida parishes, the
northern limit of what is now called the Port Hudson group.t

Owen.—Dr. Harlan had received later on some more perfect
specimens of his Basz/osaurus from Alabama and these he took
with him to London in 1839, and submitted them to Richard
Owen, who proved to the satisfaction of all that the huge mon-
ster was an aquatic mammal of dugong, or whale-like affinities.
He gave the name Zeuglodon cetordes to the species. His studies
and conclusions are given at length on pp. 69-79, Trans. Geol.
Soe:; Lond., vol. 6, 1842.

Talcott.—The subject of rendering the mouths of the Missis-
sippi navigable to vessels of deep draught seems to have agitated
the public mind from an early date. The report of Joseph G.
Totten to the war department in 1839 contains a very accurate
map of the mouths of this river, and drawings of two of the
mud lumps by Captain Andrew Talcott. {

Jones.—In the Journal of the Franklin Institute, 3d series, vol.
2, 1841, pp. 83, Engineer A. C. Jones gives a very accurate
description of the physical characters of the mud-lumps at the
mouths of the Mississippi.

Lyell.—The Athenzeum Journal for Sept. 26, 1846, contains an
article by Sir Charles Lyell ‘“‘ On the Delta and Alluvial Deposits
of the Mississippi, and other points in the Geology of North
America observed in the years 1845, 1846.’’ ‘This was repub-
lished in the Report of the British Association for the Advance-
ment of Science for 1847, vol. 16, pp. 117-125. An abstract of
the same occurs 1n the American Journal of Science, 2d series, vol.
3, 1847, pp. 34 and 118.

Herein the author states that he doubts whether the delta
advances over one mile acentury into the gulf. On p.36 (A.J.S.)
he states that the matter held in suspension by the waters of the
Mississippi is about ;;5 the weight of the water itself. On p.
118 he changes the proportion to 7755.

*Am, Jour. Sci., vol. 35, pp. 345-346, 1838.
+Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 36, pp. 118-124, 1839.
tSenate Doc., No. 463, 26th Con., ist Sess., vol. 7, 1840.

20 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

In volume 2 of his Second Visit to the United States, pub-
lished (3d ed.) 1855, Lyell (p. 153) is greatly impressed with
the stability of the general features of the mouths of the Missis-
sippi, and concludes that ‘“we must allow an enormous period of
time’’ for the accumulation of the material constituting the whole
delta. On p. 250 he estimates 67,000 years for the time required
for the formation of the delta.

On pages 180-182 he describes the interesting bluff at Port
Hudson after quoting largely from Bartram and Carpenter.

Natchez bluff is next described (p. 194) as follows : ‘‘The lower
strata, laid open to view, consist of gravel and sand, destitute of
organic remains, except some wood and silicified corals, and other
fossils, which have been derived from older rocks; while the
upper sixty feet are composed of yellow loam, presenting as it
wastes away, a vertical face towards the river. From the surface
of the clayey precipice are seen projecting in relief, the whitened
and perfect shells of land snails of the genera Helix, Helt-
cina, Pupa, Cyclostoma, Achatina and Succinea. ‘These shells of
which we collected twenty species, are all specifically identical
with those now inhabiting the valley of the Mississippi.

‘«’The resemblance of this loam to that fluviatile slit of the val-
ley of the Rhine, between Cologne and Basle, which is generally
called ‘‘loess’’ and ‘“‘lehm’’ in Alsace, is most perfect. In both
countries the genera of shells are the same, and as, in the ancient
alluvium of the Rhine, the loam sometimes passes into a lacus-
trine deposit containing shells of the genera Lymnuea, Planorbis,
and Cyclas, so I found at Washington, about seven miles inland
or eastward from Natchez a similar passage of the American
loam into a deposit evidently formed in a pond or lake. It con-
sisted of marl containing shells of Lymnaea, Planorbis, Paludina,
Physa and Cycas, specifically agreeing with testacea now inhab-
iting the United States.’’ He records Mastadon, Megalonyx,
horse, stag, etc., from these loams.

Dickeson and Brown.—At the first meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science held at Philadelphia
in 1848, Dr. Dickeson read a joint paper on ‘‘The Sediment of
the Mississippi,’’ in which the statement is made that the delta
of the Mississippi has been no less than 14,204 years in forming.
(See p. 51, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. 1.)

I] HISTORICAL REVIEW: First PERIOD 21

Drake.*—In a volume entitled the ‘‘ Principal Diseases of the
Interior Valley of North America,’’ Dr. Daniel Drake succeeded
in weaving in mafiy facts and statements of geological interest.
His description of the mud lumps (pp. 91-94) is particularly
good and deserves attention because he advances the gas theory
for the formation of these objects. He gives (p. 71) a well sec-
tion on Lake Pontchartrain and the section exposed in the gas
tank excavation at New Orleans. On page 161 he states that
the geological formation about Fort Jessup is Tertiary.

£llet.—In 1853 appeared a somewhat extensive work on the
lower Mississippi by Charles Ellet, C. E.f This bookis severely
criticised by Jones in the Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol.
26 -1a536 (see pp. 6o and 162.)

Thomassy.{ —In 1860, Reymond ‘TThomassy published his
‘‘ Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane,’’ both in this country and
in France (Paris).

Whatever may be said of the use of the word ‘‘ pratique’’ in
his title, Thomassy had access to and used to good advantage the
earlier rare contributions to the cartography of Louisiana. His
geology, was in the main limited to a discussion of the role the
Mississippi river has played in the formation of the so-called
delta region of the State. Particularly was he impressed with
the multifold manifestations of water absorption all along the
Mississippi and its consequent diminution in volume gulf-wards,
and the appearance of lateral springs, lakes and terminal mud-
lump volcanoes, all having their origin in the porosity of the
grounds of southern Louisiana and the consequent subter-
ranean flow of large quantities of water.

* A Systematic Treatise, Historical, Etiological, and Practical, on the
Principal Diseases of the Interior Valley of North America, as they appear
in the Caucasian, African, Indian and Esquimaux varieties of its popula-
tion. By Daniel Drake, M.D., Cincinnati, 1850.

+ The Mississippi and Ohio Rivers ; containing plans for the protection
against inundations and investigation of the Practicability and cost of
improving the Navigation of the Ohio and other rivers by means of Reser-
voirs ; withan appendix on the bars at the mouth of the Mississippi, 8°,
367 pp., 1853, Lippincott & Co., See Review in Jour. Franklin inst., 3d
series, vol. 25, pp. 360.

{ Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane par R. Thomassy. (Accompagné de
6planches.) Chez 1’auteur a la Novella-Orléans, et a Paris, 1860.

22 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Chapter VIII, he devotes to a discussion of the Five Islands,
under this caption: ‘‘Intervention of Hydro-Thermal and Vol-
canic Forces in the Formation of Lower Louisiana.’’ (See
special discussion of this subject, special report No. 3.)

Humphreys and Abbott.*—By far the most serious study of
the lower Mississippi in all its bearings, is that by Humphreys
and Abbott, first published in 1861 and afterwards with additions
in 1876. The hydrography and geology of the whole Mississippi
basin are taken into account in order to form just conclusions
regarding the special subjects under consideration.

They hold that the river alluvium is a comparatively thin
stratum underlaid by blue clay of wide geographical distribution
and of Tertiary or even Cretaceous age. It is said to underlie
the Vicksburg bluff, the whole Yazoo bottom, and to underlie
New Orleans at a depth of not more than 4o feet. It forms
the bar of tough clay across the efflux of the Atchafalaya 35 feet
below the bank and 15 feet below Gulf level. An artesian well
boring in the Atchafalaya upon Gen. Welles’ plantation, 10 or
15 miles south of Alexandria shows that the alluvial soil there
is 30 feet thick, the surface of the older formation being
about 50 feet above tide.

For an extensive review of this work see Amer. Jour. Sci.,
Vol.33; 1862, ps 1815p vol..95, 1863, -p-- 223 :vol..36,.1863 ops
16 and 147.

In the edition of 1876, pp. 465-466, it is stated that the
‘‘original mouth ’’ of the Mississippi was near the efflux of the
Plaquemine, 220 miles from the Gulf.

By comparing Talcott’s maps, 1838, and the U. S. Coast
Survey maps of 1851 it is found that the yearly advance of all
the passes is 262 feet per annum. The total advance from the
Plaquemine efflux has taken 4,400 years.

* Report on the Physics and Hydraulics of the Mississippi River ; upon the
protection of the alluvial region against overflow and upon the deepening
of the mouths. Based upon surveys and investigations (etc.) U. S. Army,
Corps of Topographical Engineers, Professional papers, No. 4, xiii, 456,
cexlvi pages, 20 plates, 4°, Philadelphia, 1861 ; also Washington, 1867.
Again 214 pages, I plate, Washington, 1867. With additions, 691 pages, 25
plates (Professional papers, No. 13), Washington, 1876.

1| HISTORICAL REVIEW: SECOND PERIOD 23

Owen.*—Dr. Richard Owen of Indiana visited Petite Anse
in the latter part of 1865. After a hasty examination he showed
that the island was composed of sedimentary material and con-
cluded that it was a wind and wave formed dune similar to those
on the southern shore of Lake Michigan.

SECOND PERIOD
RECONNAISSANCE PERIOD, 1867-1892

fiilgard.—In 1867, Hilgard, under the direction of the Smith-
sonian Institution made a trip down the Mississippi and to the
central three of the Five Islands. The preliminary report on this
reconnaissance appeared in 1869.{ At that time he regarded the
rock salt as having been formed by evaporation in a lagoon or
series of lagoons and as resting ina bed of marine clays of
early Quaternary age. He considered the hills as simply the
accidents of differential erosion.

The same year he published in the American Journal of Science
the ‘‘Summary Results of a late Geological Reconnaissance of
Louisiana.’’ It was based on operations largely in the western
part of the State and was made under the auspices of the New
Orleans Academy of Sciences. Thirty days only were allowed
for the field work. New Iberia; Bayou Chicot, Lake Charles,
Sabinetown, Many, Mansfield, Coushatta Chute, Winnfield and
Harrisonburg were passed through ez voute.

He reviews the various terranes of the State, commencing
with the younger or ‘‘ Port Hudson group’’ and notices in turn
the other groups, viz.: the ‘‘Orange Sand formation,’’ the
‘“Grand Gulf group ;’’ the ‘‘ Vicksburg group ;’’ the ‘‘ Mansfield
group ;’’ and then takes up and discusses the salines of North
Louisiana and the artesian wells of Calcasieu.

The Port Hudson group is said to be of considerable thickness,
600 feet or more beneath New Orleans and to extend up the

*On the Rock Salt at New Iberia, Louisiana by Prof. Richard Owen
Trans. Acad. Sci., St. Louis, vol. 2, pp. 250-252, 1868. Abstract, Am. Jour.
Sci., 2d Series, vol. 42, pp. 120-123, 1868.

tAmer. Jour. Sci., 2d. ser., vol. 47, pp. 78-88, 1869; also Am. Assoc.
Adv. Sci., Proc., vol. 17, pp. 327-340.

24 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Mississippi as far as Memphis and the Red to Shreveport.

To account for the occurrence of the Orange Sand as seen in
Louisiana the conclusion is reached that “‘in late Quaternary
times the Gulf coast has suffered a depression to the extent of
at least nine hundred feet (perhaps more), and during the.
Terrace epoch, a contrary motion of about half that amount.’’

‘The features of the Grand Gulf group in Louisiana are almost
absolutely identical with those prevailing in Mississippi.’’ Hil-
gard still maintains the necessity of a ‘‘ temporary cutting off of
the Mexican Gulf from the Atlantic to account for the existence
of the Grand Gulf strata.’’ He calls attention to the building
stone, potter’s clay, and a “‘ fine white and exceedingly refrac-
tory, semi-indurate white pipe-clay, occurring near the edge of
the Vicksburg rocks in Catahoula parish.’’ ‘To the Vicksburg
group, Hilgard refers practically all the marine Tertiary of the
State. The only exception is the locality of the Zeuglodon on
the Ouachita.

For the lignitiferous beds in northern Louisiana he proposes
the name of Mansfield group and correlates them with the lower
portions of the Vicksburg bluff.

In discussing the ‘‘Salines of Northern Louisiana’’ Hilgard
refers to the method of obtaining brine by sinking shallow wells
‘I5 or 20 feet deep, sometimes by drilling deeper wells, even 1100
feet and occasionally obtaining an artesian supply of brine. The
records of these borings are unfortunately lost. ‘‘ But in one
case at least the pile of borings, in others tradition testifies that
calcareous or gypseous materials were met with all the way down.
This fact, coupled with the lithological character of the latter
(which is foreign to all the Tertiary groups known to me) and the
‘find’ of several individuals of Axogyra costata and Gryphea
pitchert in the rubbish of one pit, suggests that here we have
not local Tertiary basins, but rather the peaks of a Cretaceous
ridge, projecting through the lignitic Tertiary.’’

In this report, as stated above, Hilgard describes the artesian
wells of Calcasieu. They ‘‘ are located on two small islands in
the (fresh water) marsh which forms the head of the bayou
Choupique,’’ a small tributary of the Calcasieu river.

At the time of Hilgard’s visit the well being sunk by the

1]

HISTORICAL REVIEW: SECOND PART

25

Kirkman’s Well

Louisiana Oil Co.’s Well

Depth

Thick-
ness

Materials

Depth

Ft.

Ft.

354

Blue and yel-
low clay some
sand strata

= pos Sees
Se yas

Sandy pipe-

clay, 4 ft.

Ft.

160

SoS)

———

Materials

Formations

173

Blue clay,
sometimes
with layers of
sand soaked
with
petroleum

Loose sand

and gravel, 138

to 153 ft. very
pebbly; 153 to
173 ft. finer
material

Gray lami-
nated clay
(‘‘soapstone’”’

60

443

Blue, sandy,
nodular lime-
stone, with
marine shells
Petroleum
and gas

Soft, white,
crystalline,
crumbling
limestone;
tube driven

through

543

690

Ico

147

Pure
crystalline
sulphur

Sulphur and
gypsum,
alternating
About
+ sulphur. 5ft.
Sulphur bed
at 650 ft.
1o-15 ft. bed
at 680 ft.

Pure gypsum
Dense, gran-

540

ular and
coarsely crys-
talline, gray-
ish or white

) Vicksburg

Port
Hudson
Group

Orange
Sand
Group

Group

Cretaceous

|
|

Formation |
i}

26 (GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Louisiana Petroleum and Coal Oil Co. had reached a depth of
1,230 feet and Dr. Kirkman’s well was 450 feet deep. Hiulgard
interprets and correlates the two as shown on p. 25.

Hilgard read before the Troy meeting of the American Asso-
ciation 1869, a paper ‘‘On the Geology of the Delta and the
Mud-lumps of the Passes of the Mississippi.* Concerning the
delta plain as a whole he believes that the river deposits cover it
to but a ‘‘comparatively insignificant depth.’ He has found
the Orange sand beds in the Calcasieu well about too feet in
thickness, lying below a 350 feet stratum of Port Hudson. The
latter beds are found to resemble those in the New Orleans well,
extending to aldepth of 630 feet. Sir Charles Lyell’s intima-
tion that the beds were for the most part of a delta formation
is again questioned and proven false by the microscopic and
macroscopic fossils of marine origin found in them.

The alluvium about New Orleans varies usually from 31 to 56
feet in thickness beneath which or at the base of whichis a
stratum of mud in which combustible gas is frequently found.
This is of indifferent quality as shown by analysis (p. 245).
Accompanying this flow of gas are streams of. water and mud
making artificial mud-lumps of sometimes considerable dimen-
sions (p. 368). The question of mud-lumps is taken up and
figures illustrating their growth and decay are given (pp. 356—-
368). Their origin is discussed at length (pp. 425-435) and
analyses of waters given.

In Hilgard’s report on the material obtained from the New
Orleans well (bored 1856) published in 1870,{ he maintains that
the distribution aud kind of molluscan species identified show
that at least the lower 510 feet of the well (630 feet deep) belongs
toone and the same formation. It is not a delta deposit. It is
the Port Hudson formation. A carefully drawn section of the
well accompanies this report.

Before the American Association in 1871, Hilgard read a paper
‘“On the Geological History of the Gulf of Mexico.’’* In this
paper a Cretaceous ‘‘ backbone ’’ (p. 393) is said to pass through

*See Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 1, 1870, pp. 238-246, 356-368, 425-435.
{ Ibid p. 239.

+ Rept. Chief Eng., 1870, pp. 352-361.

* Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 2, 1871, pp. 391-404.

1) HiIsTORICAL REVIEW : SECOND PERIOD 27

the State ina northerly and northwesterly direction and on either
side there is a dipping of the strata away from the axis toward
the Mississippi on the east side and westerly or southwesterly on
the west side. The ‘‘ Northern Lignitic’’ is correlated with the
Buhrstone of the states east of the Mississippi (p. 394). He is
led to make this mistake on account of supposing that the now
well known Midway Eocene beds in west Tennesee lying immedi-
ately upon the Cretaceous, were of Lower Claiborne age. Hence
the intervening Lignitic beds should probably be of the same
age. The Cretaceous backbone is held responsible for causing
the extremely lignitic character of the formations of north
Louisiana (p. 396). The barrenness of the Grand Gulf beds is
attributed to some exclusion of the waters in which they were
being deposited from the sea (p. 348). The calcareous concre-
tions found near the base of this formation may have been
derived from organic remains. ‘The Port Hudson beds underlie
the Mississippi alluvium up as far as Memphis, and the Red river
as far as Shreveport (p. gor).

The Smithsonian memoir by Hilgard on the ‘‘Geology of Lower
Louisiana and the Rock salt of Petite Anse* published in 1872
is a more complete statement of the first article on the subject pub-
lished in the American Journal of Science in 1869. He describes
the Port Hudson section and gives a detailed description of each
of the Five Islands. Inthis article he takes the view that the Five
Islands are but the erosion-formed outliers of a Cretaceous ridge
or backbone which traverses Louisiana from the northwest cor-
ner in the direction of Vermillion bay ; the salt being of Creta-
ceous rather than early Quaternary age. He thinks that at the
beginning of Tertiary time the existence of the axis of elevation
was marked merely by a number of disconnected islands. In
later geological time the lower five outcrops were buried under
deposits of Orange Sand and Port Hudson material, as indeed
was the whole Mississippi valley, and in the re-excavation of
the valley by the Mississippi river the material covering the
Cretaceous nuceli was not eroded so much as the surrounding
country, thus forming the islands.

*Smith. Contributions, vol. 23, No. 248, 32 pp.

28 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.
HILGARD’S PROFILE OF BLUFF AT SABINETOWN, TEXAS
No. Materials and Character Feet Formation
14 | Ferruginous sandstone, and conglomerate of
pebbles with fragments of silicified wood. . 6 Drift
13, | Ferruginous sand, of the usual Drift facies,
with two or there ledges of ferruginous
Sandstonercsen. ik) “Ack ones coast eee ene 18
12 | Yellowand variegated sand, with clay laminze A
ULETSPerced el) ace ante es eater are 6 | Mansfield
Ir | Grey or brownish laminated clay with yellow Lignitic
(ochreous) cleavage planes, and a few sandy
LAV OSS 05 ieee Seca ee nd lee Oe 25 (Foot of
: Vicksburg
; ; Bluff )
10 | Yellow and variegated sand, with clay bands at
intervals of about twenty inches........... 30
g | Grey laminated clay with Selenite, and ferrugi-
nous stratification lines at intervals of ten
INCHES Bist. oe 3 heres a elntah en le eee 12
8 | Greenish ferruginous sand with clay laminz. 33
7 | Ferruginous, concretionary sandstone, porous,
LOSStIfer OUST ly helene RN rien ood ace eres Ra 3
6. solid blues sand yiclay 02)'s tye tone eee Meee 3 Jackson
5. | “Browh, laminated * clay 72. svc. ssa oe ee I (Marine)
4 Blue fossiliferous limestone, sandy, with /os- 2
Pellatia VElaEO ies ce Pa ee
3 | Greenish sand, alternating with clay lamine. . 6
2 | Blue calcareous sandstone, fossiliferous...... 2 |
I Greenish sand, as far as visible.............. 2 |

1] HISTORICAL REVIEW: SECOND PERIOD 29

In 1873 Hilgard published a ‘“‘Supplementary and Final
Report of a Geological Reconnaissance of theState of Louisiana.’’
It isa large octavo phamphlet of 44 pages, and may be regarded
as the most complete statement of the geology of the State
heretofore published. No brief review can give an adequate
idea of the contents of this work. It should be consulted by
any aud all whocare to become familiar with the geology of the
State. It gives soil analyses, topographic, geologic, vegetation
and other characteristics of the regions traversed ex route as out-
lined in his previous report.

On the preceding page Hilgard’s section at Sabinetown, Tex.
is given.

‘‘ At the foot of the bluff, where at high stages of water it is
difficult to find passage, it is lined with blocks of dark colored
rock, tumbled from above. ‘These are mostly derived from
No. 7 of the section, a porous, concretionary, ferruginous sand-
stone, with casts of fossils, now unrecognizable. There are
besides, blocks of hard, limy sandstone or sandy limestone
derived from No’s. 2 and 4. The former is generally poor in
fossils, the latter in places very rich, and the fossils well
preserved, but very difficult to detach from the rock. Among
them, a small variety of Hostellaria velata is the only fossil
usually characterizing the Jackson group. But this, at the time
of my visit, I failed to identify, and was inclined to consider the
fauna found here more nearly related to the Vicksburg than to
the Jackson group. But at a subsequent visit Prof. Hopkins
found on a tributary entering-the Sabine just above the ferry, a
bed of shells bearing most distinctly the Jackson character.
While it is thus proven that the lower (marine) portion of this
profile is of the latter age, the upper (lignitic) part is thereby
parallelized to the lower division of the Vicksburg bluff, to
which it bearsa close lithological resemblnace. And if we define
the area actually underlaid here by the Vicksburg marine rocks
proper, we cannot assign to it, on an average, a width greater
than about three miles in a northwest and southeast direction.’’

We are quite at a loss to know what shells Dr. Hopkins could
have found here that would have a ‘‘ most distinctly ’’’ Jackson
character for they are purely upper Lignitic species as will be
shown later on in this report. Moreover, Hilgard is still misled

30 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

regarding the Vicksburg outcroppings by the little orbitolite
specimens in the Lower Claiborne which he takes to be Orbitoides
manteli. The salt works in Northern Louisiana are well
described, likewise the so-called marble and limestones. The
Grand Gulf beds at Harrisonburg are well described. In the
recapitulation he gives again the Calcasieu wells.

In 1874, Hilgard published a ‘‘ Note on Lignite Beds and
Their Under-Clays’”’ in the American Journal of Science.* In
the course of this note he says: ‘‘The cause of this complete
obliteration of spongy roots or spongy parts of roots is doubtless
to be sought in the oxidizing influence of ferruginous solutions
percolating from above, and the subsequent action of pressure
on the yielding mass.”” * * * ‘‘That another phase of the
same agencies has been instrumental in obliterating the teeming
fauna of the Port Hudson beds, whose character can now be
studied only in a few limited localities, I have already shown
(Smith. Contr. Knowl., No. 248, p. 12). And there can be little
doubt that the absolute dearth of organic remains which has
thus far frustrated all my attempts to gain a definite clue to the
age of the Grand Gulf beds of the Gulf border, is largely due
to the same cause, and not to the conversion of the Mexico Gulf
into a dead sea during the Post-Eocene Tertiary period.”’

In arguing against the eolian origin of the Less, Hilgard
statest that in Louisiana representative deposits are quite dis-
tinctly stratified.

In 1881, Hilgard contributed an article on ‘‘the Later Tertiary
of the Gulf of Mexico’”’ to the American Journal of Science.f
This article is inspired by the recent publication of the Coast
Survey chart ‘‘Soundings in the Gulf of Mexico’’ and the observa-
tions of Smith on the geology of Florida.

On his map the northern edge of the Grand Gulf formation is
made to curve around in Alabama and ‘‘run out’’ into the Gulf
of Mexico at about the western extremity of Florida. It thus
seems to have some relationship to the abrupt descent in

*Vol. 7, pp. 208-210. :
+Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 18, 1879, p. 107.
t Vol. 22, pp. 58-65, map.

I] HIsTrorRicAL REVIEW: SECOND PERIOD ar

the bottom of the Gulf not far to the east and southeast of
Pensacola.

The shelf along the northern coast of the Gulf, in case the
bottom were raised 450 feet would be converted into a shallow
water strip in which both fresh water and marine animals could
have no safe footing. Add to this the partial closing of the
Florida Straits and the Yucatan Channel and the whole Gulf
would have become inhospitable for its marine denizens.

The first report on the Mineral Resources of the United States
published in 1883 contains an article by Dr. Hilgard on the
Salines of Louisiana.* It contains a complete restatement of
the information regarding the northern salines published in his
earlier articles and much additional data on the mining opera-
tions on Petite Anse.

In the Report on Cotton Production in the United Statest,
part I, page ili, ef seg., Hilgard gives a brief summary of the
geological features of the State, including however no new geo-
logical facts. The soils of the State are discussed with care, and
many exhaustive analyses of the same are given.

In 1885 another article was contributed by Hilgard, entitled,
‘The Classification and Paleontology of the United States Ter-
tiary Deposits.’’{ This article was inspired by the peculiar
stratigraphy of O. Meyer and the answer by Heilprin. Hilgard
does not believein Meyer’s stratigraphy. On the other hand, he
fully sympathizes with Meyer in considering many of Conrad’s
species as spurious or as varieties only ; states he gave up send-
ing Conrad material because the latter would describe all varieties
as species nove. Again and finally: ‘‘I doubt if there exists a
finer opportunity for observing the evolution of marine species
in Tertiary times than is presented by the minutely differentiated
formations of Mississippi and Louisiana.”’

About simultaneously another article appeared from Hilgard’s
pen in the American Journal of Science, on The Old Tertiary of
the Southwest.’’§ Hedisposes of Meyer’s ridiculous stratigraphy
in trans-Mississippi deposits, and adds: ‘‘But, outside of the

“Pp. 554-505.

+47th Cong. 2d Sess., House Mis. Doc., No. 42, part 5, 1884.
{tScience, vol. 6, p. 44.

SAm, Jour. Sci., vol. 30, pp. 266-269.

32 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

State of Mississippi, Ican satisfy Dr. Meyer’s postulate of ‘seeing
Vicksburg rocks actually superimposed upon the Jackson strata.’
I have seen this in Louisiana on the Bayou Funne Louis, where
I have stood on a ledge of Vicksburg limestone showing a south-
ward dip and containing abundance of Ovdztoides, Arca missis-
stppiensis and Pecten poulsont, looking down upon a level prairie
country in which the bones of the Zeug/odon have been plowed
Up.

In 1887 Hilgard contributed to Science*, an article entitled,
‘“The Equivalence in Time of American Marine and Intra-con-
tinental Terranes.’’ Herein the following significant passage
occurs: ‘‘The striking increase of the lignitiferous facies
toward the northwestern border of the Gulf Tertiary area, culmi-
nating in the appearance of bands of fresh-water limestone at
Mansfield and northwestward ; the fan-like expanse in Arkansas
and Louisiana of the older portion of the narrow bands formed
by the marine stages in Mississippi and Alabama with a mani-
fest northwestern trend of such deposits as are continuosly
traceable in northwestern Louisiana, while the later stages are
abruptly deflected to the southwest, all points to a rapidly pro-
gressing elevation of the axial Cretaceous trough that may or
may not have completely separated the interior from the gulf
waters before the beginning of the Tertiary period.’’

flopkins.—In 1869 Dr. F. V. Hopkins made three geological
trips in northern Louisiana and submitted his first annual report
on the region covered late in the same year. In this report he
reviewed the different geological formations occurring in the
State from the oldest or Cretaceous to the most recent or allu-
vial formation.

His ideas of the stratigraphy of the State along a line ‘‘passing
north through the Cretaceous outcrop in Winn and then turning
a little southeast to intersect the St. Landry limestone, and the
islands in the sea-marsh,’’ is shown in the following figure :

*Vol. 9, p. 535, 1887.

1] HISTORICAL REVIEW: SECOND PERIOD 23

Winn Par.
Red River
# Alluviurn

H
Ua
Chicot

Prairie
Sa are

4 Petite Anse

Diluvium

MANSFIELD GROUP_»
HYUN ALIN S ee

CRETACEOUS

L’stone
Salt

STRATA

Fic. 1.—Zvansverse section of Louisiana, After Hopkins.

The Cretaceous is said to rise to the surface in but few locali-
ties. One is on Dugdamona bayou, S. 35, 12 N., 3 W.
Another is in St. Landry about seven miles west of Chicot.
Other Cretaceous rocks have been met with in wells, around
Drake’s salt-works, King’s salt-works, and in the sulphur well
at Calcasieu.

The well section at Calcasieu he gives from information

obtained from a Mr. Munn, as follows:
Prairie Diluvium. 1. 160 feet blue clay, layers of sand.

Dpihite. °c savor 2. 173 feet sand.

Grand Gulf...... 3. 10 feet clay rock ‘‘soapstone.’’

Wieksbure esas. 4. 40 feet blue anthraconitic, limestone, fissured.
60 feet gray limestone.

f
|
j

Cretaceous... 137 feet gypsum, with sulphur.

| Io feet sulphur.
Lo. 540 feet gypsum, grayish blue.

He is led to believe that : ‘‘ The sulphur was formed by reduc-
ing the gypsum with vegetable matter. The carbonic acid,
olefiant gas and the marsh gas produced by the process, have
each left the proof its presence, z. e., the limestone stratum No.
5 contains the former, the petroleum is made from the olefiant
gas,’’ and the small low mounds of that and other regions were
formed by the escaping of these gases.

The Mansfield group is discussed lithologically, geographically
and paleontologically. A hundred foot section is given near
Columbia. Sections at Coal-bluff, on the Chickasaw creek, and
at Grande Ecore, on Red river, are given in detail, with others.

At Spring Bank, in Arkansas,eight miles above the State line,
a fine exposure occurs containing a sufficiently large amount of
iron ore to ‘‘almost justify the establishment ofa furnace.’’ (p.89.)

Cc

5.

6. 1co feet pure crystalline sulphur.
ae

8.

34 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The Jackson group is next taken up and traced from Grand-
view, on the Ouachita, to Montgomery, on the Red. The latter
locality, the most important Jackson deposit in the State, was
brought to the attention of the scientific world by the transmis-
sion to the State Military Academy of a vertebra of Zeuglodon
by Judge A. V. Ragan, the owner of the bluff and plantation.
He notes (p. 94) the occurrence of Oréztoides mantelli, a typical
Vicksburg species, in the Jackson beds at this locality. Many
of the more important Lower Claiborne localities, as known
to-day, were visited by Hopkins and referred to the Jackson
period.

The ‘‘ Vicksburg formation “’ he traces from ‘‘near the Oua-
chita to nineteen miles southwest of Natchitoches ”’ including
much that is now known to be Lower Claiborne.

The Grand Gulf is then taken up and its characters, extent,
out-crops, etc., given. Sections are given at Harrisonburg,
Chalk hills and Alexandria.

The deposits of the ‘‘ Drift Period’’ are then discussed as
regards geographical distribution. He makes the following gen-
eral statements: ‘‘ The country covered by the drift, i. e., the
areas of the Grand Gulf, much of the Jackson and Vicksburg,
and almost all of the Mansfield groups, comprises the upland
region of the State. It is, in general, broken and hilly, the
height of the hills depending principally on the underlying Ter-
tiary strata. The highest are on the territory of the Mansfield
group, between Shreveport and Monroe; but the Harrisonburg,
Cloutierville and Kisatche hills are of Grand Gulf age, as we
have seen already. The intervening region of the Jackson and _
Vicksburg are lower, and are often entirely bare of the drift, as
is the case also with the marly regions of the Grand Gulf. Per-
haps the presence of lime in the soil renders it more penetrable
by water and therefore more subject to denudation, so that an
oceanic current carrying detritus, would deposit it most heavily
where there was the least lime. Whatever the explanation may
be, this appears to have been the fact.”’

Hopkin’s Second Annual Report of the Geological Survey of
Louisiana was presented to the General Assembly late in 1870
and published in 1871. It is accompanied by a colored map of

¢

I] HISTORICAL REVIEW: SECOND PERIOD 35

the State, the first and only geological state map thus far pub-
lished. He correlates the ‘‘ Mansfield group’’ with the marine
Jackson, regarding their difference in appearance as due to local
conditions in deposition instead of difference in time of deposit.

The Claiborne stage is still unidentified in the State; all
localities now known to belong to the Lower Claiborne are here
referred to the Jackson or Vicksburg stages. A long list of
Jackson fossils is given, likewise a less exhaustive one of the
Vicksburg.

This report cannot be regarded as more than a restatement of
the more important facts of the first with some additions and
corrections as noted above.

The third Annual Report of Dr. Hopkins is devoted almost
entirely toa discussion of the newer formations from the ‘‘ Drift,’’
(now called the Lafayette) upwards. In this report he departs
from the view which he has heretofore advocated of the com-
paratively slight thickness of the alluvium of the Mississippi
valley. Hesays: ‘‘ The professor [Hilgard] therein takes the
view that the alluvium proper beneath New Orleans is but
thirty-one feet thick, arguing that the marine deposits below are
of the Port Hudson group. I followed him last year in this
idea, and quoted his list of shells under the head of the Bluff
formation. My observations this season oblige me to modify
this conclusion somewhat. Wishing to ascertain as accurately
as possible the actual depth of the alluvium, I instituted a series
of experiments upon the water of wells dug in the Port Hudson
formation and in the bottom lands, respectively. I have found
(as indeed, Professor Hilgard had told me that he should expect)
that the former contain a considerable proportion of sulphates
and carbonates, while the latter show an excess of chlorides.
This result is uniform, excepting where the wells happen to
strike considerable beds of sand, when the waters are too pure to
be distinguished. It is evident, therefore, that by testing the
water of the deepest wells dug in the alluvium, it is possible to
teil whether they pass through it into the underlying Port
Hudson group or not. The patent wells that are made by
simply driving a tube into the ground, offer great facilities for
this research, as the water that they furnish comes necessarily

36 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

from the bottom of the well only. Ona trip that I made from
Baton Rouge to the Arkansas line, I analyzed the water of various
wellsfrom seventy to one hundred feet in depth, andin not a sin-
gle instance found any other than the alluvial characteristics.’’ *

He discusses at length the Bluff formation under which he
includes the Port Hudson, the lcess and the Yellow loam and
gives the results of field work in East Baton Rouge, East and
West Feliciana,Tensas, Madison, Carroll, Moorehouse, Ouachita,
Richland, Franklin, Catahoula, Rapides, Avoyelles and Pointe
Coupé parishes. He describes and gives sections in Bayou
Macon hills, at Catahoula lake, in the Tunica hills, at St.
Francisville, at Port Hudson and near Baton Rouge.

In the Tunica hills he records the unusual thickness of 150
feet for the loess and on Red river connects the upland terraces
with the Port Hudson material of the Mississippi valley. He
gives an extensive list of Paleeozoic fossils which have been
identified from the ‘‘ drift gravels,’’ and is inclined to regard the
gravels, as having been formed in Quaternary time by an arctic
current flowing from Hudson bay.

To this discussion is appended a brief account of the forma-
tions exhibited on the geological map.

Edwards —In 1870 A. M. Edwards reported on the ‘‘ Results
of a Microscopical Examination of Specimens of Sand obtained
from an Artesian Well at New Orleans.’’ At the depth § of
32 feet he found sand, light grayish with fine specks of organic
material. This is the gas bearing stratum. At 49 feet sharp
sand consisting of clear transparent quartz with black organic
specks and a few comminuted mollusks. At52% feet somewhat
the same as above but darker. At 71 feet fine sea-bottom
deposits with many sea-shells. The Diatomacee are the same
species as those found living on the coast of Florida and
South Carolina.

Ffayes.—An analysis of lignite derived from a locality two
miles below Shreveport was made in 1874 by S. Dana Hayes,f

* Third Annual Report Geol. Surv. of La., An. Rept. Supt. La. State
Univ. for 1871, p. 168, 1872.

$ An. Lyc Nat Hist New York, vol. 9, pp. 329-33.

}{ Chemica! News,vol. 30, pp. 153-154.

1 HIsToriIcaAl REVIEW: FIRST PERIOD ag

State Assayist of Massachusetts. ‘Chis author adds: ‘‘ This
lignite has a specific gravity of 1.143, it isnearly black in color,
and its lignitic structure is not so distinct as usual; but it dis-
solves completely in caustic soda solution.”’

Forshey.—In 1875 C. G. Forshey, Assistant Engineer, pub-
lished a ‘‘ Report of Survey and Borings Made at the Proposed
Site of the Lake Borgne Outlet.’’* He finds that the banks of
the Mississippi slope rapidly back towards the lake and reach
the level of the swamp land at a distance of from 3,000 to 4,000
feet. Hereports 14 soundings made by auger and casing pipe to
depths of from 70 to 100 feet. The mollusks obtained from the
wells were submitted to Prof. Carpenter of Montreal and found
to belong to species now living in Florida waters. Violent
eruptions of hydrogen gas sometimes brought up shells and mud
from depths of 60 to 70 feet. The gas burns with a reddish
flame. He notes the similarity of these phenomena to those
seen at the mud-lumps of the Mississippi.

Gabb.—From his studies in the West Indies and Costa Rica
Gabb concludes} that instead of being shut off from the sea in
Miocene times, the Gulf of Mexico was less isolated than now
since the marine Miocene deposits on these islands and shores
prove the islands were then much below the present level.

Johnson.—In 1885, L.. C. Johnson was directed by the U.S.
Geological Survey to investigate the iron ores of Louisiana.
In 1886 he was requested to extend his researches into the
northeastern counties of Texas.

The resultsof these investigations are embodied in a report
published in 1888, as House Ex. Doc. No. 195, 50th Cong. Ist
Session and styled ‘‘ The Iron Regions of Northern Louisiana
and Hastern Texas.’’

He published a map showing the distribution of the ores and
gave figures in the text illustrating characteristic or important
exposures. In the matter of stratigraphy he followed Hilgard
closely. He has nothing new to offer on the age of the Mansfield
group. He did, however, collect fossils from several important

* gath Cong. Ist. Sess. Rept. Sec. War. Eng. Rept. vol. 2, pt. I, pp.
622-629.
fpAmer Journ, “scr, voleo.1875, p. 320:

38 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

localities, and Aldrich, who studied them, was enabled to
correct some erroneous correlations made before Johnson’s
work ; the U. S. National Museum now has these considerable
collections. He found several new localities for fossils.

His conclusions on the iron ore of the State will be found later
on in this report.

“lhe Nita Crevasse’’ is the title of a brief article by Johnson
in the Geol. Soc. Amer. Bulletin for 1891.* He states among
other things that there was a period when the Mississippi
embouched at Manchac. ‘The Pontchartrain clays were then
deposited. These extend up to the loess and are the equivalents
of the Port Hudson beds.

Knowlton.—The Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum,
vol. 11,+ contains a note by Knowlton describing two species of
fossil wood from Rapides parish, La. They were collected by
L. C. Johnson in 1886. Johnson called them Pliocene ; McGee
says they are of Grand Gulf age ; Knowlton thinks the age very
uncertain. They are Palms called Palmoxylon qguenstedti and P.
cellulosum.

Elsewhere in the same volume (p. 11 e/seg.) Knowlton has pre-
pared for publication some of Lesquereux’s species from Camp-
bell’s quarry, Cross lake and from McLee’s, two miles north of
Mansfield. (See especially pp. 24-25.)

Leidy.—In 1884 Joseph Leidy made a short communication to
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia on Fossil bones
received from Petite Anse.{ This was followed by a detailed
report published in the Transactions of the Wagner Free Insti-
tute of Science in 1889. In this he mentions Mastodon amert-
canus, Mylodon harlani ?) Owen and “Lguus major DeKay as
occuring at this locality.$

* Vol. 2, pp. 20-25, I8gI.

+ Pp. 89-91, pl. xxx, 1888.

¢ Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. 26, p. 22, 1884.

§ Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. 2, pp. 33-40, 1889.

I] HISTORICAL REVIEW: THIRD PERIOD 39

THIRD PERIOD.
PERIOD OF WORK UNDER THE DIRECTION OF EXPERIMENT STATION.

Lerch.—Dr. Otto Lerch spent from March 1 to May 18, 1892,
in the study of the geology of Northern Louisiana. His report,
which appeared the same year, was entitled ‘‘A Preliminary
Report upon the Hills of Louisiana, north of Vicksburg, Shreve-
port and Pacific Railroad.’’ It consisted of 52 8vo. pages, and
was illustrated by figures in the text.

The work of this brief period was mainly confined to localities
along the line of the V.S. and P. R.R. He visited Rayburn’s
salt works, however, and was the first to note Cretaceous fossils
at that locality. He gives a good description of the old works,
including a figure showing his idea of the stratigraphy of the
region.

A long section (opp. p. 22 of his report) shows his conception
of the Eocene stratigraphy of N. Louisiana. Analyses of seven
artesian wells and spring-waters are given. ‘Ten soil analyses
were made and published. Three specimens of iron ore and two
of lignite were tested.

The ‘‘ List of Fossils from the Green Sand Marl, two and one-
half miles Northeast of Mt. Lebanon, La.,’’ affords we
believe, the first satisfactory published proof of the ageof the
large majority of the marly fossiliferous beds of northwest
Louisiana.

Lerch continued field-work during July and August in north-
ern Louisiana. The special field of investigation is indicated by
the title of his second report published in 1893. It reads, ‘‘A
Preliminary Report upon the Hills of Louisiana, South of the
Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, to Alexandria, La.’’
His former publication being styled No. 1, this follows accord-
ingly as No. 2.

After discussing the topography, drainage and lakes, he takes
up ‘‘ General Geology ’’ and treats the various formations that
underlie this portion of the State, beginning with the oldest, or
Cretaceous.

‘“Drake’s salt works are described, and represented in section ;
the Winnfield ‘‘ Marble’’ is likewise described ; and a list of all

40 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

known or supposed Cretaceous outcrops is given. He refers to
the N. W.—S. E. trend of these outcrops, as Hilgard and others
had done before, and concludes ‘‘that at the close of the Mesozoic
time enormous plutonic forces convulsed, fractured, faulted and
folded the Cretaceous strata, throwing up mountain chains of
vast extent and raising them far above the waters of the Gulf.’’

The lower Eocene beds of the State he styles ‘‘ lower lignitic ”’
in contradistinction to similar beds above the ‘‘ marine Claiborne
beds ’’ termed ‘‘ upper lignitic.”’

It should be borne in mind that the expression “‘ lower ligni-
tic,’’ as here used is simply a descriptive term and in no way
implies that the beds are equivalent to the lower Lignitic beds
of the Alabama section.

To these lignitic beds he refers the outcrops seen along the
T. and P. R. R., from 4 miles N. W. of Cypress station to
Robeline. Other outcrops are mentioned about Mansfield and
Shreveport.

‘‘ Marine Claiborne’’ outcrops are mentioned from S. 7, 17 N.,
9 W.; S. 22, 18 N., 10 W.; Natchitoches ; Capt. Plair’s, 6 miles
N. of ‘Benton’; well on S. 2, 20 N., 13 W.; S33; 1G N= 5 We;
White Oak creek, S. 14, 11 N., 5 W.; well onS. 10, 10 N., 5 W.

The lignitic beds in the eastern part of Northern Louisiana,
he believes to be above the Claiborne and terms them “‘ upper
lignitic.’? They are typically exposed in the bluffs and R. R.
cuts about Columbia.

The ‘‘ Arcadia Clays’’ according to this author are bounded
on the south ‘‘ by the north boundary line of the calcareous
marls and limestone of the overlying Jackson and Vicksburg
groups of Hilgard, sub-parallel to the present coast line of the
Gulf of Mexico. They cross the State from east to west, rest-
ing upon the deeply eroded surface of the lower lignitic, marine
Claiborne and upper lignitic formations reaching northward into
the State of Arkansas, westward into Texas, and are bounded
in the east by the flood plain of the Mississippi river. Their
dip is southwesterly, though on account of the erosion, they
have sustained, the covering mantle of succeeding formations
and slight disturbances in the deposits, it is frequently very
«difficult to make it out.’’

1] HISTORICAL REVIEW: THIRD PERIOD AI

‘*Jackson”* beds are’ represented in a section’ “‘ No. 13,’’ as
overlying “‘‘ upper lignitic ’’ beds and the latter in turn are
shown to overlie the ‘‘ Claiborne forniation.’’

Unfortunately the ‘‘Jackson’’ localities given are ill-defined, or
belong to the Lower Claiborne stage.

The ‘‘ Vicksburg ’’ sections given on p. 93. are Jackson (see
SINOLeRSi. And WNOsL6: 5):

The ‘‘Grand Gulf’’ rocks are described and illustrated on
PP- 94-98.

The ‘‘ Red Sandy Clays’’ of northern Louisiana are said to
have been deposited at the close of the Tertiary.

Next, ‘‘ The Sands and Gravel of the Drift ’’ are described ;
and, finally, the ‘‘ Alluvium’’ is discussed.

Under Economic Geology the waters examined are described.

Under ‘‘ Useful Minerals ’’ theanalyses of 10 marls are given ;
and gypsum and limestones are discussed.

Under ‘‘ Other Minerals of Economic Value’’ are placed
Building stones, Gravels, Iron, Clay, Kaolin, Salt, Lignite; of
the latter 4 analyses are given. ‘‘ Soilsof Northern Louisiana ’’
are discussed and 45 analyses are given.

The ‘‘ Botanical Notes ’’ by Vaughan and Tracy are an
important and interesting feature of the report.

Flarris.—While engaged on the Tertiary of southern Arkan-
sas, this author made a short visit to the Bossier and Claiborne
parishes of this State to see what help in the classification of
deposits in Arkansas might be derived from fossiliferous sections
farther south. The results of this trip were embodied in one of
the Arkansas Annual Reports.*

A detailed section at Roberta, and at the Pope Joy cut are
given. Various fossiliferous localities are mentioned.

From the fossils collected by Johnson and deposited in the
U. S. Nat. Museum this author was able to correlate the
St. Maurice beds as Lower Claiborne.

A list of Jackson fossils from Montgomery follows; the
chapter closes with a brief history of the Zewg/odon locality on
Ouachita river.

*Arkansas Geological Survey, Annual Report, 1892, vol. 2 (publ. 1894),
by Gilbert D. Harris, 8vo. 207 pp., plates, map. See Chapter VIII.

42 GENLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Cope.—This author published in 1894* some notes ‘‘ On Some
Pleistocene Mammalia from Petite Anse, La.’’

He describes two new species of JZylodon and one of Lguus,
and mentions others. (See special report on Five Islands,
under Petite Anse).

Vaughan.—By permission of the Director of the U.S. Geol.
Surv., Mr. T. Wayland Vaughan published in 1895 an article
entitled ‘‘ The Stratigraphy of Northwestern Louisiana.’’+

This work represents the results of several visits to this
portion of the State by the author dating from 1889, to the
autumn of 1894.

Vaughan’s treatment of the subject is chronologic, beginning
with the lowest or oldest beds, the Cretaceous. He very
properly doubts Hilgard’s identification of Gryphea pitcheri on
the ground that this is a Comanche series fossil and not of the
higher glauconitic horizon.

This author takes exception to Lerch’s ‘‘disturbance in
Louisiana succeeding the close of the Cretaceous deposition,”’
and insists on an erosion period between the Cretaceous and
Eocene. Furthermore he believes the Cretaceous strata to be
undisturbed, or now quite horizontal.

By means of carefully noting the distribution of fossil
remains in this portion of the State, Vaughan was able to
correct some of the errors of Lerch as to the distribution of the
Jackson stage.

Unfortunately he regarded Lerch’s ‘‘lower lignitic,’’ and
Hilgard’s ‘‘ Mansfield group’’ as belonging to the Lower
Claiborne.

He is doubtless right in referring Lerch’s ‘‘ Arcadia Clays”’
to the Lower Claiborne.

Some of Lerch’s ‘‘ upper lignitic’’ beds are proven to be
Lower Claiborne, while others, as at Columbia, are referred to a
newly named substage, the ‘‘ Cocksfield Ferry beds.’’

Jackson and Vicksburg localities with lists of fossils are given.
The Grand Gulf beds were discussed and a new group of strata
is described under the name Sparta Sands.

* Am. Phil. Soc. Proc., vol. 34, pp. 458-468.
+ Amer. Geologist, vol. 15, p. 205-229.

’

1] HISTORICAL REVIEW: THIRD PERIOD 43

‘“ Covering the southern part of the Lower Claiborne area and
all of the Jackson and Vicksburg, excepting small spots, and
extending over the Grand Gulf,are deep quartz sands some-
times with gravel, which bear a growth of long-leaf pine.
These sands rest unconformably on the lower terranes. ‘The
name Sparta Sands is proposed for them.’’

Vaughan published as Bulletin No. 142 of the U.S. Geol.
Survey, 1896, practically the above notes plusa bibliography ;
list of fossils, with localities ; and description of several new
molluscan species, with figures.

Clendenin.—W. W. Clendenin in 1894 continued the work
begun by Dr. Lerch. He was connected with both the Univer-
sity and the Experiment Stations. Six months were spent in
the University and six months in the field. During the summer
of 1894 and ’95 he was engaged in an examination of the
‘* Florida Parishes of East Louisiana and the Bluff, Prairie and
Hill Lands of Southern Louisiana. His report on this area
appeared in 1896, as part III of Geology and Agriculture. The
general topographical features of the region are discussed and
the terms Lafayette and Columbia substituted for Hilgard’s old
Orange Sand and Port Hudson.

On the Five Islands he worked out the fact that the islands
were lifted, in part at least, during the period which followed the
deposition of the Lafayette gravel. This idea was a marked
improvementon Hilgard’s early supposition that the islands were
formed by the differential erosion of a Cretaceous ridge in
pre-Tertiray times.

He also published several well sectionsin southern Louisiana
which throw considerable light on the geology of the southwest-
ern part of the State.

Part of the summer of 1895 was spent in the Bluff and Mis-
sissippi alluvial lands, and his report on this area appeared as
Part IV of Geology and Agriculture. He gives a general dis-
cussion of the life and development of a river and shows how it
applies to the Mississippi.

Johnson.—In 1899, an article appeared in the Philadelphia
Academy’s Proceedings entitled ‘‘ New and Interesting species
in the ‘Isaac Lea Collection of Eocene Mollusca.’ ’’

Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1899, pp. 71-82, pl. 1-2.

44 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Herein were described from the Jackson beds at Montgomery,
La., Mitra grantensis, Phos hilli, var. magnocostatus, Cyprea
ludoviciana ; from the Lower Claiborne at St. Maurice, Fusus
ludoviciana ; from Hammett’s branch, near Mt. Lebanon, Cyprea
vaughant, Ovula subtruncata.

AP ae ha eee

ETF ball

Nib inp>i ge
:- ae

=

hag ey ”~

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

GEOLOGICAL MAP

OF ‘

LOUISIANA

NOTE

The distribution of the post
Eocene deposits is based
mainly on previous
surveys

©) Cretaceous

Kocene of doubt-
ful horizon

Midway Hocene

Lignitic Eocene

| i -l¢ | Lower Claiborne Eocene
hitter |

W

\ EISSN

Jackson Eocene

= Te mh mee i ate io a : i Sp ) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899
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OF

LOUISIANA

psmse de aur ne s
Ay KS =

NOTE

The distribution of the post © Cretaceous
Eocene deposits is based
mainly on previous
surveys

cud :
y

\

4 Eocene of doubt-
ful horizon

Midway Eocene

Lignitic Eocene
Lower Claiborne Eocene

Jackson Eocene

Vicksburg Oligocene

| Grand Gulf Oligocene

+

TINY Port Hudson Pleistocene

| Via ‘i

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BSS | 7 Loess and Loan
3 } Pleistocene
7 Alluvium and very
recent deposits

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SEcTION II

GENERAL GEOLOGY
BY

HARRIS AND VEATCH

GENERAL GEOLOGY
DIVISION 1, STRATIGRAPHIC GEOLOGY

CRETACEOUS SERIES
RIPLEY STAGE

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

LOCALITIES :

Head of Lake Bistineau,...55

WORT CE ISHILCK aisna OW es fahateNapohor Se 55
QUE ESATESUOV AS. ees «t,o ode sbsh 55
Dake? Salt WOW RS s,s Pakee 55

Winnfield limestone SS. 19

CONCLUSIONS

EOCENE SERIES
MIDWAY STAGE

LOCALITIES :
Rocky Spring church....... 63
Oler LOCalitaes ne ine Ses = ears 64

LIienrrie STAGE

CEBU Te os a eee een 61
TGP ES POPES seo. See 61
Bayou Chicot limestone....... 61
The: Five TSGUGSs cscs ie 62
Calcasieu well section......... 62
KG oS SALE QUOTES cs sneer een 63

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

AREAL DISTRIBUTION

The map. .65
LOCALITIES :

VAS NIAIEL OTE ERE TRO, OE 65
SOME COAL DIU) wir 2aickala ss 6 66
SNL IC Sicre Scot cece eee ke 66
Slaughter’s Creek lignite... .66
SAOMELOBOIE: Bteinncrole. siod- itso one 67
WEOTONS CECE Waiteta ie Siren ctonsln A + 67

Vicinity of Negreet P.O... .68

Victnitysof MIG) oxen nominee 68
TTS ESSIED rena -oe ha cs ts eee ee 69
TRODCUEN EP oa dst ieee eee 70
OFT ISUIL 1 | Rap aaa oh So 7t
MAT ENGOLIE snc carterns metho sac GPE
ACS el (OPA IRE Cece? O08 2c 72
Grand: Cane... 0 eee 72

Page
WMGEGHELOCHES S's og 3.4 0) i on we yok 70
GRA WE FECOVES ow Sse dates 71

LOWER CLAIBORNE STAGE

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

AREAL DISTRIBUTION

The map. ..74

LOCALITIES :

(Sabine Parish)... 0%). .w- 74

Low’s creek, below Sabine-
ILS TSR AS VOU COO 74
WEOWCT IN GZIOCCL We stones oisi> » 74
SCM PIETILYS PUGEE 50 o's 3 «> a[o) 0" 75
Leech neighborhood ........ 76
SOUTH Of NAGY Hace ava) lel spe ens 76
(Natchitoches Parish)..... 76
VELOPEE UTES aes, Sat He cre y 76
PVOUCHED Ls A Sateine Sol ates ie hres 77
UNIDLCIELOCIES ayers aie siete coco’ 77
USUEER MORE nee a sede ohare nye whet 7G
Section 2. FP INS TOMA, 77
UU dna Parich is .detoe sy 78
SL MILI ICE iar Ns Mae oe 78
COLE eat Sava aoe sadist ers 79
COOCHTELDH ARC TRS oP ae 79
COLO dL a Pe ae 79
LVEU) TA ODE CHUTE His stare 79

Sparta—Montgomery road,
2EU MIE POSb. 5 ssi 6 5-05- 80
VASREFLC OF OUTIHE.«, «oa 'o esata sos 80
CG taint earismyy sae yia.et es 80
CGEOUGELO UIE Spins Nel sis (eh oro)'s 0 80h 80
(Caldwell Parish )..6 o¢ 0c 80
CRO TUE SOR eS EE 80
MEOMEGTAUCOUILT) os 6 aP0 oraye, os 82
(OuachitacParish)) 2.2. 5. 82

Page

UOC WAL acca ka fei ass 73
UAH G Od Oe OE Se 73
WV ODI OD A ce Sass 2 Wins erage oi shisge ob 5 BM 82
COM GUTIE AD Mis. 8 eats ee 82
Qacksouy Parish). vase. ss =. 82
QvincolnpPanish ts acres. <2: 82
VACHE TELUS aie, sao tie tet UD sy 82
AIAN ORNS AR, EEE OR NN eee Cee 83
TCO UUIEE SSI TID cud) stout ae ioy shale 83
Nine miles west of Ruston... .83
(Bienville Parish’). sents. 5. 83
TAN REGARD: Ge AYN ARS Se Po 83
SPOUT ER aes Otte treeeNe Gra Reovedavetted 84
Leber TIC chs aera ena ey 84
TAF ERAUG 5) ata bow at eis io aren shenia seks 84
GEOG SaaS Nother lease atau 85
PLAM MC SOF ANN. 3 odio woe 85
(Bossier ‘Parish 40%. srac tae ato 85
COUShOEGA NOI. m0 oso Meyer islet: 85
PCAMANE ATER 5 2E tients ts ". 86
TOM ORTEA ED Iie Kis, AO TSON os Sits 86
(Webster Parish)ap s/h ona* 87

MAT IOR CIB Moy ioet aa cso eid net eas 87
Northern part of Parish...... 87
(Claibormmes Parish) 1.2506: . 88
LERSHO IESE. cto eta yeeros oi Sinus aad 88
LAV ICONIC hah coi, ns Which 88
el CLOT ANG SSNS iS ics spo Aiea Ores 88
CUnione Parish. tc. 2)s.+ <-'s- 89

UEVIT AD DINILILE een stas ints acest ae es 89

JACKSON STAGE

DISTRIBUTION
LE MODE na. 89
LOCALITIES :
PAV OI: TOF. treinc pee aoe aie GOM »LaNcack's Prater ee ne Se gI
Rattan TNO ire ae ane a: GO > V-TRAOS. CO eee ae eee gl
NM ORLE OMERY Fron ss, dag OT OU Bs tee Fs cs g2
OQUACRTHE VEUCR ES seit tein g2
OLIGOCENE
VICKSBURG STAGE
DISTRIBUTION
TEOSELCLD ona Wao 93
GRAND GULF
HISTORICAL
Origin of the TermGrandGulf,94
The Pascagoula formation Study of the Grand Gulf
CNT LOCEME)E edie a tale wae 94 tn LGUWISIDHE:. aesanate 94
FEATURES OF THE FORMATION :
CHEF MOLEVESELOS. Vai ake a aeaets. oli ORY LITER ICSS cn cet tape Meet tar ache 98
LIOR ID UT COTO orscs chee le oe vNGs GO. FOSSTISH ON putamen seta open sas tes 98
AGE OF THE GRAND GULF :
Results of Work in. Alabamaand. Florida ve. e2 sien cine eee 98
LAFAYETTE
HISTORICAL

ORIGIN OF THE TERM LAFAYETTE

FEATURES OF THE FORMATION IN LOUISIANA
DEFINITE FEATURES OF THE DEPOSITS
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GRAVELS»

Lash OF LREENDSSESSIP IL «Herman iets scape’ aotisheasereetehs IOI
Along the northern and southern borders of the
HAMAS WAR Nerd Sabres tS nek toh 102
Around Many and Sabinetown..........22.5+. 102
The Blacklake tayo pravel t7 012... ose 102

St: Maurice and Montgomery si. 200 os oe ee 103

Ouachita river gravel train.104 In N’n Union and Claiborne .104
Localities where gravels are Around the cretaceous outcrops 104
YOUNGER OCS)... 2. = aye sh overs 104

REGIONS WITH NO GRAVEL
THICKNESS OF THE DEPOSITS

CONCLUSIONS
QUATERNARY
CLASSIFICATION
HISTORICAL
TEV ULE HON Re en ages uate ho. 36 9,8 LOPS HORTSOMEI SG ule a skies green 108
VA DRETD 5 eeytilont as Silos nS ee VOT CG Cera Bee «Carer tte trae” 108

TABLE OF LOUISIANA QUATERNARY FORMATIONS

RVC GCUCLOPNIENE «x si. 03) 109 Coastal development....... 109

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOUISI-
ANA QUATERNARY FORMATIONS
MANNER OF FORMATION

Natural periods in the Qua- Period of elevation ........ 110
ternary of Loutsiana..... tog Present period of subsidence.110
First period of subsidence. ..109

THE BASAL GRAVEL
GHAHACLEHUSLICS BNE IAEUCLOPULENY 5 Bors vishevisiajeho tenon ya Be Ae sessions Wig

THE PORT HUDSON

OPIS TN Of LETS: whale oie ciao: tit. Aveal distribution and topo-
General characteristics...... Lie graphical features....... ie
PSI RLOREV TLV on ony tosktotntes chs nye he 112 Thickness of the PortHudson.114
PLO SSIES, Visite Oye aig Ven ea II4

THE Lass AND YELLOW LOAM

OWiett Of LEKMNS Wo vette a Wi 5} LOntet Of MON ESS.) i eee. s. 116
General characteristics of the We VEWOWACANE eke o.80) 0 116
EASE th g PERE ae Oe tena EUGO.) LOPSEHID ALLO rs sete syne 2 x85. we P17,

THE ALLUVIUM AND RECENT COASTAL FORMATIONS

Recent coastal formatzons... +17 Lhe Allavrite.-. 6 oo. ive os 118
D

QUATERNARY PHENOMENA OTHER THAN EROSION
AND DEPOSITION

Local, CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS
The Fave Oislands. 208s eae 118
THE Mup LuMPsS

UDESCYEDILO Ia. tite eerie ae 119), Lheorzes of (Oviginen. oan 11g

DIVISION Th, sECONOMTIE GEOLOGY

IMPORTANT PRODUCTS

SALT
WDD7ake 5 SAI WOKS «=~» in» o's 121 Bistineau salt works....... 124
Rayburn’s salt works...... 122 Sabine parish salt works...124
King’s salt works.......... 123 Other Salt Springs nace ade 124
TOKICE'S: SAIL WOK RS ii. «ss ee ee L293" "' F706 PSIAIM ST oe fe he os La 125
CONGIUSTONS Poi vslaeiek sites 125
SULPHUR
SHU RUT ACTLY COICASTEDUPAITSIOR scapes 1h 2 eas teag aicises) sete eae 126
CLAYS
General statement......... 127° Catahoula pavishi eo. 128
VOFMOM PATISH ars a. ems eee 129
SANDSTONE
VA TACLICS i scatetenteleiopee. asvoyers sass 129 “LAF TISONOUT EY. ooo nmicrae he 130
PRCLV OLE SLOP Ors Hinncecy terete ole 129) Lee ANSCre cei tear 130
BO CORIO: Seas eee Saks we 130
LIMESTONES
Cretaceous limestones....... 130 Tertiary limestones concretions 131
GRAVEL

UNIMPORTANT MINERAL PRODUCTS
TRON ORES
LIGNITE

DOLCE Petes ohne SS She ib ye T35 ILRTESTUCUG | ats soos ohpohs a eee 136
Stone coal bluff, Sabine river.135 Shreveport .....+...+..00- 136

VL OTSY = RA RR ORO Bere 130
LEAD AND ZINC ORES
MARL
GyPsuM
PETROLEUM AND GAS
Mare ‘Charles. .3 53 1A earthen 137
MME SICK ia ion Meyer sehr atee 138

PS TEQUA, DVLDZE a eteta eo 138

SCGS TM OWIN OR I os Mates 3 136

LOGOS UAE Cs a) Se EOLA

Negreet bayou

CRETACEOUS SERIES
RIPLEY STAGE
PRELIMINARY REMARKS

In our historic review we have called attention to the fact
that Judge Bry, early in this century mentioned the occurrence
of Cretaceous fossils on the Ouachita river (see p. 16). Morton
(see p. 17) soon followed with references to other localities of
this formation in the State, namely between Alexandria and
Natchitoches.

But there is every reason to believe that these early references
were based on faulty evidence, the former on improper identifica-
tions of fossil remains, the latter on mere lithologic resemblances.
Hilgard’s references to two characteristic Cretaceous species
found in dumps from salt wells in northern Louisiana have fre-
quently been pointed to as the first satisfactory proofs of the
Cretaceous seriesin Louisiana. But when itis seen by his Supple-
mentary and Final Report (p. 28) that it is King’s salt works that
yielded these fossils and that the Gryphea pitcheri is really
Ostrea pulaskensis a characteristic Midway Eocene species; and
the character of the material in which they are embedded is
precisely that of the lower Eocene beds near Prairie bluff and
Snow hill, Alabama, we are led to surmise that the &. costata
was in reality something else or was brought up from some
distance below the surface or from some altogether different
locality.

We must therefore include King’s salt works under the
next stage, namely, the Midway Eocene.

LOCALITIES

Rayburn's salt works.—Mr. Lerch’s report for 1892 (p. 13) this
locality is described asin Section 24, 15 N., 5 W., about ro miles
southeast of Bienville. An ideal section of the rocks at this
locality is given which, by the way is considerably at variance

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: CRETACEOUS 53

with Veatch’s notes on the same region (see Fig. 2); but he
mentions the occurrence here of well-preserved /-xvogyra costata.

i

({

at

Cretaceous Lower Salt Wells Old Salt
Claiborne Furnaces

Fig. 2.—Sketch Map of Rayburn’s Salt Works

54 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The locality given by Hilgard and Lerch seems to bein error.
The junior author has carefully gone over the deeds in the pos-
session of Mr. Whitlow, the present owner of the place, in which
the land is described as Sec. 31, 15 N., 5 W.

The old salt furnaces and wells cover about forty acres of a
little circular valley which lies around and a little west of the
center of that Section. The hills which surround the valley slope
very gently down from an elevation of sixty feet, which
they attain over a mile from the old works. The southern
end of the valley is quite swampy, and during heavy rains is
flooded to depth of two or three feet. The little outlet creek,
Fousti creek, has its origin in the lower end of this swanip.
Around the edge of the valley are numerous circular mounds
about sixty feet in diameter and three to four feet high. They
are of the same type as the little mounds which are so common
in different parts of Louisiana.

The old dump heaps around the wells, the latter from fifteen
to twenty feet deep, show large quantities of variously colored
quartz and chert gravels. Fragments of dark gray and yel-
low fissured crystalline limestone, and of white or bluish
white masses of gypsum, are quite abundant in some of the old
dumps.

The hills surrounding the old lick are composed almost entirely
of gray sand with small iron concretions. On the area mapped,
but three places were seen which showed anything harder than
sand. Just east of the wells, from five to eight feet above them,
is a little patch of black prairie iand covered with small hawthorn
bushes. On the surface of the prairie numerous specimens of
large Gryphea vesicularis and a single valve of Axogyra costata
were found.

It seems queer, from the abundance of the former species and
the comparative scarcity of the latter, that the only large Ostrea-
like shell mentioned by Lerch occurs at this locality in Avogyra
costata. Ymmediately below the black soil is a layer of very soft
white, chalk-like limestone. It is from this that the large shells |
have been derived. It is filled with finely preserved Cretaceous
fossils. The following is a partial list of the species found here
(mainly Stanton’s identifications):

I]

GENERAL GEOLOGY :

Exogyra costata,
Gryphea vesicularis,
Ostrea plumosa,
Ostrea larva,

Pecten burling tonensts,
Neithea quinquecosta,
Crassatella vadosa,

CRETACEOUS 55

Inoceramus barabina ?
Legumen planulatum,
Linearia metastriata,
Avellana bullata,
Baculites anceps,
fleteroceras,
Ptychoceras.

A second outcrop containing poor Cretaceous fossils was seen
north of the old wells. Near the southwestern part of the area
shown in the map the sandy land is replaced by stiff clay land,
identical with the stiff Lower Claiborne land further north. The
iron concretions which occur in places throughout the clay
contain Venericardia and a few imperfectly preserved Gastropoda.

Section 32, 14 N., 7 W.—Found by recent investigation to
belong to the Lower Claiborne stage, which see.

F[lead of Lake Bistineau.—The old works here, Hopkins has
mapped as Cretaceous on account of the supposed connection
between the salt beds and the Cretaceous series ; covered, except
at low stages of water. Recently proven Cretaceous by Vetach.

Price’s lick. —This is listed by Hopkins and Lerch as a Creta-
ceous outcrop simply because of the presence here of strong
saline springs. Location: S. 25, 13 N., 5 W.

‘* Old salt works.’’—This is represented on Hopkins’ map as
being in S. 35,13 N., 6 W. Nothing definite is known of these
works.

Drake’s salt works.—Section 21, 12 N., 5 W. The Licks,
according to Hilgard, extend along Saline bayou for one and
one-half miles. ‘‘ At their northern end, on the east bank, a
number of artesian wells have been bored ; one, a thousand and
eleven feet deep, and said to have been sunk in uniform lime-
stone rock all the way, spouts a constant stream of from eighteen
to twenty gallons of salt-water per minute.’’ * * * * “‘ Here,
as elsewhere, many pits were dug during the war, fifteen to
eigteen feet deep. All these struck the laminated clay, or ‘“‘ soap-
stone ;’’ but in the rubbish of one I found large fragments of a
very crystalline, yellowish limestone, horizontally banded with
gray ; evidently the same as that at King’s and Drake’s.’’

There can be no doubt that much of the limestone passed

56 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

through in the deep well was of Cretaceous origin. Doubtless,
too, some of the shallower wells reached the same formation ; but
as yet, no positive proofs of the age of the various strata are at
hand.

Winnfield limestone: SS. 19 and 30, 12 N., 3 W. (according
to Lerch).—Perhaps there is no locality in northern Louisiana
that can excel this in features of interest, for the geologist and
layman alike. Noris ita matter of wonder that great local inter-
est should be manifest in this high mass of dislocated, faulted,
folded rocks, showing here a mere confused mass of angular
boulders, there a vertical cliff of 30 feet with rocks of all shapes
and sizes piled up in a sloping talus at its base. The ‘‘ Tower
rock’’ or ‘‘Chimney’’ is well shown on Pl. 1. The rugged,
fractured character of the cliff at this place is also well illustrated.
Below the sloping talus, to the left of the picture is a small pond
occupying a central or crater-like area of the upheaval that
brought up these rocks from beneath the Tertiary strata.

The number, relative importance and positions of the various
limestone outcrops of this region are shown on the accompany-
ing topographic sketch, (Fig. 3) made by this survey early in
the season.

On the western end of the high bluff in the center of the map
the ledges seem to dip ina northerly direction. But farther east
they dip eastward. Other outcrops to the left of the center of
the map have a northerly or rather northwesterly dip of from 30°
to 45.° The chimney seems to be composed of nearly horizontal
layers.

The position of the other outcrops together with what dips
have been ascertained seem to indicate that there is here an
irregular anticlinal fold extending in a northeast and southwest
direction ; that the greatest energy in the upheaving force took
effect not far east of the ‘‘chimney,’’ and about in the present
Bayou channel; that the axis there divided and the upheaval of
the eastern outcrop was one result and the outcrops west of the
Bayou to the north was another.

The general trend of the various outcrops is towards the
Coochie brake west of Atlanta, discussed below.

Hilgard says briefly regarding the dislocations here shown :

‘WT ‘G('TIHIANNIM AO LSHM AWUAVAO ‘MOOU AANIWIHO

I AaLVId 66g1 ‘LuYOdaY ‘VNVISINO’] AO AHAUAS TvoIpo0 10g +s)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, I899 PEAmE 2

CRETACEOUS LIMESTONE, COOCHIE BRAKE, IA.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: CRETACEOUS 57

“Tt evident that subsidences and consequent dislocations fre-
quently occur in the mass; and large fragments frequently
tumble down.”’

Hopkins’ section (see p. 33 of this report) shows his idea of
the relation of the Eocene and Cretaceous.

Claiborne
Limestone 4

OP Pe BSE z
P Sink” HoleZ e i yA os NS : = 2
4 pes Sink 5 ial gs (S }é ee C
wa) Pe E/N ‘Li tI ae
Ye ay Jy See @
\ @, | Ke psy Q
ey S Weds :

=
Jae) S
i

Out, ay,

lw] Cretaceous Outcrops S

|
Fig. 3.—Sketch of Winfield ‘‘marble’’ quarry and surroundings. Thts
map embraces one square mile. Elevations are denoted by contour

intervals of 20 feet, commencing with o at the base of the eastern
Bluff.

Johnson has indicated that the Cretaceous limestone, Tertiary
limestone (which he improperly calls Jackson) and the Orange
sands above, are each unconformable in their bedding to all the
other layers.

Lerch (p. 72, 2d report), says definitely that ‘‘at the close of
the Mesozoic time enormous plutonic forces convulsed, fractured,

58 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

faulted and folded the Cretaceous strata, throwing up mountain
chains of vast extent, and raising them far above the waters of
the gulf.’’ ‘“‘If we could remove the covering mantle of Tertiary
and drift, we would yet see the chains.and peaks of limestone
ranges formed at the close of the middle age of our planet,
altered somewhat by later erosion and denudation.’’ Hebelieves
there was no interval of a land period between the Cretaceous
and Eocene in this State.

Vaughan * argues that there was a time interval between the
close of the Cretaceous and the beginning of the Eocene, and
adds: ‘‘ Furthermore, the Cretaceous at the Winn parish marble
quarry is almost horizontal, the limestone rising as a butte-like
mass into the Eocene. If there had been a mountain chain, as
Dr. Lerch maintains, with the Kocene deposited immediately
thereafter, before erosion had degraded the limestone, the Cre-
taceous rock at the place under discussion should represent either
a dome or anticline, but such is not the case. In the mind of
the author the most logical explanation of the relation of the
Cretaceous to the Eocene is that a land period followed the close
of the deposition of the rocks belonging to the former series.’’

Vaughan is doubtless right so far as his last statement is con-
cerned. Nowhere along the Atlantic or Gulf slope are we aware
that the Eocene follows the Cretaceous without a marked strati-
graphic break. But he is wrong in saying that domes and
anticlines are not here represented. In fact both are splendidly
exhibited. Nothing could be more apparent than the dome-like
structure of the easternmost bluff whose western end shows a
northern dip, which but a few yards eastward swings around
eastward and finally becomes due east. To besureit is only the
N. E. &% of the dome that is represented by this bluff.

In some instances the rocks are so faulted, fractured and
fissured that no general dips can be ascertained ; but we are
strongly inclined to believe the huge masses of Lower Claiborne
limestone indicated to the north—northwest of the Cretaceous
escarpments are quite highly inclined tothe north. It then
follows that the time of upheavel of these limestone deposits
was since the Lower Claiborne time.

* Amer. Geol. Vol. 15, p. 208, 1895.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY : CRETACEOUS 59

The character of the Cretaceous limestone here exposed is
such as to render it almost useless as a building or ornamental
stone, butit can be used to advantage for making lime. It is
full of cracks, pockets and joints; is highly crystalline and
shows whitish and bluish bands of various shades of color. So
far no fossils have been observed in these crystalline limestone
ledges.

The Lower Claiborne limestone is of a yellowish or reddish
white color, far less crystalline and very fossiliferous.

Limestone near Coochie brake.—The illustration herewith given,

LA
Fig. 4.—Sketch map of vicinity of limestone outcrop
near Coochte brake. Thecontour intervals are here
20 feetasusual. The little rise to the extreme right

marked ‘‘ go’ 1s shown in a corresponding position
on F1, 2.

‘

Pl. 2, was taken just south of the limestone outcrop in the
direction indicated by the large arrow (see Fig. 4).

Here there isa northwestern quarter of a dome-like upheaval
well exposed. To the east is what appears to be a less
marked, or lower structure of similar nature still hidden beneath
the surface soil. Their location and general relations to each
other are likewise shown on the sketch-map, Fig. 4.

This limestone is more arenaceous or sandy in appearance
than that at Winnfield ; but is of a most excellent quality for
building purposes. Its beauty as building material is, however,

60 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

greatly marred by the nodules of pyrite scattered throughout its
mass, causing streaks and blotches of iron oxide over its exposed
surfaces. Its quantity is doubtless sufficient for any demand
that is liable to be made on such material for many years to
come.

The peculiarity of this iLmestone outcrop in the midst of Ter-
tiary sands and clays has naturally aroused local curiosity. The
glittering appearance of the freshly broken pyrite nodules has
doubtless been at the bottom of the vast majority of statements
made concerning the mineral wealth of this region. Vaughan*
has made the following pointed statement regarding thisexposure:
‘On sections 33 and 32, T. 10N., R. 4W., near Atlanta in Winn
parish, there outcrops a hard, blue limestone, which is traversed
by minute fissures. In these fissures a small amount of gold is
found.’’

This must have been a near shore deposit, for it contains the
impressions of dicotyledonous leaves, reminding one somewhat
of the Dakota sandstone. ‘Theage of the limestone is not known
to acertainty. As pointed out above it is quite different in
lithological character from the Winnfield marble; but since the
present position of the outcrop is due to a similar, if not the
same orographic movement that brought up the Winnfield beds;
in fact, both seem to be on the same line of weakness, N. E.,
S. W., we are led to regard all as of Cretaceous ages as else-
where explained.

Coochie brake seemingly owes its origin to the same disloca-
tion of the strata that brought up these limestone beds from
below. It appears to rest upon the down-throw side of the
fault-line that fractured these dome-like structures along their
major axes. In case the weather were wet, a pond of water,
very analogously located would be formed along the south side
of the Winnfield outcrops, where in dry seasons only a stream
is formed which has subterranean connections with Bayou
Sonnel.

The origin of Coochie brake or Coochie lake as it is sometimes
called, has little in common with the origin of the larger lakes
found close along the Red river channel. ‘This lake is but a few

* U.S. Geol. Survey, Bull. 142, p. 12, 1896.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY : CRETACEOUS 61

feet in depth as proven by the cypress knees everywhere present,
and by the fact that wading is possible well out to the middle.
The author took the photograph shown as Plate 3, by wading
out about 3 mile where the water was scarcely 3 feet deep.

The following detailed account of the timber contained in this
brake has been kindly furnished by Mr. Ferguson, who person-
ally surveyed the brake and made the estimates.

Brake contain somewhat over 700 acres; with
87,920,000 feet of cypress,
29,000,000 feet of gum,

14,000,000 feet of tupelo gum,
30,000 feet of long leaf pine.

Cedar lick.—Hilgard* says of this locality: ‘‘About seven
miles southeast from this limestone hill [Winnfield marble],
there is another salt lick called Cedar lick (from cedars growing
there); it is several acres in extent, and there is on it a steadily
flowing brine spring of pure taste and considerable strength.
It can hardly be doubted that here, also, the Cretaceous rock
underlies at a moderate depth.’

Rapides Parish.—Johnson mentions a Cretaceous outcrop on
N. E. \% S. 26, 6 N., 4 W. in Rapides parish. We have not yet
had time to investigate this locality.

Bayou Chicot limestone.—Two outcrops are included under this
heading. They are located inS. 35, 3S., 1 W., about eight miles
southwest of Bayou Chicot P.O. They have been visited and
favorably reported upon by Hopkins ; unfavorably by Clendenin.
One shows an exposure of eight feet high and fifty feet wide.
This was made in procuring limestone for burning, and the
ruined kilns can still be seen... The dip of the rocks is 22°, S.
FOr Wis

The second is exposed in the bottom of a pit about 350 yards
southeast of the first mentioned outcrop ; shows a dip of 33°,S.
65° W.

The limestone is here of a much darker color on an average
than at the more northern outcrops. Some fragments, however,

* Sup. and Final Report Geol. Reconn., La., p. 32., 1873.
+ House Ex. Doc. 50 Cong. Ist. Sess. No. 195, p. 23., 1888.

62 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

show a tendency to the white and blue banded structure so
characteristic of the Winnfield layers.

Were it not for the excessive dip of these localities, carrying
the beds below at a rapid rate, this limestone would doubtless be
quarried extensively.

The Five Islands.—¥For information concerning the supposed
Cretaceous layers in these islands, see special paper devoted to
their geology.

Calcasieu Well Section.—As already shown on p. 25, the crys-
talline limestone, sulphur and gypsum beds in the Louisiana Oil
Co.’s well on the west fork of Calcasieu river have been referred
to the Cretaceous series. (See special topic Sulphur. )

CONCLUSIONS

Much has been said in geological reports on the State of
Louisiana about the Cretaceous ‘‘backbone’’ which extends in a
ridge northwest of the Five Islands to the Salines of Bienville
parish.

This Cretaceous ridge was supposed to connect onto a fictitious
southern deflection of the same series in Arkansas as laid down
on Marcou’s geological map of the United States.

Our observations go to show that whatever folding and faulting
has been the cause of bringing the underlying Cretaceous strata
to day, has been in the northeast-southwest direction, roughly
parallel in fact to the northwestern shore line of the old Missis-
sippi embayment in Eocene Tertiary time.

The shallow depth at which rocks supposed to be of this series
have been struck in the Calcasieu wells (380 ft.); the salines at the
mouth of Bayou Negreet and to the north; the Midway beds a
few miles to the northeast of Many; the great depth of the
Shreveport well (1,100 ft.) with no record of Midway or Creta-
ceous limestones though nearly in line with the so-called axis or
‘‘back-bone’’; the various dips observed in the limestones at
various exposures with but one exception—the St. Landry out-
crops—all indicate northeast-southwest local folds parallel
to old shore lines rather than a mountain chain at right angles
to the same, or in a northwest-southeast direction.

EOCENE SERIES

MipwWway STAGE
LOCALITIES

Rocky Spring church.—On the road from Marthaville to Many
neat Rocky Spring church (N.E: % Sec. 24, 8 N., 11 W.,
on the Ranes’ place) a very impure limestone is met with in the
bed and left bank of a small stream. Impure as it is, this lime-
stone is said to have been used for lime in the construction of
Ft. Jessup.

To the westward, perhaps one-half mile on higher ground, a
well is said to have passed through a bed containing shells in
abundance. Another well to the north one-fourth mile,
encountered the same stratum. Calcareous spots (black lands)
are common in the near-by fields. One mile to the east a yel-
lowish gray concretionary boulder was found ina bank by the
roadside (Marthaville-Fort Jessup road), containing cross-sec-
tions of the shell of Cardium tuomeyi (2). Still further east-
ward, about one mile, ferruginous layers by the roadside show
casts of Lignitic species.

This is doubtless the locality referred to by Hopkins in his
second annual report (p. 10), as at Mr. Dillard’s place, five miles
north of Ft. Jessup. He says it consists almost entirely of the
remains of Ostrea georgiana, an immense oyster found only in
the latest Jackson beds. He was therefore quite mistaken as
regards the species of oyster here represented as well as in
horizon.

King’s salt works.—We can scarcely doubt, from the state-
ments of Hilgard, that here are to be found Cretaceous beds not
far beneath the surface. As early as 1869* he reports the find-
ing of Gyphea pitcheri and Exogyra costata in some old well bor-
ings in the ‘‘Salines of North Louisiana,’’ though no particular
well or locality is mentioned. In his final report, however,

* Am. Journal Sci. vol 48, p. 342.

64 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

he definitely states that these characteristic fossils came from
King’s salt works, S. 35, 15 N., 8 W.

Vaughan* has recently shown that Hilgard was mistaken in
his identification G. pitcherz, it being a Comanche stage fossil,
while the deposits with 4. costafa must be Upper Cretaceous.
Yet Vaughan did not suggest what Hilgard’s G. pitcheri really
was. We know now from the collections made at the place by
Veatch that this species is no other than O. pulaskensis, Har., a
typical Midway Eocene species.

Hilgard properly describes the rocks from which these shells
were obtained as a soft gray, calcareous mass. In fact it is most
strikingly similar to the basal Eocene beds around Prairie bluff,
and Snow hill, Alabama.

He remarks: ‘‘A few hundred yards northward of the lick,
there isa dug well 20 feet deep in which a similar rock was
struck at 5 feet, which became harder as the depth increased, and
had to be blasted. The rock now lying near the wellis a rather
hard, crystalline limestone, full of debris of shells; a great
many perfect ones were found in digging ; one described to me
must have beena /Janziva. No salt water was obtained in this
well.”’

Other localities —That the above two were the only places in ©
Louisiana where Midway or Lowest EKocene beds outcrop, seems
very improbable. Black land areas reported from Mansfield
westward may possibly owe their origin to the calcareousness of
this stage. Another place that must be looked up shortly is on
the Soda lake where Collinst reports ‘‘ Mautilus dekayt’’ half-
way between Albany and Henderson’s mills.

LIGNITIC STAGE
PRELIMINARY REMARKS

The presence of this stage west of the Mississippi has been
suspected ever since its differentiation, and its true relationships
to the other Eocene stages was worked out along the river courses
in Alabama.

*Amer. Geol. vol. 15, p. 207.
+43d Con., 1st sess. Ho. Ex. Doc. vol. 2, pt. 2, p. 661, 1874.

2

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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

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IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LicGniTic EoCENE 65

Certain sandy and clayey layers containing more or less lig-
nitic matter, but without animal fossil remains, lying geograph-
ically between the Midway and Lower Claiborne outcrops in
Texas and Arkansas, have been provisionally referred to this
stage. Lines of demarcation, however, between this and higher
Eocene stages, have been difficult to locate insomuch as materials
lithologically similar occur in this and many of the higher beds.

We have already seen how in Louisiana these beds have been
given a special name, ‘“‘the Mansfield Group,’’ and correlated
with the beds at the base of the Vicksburg bluff, then with the
Jackson stage, and afterwards with some pre-Jackson horizon.

Definite proof of the position these beds occupy was first given
in Bulletins of American Paleontology, vol. 2, p. 202, 1897.
The locality there discussed,—Sabinetown, Tex.,—has been
revisited by members of this survey and now cai be discussed in
detail.

AREAL DISTRIBUTION

The Map.—The area represented on the map as belonging to
this stage may have its boundaries somewhat modified by subse-
quent investigation. But it certainly repsesents the truth with
a fair degree of accuracy. To this survey belongs the credit of
identifying or proving the existence of the Lower Lignitic, in
this State by means of fossil remains, and being able to say pos-
itively that there is a southern peninsula-like extension of this
stage in Louisiana between the Red and Sabine rivers.

LOCALITIES

Pendleton.—Along the Sabine river the best outcrops are seen
on the Texas side. Yet since they throw such a vast amount of
light on the geology of Louisiana,—for the same beds must
occur east of the river though covered by detritus,—it seems
highly desirable to insert them here in detail form.

The following section may be seen one-fourth mile above the
ferry, just above the mouth of a small bayou.

g, Light gray to brownish laminated clay............. Win Se liee

84 Wedge of impure limestone coneretions.:....-...-.. 2 5cits

7. Greenish brown and light blue clayey sand, with iron
CGHEEECONS ANGULOSSIS «oir oat. inne eee Meyec i ese 6 bs e's An Subs

66 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

6. Blue joint..clay,fossiliferousa./. 4.1... 235 ie
5. Limestons boulders, fossiliferous, in dark gray sand. 1 ft.
A. Dark gray Sand. 455 ise vis ter ies eee 2 Tt
3: Stratinedwtignitie clay. 28 (ae. n. - ne ee eee Te, lee
2. Yellow and’oray sand? > usenet eo ee eee Sea tt.
1. Wavy, alternate layers of blue sand and clay ...... Gate.

Water-level.
The dip is here to the westward about 1 to 50.
The main Pendleton bluff, just above the ferry, is about as
follows :

By ded satid*. © 11.0 Rear ene gy aaa eta ne tee eee 15—20.ft
4. Light gray and brown laminate clay ....... ... 5-—15 ft.
3. Ledge of limestone and sandstone boulders...... 2— 3 ft.
2. Light blue sandy clay, with fossils and iron con-

CKELIONS Hy i5,0 Uy leanne es wnat eae eee 5 ft.
1. Wavy alternate layers of dark sand and clay. 8 Et,

Fossils are numerous at each of these exposures, ae are some-
what better preserved in the first mentioned section. They
include (as may be seen by referring to the paleontology of the
Lignitic Stage) such typical lower Eocene species as Levzfusus
supraplanus, Buccinanops ellipticum, Turritella precincta, Natica
aperta, N. alabamiensis, Solarium bellense and Pleurotoma silicata,
leaving no doubt as to the horizon they represent in the Alabama
section.

Stone coal bluff.—Down the. river about half way from
Pendleton to Sabinetown, but on the Louisiana side there is a
3 ft. ledge of lignite cropping out near water level. It is over-
laid by gray sands of recent river origin. (See under Lignite,
Economic Geology. )

Salt licks —About % mile northeast of this lignite outcrop,
are extensive salt licks where formerly large quantities of salt
were made. (See further under Economic Geol.—Salt. )

Slaughter’s creek lignite—This is located on S. W. 4%, S. 35,
6 N., 13 W. The beds associated with the lignite are as follows :

4. Reddish. sandy surface loamisa 1.5 sae o5s's. eo canes 1) ede
3. Alternate laminate of chocolate clay and gray sand....g ft.
2.) MuagSmite 2/2 Vlg Cth. ala nce ae ae ene. A ate
1. Gtay clay to water levelw: :.jseieic. oss". oh ane eee rt.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LicniTtic EocENE 67

(See further under Econ. Geol.—Lignite. )

Sabinetown.—A short distance below the ferry on the Texas
side of the Sabine there is a most interesting section, not only
for the light that it sheds on the geology of west Louisiana, but
also for the various horizons to which its beds have been
referred. (See under Hilgard, Historic review.)

Putting aside the past, we proceed at once to a detailed
description of this classic locality.

This bluff is from 115 to 120 feet high, counting from the
surface of the river at a medium stage of water. It is located on
a bend of the river where the latter pursues a nearly east-west
direction. ‘Though the dip is locally very considerable here as
shown in little side gorges often 5 south, it appears slight
along the bluff as a whole, for the direction of the latter is
. nearly on the line of strike.

The main features of the various component strataareas follows:

8. Sands and ferruginous conglomerates..............9-16 ft.
Fea CLE SAMO Use SATOStOUE canst ficlele Sens. Cis Males cede cage. Tyete
Sisogeg EASON Ge) ey a Rees 2 a Aa BS aetu,
Be CCLLOW SAT Oo. scott einie ah ohceets, cuttes aes kieseeni gt aeete met atin ‘aie 25 it,
4. More or less alternating shaly lignitic clay and sand.

The latter weathering yellowish; the shaly clay

sometimes light brown or pinkish................ AOwit:
3. More or less clayey sand, often greenish and fossilifer-

ous in concretions ; with a hard layer above...... ae
2. Fossiliferous blue sand with concretions............ Git:
ie este shay. sda ayencn ete eats fey on ere eee ce 31 05 8

We have only to glance at the fossils to be impressed with the
almost perfect likeness they bear to the Woods bluff beds in
Alabama. Some have already been figures in Bulletins of
American Paleontology and others may be found elsewhere in
this report. (See Paleontology the Lignite stage.) ‘The best
fossils are found in the greenish sandy layer at the west end of
bluff, just east of where a little stream empties into the river.

Low’ s creek.—One and one-half mile to the south of Sabine-
town bluff in the bed of Low’s creek at the ford, Lower Claiborne
fossils are found. But beneath the same in what is presumably
Lignitic material, a vast mumber of /ectens cormuus occur.

68 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The beds at the water-mill are of this lower layer. They are
replete with oolitic iron ore, greenish when freshly exposed, red-
dish when weathered.

Vicinity of Negreet P.O.—In stream beds about Negreet a
bluish, sandy, lignitic clay is now and then to be seen. But the
most prominent exposures, as at the church and cross-roads
N. W. of the P.O., show beds of sand with ferruginous, shaly
partings. Mr. Harvy Gandey’s place shows in several localities
the very sandy layers just mentioned, together with large ferru-
ginous chunks, or rock fragments, reddish for the most part,
but with pockets of yellowish limonite. In digging a well on
his place some 20 years ago, Mr. G. found fossil shells in abun-
dance. ‘This fact should be borne in mind by residents of this
community, for the very sandy series of the uplands could be
improved by the application of the calcareous material obtained
_ from these fossiliferous marly deposits. ;

It is to be regretted that the survey has not yet obtained the
analyses of soils taken from the bottom lands of this place.
They must be reserved for the next year’s report. The pecul-
iarity which they should show, however, is the nature of the
saline efflorescence which oozes up from below, making in con-
junction with the sand that accompanies them the regular low
hillocks or mounds, that characterize many of the flat regions
of this and other southern states.

On Mr. Henderson’s place, 4 miles N. N. E. of Mr. Gandy’s,
on the Many-Sabinetown road, marine shells are said to have
been found in considerable quantities.

Vicinity of Many.—The accompanying map shows the topog-
raphy of the region well, viz.: broad, flat bottoms, and steeply
sloping, much carved uplands. The valleys seem to owe their
shape more to the filling up of a young V-shaped valley result-
ing from a change in the position of the base level than by the
excavating action of the present streams. Along the stream
beds, bluish or blackish sandy clays now and then appear; but
the commoner beds exposed are clays and light colored sands.
At one place, in the bank of Tar river at the Devil’s backbone,
a thin bed of lignite occurs. Here and there are light yellowish,
concretionary calcareous boulders, containing sometimes leaves,

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LIGNITIC EOCENE 69

as seen in those thrown out in the cuts of the R. R., perhaps
11% miles southeast of Many, sometimes marine shells (generally
Venericardia planicosta) as seen in the boulders near Tar river,
south of Many and in others from near Ft. Jessup.

Lagoon and off-shore conditions evidently alternated geograph-
ically and stratigraphically during the deposition of these beds.
Layers of lignite are reported from various places in this
vicinity.

Casts of fossils are fairly abundant in the dark sandy mica-
ceous clay on La Nana bayou, as it crosses the 29-30 section
line. This material is strangely similar to the lower Eocene
beds of Maryland and Virginia. The most characteristic fossil
species are: TZzuvrritella mortoni, Volutilithes petrosus, Pleurotoma
siphus, Astarte smithvellensis, var. Venericardia planecosta, Pseu-
doliva, sp. (See further under Paleontology, Lignitic Stage.)

In the little ravines or washouts near the Many school-house
castsof several lignitic species of mollusca are found. They are
embedded in indurate ferruginous, crust-like layers of argilla-
ceous concretions. Similar beds were noticed fora mile or more
to the southeast of this locality. Such casts are also abundant
in the S. E, 4% of the S. W, ¥ of Sec. 13 near Jerusalem Church.
Just across the township line in Sec. 19, 7 N., 10 W. shells have
been found in a well.

ft. Jessup.—In this locality many yellowish concretionary
boulders are to beseen. In fact the rocks that were used in con-
structing the Fort were of this character. We observed none con-
taining plant remains. They were either barren or with traces of
molluscan life. A fragment picked up at the old Fort contained
a perfect mass of a small univalves. Another fragment found
nearby contained many lenericardia planicosta.

Just to the east of the village Rocky creek sets in and
extends nearly by the Williams place. Its banks are high and
precipitous and afford the best view of the geology of the region
yet seen. The characteristic or predominating material is dark
clayey sand or sandy clay containing shining particles of mica
and quartz.

On the Williams place perhaps one mile east of the Fort,
several fossiliferous boulders were seen. In the banks of a

70 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

stream, several imprints of marine fossils were found, including
Turritella humerosa, and what seem to be fragments of Volutzlz-
thes petrosus and small fusoid forms. :

Going eastward along the road to Robeline one sees several
hill-slopes with light sands and clays, the latter apparently of a
good grade for pottery, and ledges of rock (314 miles from Robe-
line, on what is called Kirkam or Rock Chimney hill), remark-
able for the size of the lenticular or irregular shape concretions
they contain.

Robeline.—A good potters’ clay has been worked 2% miles
east of Robeline on the Carter place. It is yellowish and quite
sandy, but is very hard and tough to pick. Some 6,000 flower-
pots and many jugs were made here a few years ago. ‘There is
a considerable difference in the amount of sandy material inter-
mixed in the various clays seen outcropping in this vicinity and
the so-called sassafras clays have been extensively used for bricks
without the admixture of sands orclaysfrom other strata. Mr.
Ponder S. Carter has charge of this estate at present. He very
kindly donated to the Survey a flower-pot and jug made from
these clays.

Along the railroad track towards Victoria mills numerous cuts
are seen exhibiting the Ligniticclaysto good advantage. Lerch
has given figures of two of these in his 2d report on the hills
of N. Louisiana (p. 76). One shows two seams of Lignite.
This Survey (1899), found numerous traces of marine mollusks
in some of these layers. Near Victoria Mills the Lignitic strata
pass beneath those of Lower Claiborne age.

Natchitoches.--The best display of Ljignitic strata in this
vicinity is at Grand Ecore. Butbedsof a similar character crop
out on Cane river just north of the town. ‘They are there over-
laid by fossiliferous Claiborne deposits.

(For illustration of this bluff, see special report on Natenite:
ches area.)

The larger part of the upland of this township is underlaid by
sandy and clayey deposits of the Lignitic stage. There appears
to be far less calcareous matter in these deposits than was
observed in those of the same age about Many. (See further
under special article on Natchitoches area.)

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LIGNITIC EOCENE 7

Grand Ecore.—Hopkimns visited this section as early as 1869 and

published a section of its beds in his first annual, 1870, p. 86.
The beds with their estimated thicknesses as they appear just

above the landing, or terminus of the R. R. track areas follows:

TO}, «Sand with: quartz’ pebbles: oes chee es eae « Lo) ft:
g. Orange-colored sand, with white clay-ball concretions. ro ft.
See Vell Gy Said san beeeee sity Sis Mane ee eaten Olas cya oe at Butt.
Fe COlOLceds (Sreemisl Clays cymes A) Nalateye o's os wi piers ote ew euens ant
6. Finely laminated, light, yellowish, clayey sand...... 1S) ft
Fe Brower, plack-banded) lignitic’samd (2.52. ..1.. 2... 5 Orit:
An Black and gray sand-and: sandy clay .5..5. 02 2.6. Jee. 6 ft.
Bem Other werd. ron Fen eh Aha Slay sesets. lat bythe fs 2. 5seieyo 2 OUR
Prete acke Clava SHale! se, ya, aiaaee wey snaee ceca peter iS. .e, sit Nas Sikts
he mGhavish sandon sandy ‘Clays. ss. 8 chen gers s qaie Bowers 5 Ge hte

Water level.

The face of the bluff farther upstream, as well as the top of
the low bluffs below, show many large light yellowish con-
cretions.

Cedar bluff.—Nearly east of Grand Ecore, on the Saline
bayou, not far to the north of Congo, P. O., on the land of Mr.
John Kieffer is an escarpment commonly known as Cedar bluff,
which seems to show practically the same series of lignitic sands
as have just been enumerated under Grand Ecore. The bed of
lignite here, however, is below water level, except at extreme
low stages. It has been dug in small quantities and used locally.
It isevidently the same as the seam noted in the Grand Ecore
bluff, but is of a decidedly better quality, remaining in large
cuboidal masses or chunks after having been exposed to the air
for months.

Cedar bluff is particularly rich in Indian relics. A walk of a
few mimutes over any plowed field is sufficient for the collection
of hands full of fragments of pottery.

About a mile to thesouth of the bluff on the St. Maurice road
a Lower Claiborne prairie is struck, which shows the character-
istic marine molluscan species and fragments of light yellowish
limestone.

Marthaville.—A cut on the railroad at this place shows very
large, hard, light yellowish calcareous boulders. They are char-

72 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

acterized by a Lower Lignitic fauna including Ostrea thirse var.,
Levifusus indentus, and other species characteristic of this
horizon.

Specimens from Sodus, from concretions presumably of the
same horizon were scarcely identifiable.

One the north-east Sne-fourth of Section 2,9 N., 12 W.
Sabine parish, mineral water is obtained from Ferrell's well.
Dr. J. E. Mumford collected several ferruginous, clay concre-
tions near this well that show an interesting, though poorly
preserved marine fauna. Venericardia planicosta, Yoldia kindlez,
Volutilithes petrosus, Calyptraphorus, Levifusus Pleurotoma
stlicata, and other Pleurotome, seemingly of a lowest Lignitic
or Midway aspect.

Mansfield.—This region was first described geologically by
Hilgard in 1869 and much more fully by the same author in
1873. Hecalled particular attention to the limestone, concre-
tionary layers so often seen in this portion of the State, and con-
cluded from the fact that they contain fossil leaves that they
were of fresh water origin. This seemed such a departure
from the ordinary run of lignitic Tertiary beds that he gavea
new name to the group of sands and clays containing these con-
cretions, calling them the Mansfield group. (See further under
Historic review. )

The nature of the material that underlies the soils in this gen-
eral region is well shown by the following section made from an
outcrop in the gorge just west of the town.

Scr, woollvand ined sander o: . cite. cites cians gee eee eee 5 ft.
4,- Sand with WWren*sereakes Tone a cicia sae eee Ae ee ro ft
3. Sand with a few light bluish clay streaks. ..>:......4- et
2. Very light, or yellowish calcareous concretions....... 2 it:
I. Sandy, laminated, sands, with iron streaks above ; light
sands, medially ; bluish laminated clays below..... 20 ft.

As might be anticipated by the character of the rocks exposed
in this section, the hill land about Mansfield is decidedly sandy.
But there are broad bottom lands adjacent to stream courses, of
a more clayey and loamy character, and very productive. To the
southwest and west, calcareous black land prairies are reported.

At Logansport on the Sabine extensive deposits of lignite are

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 5

LOWER CLAIBORNE EXPOSURE, ST. MAURICE, LA.

‘i

a

i=
“6
alle
ee ee

_

ai

II] GsNERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 73

described. Hilgard has noted similar beds in the Dolet hill.
In fact, outcrops of this substance are of frequent occurrence in
this part of the State, and we are prepared to reaffirm Hilgard’s
statement ‘‘that lignitic strata crop out on both sides of the
dividing ridge from Pleasant hill to Mansfield, towards Shreve-
port.

Various estimates are given as to the thickness and character
of these lignite beds. The whole subject must be taken up
systematically and monographed in some future annual report.

Grand Cane.—Going north from Mansfield, numerous arena-
ceous deposits are seen along the roadside, some showing flow
and plunge structure. Post-oak flats with mounds are here
extensive. Red iron-stone concretions are here and there abun-
dant. Yellowish concretionary limestone was noticed often near
Grand Cane.

Stonewall.—Calcareous limestone boulders and lignite are
noticed about Stonewall. The soil and topographic features are
similar to those around Mansfield and Shreveport.

Shreveport.—(See special report on this area included in this
report.)

LOWER CLAIBORNE STAGE

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

The beds that belong to this stage have been referred by the
earlier writers on Louisiana geology tothe ‘‘ Vicksburg,’’ ‘‘ Jack-
son,’’ ‘‘ Mansfield,’’ groups or stages, as it is stated in our His-
torical review (see Hilgard and Hopkins, Reconnaissance Period).

After a better understanding of the inter-relationship of the
Eocene deposits east of the Mississippi was worked out, chiefly
in Alabama by Smith and Aldrich, references were made to the
‘“Claiborne’’ of Louisiana.*

To Hon. T. H. Aldrich of Birmingham, Alabama, science is
mainly indebted for the recognition of this stage in Louisiana.
It was he to whom many of the fossils collected by Johnson in
1885 were submitted.

With his aid, Johnson was able to state in his report on the

* Mineral Resources of the United States, 1883, p. 554.

74 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

iron ore of Louisiana and Texas, that it is the lower portion of
the Claiborne group of strata that occurs in Louisiana and Texas.
He properly refers a portion at least of the St. Maurice bluff to
this horizon. Also the bluff at Natchitoches, and many local-
ities in Bienville, Claiborne, Webster, and Bossier parishes were
properly arranged under this stage.

It has remained for this survey to rectify the work of former
reconnaissances west of Red river.

AREAL DISTRIBUTION

The map.—All along the northern tier of counties, from the
Dorchite to the Onachita there may be uplifts of beds belonging
to the Lignitic stage, for molluscan remains are generally want-
ing in these parts. The general trend of the various geological
stages of this part of the State would indicate that all this terri-
tory is Lower Claiborne as mapped.

The doubtful area about Shreveport has been elsewhere dis-
cussed. (See Shreveport area.)

Otherwise the mapping of the Lower Claiborne may be
regarded as approximately correct.

LOCALITIES
(Sabine parish)

Low’s creek below Sabinetown, Tex.—This locality has already
been referred to in connection with the Lignitic stage. At the
ford perhaps one-fourth mile below the water mill on this
creek, ledges of Lower Claiborne calcareous rock occur, char-
acterized, among other fossils by Ostrea falciformis.

Lower Negreet.—Near the mouth of this bayou there is a cross
bedded conglomerate, very ferruginous and rough in appearance
with quartz pebbles and clayey and glauconitic nodules, contain-
ing fossils of this stage. A bed of white quartz sand 8 ft. thick
lies above this conglomerate. Almost nothing of the salt-works
that once were in operation a mile or so farther up stream could
be found. It appears that some of the wells were in the bed of
the bayou. One old shaft was seen on the left bank.

According to Mr. Dan’l Vandegaer the process of obtaining
salt here was usually as follows: Hollowcypress logs were sunk

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 75

vertically in the bayou over the places where the saline water
seemed to rise; these were cut off at such a length as to be
always above the surface of the water. The contents of the logs
was pumped out and run off in kettles and evaporated to salt.

The light blue clayey beds around the shaft just mentioned
and in a little rivulet close by, contained some very imperfectly
preserved marine shells. Nothing was found to lead us to sup-
pose that the deposits hereabouts were other than Lower Clai-
borne where the general stratigraphy of this region would place
them. Quite a large tract, several acres, was noticed not far
from the north bank of the bayou nearly devoid of vegetation.

Simpkin’s place.—Mention has already been made of Lignitic
strata occurring along streams to the southeast of Negreet P. O.
The hill or ridges are often strewn with ferruginous sandstone
chunk showing within limonite nodules. Near the northern
border of the Simpkins’ place a typical ‘‘ black-land’’ soil is
found, very calcareous, showing boulders of light yellow lime-
stone and many marine fossils. Some collected are: Ostrea
falciformis, O. johnsont, an Orbitolite, Pecten, Cyprea, and Tur-
ritella carinata. Near Mr. Simpkins’ house the fields are some-
times almost covered with red ferruginous chunks. Vet these
fields are said to bear fine crops. The reason is very evident.
These ferruginous rock fragments are before exposure, as when
first obtained indigging a well, of a grayish greenish or bluish hue
andare replete with marine organic remains. It is the leaching of
this material, calcareous and glauconitic, that supplies the soil
with the elements that it needs in plant production.

The red color is simply due to oxidation of the iron already
in this material though ina different chemical combination and
of a different color.

From the general lay of the land we assume that these exces-
sively ferruginous layers are higher stratigraphically than the
‘“black lands’’ with their limestone boulders mentioned above.
Certain it is that above these ferruginous layers, come sandy
beds some 30 feet or more in thickness, capped with large rough
and micaceous sandstone chunks. The latter seem to be desti-
tute of organic remains.

This particular calcareous and red land belt extends, with

76 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

some few interruptions, from near the mouth of the Negreet
to Natchitoches.

Leech neighborhood.—Going towards Many from Simpkins’
place, one follows nearly the trend of the red lands. But they
are often obscured by the overlying sandstone deposits men-
tioned above.

Near the Church and again in the Leech community some of the
fields are of an astonishingly red color, and the red rock frag-
ments seem to cover the fields. Likewise ontoward the east, by
‘Jas. Leech’s, the red beds are very strongly developed. Perhaps
one-fourth mile east of the last mentioned place fragments of
slightly yellowish white limestone occur in a little depression
that crosses the Many road. ‘This is associated with a few feet
of whitish marl, asat Natchitoches. About 7 milesfrom Many,
or 2 miles N. E. of Jas. Leech’s, thered lands cease abruptly on
the Many road, and the Lignitic sands, with slight but constant
slope to the south, furnish broad expanses on which flourishes
the long-leaf pine. About the sole associate of, the latter seems
to be the hardy ill-formed black-jack oak.

There are occasional abrupt descents to the north where the
edges of the southward dipping strata come near the surface.
Some of these beds are clayey, wet and cold. They are charac-
terized by the usual varieties of oak and short-leaved pine. Then
another sand-covered gentle slope to the south occurs whereon
luxuriates the long-peaf pine.

South of Many.—The railroad cuts south of Many are
referred to in several places in this‘ report.

For some distance they show nothing but sands and clays of
the Lignitic period. But, perhaps 4 miles south of the station,
the Lower Clairborne beds come in showing a marked uncon-
formity with the Lignitic strata below.

Fossiliferous red lands were seen by Veatch two miles still
farther south on the same railroad.

(Natchitoches Parish)

Victoria Mills.—Indurated calcareous beds crop out in the log
tram-way back of these mills. From a soft layer below these

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBOENE EOCENE 77

beds a sack of marl was obtained for analysis, but has not yet
been reported upon.

The hill back of the mills contains several ledges of Ostrea
falciformis in impure limestone.

Provencal,—A very typical Lower Claiborne exposure occurs
on the north side of the R. R. track about one-half mile west of
Provencal.

Ostrea falciformis is in great abundance associated with a
small Orbitolite, and imbedded in a light yellow clay marl. The
region has the usual calcareous-land flora.

Other local beds of ‘‘red land ’’ or ‘‘ black land’’ were seen
or heard of about Provencal. Railroad cuts were examined as
far east as Robertsville, wherean interesting and fossiliferous out-
crop occurs. Ferruginous nodules about one-half to one inch
in diameter contain Luciéz@ and large numbers of Arca rhomboi-
dalis. The light gray clays have scarlet red blotches as at several
other places.

The residual soil is of a light gray, anda slightly reddish hue.

Two miles south of Provencal, on the Leesville road, the same
phase of the Lower Claiborne is met as seen on the R. R. west
of Provencal or at Natchitoches.

Another interesting locality, where marl and shells have been
reported, is ata Mr. Stephen’s house, half way between Robe-
line and Natchitoches. The locality was not visited by us, hence
we are unable to say whether it belongs to the Lignitic or Lower
Claiborne stage. ‘

Natchitoches.—(See special report on this area.)

Black lake.—Small black land prairies covered with an abun-
dance of oyster shells are very common in Natchitoches parish
north of Black lake.

Section 4, 11 N., 16 W.—Near James Thompson’s house, two
and one-half miles north of Black lake, 1 mile west of Remy
creek and south of the Saline-Weaver’s ferry road is a small
prairie covered with Ostrea falciformis, and O. johnsonz. It is on
the very crest of the hill, 70 feet above the surrounding hollows
and go-120 feet above Black lake. Just south of the prairie
and 6 feet below it is a bed of quartz and chert gravel. The
creek west of the knoll shows the following sections :

78 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

T. -Ostrea bed—top of Milles (6 o> ea. ee enn ore Bite
2. Greenish gray to slate colored clayey marl, joining
black soil. A few, poorly preserved shells occur in
this layer. The best preserved was a strongly
ribbed: "Covbula....3 8s oe es ee ee 50 ft.
3. Datk/brown-sand swith: plates of irom 2.7--. 22 ee 8 ft.

In thecreek east, layer 3 was not seen. In the creek bed are
numerous very long limestone concretions. The sides of the
hill are covered with gravel and furruginous pebble conglomerate
and sandstone, butin no place did the gravel unquestionably
pass under the marl.

Similar small prairies with the characteristic oysters, Ostvea
falciformis, and O. johnsoni var., occur north of the locality at
the following places: Sec. 5-8, Sec. 21-28, 12 N., 6 W. and at
Black prairie hill N: BLY Sec. 23-13) Ne, 7 W-

(Winn Parish)

St. Maurice.—Here the Lower Claiborne beds are well
exposed on the left bank of Saline bayou near its mouth. Plate
5 herewith given shows well the most important features of
the bluff. The view is taken looking down-stream. The ledge
in the bayou, showing a steep southerly local dip is composed of
reddish clay ironstone. Then succeed 5 feet of bluish, blackish,
or brownish barren clays. Above are blue clays, 5 feet with
arenaceousferruginous concretions. Shells areabundant in this
layer. Still higher are to ft., of brown, brittle clays with
yellow flakes. Finally, the upper 25 feet of the bluff are composed
of brownish laminated sandy clays, becoming lighter in color and
more sandy towards the top of the bluff.

The character of these underlying beds has less influence over
the character of the soils in this region than might at first be
supposed, for they are often concealed by Lafayette sands
and gravels.

Concerning the paleontology of this locality see historical part
of this report, p. 34 and especially next year’s report.

Between this locality and Wheeling the country is somewhat
hilly at first near the Red river, but becomes more rolling or
level to the east.

II] GENERAL GroLocy: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 79

Rather abrupt ascents and descents are frequently met with
between St. Maurice and Congo P. O. In these regions the soil
is sandy on the hills but more clayey in the bottoms. A mile
or so north of Congo, Lower Claiborne beds are met with,
characterized by white limy concretionary lumps, a hght
yellowish soil, very tenaceous when wet, boulders of light yel-
lowish limestone, with fossils, and the usual scrubby growth of
trees. Some beds have already been noted on p. 71 south of
Mr. Kieffer’s.

Couley.—The more ferruginous layers of the Lower Claiborne
are well exposed on the hills near Couley, S. 10, 1oN. 5 W.
In the stream beds, many exposures of bluish clayey marl were
noticed and samples were collected for analysis.

Coochie brake.—Kast of Coochie brake the summits of the
hills are in the neighborhood of 60-90 feet above the brake and
show now and then great masses of red sandy iron ore concre-
tions, or chunks ; but no fossils were observed in them. ‘The
region is generally sandy, and long-leaf pine is abundant.

Winnfield.—On approaching Winnfield from the Brake, after
passing over long stretch of fairly level country, broken now
and then in the vicinity of streams, a somewhat varied region
is reached about 8 miles from Winnfield. It is not, however,
until the 5 mile-board is nearly reached that the calcareous red
beds crop out along the road. There are here veritable red lands,
but of what extent it is not possible at present to state.
Similar, though far less fossiliferous layers are found within
four miles of Winnfield in the road, but the most abundantly
fossiliferous layers are found to the northward towards the
‘‘Marble’’ quarry (see Fig. 3, p. 57).

About Winnfield no traces of red land wereseen. Good brick
clay, however, abounds, and the Court house stands as a witness
of the good quality of the clay.

Lerch, notes the occurrence, of marl and ‘‘rotten shells’”’
in the material thrown out in digging wells in this vicinity.

New Hope church.—About one-half mile northwest of this
church (11 N., 4 W., near the house of John Neil), numer-
ous ferruginous concretions are to be seen. They are replete
with casts and impressions of a small gastropod (7urrttella).

So GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Sparta-Montgomery road, 24th mile-board.—On the Sparta-
Montgomery road, about one-half milesouth of 24th mile board
ferruginous concretions are quite abundant at the road side. About
a fourth of a mile north of this and ataslightly lower level there
is a strip of black land exposing large yellow limestone boulders,
in every way similar to limestone boulders which are so common
on the little prairie spotsin northern Natchitoches. Both the
ferruginous and limestone concretions contain many casts of
marine shells. This locality is just south of the house of Mr.
James Jackson, about Sec. 12, 11 N., 5 W. Twin prairie is a
little patch of black land of about 60 acres situated one-half mile
southeast of Saunder’s church (about Sec. 12, 11 N., 5 W.).

The ground is covered with very small limestone concretions
and in some of the gulleys Lower Claiborne fossils are exposed :
Anomia, Plicatula filamentosa, Pseudolive vetusta, and Ostrea falci-
formis were among the specimens collected.

Vasherte branch.—On this branchof White Oak Creek, about
10 miles northwest of Winnfield, Lerch and Vaughan record a
Lower Claiborne exposure with a stratum of calcareous marl 20
feet thick.*

(Grant Parish)

Georgetown.—We were not able to find any traces of Tertiary
deposits in the vicinity of this place. The mill, store, and sta-
tion aresurrounded on all sides by levelalluviallands. Vaughan
cites Lower Claiborne fossils from this place.t

(Caldwell Parish) |

Columbia.—The Lignitic sands and clays, belonging perhaps
to the Lower Claiborne stage are exposed very advantageously
for study around the station and for some distance to the south
along the railway track.

Nowhere in this part of the State are there better outcrops.

* See Lerch’s 2d Report, etc., p. 89 ; and Vaughan, U. S. Geol.Sur., Bull.

142, p. 31.
+U.S. Geol. Sur. Bull. No. 142, p. 17.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 6

—

CUT SOUTH OF STATION, COLUMBIA, LA.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 81

Hopkins * and Lerch ¢ have already given sections of several
of these exposures. Hopkins most important section was taken
‘one mile back of Columbia’’ inthe hills. It shows sands and
clays of various colors and thin seams of ‘‘ iron rock.’’

He noticed the abundance in certain layers of fossil leaves,
and mentions a lignitized log ‘‘showing structure very prettily.’’

Lerch’s best section was taken at the first important outcrop
on the west side of the railroad going south from the station.
We have several photographs of this interesting place, showing
a non-conformity of the layers to the right and near the track
with those to the left and above to the top of the bluff. One of
these views is herewith reproduced. (Plate 6.)

Great trouble is experienced by the railroad officials in keep-
ing the track from moving laterally or sinking in the mud in
these deep cuts. This is due somewhat to the fact that layers
of sand, approaching ‘‘ quicksand ’’ alternate with impervious
clay layers. The water is held by the clay layers and this tends
to make the sand very movable. The difficulty in this region,
however, is not serious; it can be obviated very generally by
widening the cut afew feet, and securing proper drainage for the
track.

Lerch mentions a fine bed of lignite on Coal creek near this
town. We did not visit the outcrop. Dicotyledinous leaves,
however, are to be found in great abundance in the clayey layers
of these various sections. Here, then, will be an excellent
opportunity of determining the practical value of fossil leaves in
determining the age, or horizon of the formations of this region.
An endeavor will early be made to secure large quantities of
these fossils.

Below the station on the hill slope towards the town, a layer
of calcareous, light-colored sandstone is found, which has been
quarried to a slight extent. Itis but athin stratum and can
never be of any considerable economic importance.

On the west of the Ouachita theland is very hilly and broken,
and most beautiful views are to be had from these high hills for

* 1st Report, 1869, pp. 83-84.
+ Lerch’s 2d Report, p. 83.

82 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

miles up and down the river. To the east of the Ouachita
stretch wide alluvial plains.

In general there would seem to be very little calcareous matter
in the substrata of this region. Towards Olla, however, white
calcareous concretions are found in wells.

Lone Grave bluff.—Hopkins gives a section at this locality.
From the character of the various strata named (white sand,
laminated lignitic clay ef a/.), it is evident the same condition of
deposition obtained here as at Columbia, and the beds are doubt-
less of the same age.

(Ouachita Parish.)

Monroe.—This is a region very difficult to study geologically
on account of the lack of good sections. Lerch reports Clai-
borne fossils, from the artesian well boredat this place under the
supervision of W. A. Strong. Specimens supposed to be these
have been sent us from Baton Rouge but they are almost cer-
tainly from Smithville, Tex., as determined by the character of
the fauna and the very color of the embedding material. (See
Lerch’s 1st Report, p. 21.) They were from a depth of 185
feet, in a black clay stratum.

Calhoun.—The red sands and gray clays along the railroad
from Monroe to Calhoun have already been described by Lerch
in his first report pp. 21-22, 25.

(Jackson Parish.)

Our information regarding the geology of this parish is very
meagre. Johnson * has mentioned a few iron ore deposits of
apparently limited extents, and Vaughan jy has given two locali-
ties of Lower Claiborne Eocene fossils on the Liberty hill,
Vernon road. One 10 miles east of Liberty hill, the other 15
miles east of the same place.

(Lincoln Parish.)

Vining mills.—This parish has, as yet, received but little
attention. Johnson mentions high hills capped with ferruginous

*Tron Ores of La. and Tex., p. 47.
+ U.S. Geol. Sur. Bull. 142, p. 32.

ee

I] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 83

sandstone in the vicinity of the Vining mills. Fossils were
obtained from a greensand reached in a well sunk by Mr. Hud-
speth in the bottom near this place.*

Vienna.—‘‘ In the vicinity of Vienna good limonite is abun-
dant on the surface and it occurs widely scattered over the red
lands which extend from Vienna to Mr. A. G. Reed’s, Sec. 9,
19 N., 4 W., a distance of eight miles.’’—Johnson.

Redwine’s spring.—Johnson gives a section at this place, and
states that the greensand is 12 feet thick. In a foot-notehe
states that ‘‘tests of this greensand show it to contain potash
and also to be highly phosphatic.’’

Lerch mentions the occurrence near here on Judge Graham’s
plantation of fossil casts in clay ironstone concretions. Vienna
seems according to him, to be the center of a red-land area.t

The fine sections exposed along the V. S. and P. R. R., are
illustrated by Lerch on a folding sheet placed opposite p. 26, of
his first report.

Attention is called to the disturbances of these strata.

Nine miles west of Ruston.—Nine miles west of Ruston on the
Arcadia-Ruston road a coarse iron sandstone containing many
fossils crop out in the road-side. Hardly enough material was
collected at this locality to render its identification beyond
question, as the locality shows a tendency to combine Lower
Claiborne and Lignitic forms. More material will probably
prove it to be Lower Claiborne.

(Bienville Parish.)

Sec. 32, 74 N., 7 W.—About 200 yards east of the Campti
Sparta road on the Lake village and Venon road is a typical
Ostrea-strewn prairie. Above the Ostrea layer are numerous
concretions, containing very indistinct casts. The common
Ostrea falciformis and O. johnsont were seen here. This is
the locality which Lerch refers to in his first report as
Cretaceous. f

*Tron Ores of La. and Tex., p. 45.
+ 1st Report, p. 26.
¢ Bull. La. Expt. Station, part 1, 1892, p. 14.

84 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Sparta.—North of King’s salt works on the Coushatta-Sparta.

road the hills rise very abruptly 120 feet. The material seems
to be almost entirely a light colored, rather fine sand. Rapid
erosion gives rise to some very interesting topographic forms ;
great, perfectly shaped ampitheaters are common near the heads
of the vallevs. On the whole it is a topography without sharp
angles. In places natural land-locked ponds were seen, looking
like great sink-holes.

About six miles from Sparta long-leaf pine takes the place of
the short-leaf and continues to within a mileof the old town.
At Sparta nothing is to be seen but fine, light-colored sand with
coarse iron sandstone boulders. There seems to be no good
reason for separating this sand from the adjacent Claiborne beds.

Liberty Hill.—Nearly all the hills in the vicinity of Liberty
hill are covered with ferruginous concretions filled with casts of
Lower Claiborne fossils. The best locality seen was above, 134
miles northeast of the village on the Ruston road. Near a
graveyard, north of the stores, fossiliferous iron concretions
were seen capping the hill. They were here underlaid by beds
of coarse iron sandstone and by the gray Arcadia clays of
Lerch. This would seem to show that the Arcadia clays are
merely a subordinate bed of the Lower Claiborne.*

The fossiliferous Lower Claiborne material continues for about
1o miles north of Liberty hill on the Arcadia road.

Arcadia.—Dr. Givins, at Arcadia, has kindly furnished the
following section of the well on his place :

1. Surface Soil—red and white sandy loam........... 2. ites
> Moattied sredtand!wititevclaiyiien iene eee ee 7-0) tte
3. White clay with some red. 0.20.0... .-% 2325-2. oes SS eee be
4. Dark brown or bluish black tenaceous clay, mottled

with white and red, containing some sand and
selenite crystals,shows traces of fossilsand leaves.1o ft.

5. Hard red iron concretions, containing fossils and

Some Phosphate tongiotrect es. s-trt atria eee Lpett:
62), Puretwhite Sande 22 ete mumrget cr... es. So che keen 20 FER.
7. Green sand with fossils......................... LO fits
8. Hard rock not passed through.

*Also referred to by Vaughan, Bull., U. S. Geol. Surv., 1896, p. 21.

———

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 85

Water from above layer.

5’ is reported to be slightly sulphurous. Water for ‘‘7’’ is
strongly impregnated with lime. In the base of the first cut
west of Arcadia are about 3 feet of dark sandy clay with thin clay
partings, and patches of greensand. Several shark’s teeth and
specimen of Byssoarca,Cardium and Dentalium were found here.

About three miles west of Arcadia is the ‘‘ hog back ’’ railroad
cut. Arather soft layer, bearing greensand is here overlaid by
harder clayey material. The cut was originally made through
the upper clay, anda little way into the greensand. The weight
of the top material squeezed the greensand up intothe cut. The
local section boss states that the railroad company has had to
lower the track three times, each time about three feet. It is
this sort of action that Hilgard regards as having formed the
mud-lumps of the passes of the Mississippi. A few casts were
found inthe lower part of the greensand.

Gibbsland.—About two and one-half miles east of Gibbsland a
light chocolate colored clay, about 8 feet up in the cut contains
many casts of Leda, Venericardia, Dentalium and a small Echino-
derm. At the base of Mt. Lebanon are easily identified Lower
Claiborne fossils.

Hammett’s branch.—This may be regarded as once of the
classic Lower Claiborne localities of the State. It is situated
in the S. W. one-fourth Sec. 30, 18 N., 6 W., about 2 miles
northeast of Mt. Lebanon. The main exposure is in a little
gully about a quarter of a mile from the road. As this section has
been published by Johnson,* Lercht and Vaughan,f it is hardly
necessary to republish it here.

«¢

(Bossier Parish.)

Coushatta bluff.—This and a few other bluffs on Red river were
examined by Hopkins and Johnson, and later by Veatchof this
Survey. (See special report on Shreveport area.) Johnson
points out how that from here southeasterly to Rocky mount

*s5oth Cong., 1st Sess., Hou. Ex. Doc., vol. 26, No, 195, 1888, p. 20.
{Bull. for Expt. Station: Geol. and Agr., part 1, 1892, p. 20.
{Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., No. 142, 1896, pl. 1, fig. 2.

86 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

and easterly to Red land there is an elevated expanse of ferru-
ginous ‘‘ red-lands.”’

Three miles east of these bluffs he records the occurrence of
marine shells in shallow wells.

Red land area.—He reports iron ore in the N.W. 4%, S. E. &,
S..28, 22 N., 12 Wie. Againin N.W. 4%, S.W. Y%, Sec: 2o,25 aN
12 W., where casts of fossils occur. Sections 18, and 26, 22
N., 12 W., contain ores and fossils.

The Red land region was visited and reported upon by Har-
ris* in the Arkansas Survey Report for 1892. The Pope Joy
cut and that at Roberta, on the St. L.S. W. R.R, are described
in a detailed manner. Fossils from the red land area are
named.

Bellevue.—East of Lake Bodcaw other red lands appear.
They are described by Johnson and Veatch. The former says:
In southern Bossier is an island-like mass of hilly older Tertiary
material entirely surrounded by comparatively level upland flats
of probable Port Hudson age. Bellevue, Fillmore and Haugh-

ton are situated two miles from Bellevue; iron sandstone and

iron concretions abound along the roads. A few poor fossils were

collected here but hardly enough to prove theage of the bed.

About Fillmore there are a few poor fossils in iron concretions.
Johnson’s section, from adeep wash below the jail at Bellevue

shows well the character of this region. It is as follows:

1. Reddish surface clay and sand with some fragments of

peodesinnuky.cactonty eed ee Be ee eee 30 ft.
2:*), White clay andisandiy,— Suiai lcs tenia cyt yes eee 2onite
2; ~sthatim of sand! on5 lace. Coe ae Seen eee To ft.
4... Wark dienitic sami hen 0, eae ae ee 15, ait.
5.) sBlueieteensand <5 oic he ws chee ey eae ee nee 2 she.
6. ‘‘Soapstone,’’ i. e., laminated smooth brown clay, of

which there can be seen to main stream of branch,
where there is an alluvial bed one mile from Lake
Bodcawy tomlya eters cota. caters San eee 6 ft.

*Ann’l Report, Geol. Surv., Ark., 1892, vol. 2, pp. 179-180, Pub. 1894.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LOWER CLAIBORNE EOCENE 87

(Webster Parish.)

Minden.——On the west side of Crow creek in the Homer-Min-
den road, gravel appears on hillsides. The soil is generally a
shade lighter and more yellow than on the red lands.

From eight miles northeast of Minden the gravel is quite com-
mon. The soil is red or yellowish-red and rather sandy. ‘The
relief is very small and the bottoms quite wide, in marked con-
trast to the red land topography about Homer.

Exposures of gray clay are common about Minden. Going
north from Minden on the Minden-Sykes ferry road the most
noticeable thing 1s the great abundance of gravel. The soil is a
fine gray sand and occasionally gray loam. Red sandy soil is
comparatively rare.

Northern part of parish.—One mile north of Mr. Sam. Mem’s
house (S. W. 4%, N. E. &%, Sec. 19, 20N., 8 W.) the road passes
into what appears to be the bottom, but which turns out to be
the second bottom. The bottom of Flat Lick creek is nearly, if

not, a mile wide. On the Lewisville-Minden road at the 13 mile-
board a very red sandy soil sets in.

This red sandy soil continues to the red-land hills, of which it
forms anoutlier. Thered hills rise very abruptly above the sur-
rounding country. They are covered with ferruginous concre-
tions and sandstone. The summits of the hills are 210 feet above
Black creek. North of the red hills, which are from a mile to
two miles across, the land is reddish yellow sand or sandy clay
with occasional patches of gray ‘“‘dirt’’ land.

In a little branch one-half a mile northeast of Leton (Leton is
a new post-office in the N.W. 4, Sec. 36, 22 N., 9W.) in a small
branch the following section is exposed :

ie Gays ditkelandeny ce SailG yl OAM a. arh cer aon cent yeas Dott.
Peer CG ravelvandereddish TOCk eats tse nae dead e oe Mette.
CR LLOMESADE SOME. eyctsrcete eee ant tee il us een etre Ste Heit Real 1) ft.
4. Green sand with little white spots of lime, no shells...1 ft.
Ge olate-colored :clay tomwater tevela...c.cnsie se .hie we. : ; ptt.

A mottled gray and red clay, representing the Arcadia clays,
is seen in nearly all the road gullies, about half-way up the sides
of the hills. Gravel is seen here and there, and is quite common
near Shongaloo.

88 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

About half a mile from Syke’s ferry the road enters the level
second bottom. Natural mounds are quite numerous. The soil
varies from a gray clay to a pure gray sand.

The present bottom of Bayou Dauchite is about halfa mile
wide and at Syke’s Ferry is on the west side of the Bayou.
From Serepta to Cotton valley the relief is very small indeed.
The prevailing soil is a pure gray sand.

Johnson describes briefly the iron ores of this parish, and
determines their age as follows: From fossils collected in N. E. |
Y Sec. 16, 20 N., 9 W., and in S. 2, same township and range,
and in S. 25, 21 N., 9 W., it appears that these red lands are the
outcropping of Clazborne marls, rich in greensand, which were
traced northward from Minden.

(Claiborne Parish)

Lisbon.—Around Lisbon is a red sandy clay soil, apparently of
considerable agricultural value, for the country looks like a very
thrifty prosperous strip of land. The larger creeks have great
flat bottoms. Middle Fork bottom is in this region about
a mile anda half wide. It is partly in cultivation. The hills
on the southern portion of the bottoms have a height of about
100 feet. Some of the ironstone concretions which occur in this
region, when broken open, contain a nucleus of gray phosphate
of lime. Several of these concretions were picked up on the
hills on the south side of Middle Fork bottoms and on McGar-
land’s creek; and, Mr. Maurice Bird of the North Louisiana
Experiment Station has shown that the concretions contain
from 15 to 20 per cent of phosphoric acid. It is hoped that
larger deposits of these may be found.

Flaynesville.—Around Haynesville the topographic relief is
not so great as farther east. Gray sands and clays occur in the
road cuts, and gravel crops out on the hillsides.

Flomer.—Six miles northwest of Homer on the Homer-
Haynesville road the light gray sands of the Gordon region are
replaced by red lands. These red lands occur with scarcely an
interruption to Homer. At Homer the railroad cut shows 18
feet of light yellow to white strongly cross-bedded sands with

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF IOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 7

JACKSON EOCENE OUTCROP, MONTGOMERY, LA.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: JACKSON EOCENE 89

horizontal layers of white clay pebbles, and near the top, some
iron concretions.

The red lands with very marked topographic relief continue
for about 6 miles from Homer, on the Homer—Minden road.
The iron concretions then commence to be conglomeritic, and
about 8 miles from Homer large quartz pudding-stones are quite
numerous. ‘The first really noticeable alluvial valley is that of
Crow creek which is about half a mile wide. Judging from the
fields seen here it seems capable of producing good oats.

(Union Parish)

The northern part of Union parish is very heavily covered
with sands in part belonging to the underlying Eocene strata
and in part to the Lafayette gravels which are found over many
of the hillsides. Very fine exposures of red and white sands are
to be seen in the deep gullies around Walnut home and Wal-
lace’s store.

On the eastern side of the parish is a low strip of pine flats,
presumably belonging to the Port Hudson period. ‘These are
well developed on the Ouachita city—Farmersville road from 3
to 8 miles west of Ouachita city and on the Alabama—Marion
road to within 5% miles from Marion.

PD Arbonne.—Along the D’Arbonne and its branches the
country is very broken, a relief of about 150 being quite com-
mon. Mosley’s bluff is an abruptly sloping hill 80 feet high.
The soil is composed of sand with some iron sandstone. Near
the top are layers of red sands separated by occasional thin lay-
ers of clay. Wherever the clay layers occur they give rise to a
spring horizon. Around Farmersville high sandy hills covered
with ferruginous sandstone and gravel,lie about in the northwest-
ern part of the parish. ‘Toward Junction city the relief is much
less marked. The land is rather low and the soil a pure grained,
silty sand.

JACKSON STAGE
DISTRIBUTION

The map.—The general distribution of this terrane is shown
on the accompanying geological map of the State. It is based

go GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

wholly on the character of the fossil remains found at various
localities throughout the entire extent of thebelt. Our historic
review shows how erroneously various deposits from Red
river to the Sabine have been referred to the ‘‘ Vicksburg,’’
‘‘Mansfield’’ and other horizons quite without regard to any
study of the fossil remains they so well display. We have as
yet found no trace of Vicksburg deposits west of Red river.

LOCALITIES

Bayou Toro.—On the east bank of Bayou Toro in the S. E.
one-fourth of the N. W. one-fourth of Sec. 6, 3 N., 11 W.,
Vernon parish, is a small bluff about 20 feet high containing
many Jackson fossils. The shells scattered through the clays
are very much decayed and quite difficult toobtain. Scattered
through the clay are large dark-colored limestone concretions.
They are particularly abundant in the little stream which enters
Toro just south of the bluff. It was from these limestone bowl-
ders that most of the fossils were collected. Outcrops of typical
Grand Gulf sandstone were seen in the hillside about 50 feet
above this locality.

Hilgard in 1869* described a seam of shell limestone with ‘‘Vicks-
burg’’ fossils at the base of the Grand Gulf rocks on Bayou Toro.
The location of this bed, corresponds very closely with the bed
from which we collected fossils.

Rattan P. O.—The bed of Bluff branch on the place of Mr.
J. L. Peace, near Rattan P. O. (N. W. one-fourth Sec. 8,
4 N., 11 W.) shows an outcrop about 8 feet high composed of a
fine yellow sand containing many small shells. Several larger
shells were obtained from a well sunk at Mr. Peace’s house.
These fossils indicate that the beds belong to the Jackson
stage.

Material which is very strikingly similar to that just mentioned
occurs on the Leesville-Provencal road between Middle and Sta
Barba creeks about 10 miles south of Provencal. This is very
nearly in line with the Jackson outcrops.

*Am. Journ. Sci., 2d vol. 48, p. 339.

e

aaa

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: JACKSON EOCENE gI

Montgomery.—This is already a classic locality in Louisiana
geology. (See under Historic Review.) The accompanying
illustration shows well the general appearance of the most
important outcrop in this region.

The following beds are exposed :

sn SRM USAIN S FS a ap tial cm iol See hin ue ated aioe 4S iat cust» Las 5-50 ft.
7. The above grade downward into pebble beds...... 5 ft:
Gems Meeosln ENS t l S9 etn epcire secs 5 oy ch he As Soucy Suet re Cha <r ahs 3 ft.
SR ROAM Slob Wy uoaaN tI Space then Metayt tl ye ioe oem cis ween ane 5 fits
Ame SeGeeseparated by clay. layer. 6 sastoat. 34. Petro 8 ft.
Bremel anil odat Sati dy Clay: e ct ob evened ve taegaeebe is wud aa

eb linShatiaatls TOSSUIFETOUS ioe 65 cl vShhes> aah aig)? ocapeteceue 5 ft.
Teele Monee OUMS CLAYS) > is)--t48 «conse sear pene votes estore 15 ft:

Large collections were made at this locality and will be
reported upon next year.

Owing toa very heavy deposit of Lafayette material over these
Jackson beds the influence of the latter upon the soils of the
region is greatly diminished. ‘Towards Wheeling, on the east
side of Nantaches bayou, very extensive deposits of ferruginous
sandstone and sands were observed.’ The hills are 50 to 150
feet in height above the Bayou. The ravines, although numer-
ous, seem to show no traces of fossil remains. ‘The soil of the
hills is excessively sandy. Gravel layers are numerous, occur-
ring above the heavy sandstone ledges, and below the gray sands
of the hills.

Tancock’s prairie.—Just south of Ben creek or the northern
edge of Tancock’s prairie many specimens of Ostrea trigonalis are
scattered over the ground. The limestone concretions which
accompany this outcrop contain in addition to other forms very
large specimens of Haminea grandis. ‘These with other speci-
mens collected have proven the Jackson age of the locality.
Hilgard refers this to the Vicksburg.*

Tullos.—This station is in a Jackson prairie. Inlight grayish
sandy clay in the railroad cuts there are many calcareous concre-
tions. Inthe bottom of some of the wash-outs by the side of
the track a bluish clay appears.

*Am. Jour. Sci., 2d series,vol. 47, 1869, p. 340; Supl. and Final Report of
a Geol. Record of La., p. 33.

92 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

A typical cut can be seen, along the track about one mile south
of the station. Zeuglodon bones are fonnd here. A vertebra
purchased of Mr.-Porter shows an oyster grown upon it, proving
that the Zeuglodon died and its flesh decayed before the oyster
was attached.

In an old field about three-quarters of a mile north of the sta-
tion, along numerous little washes in the field, many well-pre-
served fossils are obtained. Ligniferous clays appear in the
branches to thenorth. A cut one mile north of the station shows
southward dipping lignitic clays, superimposed by what seems
to be Jackson marly clays.

There seems to bea slight nonconformity between the two
classes of deposits.

Olla.—Going still farther northward from Tullos we saw no
good exposures. Gray buckshot clays appear in shallow cuts.
At Olla wells are said to penetrate marls with calcareous con-
cretions.

Lerch reports fossils from the region in Sec. 34, 11 N., 2 H.*

Ouachita river.—The Jackson is exposed in numerous places
along Ouachita river below Columbia. It was in this region that
Judge Bry found in 1832 the bones of the Zeug/odon and the
shells which caused Conrad to refer the region to the Eocene.t

In 1841 Conrad described a new species, Cardium nicolletiz,
from this region.{

Hopkins visited Grandview bluff in 1869 and found several
bones of Zeuglodon there. ‘The presence of the little Orbitoline
forms, which are common in the Jackson of this State, led him
to confuse some of the beds northeast of the bluff with the
Vicksburg.

In 1866 Aldrich described a new species of gastropod, Yaminea
grandis, from Bunker Hill bluff.

The first fossiliferous outcrops we saw on Ouachita river below
Columbus were at Gibson’s landing. In the bluff at this place
is a layer of fossiliferous sandy clay about eight feet thick, and
about fifty above water level. In a small branch about a mile

*Bull. La. Expt. Sta., part 1, p. 92.
+Jour. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., vol. 7, 1834, p. 120.
tProc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci. for 1841, p. 33.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: VICKSBURG OLIGOCENE 93

north of this landing Zeuglodon vertebrze were found together
with many shells.

Bunker Hill bluff exposes about eighty feet of bluish gray clay
containing very large selenite crystals. Near the top is a layer
of large Venericardia planicosta in reddish clay; at aheight of sixty
feet numerous casts of /zzza are in a yellow limestone concretion.

Some of these casts look very much like the teeth of some very
large animal, and we are not surprised that Judge Bry mistook
them for such.* The main fossiliferous stratum is at the very
base of the bluff.

Grandview bluff, a mile above Bunker hill, shows about the
same section.

At Danville landing, about too yards below the Caldwell and
Catahoule parish line (marked Enterprise on Lockett’s map) is a
bluff about forty feet high composed of bluish yellow marl,very
fossiliferous. The fossils havea slightly different appearance
from the Bunker hill shells but_are still decidedly Jackson in
character.

Wyant’s bluff, about four miles above Danville, is about
twelve feet high and shows blue clay with a few impressions and
occasional pockets of shells. They are the same as found at
Danville.

OLIGOCENE

VICKSBURG

DISTRIBUTION

Rosefield.—The Vicksburg stage is only very slightly developed
in Louisiana. It outcrops south of Rosefield and probably occurs
along Bayou Funne Louis. West of the Little river it has not
been seen.

Lerch has described a section along Shell creek, three miles
Souchvor Resefield im Sec: 35, 11,59, 4 E.,.and Vaughan lists
Dentalium mitssissippiense, Ostrea vicksburgensis, Pecten poulsont,
Arca mississippiensis, Byssoarca lima, Pectunculus arctatus, Cras-
satella mississippiensts, Meretrix sobrina, Balanophyllia caulifera,
and Orbztoides mantellz, from this locality.

*Am. Phil. Soc., Trans., new series, vol. 4, pp. 400-401, 1832.

94 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Shells were collected at several places between this locality and
the Ouachita, but the specimens and notes were left with a
gentleman at Rosefield to be forwarded, and have not yet been
received.

On the Harrisonburg road near the branch to Danville abouta
mile and a half south of Rosefield, fossiliferous yellow limestone
concretions outcrop inthe road. They are seen again near
Sone’s store, a mile farther south. About three miles east of
Sone’s store fossils are common near the saw-mill. Near the
center of Sec. 31, 11 N., there is a small prairie with shells. In
bottoms below, beds of lignite, which have at different times
attracted prospectors, are reported.

GRAND GULF
HISTORICAL

Origin of the term Grand Gul/f.—This. formation was first
named by Wailes, then State “geologist of Mississippi, from a
typical exposure at Grand Gulf, Mississippi.* It was described
at length by Hilgard in 1860 in his report on the Geology and
Agriculture of Mississippi.t

The Pascagoula formation (Miocene).—In 1890, Mr. L. C.
Johnson discovered near Vernal P. O., Miss., and at other local-
ities on the Pascagoula river a series of marine beds in the upper
part of Hilgard’s Grand Gulf. These marine beds he named
the Pascagoula formation. From the fossils collected at this
locality, Guathodon johnsonit, Mactra lateralis and a large oyster
resembling O. titan of the west coast, Dall} has concluded that
the beds are equivalents of the Chesapeaks Miocene.|| It seems
very probably that this formation is represented in Louisiana, in
the southern part of what is now called Grand Gulf territory,
but, thus far, it has not been recognized.

Study of the Louisiana beds of this period.—In 1816, William
Darby recognized the northern edge of what is now called the

* Report on the Agr. and Geol. of Miss., 1854, pp. 216-217.

t Pp. 147-154, 1860.
¢ Dall and Harris, Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv., No. 84, 1892, p. 164.
|| Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. vol. 5, p. 157, 1894; 18th An. Rept. U. S. Geol.

Surv., 1896-1897, part II, p. 339.

a

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: GRAND GULF OLIGOCENE 95

Grand Gulf, tracedit from Sicily Island to the falls at Alexandria
and correlated it with the bluffs on the east side of the Missis-
sippi ‘‘ above Natchez.’’* In 1869, Hilgard skirted the southern
boundary of the formation, passed across the same in Calcasieu
and Vernon parishes and examined the northern escarpment on
Bayou Toro and between Little river and Harrisonburg. During
1869 and 70, Hopkins made several trips across the State seeing
the Grand Gulf at several points. His descriptions of the Grand
Gulf in Louisiana are the most complete that have yet been
published.t

Johnson { and Lerch || have both examined portions of the
northern boundary between Lena and Harrisonburg.

FEATURES OF THE FORMATION

Characteristics.—This formation, which unconformably over-
lies the Vicksburg,§ consists in the northern part of its territory,
of a series of light colored sandstones and claystones of white,
gray, or yellowish gray tints. The sandstone is generally
rather soft, never over 20 feet in thickness usually only three or
four. Beds of loose sand are unusual. The sand grains are
commonly quite sharp. The hardness of the sandstone in a
given layer varies very greatly and makes quarrying in this
rock a rather uncertain business. Beds of sand _ will
pass in a few feet horizontally into hard sandstones. The
accompanying plate shows an exposure of Grand Gulf in a
cut on the Texas and Pacific railroad, about three miles
west of Lena. The lower sandstone bed in this exposure
is rather uniform. The upper irregular one shows ona small
scale the nodular masses in which the sandstone occurs. In
some cases the amount of silicious cement is so great that the
rock resembles a quartzite. Such is the typical Grand Gulf

* A Geog. Des. of the State of Louisiana by William Darby, 1816, pp. 45-
46.
+ Ist An. Rept. Geol. Surv. La., 170, pp. 98-102; 2d An. Rept. Geol.
Surv. La., 1871, pp. 18-26.

t 50th Cong. 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 26, No. 195, pp. 13-14, 1888.

| Bull, La. Expt. Stations ; Geol. and Agr., part IT, 1893, pp. 93-98.

§ Hilgard.—The Later Tertiary of the Gulf of Mexico, Am. Jour. Sci.,
vol. 22, 1881, pp. 58-65.

96 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

sandstone as exposed at Grand Gulf Mississippi. Hilgard gives
the following description of it: ‘‘ The typical Grand Gulf
sandstone consists of grains of pellucid quartz, constituting a
rather coarse sand, imbeded in an opaque, white, enamel-like
mass of silex, which forms quite half the bulk of the rock.’’

In the southern part of the territory occupied by this
formation (possibly, in the part belonging to the Pascagoula
formation) sandy clays and pure highly tenaceous massive clays
of agray, grayish-white, blue or green color are the rule. The
color in the blue and green clays is often very intense, though
on the surface they often appear yellow from oxidation. In
some cases black lignitic clays are foundin this deposit. Some
of the beds are very calcareous and produce small black land
prairies. In the northern part of the formation there are
occasional beds of very fine white clay, locally called ‘‘ chalk.’’

The sandstones have resisted erosion much better than the
underlying Jackson and Vicksburg beds. This has given raise
to a somewhat level Jackson plain bordered on the south bya
high, rugged line of hills. This very abrupt northern declivity
is in sharp contrast to the gradual southern slope which carries
the formation down to the level of the southern prairies.

Distribution.—Large outcrops of Grand Gulf sandstone are to
be seen at Harrisonburg and Sicily island. On the divide
between the Ouachita and Little river the Grand Gulf extends
well to the north, reaching a point near Rosefield. Along the
edge of the formation ‘‘chalk*’ or fine white clay has been
reported in a number of places. From Rosefield, according to
Hopkins, the northern line of the Grand Gulf follows the Bayou
Funne Louis to Centerville, then turns west and crosses Little
river a little below Gilmore’s ferry. On the Colfax-Winnfield
road the high Grand Gulf hills are encountered just south of
Saddle bayou. About two miles northwest of Colfax there is a
very good outcrop of Grand Gulf sandstone in Rocky ford.
The sandstone is quite abundant as far north as Sec. 19, 7 N.,

3 W. Around Lena are large quarries in the Grand Gulf rocks. |

Hilgard reports these beds as capping the elevated ridges
about Cloutierville on Red river.* The next notable exposure

*Am. Jour. Sci., 2d Series, vol. 48, 1869, p. 337.

ee ee

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LouISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 8

GRAND GULF SANDSTONE, NEAR LENA, LA.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: GRAND GULF OLIGOCENE 97

of Grand Gulf isin the Kisatchie hills. The road from Lees-
ville to Provencal passes through a strip of black prairie land
about four miles from Leesville called Anacaco prairie. Cal-
careous concretions are scattered over the ground in large
numbers but no fossils were seen. Another small calcareous
prairie of about four acres in extent occurs north of Hardshell.
In about Sec. 5,4 N., 8 W., a light colored ledge crops out in the
road. Between Kisatchie bayou and _ Bellewood, sandstone
becomes quite common, and calcareous prairies are still to be
found. ‘The northern limit of the sandstone is about Bellewood.
On the divide between the headwaters of Kisatchie and Toro
bayous the Grand Gulf probably extends well to the north, and
it may be that the ‘‘ Bad Hill*’’ mentioned by Hopkins as seven
miles south of Many is inthis region. If Bad Hill is seven miles
due south of Many it is Lower Claiborne, for numerous fossils are
found in this region and the distance to the first Grand Gulf
outcrop due south of Many isabout 18 miles. The writers have
in no place seen the Grand Gulf north or west of Bayou Toro.
The large quarries in 4 N., 11 W., which have been opened to
obtain stone for crib work at Sabine Pass, Texas afford good
opportunities for examining the formation in this region. The
line of parting between the Grand Gulf and the Jackson lies
from a mile to two miles east of Bayou Toro from the railroad
bridge to its mouth, where the Grand Gulf crosses the Sabine
river into Texas. InSec.9 and 17 3 N., 11 W., large quantities
of stone are strewn over the hillsides. Great masses separated
by erosion often occupy outlying hills and are locally supposed
to be of volcanic origin. Of the southern boundary of the
formation Hilgard says: ‘‘ The line originally laid down by me,
and adopted by Prof. Hopkins, in his Geological Map of the State,
is based upon the connection of the outcrops near Chicotville,
then near the mouth of Mill creek into Calcasieu river and the
point on the Sabine (Salem) given as the limit between the
Quaternary and Tertiary, by Prof. Buckley of Texas.’’§ In the
bed of the Nez Piqué and Boggy bayous Hilgard found, what he

* ist Annual Report. La. Geol. Sury., 1870, p. 99.
2Supl. and Final Rept. of a Geol. Recon. of the State of Louisiana, 1873,
p. 16.
G

g8 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

considered, characteristic outcrops of the materials of the Grand
Gulf group, viz.; solid greenish clays and jagged clay sandstones.

East of the Mississippi Hopkins has mapped as Grand Gulf
almost all the hill-lands of the Florida parishes. The Grand
Gulf is here deeply covered with deposits of Lafayette material,
and exposures have been noted in but few places. Hilgard
reports the Grand Gulf along the river front as far south as
Tunica bend.* Two miles northeast of Laurel Hill McGee
found an exposure of Grand Gulf in the west fork of Thomp-
son’s creek.{ So far as we know these are the only exposures
of Grand Gulf which have been reported, in Louisiana, east of
the Mississippi; indeed, Clendenin states that the Mississippi is
the only stream which has succeeded in cutting through the
Lafayette and exposing the underlying Grand Gulf.

Thickness.—Hopkins calculates the thickness of the Grand
Gulf in the vicinity of Harrisonburg at 182 feet andremarks that
this is probably less than the true thickness of the deposit.
Some of the hills on Bayou Toro are barometrically from 250 to
300 feet high and hence we feel quite safe in assuming for the
Grand Gulf a thickness of at least 300 feet.

Fossils—These beds have not yet yielded, in Louisiana, any
trace of animal remains. Specimens of silicified wood have been
found at a number of places, and beds containing twigs and
leaves have also been reported. Veatch has obtained very good
impressions of leaves about two miles west of Hornbeck.
Specimens of silicified palm-wood collected by Johnson in Rapides
parish have been identified by Knowlton as Palmoxylon quens-
tedtiand P.cellulosum. Johnson called them Pliocene; McGee
says they are of Grand Gulf age ; Knowlton thinks the age very
uncertain.§

AGE OF THE GRAND GULF

‘\

Results of work in Alabama and Florida.—It thus appears that
no clue to the age of the Grand Gulf is given by the Louisiana

* Am. Jour. Sci. 3d Series, vol. 1, 1871, p. 236.

{12 An. Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv. part I, p. 432.

¢{ 2d An. Rept. La. Geol. Surv., 1871, p. 19.

|| Hopkins rst An. Rept. La. Geol. Surv., 1870, p. I0o.
§ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 11, pp. 89-91, pl. 30, 1888.

I] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LAFAYETTE 99

deposits. The material which has been lumped together, in
Louisiana, as Grand Gulf lies between the Vicksburg (Lower
Oligocene) and the upper Pliocene. It may therefore represent
Upper Oligocene, Miocene or Pliocene. In Mississippi the
conditions are a little more satisfactory. The collections of
Johnson at Vernal P. O. demonstrated that the upper part of
Hilgard’s Grand Gulf, in that region, is Chesepeake Miocene.
But the Alabama and Florida sections were needed to show the
age of the Grand Gulf proper.* It has there been shown that
the typical Grand Gulf passes under the Oak Grove beds, and
hence is probably equivalent to the Chatahoochie or Upper
Oligocene beds. The Grand Gulf beds above the typical Grand
Gulf and below the Pascagoula clays pass into the Oak Grove
sands, which are now regarded by Dall as transitional between
the Oligocene and Miocene. +

LAFAYETTE T
HISTORICAL,

ORIGIN OF THE TERM LAFAYETTE

The attention of geologists engaged in work on the southern
coastal plain was early attracted by beds of brightly colored
sands and gravels extending over wide areas. The color of
these deposits soon suggested a name; they were called ‘‘Orange
Sand’’ by Safford in 1856]. Hilgard adopted the term in his
Mississippi report and gave the most complete description of
the deposits that has been made up to the time of McGee’s

* Smith, Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, pp. 104-107; Dall and Stanley-Brown
Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. 5, p. 164, 1894.

+ A Table of North American Tertiary Horizons, Correlated with One
Another and with Those of the Western Europe, with Annotations by
Wm. H. Dall, 18th An. Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., 1896-97, Part II, p. 340,
1898.

t See article by W J McGee.—The Lafayette Formation, 12th Ann. Rept.
'U. S. Geol. Surv., 1891, pp. 347-521, which is by far the most complete
account of the subject yet published.

|| Geol. Recon. of Tenn. by J. M. Safford, 1856, pp. 148-162. Quoted by
McGee.

100 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

report in the 12th Annual of the United States Geological
Survey.

Safford referred the Orange Sand to the Cretaceous, to which
only a portion of his deposits belonged, but later called it Ter-
tiary and proposed a new name the “‘ Bluff Gravel’’ for the por-
tion which was of presumably Quarternary age*. MHilgard
maintained that the deposit was of Quarternary age and was a
southern equivalent of the noftthern drift. He supposed that
the deposit originated in the great floods of water issuing from
the ice front. ‘This idea has given rise to the names “‘ Drift,’’
‘‘southern Drift’’ and ‘‘Stratified Drift’? which have been
applied to this formation.

The uncertain meaning of the term Orange Sand caused the
adoption in 1891 of the term Lafayette formation, from the
typical locality in Lafayette county, Mississippi where Hilgard
first studied and named the formation. The opinion now gener-
ally held is that the Lafayette is a littoral or coastal deposit of
late Pliocene age and hence anterior to the glacial period. It
has no connection whatever with the great sheets of true drift
or till brought down by the glaciers.

FEATURES OF THE FORMATION IN LOUISIANA
DEFINITIVE FEATURES OF THE DEPOSITS

In Louisiana the only criterion for the determination of the
beds of this formation seems to be the chert and quartz pebbles,
often with casts of Paleozoic fossils, which portions of the
beds contain. The lithological resemblance of the sands of this
formation to the weathered sands of the underlying deposits is
so close that it is impossible to differentiate them. This resem-
blance has led to many incorrect references of red sandy mater-
ial to the Lafayette. Thus, Hopkins refers the iron bearing
sandstone common around Rocky Mount and in all the higher
hills of northern Bossier, Claiborne, Jackson and Union parishes
to the Drift. Harris has collected Lower Claiborne fossils in |
the Rocky Mount material and is inclined to regard the fossils
as being. zz sz/u. Veatch has obtained a series of very perfect

* Geol. of Tenn., 1869, pp. 432-433.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LAFAYETTE IOI

casts, preserving to an extreme degree all the fine surface sculp-
turing of the shells, from very coarse ferruginous sandstone
about nine miles west of Ruston. Lerchseems to have made an
error in his first report* where he refers the red sands
and sandy clays, which form so large a part of the surface of
northern Louisiana, to the Lafayette. Vaughan has shown, and
the observations of the present survey support his conclusions,
that the red sands are in part, at least, Lower Claiborne.f

DISTRIBUTION OF THE GRAVELS

The observations in the State have not yet been sufficient to
show clearly the minor features of the distribution of gravels ;
but the main localities are known.

East of the Mississifpi.i—In the hill lands, east of the
Mississippi river the gravel is very well developed. It there
overlies the Grand Gulf beds and seems to pass under the Port
Hudson. Regarding the distribution of the gravel in the
Florida parishes Hopkins says: In ‘‘ Washington Parish the
pebbles are common. About five miles east of the Tangipahoa
these have disappeared and the deposit is a yellow clay, with
fragments of brown hematite and red ochre. On Beaver creek,
and to the west of Tangipahoa, it has changed to a coherent
sand of an intense red color. Red and yellow clay again, with
a few quartz pebbles, are seen on the road to Greensburg, and
red sand at that place. Violet and yellow clay with a peculiar
chocolate shale, are found between this point and the Amite
river. Then the pebbles recommence and are fossiliferous as
usual. Clinton and Jackson are built upon them. ‘They under-
lie the bluff to within a mile of the river at Bayou Sara.{ The
southernmost point on the Mississippi at which Lafayette gravels
have been found is reported by McGee as in a road cut ‘‘seven
or eight miles south-southeast of Bayou Sara, a mile west of
Thompson’s bayou, and midway between Fairview and Star
_ Hill plantation.§

* Bull. La. State Expt. Stations: Geol. and Agr. part I, pp. 24-26, 1892.
f Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 142, 1896, pp. 20-22, 1896.

tSecond Annual Report Geol. Surv., La., 1871, p. 22.

% Twelfth Annual Report U. S. Geol. Surv. p. 430.

102 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Along the northern and southern borders of the Grand Gulf.—
West of the Mississippi the gravel is reported well developed on
both the northern and southern borders of the Grand Gulf.
Clendenin reports a very extensive gravel pit in the hills of
southern Rapides, east of the Kansas City, Watkins and Gulf
railroad where large quantities of gravel are obtained for rail-
road ballast.* According to Hopkins it is quite common between
Cheneyville and the lime kiln near Bayou Chicot.f Gravel is
extremely abundant along the Iron Mountain Railroad from
Alexandria as far north as the northern boundary of the Grand
Gulf, where it suddenly ceases. All along the northern line of
the Grand Gulf, gravel seems to be quite abundant. It has
been reported by Hopkins from the Harrisonburg hills.{ It has
been seen by the junior author on the northern edge of the
Grand Gulf just south of Saddle bayou on the eastern road from
Colfax to Winnfield ; in the Kisatchie hills; and in the hills
south of Toro bayou along the K. C. P. and G. R. R.

Around Many and Sabinetown.—North of the last locality
referred to above is a great stretch of country covered with
fossiliferous Jackson and Lower Claiborne. On the railroad,
the first place where gravels are exposed north of the Grand
Gulf territory is about two miles south of Many on about the
line of parting between the Lower Claiborne and the Lignitic.
Going west from Many no gravel is seen until the vicinity of
Sabinetown is reached. The gravel caps the first big bluff on
the east side of the river above Sabinetown and on the top of
Sabinetown bluff is extremely well developed. The top of the
bluff at Pendletown is covered with extremely red sand but no
gravel was seen in it. At the mouth of Bayou Negreet
Harris found a pebble conglomerate containing Lower Claiborne
fossils. The fossils were poorly preserved and may have been
_redeposited.

The Black lake bayou gravel train.—In the northern part
of the state the gravel is almost entirely confined to the two
great gravel trains which were first pointed out by Lerch.

* Bull. La. State Exp. Sta; Geol. and Agr., part III, 1896, p. 214.
+ 2d Ann. Rept. Geol. Surv. p. 22.
First Annual Rept. La. Geol. Surv., 1870, pp. 99, 102.

eq GENERAL GEOLOGY: LAFAYETTE 103

The most important and continuous is the Black lake bayou and
Dauchite bayou deposit. Between Shongaloo and Sykes ferry
the gravel is quite abundant. At old Haynesville great quanti-
ties crop out in the hillsides. The territory between the two
localities was not passed over, but it seems probable that the two
deposits are connected. Going south the gravel ridge narrows.
No northern gravels are found on thered lands in T. 21 N., R.
9g W. At Minden gravel was seen from about half a mile west
of the Dauchite bridge to a little beyond Crow’s bayou on the
Homer road. On the large hill between Minden and the bridge
itis common to a height of 65 feet above the bottoms. Between
Minden and Sibley nearly all the hillsides show gravel.
In the railroad cut at thelatter place 17 feet of gravel and cross-
bedded sands are exposed. Pebbles as large as a man’s fist are
seen here. This gravel was found as far east as Black lake
bayou. The country between Sibley and King’s salt works was
not personally examined, but we are credibly informed that
gravel is common. Pebble conglomerate is often seen on the
hills around King’s salt works, and on the Sparta-Campti road
between Castor and Toby creeks. Just south of this exposure is
a very fossiliferous Lower Claiborne prairie and no more gravel
occurs between here and Lake village. On the west side of
Black lake bayou, between Lake village and Coushatta, the
gravel band is three or four miles wide. At Black lake the
gravel again occurs on the eastern side of the bayou. Here it is
in close proximity to fossiliferous Lower Claiborne prairies. The
gravel occurs on the hillsides in Sec. 4, 11 N., 6 W. The very
crest of the hill is covered with Osterea falciformis and O.
Johnsont,

At Grand Ecore ten feet of white and yellow chert pebbles ard
sand cap the bluff. They extend scarcely an eighth of a mile
from the river.

Saint Maurice and Montgomery.—At Saint Maurice large
quartz boulders are found on the hillsides twenty to forty feet
above the fossiliferous Lower Claiborne in the bed of Saline
bayou.

From 3 to 4 miles northeast of Montgomery, on the east side
of Bayou Nantaches, there are quite prominent escarpments of

104 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

sandstone which in turn are overlaid by beds of white quartz
gravel and conglomerate. Above the gravel are from 50 to 75
feet of yellow and white sands.

Ouachita river gravel train. —The gravel train along the
Ouachita is not nearly so extensive. It is reported from about 12
miles south of Monroe. About three miles north, on Col.
Jones’ stock farm, there is a large gravel pit which is of great
local importance. Gravel is seen along the railroad for two
miles west of Monroe. A prolongation of the same deposit
appears in force at the bluff about a mile above the mouth of
the D’Arbonne and at Ouachita city. At Ouachita city the
gravel band is about three miles wide.

In northern Union and Clatborne.—Gravel localities are sprink-
led all over the northern part of Union and northern Claiborne.
The following localities may be mentioned : near L’Outre bridge
on the Spearsville-Ouachita city road; south of Cherry Ridge;
around Farmersville and as far south as the D’Arbonne; on the
hills west of Corney ferry, threeor four miles from Farmersville ;
at the Corney bridge on the Junction city-Lisbon road ; on the
hills on the south side of Middle Fork bottoms near Colquett
bridge ; and between Colquett and Gordon in occasional patches.

Around the Cretaceous outcrops.—Besides these localities sev-
eral of the so-called Cretaceous outcrops show gravel deposits,
viz.: Rayburn’s salt works and the Five Islands. For information
on the gravel of the Five Islands see special report.

Localities where the gravels are found in wells.—Besides these
surface outcrops wells have in several places revealed the pres-
ence of beds of sands and gravel which presumably belong to
this formation. A bed of gravel from 20 to qo feet thick seems
to underlie the Red river valley in the vicinity of Shreveport at
a depth of from 50 to 80 feet. Hopkins reports gravel under
the Avoyelles prairie at a depth of 4o feet. In nearly all the
Port Hudson territory deep wells reach the Lafayette gravels.

REGIONS WITH NO GRAVEL

Four principal regions in which no gravel has been observed
may be thus outlined: (1) The alluvial lands ;- (2) the country
overlaid by the Port Hudson; (3) an area centrally located

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: LAFAYETTE 105

between the Red, the Ouachita and the State line including
Caldwell, the major part of Winn, Jackson, eastern Bienville,
southeastern Claiborne, the major part of Lincoln and the west-
ern part of Ouachita parishes ; (4) all the territory lying west of
the Black lake gravel train and north of the Grand Gulf except
the area about Many and Sabinetown.

THICKNESS OF THE DEPOSIT

In northern Louisiana exposures of a greater thickness than
Io or 20 feet seem to be rather rare. In the region of Minden
the deposit is at least 60 or 70 feet thick. In southern Louisi-
ana it shows a thickness in the Lake Charles wells of from 150
to over 200 feet. On Cdte Carline, Grande Céte and Belle Isle
the borings show that a thickness of 200 feet is by no means
uncommon. Hole No. 7 on Céte Carline, which is for the most
part in material of presumably Lafayette age, is 442 feet deep.
On Belle Isle 4oo feet of sand is recorded in hole No. 2.

CONCLUSIONS

There can be little question that these deposits were all formed
in the same way and that they represent shore deposits. There
does seem, however, to be room for a reasonable doubt that they
were formed at the same time. It is seen inthe beginning
that the argument for the unity of a deposit which is differenti-
ated from other deposits merely by the presence or absence of
chert and quartz gravel is not very strong. Hilgard noticed the
very peculiar irregularity of the distribution of the gravel in
Mississippi and the same has since been found true in Alabama.
In Alabama gravel occurs to a very limited extent or not at all
(1) over the territory of the Rotten limestone, (2) over the Black
bluff or basal Lignitic and (3) over parts of the Jackson or white
Limestone.* In Mississippi it is found to a very limited extent
(1) over the territory of the Jackson, being entirely absent in
the prairies ; (2) it is wanting in large portions of the territory
occupied by the Rotten Limestone of the Cretaceous (3) in the
Flatwoods region [ Midway] of the northeastern part of the
State f. This absence of the gravel from the most calcareous

*Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, p. 68.
t Miss. Rept., 1860, p. 5.

106 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

deep sea deposits seems hardly well explained by the theory of
the common time origin of these deposits. The Arkansas
Orange Sand or Lafayette as identified by McGee seems capable
of division. Harris found a portion of the pebble beds passing
beneath the Midway Eocene in the vicinity of Little Rock. The
Plateau Gravels of Hill contain Cretaceous fossils in Clark
county, and Harris is inclined to regard the fossils as of the
same age as the gravel.

Too little is known of the gravels of Louisiana to justify any
very conclusive statements, and many years must elapse before
the problem can be fully worked out, but the facts we know at
present seem to suggest at least a working hypothesis. The
band of pebbles which appears along the southern edge of the
Grand Gulf seems to pass beneath the Port Hudson and to be
the gravel which is struck in deep wells sunk in the Port Hud-
son territory. It is the time equivalent of the Lafayette of
McGee. The band of gravel which follows the escarpment
which marks the northern limit of the Grand Gulf does not
extend, to any appreciable extent, over the adjacent lower
territory of the Jackson.* The question then becomes, has the
time since the deposition of the Lafayette been sufficient for the
erosion of a strip of gravel several miles wide along a course
which cuts the principal streams at right angles? The gravel
train in the vicinity of Monroe lies in about the position and
direction of the shore line in the Jackson period. The gravel
at Many and Sabinetown is in about the position of the Claiborne
shore-line. The Black lake bayou gravel train occupies a
questionable position. Much of it lies along a line between the
Lignitic and Lower Claiborne but seems too far east to represent
the Claiborne shore-line. Indeed if the gravel in Sec. 4, 11 N.,
6 W., be considered a part of it, it is younger than the Claiborne.
_We are hardly prepared to affirm that this is a true explanation
of the deposition of the gravel as the facts at hand are entirely

* Hopkins, 1st Annual Rept. La. Geol. Sury., p. 104, says: ‘‘ The inter-
vening region of the Jackson and Vicksburg is lower; and often entirely
bare of drift as is the case with marly regions of the Grand Gulf.’ When-
ever the northern edge of the Grand Gulf was passed by the present
writers no gravel was observed even on the Jackson.

0

eq GENERAL GEOLOGY : QUATERNARY 107

too meagre to justify such a statement. But it is felt that as
the stratigraphy of the Southern states is more carefully worked
out the positions of some of the gravel beds, which now seem
very strange will become quite clear, and that parts of them will
be found to be the true equivalents of adjoining fossiliferous beds.

QUATERNARY
CLASSIFICATION
HISTORICAL

The literature on the Quaternary deposits of Louisiana is quite
voluminous. ‘The great river and its delta have been studied
and written about since the first settlement of the country.
Commerce demanded it ; and the scientific man found in the river
and flood plain, problems of very great interest. Some of these
problems are so large and the observed data so small that our
present knowledge is by no means satisfactory. Their elucida-
tion will require some years of very careful hard work.

Lyell.—Passing over the early observations of the U. S.
Engineers engaged in work on the river and of the earlier
unpublished part of the work of Forshey and Riddel we come to
Sir Charles Lyell. The visit of this great geologist, and his
subsequent publications may be considered the beginning of
the present study of the river deposits. He conceived for the
alluvial deposits a thickness of at least 500 feet and on this based
his calculation of 67,000 years as the age of the delta. He
recognized the loess, and at Port Hudson saw deposits which he
considered to be of alluvial formation.*

ffilgard.— In his Mississippi Report, 1860, Hilgard proposed
the name Coast Pliocene for a series of recent, partly cypress
swamp, partly marine beds with recent shells, occupying a strip
along the Gulf Coast from 12 to 20 miles wide. ‘This has its
homologue along the whole southern coast of Louisiana. In
the same report he recognized and named the Yellow Loam.t

* Second visit to the United States, 3d Ed., 1855, p. 250; also Principles
of Geology, 11th Ed., p. 455.

+Report on the Geology and Agriculture of the State of Mississippi,
1860, p. 197.

108 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

After his examination of Port Hudson and his trip through
southern Louisiana he recognized over the whole area the equiva-
lents of his Coast Pilocene, and proposed for the whole the name
Port Hudson group.* The layer of blue clayt which the labors
of Humphreys and Abbott had revealed to be very widespread
in the bottoms, and which they referred toa number of different
geological horizons, from the Cretaceous up, Hilgard referred to
the Port Hudson.{ He came to the conclusion that the present
deposits of the river are of inconsiderable thickness ; a view
which he has maintained in all his subsequent writings.

Johnson.—Investigations by Mr. L. C. Johnson in 1890, in
southern Mississippi and in the region north of Lake Pontchar-
train, in the coastal phase of the Port Hudson, led him to pro-
pose for it the name Pontchartrain clays.§ At the same time he
proposed the name Biloxi sands for the more recent coastal
formations. The difficulty in distinguishing between the two
beds, which were formed under very similar conditions, led to
the extension of the meaning of Biloxi sands to include the
Pontchartrain clays. ||

McGee.—In his correlation of the coastal deposits McGee
includes all the Quaternary deposits in Louisiana, except the
most recent alluvium, under the Columbia formation.§| He
restricts the Orange Sand, as used by Safford in 1888,/7 to the
basal portions of the Yellew Loam.

* Am. Jour. Sci., 2d series, vol. 48. p. 332, 1869.

+ Hydraulics and Physics of the Mississippi River, p. 99.

t Am. Jour. Sci., 3d series, vol. 47, p. 79; alsoAm. Jour. Sci., 3d series,
vol. 2, pp. 391-404; Am. Assoc. Ady. Sci., Proc., vol. 20, pp. 222-236.

3 Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. 2, pp 20-25, 1890.

|| Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, p. 41.

{ The Lafayette formation by W J McGee, 12th Annual Report U.S.
Geol. Surv., Part I, p. 392.

++ Agricultural and Geological Map of Tennessee (J. M. Safford, State
Geologist), 1888.

OO

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY : QUATERNARY 109

TABLE OF LOUISIANA QUATERNARY FORMATIONS

River Development Costal Development

Alluvium Coastal Marshes
Biloxi Sands

Yellow Loam Leess { Chocolate Colored Loam )

Fluviatile Port Hudson | ar a | Yellow Loam ae
or Old Alluvium (McGee) 4 Ponchartrain Clays or (John
Basal Gravel J | Marine Port Hiidson |

| Coast Pliocene (Hilgard) J SOL)

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LOUIS-
IANA QUATERNARY FORMATION

MANNER OF FORMATION

Natural periods tn the Quaternary of Loutstana.—The history
of the Louisiana Quaternary seems to be divisible into three
parts: a long period of deposition, with varying conditions in
altitude and consequent differences in the character of sediment
deposited ; a period of erosion; and the present, comparatively
recent period of deposition.

first period of subsidence.—In the beginning of this period the
land must have stood over 248 feet* higher in the northern part
of Lousiana than it does to-day. In the valley where the stream
was sufficiently rapid, portions of the Lafayette gravels were
re-deposited or other gravel brought down by the river from the
north. Thedeposition of gravel would naturally be greatest in the
upper part of the valley while nearer the coast the material
would be finer. Along the coast, deposits of clay and sand would
be formed, which near the mouth of the river they would contain
Rangia and other brackish water molluscs, while at a distance
from the main outlet of the river the deposits would contain
- recent marine species. As the subsidence progressed the deposi-

* The depth of the Quaternary deposits at Lake Providence.—Hilgard and
Hopkins, Report on Borings between Memphis and Vicksburg, 48th Cong.,
Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 19, 1884, p. 481.

110 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

tion of sand and gravel in the main valley would cease and their
place be taken by fine cypress swamp clays. In these cypress
swamp clays local beds of sand and loam were formed along the
sluggish streams which meander aimlessly through the valley.

In the Mississippi valley the irregular melting of the glaciers
which occupied the whole region north of the Ohio and Missouri
rivers caused great floods which brought with them large quan-
tities of glacial rock meal. At times this flood may even have
overflowed the bounding hills or bluffs of the old valley and
formed on their summits great natural levees of silt even as the
pigmy Mississippi does to-day. At any rate these periodical
floods, caused by variations in temperature along the ice front,
must have formed extensive mud flats, as wide as the river
valley, and winds blowing over them would experience no diffi-
culty in transporting this impalpable silt to the summits of the
bordering hills.

Period of elevation.—At the close of this subsidence in which
the land reached a level a hundred feet * lower than to-day, a
period of elevation commenced. During this time an eleva-
tion slightly above the present was reached and the river
cut out the deposits of the preceding period. The amount
of this excavation can be judged by the height of the Port Hud-
son bluffs and the Opelousas, Carrencro and Cte Gelée hills.
To this is to be added the very inconsiderable depth of the older
material below the present alluvium. In the upper Red river
valley this excavation amounted to about 60 feet.

Present period of subsidence.—At the close of this elevation the

present period of subsidence commenced and with it the deposi-.

tion of the alluvium. That a subsidence is going on is
evidenced by a number of facts: (1) by the drowned condition
of the mouths of the majority of coastal rivers; (2) by the

* If the yellow loam and the lcess are not considered, a subsidence of this
amount seems to be quite capable of producing the deposits observed in the
Mississippi valley. ‘The origin of the loess is so little understood that an
assumption that the subsidence was equal to the height of. the highest loess
above sea level seems hardly well founded. If the subsidence was so great,
about 500 feet, as the estuarian theory of the origin of loess demands, we
should find well marked marine forms at Baton Rouge and Port Hudson.

eq GENERAL GEOLOGY : QUATERNARY rier

burial of Indian shell heaps and mounds with recent material as
at Belle Isle and in many mounds along the Mississippi coast ;*
(3) by the formation of numerous long dune-shaped islands just
off the coast and along the seaward margin of the coastal
marshes which are features of a subsiding coast;f (4) by the
observations of Maj. Quinn, U. S. E., who reported the extra-
ordinary subsidence of one foot between 1875 and 1894; { (5)
from the almost stationary condition of the mouths of the
Mississippi.
THE BASAL GRAVELS

Characteristics and development.—The basal portions of the
Quaternary which were formed by the redeposition of some of
the preceding gravel have been definitely recognized in but two
localities in the State because of the difficulty in separating them
from the underlying Lafayette. Inthe Lake Providence bor-
ings there are certain beds which Hilgard is inclined to regard
as basal Port Hudson.|| McGee reports the basal gravel 7 or
8 miles south-southeast of Bayou Sara and in the region between
Bayou Sara and the state line.** He also states that the basal
gravel was found in the New Orleans well and below the Cal-
casieu prairie, a statement which seems to require further proof.
The low level Red river gravels, which have been provisionally
referred to the Lafayette, may belong to this period.

THE Port Hupson

Origin of Term.—In the American Journal of Science for
November, 1869, Hilgard proposed the name Port Hudson for a
group of swamp, estuarine, bayou and marine clays and sands
covering parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The formation

* Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, pp. 45-46.

+ Eastern Sea Coast Marshes by N. S. Shaler, 6th Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol.
Sur., 1885, p. 360; also W J McGee, Gulf of Mexico as a Measure of Isos-
tacy, Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 44. p. 187.

{Quoted in Annual Cyclopzedia for 1895, Appleton and Co., p. 427. We
have not been able to find this statement in the Annual Reports of the
Chief of Engineers from which it seems to have been taken.

|| 48th Cong. House Ex. Doc., vol. 19, 1884, p. 480.

§ McGee, 12th An. Rep. U. S. Geol. Sur., part 1, p. 499.

** rath An. Rep. U. S. Geol. Sur., part I, pp. 430-431.

112 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

was named from Port Hudson, Louisiana, where the typical
exposure is found.

General characteristics.—This formation consists of beds of
dark colored clays, commonly blue, black or green but some-
times gray and yellow, containing calcareous concretions and
occasional beds of gray sand and slit. The blue clay which is
probably the most distinctive bed commonly contains stumps and
trunks of cypress and other lowland trees.

It shows two very distinct facies: a marine and fresh water.
Along the gulf coast the littoral portion of the formation com-
monly contains marine and, near the old coast line, brackish water
shells. The river portions contain cypress stumps, driftwood
and occasional fresh water shells.

Synonymy.—This development of marine facies has given rise
to two very different meanings for the term Port Hudson. In
the river where the Port Hudson is strongly differentiated by
physical characters from the loess and yellow loam and separated
from the very similar recent deposits by an erosion interval, the
term Port Hudson is restricted to a fairly limited group of clays
at the base of the Quaternary series. On the coast where depo-
sition has been going on continuously and where the deposits of
to-day are forming under the same conditions and contain the
same marine forms as the earlier Quaternary beds, it is impossible
to distinguish between them. This has led Hilgard to uncon-
sciously use the term Port Hudson in the costal region to cover
everything except the recent sea marsh deposits. That is, in the
the costal region the Port Hudson not only includes the equiv-

alents of the Port Hudson of the valley but the marine equiv-

alents of the lcess, the yellow loam and in all probability a part
of the alluvium.

The Port Hudson bluff, which is the typical exposure for the
formation, represents only the fluviatile development. This led
Johnson in 1890* to propose the name Pontchartrain clays for
for the marine equivalents of the Port Hudson. The Pontchar-
trian clays consist of brownish or yellowish blue clay with sand
partings, and contains a few stumps and marine shells. At the

* Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. 2, pp. 20-25, and Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 40, pp.
332-333, 1890.

P - ae
ee

1] GENERAL GEOLOGY : QUATERNARY range,

same time the term Biloxi sand was suggested for the recent
costal formations, in general equivalent to the recent alluvium
of the river. It was found impossible to differentiate
them in the field and in 1894 the Pontchartrain clays and Biloxi
sands were all included under one head, the Biloxi sands.*

The difficulty, nay impossibility, of distinguishing between
the different parts of the Quaternary in the coastal region has
given rise to a very interesting discussion on the thickness of
the recent alluvium in the delta below New Orleans. This
seems to be one of those points where a person can take either
side and prove that he is right. If the period of the recent
alluvium be said to begin at the time when the cutting out of
the Port Hudson and lcess deposited in the valley commenced,
then the delta formed of this material would be composed of
redeposited Port Hudson material with marine shells and exactly
the same difficulties will be experienced in differentiating the two
deposits that are experienced both east and west of the delta
region. If the period of the recent alluvium be defined as com-
mencing when the period of degredation. ceased, the same
difficulties will be experienced. Off the delta to-day marine
beds are forming which are the time equivalents of the recent
alluvium, but which are in everyway similar to those which
formed under similar conditions in the Port Hudson period
proper. Indeed criteria for the separation of the Port Hudson
proper from the more recent deposits in the lower delta region
seem to be entirely lacking. Allour present knowledge seems to
justify, is to lump the whole together as has been done east of
of the Mississippi in the Biloxi sands and west of the Mississippi
in the Port Hudson.

Areal distribution and topographical features.—These vast beds
of clay, which have not been exposed long enough for the
development of drainage systems and which from their clayey
nature prevent a perfect subterranean drainage, have had a very
marked effect on the topography of part of Louisiana. East of
the Mississippi they have given rise to the ‘‘ Pine flats’’ or
‘“Pine meadows’’ lying between the pine hills and the coastal
marshes. West of the Mississippi they have produced another

* Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, p. 41.
H

114 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

series of pine flats in Calcasieu parish and the whole prairie
region of southern Louisiana (see geological map). ‘The post
oak or upland flats of Red river valley seem to belong to the
same age also.

The Port Hudson seems to be distributed over the whole lower
Mississippi valley at a slight depth below the modern river
deposits. In places through the river valley the Port Hudson
appears to be represented by butte-like masses which were not
completely eroded during the degredation period that followed
their deposition. The Moorehouse hills seem to represent one
of these erosion-formed masses of Port Hudson material. The
Bayou Macon hills represent hills of the same type which have
received a coating of yellow loam. Further down the valley
another one of these outliers is found in the Avoyelles prairie.

Thickness of the Port Hudson.—The deposition of the Port
Hudson on the irregular and probably steeply inclined surface of
the Lafayette gives to the Port Hudson a decidedly varying
thickness. The wells about Lake Charles seem to indicate for
the formation an average thickness of a little less than 200 feet.
The great thickness, 354 feet, observed in the Kirkman well near
Lake Charles appears to be rather abnormal. Inthe Mississippi
valley at Lake Providence there are 205 feet of Port Hudson
under 42 feet of recent alluvium.* East of the river the work
of the Alabama survey has revealed the total thickness of the
Quaternary to be from 200 to 250 feet.t Of this from ro to 100
feet is supposed to be recent and the balance Port Hudson
proper. The New Orleans well had not passed through the
Quaternary deposits at a depth of 630 feet. In Red river valley
in the vicinity of Shreveport the Port Hudson is about 100 feet
thick. This would seem to allow for the Port Hudson a river-
ward development of from 100 to 200 feet, a normal coastal
development of 200 feet and an extreme development immedi-
ately on the coast of over 600 feet.

Fossils. —The most common fossils are plants; leaves, trunks
of trees and roots occuring in many parts of the formation.
Vertebrate remains have been found in numerous parts of the

* Hilgard 48th Cong. 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 19, p. 493.
t+ Geol. Surv. Ala., 1894, p. 43.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: QUATERNARY 115

State in deposits which are the time equivalents of the upper
part of the Port Hudson or the lower part of the loss. The
early accounts of the geology of the State contain reports of find-
ing mastodon remains near Opelousas. Carpenter reports the
find of a mastodon jaw and teeth and the tooth of a large horse
on Bayou Sara in the parish of West Feliciana.t The bone beds
on the Mississippi just north of the line areextremely rich. On
Petite Anse the remains of Mastodon, Mylodon, Equus and Elephas
have been reported. Mastodon bones have been reported from
Port Hudson bluff{t; from Cote Blanche §; from King’s salt
works; Price’s salt works||; Rayburn’s salt works|; Dunbar’s
creek, West Feliciana parish; and at Alsworth’s, 6 miles above
Baton Rouge ®.

In the river exposures fresh water shells are occasionally found
and Hilgard has reported imperfect specimens from Céte Blanche
and Petite Anse**, Marine forms are found over nearly the whole
of the area covered by the marine phase of the Port Hudson.
They have been reported by locality from Bayou Sale, Belle
Isle, Opelousas, Lake Charles, Bonnet Carre on the Mississippi
river above New Orleans, New Orleans, the Lake Borgne bor-
ings and Pontchatoula.

THE Laiss AND YELLOW LOAM

Origin of the term less.—The term loess, applied to the very
fine yellow calcareous silt of the Rhine valley, came into general
use among European geologists early in this century. Lyell in
1846 recognized in certain deposits in the Mississippi valley the
American counterpart of the European deposits.

Its great development along the bluffs bordering the Missis-
sippi valley caused it to be called the ‘‘ Bluff formation’’ by

* Dunbar, Am. Phil. Soc. Trans., vol. 6, pp. 40-41, 1801 ; Duralde, Am.
Phil. Soc. Trans., vol. 6, pp. 55-58, 1802; Carpenter, Am. Jour. Sci., vol.
35) PP- 344-346, 1838.

+ Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 34, pp. 201-203, 1838.

+ Hilgard, Smith. Contr. No. 248, vol. 23, p. 5, 1872,an1 other places.

Silibids piii2:

| Hopkins, 2d An. Rep. Geol. Surv. La., 1871, p. 6.

4| Hopkins, 3d An. Rep. Geol. Surv. La., 1872, p. 188.
** Smith. Contr. No. 248, vol. 23, pp. 12, 18, 1872.

116 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Swallow in 1855.* This term has since been used by a number
of southern geologists but with varying shades of meaning.
Hilgard used the term as a synonym for the loess proper. In his
second annual report Hopkins used the term ‘‘ Bluff Period’’ to
cover the whole of the Quaternary except the most modern
alluvium.

General characteristics of the less.—The leess is a homogeneous,
yellow or yellowish-buff, very fine grained, caicareous, silty,
unstratified loam ; commonly best developed along the hills bor-
dering the river channels, and thinning out and becoming less
characteristic as the distance from the stream channels increases.
It often contains numerous land shells and occasionally fresh
water shells. Inits basal portions mastodon bones have been
found and Lyell reports the finding of fish remains in the lcess
at Vicksburg.+ The calcareous matter forms very fantastically
shaped concretions called lcess-kindchen. Probably the most
distinctive feature of the lceess is its habit of weathering into
perpendicular banks.

In the Mississippi valley it seems to be best developed along
the eastern bluffs and to grade southward into a yellow loam or
hardpan. Typical loess is probably to be found in Louisiana
only over a very limited area in the Florida parishes along the
river immediately south of the Mississippi line and at Sicily
island. ‘The leess, in its modified form, the yellow loam, how-
ever, covers a very considerable area in the State.

Origin of the less.—No satisfactory theory of the origin of
the loess has yet been advanced. Geologists are at present
divided between two theories, the aqueous and the eolian. There
are several modifications of the aqueous: the strictly fluviatile,
the fluvio-lacustrine, the true lacustrine and the embayment.f
All geologists agree that the loess and the yellow loam are formed
of glacial products.

The Yellow loam.—The studies of Hilgard in Mississippi, prior
to 1860, indicated the presence of a stratum of unstratified, non-

* Geol. Surv. of Missouri, st and 2d Annual Report, pp. 59-170, Jefferson
City, 1855.

+ Principles of Geology, 11th ed., vol. 1, p. 460.

t+ Chamberlin, Jour. Geol., vol. 5, 1897, p. 798.

I] GENERAL GEOLOGY: QUATERNARY 117

calcareous vellow loam or brick clay often overlying the typical
lceess and extending over a much larger territory. For this
formation he proposed the name Yellow Loam.* He considered
it genetically distinct from the lcess. ‘More recent investiga-
tions have shown that it not only overlies the less but some-
times underlies and grades laterally into the less. They are
now regarded as one and the same formation, the lcess represent-
ing a local development of the loam.

Distribution of the Yellow loam.—On the geological map of the
State the thick deposits of loess-like yellow loam on the Bayou
Macon hills, on the Avoyelles prairie and on the uplands along
the Teche have all been represented as belonging to this
deposit. A thin layer of the yellow loam covers a much
larger area. It extends over nearly the whole of the western
Port Hudson, becoming in that region the chocolate colored loam
of Clendenin. On the eastern side of the river it is found occa-
sionally overlying the Grand Gulf and Lafayette, and in places
over the Port Hudson. ‘The mantle-like layer of yellow calca-
reous clay observed on the Five Islands seems to be a develop-
ment of the yellow loam.

THE ALLUVIUM AND RECENT COASTAL FORMATIONS

Recent coastal formations.—Some of the difficulties experienced
in differentiating these deposits and the Port Hudson proper
have been discussed under the Port Hudson. The Quaternary
coastal formations seem to be in all respects continuous, and it
seems quite impossible to use the term Port Hudson in the
coastal region without including in it some of the most recent
formations. The blue clay stratum with stumps, which Hilgard
reports around Petite Anse, and which he refers to the Port
Hudson seems to belong to the subsidence now in progress. This
conclusion is arrived at by the fact that in the immediate neigh-
borhood of the stumps, and skirting the edge of the present
sea-marsh is a cypress swamp. ‘Thomassy describes on the sea-
ward margin of the swamp a number of dead trees which clearly

* Mississippi Rept., 1860, p. 197.

118 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

owe their death and present position to a sinking of the land.*
As a subsidence is now progressing in this region the relation
between the partly live and partly dead cypress trees and the
prostrate trunks and stumps in the adjacent marsh seems very
clear.

The Alluvium.—In the valley, where a period of erosion has
separated the old alluvium from the new, there is some hope of
distinguishing between the two. But even here we are con-
fronted by the fact that the local cypress swamp deposits of
to-day and the cypress swamp deposits of the Port Hudson
period must be very similar. Asa result of work in the Yazoo
bottoms, Dr. E. A. Smith came tothe conclusion that the Port
Hudson blue clay was characterized by calcareous concretions
which are entirely lacking in the recent deposits.

The thickness of the material which may be unquestionably
attributed to the deposits of the river during the present subsi-
dence is very slight. In the Mississippi valley a deposit of over
20 feet of unquestionably recent river formation willrarely be
seen, while a deposit of a few feet is most common.t The same
thing holds true in the Red river valley.

QUATERNARY PHENOMENA OTHER THAN DEPOSITION AND
EROSION

Local CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS

The Five Islands.—The great deposits of sediment along this
coast.in Quaternary time have doubtless greatly aided other
forces in distributing the equilibrium of the crust in this region.
After the deposition of the Lafayette gravel and some of the
basal Quaternary layers and before the deposition of the yellow
loam a series of very peculiar dome-shaped folds and, to all
appearances, a large fault were either formed or assumed their
present position along the southern coast of Louisiana. These
gave rise to those peculiar elevations along the coast known as
the FiveIslands. On two of these mammille-like protuberances,
whose surfaces have been greatly ridged by erosion, enough
borings have been made to reveal the fact that the underlying

* Geologie Pratique, 1860, pp. 82-83.
+ Hilgard,—48 Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol.19, 1884, pp. 480-481.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: QUATERNARY 11g

salt mass isin the shape of an elongate dome. On Belle Isle
fossiliferous surface beds show the same dip as the surface of
the salt and where the apex of the dome was entered by the
mine shaft the internal structure and bedding of the salt seems
to show that the mass owes its shape not to erosion but folding,
On Petite Anse the salt contains certain thin, black, slightly
gypseous bands of salt which dip about 80° S. E. From this it
is inferred that there is in this vicinity either a fault or a very
steep anticline.

The date of the formation of the similar domes of Cretaceous
material in northern Louisiana is yet an open question. ‘There
seems to be no evidence to prove or disprove that they were
formed at the same time as the Five Islands. It is hard to
believe that they were formed so recently. The disturbed con-
dition and the dip of the Lower Claiborne beds on the northern
part of the Winnfield anticline indicate that a part of the move-
ment at least has occurred in post-Claiborne time.

THE Mup LuMpPs

Description.—The peculiar upheavals in the channel and around
the mouthsof the Mississippi, early forced themselves on the notice
of persons interested in the navigation of the river. Parts of the
bottom of the river gradually elevate themselves until dome-
shaped masses of blue clay project two or three feet above the
surface of the water. Openings are formed in the summits of
these cones, from which water and mud and gas issue. The
mud is deposited about the orifice in successive layers and builds
up a miniature, volcanic-like cone. This process continues until
the elevation of the cones sometimes reaches ten or even twelve
feet. The eruption then entirely ceases or an opening is made
at alower level. The extinct cones are finally destroyed by the
waves.

Theories of origin.—Naturally many theories have been
proposed to account for the origin of the sepeculiar eruptions
but none has yet been advanced which has received the
undivided support of scientists. The theories may be enumer-
ated as follows :

120 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect

1. Gas theory.

2. Superincumbent pressure theory.

3. Suppressed spring theory.

4. Hydraulic tube theory.

5. Tide and current theory.

One of the first theories advanced was that of the gas origin.*
This theory attributes to gas the main part in the formation of the
mounds. ‘Thedecomposition of the vegetable and animal matter
buried in the delta gives rise to gas. In its attempts to escape
this gas will lift the upper clay to the surface of the water and
then unable to lift it higher will break through, carrying with it
water and fine mud.

The theory advanced by Lyellt and Hilgard{is that the weight of
the material now being thorwn down at the delta on the fine semi-
liquid mud deposited when the river was farther inland will tend
to squeeze this fine mud from under the crest of the bar. This
material finds vent where the pressure is least, giving rise to
mud-lumps.

The other theories depend on water alone asa formative agent.
In 1866 Beuregard advanced the following theory of the origin
of the mud-lumps: ‘‘ Now if a tube be supposed to pass from
the inside of the bar, where the current is more or less strong,
to the outside of it, where there is hardly any current, it is evi-
dent that the force of the current will fill this tube with that
floating mud lying at the bottom of the river, and cause it to
issue at its extremity to a higher or lower level, or not at all,
according to the strength of the current acting at that time.’’§
As this can be proven to be contrary to physical laws it is hardly
to be considered.

The suppressed spring theory holds that water originating at
amuch higher level finds vent here. Forshey supposed that for

* Sidell, Report to Capt. Talcott, 1839, in Humphreys and Abbott’s Report
on the Hydraulics and Physics of the Mississippi River, Appendix A, 1860;
Drake, A Systematic Treatise on the Principal Diseases of the Interior Val-
ley of North America, Con. 1850, pp. 93-94; Long, 35th Cong. Ist Sess.,
Ex. Doc. No. 139, p..41; Hopkins, rst An. Rep. Geol. Surv. La., p. 82,1870.

+ Prin. Geol., roth ed., 1868, vol. I, p. 449.

t Amer. Jour. Sci., 3d series, vol. 1, 1871, pp. 238-246, 356-368, 425-435.

$ 35th Cong., 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., No. 97, vol. 12, pp. 6-7, 1866.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY : Economic PRODUCTS 121

some reason the Lafayette sands come to an end near the present
delta and that the water which has entered this stratum in the
uplands north of New Orleans rise to the surface here.* Thom-
assy pictures a reservoir situated some where north of the delta
but does not specify exactly where. The mud-lumps are also
intimately connected with the subterranean channels which he
pictures as honey-combing the delta.t

The theory of the tide and current origin was advanced by
Montaigu in 1875. He supposed that in the eternal conflict
between the river and the ocean currents, great pressure was at
times exerted on the beds near the mouth of the Mississippi,
which occasionally resulted in the formation of mud-lumps.{

Of these theories the first seems to be best supported by the
facts at hand at present.

DIVISION IT-ECONOMIC GEOLOGY
| MINERAL RESOURCES

IMPORTANT PRODUCTS
SALT

Drake’s salt works.—This locality which is on the East side of
Saline bayou in Sec. 21, 13 N., 5 W., seems to have been one of
the first sites of salt making in Louisiana. This locality more
nearly agrees with the descriptions of the position of the salt
pits which Daniel Coxe§ described in 1726, from which the
‘*Natchitock’’ Indians made salt with which to trade with the
neighboring nations, than any other locality we know of.

In 1812, Maj. Amos Stoddard gave the following account of
this locality: ‘‘ The saline in the vicinity of Natchitoches, and
on the navigable waters of Red river, promises to be productive.
Three wells only have been sunk, they furnish water for thirty
kettles, whose contents are six hundred and sixty gallons, and
as the water is nearly saturated, these kettles attended by seven

* Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. Proc., vol. 26, p. 154, 1878.

+ Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane, 1860, Chap. VI.

t43d Cong. House Ex. Doc., No. I, vol. 3, p. 805, 1875 ; Ann. Rept. Chief
of Eng. for 1874.

§ See p. II.

122 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

laborers produce about two hundred and forty barrels of salt per
month, at an expense of one hundred and forty dollars.’’*

To this statement Darby merely adds that the salt works are
situated on the landof Mr. Postlethwait on Saline bayou about 25
miles by road from Natchitoches. f

The local demand so increased that in the early forties Mr.
Drake attempted to obtain a stronger brine by a deep boring.
A well a little over a thousand feet deep was bored in one of the
licks and an artesian flow of salt water of from 18 to 20 gallons
per minute obtained. The water was weaker in salt and more
gypseous than that near the surface.

During the civil war, this locality was the scene of great
activity. Since the war, the primitive methods employed at
these works have been unable to produce salt, which could
compete with the cheap salt made in large quantities in other
localities by improved methods, and which improved facilities
for transportation have put in easy reach of the people.

Rayburn's salt works.—(See Fig. 2, p. 53). Situated in
Sec. 31, 15 N., 5 W., at a distance from the early settlements in
Red river valley, it was not until 1840 that Mr. Foust commenced
making salt at this locality for the immediate neighborhood.
The work was continued on a very modest scale, until the break-
ing out of the Civil war, when the restrictions imposed on the
importation of salt by the federal blockade, caused it to have
avery greatly enhanced value. The fame of Rayburn’s lick
spread, and in 1862 men came from far and wide, bringing with
them gangs of negroes. Hastily built shelters were put up, the
valley was soon dotted with shallow wells from 15 to 20 feet
deep, which were protected from the fresh waters of the
occasional freshets by low levees. The natural mounds were
utilized for furnace sites; and near the center of the valley,
where these mounds were not found, artificial ones were
made. Large iron sugar-kettles from four to six feet in diameter
were mounted on rude foundations made of ferruginous sand-

* Sketches, Historical and Descriptive of Louisiana by Maj. Amos Stod-
dard, Phila., 1812, p. 400.

+ A Geog. Des. of the State of Louisiana by Wm. Darby, 1816, p. 29.

{ Hopkins 2d Ann. Rept. Geol. Sur. La., pp. 4-5, 1871.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: Economic PRODUCTS. 123

stone brought from the surrounding hills. Three or four
kettles commonly constituted a ‘“‘furnace.’’ Large boilers were
also obtained, split in half, wooden bulkheads inserted in the
ends, and mounted on similar foundations of sandstone. |

A rent of 2% bits (37% cents) per bushel -was_ charged
for the privilege of making the salt and for the wood consumed.
The receipts by the owner of the land, at this rate, are said to
have amounted to $375.00 per day. This would give a daily
production of about 1,000 bushels. ach furnace is said to
have averaged 30 bushels daily. Asthere are 66 old furnaces
still well defined, at least three-fourths of which must have
been in operation when the greatest receipts were realized, this
latter estimate is probably a little too high.

Pumps were placed in the wells and platforms built around
them so as to elevate the water to a sufficient height to conduct
itin troughs tothe furnaces. Every seventh day the kettles were
‘“chipped,’’ that is, the layer of limy matter which had formed
a coating over the bottom and sides possibly an inch thick, was
chipped or broken out.

King’s salt works.—The history, the topographical surround-
ings and the extent of the old King’s salt works are almost
exactly the same as at Rayburn’s. Mr. King commenced
making salt for himself in ‘‘ the forties.’’ His salt well seems
to have been about 150 feet deep. In the fall of the year, after
the crops had been gathered, the negroes were taken to the salt
house and the winter supply was made. Neighbors brought
their negroes and availed themselves of the same opportunity.
This salt work shared with the other localities a period
of intense activity during the war. The lick was covered
with shallow wells from 18 to 20 feet deep and rude furnaces of
the same type as seen at Rayburn’s were built on the edge of
the bordering hills.

King’s lick is situated on the side of Castor bayou very
close to, the. line’ between’ Sec: 34° and 35; 15° N.,;°8 W. ‘The
whole lick occupies about 20o0acres. The main lick where the old
wells were sunk is a very flat, wet, palmetto meadow and occupies
about 40 acres.

Price’s salt works.—Price’s old salt works are situated on Sec.

124 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

25,13 5.5 W. They were not, visited by ithe weiters) “Elie
gard, however, reports the brine stronger here than at either
Rayburn’s or King’s.

Bistineau salt works.—We have not been able to obtain any
very good description or idea of the works at this locality. They
are situated on the shore of Lake Bistineau, just south of the
V.S.& P. R. R., and are very often under water. None of the
geologists who have written about the State, seem to have vis-
ited this locality. [Locality just visited by Veatch, Jan., 1900. |

Sabine parish salt works.—In 1812 Stoddard made the follow-
ing general statement covering the salines of northern Louis-
iana: ‘‘ The country about the Washita and Red rivers, affords
many instances of salt, where a sufficient quantity of that article
may be obtained to suppy a crowded population. Several salt
springs have been discovered about the Sabine; and an excel-
lent one is known to exist near Catahoula lake.’’* Salt has
been made from several of the licks on the Sabine. Hilgard
reports salt and ‘‘soda’’ made by Governor Allen in the Sabine
flat about two miles below Myrick’s ferry, in the northwestern
corner of Sabine parish. t

Near Coal bluff on the Sabine, in Sec. 33, 6 N., 13 W., is a
small salt flat containing several wells and traces of the old
works: The operations here seem to have been on a much
smaller scale than the licks farther east.

As stated under the heading, Lower Claiborne, there are
numerous saline springs near the mouth of Negreet bayou,
which at one time were utilized for the manufacture of salt.
The method of obtaining the brine and manufacturing the salt was
the primitive one of sinking hollow cypress logs vertically over
the saline sources, and then pumping out the contents of the
logs and running it into kettles along the banks where it was
artificially evaporated. We have no accurate account of the
daily product of this lick.

Other salt springs.—The salt springs on Lake Catahoula, men-
tioned by Stoddard (see this author above), have, so far as we

*Sketches of Louisiana, 1812, pp. 399-400.
+ Suppl. and Final Rept. of a Geological Recon. of the State of Louisiana,
New Orleans, 1873, p. 22.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: ECoNoMIC PRopDUCTS 125

know, never been worked. Hopkins, who examined the region
in 1871, found numerous weak brine springs issuing from
material of Port Hudson age. He was inclined to consider them
oft very doubtful economic importance. He reported a stratum
of salt crystals five-eighth of an inch thick and 18 feet from the
surface of the ground in Capt. L. D. Corley’s well.*

About two miles southeast of Winnfield is a small lick, known
as Cedar lick. Its waters have never been used to any consid-
erable extent for making salt.

Five Islands.—By far the most important salt deposits of the
State are on the Five Islands. Salt was made from brine springs
on Petite Anse at intervals from 1791 to 1862 when a large
deposit of very pure rock salt was discovered. This was mined
extensively in 1862 and the early part of ’63. Then there came
a period of inactivity; but since 1879 when the mines were
reopened the output has been very considerable. In the sum-
mer of 1895 salt was discovered on Céte Carline but, thus far,
no use has been made of it. In December, 1896, salt was dis-
covered on Belle Isle, and in the following summer, on Grand
Céte. Companies were organized to mine the salt. At the time
of the junior author’s visit to the Islands (May, 1899), only the
mine of the Avery Rock Salt Mining Company on Petite Anse
was producing salt. On Belle Isle, the Gulf Company, and on
Grand Céte, Myles and Company, were hastening their shafts
toward completion. In addition to mining rock salt the Gulf
Company proposes to make a fine grade of table salt by artificial
evaporation. For a more complete account of these deposits see
special report on the Five Islands.

Conclustons.—The great purity and extent of the rock salt
deposits on the Five Islands has been discussed in a special
report on the islands, and it only remains to mention the fact
again here. The northern salt springs have only paid under the
unusual conditions which existed during the war. Itis believed,
however, that with the opening of railroad communications
these springs will again become of value. It is regarded asa
very hopeful sign that the Arkansas, Louisiana and Southern
Railroad, now building from Minden and Sibley southward,

* Hopkins 3d Annual, p. 178, 1872.

126 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA |Sect.

passes within half a mile of King’s salt works. All the other
licks are at present well removed from railroads. Rayburn’s
nearest railroad is at Bienville, eight miles away. Drake’s, in
addition to the railroad which is projected near it, and which it
is hoped will be built, has the advantage of water transportation
for a part of the year.

It is regretted that we are not able to presentin this report
views of the salt works and analyses of the brines. Those will
appear in a following report.

SULPHUR

Sulphur City, Calcasieu parish.—About 1868 the Louisiana Oil
Company was formed to exploit the oil and gas springs in the
fresh water swamp at the head of Bayou Choupique, about 15
miles west of Lake Charles. The well which the company sunk
was unsuccessful so far as the oil and gas was concerned, but
revealed a very extensive deposit of sulphur, at a depth of 443
Teet.

In 1869 and ’70 numerous borings were made which showed
that the sulphur bed had an average thickness of roo feet, and
occupied a position about 425 feet below the surface. The beds
of water bearing sands, which overlaid the deposit, rendered the
sinking of a shaft quite a difficult undertaking. A company was
organized under Gen. Jules Brady. This company succeeded in
forcing a large sectioned cast-iron shaft down to a depth of 110
feet, when it was abandoned because of the breaking of the lin-
ing.* After this attempt little was done at the sulphur deposits
till 1895, when the invention of what is known as the Frasch
process by Mr. Herman Frasch of Cleveland, Ohio, caused active
work to be resumed at this locality. The process is briefly
described by Mr. E. W. Parker, in the Mineral Resources of the
United States for 1895, as follows: ‘‘ The method consists of
forcing superheated water through a 10-inch pipe and a 6-inch
pipe within the other. The heated water melts the sulphur,
which, being the heavier sinks to the bottom, and is pumped out
through a 3-inch pipe inside the 6-inch one. The liquefied

* Mineral Resources of the U. S. for 1883-84, p. 864, 1835.

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: ECoNoMIC PRODUCTS 127

sulphur is drawn off into tanks about 65 feet long by 15 feet wide
and 12 inches deep. After twenty-four hours of exposure to the
atmosphere (the tanks being on the ground and uncovered) the
sulphur solidifies and is broken out in lumps ready for shipment.
The sulphur obtained is said to be 99.93 per cent. pure. The
pumping was done as in oil wells, with sucker rods and working
valve operating an aluminum working-barrel, alumnium not
being affected by melted sulphur. All the trouble experienced
in the execution of this novel smelting process has been caused
by the working valve getting out of order, alumnium valves and
zine valves not being of sufficient strength to withstand the
shock which the heavy column of the sulphur would cause at
change of stroke.’’ ‘The principle of the ‘‘air-lift’’ pump was
applied in 1896 and by this system the Union Sulphur Company
was enabled to pump 265 tons of sulphur per day.

Plate 9 shows the melted sulphur pouring into the tank, in
the central part of the picture; partly crystallized sulphur in the
tank on the right, and on the left men engaged in picking out
and wheeling away the finished product.

This process, while entirely successful so far as recovering the
sulphur was concerned, did not prove to be entirely so
from a financial point of view. As the size of the cavity about
the foot of the pipe increased, the amount of heated water
required to melt the sulphur became greater and greater and, in
time, the size of the cavity became so large that the sulphur
could not be economically removed.

The production of the mine in 1895 was about 800 tons, in 1896
about 4,200 tons and in 1897 alittleover 1,000 tons. ‘The mines
are at present closed and there seems to be no prospect of their
reopening in the near future.

CLAYS

General statement.—The clay wealth of Louisiana has been but
imperfectly investigated and the attention of the survey will
therefore be directed very particularly, during the ensuing year,
to this one of our economic products.

Good brick clays are common in the alluvium and yellow loam
and are also found in several places in the hill-lands. Theclays

128 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

of the Eocene in this region commonly lack pasticity, though
some beds occur which will make a fair quality of earthenware.

At Robeline small earthenware objects have been made from
Lignitic clays at Carter’s pottery works. (See p. 70, and Dr.
Ries’ report under Special Reports, Section 3.)

The clays of the Grand Gulf hills seem to be more promising
than any others in the State.

Catahoula parish.—In the north central part of this parish are
numerous outcrops of a very pure white clay locally called
‘‘chalk.’? Near Spring Ridge church (about Sec. 17, 10 N., 5
E.) the following section was seen:

Section at Spring Ridge Church

Pxioand ‘to. topior taille ete 0s ise eee ete ree 20 feet.
Qo SANA LONE. Seekers rege | sgehte tae eat ae a oe ee 2 wa
200° Chalk ??——a .veny sine White ’Cia ay atum nas erin 2-4 *
4. Dark gray clay with a few plant impressions.... ae
5. aan stone: to. Ded OL ranch. pf <st clvey peer eets a a

Layer 3 outcrops in Sec. 7, 8, 17 and 21, 10 N., 5 HE. In the
Chalk Hills (about Sec. 7, 10 N., 5 E.) it occupies the tops of
hills, and the cost of obtaining it would consequently be small.
The section here shown is:

g. Sane! 2 bh iaeace 33 eee oe is eee a oe cree o-6 feet.
2. Soft, friable, fine gray sandstone ............ peer ks
34) “Chalke? =a fine white clayi.g \ip acs ee 8 ez
4. Eine sandstone..o2% =. 34.7 ere eaten erento 1 \ foot
5. Dark gray or drab indurate clay, with vegetable

{MM PTESSIONS Sys shor: ee ey bak aie oe cee aera: 10-14 feet.
6. Hillside, no good exposures, covered with large

sandstone bowlders, so evidently in place.. 50 “e

A number of samples of this material were collected and left
with a gentleman at Rosefield to be forwarded. ‘The material
has not yet been received, and we are, therefore, unable to pre-
sent this year results of tests to determine their exact economic
value. Samples of it are, however, reported to have been made
into good stoneware at New Orleans.

Johnson reports a similar clay in the Grand Gulf rocks, near
Lena, and it is also reported 10 miles southeast of Fort Jessup.

ene eS ——_a

‘WT ‘AID UWNHd'TAS ‘SHIOH ONINYOM AHL IO HNO AO MAIA

6 ALVId 66gl ‘LXYOdaY ‘WNVISINO’] AO AMAUAS IVOINOTOaS)

‘wr ‘AIIO wnHa'TaAs ‘WOHdIAS AO H’IId

ee ited —

Ol ALVTd 66g ‘LMOdaY ‘VNVISINO’T AO AUAUNAS TVOIVOTOUN

11] GENERAL GEOLOGY: EcoNomMic PRODUCTS 129

Vernon parish.—Attention was called to the large outcrops of
Grand Gulf clays in Sec. 17, 3 N., 11 W., by Mr. Ira EK. Moore.
Samples Nos. 151 and 153 of Dr. Ries’ report are from this local-
ity. The bed from which No. 151 was taken is about 10 feet
thick and as it is near the top of the hill the cost of obtaining it
will not be great.

For tests of clay samples see report, of Dr. Ries.

SANDSTONE

Varieties.—The sandstone deposits of the State are of two
classes, viz.: the ferruginous sandstones of the Eocene and
Lafayette hills and the silicious sandstones of the Grand Gulf.

The first are of wide distribution and of only slight local
importance. They occur over nearly all the hills of northern
Louisiana, and sparingly in the hills of the Florida parishes.
They are sometimes used for foundations and for chimneys.
The foundations of the rude furnaces at Rayburn’s salt works
were built of this stone.

The silicious sandstones of the Grand Gulf is of greater
importance. It is used for rip-rap and jetty work and for rail-
road ballast. It has been suggested that some of the harder
quartzitic varieties might make good building stone but the
irregular development of these beds makes it questionable
whether large quantities of stones suitable for this purpose cou
be economically obtained.

Quarries have been opened on Bayou Toro, near the K. C. P.
& G. R. R. in southern Sabine parish ; near Boyce and Lena on
the T. & P. R. R.; and at Harrisonburg.

Bayou Toro.—These quarries, known as Low’s quarries, were
opened to supply stone for the jetty and canal work about Sabine
Pass and Port Arthur, Tex., the southern terminus of the Kansas
City, Pittsburg and Gulf railroad. The first quarry was located
in the S. W. one-fourth of the N. W. one-fourth of Sec. 28, 5
N., 10 W. Stone was obtained here until the cost of removing
the top material became so great that a new site was chosen in
Sec. 14. The work was continued there till the same difficulty
was again experienced and in February of the present year, a

third site was chosen three miles further up the bayou. The
I

130 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

mine track, which is now nine miles long, connects with the K.
C. P. & G. R. R. at Christie station. In February the company
had a force of 60 men at the new quarry and was using 5 der-
ricks and 4 steam drills.

Boyce.—Between Boyce and Lena the Texas and Pacific Rail-
road company has for several years past been quarrying the
Grand Gulf sandstones for railroad ballast.

Harrisonburg.—Small quarries have been opened here to obtain
stone for Government crib and dike work along the Ouachita
river.

Petite Anse.—In Iron Mine Run on Petite Anse there is
exposed a soft pink sandstone which may be of value for railroad
ballast. ‘The surface indications, however, seem to show that it
is rather soft.

LIMESTONE

Limestone occurs in Louisiana in beds of limited extent, and
also in the form of concretions.

Cretaceous limestones.—The beds of limestone seem to be
almost entirely confine to the Cretaceous. Of the three
outcrops which occur in the State, the Winnfield limestone
is of very doubtful value as a building stone, but the Coochie
Brake and Bayou Chicot deposit may be utilized for that purpose.

The Winnfield limestone is a highly crystalline blue and white
banded stone. It is full of cracks and pockets and other flaws,
which will render it useless as an ornamental or building stone.
It can doubtless be used to advantage for making lime. The
quantity of the stone in sight is large and it can be very econom-
ically quarried. Several kilns of lime have already been burned
here for local use.

The purity of the stone is shown by the following analysis by
W. F. Hillebrand :

Analysis of Winnfield Limestone*

Tarsolatple paces ciretcckoiiecteyeereysder-tcaaietelsieie .65
IsHOR sciobdo BooconUOMS OCHO Doe Seanodnme 13
(Gr Oleirisn poo coi San bloc cidd omac.ouoor date 55.01
Wik Ooo poo atoouue upeo Ono COO BIG DDOnO NS :

WHO) s Go ere omis6 on0.g Qoadao AOleadue de cic -10
CO Rite te cette iieteitiarsiels ists core oleae 43-43
SO, sss cee cee c cere cece e sees snceenees 127

* Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 60, p. 160, 1890.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: Economic PRopucTs ea

The Coochie Brake stone isa light yellow or bluish yellow coarse
grained sandy limestome. It is of excellent quality for build-
ing purposes, but its value is somewhat impaired by the presence
of small nodules of iron pyrites. These will restrict its use to
situations where a good external appearance is not one of the
qualities required of the stone. The pyrite, if the quantity
prove to be large, may destroy its value altogether. The quan-
tity of stone at this locality is large, and itis easily obtained.

The Bayou Chicot stone is the best for building that we have
seen in the State. Itisa fine grained, dark gray limestone. Only
two very small outcrops of it were seen, and from these no very
satisfactory ideas of the extent of the deposit could be gained.
In the two outcrops the dip is great, and the cost of uncovering
the stone would probably be large. Borings are needed to show
the extent of thisdeposit.- In the early history of the country
lime was made at this place. The ruins of the old lime kilns
are to be seen near the larger outcrop.

Tertiary limestone concretions.—The tertiary limestone concre-
tions are often of large size and have been used locally for the
foundations of houses. At Shreveport large calcareous concre-
tions are crushed and used on the streets and in concrete work.
Hopkins * reports a place five miles from Natchitoches, called
the Kilns where large concretions have been burned for lime.

At Rocky Spring Church lime was burned from a little
outcrop of Midway limestone for the masonry of Fort Jessup.

GRAVEL

For the location and distribution of the main gravel beds of
the State, the reader is referred to the discussion of the Lafay-
ette. Such deposits furnish material for the improvement of
the roads and streets, and for railroad ballast. In the Florida
parishes these gravels have been used in several places. McGee
reports pits near Laurel Hill where the gravel is worked for road
material.

Near Colfax the citizens have commenced improving the bad
bottom roads with gravel from the hillsides east of the outlet of
Lake Iatt.

* st An. Rept., 1870, p. 95. See alsothe present Rept. under special
Report No. I, S. W. cor. of township, p. 144.

132 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

At Monroe several of the streets of the city have been graveled
from pits on the Traveler’s Rest stock farm, three miles north
of town on the west bank of Ouachita river. This gravel has
also been used in the concrete work of the new bridge over the
Ouachita. It is proposed to build a switch tothis deposit from the
Wr ee Peis ike

The V. S. & P. railroad passes through a portion of this
gravel deposit about three miles west of Monroe, and has
removed some of it for ballast along the line. The Iron Moun-
tain railroad has obtained a small quantity of gravel from the
deposits in the northern part of the Grand Gulf, in Grant
parish. In southern Rapides, according to Clendenin, the Kan-
sas City, Watkins and Gulf railroad has obtained ‘large quanti-
ties of gravel for road ballast.

On Belle Isle and Petite Anse the gravel beds have been utilized
in making concrete. In southern Louisiana good sands are
rarely found. Sands occur on Petite Anse and Grande Céte, in
situations where they can be easily dug, and the sand-pits at these
two places, especially the former because of its railraad connec-
tions, supply a large area of country.

UNIMPORTANT MINERAL PRODUCTS

IRON ORE

The latter part of 1885 and the early part of 1886 were spent
by Mr. L. C. Johnson, of the U. S. Geological Survey, in north-
ern Louisiana, in investigating the iron ores of that region.
He found siderite and brown hemitite or limonite ores in the
form of nodules or concretions and thin plates, occuring in nearly
all of the beds of the old Tertiary, and occasionally in the Lafay-
ettesands. ‘These ores are scattered through beds of sands and
clays, and it is believed that they can hardly be obtained in
sufficient quantities to be of economic value. Selected speci-
mens give very good results when submitted to analysis, as the
following tables will show, butthe quantity of ores of this qual-
ity seems to be quite limited.

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: ECoNomIC PRODUCTS 133

ANALYSES OF IRON ORES.*-—By RF. B. Riggs.

I 2 3 4 5 6 Tie Non 2S 9

Tenition <...,.- II.06 |10.26 |10.53 |10.62 | 9.05 | 9.50 /II.25 |11.04 |18.22

Silicious matt’r|27.85 | 6.37 |21.77 |10.97 |23.20 |28.12 |18.72 |21.70 |39.95

Metallic iron. .|39.65 |50.32 |43.17 |52.18 144.54 |39.26 |45.72 [43.76 |22.22
Sulphur nec: .03 51) .26 .03 .09 .03 5G) .03 As)
Manganese,...| .126| .079) .OI .026] .006} .049} .007| .005]. .157
Phosphorus....| .226)/Trace| .382} .064| .859] .447|/ .247| .835| .072

* Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 42, 1887, pp. 144-145.

1. Bossier parish, one-half mile west of Bellevue.
2. Dr. Whitlaw’s, four miles west of Greenwood, Caddo

parish.

3. Simmon’s bed, eight miles south of Homer, Claiborne
parish. ;

4. Moreland’s, nine miles southeast of Homer, Claiborne
parish.

5. Vienna wire road, Lincoln parish. :

6. Lincoln Reed’s place, nine miles northwest of Vienna.

7. Webster parish, four miles northwest of Shongaloo.

8. Union parish, one and a half miles north of Downsville.

g. Moreland’s, ten miles southwest of Arcadia, Bienville
parish.

OTHER ANALYSES OF IRON ORES.

I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Silicious matt’r,21.40 |12.15 |11.420

Metallic iron. ./38.35 |49.97 |43-170|36.517|47.565/52.005|51.94 |33.16 |35.56
Sulphur. sc... Aeyil || ois) | O31) SP ae

Phosphorus...| .18 | .62 | 1.650 a089) 0.919] 0.727

134 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Miller’s bluff, Bossier parish.*
Gilmer field, Phelp’s lake, Bossier parish.*
H. L. Aubery, Claiborne parish.*
Location not given.f
Location not given.+
Location not given.t
Farmerville, Union parish.
Four miles northeast of Calhoun, Sec. 30, 18 N., 2E.{

9. Two miles west of Calhoun, Sec. 29,18 N., 1 E.f

Col. Samuel H. Lockett,§ of the State Univ ce in his report
of the topographical survey for 1870, makes the following state-
ment, which seems to fully cover the case: ‘‘ Many persons
think that this parish (Bossier) will one day acquire great profit
from the iron rocks found in such abundance on the hills of the
red lands. ‘This is hardly possible until the so much richer and
more easily wrought and more accessible ores of iron found in
every part of the United States are exhausted. It is true that
Bossier and Claiborne and Jackson parishes might supply them-
selves with iron from their own hillsides, but, until they become
completely isolated from the rest of the world, they will do well
to seek their supply elsewhere. These iron rocks, though look-
ing extremely rich in iron, are yet so largely composed of sand
as to be appropriately named ferruginous sand rocks.”’

OM AM SW NA

LIGNITE

The lignite beds of Louisiana have been known and looked
upon as one of the resources of the country from its first settle-
ment. Stoddard, in 1812, in his Sketches of Louisiana, p. 392,
says of the Louisiana lignite: ‘‘ Stone or pit-coal is an article of
some importance. It frequently makes its appearance on the
Washita, the Sabine, and the Red rivers, particularly on the

*Johnson, Iron Region of Louisiana and Texas, 50th Cong. Ist Ses.
House Ex. Doc., vol. 26, p. 195.

+Min. Resources of the U. S. for 1887, p. 51. Analyses by Alfred F
Brainerd.

t Lerch, Bull. La. Expt. Sta.: Geology and Agriculture, part I., p. 48
Analyses by Maurice F. Bird.

§ 2d Ann. Rept. of the Topog. Surv. of Louisiana for 1870, p. 49, 1871.

+

II] GENERAL GEOLOGY: Economic PRopucts 135

borders of a lake in the neighborhood of Natchitoches. This
article is of use to smiths even at this time.’’

With the settlement of the country, beds of lignite were found
in many places in the northwestern part of the State and fruitless
attempts have from time to time been made to open lignite mines.

The best deposits either underlie the Lower Claiborne or occur
in the territory shown on the map as Lignitic. A part of the
Lower Claiborne deposits contain beds of lignite, but they arecom-
monly small. Bedsof lignite also occur between the Jackson and
the Vicksburg stages.

Dolet hills—The most promising deposits in the State are in
the Dolet hills, in DeSoto parish. The reports of these deposits,
which have reached us, seem to indicate that a very detailed
and careful survey of this region should be made; and a
report on it may, therefore, be expected in a future annual of this
survey. None of the geologists who have worked on this region
seem to have visited the main Dolet hill area. Hilgard skirted
the edge of it and reported at Granning’s ferry on Bayou Pierre,
a bed of good lignite 3 or 4 feet thick. Analyses of the Dolet
hills lignite, which have been made for interested parties at
Mansfield, have shown that it is of very excellent quality.

Stone coal bluff, Sabine river.—The east bank of the Sabine
river near the line between T. 5 and 6 N., shows at low water a
platiorm of lignite about five feet thick and possibly a hundred
yards long. The name bluff is a misnomer, for the bank here is
little higher than the bottom-lands. Overlying the lignite is
about twenty feet of gray sand and clay, evidently alluvial
deposits. A barge load of lignite was mined here in the seven-
ties, to be marketed on the lower river, but the barge is reported
to have parted in the middle and sunk. Recently, gentlemen
from Lake Charles have had a prospect hole drilled on the top of
the bank about 200 yards from the river. The yielding nature
of the overlying material will make the cost of mining the lignite
very great in proportion to the value of the product.

About a mile from the river in the S. W. one-fourth of Sec. 3,
5 N., 13 W., the same bed is seen with a covering of Tertiary
clays, which will make a much better roof than the material near

136 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

the river. But even here the cost of timbering will be very
great. (For the section at this point see page 66.)

Analyses of samples of lignite collected at this point have not
yet been received, but it is doubted if this bed can ever be of
more than local importance and that only after the great amount
of good pine wood which covers the country is exhausted.

Many.—A small bed of lignite is exposed in Tar river, near
the Sabinetown road, at the ridge known as the Devil’s Back-
bone. (See map Pl. 4.) Specimens of this lignite have been
tried by the Many blacksmiths in their forges with only par-
tially:satisfactory results. The lignite burns readily but, it is
claimed, makes little heat.

Mansfield.—Lerch reports a deposit of lignite three and one-
half feet thick nine miles southwest of Mansfield which has been
used by local blacksmiths. For an analysis of this lignite see
Lerch’s second report, p. 128.

Shreveport.—A bed of lignite is exposed in many of the bluffs
near Shreveport. At Arsenal hill this bed is about two feet
thick. It is of fairly good quality and is reported to have been
used as fuel in the Confederate Arsenal at this point.

S. Dana Hayes, State Assayist of Massachusetts, published an
analysis of a sample of lignite ‘‘ from the banks of the Red river
about two miles below Shreveport, in Louisiana’’ in the Chem- -
ical News, vol. 30, 1874 page 153. The analysis was as follows :

Analysis of Lignite from Shreveport (by S. Dana Hayes)

Wiatety etvertoetoe bores aalencteet tetsietlear aos ie ste 15.25
Volatile matter (bituminous)........... 41.30
Hixedicarboni(coke) the ase ee eee 37-55
Sul haar ys eons eve eyeuet event okatece olor deine m@race
TAG) sa rae oe tart ARLENE NE Pre tery cd co 5.89

99.99

Underlying Bellevue is a thin bed of lignite.

Sec. rr, 18 N., 8 W.—This locality is interesting because the
lignite is here of sufficiently good quality to have been used as
fuel in a steam shovel working on the V.S. & P. R. R. when
the railroad was first built through this section.

Outcrops of lignite are reported by Lerch at Cold Springs, six

Lerch First Report, p. 17.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1599 PLATE II

GAS WELL BY NIGHT, THREE MILES WEST OF BREAUX BRIDGE, LA. PAGE 138

~
»

IT] GENERAL GEOLOGY: Economic PRopuCcTS 137

miles west of Homer and at several places between Gibbsland
and Bienville.

In Catahoula parish, south of Rosefield, a small bed of poor
lignite is found at the base of the Vicksburg beds. This locality
is called the ‘‘coal mine.’’ In Sec. 31, 11 N.'5 E., several pits
have been dug in this bed.

LEAD AND ZINC ORES

For a discussion of the lead and zinc ores of the State, see

Geology, Belle Isle, in special report on Five Islands.

MARL

The marls which have thus far been examined have been some-
what disappointing. The amount of phosphoric acid is very
small and the general character of marls is such as to greatly
restrict their use.

Several nodules of iron have been picked up in the vicinity of
Homer and Lisbon, which contain nuceli of rich phosphate of
lime. The extent of this deposit is still an open question, but
it will be unwise to count too much on their value. That the
calcareous material from a great many of the fossiliferous out-
crops mentioned in this report will be of value in restoring
impoverished sandy soils, cannot be questioned.

GyPsuM

Selenite crystals occur in many parts of northern Louisiana,
and are especially abundant in the Jackson along the Ouachita
river. In no place have they thus far proved of any agricultural
value.

At Rayburn’s salt works some gypsum is associated with the
limestone, but according to analysis made by the stations some
years ago the percentage of limestone accompanying it is very
large.

The only deposit of any magnitude and purity yet found in
the State accompanies the sulphur deposits near Lake Charles.
The exploitation of this deposit must await the successful sink-
ing of a shaft at this point.

PETROLEUM AND GAS
, Lake Charles.—In 1839 Dr. William M. Carpenter states that
‘‘in the low lands bordering on the Calcasieu river there are

138 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

numerous springs of petroleum.’’* These were the petroleum
springs which finally led to the discovery of sulphur near Lake
Charles. One of the wells at the Sulphur mine yields a small
quantity of petroleum which, during the sulphur operations,
was collected and barreled. A slight amount of gas was also
found at this locality.

Belle Isle.—A spring formerly existed at the place now occu-
pied by the saw-mill on Belle Isle, which furnished an oil that
was highly esteemed in the neighborhood for its medicinal quali-
‘ties. Capt. Lucas reported a slight amount of oil in several of
the wells bored by him on this island. Inflammable gas was
found in holes Nos. 4 and 10. In the latter, at a depth of 120
feet the amount of gas was sufficient to throw sand to the top of
the derrick. It is now bubbling from the hole and can be easily
collected and ignited.

Breaux Bridge.—About 2% miles from Breaux Bridge, in St.
Martin’s parish, gas is reported escaping from the ‘‘ Natural
Gas Spring’’ in considerable quantities. The gas is readily
ignited and once lit continues to burn indefinitely. Mr.C.S.
Babine, C. E., of Breaux Bridge has furnished us with the
photograph from which the accompanying plate was made. The
two pipes, shown in the plate, were simply pushed a few feet in
the ground andthe gas escaping from their top ignited. This
is the largest flow of gas yet reported in the State. Capt. A. F.
Lucas is at present engaged in boring near this locality, and we
are watching for the results of his borings with interest.

Shreveport.—Salt water and gas were struck in the ice factory
well at Shreveport at adepth of 961 ft. (See discussion of Ice
Factory well in Shreveport Area article.) The gas is collected
and used for lighting the office at the ice-factory.

Gas is reported from a well about 4o feet deep near Annanias
club house, north of Ferry lake,in Sec. 9,20 N.,16, W. This was
from a local bed of vegetable matter,and the flow of gas soon ceased.

Negreet bayou.—A slight flow of gas accompanies the salt
springs near the mouth of Bayou Negreet, in Sabine parish.
An oil spring is reported in Sec. 16,9N. 12 W. So far as we
‘know neither has been used.

* Am. Jour. Sci., vol. 35, p. 345, 1839.

— - 22

SEcTION III

SPECIAL REPORTS
Including :*
THE NATCHITOCHES AREA, by G. D. Harris.
THE SHREVEPORT AREA, by A. C. Veatch.
THE Five ISLANDS, by A. C. Veatch.
A REporT ON LOUISIANA CLAY SAMPLES, by H. Ries.

A REPORT ON A COLLECTION OF FossIL PLANTS FROM

NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA, by Arthur Hollick.

THE CRETACEOUS AND LOWER EOCENE FAUNAS OF

LOUISIANA, by G. D. Harris.
ESTABLISHMENT OF MERIDIAN LINES, by G. D. Harris.
A Few Nores ON ROAD MAKING, by G. D. Harris.

SomE Woop- DESTROYING FuNGI, by George F.
Atkinson.

* A detailed table of contents is prefixed to each special report.

Special Report No. 7.

NATCHITOCHES AREA

BY

G. D. HARRIS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3,5 202 Fist sch hos Seas ee eae ae I4I

TOPOGRAPHY

HILL LANDS

Westiof Old siden ienb eeee 141
DOMLE OWHICTS.. gaan ese eit I4I
IN ULCHTLOCIOES 15 dase ag 142
Low LANDS
MI OSSUPSTUOUID. ocr lain ct Sema 143
Last Of ‘CANE VOUEL So. ah 143
STRATIGRAPHY
EOCENE
LA NEG ISIAGE Neh Nagel are ee 144
QUATERNARY
SOILS
QUATERNARY
EVONtNARASNAS 2 ks Diath . 146
EOCENE
CAICT TBO MSISOLIS 2 avs Ree 147
SPRINGS
Well-known springs........ [47
Fourth of July spring...... 147
TV OM SPTOME SNS ech Sia 148

North of the Lake and west
of Messi swamp

South of Chapin’s lake and
Cane river

Lower Claiborne......

Back lands

Light, sandy soil
Chemical analysts: eee
Breazeale spring
Chemical analysis

TAG

III] Spxcta, ReeortT No. 1: NATCHITOCHES AREA 141

NATCHITOCHES AREA
INTRODUCTION

Here is a classic spot both for the student of American history
and American geology. It is geology alone, however, with
which we are now concerned.

The detailed description of this area has been made such on
account of the prevalence of general culture and the location
here of the State Normal School of northern Louisiana.

As a preface to our remarks it may be said that geology isa
subject learned mainly from a study of the Earth, not simply
from a study of books. The latter, like a good teacher, may
guide and stimulate, but cannot take the place of personal
research on the part of the student. With this summary of the
geology of Township 9 North and Range 7 West in hand, the
earnest teacher and student of geology will quickly extend
observations of similar character to adjoining townhips, and will
soon be the means of causing the whole parish to be carefully
mapped topographically and geologically. Great good will come
of such local studies, both to the individual carrying on the
work and to the community at large.

TOPOGRAPHY
Hie wy AN DS).

West of Old river.—The southwest portion of this township
rises up gradually going northward from the low-lands of Lake
Jericho, here and there showing small abrupt slopes in the
immediate vicinities of the larger streams, but in general, low
and undulating. Between Texas road and the Lake, however,
high ridges are prevalent, separated by V-shaped hills or ravines
which bifurcate again and again on the flanks of the hills or
ridges. To see this interesting type of topography, go over the
‘‘Dam’’ and cross Mill bayou and follow the trail indicated on
the map tothe westward.

Some outliers.—Hickory hill, and the triangular area west—
southwest of Chapin’s lake, are the only two elevated outliers
left in this portion of the township east of Old river.

142 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Natchitoches.—The abrupt topography which crosses the south
central portion of this town is due to the considerable elevation
which the general land surface has above the ordinary level of
Cane river. This means that the little branches and creek
which drain this portion of the corporation have highly inclined
channels. This in»turn means a large amount of wear, or
erosion, continually undermining their various banks. Hence
the maintenance of the abrupt topography.

North of the town, the steep escarpment or bluff is main-
tained by the continual undermining or wearing away of its base
by the waters of Cane river.

It will be observed, by the map, that the curve of the river is
such as to cause it to impinge upon its western bank with force
at this place.

North of the Lake and west of Messt swamp.—North of the
Lake, the land slopes gradually upward with no important steep
declivities till after the first highway is passed. Strongly con-
trasting with this topography is the rugged, broken surface
which appears on every hand along the Camp Salubrity road
from the Iron springs northward.

Faithful to old customs the road winds along on the summits
of ridges, securing at once fine drainage and fine views.

Between Camp Salubrity and the railroad there is a high ele-
vation as shown on the map. The minor details, the many steep
slopes of 10 to 20 feet, the many small ridges and V-shaped
valleys, can of course not be duly represented on a map of this
character. The old Lac 4 Poisson shown on the government
survey plats, no longer exists in ordinary stages of water. Itis
represented by a clear stream which meanders to and fro across
the old lake basin, fed by the many clear, cool springs that issue
from near the bases of these hills.

The road and railway to Grand Ecore avail themselves of the
gentler sloping uplands between Lac a Poisson and Messi swamp
to avoid the wetness of the lowlands and the steep grades of
the other highlands.

Sharp and abrupt is the slope from this last mentioned upland
to the level of Messiswamp. Here is the western limit of the
broad stretch of bottomland that reaches eastward to beyond the

II] SprcrAL Report No. 1: NATCHITOCHES AREA 143

Saline. Here is an old bluff, formed by the erosive agency of
Red river many hundred yearsago; butit has since been deserted
by the river and the land where Messi swamp is now found was
formed in the concave angle of the old river, and the latter has
been continually pushed eastward and eastward.

Low LANDS

Messi swamp.—This shows most beautifully the typical
topography of the alluvial plains of Louisiana’s rivers. 7. ¢.,
high and dry along the banks, low and wet a short distance back.

As soon as land increases somewhat in value, this so-called
swamp will be drained and will disappear entirely from maps.

East of Cane river.—The same feature of elevated banks and
lower grounds some distance in the rear as noted above are
likewise well exhibited in this region.

The various bayous in the northeastern portion of this area
once (prior to 1849) served to conduct the surplus water of the
then Red river (now Cane river) from its channel to other
channels farther eastward. But since the desertion of Cane
channel by Red river these bayous have become functionless and
their mouths have been stopped by levees or road embankments.

The observant student of nature will not fail to note the
entire lack of streams entering Cane river from Natchitoches to
the southeast corner of the township.

South of Chapin’s lake and Cane river.—Chapin’s lake is a
portion of the ‘‘Old river’’ channel cut off from the rest by
two artificial dams. It is a clear body of water, fed by springs,
and using bayou Bulikano for the most part, for its over-
flow waters.

Old river is fed by the numerous springs about Sibley’s lake
or, more directly by Mill bayou.

Bayou Julien and other small channels are used principally or
almost solely for flood-time waters.

The general adherence of the roads to the banks of the
streams means here as elsewhere that the higher, better-drained
stretches of land are in close proximity to water channels.

It is scarcely necessary perhaps to add that stream banks are
more elevated than the back land, simply because in time of

144 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

overflows the greater amount of sedimentation takes place not
far from the river banks and hence tends in the course of a long
period of time to elevate the strips of land immediately border-
ing the streams.

STRATIGRAPHY

EoOcENE

That the reader may have a better conception of the strati-
graphy of this township, an ideal section has been placed
beneath the map, showing the way the various series of deposits
lie along a line passing east and west through Natchitoches from
the points W to E, as indicated on the map.

Beneath the whole region, at a depth of probably not over
800 or 1,000 feet, lie Cretaceous deposits. Some account of local
outcrops of this series has already been given on p. 52., ef seq.

Lignitic stage.—The oldest visible beds in this section are the
lignitic sands and clays, appearing for the most part in the north-
western portion of the township though occurring elsewhere, as
for example, in a branch or creek near the southwest corner of
the township by the roadside. Here lignitic and ferruginous
sands are to be seen in the south bank of the creek. But par-
ticularly abundant are the light yellowish calcerous concretions
of various shapes and sizes. So abundant are they that they
have been burned for lime.

Probably all the sands and clays forming the hills west of
Mill bayou areof this age. The same remark applies to hilly
lands west of the railroad and north of Sibley’s lake.

Three-fourths of a mile north of Natchitoches bridge the
bluff as shown on Pl. 13, exhibits at base 20-25 feet of purplish
clay with sand parting, all dipping southward.

Slightly farther to the right, in a little ravine, a bed of light-
colored, compact sand is exposed, showing at least a thickness
of 15 feet. This bed is for the most part covered by the talus
at the base of the bluff shown in the illustration.

It is however, at Grand Ecore, a place on Red river, a few
miles north of Natchitoches that the Lignitic beds are best
exposed. A section of the same has already been given on p. 71.

In the depths of little ravines in the northwestern part of this

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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF TOUISIANA, REPORT, IS8g9 PLATE 13

BLUFF ON CANE RIVER A MILE NORTH OF NATCHITOCHES, LA.

II] Sprcrat, REPORT No. 1: NATCHITOCHES AREA 145

township, sands and clays of this stage are often exposed in the
immediate vicinities of springs and rivulets.

Limestone boulders are abundant in the ravine west of Camp
Salubrity. ‘They are like those on the Kircha road in the 5.
W. portion of the township.

This is most decidedly a region of springs. They are cool
and of a good quality of water, though often chalybeate.
These various attributes are due to the stratigraphy and topog-
raphy of the region. The uplands are very sandy, occasionally
ferruginous. ‘They absorb large amount of rain water. This
leaches through the sandy layers until itstrikes impervious clays
and then is forced laterally by hydrostatic pressure and gravity
to the surface.

The good character of the spring waters of this region is
proof of the absence of any considerable marly material here in
this series.

Lower Claiborne.—The town of Natchitoches is located on
deposits of this age as is shown by the section at the base of the
Natchitoches township map. The bluff three-fourths mile north
of this bridge shows (see Pl. 13), above the Lignitic series, beds
of about 50 feet in thickness, of yellow marly, or calcareous
clay above, in the field; and glauconitic, fossiliferous sands -
from the brink of the bluff down to the Lignitic clays.

A description of the various marine fossils that occur in this
vicinity will be given in our next report ; this report, it will be
remembered, gives the paleontology of the Cretaceous, Midway,
and the Lignitic deposits. Next year the Lower Claiborne,
Jackson and Vicksburg fossils will be similarly treated.

The attention of the reader is called to the way in which the
shells in these marl beds decompose, and how their calcareous
substance afterwards collects concretion-wise into white, irregu-
lar, lime nodules. In the cuts on the railroad just north of the
corporation these nodules are very abundant.

Potable well water or spring water from deposits of this char-
acter is quite out of the question. By boring through these
Lower Claiborne beds into the Lignitic clays there seems to be
no reason why the pure water that supplies the springs in the
Lignitic areas should not occasionally be encountered and utilized
to great advantage. J

146 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Bad water would doubtless be met with if the drill penetrated
to the underlying Cretaceous strata.

West of Old river and south of Texas road the surface
material is mainly Lower Claiborne. ‘This could be told, if by
no other means, by the frightfully bad road bed from the forks of
the Texasand Kircha roads for over a mile southwest along the
latter road. But on the slopes on either side of the little branch
which crosses the road just south of the word ‘‘ Kircha’’ on the
map thereare thin ledges of limestone replete with Ostrea falciformis
and asmall discoid foraminifer. "These are characteristic Lower
Claiborne species.

Why the road is better for perhaps one-half mile south of this
branch is because the Lower Claiborne marls are overlaid by
porous sandy layers, into which the water can sink and drain off
into side channels.

Hickory hill appears to be a Lower Claiborne island separated
from the other deposits of this stage by the alluvial tract between
Bayou Bulikano and Old river.

QUATERNARY

After the Eocene deposits just described had been laid down
on the bottom of the sea, they were raised considerably higher
above sea-level than they are to-day. This accelerated erosion,
and the result was that the whole eastern half of this township
was degraded, doubtless to present sea level or even below.
This action wenton until the land was once more depressed, and
then the refilling of this deeply eroded area commenced. The
section at the bottom of the map shows this old valley filled up
to its present appearance by Quaternary sand and clay.

The low-lands about Mill bayou, and in fact Sibley’s lake bot-
tom, consist of Quaternary sands and clays that have likewise
refilled an old post-Eocene valley.

SOILS
QUATERNARY
Front lands.—The fine reddish loams of Quaternary deposits
along the borders of the larger streams in this township are rich
and very productive. Corn and cotton are the staple products
on these lands at present and very satisfactory are the results.

Tl] SpxcraL REPorT No. 1: NATCHITOCHES AREA 147

Back lands.—Passing along each lane or path that leads
directly back from the large stream channels one observes that
the soil becomes heavier, darker, and, when wet, very sticky.
It is no longer cultivated, but allowed to become wooded with
gum, hackberry, locust, sycamore, water oak, intertwined with
bamboo and greenbrier. In the lower places a few scattering
cypress are seen.

Even these lands are far above thenormal level of the streams
and by a comparatively small expense could be well drained.

EocENE

Calcareous sotl.—Most of that portion of the township west of
Old river and south of Texas road asindicated in the map shows
a decided calcareous or limy soil. Occasionally the calcareous
matter is overlaid by a few feet of sand. The same remarks
apply to the uplands in the few square miles included between
bayou Bulbeaux and Chapin’s lake. Some of the best marly
layers from the streets in Natchitoches are now in the hands of
the chemists of the Experiment stations for analysis.

Light sandy sowl.—By far the greater portion of the soil inthe
northwestern portion of this township is decidedly sandy. Sev-
eral samples have already been collected for analysis. Short-leaf
pine, oaks, hickory, dogwood, etc., abound on the ridges; mag-
nolia, holley, etc., in the valleys.

As is usual with soils of this character they produce well for
a few seasons after clearing but after a few years fail, unless
properly cared for, to yield profitable returns for the labor
expended on them. Many old cotton-rowed fields are overgrown
now by forest trees of considerable dimensions. Especially is
this the case in the northwestern-most part of the township.

SPRINGS

WELL-KNOWN SPRINGS
Fourth of July spring.—This is on a neighborhood road lead-
ing out from Natchitoches north of Sibley’s lake. See map.
It supplies an abundance of good water. Its name is derived
from the fact that on hot mid-summer days its cool waters are
sought by the many from Natchitoches.

148 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Iron springs.—For location, see map, two thirds way from
Natchitoches to Camp Salubrity. About five different sources
of water are here found in a few yards square. ‘The waters of
each rise in sunken barrels or sections of large tile. They pro-
ceed from light Lignitic sand beds, and issue at a level of per-
haps 25 feet above that of ‘‘Lac a4 Poisson.’’ Their waters
are chalybeate.

These springs are pleasantly located in a little ravine in the
woods. Pine, oak (red, white), beech, black gum and maple
are the commoner trees.

Chemical Analysis by Maurice Bird, B.S.

(Parts per 100,000 of water)

CU SU Cae ora. costars Renee Nees tats Ae ae eee 6.4
Iron and aluminum’ oxides 52.. 22. .-se- 8
Weise? (CAO) crea sr ooimiate kris eee tevcre tet eee Ey2
Matos eSia shies Sasi tote svepicisinete Scare ere Tee ese
Sulpiurictacid! (Se3)/ i. . soceesee eee eee 2.26
IPOtASTIU SE ae. ic ycloa tae Cnet sole ieleie ee 6
Cetln Aas swdede any poasaton eon mommetres fo)
ChilOnineye eee piece one ree ae reste) "2

‘‘Water is colorless, but contains little brown suspended matter ; it is
neutral to litmus paper and practically tasteless.”’

Breazeale spring.—This spring is still farther towards Camp
Salubrity.

It is situated in a steep ravine 85 feet below the Breazeale
summer house. It is large, stoned up with lignitic ferru- |
ginous sandstone.

Analysis according to Mr, Bird

(Parts per 100,000 of water)

ME SUCAr hie valiontctaver steele eee Sno uie Cte arene ote 5.5
Inonjvand aluminum yoxidesus..) liye 4
Times(Ca@) i areeerntn cer malar LOT ar iene ats)
Magnesia: 51. 1. esnmderis wthaseeines sit eee eheete 57
Sul plurietaeid((So3) here sees sere 2.06
Rotashier a esis fan ege state tebe a a ee wee ee 4
SOG a5 2 eee asietare ah rc oaks ie sae poet 2.2
Ghillorine@. Ae cas these eee eee eee

‘‘Water is clear and colorless, neutral to litmus paper and practically
tasteless.’’*

*The Survey is under obligations to Prof. U. P. Breazeale of Natchi-
toches for obtaining and transmitting these waters to the Experiment
Station at Calhoun.

Special Report No. 2.

THE SHREVEPORT AREA
BY
ARTHUR C. VEATCH

CON LEN ES
INTRODUCTION
PRESENT TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE
RED. RIVER

Page Page
WEQCRULOM Of AVEN 6 55 es N52 Gath of channels... 2... 153
SSVOPEL/LONUTLBEN coin wets wns Ti52 e SUOPE Of. PUOEE ae tae so ao ete 154
SMALLER STREAMS OF THE VALLEY
BVOC DAVOUR J. ess ie hts ie ie 155 Sterling and TJ/rishman’s
Black lak CAYOU soo. 3 os» « 155 DOV OU) Bi, oo os ay ae soaps 156
Red and Old red bayous....155 Cottonwood bayou.......... 156
PMUCK SHOBYOU co arm lose ss vie es 155 Trinity bayou..... ae eee 156
DD OONEPS DAY OU) a. LMS te WHO. | Mwelve miUe0ayow «ea 156
Cowhide and Horseshoe bayoui56 Cross bayou...........-.. G57
Peach Orchard bayou....... 156 Old outlets on the east bank. .157
POStOWS OBYOU Ws s0R en 3 3 «5 ay
ARTIFICIAL CHANNELS
SACL eS CO MAL teenie ak ee: RSS OLRCK CONGISs.. Senate exes 158
WT OTUCY SCANDAL 5.5 aa stale 7)
LAKES
CFOSS MARC.) i ate eee TW Ope WELCAP VCORE ans a ei nthe. Se 159
SOLO LORCM Do en ake EUG OmN CU CILEL S LOREM... sh ater ees: 159
LCL LORE oth pyaar oat 8 SOP pOULOUCHLOIES rita Sox cus? 159

THE GREAT RAFT
ORIGIN AND ORIGINAL EXTENT
OWE GOUTIN AG AL eee ote 160 formation of outlet bayous. .161
OPTETIE sya) sy aes ake toh hah oie ay 160 .

GROWTH AND DECAY OF THE RAFT

WANE (Of, OTOWL <=...» 161 Retreatof the foot of the raft.163

Rate of advance of the head Growth of vegetation on the
(ys eZ) CR PEN . 162 the surface of the raft....164
Formation of lakes......... 163

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT REMOVING THE RAFT

Period © TE2O—TE 23 ses ere 164 Period » TEZG—TOVT s,s 50,0 165
Shreve’s work: 1833-1838 .165

FINAL REMOVAL OF THE RAFT

Woodruff's work: 1872- Present Work 1873-1899. .167

EFFECTS OF THE RAFT
CHANGES DUE TO THE FORMATION OF THE RAFT

Conditions of upper Caddo Origin of Black bayou swamp.169

bottoms before the formation Formation of Silver lake and
OF UE ADIL, eis beatae 167?) —POStOM Sala ow. ees oe 169
Formation of Cross, Caddo OUMCT ORY ORS Te? oot iste 169
and Fenty. (ARCS. i. Sak LOS | SELMLEMIGLION canele a tte aloes 170
CHANGES DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF THE RAFT
Deepening of the river chan- Drainage of the lakes...... 172
(Og RET CER ER ERT ACESE 171 Cross bayou disctharge...... 178

CHANGES RESULTING FROM A COMBINATION OF CAUSES
Reversalof drainage systems.173, Formation of trregular
Formation of delta at foot of PULZES cae a ee 174

CHOSS TORENT. o oleh Soe he 174
GEOLOGY oF THE BoTroms

FORMATIONS REPRESENTED

IRECETEL SOUS <5 sic Meith Beak LVS ee of beds a). rao 176

Od erBCdS 0) Dace wlawotee 175 Shells from the front land. .176
SOILS

VET TASS ROEDER PEROT PEON ea P D970 | AOVISLI: Benn ihn. Sane 178

Peculiarities and distribution.177
WATER SUPPLY

SS OUKECS MO UOLET cnn 2s itor 179 Well section Lotus landing
General section of Red river Robson: POG ee eee 180
wells below Shreveport....179

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE BOTTOMS

WATERFALLS AND RAPIDS

DES EV EPIUOME 3. 3 's3 3 Salon's wicker ns 181 formation of waterfalls and
HAODUGSD tren alone eer eo: 8 anton 33 182
ORIGIN OF BOTTOM LAKES
(GUSTER PAs Ser Oe 1830) LQRES OF 1RCLOSUFE «wt ene 184
Curoy or Horseshoe lakes: 183. RG/t (ARCS ho. ik 5's hate: 185
NoTreEs ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE HiLL-Lanps
THE UPLAND FLATS
General characters......... 189 <Ageof the upland flats....191
MAE SAGT CS Se Ie 190 Origin of the mounds...... 192
Colored sands and clays..... 190
THE OLD TERTIARY
ETEULOUS, WOTKRE oo evinnn dss © MG) Ste LIED Se sssrcrto lc nce Ae allah ei c mnie acer 199
Slaughter pen bluff ...... 196, Lhe Jce-Factory.well........ 199
Kansas City, Pittsburg and COUSH ATTA OUI S 5 0, -. «Sarat te. 200
Gulf railroad cut, south of GCOLUSTONUSY chip tote corn cytios 201
Gross lake bridge. Sy. 198
APPENDIX

A CATALOGUE OF ABORIGINAL WORKS ON CADDO BOTTOMS

A DICTIONARY OF ALTITUDES IN NORTH CADDO PARISH AND
ADJACENT PORTIONS OF BOSSIER

INTRODUCTION

U.S. E. BEND MARKS AND PERMANENT REFERENCE
POINTS SHOW ON SOIL MAP OF UPPER RED RIVER VALLEY

THE SHREVEPORT AREA
INTRODUCTION

The field work on which the present incomplete report is
based was done in the latter part of November and December,
1898. The work was largely the preparation of a soil map of
the bottoms ; and as it has now been decided to turn over all soil
work to a division devoted exclusively to that subject it has
seemed best to publish the information collected.

Thanks are due to many Red river planters for their kindness
and courtesy.

The valley region above Shreveport is possibly unique in the
respect that changes, which usually occupy great periods of
time, and whose full story can only be learned by deduction, have
taken place here within a few years. Lakes have been formed
and destroyed ; stream beds formed and abandoned ; waterfalls
produced to destroy themselves ; new streams formed out of
parts of the beds of old ones; and temporary reversals of the
drainage systems have been effected.

PRESENT TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE
RED RIVER

Location of area.—The main region under discussion is an
irregular area lying in the Red river valley between Shreveport
and the line between Louisiana and Arkansas. Red river valley
in this region is from four and a half to eight miles wide.

Slope from the river.—As in other alluvial flood plains the
greatest elevation is along the present banks of the river.
From this line the plain slopes both ways to the bounding hills.
The amount of this slope varies in different parts of the plain.
The levels run by Lieut. E. A. Woodruff, U. S. Eng., in 1871—
72, as plotted on a map in the archives of the War Department,
show the following slopes :

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It] SpEcIAL REPORT No. 2: SHREVEPORT AREA 153

SLOPES OF LAND FROM RIVER BANK TO BORDERING HILLS

Slope
Between Distance} Slope | per
| in feet} mile
Inlet to Red bayou and Black lake bayou.......... 2.8 | tag) .46
Inlet to Irishman’s bayou and mouth of Dooley’s |

bayoulomonitt=tall lakes sein. ere scone he ree 4.5 II.0 | 2.44
Inlet to Cottonwood bayou and mouth of Irish-

MAINS INN VOW Sato Coed edor Gas Sob od ooo DODO rOS | 4.0 | I1.0 | 2.75
Inlet to Cottonwood bayou and Head of the Passes| 5.0 | II.O | 2.20
Gold Point. BendetovA lnaiys were sci e cin crave selele ors clets 3.0 | Gps a25L0
Pandora Bend to Twelve Mile bayou.............. 5 2.8 | 5.60

While the above table gives the average slope it gives no idea
of the slope curve, it is much greater near the river bank
and less near the distant hills. The slope for the first thousand
feet from the river is generally at the rate of about 30 feet,
although it is sometimes over roo feet, to the mile.

Width of the channel.—The variation in the width of the chan-
uel of Red river, and its size in proportion to its tributaries
from Shreveport to the State line must be a source of consider-
able surprise to a person not familiar with the history of the river.

The charts of the Red River Survey of 1886 gives the follow-
ing stream widths in the vicinity of Shreveport :

owersRedGriversas sca. ct ee 6-700 feet
Crossmaikegbayotlerieierie eon ieee AGOwi.
welvesMileibayou ti. cose ss sce a 22010
UppemRedbniverste a ysisniece eines DI» AC

From the mouth of Twelve mile bayou to the head of the old
raft, with the exception of a stretch of 13 miles between Hervey’s
canal and Dooley’s bayou, the river is very narrow, ranging from
130to 250feetin width. Above the head of the old raft it widens,
reaching a width of 4oo feet at the State line.

River bottom-basins—The river after striking the western hills
at Blankton’s Bluffs, near the State line, meanders diagonally
across the valley to Miller’s bluffs. It makes a series of great
loops along the bluffs on the east side and again strikes the
western hills just below Shreveport. The land on the west side

154 - GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

of the river has the shape of a great basin; the hills forming
the rim of the basin on three sides, and the elevated river ridge on
the other. The outlet of such a basin must necessarily be at
its lower end, just above the place where the river again strikes
the bordering hills. Such bottom-basins are common in all
alluvial plains. In Red river valley below Shreveport is the
basin of Bayou Pierre, extending from Shreveport to Grande
Ecore and having its outlet just above the lower bluff. Above
Shreveport is the basin of Poston’s bayou having its lower limit
at Miller’s bluffs. Inthe Mississippi valley, probably the best
example, is the Yazoo bottom extending from Memphis to
Vicksburg.

Slope of the river.—Varying as it does in different stages and
dependent as it is on many factors the slope of the river between
Shreveport and the State line can hardly be stated exactly.
Of the three methods of determining the average slope by a
comparison of high water records, bank levels and by simulta-
neous observations on the water surface, the first two are to be
preferred.

The average fall in the banks from Missionary to Shreveport
is .57 feet per mile. The high water slopes* vary from .41 in the
flood of 1855 to .60 in the flood of 1879. ‘The slope of the flood
of 1892, .55 feet or 6% inches per mile, probably represents
about the mean.

SMALLER STREAMS OF THE VALLEY +t

Nearly all the streams formerly leading out of Red river have
now been closed by levee improvements. Their position is
however well marked by old channels, now mere rain-water
drains. ‘The streams in the back-lands, not receiving their usual
compliment of Red river waters, have shrunk to a mere fraction
of their former size. The intricate network of bayous and

* Tables of high water marks on Red river. Capt. J. H. Willard.
Annual Report Chief of Eng., for 1893, vol. 2.

+ The nomenclature of these streamsis hopelessly confused. I have
endeavored, in describing the different bayous to give the names
which have appeared for these bayous in different works and maps and to
retain the old name if it is not greatly in variance from the common
name of to-day.

IIT] SpEcIAL REPORT No. 2: SHREVEPORT AREA 155

canals makes a description of the drainage somewhat difficult
and a reference to the map (Plate 16) will probably aid greatly
in understanding their peculiarities.

Black bayou.—Entering the State near itsextreme northwestern
corner, Black bayou flows southeast through a cypress brake
and enters the river valley a little above Irving’s bluff. At
Irving’s bluff it turns southwest, along the line of bordering
hills, and empties into the old bed of Clear lake. Just below
the entrance of Sewell’s canal the bayou has a depth of from 35
to45) 1eet.

Black lake bayou.—Just above Irving’s bluff Black bayou
receives a tributary from the north. This bayou has had a
number of names; from the Arkansas line toa point opposite
the inlet to Red bayou at Miller’s bluffs it has been called
Kelley’s bayou, Peace’s bayou and Black Lake bayou. At this
point an old channel turns eastward and connects with Red
bayou. ‘This old channel has received, in addition to the above
mentioned names, the name Stumpy-dam bayou. This channel
now carries very little water, the main body continuing south-
ward through a new channel known as Hackedy or Haggarty’s
slough.

Red and Old Red bayous.—A reference to the map of the bottoms
in 1839 will show a bayou leaving Red river opposite the lower
part of Miller’s bluffs and running southward through the middle
of the valley. Sewell’s canal, an artificial channel, connects
this bayou with Black bayou at Irving’s bluff. The effect of
cutting this channel was to discharge practically all the water of
Red bayou into Black bayou. Hence that part of the bayou
above Sewell’s canal alone retains the name Red bayou; that
below is known as Old Red bayou. Old Red bayou finally turns
westward and enters Cheftel’s lake. Red bayou has an old well
developed channel.

Elmer’s bayou.—E|mer’s * or New bayou after a short west-
ward course from Elmer’s Landing or Roswell P. O. empties into
Red bayou.

*TIt seems probable that Long’s New bayou mentioned in Senate Doc.
No. 64, pp. 5, 27th Cong. Ist Sess.. vol. 1, 1841, refers to Elmer’s bayou.

156 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Dooley’ s bayou.*—Just below the old Elmer’s bayou outlet and
about opposite Coushatta bluffs is the head of Dooley’s bayou.

It is a young channel much divided by islands and in several
places crossed by beds of hard resisting clay which, just above
the channel of Old Red bayou and a little below the ancient
Dooley’s lake, has formed a little water-fall. The bayou appro-
priates about a mile of the Old Red bayou channel, reverses the
ancient flow of a portion of it and, leaving it, continues its
course southwest into Cheftel’s lake.

Cow-hideand Horseshoe bayous.—The old outlet to these bayous
is just above Carolina bluffs. A short distance from the river
the two channels separates. Horseshoe describes a course to the
northward almost as far as Wild Lucia and finally reaches Old
Red bayou at a point almost due west of its source. It follows
the channel of Old Red bayou for half a mile and then turns
southwest and empties into Dooley’s bayou and Old Red bayou
near Cheftel’s lake. Cowhide bayou enters Old Red bayou
about a mile below Horseshoe.

Peach Orchard bayou.—Another common name for this bayou
is Shift-tail bayou, which seems to be a corruption of Cheftel’s
bayou. On the early land office maps it is called Coshatta
Chute. It is the next old outlet below Cow-hide bayou and
after a short course southwest it joins Old Red bayou.

Sterling and Irishman’s bayous.—Following the course of the
river the next bayou to start westward is Sterling bayou. After
a course of about two miles it changes its name to Irishman’s
bayou. It follows a course about parallel to Old Red bayou and
empties near the foot of Cheftel’s lake.

Cottonwood bayou.—The first considerable old outlet channel
on the west bank above Shreveport is Cottonwood bayou. It
left the river just above Hurricane bluffs and empties into Sodo
lake above Albany.

Trinity bayou.—Connecting Cottonwood and Irishman’s bayous
and in the general line of Old Red bayou, this has also been
called Red bayou.

Twelve Mile bayou.—i\n ordinary stages of water this is the
most considerable tributary stream which Red river receives in

* Spelt Dooky’s and Dooly’s on the early Land office township sheets.

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 2: SHREVEPORT AREA 157

the region under discussion. It is the outlet of the Cypress
bayou and Black bayou drainage systems as well as all the back-
lands between Shreveport and the State line. Before the closing
of the outlet bayous in upper Red river the discharge of this
channel was greater than the river proper. It has also been
called Caddo and Sodo bayou. It formerly emptied into Red
river a little over two miles above Shreveport but by a cut off of
the main river its mouth has now advanced to within a mile of
the city.

Cross bayou.—The outlet of Cross lake, in its upper part
called Bowman's Chute, empties into Red river at Shreveport.
Its normal drainage area is small, being a very limited region
about Cross lake. In flood timesit receives a very large amount
of water from the upper valley through ‘‘ The Pass.’’ It has
thus been able to discharge at times, and indeed under the old
raft régimé normally, more water than either Twelve Mile bayou
or Upper Red river.

Old outlets on the east bank.—On the east side there are several
old outlet channels below Hurricane bluffs. The principal ones
are: Benoit’s bayou, Starvation or William’s bayou and Willow
Chute:

Poston’s bayou.—The spelling of this name has varied quite a
little. Originally Poston’s, it became Posten and Postern. It
drains the back land above Miller’s bluffs.

ARTIFICIAL CHANNELS

During the raft period navigation between upper and lower
Red river was possible only by devious channels through the
bayous and lakes of the back-land. In an attempt to improve
these channels and to render navigation possible a number of
artificial cuts were made. These were greatly enlarged by the
water flowing through them.

Sewell’ s canal.—The earliest and probably the most important
of these artificial channels was Sewell’s canal. This was cut in
1839 by Lieut. Sewell, U. S. A., from Black bayou near Irving’s
bluff to Red bayou and diverted the waters of the later bayou to
Black bayou.

158 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Hervey’s canal.—When the raft closed the mouth of Red
bayou a canal was cutabout 1859 by Col. C. M. Hervey from the
river four miles above the Red bayou outlet into what was then
Simpson’s lake.

Other canals.—As the raft advanced other canals were cut:
on the west side—Kountz’s canal and Saleand Murphy’s canal ;
on the east side, Alban’s three canals.

LAKES

Cross lake.—About a mile west of Shreveport is the foot of
what is left of old Crosslake. It is extremely irregular and is
now possibly seven or eight miles long.

It was formed by the filling of an old flat-bottomed stream
valley with water. This isthe reason for its very irregular shape.
On a small scale, a similar result is obtained when an artificial
dam is thrown across a little valley to form a pond; water fills
the space behind the dam and extends itself not only up the main
valley but a little way into each side valley. An examination
of the map, Plate 16, will show old Cross lake to have the shape
of this type; the main lake occupies the main stream valley and
in the place of each little side stream there is a little sharp
re-entrant bay.

As seen in last December the Bowman’s chute outlet exhibited
a rather peculiar phenomena. The head of the bayou shows a
complete delta (see map and plate 15) and the water instead o
flowing from the delta was flowing toward it. That is, there is
here a delta with the current reversed.

Sodo lake.—Whatever the origin and meaning of this name
its spelling has undergone several changes in the present cen-
tury ; originally Sheodo,* Sodor,}+ or Soder{ it bacame Sodo or
Soda. It has also, with Ferry lake, been called Caddo lake,
after the Caddo Indians. The lake now occupies a narrow strip
along the base of the hills, four or five miles long and half a
mile wide.

* Bowman, 25th Cong. 2d Sess. Senate Doc., vol. 1, No. 1, p. 353, 1838.

+ Map of T. 19 N., R. 15 W., La. Meridian. Land office maps.

t Map of Red river, by Capt. H. M. Shreve, 23 Cong. 1st Sess., House
Ex. Doc., vol. 3, No. 98, p. 13, 1834.

It) SPECIAL REPORT No. 2: SHREVEPORT AREA 159

Ferry lake.—Connected with Sodo lake by Big Willow pass is
Ferry or Fairy lake. It differs from Sodo in having hills on
both sides ;, being exactly the same type as Cross lake,a lake
occupying an old stream valley. Ferry lake is quite shallow
with a narrow line of deeper water winding irregularly through
it. This lake is rendered particularly interesting by the large
number of cypress and oak stumps standing upright in it, even
in the deepest water.

Near the Texas line a large valley partially filled with
water enters Ferry lake from the north. This longarm of the
lake is known as Coushatta -Jim’s bayou or as simply James
bayou.

Clear lake.—Just north of Big Willow pass and connected with
the lowerend of Ferry lake by stumpy bayou is the bed of the most
peculiarly shaped lake inthe bottoms. It is kite-shaped with the
larger end towardthe north. The larger end is almost entirely
occupied by a triangular elevated island called Pine island, which
seems to be the same as the adjacent upland flats. As seen
early in December the lake bed showed a mass of cockle-burs, a
few cypress trees and a narrow band of water in the central por-
tions about 200 yards wide.

Cheftel’s lake.—The common name Shift-tail seems to be a cor-
ruption of Cheftel. It is a very narrow, shallow lake lying east
of the lower end of Clear lake.

Smaller lakes.—The river after reaching the eastern hills at
Miller’s bluffs makes three great loops along their coral margins.
Several small bottom-basins are thus formed. The southernmost
of these formed by the loop between Carolina and Hurricane
bluffs is occupied by Adjer’s lake.

In the next bend are two small lakes, remnants of a much
larger one, both of which retain the name of the original one,
Mark’s lake.

Dutch John’s lake in the bend between Coushatta and Miller’s
bluffs, in ordinary water-stages consists of three parts. These are
the remnants of the larger Dutch John’s lake of the raft period.
Silver lake occupies an old stream valley between Cedar and
Coushatta bluffs. In the outlet of Silver lake is a little water-
fall about ten feet high.

160 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

THE GREAT RAFT
ORIGIN AND ORIGINAL EXTENT

Original extent.—There seems to be little doubt that the raft
once extended far below the place where Shreve commenced
work on the 11th of April, 1833. The early Spanish and French
accounts speak of the raft beginning near Natchitoches. Dr.
Joseph Paxton in a very able letter (/. c.) written in 1828 says:*
‘‘The time is vet within the memory of some of the oldest inhab-
itants in and near Natchitoches, when the lower end of the raft
was still below that place; and the Governor ordered out the
troops in command, to break down and cause to float off, all the
parts then below.’’

Dr. John Sibley, writing from personal observation, in 1805,
says: ‘‘At the upper house (of this Campti settlement) the great
raft or jam of timber begins. This raft chokes the main chan-
nel for upwards of one hundred miles by the course of the river ;
not one entire jam from the beginning to the end of it, but only
at points with places of several leagues that are clear.’’f

Between Natchitoches and the mouth of Red river trunks
of trees growing only on upper Red river, such as cedar and
bois d’ arc, have been seen in the banks in several places. These,
in themselves, do not prove that the raft once extended this far
down the river, since local masses of drift-wood might have
accumulated before the raft period; but in the light of the
recorded recession of the raft from Natchitoches and Campti to
Loggy bayou it would seem quite reasonable to look upon them
as indicating the former prolongation of the foot of the raft well
down toward the mouth of the river.

It is possible that the rapids at Alexandria were formed by the
choking of the original channel by raft and the consequent
enforced passage of the river over a low outlying spur of the
Grand Gulf rocks.

Origin of the Raft.—Before the clearing of the banks of Red
river for cultivation the amount of timber caving into the river

* 20th Cong. 2d Sess., Senate Doc. vol. 1, No. 78, p. 5, 1829.
+ Chief of Eng. Report for 1873, p. 640; also, 43d Cong. Ist Sess., House
Ex. Doc. No. 1, vol. 2, part 2, p. 640, 1873.

———

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA; THE RAFT 161

after each flood must have been very considerable. ‘Trees thus
thrown into the river catch on the bars ; are exposed to the sun
and thoroughly dried, the branches are broken off; and after a
time, in a high flood, they find their way into the Mississippi
and finally into the sea. If at any time the amount of timber
brought down should be unusually large it may become jammed
in a short narrow bend, or accumulate about a series of snags or
“‘ planters’ and start a “‘raft.’’

Dr. Paxton describes at certain stages of high water in the
Mississippi an eddy near the mouth of Red river which ascends
or descends according to the difference between the stages of the
two rivers. Timber floating down the river would tend to col-
lect in this eddy, and, as Paxton suggests, it is possible for the
conditions to be such that this mass of timber should become
jammed in the river.

Whether this be the true explanation or not, it is certain that
the narrowness, crookedness and, before any improvements were
made, the great number of ‘‘ planters’’ in Red river would in
themselves be quite sufficient to produce a log-jam. A jam once
solidly formed collects all other material floating down the river.
Some of the logs become soaked with water and gradually sink to
the bottom or are forced there by the weight of other logs and the
small spaces between the logs are soon filled with leaves and silt.

Formation of Outlet Bayous.—The level of the water above is
raised by this obstruction and the river continues to rise until it
flows over its banks. More water will flow over the lower places
and there, aided by the great velocity given it by the great
slope between the front and back lands, will soon erode a very
considerable channel. This channel will then become for the
time the main river channel.

‘This water goes to the extreme edge of the valley and follows
the edge of the hills till it enters the river again at the lower end
of the bottom-basin it happens to have entered.

GROWTH AND DECAY OF THE RAFT

Manner of growth.—Between the head of the raft and the out-
let bayou will be a space of water with little or no current, and

timber floating down the river will stop at the upper end of this
K

162 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

slack water or will be drawn toward the narrow outlet channel.
The timber will soon obstruct this channel and the raft thus
started will extend across and up the river. This raft will
become more and more compact with the accumulation of other
timber, as well as silt and leaves, another outlet will be made
above and the process repeated until the river is obstructed for
many miles.

It will be seen that the great resultant raft is not a single pro-
longed raft, as has been supposed by those who have not studied
the river, but a series of larger and smaller rafts with open
spaces between. The timber portion of the raft occupied from
a third to a half of the whole space.*

Rate of advance of the head of the raft.—Inthis manner the head
of the raft moves up stream at a rate varying (1) directly with
the amount of timber brought down; (2) with the amount of
space left between the parts of the raft; and (3) inversely with
the width and depth of the river. For a short space of time the
growth may even be negative. Thus: ifaraft, formed above an
inter-raft space, happens to give way during very high water,
when water is flowing over the raft below, it will be carried
down till stopped by the lower raft. Thus the head of the raft
will actually move down stream. ‘This is, however, but a tem-
porary interruption.

The greatest annual raft accumulation recorded is five miles.
In a letter dated Jan. 16, 1836, Capt. Shreve says: ‘‘ Raft has
accumulated five miles since last May. Unusually high freshets
having brought down threetimes the usual amount of material.’’f
The same thing occurred again in April, 1879, when a single
freshet formed a jam whose aggregate length was five miles.f
These two instances are, however, very much above the average
rate of formation.

The average movement of the raft up stream from 1820 to
1872 was a trifle over four-fifths of a mile per annum ; as shown
by the records of the U. S. Engineers who made examinations

* 23d Cong., Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc. No. 98, vol. 3, p. 9.

+ 24th Cong., Ist Sess., Senate Doc., vol. 3, No. 197, p. 2, 1836.

+ 46th Cong., 2d Sess., House Ex. Doc. No. 1, vol. 2, part 2, p. 95, 1879.
Also, Annual Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1879, vol. 2, p. 952.

III] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RAFT 163

of the river. The following table gives the accumulation in the
different periods :

From 1820 to: 1838.07 asses 16 miles (Lieut. Col. Long*).
FSA tO TSS eae ee 14 miles (Lieut. Col. Longt).
1957 tor itS72 sneer. se... 13.5 miles (Lieut. Woodrufff).

Of this space only froma third to a half was occupied by timber.

Formation of lakes.—As the head of the raft moves up the val-
ley it will obstruct the outlets of the bottom basins and tributary
stream valleys and by preventing the discharge of the streams
convert them into lakes. The size of these lakes will be further
increased in two ways: (1) the checking of the river current in
the raft region will result in the deposition of great amounts of
sediment. This will build up the bed and banks of the river and
so increase the height of the dam at the mouth of the lake; (2)
as the raft continues its movement up stream outlet bayous will
be formed and a porton of the river current deflected into these
lakes.

Retreat of the foot of the raft.—For a number of years after its
formation and until enough logs decay in the lower end to allow
the remaining logs to be floated off in high water the foot of the
raft will remain stationary. The rate of retreat will be even
more irregular than the advance of the head of the raft because
a snag or two of very resisting wood may be able to keep back a
large amount of decaved raft for many years and even after their
decay several years may elapse before a sufficiently large flood
will occur to occasion enough current at the foot of the raft to
float the fragments away.

The information bearing on the rate of decay of the foot of
the raft is not so fullor satisfactory as that bearing on the rate
of advance of the head. According to the letter of Dr. John
Sibley, quoted above, in 1805 the foot of the raft was at the
Campti settlement. At the beginning of Shreve’s work in 1833
the foot was just above Loggy bayou, a distance of about 59
miles by the charts of the Red River Survey. This would give
an average annual rate of decay of about 2} miles.

* 27th Cong., 1st Sess., Senate Ex. Doc., vol. 1, No. 64, p. Io, 1841.
+ 35th Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Ex. Doc., vol. 3, p. 1053, 1859.
t 43d Cong., 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 648.

164 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Assuming 60 or 70 years for the time since the oldest inhabit-
ants at Natchitoches saw the raft at that place, Paxton concludes
that the rate of retreat was about equal to the advance,
that is, about a milea year.*

It seems probable that the rate of retreat between 1805 and
1833 was abnormally great. If it be the true rate of retreat
the original raft 160 miles long would have destroyed itself in
less than 62 years. This is manifestly an impossibility.

Growth of vegetation on the surface of the raft.—The decay of
the logs and the accumulation of silt on the surfaceof the raft
will afford a place for the growth of plants. In summer the
weeds, vines, small cottonwoods and willows which spring up on
the surface of the raft may entirely cover the raft with foliage ;
giving to the raft a false appearance of solidity.

In speaking of the surface of the raft Lieut. Woodruff says :}
‘‘No trees grow upon floating raft except a few small cotton-
woods and willows which have taken root in some decaying log ;
but the whole surface of all the rafts, except the newest forma-
tion, is covered in summer with a dense growth of weeds, vines
and small willows. It must not be supposed, however, that the
surface of the most compact raft affords at ordinary stages secure
footing.’”’

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT REMOVING THE RAFT

Period: 1829-1830.—In the beginning of this century when
the attention of the government was first turned to internal
improvements, the continued efforts of the congressmen from
the State of Louisiana and the Territory of Arkansas, as well
as the difficulties experienced in transporting supplies to Fort
Townson, caused the government to undertake the improvement
of Red river.

The first appropriation, $25,000, made May 23, 1828, was
almost entirely consumed before 1833 in preliminary examina-
tions and in making the passage around ths raft safer. No
attempt was made to remove the raft.

* 20th Cong., 2d Sess. Senate Doc., vol. 1, No, 78, 1829.
+ Report. Chief of Eng. for 1873, also 43 Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex.
Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 642, 1873.

II1] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RAFT 165

The steamboat route around the raft is given in a letter*
written in 1825 by George Izard as passing through parts of the
following lakes and bayous: ‘‘Coshattee Shute,’’ ‘‘ Lake Bis-
tino,’’ Swan lake, ‘‘ Badcaw’’ bayou and lake, Bee bayou, Mud
lake, Stump-lake and Willow bayou.

Shreve’s work: 1833-1838.—When Shreve commenced the
work of removing the raft the foot was a little above Loggy
bayout and the head near Hurricane bluffs.

The first year the work progressed very rapidly in the decayed
portions of the raft, 71 miles of river being cleared.{ As the
more solid portions of the raft were reached the removal pro-
gressed much slower. The amount of raft removed the fourth
year of the work (1837) was only 1234 miles.§

On March 7, 1838 Shreve reached the head of the raft, which
was then midway between Cowhide bayou and Cedar bluffs,|| and
the first steamboat passed through.

Period: 1839-1871.—In July, 1838, almost immediately after
the close of Shreve’s work, a new raft 2,300 feet long formed
three miles below the head of the old raft, very near the Sterling
bayou outlet** and as this was not removed every freshet added
to it.

It was then that the Red bayou route around the raft was first
utilized. Colonel Sewell of the U.S. Army in 183o9ft finding
the river blocked left the river just above Shreveport and pass-
ing through Twelve Mile bayou, Sodo lake, Stumpy bayou, Clear
lake and Black bayou reached Irving’s (then McNeil’s) bluff.
Here he cut a canal into Red bayou and passing through Red
bayou entered the river again opposite Miller’s bluffs. This

* 19th Cong. 2d Sess., House Report, vol. 2, No. 96, pp. 4—5, 1827.

t See ‘‘ Rough Sketch of that part of Red river in which the Great raft
is situated, and the Bayous, Lakes, Swamps, etc. belonging to or in its
vicinity.”’. By Capt. Henry M. Shreve, 23d Cong., 1st Sess., House Ex.
Doc., vol. 3, No. 98, 1834.

¢ 23d Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 3, No. 98, p. Io, 1834.

§ 25th Cong. 2d Sess., Senate Doc., vol. 1, No. 1, p. 351.

| Long, 27th Cong. 1st Sess., Sen. Doc., vol. 1, No. 64, p. 9.

** 26th Cong., Ist Sess. Sen. Doc., vol. 1, No. I, pp. 205-209, 1840. Also
26th Cong., Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 205-209.

++ Collins, 43d Cong., rst Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 658,
1874.

166 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

route was destined to be the main steamboat passage for the
next thirty years.

The raft of 1838, which had its origin near Sterling bayou was
partially if not altogether removed by Capt. Thomas Williamson
In 1841—2-3.

In the latter part of 1843 a new raft formed at Carolina bluffs,
midway between Peach Orchard and Cow-hide bayous, and at
the time of the Fuller survey in 1854 had prolonged itself a dis-
tance of 13 miles toa point 2 miles above the head of Dooley’s
bayou. Fuller in 1856 removed the portion above the head of
Dooley’s bayou and the following year undertook the improve-
ment of Dooley’s bayou; hoping to form a steamboat route
around the raft through Dooley’s bayou, Cheftel’s lake, Stumpy
bayou, Big Willow pass, Sodo lake and Twelve Mile bayou.

The large accumulations of drift in 1856-7 filled the bend below
Elmer’s bayou. To avoid this, Fuller cut twocanals into Dutch
John’s lake, which are known as Fuller’s Inlet and Outlet. The
early formation of the raft above the Inlet very soon effectually
stopped this route. Capt. C. M. Hervey says, in a letter to Lieut.
Woodruff in 1872, that no steamboat ever succeeded in passing
through the Dooley’s bayou route.

In 1859 the raft reached and blocked the mouth of Red
bayou ; thus closing the only practiceable route between upper
and lower Red river. The first of the upper canals, Hervey’s
canal, was then cut. When this was closed other canals were
cut higher up the river. affording very dangerous temporary
routes around the raft.

FINAL REMOVAL OF THE RAFT

Woodruff’s work.—On December 1, 1872* Lieut. E. A.
Woodruff, U. S. A., commenced the removal of the raft which
originated at Carolina Rluffsin 1843. The work was made much
easier than early work by the use of nitro-glycerin ; and the
work progressed so much more rapidly that the head of the
taft, which wasabout three-quarters of a mile above O’ Roukes’
slough, was reached in November 1873.t+

* 43d Cong, 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 64, 1874 ; also
An. Rept. Chief of Eng., for 1874.
+ 43d Cong. 2d Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 3, p. 702, 1874.

TT] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RAFT 167

Present work: 1873-1899.—Although the raft was removed
the conditions for raft formation were everywhere present along
the river for 60 miles. The channel was very narrow and
filled with silt, snags and fragments of the old raft ; the amount
of water passing along the main channel was only a portion of
the whole discharge of the river, the balance passing out the
numerous enlarged outlet channels. Log jams immediately
formed only to be broken up by the government boats. Now,
after 25 years work, by removing all the snags and by closing
the outlet bayous thus forcing all the water to flow in the main
channel, the river has so enlarged itself that it is capable of
carrying its timber with only the possibility of forming jams.

EFFECTS OF THE RAFT
CHANGES DUE TO THE FORMATION OF THE RAFT

Condition of upper Caddo bottoms before the formation of the
vaft.—The great changes which have taken place in Caddo
bottoms in recent times are due (1) to the formation of the raft,
(2) to its removal. The condition of the bottoms before the
formation of the raft can be approximated quite closely. Red
river occupied very nearly its present position. The banks of
the river were probably on an average from 5 to to feet
lower than they are to-day. It is doubtful whether the river
has even now finished cutting out the sediment deposited in the
main channel of the river during the raft period and hence it
may be that the river has not yet reached its former base level.

A sluggish stream, the ancestor of Black lake and Red
bayous entered the northern Caddo bottom basin at the present
state line and made its devious way through the middle of the
bottoms. At what time connection was established between
this bayou and the river no man cantell. It may be that the
bayou occupies parts of old channels left by the river in its
_ journey across the bottoms and has been connected with the
river since the beginning of the present period. The shape of
Red bayou for its first mile and a half from the river is how-
ever peculiar and it may be that, in the constant changing of
the great bends of the river, one has approached the bayou
channel very closely and during some period of high water a

168 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

channel was cut between the two. Shortly after this time the
river cut across the narrow neck of the great bend, leaving a
great half-moon shaped connection with the old bayou.

A second stream, occupying a fairly deep cypress-fringed
channel in the middle of a’ level bottom similar to those which
accompany all streams of even moderate size over all northern
Louisiana,* entered the river bottoms above Irving’s bluff. It
followed somewhat closely the western hills ; passed through the
eastern part of what is now Clear lake and at the lower end of
what is now Stumpy bayou emptied into a large bayou coming
from the west.

This large stream was the ancestor of Cypress and Twelve
Mile bayous. It was a fairly rapid cypress-fringed stream with
a slope of possibly a foot to the mile. It meandered through a
fairly level valley covered with over-cup oak and a few scattering
pine trees and after its entrance to the river valley, where it
received the waters of the ancient Black bayou, it meandered
through the river bottoms, now near, now bending far out from
the Albany line of hills. Somewhere near Albany it probably
received the waters of the old Black lake and Red bayou
drainage system. From there its course to the river was along
the line of the present Twelve Mile bayou.

At Shreveport another little creek valley with its crooked little
stream opened into the river valley.

The formation of Cross, Caddo and Ferry ae —When the raft
in its progress up the river approached the mouth of the little
creek which drained Cross lake valley, the water was backed up
into the valley. As the distance between the mouth of the
little stream and the raft diminished the level of the water in the
valley was raised and when the raft reached the mouth of the
creek the water in the valley reached a level equal to the banks
of the river.

When the mouth of Twelve Mile bayou was reached the lower
part of the Shreveport-Blankton’s bluffs bottom-basin was filled
with water forming Sodo lake. The water was also backed up
into the Ferry lake valley.

The flooding of Ferry lake valley killed all the trees. After

* For a discussion of similar creek bottoms see article on page 68.

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IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RAFT 169

a time the tops of the dead trees were broken off by the winds,
leaving the unsightly stumps as silent witnesses of the great
catastrophe.

A peculiar ox-bow shaped depression, being below the level of
the banks of the river at the mouth of Twelve Mile bayou was
filled with water at the same time forming Clear lake.

Origin of Black bayou swamp.—The Black bayou stream
valley being higher than the Cypress bayou stream valley was
not so deeply inundated by the daming of Twelve Mile bayou.
Still it was low enough * to receive a little water. Cypress trees,
being fitted by their peculiar knees to grow in such a situation,
soon converted the land into a cypress swamp.

Formation of Silver lake and Poston’s lake.—Silver lake and
Poston’s lake were formed in the same way, the first in a stream
valley the second in a bottom-basin, butat alater date. Poston’s
lake is shown on the land office charts made in 1839, when the
raft was far below its outlet, asa bayou. On Woodruff’s map
of 1872 it isa large lake offering a good steamboat passage. It
is nowabayou. Thus in fifty years a lake large enough for the
passage of large steamboats has been formed and destroyed.

Outlet bayous—The formation of the outlet bayous, both arti-
ficial and natural, has already been discussed. It only remains
to call attention to the development of the drainage systems by
outlet bayous. 'A reference to the two maps accompanying this
report will show something of this development.

It will be noticed that in the lower part of Old Red bayou the
outlet channels, Dooley’s, Cowhide and Horseshoe, have delib-
erately cut across the old channel. Indeed the map seems to
indicate that. Trinity bayou and the lower part of Cottonwood
bayou represent the true continuation of Old Red bayou, and
that the portion of Old Red bayou, so called which flows west,
is really a continuation of the Peach Orchard outlet.

* The average elevation of the river banks about Shreveport is about 170
feet above Gulf level. The bottom of Black bayou where crossed by the
Kansas City, Pittsburg and the Gulf Railroad is, according to the railroad
companies corrected levels 173 feet. Thus the lower part of the valley
would probably receive a few inches of water and even if the water did
not back up into the valley the current would be so checked that the
lower part of the valley would be very imperfectly drained.

170 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Most of the outlets were made before any of the land surveys,
and we have a record of the formation of one of them only.
In 1841 Lieut. Col. Long says: ‘‘Commencing at the southern
boundary of Arkansas and proceeding downwards, we have in
succession the following considerable outlets from the main
river, communicating more or less directly with Caddo, or Sodo
lake, situated on the southwest or right side of the valley, viz.:
Red bayou, which is the uppermost of all the bayous within the
district just mentioned; New bayou, Dooly’s bayou, and Chef-
tel’s bayou, besides several others of inferior size. ‘The three
bayous first mentioned are situated above the head of the raft;
while the last passes from the river at a point about midway of
the new or present raft. One of these outlets, viz.: New bayou,
has been formed during the existence of the present raft.’’*

Sedimentation.—One of the most important changes wrought by
the raft was the building up of the land by sedimentation. The
checking of the current by the raft, the large stretches of almost
dead water both in the river and the lakes afforded conditions for
the rapid deposition of sediment that are seldom excelled.

The result was that, in the stream channel over fifteen feet of
sediment was deposited. Along the banks the deposition ranged
from a very thin layer on the higher portions to ten or even more
feet at lower levels. Lieut. Woodruff says in regard to the
average rate of deposition: ‘‘I think that the average increase
of elevation of the immediate banks of the river and principal
bayous from near Carolina bluffs to the present head of the raft,
during the past thirty years, is about 3 feet. Mr. James Marks,
an intelligent and observant resident near Carolina bluffs,
estimates this deposit at five feet.’’+ In the lakes the deposition
was much more irregular and generally slower. There seems to
be no way of determining even approximately the deposition in
the lakes. In the region of the Indian mounds in Sec. 5, 19 N.,
14 W., which was all under water during the raft period, there
is a layer of stiff red clay from 6 inches to a foot thick overlying
a black sandy clay similar to that on the Caddo prairie.

* 27th Cong. Ist Sess. Senate Doc., vol 1, No. 64, pp. 3-4.
+43d Cong; 1st Sess. House Ex. Doc. vol. 2 part 2, p. 642, 1873.

ee

a ae ~ Se

Poe e

IT] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RArFr 171

The deposition near the main bayou mouths was undoubtedly
much greater. Partsof the old Cypress bayou channel, in the
region of Albany, was filled to the level and above the banks
of the old stream by the material brought down by Red bayou.

After the cutting of Sewell’s canal with the resultant diversion
of the waters of Red bayou, a great deal of sediment was
deposited in the lower part of Ferry lake. H.C. Collins gives
an interesting account, in 1872, of the passage of the water of
Stumpy bayou into Ferry lake. He says: ‘‘ Most of the water
follows the bluff, and passes into Ferry lake on its north side, the
current running west up the north side of the lake about a mile,
and depositing in it a largeamount of its mud. At times of rapid
rise of the river there is a strong current up the lake to the west,
so that sometimes Red river water is seen beyond the Texas
lanes’)

CHANGES DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF THE RAFT

Deepening of the river channel.—After the removal of the raft
the current immediately commenced removing the sediment
deposited during the raft period. Attention was first drawn
forcibly to the erosion of the channel by a peculiar obstruction
in the river about 15 miles above Shreveport, known as the
““ Dawn Stumps.’’

There were several hundred of these standing upright in the
bed of the river and when the raft was first removed, boats passed
over them without difficulty. In 1886 they pojected six feet
above the surface at low water and those in the middle of the
channel were cut off as near the water surface as possible. The
following year, at the same stage, the stumps, that had been
cut, projected four or five feet above the surface of the water.t+
They were finally entirely removed with high explosives.

Maj. J. H. Willard, U. S. E. about 1892, succeeded in recov-
ering some of the benches of the Woodruff survey and so
determined the exact amount of the erosion since the removal of

*Tbid, pp. 657-658.

+J. H. Willard. Preliminary Examination of the Lakes connected with
Red river, etc. 50th Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 4, p. 1490, 1887.
Also, An. Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1887, vol. 2, p. 1490, 1887.

172 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA ~ [Sect.

the raft. Hesays: ‘‘ Having recovered some of the benches of
Maj. Howell’s and Lieut. Woodruff’s surveys, and reduced the
levels to Cairo datum, it is found that the water line has fallen
more than 15 feet at the head of the raft, diminishing to about
3 feet, at Shreveport, while a similar reduction has been going
on in the river below.’’* Thus the river is tending to return to
the conditions which existed before the raft period.

Drainage of the lakes.—In the lake region the irregular deposi-
tion of sediment has rendered the return of that region to pre-
raft slower than in the main channel. Certain of the old
channels have been more than filled with sediment and the
streams which have been forced by this filling to flow over older,
harder beds have not yet succeeded in cutting channels in them
to a depth equal to the depth of the old channels. The reduc-
tion in the size of the lakes, though hindered in this way, has
nevertheless been very marked. Sodo lake is a very noticeable
instance of this reduction in size. (Compare plates 14 and 16.)

Poston’s lake has returned to very nearly it former condition.
This is because the raft had not been above the mouth of Pos-
ton’s bayou long enough to fill its old channel, and hence this
lake experienced none of the difficulties of the lower lakes.

At Silver Lakef the former outlet has been entirely filled and
the water is engaged in cutting a new channel through the older
clays on which it has been forced.

Simpson’s lake, a lake which formerly existed just above
Elmer’s bayou, and Dooley’s lake, have been almost entirely
obliterated. During the raft period they were almost completely
filled with sediment and after the removal of the raft the lower-
ing of the river channel by erosion completed the drainage.

The cutting out of the river channel has resulted also in the
partial drainage of the small lakes in the bends on the east side
of the river. Marks’ lake has shrunk to two small lakes, and
the encroachment of the river on Adger’s lake threatens to com-
pletely destroy it. Dutch John’s lake has shrunk to about one-

* An. Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1893, pp. 1909-1910, 1893.

+ This Silver Lake which occupied a valley in Coushatta bluffs, should not
be confused with the now dry Silver lake near Shreveport, which has entirely
drained since the removal of the raft.

——

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: THE RAFT 173

third of its former size. Near Shreveport, Swan lake is com-
pletely destroyed.

Cross bayou discharge.—After the removal of the raft and the
formation of the second raft, which forced nearly the whole of
the river current to flow through the lakes, the water seeking
the shortest channel through the bottoms cut the channel known
as ‘‘ The Pass’’ between Sodo and Ferry lakes; and nearly all
the water returned to the river through Cross bayou. Before
the closing of the outlet bayous, even after the removal of the
raft, the discharge of Cross bayou in medium and high stages of
water was always greater than either Twelve Mile bayou or
Upper Red river.

CHANGES RESULTING FROM A COMBINATION OF CAUSES

Reversal of drainage systems.—The great discharge through
Cross bayou, while the river about Hurricane bluff was clogged
with raft material, resulted in an upstream current at times as
high as Benoit’s bayou*. Fuller states that the upstream cur-
rent ran as far as ‘‘half the distance between Shreveport and
Red bayou,’’ or as far asWillow chute. Woodruff questions this.}

Linnard’s early account, however, agrees with Fuller. He
says : ‘‘During the freshets the greater part (of this water) sweeps
directly across the channel of the river, and continues eastward
to the Bodcau lake; a portion ascends the channel to Benoit’s,
or Williams’ bayou, or the Willow chute and the remainder
passes down the channel. {

The cutting of Sewell’s canal has resulted in the reversal of
the drainage for about a mile down the bayou. A new channel
was made across the old Henderson fields between 1864 and 1871
and water flowed from Dooley’s lake through it and Old Red
bayou to Sewell’s canal.§

A number of the bayous and canals which were outlets during
the raft periods have, since the removal of the raft, became inlets.
This is true of Alban’s canals and Poston’s bayou.

* Long. 27th Cong., Ist Sess., Senate Doc., vol. 1, No. 64, pp. 9-10.
+ 33d Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Ex. Doc., vol. 7, No. 62.

{ 28th Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Doc., vol. 1, No. I, p. 289, 1845.

§ An. Rep. Chief of Eng. for 1873, p. 658.

174 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Formation of the delta at the foot of Cross lake.—The peculiar
delta at the foot of Cross lake has already been described under
Cross lake, and the peculiar fact noticed that, at present, in
ordinary stages of water the water flows from the delta instead
of into it.

Under the old raft regime the great amount of water sweeping
through the pass from Sodo lake into Cross lake must have
carried with it a great deal of sediment and thus silted up the
lower end of Cross lake valley. The ancient stream channel was
entirely filled and the present outlet was thus forced to flow over
projecting points of the older, harder Eocene material. The delta
at the head-of Bowman’s chute is one of the incidents of the silt-
ing up of the foot of Cross lake.*

Formation of irregular ridges in the bottoms.—Along the river
front and the banks of bayous, where the sandy front land is well
developed, the surface is often very irregular as if a great volume
of water had rushed through in time of flood, cutting a multitude
of little gullys and leaving little irregularly shaped knolls one to
two feet high.

They are markedly different from the natural mounds of the
post-oak or upland flat region ; they are not so uniform in shape,
so symmetrical, being irregularly oblong rather than circular,
and, a minor difference, they are not so high. The ridges are
well developed in Sec. 33, 20 N., 14 W.

The theory of the current origin of the upland flat topography
hardly seems probable when these unquestionably current-formed
mounds are seen.

Old shore line at Cross lake bridge.—Extending along the base
of the hills and about 15 feet above the present water level is a
little wave formed bluff ranging from a few feet to 12 feet in
height. It represents the old water level of the lake. As the
interval between the formation of this lake and the removal of
the raft was about 60 years, this bluff represents the effects of
50 years’ wave work. It is best developed just east of the south
end of the railroad bridge. (Plate 17.)

* On plate 15 a delta is shown only at the head of Bowman’s chute. This
was the only portion of the foot of the lake carefully examined. The other
channels should show the same peculiarity.

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: GEOLOGY 175

GEOLOGY OF THE BOTTOMS.
FORMATIONS REPRESENTED.

Recent beds.—The recent Red river deposits cover the greater
part of the area and consist of all gradations from a light red
sandy loam to a stiff, dark red clay. In places it exists as a mere
veneer over the presumably older deposits ; in others it covers
it to great depths.

Older beds.—Outcropping here and there through the bottoms
and exhibited in places along the river banks are beds of blue
clay markedly different from the river deposits formed under the
present regime. Its altitude varies greatly, indicating consider-
able erosion.

The blue clay outcrops in several places at Dooley’s bayou, in
the bottom of Willow pass and Albany flats. At the last two
places, the blue clay seems to be simply a weathered continua-
tion of the dark gray Eocene clays of the adjoining bank.

On the west bank of the river inthe S. W. &% of the N. E. 4%
of Sec. 3, 19 N., 14 W., there is a limited exposure of the older
clays. On the opposite side of the river only the recent reddish
sandy loam was seen ; about 200 yards above the point where
the section was taken only the most recent deposition filled with
logs of the raft, occurs.

The section here exposed is:

Section, Red River Bank, James Eric Place (Sec. 3,19 N., 14 W).

3. Lightreddish yellow sandy loam containing numerous
specimens of He/zx,; grading above into surface loam, to ft.

2. Dark bluish black,crumbly clay grading below into red
SAT Give Clay raises atest ord eae ake Note ois eae etnias Sed 5 6 ft.

I. Jointed clay containing numerousirregularly shaped

calcareous concretions. Blue above, mottled with red
belowerere ore eee ene een en as Share we bdd aiaee Sard att.
The two lower strata seem to be in part represented in the
Caddo prairie section, though that section contains more sand.
In the southern part of Caddo prairie the older beds are repre-
sented by beds of poor yellow and red clayey sand, very different
from the sandy front lands of the river but similar to the sands

176 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

of the adjoining hill lands. The upper part of the red sands
grades into a very fertile black sandy loam showing in places
numerous specimens of Unzontde. Caddo prairie occupies the
highest part of the back bottom lands.

This layer of black sandy loam with U/xzos appears in the sides
of the bayous in several places in the bottoms, commonly over-
lying the same poor sands.

Age of the beds.—The exact age of these beds can only be a
matter of conjecture. The blue clay suggests the Port Hudson
beds of Hilgard and the spirited discussion of the age of the blue
clay of the Mississippi bottoms. In this region some of the blue
clay is clearly part of the adjoining Eocene formations, as at the
rapids at Albany flats and Big Willow pass.

The poor red sands may represent outliers of the Eocene hill
lands or may belong to the same age as the upland flat deposits.
Examples of unquestionably erosion-formed outliers are to be
seen in several places in the bottoms. Just above the mouth of
Black Lake bayou are two mounds which are merely detached
portions of the hill-lands. Pine island in Clear lake seems to be
of the same class. The data at hand are, however, at present a
little too meagre to admit of drawing any very definite con-
clusions on the exact age of the sands.

Shells from the front land.—Some of the light yellowish-red
loam which occupies the immediate banks of the river is
extremely lcess-like in texture and appearance. The resem-
blance is greatly strengthened by the presence of numerous land
shells. Mr. C. T. Simpson, of the U.S. National Museum, has
identified the following species from Sec. 14, 19 N., 14 W.:

Pyramidula alternata, Polygyra paltiata.?
Polygyra thyrotdes. Omphalina friabilis.
Polygyra clausa, flelicina orbiculata.

Polygyra inflecta.

To this list of species Mr. Simpson has added: ‘‘ We do not
have any of the Omphalina friabilis quite so flat as the species
you send, and one or two others are a little. different from the
ordinary manifestations of the same species. /. ¢hyrordes as sent
by you has a closed umbicilicus and in our shells it is open.”’

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 17

WAVE-FORMED BLUFF. PAGE 174

1oeg SHREVEPORT AREA: SOILS 177

A comparison of specimens shows the following species from
layer three of the James Eric section :

SorLs*

Varieties—The partially complete soil map accompanying
this report shows but three soils, viz.:

1. Red sandy loam. (Front land.)

2. Stiff red clay. (Back land.)

3. Black sandy clay. (Prairie.)

These are the principal types, but by the mixing of different
proportions of the three kinds an almost indefinite number of
varieties are produced. Number one grades into number two,
making it quite difficult to say just where one begins and the
other ends. The line between the second and third is generally
well marked if the land has not been plowed. Thered, stiff land
thins out toa feather edge on the edge of the prairie land ; when
the land is plowed the two are thoroughly mixed, forming a com-
plete series of soils from one to the other.t

It often happens that a thin veneer of stiff red clay will over-
lie a layer of sandy loam. In plowing these are thoroughly
mixed, forming what is locally called ‘‘dough-faced land.”
A mixture of back-land and prairie-land produces ‘‘ black stiff
jand.”’

Peculiarities and distribution.—The red, sandy loam occupies
the highest portions of the bottoms along the immediate banks
of the river and the old outlet bayous. The predominant tree is

* No satisfactory account of the soils can be written until they have been
analyzed. Such analyses of the samples collected in this region are now
being made under the direction of Dr. Stubbs. Reports of these analyses
will be published in Dr. Stubb’s work on the soils of the State. The notes
here offered are rather on their general aspect and location than on their
agricultural value.

+ On the map an attempt has been made to show only the predominate
soil. ‘Thus, if an area is mapped ‘‘front land’’ it does not mean that the
land is always typical red, sandy loam, but that the red, sandy loam is the
principal constituent of that soil. The overlapping of one material on the
others makes satisfactory soil mapping quite difficult. The surface may be
typical stiff red land and an inch or more below, black land. The depth of
the lower layer varies greatly over even a small area.

L

178 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA Sect. ]

the cottonwood ; but ash, hickory, red oak and sweet gum also
occur.

As the distance from the river and bayous increases the amount
of sand in the soil decreases and at a short distance from the
stream channels the sandy front land has changed into stiff clay
back land. This ranges in color from a dirty cherry-red toa
rich dark mahogany. Here the cypress and hackberry find con-
genial homes.

The surface aspect of the little spots of prairie land scattered
through the bottom is markedly different from that of the sur-
rounding heavily wooded country. There are a few scattered
cottonwoods, numerous scrub thorns (hawthorn and honey-locust)
and grass; altogether a sort of forbidding looking place, but
when cleared yielding excellent crops. If the soil isin any way
washed off, leaving the underlying red and yellow clayey sand,
the fertility of the field is a thing of the past.

Origin.—lIt is easy to see the manner in which the front and
back land have been formed. Indeed it has been so often stated
and is so well understood that a very brief statement will suffice
here. When the water flows over the banks in time of high water
its velocity is greatly checked and it deposits its heavier sandy
material on the immediate banks of the stream; thus forming
the sandy front land. ‘The waters which now contains only the
finest sediment passes into the lower parts of the bottoms, form-
ing great temporary lakes. Having little or no velocity, the
water is unable to keep even this very fine sediment in suspen-
sion. ‘This is gradually deposited, forming a stiff clay.

In times of high floods the sedimentation is very large. Large
areas of stiff back sand are often sanded. Thus, in the flood of
1892 Cottonwood bayou covered a large area of stiff land lying
along its banks with sandy material. It is stated that in places
this deposit amounted to two or three feet.

The formation of the prairie land can only be a matter of con-
jecture. Thé Eocene Tertiary of northern Louisiana abounds in
little bare spots caused by the outcropping of unusually calca-
reous beds. It may be that certain layers of the older beds in the
bottoms contain a large amount of calcareous matter and are
responsible for the formation of these spots. The section given
above (p. 175) shows quite a calcareous layer.

MT] SHREVEPORT AREA: WATER SUPPLY 179

There is, however, a very widespread black calcareous layer
through the bottoms, which contains numerous mussel shells
(Unionide).

It may be after the partial erosion of the valley, in which island-
like outliers of the hill land were left above the surrounding
bottoms, that a period of marsh or swamp conditions ensued, in
which the water plants formed a peat-like deposit over the sandy
clay. A slight deepening of the water and a deposition of sedi-
ment on the top of the vegetable matter would make a cozy home
for the U/mzos. Here they lived and died in great numbers. On
the re-elevation of the ground and the decomposition of the veg-
etable matter the result would bea very black sandy clay with
Untios.

WATER SUPPLY

Sources of water.—Water can generally be obtained in the front
lands at a depth of from 35 to 85 feet. The common method
employed is to point a pipe and drive until water is reached.
Water obtained from this layer is generelly not very wholesome,
containing as it does quite an amount of mineral matter. When
used in boilers it ‘‘scales’’ badly and on Mr. John Sentell’s place
‘‘eats out’’ the boiler tubes. He has succeeded in obtaining
partial relief by pumping the water into a tank and exposing it
to the atmosphere for from 36 to 48 hours.

Mr. A. L. Pullin, a well driller at Shreveport, states that he
has succeeded in getting very pure water from a soft red sand-
stone at depths ranging from 160 to 300 feet.

General section of Red river wells below Shreveport.—Mr. Pullin
has kindly furnished the following general section :

General Section of Red River Wells below Shreveport.

ie ened ‘Soiltssandyaloamten s.. .atece ase co eetesea a: 4-10 ‘ft.
2. Red clay and sand. Water bearing. This stratum

is clayey above and becomes more sandy below.

The lower 5-10 feet is aquicksand. This layer

is the source of the highly mineral water which

issobtained! in theidriven wells.t. td c.c5. 25. 45-60 ft.
3. Graveland sand. Quite firmly bedded, so much

so that it is impossible to drive a well into it.

180 GEOLOGICAL: SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The gravel sometimes reaches the size of a goose
egg. White chert and quartz pebbles are com-
mon. The gravel is largest at the top and
gradually grows finer until at the base of the

strata it grades into a fine white sand........ 20-40 ft.
4. Soft gray sandy clay containing vegetable remains

and occasional ishellseit i anee. foe ee ee 8-16 ft.
5. Hine whiteisand.? Seite pctid. ne ee een ee o-40 ft.

»)

6. Hard tenaceous blue clay, called ‘‘ rubber clay
containing scattered iron concretions about the
size Of-a pear. Uhr. Aah Senet ae eer ante 40-132 ft.
7. Indurate red sand, water bearing. Furnishes an
abundance of soft water.
Water from this stratum i i aeadlix rises sae with-
in ten feet of the surface.

None of these deep wells were personally examined nor was I
able to obtain any shells from layer 4. It can hardly be doubted,
from the general character of the material, that the water is
from the older Tertiary strata. The presence of large gravel beds
in the river valley is also to be specially noticed for no gravels of
northern origin have yet been found on the hills west of the
Black bayou and Bayou Dauchite gravel trains.

Well at Lotus Landing, Robson P.O.—At the time of the
writer’s visit Mr. Pullin had just finished a well on the place of
Capt. Robson at Lotus Landing, in 16 N., 12 W. from which he
had a large suite of gravel specimens.

Well. Section on Capt. Robson's Plantation (16 N. 12 W.).

No. Depth Thickness
I o- 4 URed'sandy loam... ones nee tree 4 ft. o in.
2 4—79 ‘Kine red’tlay with sandwts. 5c 75 {t. "O11:
2. 7o—- 82 "Redsand + water beavines. eee ae 3 ft. oan:
4 82-106 Gravel and sand, same as 3 in fore-

geile’ SechiOnn. | 7s el eee 24 ft. eme
5. Te6—171s | 'Orsanic clay with shellsio. "2m... 12 ftom
6;-° TTS=12iy “Brown lip mibes tyes. sores he one ee 3 1t..O tile
7. @21=123 ‘Good black dipmiter(s. . a cee oer 2 tt. o1n,
8. 123-130 ‘‘Soapstone,’’ soft white friable clay. 7 ft. o in.
9. 130-131)" Very Hard bluewimestone: es. a. O it. Sine

“wt nate feelin

III] SHREVEPORT AREA: PHYSIOGRAPHY 181

LOpMLISI- 635) ard: black pligmite:). cy 2) sa istry v8 = iit Bee Bioe
Eis abs 5—2o50) blwenclay pers. ace biel als Merete, hag go ft. o in.
124 (2235— Water in sand, not passed through.

Any separation of this section in beds of different ages must
be necessarily a mere guess. It will be quite necessary to have
good samples from each of the different layers in order to arrive
at even a partially satisfactory conclusion. The section is,
however, quite suggestive. Layers 2 and 3 may represent the
Port Hudson of Hilgard. Layer 4 suggests the Lafayette or
Orange sand, whatever that name may really mean, and the
lowest part seems to be older Eocene Tertiary.

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE BOTTOMS
WATERFALLS AND RAPIDS

Description.—It is a decidedly interesting thing to find in the
midst of an old, well developed, river flood-plain, waterfalls and
rapids. Several were seen in upper Caddo bottoms and there
are doubtless others in localities which have not been examined.

The most perfect waterfall.seen was at the outlet of Silver
lake just below Coushatta bluffs. The waterfall is about ten
feet high and is at the head of a little gorge probably 300 yards
from the river. The crest of the waterfall is composed of hard
bluish-gray and red sandy clays.

Collins describes a waterfall formed by the water flowing over
a hard clay layer underlaid by sand, in a channel accross the old
Hamilton fields from Dooley’s bayou to Old Red bayou.* There
are also rapids in the main Dooley’s bayou channel, about a
mile above its entrance to Old Red bayou where the water flows
over a layer of hard clay. This is sometimes called ‘‘ Dooley’s
Falls.’’

We have before spoken of the rapid current at Big
Willow pass and the rapids and small waterfall at Albany flats.
These are, of course, not noticeable in very high water when the
inequality is not enough to effect the large volume of water
greatly but in moderate stages they are very marked.

* 43d Cong. Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 658.

182 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

There are very marked rapids in Bowman’s chute, just above
where it joins Middle bayou and the ‘‘ Ditch’’ forming Cross
bayou.

Formation of waterfalls and rapids.—During the raft period
many of the old stream channels were covered by lakes. The
sediment deposited in these lakes often more than filled parts of
the old channels so that after the removal of the raft and the
partial drainage of the lakes the streams were forced to cut new
channels. It would sometimes happen that a stream thus forced
out of its channel would find itself superimposed on the older
blue clays or on projecting points of the adjoining EHocene clays.
Such a stream may, in its course, find its way back into a portion
of the old stream bed which has not been filled. The fall thus
developed on the bank of the former stream will wear rapidly
back through the alluvium till the face of the blue clay is
reached. At this point, if there is a layer of harder clay under-
laid by softer material, the waterfall will maintain itself and
gradually wear back until the lake formed by the daming of the
old stream channel is reached. If the clay is a uniform mass
the face of the falls will be worn off and rapids produced.

In this region the same result could be produced without the
formation of a waterfall by the tumbling of the stream over the
old stream bank. If the old channel has been completely filled
the water will flow in the lowest part of the adjacent land; part
of its bed being of alluvial material and part possibly of the
older clays. As the river erodes its channel the side streams
would tend to do likewise and would soon cut ample channels
through the alluvium lying between the older clays and the
river, leaving the less easily eroded clays to form rapids and
waterfalls in the channel.

In the case of the rapids at Albany flats the ancient channel
was evidently to the north of the present channel. This old
channel was filled with sediment brought down by the outlet
bayous. When the raft was removed the stream occupied the
lowest land, which, since the greater part of the filling was on
the northern side of Sodo lake, was along the base of the hills.
Here the stream found hard blue Koceneclays. The rapid erosion
of the alluvial material between these clays and the river left them

IT] SHREVEPORT AREA: LAKES 183

to form rapids in the channel. The rapids are gradually wear-
ing backward and the day is not far distant when Caddo parish
will be the richer by a number of acres of good land where
there is now a lake.

It is believed that the ancient channel at Big Willow pass is
also to the north and that the blue clay will finally, after the
Albany rapids have worn out and drained Sodo lake, wear back
and drain Ferry lake.

The rapids on Bowman’s chute are of exactly the same type,
were formed in the same way and will have same life history.

The falls at Dooley’s bayou are slightly different from those
just described. It seems that as the raft advanced up the river
the little ditch which drained the old Dooley’s swamp offered a
good outlet channel; water rushed through it and tumbled over
the bank of Old Red bayou. The falls thus formed wore back
until the blue clay was reached when a rapids was produced.
A portion of the water turned over the old Hamilton fields and
fell into Old Red bayou. Here there was a layer of hard clay
underlaid by softer clay, the exact conditions for a typical water-
fall, and as the under sand washed out portions of the clay strata
broke off, thus maintaining a perpendicular fall.

At Silver lake the old channel was to the south of the present
outlet. The filling of this resulted in the tumbling of the water
over the bank at a place occupied by a projecting point of the
Eocene clays. A waterfall resulted whose height has been
increased by the deepening of the main channel of the river.
The fall is wearing back by the removal of the lower layers by
the water and the caving off of the upper strata and will soon
reach and destroy Silver lake.

ORIGIN OF BOTTOM JAKES

Classes.—With reference to origin, there seems to be three
types of lakes in the bottoms, viz. :

1. Cut-off lakes.

2. Lakes of enclosure.

3. Raft lakes.

Cut-off or Horseshoe lakes.—\akes of this type are not well
developed in this part of the valley, not nearly so well as they

184 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect-

are in the lower Red river valley. The most perfect example is
Moon lake or Old River lake, east of Oven bayou, on the line
between 19 N. and2o N. A river in an alluvial flood plain is
constantly cutting the banks on the outside and filling on the
inside of the bends. When two parts of a great bend approach
near each other the intervening neck will be cut through in a
freshet, forming a cut-off. The connections between the river
and the portions of the river cut-off will gradually become filled
with sand-bars and in time entirely separated from theriyer. As
the river travels across the valley the lake thus formed may
be left several miles from the river. Several such cut-offs have
been formed in this region, with a little help from man, in the last
fifty years. Near Hurricane bluffs is the Shreve cut-off of 1837.
Benjamin’s cut-off near Willow chute, and the Hotchkiss cut-off
above Shreveport, have been formed in this way.

Lakes of inclosure.—The second type of lakes is quite com-
mon. ‘They owe their origin to the formation of natural levees
by the river. Along the east bank of the river this is well
exemplified, where the river strikes the hills and then makes
three great loops far out into the bottoms. In these loops, mini-
ature bottom basins are formed; the hills forming one side and
the elevated land along the banks of the river the others. In
these basins water collects forming little lakes. To this type
belong Adger’s lake, Marks’ lake, Dutch John’s lake and a little
lake on Black Lake bayou in Sec. 12 and 13, 22 N., 15 W.

A similar little lake may be formed entirely by the river with-
out the aid of the bounding hills. In a great ox-bow bend
where there is in one place only a very narrow neck of land
between two parts of the river the elevated land which forms
the banks of the river will extend entirely across the neck,
forming in the interior of the bend a complete basin. Water
accumulates in these depressions forming lakes. On plate 14,
lakes of this type are shown in the center of the bend at Hurri-
cane bluffs and in the old bend at the Willow chute outlet. A
similar lake of inclosure is found near Blake Lake bayou in Sec.
14 22 Ni, Le

There is still another way in which a lake may be formed by
inclosure. Not only has the river built its banks up higher

IT] SHREVEPORT AREA: LAKES 185

than the surrounding land but each little bayou has done like-
wise. Thus a basin is formed in the inter-bayou space. The
old Dooley bayou swamp and the now filled Simpson’s lake
probably occupied such depressions. Old Swan lake just above
Shreveport, between Twelve Mile bayou and the river was of
this type.

Raft lakes.—The origin of lakes of this type has already been
discussed under the headings ‘‘Growth of the Raft’’ and
‘“ Changes due to the Formation of the Raft’’ and Ferry, Sodo
and Cross lakes were referred to this type. It remains, how-
ever, to call attention to the similarity in position and origin of
these lakes to the other large lakes of Red River valley ; to give
the traditions and historical data we possess regarding them and
to give some other theories which have been advanced to account
- for them.

A reference to a good map of the State of Louisiana will show
lakes which are the exact counterpart of Cross lake and Sodo
lake all along the river valley below the Arkansas line. ‘Those
which have been clearly formed by the drowning of old stream
valleys and which belong to the same type as Cross and Ferry
lakes are: Lake Bodcau, Wallace lake, Lake Bistineau, Black
lake, Saline lake, Spanish lake, Lake Terre Noir, Lake Nan-
taches and Lake Iatt. There are also several which have been
formed in bottom basins like Sodo lake. The two most pro-
nounced of these are, Lake Cannisnia and the lower part of
Bayou Pierre lake. They are so alike in their general features
and occupy such analogous positions that any theory accounting
for the origin of one must, in general, cover the origin of all.

Of the recent origin of the lakes in the upper part of the val-
ley there can be little question. A number of planters of Red
river bottoms have repeated to me the old Caddo Indian tradition
that about one hundred and fifty years ago the land now occu-
pied by Sodo lake was an oak ridge, that all the water flowed in
a narrow cypress-fringed bayou in the center and that the filling
of the valley was sudden, as if by an earthquake.

Collins evidently heard much the same story, which he states
in this way: “‘ Mr. Josey, living at Swanson’s landing, who is
probably the most intelligent man in the vicinity, thinks there

186 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

was a general subsidence ofa very large tract, including the
bluffs as well as the bottoms, and that it took place since the
removal of the Caddo Indians. He says, that a few years ago,
when a few of the Caddo Indians came back to visit the country
they told him that they used to cultivate cornfields on land
adjoining these oak and pine stumps, and now covered with
water to the same depth, and that the entire country was above
overflow.’’* The statement of the Indians is in part substanti-
ated by a group of mounds in Sec. 5, 19 N., 14 W. A compari-
son of the two maps accompanying this report will show that the
site of these mounds was covered by Sodo lake during the raft

period.
Dr. Joseph Paxton, in a letter written in 1828, gives a similar
account of Bodcau lake. He says: ‘‘ Bodcaw prairie is repre-

sented to. have been exceedingly beautiful, and thirty years since
was the resort of immense herds of buffaloes. It is now a stag-
nant lake.’’+ These statements, together with very positive
evidence furnished by the only partially decayed trees in Ferry
lake shows a very sudden and recent origin of these lakes.

The most common theory of the origin of these lakes is that
they were formed by the sudden lowering of a portion of land by
earthquakes ; in a similar way and at the same time as the Sunk
lands of the St. Francis basin and Reelfoot lake near New
Madrid, Mo., which were formed by the earthquake of 1811-12.
Lyell, in his Principles of Geology, 11th edition, vol. 1, page
452, after quoting Darby’s statement that the lakes have been
formed by the damming of the mouths of the tributary stream
valleys with the Red river alluvium, suggests that they owe their
origin in part to earthquake action. Lyell had just visited the
sunk region about New Madrid, and was greatly impressed with
the phenomena there shown.

There are several reasons for believing that the lakes do not
owe their origin to earthquakes. Probably the most satisfactory
are the results obtained in the borings made by the Cypress
bayou survey in 1892 under the direction of Capt. Willard. Of

* 43d Cong. Ist Sess. House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, pp. 658-659, 1873 ;
An. Rept. Chief Eng. for 1873, pp. 658-659.
t 20th Cong. 2d Sess. Senate Doc., vol. 1, No. 78. p. 10, 1829.

eed) SHREVEPORT AREA: LAKES 187

the results of these borings Capt. Willard says: ‘‘ The borings
also disprove the notion that these lakes were formed by the
same convulsion that made those at New Madrid, the strata
plainly being water deposits without contortions that the
upheaval or sinking would produce, and the oak stumps as well as
the cypress are everywhere fonnd vertical.’’* The second reason
is that a theory of origin similar to the New Madrid lakes will
hardly account for the peculiar positions of these lakes. Lakes
of the type of Sodo lake and lake Cannisnia might be produced
by the sinking of an area of land in the bottoms by earthquake
action, but it must be confessed that it would be a most peculiar
earthquake or series of earthquakes which would drop the bot-
tom out of every large valley entering Red river valley, or which
would raise the land at just the points where these valleys enter
the river valley. This drives us to the supposition that the sub-
sidence was not local but extended over the whole valley ;
effecting the hills and bottoms alike. Such a movement is different
from the local subsidences in the bottoms produced by the earth-
quake at New Madrid. A general movement of this kind overa
large area is more likely to be produced by slow crustal move-
ments than by an earthquake.

A general subsidence of this kind is capable of producing such
lakes. As the subsidences progresses, the river will commence
building up its channel and banks in an effort to regain its base-
level. If this movement is rapid, Red river with it great amount
of sediment will build up its bed much faster than the less muddy
tributaries. This will result in the elevation of the river above
the tributary streams and the consequent ponding of the water
in their valleys.

The fact that there is abundant evidence that the southern
part of the United States is sinking + seems to corroborate this
theory, but other facts, at hand, do not sustain it. If such a

* An. Rep. Chief of Eng. for 1893, p. 2069, 1893.

+ This evidence consists in the estuary character of the mouths of the
majority of Gulf rivers; the great depths of some of the costal rivers ; the
observations of Maj. J. B. Quinn of the U. S. Engineers, and the buried
shell heaps on the coast. See Five Island article and Geol. Surv. of Ala.,
1894, Ppp. 45-47. °

188 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

subsidence is going on it does not seem probable that the line of
maximum depression should follow the Red river valley, and if
it extends over a large area all the streams of that area should be
affected alike. That is, we would look for lakes of the same type
along the valleys of the Brazos, the Trinity, the Sabine and the
Ouachita and especially along the Arkansas, which in point of
size and amount of sediment it carries, fully equals the Red.
Lakes should also be found in Red river valley above the region
effected by the raft. No lakes like Ferry, Cross or Bistineau
lakes are found.

This seems to leave only the theory of the raft formation of
these lakes. This theory is greatly strengthened by the known
formation of a large lake similar to Sodo lake just below Miller’s
bluffs by the closing of the outlet bayou by the raft. Then there
is the simi-historical account of the formation of Sodo lake proven
as it is by the old tree stumps and the Indian mounds. This
theory, however, requires that the lakes be drained on the
removal of the raft. This has not been fully accomplished,
although a large part of the lake area has been drained. There
are several possible reasons why the drainage has not been com-
pleted at the present time: (1) the river may not as yet have
succeeded in cutting out all the material deposited in the channel
during the raft period, (2) many of the streams have been super-
imposed on older clays by the filling of their old channels and
have not yet had time to cut new channels to as low a level as the
old channels.

If, as now seems probable, the lakes owe their formation to
the raft, it is possible to approximate the date of the forma-
tion of Cross and Ferry lakes. The distance, counting the old
stream detours, from Cross lake outlet to the head of the Shreve
raft in 1838, is 49 miles. If four-fifths of a mile represents the
normal rate of advance of the raft, about 61 years had elapsed in
1838, since the closing of Cross lake bayou by the raft. This
would make the date of the formation of these lakes about 1777.

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: UPLANDS 189

NOTES ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE HiLt-EANDS:*
THE UPLAND FLATs +

General characters.—The point of land between Ferry lake, Clear
lake, James bayou and the dotted line on plate 16 shows a marked
topographical difference from the land north of it and from the
land on the south side of Ferry lake. The country in the last
two mentioned localities is hilly and has fairly mature stream
valleys. The area under discussion, although from 30 to 4o feet
above the adjacent drainage systems, has no well developed
stream valleys. The water finding no outlet forms little swamps
between the little mounds or hillocks with which the country is
covered. These mounds are nearly circular and range from 20
to 80 feet in diameter and are from 2 to 6 feet in height. The
composition of these mounds is quite different from that of the
intermound spaces, being a moderately fertile sandy loam, while
that between them is a poor stiff gray or yellowish gray
clay, commonly called “‘ post-oak clay.’’ ‘The intermound spaces
are filled with water, forming little puddlesand supporting a growth
of swamp or pin-oak and post-oak. The mounds are covered
with post-oak and short leaved pine. Under the ‘‘ post-oak clay’’
at depths varying from a few inches to several feet, is a hard red
clay. This is exposed cnly in the occasional gullies.

The distribution of these upland flats is quite extensive in this
part of Louisiana. ‘They are well developed just north of Wal-
lace lake. In Bossier parish they occupy a strip of land between
Carolina bluffs and Bodcau lake and east of bayou Bodcau they
extend almost to Fillmore. The great level land between bayou
Bodcau and bayou Dauchite in northern Webster, may belong to
the same class. There seems to be a great piece of very flat
uplands, younger than the Eocene, lying between bayou Bodcau
and Red river in northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas.
In this upland flat there are two island-like masses of Lower

* As the main part of the work was in the bottoms, only occasional oppor-
tunities presented themselves for examining the hill-lands.

+ Lerch, Bull. La. State Exp. Stations, Geology and Agr., Part 2, 1893,
p. 106.

190 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Claiborne Eocene ; one occupies an area south of lake Bodcau
and includes Bellevue, Fillmore and Haughton ; the other is rep-
resented by the red lands of the northern Bossier.

Well sections. —Only very shallow wells have been sunk in the
upland flats and of these we have only very incomplete records.
They, however, agree in finding occasional fresh water mussels
(Untonide). ‘The well diggers are quite positive that they were
exactly like the shells now living in the adjoining lakes. A well
in the S. W. ¥% of the N. E. 4 of Sec. 1, 20 N., 16 W., gave
the following section :

Well Section S. W. 4% of N. E. W%, Sec: 1, 20 N., 16 W.

LE; (O=.@ Pine Joamyjsand<s. 2 ak ably eee tae 4 ft.
2. 4-11 Yellow and gray mottled clay, post-oak clay... 7 ft.
3. 11-29 Red clay with calcareous concretions in lower
PARE iA oecpinie i Lab ehie le eee tie ee ment eae 18 ft
4. 29-46 Blue mud with vegetable matter and mussel
SHelIS.-.'2h spat neste saeiees Sees share Reena oe te ee D7
5. 46-55 Fine blue sand, not passed through........... g ft.

A well digger living just north of Wallace lake reported that in
a strip of country about two miles wide, just north of the lake,
he had found ‘‘ mussel shells’’ at depths from 18 to 30 feet in all
but two wells. Shells were very abundant in a well on the Pat-
terson place in the N. E. Y% of N. W. Y% Sec. 34, 16 N., 13 W.
The well was sunk on an outlying hill 45 feet above the level of
of Wallace lake. The shells were found at a depth of 20 feet.
In a well sunk on the Little place a great many shells were found
between 25 and 30 feet. The old dump heap at the Patterson
place was examined and a few fragments of Uzos found. As it
was possible for these to have been scattered there since the dig-
ging of the well they can not be considered conclusive.

Colored sands and clays.—Where large sections of these beds
are to be seen along the water courses very heavy beds of bril-
liantly colored sands and clays with calcareous concretions areto .
be seen. This is especially noticeable near Red Chute bridge in
Bossier parish. On the road, which is about 50 feet above the
bottoms, from Bellevue to the bridge, about three miles from the
bridge deep red clay filled with lime concretions outcrop in the

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: UPLANDS IgI

hillsides. This clay is markedly different from the red clays of
the Tertiary to the east. The concretions are in themselves very
distinctive ; these light red, smooth, rounded claystone masses
are entirely distinct from the red ironstone concretions of the
old Tertiary. For about a half a mile east of the bridge the clay is
overlaid by thick beds of red silty sand. Red Chute hill, where
the road descends from the uplands to the bottoms is about 50
feet high and the washed road cut shows good exposures. It
is composed entirely of fine grained red sand and loam with a
little red clay.

An exposure of these sands was seen at Carolina and Hurricane
bluffs. Carolina bluffs are composed of about 60 feet of light
red with some white and yellow, cross bedded-sands. Lenticular
masses of red clay are scattered through the sands. In the
upper portion of the hill athick bed of red clay is overlaid, for a
short distance, by a bed of gray clay two feet thick.

The red concretionary clay outcrops in numerous places along
the north side of Ferry lake, where the waves have washed out
the concretions and formed numerous little pebble beaches. It
is also well developed along the north shore of Cross lake, while
the southern shore shows the entirely different old Tertiary strata.

The first cut north of the trestle over Lake Wallace exposes
irregularly bedded white and red sands and red concretionary
clays. Weathered surfaces show ared glaze over the whole
mass, even over the white sands. Little or no clay was seen in
the part of the cut immediately adjacent to the lake, here light
colored stratified sands, not effected by dilute hydrochloric acid,
are covered by massive brick red sand about four feet thick.
Toward the northern end of the cut the calcareousclays and fine
sands with very large calcareous concretions become very
prominent.

The first cut south of the trestle (on the other side of the
lake) consists of finely laminated gray clay with sand partings,
overlaid by grayish yellow sands which contain lense-shaped
masses of clay which have evidently been derived from the under-
lying clays. ‘This sand contains numerous specimens of silici-
fied wood.

Age of the upland flats.—-The facts at hand indicate that these

192 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

beds should be separated from the adjacent older Tertiary
beds. We havea fresh water deposit resembling more nearly
the recent Red river deposit than anything else in the region,
but evidently formed under different conditions and occupying a
level from 20 to 50 feet above the present bottoms. So far as
the stratigraphy of the State is known these beds seem to be
most nearly represented by the Port Hudson deposits.

This conclusion is greatly strengthened by the observations of
Hopkins in lower Red river valley. He says: ‘‘On Dunbar’s
creek the equivalents of this clay (the Port Hudson) form the
terraces upon Red river, if the calcareous nodules are asure guide.
These beds partake of the ferruginous aspect of this whole
region, and are so intense red that it was not until they were
traced laterally into the Mississippi deposits that they were recog-
nized as belonging to this group. Examples are seen on the
road from Avoyelles to Pineville, at the falls above Alexandria,
on the west bank of Cane river in Natchitoches parish, and at
Grapp’s bluff, above Campté.*

Origin of the mounds.—The mounds, which have been noticed
as covering the Upland Flats are by no means confined to them.
They cover large portions of the Tertiary and Quaternary
deposits of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. In Louisiana they
are very markedly developed in the region under discussion,
around Lake Charles andin the Moorhouse hills. They are not
confined to any deposit orto any hypsometric level. Entirely
absent in ove locality they are quite abundant in another.

The popular interest in the origin of these mounds is very
great and theories of their origin are common. An old darkey
offered the following explanation: when the ‘‘ Great Massa ”’
made this earth he made it with a sieve and when he finished the
sifting there were a number of lumps left in the sieve. These
were thrown out forming the mounds. Another explanation, of
a similar kind, is reported to have been given by the Caddo
Indians. Their legend ran that many, many years ago the
country was inhabited by a race of giants. For some reason,
which the legend did not state, the giants were carrying dirt in

* Third Annual Report Louisiana Geol. Surv. An. Rept. Supt. La. State
University for 1871, 1872, p. 187.

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: UPLANDS 193

their aprons; when the dinner horn sounded they dropped the
dirt where they stood and hurried away toadinner from which
they never returned.

Some of the theories which have been advanced by more cul-
tured people are but a step removed from these. Others show
considerable thought. The following theories have been
advanced by scientists :

1. Ant-hill theory.
Wind theory.
Water volcano theory.
Pressure theory.
Gas theory.
Indian garden-mound theory.
Current theory.
Slow erosion theory.

The ant-hill eon was suggested by Hilgard in his Supple-
mentary and Final Report of a Geological Reconnaissance of
the State of Louisiana p. 11; it holds that the mounds were
made by a large species of ant, which for some reason was
entirely destroyed after the formation of the mounds. This
theory seems to greatly tax the ants’ abilities. A similar theory
sometimes heard among the people of the country, is that the
mounds were made by some burrowing animal.

Clendenin suggests * that the wind theory was suggested by
emigrants from the prairie regions of the northwest, who had
seen little mounds of sand or dust form behind little obstructions
during a wind storm.

Thomassy conceived the idea that these mounds were formed
by springs or ‘‘aqueous volcanoes.’’ +

So far as we know, the pressure theory, which was advanced
to account for mud lumps, has not been directly applied to the
similar phenomena, the mounds. It holds that over a semifluid
layer of quicksand there has been deposited a thick layer of
tenaceous clay. The weight of the upper clay in places bulges

OI AnH fw sv

* Bull. La. State Expt. Stations : Geol. and Agr. part III, p. 180.

+ Geologie Pratique de la Louisiane, Chap. VIII, New Orleans, 1860.

¢ Lyell. Principles of Geology, roth ed., 1868, vol. 1, p. 449. Hilgard.
ACs: 3a Series, vol, 1, 1871, p.'425.

194 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

the surface of the ground and forces out some of the underlying
mud. ‘The objection to this theory lies in the great range of
these mounds in altitude and over beds of different ages.

Scattered through all the beds of Louisiana, from the lowest
Tertiary to the most recent, there are large amounts of vegetable
matter mixed with beds of sands and clays. The decomposition
of this vegetable matter forms gas and if this gas in its passage
to the surface passes through a bed of sand it will probably carry
to the surface some of the sand and so forma little mound. Such
cones are now forming near the sulphur well at Lake Charles and
formation of the mudlumps seems to be very analogous. This
theory was first originated for the mud-lumps by Siddell* and
and applied to the mounds by Hopkins.f Clendenin supple-
ments this explanation with a hypothetical formation of the gas
vents by earthquakes. The theory of the gas origin of the
mounds seems to be more nearly supported by the observed facts
than any other theory yet advanced. But the exact relation
between the water and the gas, which issue from the mounds
now forming, has never been fully worked out. It may be that
the gas merely accompanies the water instead of the water
accompanying the gas.

The Indian garden-mound theory is probably one of the most
hypothetical yet advanced. Nadaillacin his Prehistoric America,
p. 182, says: ‘‘Between Red river and the Wichita they (the
Indian garden-beds) can be counted by thousands. According
to Forshey, who described them to the New Orleans Academy of
Sciences, these embankments cannot have served as the founda-
tions for homes of men. He remarks that none of the known
burrowing animals execute such works, whilst hurricanes could
not have accumulated materials with such regularity. Headded
that in his opinion it was impossible to say anything definite
with regard to their origin, which seemed to be inexplicable.
Other archeologists are more positive ; they consider that these

* Report to Capt. Talcott, 1839, in Humphrey’s and Abbott’s Report,
Appendix A.

+ First Annual Report of the La. State Geol. Survey in An. Rept. Board
of Supervisors of the La. State Seminary for Learning and Military Acad-
emy for 1869, p. 82, 1870.

it] SHREVEPORT AREA: MouNnpDs 195

embankments were used for nothing but cultivation, and that
they are intended to counteract the humidity of the soil, still the
greatest obstacle with which the tillers of the soil of the plains of
the Mississippi valley have to contend.

The last two theories account for the origin of the mounds by
erosion; the first by a rapidrush of waters ; the second by differ-
ential erosion.* Neither seems to be at all sustained by the facts.

THE OLDER TERTIARY

Previous work.—A number of geologists have done work on
parts of the older Tertiary which border the bottom lands dis-
cussed in this paper. By far the most careful and detailed
observations on the bordering hills were made by Mr. H.C.
Coliins, one of Lieut. Woodruff’s assistants on the Red River
Raft Survey of 1871-1872. Although not a professional
geologist or a man who had had much geological training, his
observations have great value as being a concise statement of
what he saw. Thisreport was not known to the writer while he
was in the field so no investigation was made of Collins’
reported find of the Cretaceous fossil, ‘“Mautilus dekayi and
another fossil’? in the bluff at the Cypress brake between
Henderson’s Mills and Albany, and at Irving’s bluff. Prof.
Harris has suggested that he has in all probability mistaken
Nautilus dekayi Mort., for Enclimatoceras ulricht White, and that
the beds are probably Midway Eocene.

Besides Collins, Hopkins,{ Johnson,§ Lerch || and Clendenin]

* Brief statements of this latter theory are given by David Dale Owen,
Second Report of a Geol. Reconnaissance of part of the State of Arkansas,
Phila., 1860, p. 144, and Otto Lerch, Bull. La. State Expt. Sta., Geol. and
Agri., part II, 1893, p. 106.

+ Geologic Notes of Assistant H. C. Collins. An. Rept., Chief of Eng.,
for 1873, vol. I, pp. 651-664, 1873 ; also 43d Cong., Ist Sess., vol. 2, part 2,
pp. 651-664, 1873.

$Second An. Rept. of the Geol. Surv. of La. by F. V. Hopkins, 1871,
pp. 9, 22. Also First Annual Report of the Geol. Survey of La., by F. V
Hopkins, pp. 86, 89, 1870.

§ The Iron Regions of Northern Louisiana and Eastern Texas by L. C.
Johnston. 5cth Cong., Ist Sess., House Ex. Doc., No. 195, vol. 26, pp. 17—
19, 22, 34-37, 1888.

j A Preliminary Report Upon the Hills of Louisiana, North of the
Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, by Otto Lerch. Bull. La.
State Ex. Sta.; Geol. and Agr., part 1, 1892, pp. 18-19.

| W. W. Clendenin spent two seasons working on the Geology of Caddo
parish but published no report.

196 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

have'touched this region but, with the exception of the latter,
the work was of an extremely hasty reconnaissance character and
our knowledge of the country is very meagre. Vaughan has
republished Johnson’s Slaughter Pen Bluff section but does not
seem to have visited the locality.* It is witha hope of adding
something to this meagre information that the facts on the old
Tertiary which the writer was incidentally able to collect, while
working on the bottoms, are published. What is needed isa
very careful examination of the northern Caddo hill-lands ; it
has been a guessing ground for quite a number of years.

Slaughter Pen bluff section.—This section, which is on Cross
bayou just above the water-works, has been examined by both
Johnson and Lerch and as has been stated above, Johnson’s
section has been republished by Vaughan. Johnson considered
it a part of Hilgard’s Mansfield series, the major part of which
is now known to be Lignitie Eocene; Lerch referred it to his
lower Lignitic, which is in part equivalent to the Lignitic and
in part to the Lower Claiborne. Vaughan suggests that it is
probably Lignitic.

The discovery of a small Mactra in the upper part of the
bluff and the general resemblance of this species and the litho-
logical character of the material to Buhrstone outcrops in
Alabama on the Alabama river has led Prof. Harris to suspect
that it may be eventually classed as Lower Claiborne. The
section here exposed is:

Section at Slaughter Pen Bluff, Shreveport.

(Plate 18.)
g. Yellow clay with plates of calcareous matter grading above
into red Sol (2220.8 25 Rk in eae eee een Guat,
8. ‘Gray calcareous*coneretions. 4) 12: th. ee eee esis

7. Grayish and yellow sandy clay with leaves and shells.. 5 ft.
6. Fine lamellze of brown clay and yellowish gray sand

with reddisharon nodules yates aoe ie eet
5. Same as No 6 but without iron nodules. Contains

farce los of Silicihed) Wood). in. thie hid Oona es Gcke
4..\ WDarksdrabsclaiyi: Saco G Miers... Wn See ee eater: 2iette

*Am. Geol., vol. 15, 1895, p. 205; also Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv.,
No. 142, 1896.

IT] SHREVEPORT AREA: TERTIARY 197

Length of

between Cross Lake bridgeand K.C. P.& G. R. R. shops.
Extreme height 58 feet.

section Soo feet.

Gray, orange, yellow and brown sands with chocolate and

Fig. 5.—Section of cut half way

yish brown sands with blue clay layers.

Gray and reddish brown
F. Red sandy clay formed by weathering.

D. Reddish and gra

HE.

A.

sand with blue clay boulders.

der clay partings.

B. Black and brown lignitic clay.

laven

f brownish sands.

C. Thin bedded gray clays with layers o

RNG TIME Case fatlera de hte, aN ss one areas 2 tt.
2. Gray and yellow sand with fine
blue clay layers. Leaves.. 3 ft.
1. Gray and yellow, more and less
laminated sand with thin la-
mellz of blue clay to water
Levels) eee ces aise tera saysie Lap ite

Ina gully about one-fourth of a mile
south of the Slaughter Pen blufftwenty
feet of gray or bluish gray laminated
clays overlaid by 15 feet of stratified
yellow clays are exposed. The gray
clays, like the yellow clays at the top of
the Slaughter Pen bluff section, contain
thin plates of calcareous matter. The
lower clays show several streaks of dark
lignitic clay two to eight inches thick.
This seems to represent the upper part
of Johnson’s section.

About two hundred yards south of the
section shown in the photograph there
isa small but extremely distinct fault
in the lignite layer. It is probably due
to local earth shocks. The fault shows
one rather peculiar feature, the down-
ward displacement of a portion of the
lower lignite along the fault line.
Normally this should turn up instead
of down. Its present shape could be
produced by a double movement along
the fault line, that is a movement down-
ward and then a movement upward.
If the fault at its formation gaped open
slightly the layers in the overhanging
= portion would gradually settle down
. producing the appearance shown in the
figure.

198 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad cut south of Cross Lake
bridge.—The large cut on the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf
Railroad about midway between the Cross lake bridge and the
railroad shops shows a very peculiar collection of great rolled
clay boulders in aygray and brownsand. Near thenorthern end
of the cut are about eight feet of interstratified orange, yellow,
gray and brown sands and chocolate colored clays. The clay
strata are quite thin not over two inches thick in any case
(layer A, fig. 5). The layer just above this, B, is avery black
lignitic clay. As thisapproaches the fault line it becomes lighter
and grades into a brown sand.

This fault only extends half way to the surface. The dis-
turbance along the fault line increases toward the bottom where
the layers are much crumpled and broken up. Layer D is made
up entirely of grayish yellow sand with thin pastings of blue
clay. In this are the large concretionary masses of calcareous
sandstone which are so well developed in the first cut to the
south and indeed in all the region about Shreveport.

The southern end of the cut is composed of blue clay
boulders scattered through a gray and brown sand. These
masses of blueclay are rounded and the stratification lines lie in
every direction. Some are of large size several measuring 25
by 15 inches. The outer portions of this clay show a rim of
yellow clay an inch thick, which has been produced by oxida-
tion. Many of the clay pebbles have coats of iron oxide.
Through the mass are often beds of sand, one very noticeable
one, G, extends diagonally from the top to the bottom of the
cut. Through it are scattered very small clay pebbles.

-'These blue clay gravels are shown also in some of the cuts
between this cut and the lake. They are also exposed in the
road side a little east of Jewella.

It is diffcult to conceive the exact conditions under which these
large clay bowlder were fashioned out and transported to this
place. Vaughan describes an almost identical exposure contain-
ing large clay bowlders at Port Caddo, Texas, and concludes that
it represents a local unconformity of Eocene age.* If the beds
at Slaughter Pen bluff are of Lower Claiborne age the uncon-

* Am. Geol., vol. 16, 1895, pp. 394-308.

II] SHRVEPORT AREA: TERTIARY 199

formity was formed in the early part of the Lower Claiborne
stage. This conclusion is strengthened by a greatly disarranged
exposure seen in a railroad cut about four miles south of Many.
Here the disturbed material, which: contains Lower Claiborne
fossils, lies between undisturbed fossiliferous Lower Clair borne
beds and fossiliferous Lignitic beds.

Sands.—There are few facts bearing on the age of the upper
yellow and red sands about Shreveport and in the absence of the
same there seems to be no reason for considering them separate
from the lower Tertiary beds. The sand beds are well developed
on the Spring tract east of the City park. In the street car cut
they are seen underlying horizontally stratified gray clays con-
taining good leaf impressions. Very similar sands are exposed
in the Union depot cuts under lignite and gray clay. These
sands contain numerous pieces of silicified wood. No gravel of
northern origin was seen in any place over the hills.

The ice factory well.—The following letter has been received
from Mr. F. J. Lukins of the American Well Works who had
charge of the drilling of the deep ice factory well: ‘‘ [had charge
of the deep well that was sunk at Shreveport, but it has been so
long ago that we have no record here now as to the different for-
mations. You can perhaps get from local well drillers, the
nature of the formation to 450 feet. At that depth we passed
through a sand rock formation. It was very fine and not very
hard, and contained considerable water. We madea well at the
Shreveport Junction in this formation, and got a good supply
from that stratum. The sandstone formation was about 50 feet
thick. From there to 971 feet, it was a sort of blue clay for-
mation with occasional very hard streaks of thin shelly rock.
This rock itself was very thin, perhaps one-half to one inch in
thickness, but there would be several layers together, which
would make up a thickness of from 6to 12 in. At one point,
I think about 600 feet, we passed througha stratum of pyrites of
iron, which was about 14 in. in thickness. We could not tell
whether this formation was solid, or whether it was a collection
of small pieces packed together. However, I procured one
specimen which was spherical in shape, and about one-half inch
in diameter, and it appeared from it, that it must be a collection

200 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

of small pieces that made up the 14 in. stratum. At 961 ft., we
penetrated a stratum that contained water. This stratum was 10
ft. in thickness. We could not tell what the formation of this
was, as we took out none of the drillings. The water flowed
over the top of the well at this point. There was also a dis-
chargeof gas from the well that would burn. The water was
very strong with salt. I believethis same well was sunk deeper
by some other parties after, but what was found below, we do
not know.”’

The temperature of the water is 83° F. The gas which Mr.
Lukins mentions, is collected and used for lighting the office at
the ice factory.

Coushatta bluffs.—The faint casts of Leda, Lucina, Nucula, and
Venericardia which were found at this bluff, while proving the
Eocene age ofthe material, are not distinctive enough to show
exactly the division to which it belongs. The Ledas are however
nearer the Lower Claiborne forms than either the Midway or
Lignitic forms. The section here shown is:

Section, Coushatta bluffs

6. Orange, red, yellow, gray and white sand, stratifica-
tion generally horizontal, but in places showing
cross-bedding. It contains numerous gray clay
gravel and a few thin clay layers. Changing above
to surface soil oc nciie) ote a ee ce ae eee 20 ft.
5. Black clay with thin gray sand partings below becoming
light brown above. Layer about eight inches thick
and two feet from the base contains faint casts of
Leda, Nucula, Lucina and Venericardia............ ro “ft
4. Very dark brown laminated clay filled with large iron
concretions. The concretions are arranged along
three principal lines; at the base, a double layer
about 14 feet from the base and a layer at the top. .2o0 ft.

3. Black laminated clay, with crystals of gypsum....... Gt.
2. Dark brown sand containing a few thin layers of black
CRY (is nisin s ws oe Ciopins Sne ntoeeee 3 ft.

1. Black laminated sandy clay, showing clay partings and
numerous crystals of gypsum, to water level...... ay hee

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 18

SLAUGHTER PEN BLUFF, NEAR SHREVEPORT. PAGE 196

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: ARCHAOLOGY 201

Conclusions.—The possible occurrence of Lower Claiborne at
Shreveport and of Midway at Albany flats makes the stratigraphy
about Shreveport appear much more complicated than had been
supposed and it is greatly to be regretted that suits of the
samples of the borings of the deep wells in the river bottoms and
the deep well at the ice factory have not been saved. It
furnishes a flow of warm, artesian water. From this fact it has
been supposed that the well has reached the upper part of the
Cretaceous.* But it must be confessed that thecorrelation with the
Cretaceous on the basis of salt water furnished is very doubtful.
One of the brine springs of Sabine parish, whatever its ultimate
source may be, flows from the lower Claiborne strata ; the other
from presumably Lignitic. It is to be hoped that samples will
be saved from future wells.

APPENDIX
A CATALOGUE OF ABORIGINAL WORKS ON CADDO BOTTOMS

N. W. of S. W. &, Sec. 4, 20 N., 14 W.—A small, rudely
rectangular platform mound about 25 by 30 feet and ro feet high.
On the north side there is an irregular raised platform two to
three feet high. The mound has been opened, with a hole about
five feet in diameter, by negroes searching for treasure.

Sec. 5, 19 N., 14 W.—Group of three mounds. They are
rudely rectangular, truncated pyramid mounds. ‘The largest is
known as ‘‘ Treasure mound.’’ It is almost square, measuring
about 75 feet each way, and is about 16 feet high. It is com-
posed of black, sandy loam like that beneath the veneer of red
clay on the surrounding land. An excavation about six feet
square has been made on the eastern side and a pot is reported to
have been discovered. A small excavation was started on the
west side but was abandoned before anything was discovered.
About 150 feet south of the mound isa ‘‘ water-hole.’’ This
probably represents the excavation from which the material was
obtained for the mound. The top of the mound is covered with

*Lerch. Bull. La. State Expt. Sta.; Geol. and Agr., part II, pp. 117, 1893.

The engineer at the ice factory reports that it maintains a constant
temperature of 83° the year round. A slight flow of gas accompanies the
water which iscollected and used for lighting the ice factory.

202 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

a growth of white locust and is said to be the only place in the
region where it isfound. The mound although surrounded by
the waters of Sodo lake during the raft period, was not covered.
It was used as a place of refuge during the war by persons desir-
ous of escaping the conscription officers.

‘*Arick’s mound,’’ the second of the series, is rudely rectan-
gular, measuring 4o by 50 feet on top, and is 12 feet high.

‘‘Youngblood mound’’ is 6 feet high and about the same
dimensions on top as “‘Arick’s mound.”’

A fourth elevation, known as ‘‘ Trezevent mound,’’ is found
in the same group. It is very irregular and appears to be simply
a natural elevation.

Sec. 21, 22 N., 14 W.—Small conical mound on Red bayou ;
reported to have been opened.

Sec. 15, 18 N., rg W.—Mound between the Pass and Twelve
Mile bayou. This mound was not visited but is shown.on sheet
No. 17 of the Red river survey, 1886.

Sec. 2, 21 N., 15 W.—Two mounds, 200 feet in diameter and
15 feet high on Black bayou, reported by Collins to be natural.*

Flale’s wood yard.—Artificial mound on top of lower bluff at
Hale’s wood yard, too feet in diameter and seven feet high ;
reported by Collins.t

Stormy point, Ferry lake.—A cellar dug near the end of Stormy
point by Col. S. D. Pitts in 1885, disclosed quite an amount of
pottery ata depth of from four and one-half to fivefeet. Onelarge
pot, when found, was full of living ants, evidently attracted
there by something the pot contained. A smaller pot was filled
with children’s bones. An iron tomahawk, two iron rifle barrels
and an iron knife about eight inches long were also found.

About 1870 high water washed out the bluff on the southwest-
ern corner of the point and exposed a skeleton. The forehead
was covered with a thin highly ornamented piece of silver bent
to fit the skull. On the back of the head was a circular piece of
silver. These pieces are said to have been analyzed by a local
jeweler and pronounced virgin silver. On the shoulders were
thin crescent shaped pieces of metal. They were described as

* 43d Cong. 1st Sess., House Ex. Doc., vol. 2, part 2, p. 654.
+ Lbid, p. 653. :

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: ELEVATIONS 203

having been coated with green, and are hence inferred to have
been copper.

The son-in-law of Larking Edwards, the interpreter and friend
of the Caddoes, ‘‘Old James Shemick,’’ from whom the place
was bought, stated several years before the skeleton was found
that the last chief of the Caddoes was buried somewhere in that
vicinity.

This point was a favorite place for the collecting of the Caddo
Indians when they desired to start for Shreveport. They crossed
the lake at Newport point and their trail from there to Shreve-
port is said to have been quite visible as late as 1860.

A DICTIONARY OF ALTITUDES IN NORTHERN CADDO PARISH AND
ADJACENT PORTIONS OF: BOSSIER

[ntroduction.—The most important lines of levels which have
been run in this region are those which were made in connection
with the Red river and Cypress bayou surveys by the U. S.
Engineers under direction of Maj. J. H. Willard. The closure
of the line of precise levels, run by the Red River Survey from
Coast and Geodetic Survey P. B. M. No. 215 at Delta, La. by
way of Shreveport to Coast and Geodetic Survey P. B. M.
No. XLV at Smithland, within 22 millimeters * leaves little
doubt of the extreme accuracv of the work.

The altitudes given in the following tables and credited to the
U.S. E. have been reduced to mean Gulf level from the tables
published in the Annual Report of Capt. J. H. Willard for 1893.+
A few marked R. R. S. M., have been taken from the maps of
the Red River Survey.

The reduction of the altitudes on the profiles of the various
railroads centering at Shreveport to Gulf level has been made
possible by a connection of the U. S. E. gauge with the city ©
bench mark at the corner of Crockett and Commerce streets by
Mr. Cain, city engineer, Nov. 22, 1898. This showed city
elevation 7.18 feet equal to zero U. S. E. gauge. Hence zero
city elevation equals 132.83 feet mean tide.

* An. Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1893, pp. 1944, 1956.
tAn. Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1893, Appendix V. pp. 1953, 1956-57,
1973-74, 1982, 2064, 2080-81, 1893.

204 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

A connection of the city levels with the levels of the Kansas
City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad levels made by Mr. H. DeW.
Smith, the company’s division engineer, and Mr. Cain showed
zero city levels=221.9 feet K. C. P. & G. R. R. levels. Hence
zero K. C., P. & G. R. R. levels is 89.07 feet below Gulf level.

ABBREVIATIONS

K.C. P. & G. R. R.—Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Rail
road.

R. R. S. M.—Red River Survey Maps.

T. S. & N. R. R.—Texarkana, Shreveport and Natchez Rail
road.

T. & P. R. R.—Texas and Pacific Railroad.

U. S. E.—United States Engineers.

IIT] SHREVEPORT AREA: ELEVATIONS

Locality

Albany, U: S. E.bench mark... .... 2...
Atiaiias Stationers seem cir were cr
Arkanisas-Iomisiatia ites ris). os s e or
| Bargetown slough, high water 1892 ..
| Beazley’s Landing, bench mark, No. Io.
| Beckham’s branch, K.C. P. &G.R.R.

Do bed of branch.....
| Black bayou,K. C.,P. & G. R. R. bridge
Do bed of branch......

WB ATC Mareen 's.< 55-01 «fore eis a catorstecenes seers
_Blankton’s bluffs: U.S. E. permanent
AES RHEE jororbalé ING) ACs saobnauaescae

_ Blankton’s, top of bluff on La.-Ark. line
| Bossier City, Rape be NOna5) yardiot
Mrs! DS iC. Caine@n.. toch. sesctarb eck >
Corner plantation, high water 1892....
Do Wis) Sh) JB lexeseKelal

AMAT VINO Te nssserre ese esd whe els ok
Coushaftta blufis eRe Py Noy 27... 2.
| Cross lake, south end K. C. P & G.

|S20 To os 0 be gre Sa CR ae Arg
| Cross lake, center K.C. P. & G. R.R.
| cca loseatta fesPeth Oren hah 2) ene Seen ee eee eh
Cross lake, bed of outlet channel...
Do high water, 1892..

| Elmer's bayou, high water 1892.......
| Eric’s plantation, bench mark, No. 13.
Ferry lakevk C. (Péa.Goik. R. bridge.
DOm KK Creed GR Re bediog
NACE ie Oe are ciars tetany te on Patt aes
| Ferry lake Ksy Cig ecGe Rey Ron aig
| water 1892 Sido oS co Ap ona Do Sab aCe
| Gilmer landing, bench mark, No. 8....
Gold Point plantation, bench mark,
PALMS Ce GORE Bos ogi al Geb huts boot cnee «
Hackedy slough (Sec. 36) ae 22 Nun
RRA LES Wi) ieee users aie Mavs Serene aiseianen ae
| Henderson’s Mills, bench mark, No, 2.
| Herndon’s landing, bench mark, No. 17.
| Herndon plantation, per. ref. point,
Ne SINOs 3A tecercialecs Actseersccpetovad «Sten aie-o saeare
_Highest point on the K.C. P. & G.
R. R., between Shreveport and the
| tate line, center N, E34, 'S. 20,. 1.
ls Qs ANG URC GnG Westy < ets, nile clever, cist sare tye
Holmes; bayou, K. C: BP. ié°G..R. R..
Ih), SELON A Foret s Seer taieiey SiayarNe se hasikiee

Authority Elevation
U: S. E. 226.0
Ken Ca Pea Ga Reo. 201.
Ke CePA Sa, Gree aks 224.
Wie Sp 12. 1, M21:220
Wi Ss 12, 190.0
Key Cae SAG ReeRe a een
Key Cy Be QaGs RerRe 196.
KeiCy B.eaiG; RERe 201.
Ke Cease Ga Re Re 173-
Ke CaP Ra eaG ReaRe 226,
USS: 215.0
Barometer 335-
U.S. E. 173.8
Wie S51, 188 8
U. S. E. 185.4
Uso. E. 240.9
Ka CPA SAG Rees 181.
Ken Gy Bace.G. RegRe 180
Ke Crm Paca Geko 152
KCl PAsaGs Rag: 177s
Us Sa: 203.0
We Ss 132 183.7
KIC BacciGe Roe: 197.
es Coe te G.a Ree Rs 155.
Ke Ca PaceiG aa: 187.
U. S. E. 225.3
Wasik: 181.3
DOO. UN Riau: 174.
UsSs a: 251.5
Wis Sh JR, sty] ake7/
U.S. E. 177.9
Te On Sa GR: Ri, ||) 323°
Kee PrciGake Re || 20r:

*This elevation is only a rough approximation.
levels is 60 feet: where the survey crossed the road a little west of U. S. EK. B. M.,
No. 10, near Rocky Point, the elevation was 76 feet.

of 114 feet (190-76).

Hackedy’s slough in the company’s

This gives an approximate correction

206 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Locality Authority Elevation |
|
| 2s
Holmes bayou, bed of bayou.......... Ke; Bice (GUR SR: 186.
FOSS ae G5 ach goer arshaptetes wiolente rs mes | TES. 620N. RoR. 249.
Howard bayou, K. Pee Get eke oR

Prtdg@e. O. ..ca.e see nes ce Cae seta | Ke COR & Gres 192.
Howard bayou, bed of bayou.......... KG, ParSe Greenies 182.
Hurricane bluffs, base per. ref. point,

INO: 20) 2 uaek Gees ieee enone eo nae U.S. E 194.7
Hurricane bluffs, top per. ref point, No.

50. ee GE nt EVN AMR yPENa Lt Te a | Ui. 224.8
Irving's: blatk, base sees one tacit aia Woodruff survey 184.

Do top of hill south of ferry| Barometer 3,30.
Jeter landing, bench mark... ........ Wiese. 200.3
Kountz’s canal, high water, 1892...... LaUk roads: 210.5 |
Lake Home plantation, per. ref. point,

INO RUA IE UR On waicius an ua Ss oo cuesoerec WEISS 135 192.6

Tine creek, K. C.P. & G.R. R. bridge) K.C. P. & G. R.R. 202.
Do bed’ot creek hn isn es oe oe FKeAC IPexciG Rs) Re 177:
TLouisiana-Arkansas line.............. Ke, iC oPeiG Re Rr, 224.
McLaughlin’s branch, K. C. P. &G.

Regis evan vc Sakray Rpaarien ee aire ake. Ce PGE iGar ets 216.
McLaughlin’s branch, bed of branch..; K.C. P. & G. R. R. 192.
Missionary place, high Water, 1692...) Osiork. 25237
Missionary P. O......-....0.00 ew eaee RRo i. Ve 208.
Mooringsport, bench mark............ U.S. E. 186.2

Do K..C; P.& G. R.R.. station| Ke" CPiec iG Re R 196.

Do highest point in, on K.

@, PogeGoRER. track Ky Cv Ps -1Gs Rom 202.

Moy rtis Station es cri. ..< tia wus eraieye, > aleve argia as Ker sR Gane ake 209.
Pandora planta. bench mark, No. 15..| U.S. E. 184.2
Peru plantation, per. ref. Point, No. 28| U.S. E. 198.5
Poston’s bayou, high water, 1892 eee US: 208.5
IVOGESSAy eta eenaere wart ores ake eerste S| IK CAP EiGe GapReaR! 227
Rioswe lilies Wemrees cists seta tere net ait: Re Roe 200.
oS Pleo gs botaccMienoo Ne menabeAK oc R. RS. M: 193.

Do high water, 1892.5 .3)2.//-. U. S. E. 194.3
Shreveport, bench mark in Post-Office :

BY EL eves eeat le ee te Lacock iets Sandel suc erent U;is: os: 198.81
Shreveport, corner Murphey and Texas

BVO ores) wists otayene Sides aisre eae ree aioe Melesoue City engineer 261.0
Shreveport, high water, May 28, Bee? U.S. E. 175.7

Do low water, Nov. 20 1893. U.S... 142.6
Do low water, Dec. 1, 1894...} U.S. E. 145.4
Do south end of V. S. & P.

bridge. 44.255 vee eee City engineer 188.34

Do Texas street and K.C. P.|.
& G. R. R. crossing....| K. C. P. GalGrp Ree: 242.
Do top of corporation stone
mear Ko CC: Pié'G. RoR: :
SILO PSH ccisvessscseveues rake se 1. CP Oa Gerke. 247.

* See note under Hackedy's slough.
+ Obtained by comparison of data shown on Woodruff survey map with Red River sur-
vey charts. It therefore represents only an approximation.

III] SHREVEPORT AREA: ELEVATIONS 207

Locality Authority Elevation
Shreveport V. S. & P. R. R., and K.
CPR oa Ge Rev ReICLOSSIN Orr renee: Kei CaP SiGe Roa Rs 235.1
Shreveport water-work standpipe, base| City Engineer 266.9
Do ZELONO Se SAUSe. qo ae WKS 155 140.01
Shreveport Junction, 1) “Sc Py R. RR.) 2 & Py RR: 230.28
Inert chaeraa ait ke 2 ore, ands wey sales evs votes shageeys /
Slaughter’s bayou, K.1C.P. & G. Ri Kk. CoP. & G. ROR. 221:
RADHA Ges. We octane de silence acite te
Slaughter’s bayou, bed of bayou...... Ce eee Gro RR 199.
Soda Fount plantation, bench mark,| U.S. E. 183.6
INOM iva Sa aaQe ob aG fe Ome eto mea coerce
Southside plantation, bench mark,| U.S. E. 179.6
AN OREN G ea tee peterd eh cheapo alte receret armored
OER ea ay OA oes areley stots austere ey exis ancaepsbieee oie KyCGuP. & GuRaR. 205.
Miser whraneh WK Conk. cerGs Ro OR en, Po éiGoR. R. 190.
bride ei ciay fe jcjnstepesay tee caine guna ste:e
Tiger branch, bed of branch.......... KC. P&G. RR. 163.
Do Wight water. scy. outs & ese Ke iCo Pc Gu RRe 188.
Vance’s plantation, per. ref. point,| U.S. E. 180.3
INOS Bis oy sicsacettuels: ae telehcieud. acer dS oval ovate: © adore
AVA ATI ayes eo eee toch my areneP era eh Taner Ke CrP ae Gs Re R 249.
Wa CIaA SPA AO 2. Se nele syscsccue hy oie ose R.R.S. M 195.
Do high! water, 18922061.) -.- WS. Ey. 198.0
Willow Bend place, high water, 1892...| U.S. E. 186.6

208 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect,

U. S. E. BENCH MARKS AND PERMANENT REFERENCE POINTS SHOWN
ON Soir MAP OF UPPER RED RIVER VALLEY.

(The elevations here given are taken from the report of Capt. J. H. Willard
for 1893, An. Rept. Chief of Eng. for 1893, Appendix V. The eleva-
tions have been reduced to mean Gulf level and are the elevations of
the boss of the pipe cap over the bench mark. )

Feet
PUB Mv ING: & rs) -Adlbbany 4B oltnts ace cet eiciereteletorets a viaieters tere meres 226.0
Ge 2a MELetidersom SAVE Se ee ia ere areeeiaislen enone 251.5
SUT 2 VOOM SPOLLEE mec iets, eo see aaciajeye steyere spo aicietretotote ieee 186.2
C8 SA She tae Neu MN ALE aera hv re patna Sy nent aoe coc eer ce 200.3
B. M. “8 | Gilmer’s Landing, near Dr. Vance’s residence. | 225.3
| “© g | Between Cowhide and Horseshoe bayous...... 193.0
‘© ro | Uni Plantation near Irving’s bluff road...... 190.0
‘* yr | Corner place on west side of road running south| 185.4
‘* 2 | On back levee north end of Soda Fount Plan-
[E219 V0) beg Ree BA NOP oO OS we a 183.6
«0-53 ) |\ Jamiesnbricsplace).. ai os eu Caer emer eee ee 183.7
« “14 |S W> corner, Gold Point plantation. *....<.... 181.3
(150) Wwevee,eandoraplanitatione ss eh es ey aes 184.2
|‘ 16 | Back levee between South Side and Cuba plan-
| tALIONS) fii ote os ee we meer ee Sai 179.6
‘* 16a} Cuba plantation between Twelve Mile bayou
andthe miveria ten sere eternity. cc sien see 178.2
‘¢ 17 | Herndon’s landing....... = 3 c:0'0it'o COME Carre 177.7
P.R.P.| ‘‘ 21 | Blankton’s bluffs, 500 feet north of Louisiana—
Arkansas litle)... Ges coariek pam neittels cs coercion 2150
‘© 22 | West bank, 90 feet south of Bargetown slough.| 207.9
‘23 || Hastibauk; lead-off) Boom bendy a... +o. sane 206.6
‘* 24 | East bank. south side of Alban’s canal No. I
ASO Leet LO miter Veta ors pase eer 204.0
“* 25 | East bank, just below Poston’s bayou......... 200.8
‘© 26 | East bank, between Red river and Dutch
Jo ame STAKE Wr ioral havo siete tou ive terete vole ototoxic 200.4
“* 27..| “Lop or Coushatta® bint iii.) ete eee 240.9
““ 28 | Back levee between Peru plantation and Doo-
Ley, SobayOug Ms.chvs% cicVatan, oarstolale ete aieretneteeeeere 198.5
‘* 28a] Back levee, Lake Home plantation............ 192 6
“ | 29. 2blurticanebinits tppertend 772i. cnacme ees a eel 194.7
<s "30a. Lop sebarnicane) BiiiS* sa -p:2. 105 oat snore cole 224.8
‘* 31 | Vance’s plantation, near wind-mill............ 180.3
£22 1 Nort hsidesBenoitis Hay Ou. tas acura kin nie eee 184.7
< -33. | West bank, qust above Barr's ferry? $22 once se 175.6
Sa3d0|pilenndomsplanta toners sce see may eae 177.9
‘* 35 | Bossier City, yard of Mrs. D. C. Caine........ 172-8

B. M. ASN eS Unevepont spOSLOmiGesyard =a. eee eee 198.81

Fpl om Oh

Ca
Na ene
a ws

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

*e

F
he
5

‘?

THIS IS ABOUT ONE-HALF THE

PLATE 19

MENSIONS OF THE MODEL,

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

{

THIS IS ABOUT ONE-HALF THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MODEL

Special Report No. 3

THE FIVE ISLANDS
BY

ARTHUREC. VEATCH

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Page Page
The writer's visit to the Mapping of thetslands...... 213
POLO S Has stg tle ea iait ake. lsleets 21

HISTORY OF THE STUDY OF THE ISLANDS
PERIOD BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF ROCK SALT
SSCA OD) hy tte ewe oes DMI AUD VED ai, Loe Ba vst sith ateke 214
Thomassy’s first vistt......214

PERIOD SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF ROCK SALT

Thomassy's second visit. .... 2S. ONLCTOY. 5) sisliny syd corde estas 218
OCT nts ee NM A uanattscanier es Gocd DING VE DOULOMLE A eee tcuige te ements ik) Ste 218
GOCSSIMAH IE NRO oA wedi DiS) OOF WE see alo Peete eta ee 218
MALU TO ee sds tele eceiin eda 215 LerchandVaughan........ 218
VE OORELL, ss0tsa ius SEarea ts Cera ek AR ONT CLCWACHII kota Muebia sedi ak ae 219
TLOPRCIIS VS Be ois healed Pg RY Ta RE IRR CPS OY 219
DUE NED aia MS a hss coe a AU 217

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND GENERAL ‘TOPOGRAPHI-
CAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION
De OCUILOMe htt Wome ccf aise 2DAQ) SUTFOUNAILESCOUNUIY a as; 220
GENERAI, TOPOGRAPHY

Island-like character of the VOD CaM et Nh, BONS ANTE Be 220
ALES sos hope dines Sst aes 2201 PCURILOM chose hes <3, <1 A. e220

BELLE ISLE
LOCATION

Geographical surroundings .221

TOPOGRAPHY

SHAPE GNA ATCO... 2s -ms 221 Position of the hills 2... 5. << 221
HISTORY OF THE MINING OPERATIONS
D)ISCOUCHY Of SUE ches eta sei 222. Present) Wark: Con eo eee 222
GEOLOGY
surfaceiof geology. 2 )i:5.- 223 Amalyseso7 salt Fda <e see 226
DAE SONA PU OSS Stacia 223 Limestone t-SQl. 52.) ase 227
TUEOLTIS tee uno Eg eae 224 Section of hole No. 712..... 227
Seton At (RE SHOTE Ns 6 > 2.20) 225 Section of hole No. 1}...... 228
Galena from the shaft...... 225 CONCHSIONS ea fae ae 229
SLE Ae Scie Otros oti ances ares 226
ARCHEOLOGY
BEML EAD a cenipira it Hea pss 229

C6TE BLANCHE
LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY

UE OCAMOIN® an ie eR oc as 226 Toporraphy ois > sis Aaa 229
GeoLocy

Salt investigations.........+ 220.) The S€a-liffS@Clien . «new ene 230

SUV ALE PCOMIEY oo. fees 280

GRANDE COTE

LOCATION
Methods of communication Surrounding country ....... 23%
with the main land...... 231
TOPOGRAPHY
Centr Bitte. Flv ete 2325) THe TARES Were se ise ere 232
HISTORY OF MINING OPERATIONS
LLU WOLKE 0% bani Somer 223 Gler Wank dee ae eae 238
GEOLOGY ;
SUM ACC MUCOLO OLY.” ashe ienaree 234 OFS OF ThE IARES. es oe 234
TNC MOCLES. + phe o's se OE 234 CONCIUSIONS) = te ae ere 236
The shape and position of
ERE SAUD IMASS 5 Siok ciass 2 sta 234
ARCHEOLOGY

SHEU READ. AL iN oreo eo 237

ee ce ee ges ee ee ee

Seis

PETITE ANSE

LOCATION
Geographical bosition ...... 237
Surrounding country...... 237

TOPOGRAPHY
WHAPCIGHA AKER, phat st 238
RE WS Been 6a aa 2 usa eeeme 238 -

Communication with the
main land

The lakes

HISTORY OF MINING OPERATIONS

Early period: prior to 1862.239
War period: 1862-1863... .240

GEOLOGY
PSI LCE, EOI GN vies: ate onalt 5 § 243
ISELIN CRS EOE 244
Section at deep boring...... 244

Sandstone of [ron mine run 244
ANALYSES OF THE SALT
Yearly production of salt... .248
The lakes: a zoological
DV OUICRE Leen Rate 5 nae he eee 249
ARCHEOLOGY

Remains in salt mine valley .251

CéTE CAROLINE

Present period : 1867-1899.241

Section northeast of the mine 245

LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY

Geographical position ......254

Surrounding country ...... 254
GEOLOGY

SUVFACE COOP. Sore A lea: 255

PUI SECIIOT Cte ns ai re aye 255

WAU CX PLOTAMOMS 0.2 ss whee 255

Secon 6) Mole INOW Sieve: 256

ATTAKAPAS PRAIRIE
WELL SECTIONS

fiilgard’s supposition ...... 257
Jeanneretle well section ....

VCFLEGT ALE VEMGALNS ons Ss 245
NCW: SHOSL SECLION ee o's os 247
THE SOLE tee wisi aease Aa 247
WLU SIE TERES 3.8 aeons Cee 249
The cypress stump stratum. .250
GONCHUSTONS) Fa sine ot, Shoe Fak 250
OME FEINOINS ia tars tie sees 253
LOPOCF APIO Ih. ols MO tele sane 255
PHUCGIOAY ANG 2G Lise. 6 256
Shape of salt mass......... 256
GORGIUSTONS oiler eee a Shek 257
Glencoe well section........ 258
TROMGSSY’'S SCCLLON:. oS. oa ss 258

Aras AAD 7 a
eas Peete
mene ti Ayan o
; : . \ i} +7. ~
é wa +
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

THE ORIGIN OF THE ISLANDS Aes hes
The method and date of Comparison of the Louisiana
SOVINOUIOT.. 5s. seen Be 259 rock salt depositsto the gre

deposits of the world.....

.
*
ve)
F t4
uy —_
dean
ere iE SL
a eh V,
es Unt
a bias
Wht co mas
wa a
vi a
© 2. A Chey
ea ae
4 iat ;
=f Be be ide ‘ \ 2
* od aan A eae 7
is rw yo + + 2 ie
7 ot ee
ec 7

IIT] SpEcIAL ReporT No. 3: Five ISLANDS 213,

THE FIVE ISLANDS
INTRODUCTION

The writer's visit to the islands.—In view of the recent develop-
ments, the writer was directed during the spring of the present
year to leave work in northern Louisiana and make an examina-
tion of the Five Islands in Iberia and St. Mary parishes.

Mapping of the Islands.—The lack of accurate maps of the
islands was immediately noticed and he at once began making a
twenty-foot contour map of Petite Anseisland. During the work
on Grande Céte, in locating the different prospect holes and in
determining their elevation above tide, enough facts were collected
to make a sketch topographic map of that island. Belle Isle was
also mapped. It is regretted that there was no one on Cote Car-
line (or Jefferson island) who could give information regarding
the prospect holes there. It accordingly seemed advisable to post-
pone the mapping of this island, for its general features are
shown on the maps of the other islands, till such data could be
obtained.

HISTORY OF THE STUDY OF THE ISLANDS
PERIOD BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF ROCK SALT

Probably no portion of Louisiana has received more attention
from geologists than the central costal region and especially
Petite Anse island. The phenomena there shown are of sucha
character as to attract attention at once.

Stoddard.—Although Maj. Stoddard evidently did not visit any
of the islands, their existence was known to him. He speaks of

the elevated islands along the coast; ‘‘some of which’’ he
assures us, ‘‘contain sulphur and one has been known to be on
fire for at least three months.’’ ‘To stories of this nature is doubt-

”?

less to be traced the origin of the name “‘ Fire islands’’ applied
to this group.* He describes Belle Isle as about three miles in

Sketches of Louisiana by Maj. Stoddard, Phila., 1812, pp. 179-180, 184.
* Geology of Lower Louisiana, by E. W. Hilgard, Am. Jour. Sci,, 2d
Series, vol. 47, p. 86.

214 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

circumference, 240 feet high, and situated a few miles west of the
mouth of the ‘‘ Chafalia’’ river.

Darby.—During or about 1817 William Darby visited Petite
Anse. ‘This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first visit of a
man of scientific attainments to any of the ‘islands. He was a
man of keen insight and may justly be regarded as the first to
make geological observations of importancein Louisiana. Darby
noticed the marked difference between the flora of the island and
that of the surrounding marshes and prairie. The flora he
regarded as the same as that on the Opelousas hills and the hills
further north. He pointed out the likeness of the salt spring, dis-
covered several years before his visit, to the salt springs of
Louisiana north of Red river.* This point was not again
noticed until Hilgard’s third Louisiana article.| He attributes
the islands to a source other than the ‘‘ revolution affected by
alluvion.’’ }

Thomassy’s first visit.—Thomassy’s first visit to Petite Anse
was made in 1857.§ Between that time and 1859 he visited all
the islands but Belle Isle. He speaks of the salt springs on Petite
Anse and traces their origin to masses of rock salt ‘‘ scattered
through the strata.’’ He regards the Five islands and the hills
along the Bayou Teche, Bceuf and beyond the Red river as the
products of sort of mud, water and gas volcanoes ; in a word they
are gigantic mud-lumps. They are not of the same age, Cote
Blanche being the oldest and the Céte Gelee, Opelousas and
Avoylles hills the most recent. They have probably been form-
ing since the middle of the Quaternary.||

* The Emigrant’s Guide to the Western and Southern States of Louisiana,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, ete. With map. By Wm.Darby ;
New York, 1818, p. 86.

+ Summary of Results of a Late Geological Reconnaissance of Louisiana,
by E. W. Hilgard. Am. Jour. Sci., 2d Ser., vol. 48, p. 342, 1869.

+ A Geographical Description of Louisiana by William Darby, 1816, p.48.

2 Supplement a la Géologie Pratique de la Louisiana. Tle Petite Anse.
Geol. Soc. France, Bull., 2d Series, vol. 20, 1863, p. 542.

| Géologie Pratique de la Louisiana par R. Thomassy. New Orleans,
1860, Chapter VIII, pp. 72-86.

111] SPECIAL REPORT No. 3: Five ISLANDS 215

PERIOD SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF ROCK SALT

Thomassy’s second visit.—Shortly after the discovery of rock
salt (1862) on Petite Anse he again visited the island, and made
a more thorough examination of it. On this visit he found
besides the original ‘‘crater of elevation,’’ which he mentions
in his earlier report, three others. His report * on this visit
entitles him to the credit of having been the first to bring the
discovery of rock salt before the scientific world and of having
prepared the first and most accurate sketch map of the topog-
raphy of the island.

Owen.—The next scientific observer, and the one to whom
the credit of having been the first to make a scientific investiga-
tion of the island is generally given,+ Dr. Richard Owen, visited
the island in November, 1865. After a hasty examination he
showed that the island is not of volcanic origin; but consists
entirely of sedimentary material.t The island he considers a
dune-like formation made by the combined action of the wind
and waves.

Goessmann.—Under the auspices of the American Bureau of
Mines, in November, 1866, Dr. Chas. Goessmann, in company
with Mr. C. E. Buck, made a careful economic examination of
the island and prepared a sketch hacheur map. Goessmann
supposes that the rock salt deposit was formed from salt springs
rather than sea water, and is of Tertiary origin.§

Fiilgard.—The following year Prof. Eugene W. Hilgard,
under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, visited the

*Supplement 4 la Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane. Ile Petite Anse:
par M. R. Thomassy. Carte. Soc. Géol. de France, Bull., 2d serie, tome
20, pp. 542-544, 1863.

+ On the Geology of Lower Louisiana and the Rock Salt Deposit of Petite
Anse (abs.). Am. Jour, Sci., 2d series, vol. 47, p. 77, 1869, by E. W. Hil-
gard.

Ibid.—Smithsonian Contr., vol, 23, separate No. 248, p. 1, 1872.

¢ On the Rock Salt at New Iberia, Louisiana by Prof. Richard Owen,
Trans. Acad. Sci., St. Louis, vol. 2, pp. 250-252, 1868.

Ibid.—Am. Jour. Sci., 2d series, vol. 42, pp. 120-123, 1868.

§ On the Rock Salt Deposit of the Petite Anse, Louisiana, Salt Company.
Report of American Bureau of Mines by Chas. Goessmann, New York, 1867,

216 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

three central islands. The results of his investigations are
embodied in a number of articles.*

Before his reconnaissance of western and northwestern Louisi-
ana in May and June, 1869, he considered the rock salt as having
been formed by evaporation in a lagoon or series of lagoons and
as resting in a bed of marine clay similar to that found at New
Orleans and Bayou Sale (since correlated with the Port Hudson)
and of similar early Quaternary age, anterior to the Orange
Sand. During the Orange Sand and Port Hudson deposition
the western part of the Mississippi valley was filled to a height
equal to if not exceeding that of the highest hills of the
islands and in the subsequent erosion of the valley by the Mis-
sissippi river these islands were formed by the accidents of
differential erosion.

In November, 1869, Hilgard first advanced the theory of the
‘*back-bone’’ of Louisiana. This theory he re-affirms in his

* Preliminary Report of a Geological Reconnaissance of Louisiana
New Orleans, 1869.
— De Bow’s Review, vol. 37-38, pp. 754-768.
Geology of Lower Louisiana and the Rock Salt Deposits of Petite
— Anse. Am. Jour. Sci., 2d series, vol. 47, pp. 77-88, 1869.
—— Am. Assn, Adv. Sci., Proc., vol. 17, pp. 327-340, 1869.
—— Abstract, Neues Jahrbuch, 1873, pp. 553-554, 1874.
On the Geological History of the Gulf of Mexico.
—— Am. Jour. Sci., 3d series, vol. 2, p. 393, 1871.
—— Am. Assn. Adv. Sci., Proc., vol. 20, 1871.
—— La. State Univ., Report of Supt. for 1871, pp. 207-222, New Orleans,
1872.
— Am. Nat., vol. 5, pp. 514-518, 1871.
(Remarks on the Age of the Rock Salt of Petite Anse.)
Am. Nat., vol. 5, pp. 523-524, 1871.
On the Geology of Lower Louisiana and the Rock Salt Deposits of Petite
Anse Island.
Smith. Contr., vol. 23, separate No. 248, Washington, 1872.
The Salines of Louisiana.
Mineral Resources of the U. S. for 1882, pp. 558-565, Wash., 1883.
Physico-geographical and agricultural features of the State of Louisiana.
Tenth Census U.S., vol. 5, p. 112.
+ On the Geology of Lower Louisiana and the Rock Salt of Petite Anse
by Eugene W. Hilgard, Am. Jour. Sci., 2d series, vol. 47, p. 84, 1869.
¢ Ibid, p. 88.

. = - — ’ 7
J ! v
: : ’ PS i os } h _ fi
. 7 - rine ; i
i , ; has a ein ts
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: i 3 7 a : 5 y
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a « * : i : Aa Se _ ‘5 - Tee, ah
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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 20

ia : 7 if

JOHN MARSH AVERY, DISCOVERER OF ROCK SALT

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 TEASE OTT

Topographic Map of Belle Isle

By A. C. VEATCH

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 3: FIVE ISLANDS 217,

later articles. According to this, the Five Islands are but the
erosion-formed outliers of a Cretaceous ridge or backbone which
traverses Louisiana from its northwest corner in the direction of
Vermillion bay ; the salt being of Cretaceous rather than early
Quaternary age. He thinks that at the beginning of Tertiary
time the existence of the axis of elevation was marked merely
by a number of disconnected islands.* In later geological times
the five outcrops were buried under deposits of Orange Sand and
Port Hudson material, as indeed was the whole Mississippi
valley, and in the re-excavation of the valley by the Mississippi
the material covering the Cretaceous nuclei was not eroded so
much as that of the surrounding country, thus forming the
islands. +

Closely following Hilgard came Lockett of the Louisiana State
University.

Lockett.—Col. Lockett visited the islands in 1870. Hecon-
sidered them as merely a prolongation of the Céte Gelée, Car-
encro, Grande Coteau and Opelousas hills; the whole at one
time forming a great natural levee along the shore of a vast
estuary occupying the present Mississippi valley. During a
great flood a series of mighty crevasses were made in this levee,
thus forming the islands.f

flopkins.—So far as we are aware Hopkins did not visit the
Five Islands, certainly not during the time spent in collecting
material for his first three reports. His idea of the structure
and relations of the islands to the surrounding terranes is shown
in his cross-section of the State republished in the general dis-
cussion of the Cretaceous (p. 33).

Rapley.—-In 1884, in the preparation of an article on the
‘*Soils and Products of Southwestern Louisiana’’ for the U. S.
Department of Agriculture Mr. E. E. Rapley visited Petite Anse

* Geological History of the Gulf of Mexico by E. W. Hilgard, Am. Jour.
Sci., 3d Series, vol. 2, pp. 393, 871.

+ Ibid, p. 404.

{Second Annual Report of the Topographical Survey of Louisiana, by
Samuel H. Lockett. Louisiana State University, Report of Supt. for 1870,
pp. 16-26, New Orleans, 1871.

218 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

and Céte Blanche. He gives a short account of the mining
methods on Petite Anse.*

Pomeroy.—Pomeroy’s report on the islands is confined to a
discussion of the methods of mining salt on Petite Anse.t

Bolton.—Early in 1888 Dr. H. Carrington Bolton read a paper
before the New York Academy of Science on the ‘‘Great Salt
Deposits of Petite Anse.’’ He mentions the occurrence of lignite
and sandstone north of the shaft in Iron Mine run and concludes
from the direction (S. E.) of the dip that it must pass beneath
the salt. The black bands in the salt, he states, contain about
seven per cent. of insoluble matter chiefly gypsum and form well
marked folds, from which he concludes that at some time the
salt has been submitted to lateral pressure.{

Joor.—The discovery of numerous vertebrate remains on Petite
Anse in an attempt to sink a shaft in 1890 was the occasion of a
visit to the island by Dr. Joseph F. Joor of New Orleans.§

Lerch and Vaughan.—Although neither Lerch nor Vaughan
visited the Five Islands their diametrically opposite views on the
origin of the various Cretaceous outcrops in the State, based on
observations in northern Louisiana early in the present decade,
are of interest here. Lerch holds || that they represent the peaks

* Bull. U. S. Dept. Agr. The Soils and Products of Southwestern Louis-
iana, including the parishes of Saint Landry, LaFayette, Vermillion, Saint
Martin’s, Iberia and Saint Mary’s (by E. E. Rapley) Washington, Govern-
ment Printing Office, 1884, pp. 36-40.

+ The Petite Anse Salt Mine, by Richard A. Pomeroy, Eng. and Mining
Journal, vol. 46, pp. 280-281, 1888.

Sci. Amer. Suppl., vol. 26, pp. 10719-10720, No. 671, 1888.

Am. Inst. Mining Eng., Trans., vol. 17, pp. 107-113, 1889.

+The Great Salt Deposits of Petite Anse by H. Carrington Bolton, New
York Acad. Sci., Trans., vol. 7, pp. 122-127, 1888. The Great Salt Deposits
of Petite Anse, Louisiana, by H Carrington Bolton.

New York Acad. Sci. Trans., vol. 7, pp.:122-127, 1888.

Sci. Am., Supp. vol. 26, pp. 10475-10476, No. 656, 1888.

Am. Nat. vol. 20, p. 1074, 1886.

§ Notes on a Collection of Archeological and Geological Specimens
Collected in a Trip to Avery’s Island (Petite Anse), Feb. Ist, 1890, by
Joseph F. Joor, M. D., Am. Nat., vol. 29, pp. 394-398, 1895.

| A Preliminary Report of the Hills of Louisiana South of the V. S. & P.
R. R. to Alexandria, La., by Otto Lerch. Bull. State Expt. Station, La.,
Part II, p. 72, Baton Rouge, 1892.

lil] SPECIAL REPORT No. 3: FIVE ISLANDS 219

of the great mountain chain made of fractured, faulted and folded
strata; while Vaughan thinks that they owe their origin entirely
to erosion in pre-Kocene time.*

Clendenin.—W. W. Clendenin, formerly geologist to the State
Experiment Station, visited all the islands during 1895. He
concludes that the foundation of these islands is Cretaceous and
that the Cretaceous ridge, of which the islands are remnants,
owes its origin to differential elevation in pre-Lafayette time;
which differential elevation was continued in the later part of the
Lafayette; but that the present aspect of the islands is due to the
interruption of this ridge by erosion, which began immediately
after the initial elevation and was most active during the early
part of the Columbia period. t

Lucas.—The latest published observation on the islands are by
Capt. A. F. Lucas, at one time superintendent and manager of
the Avery Mine and in charge of most of the borings on Céte
Carline, Cote Blanche and Belle Isle. He gives abstracts of the
Cote Carline Island borings { and records the discovery of salt on
Grande Céte and Belle Island.§ He states that the salt is of
Tertiary age but gives no reasons for believing it such.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND GENERAL ‘TOPOGRAPHICAL
FEATURES OF THE ISLANDS

GEOGRAPHICAL, POSITION

Location.—Reference to the geological map of the State will
show five elevations along a line bearing S. 49° E. and running
from Lake Peigneur, half way between New Iberia and Abbeville,
to the mouth of the Atchafalya river. Only one, the second,

*A Brief Contribution to the Geology and Paleontology of Northwestern
Louisiana by T. Wayland Vaughan, U. S. Geol. Survey, Bull. No. 142, p.
15, 1896.

+A Preliminary Report on the Florida Parishes of Kast Louisiana and the
Bluff, Prairie and Hill Lands of Southwest Louisiana by W. W. Clendenin,
La., State Expt. Station Bull. Geology and Agriculture Part III, pp.
239-240, 1896.

{The Avery Salt Mine and the Joseph Jefferson Salt Deposit, Louisiana ,
by A. F. Lucas, Eng. and Mining Jour., vol. 62, pp. 463-464, 1896.

$ Louisiana Salt Resources by A. F. Lucas. Am. Manuf., vol. 63, pp.
910-911, 1898.

220 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

is on the sea-coast. The others range from an eighth of a mile,
in the case of the central elevation, to at least eight miles in the
case of the one at the extreme northwest end of the series. All
face on one side at least, the waters of a bayou or lake.

Surrounding country.—The lower four are entirely surrounded
by a great sea marsh, much of which during extremely high
tides, occasioned by strong south winds, is covered with water.
The upper one rises abruptly from a very level prairie. In
order, from the most southeastern, they are Belle Isle, Céte
Blanche, Grand Céte, Petite Anse and Céte Carline.

GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY

Tsland-like character of the hills.—It will be readily seen that
in the ordinary sense these are not islands, but there is very lit-
tle difficulty in seeing why the lower four were called such.
The isolated, island-like character of these groups of hills ; their
separation from the main land by impassible sea marsh and
cypress swamp; the fact that they offer to man a place for
houses and fields and the surrounding land does not; all tend to
make the resemblance of these isolated clusters of hills to
ordinary islands very marked indeed. The term would then
naturally attach itself to the analogous group of hills, Céte Car-
line, rising abruptly out of the prairie.

Area.—The largest island, Grande Cote, is an irregular circle
a trifle over two miles in diameter ; the longest, Petite Anse, has
an extreme length of about two and three-eighths miles. The
former has an area of a little less than 2,o00 acres ; Céte Carline,
the smallest, has only about 300 acres.*

Elevation.—While an elevation of 75 feet, the elevation of the
highest hill on Céte Carline, or even twice as much, the eleva-
tion of Prospect hill Petite Anse, in some regions would be a very
insignificant feature indeed, hills of this size rising abruptly out
of the perfectly flat sea marsh attract attention at once.t

* Lucas. Am. Manuf., vol. 63, p. 910. 1898.

+ Both the areas and the altitudes have been the subjects of a great variety
of statements, by different authors. Many are merely estimates. Some, in
the case of land areas, are based upon deeds which describe land situated
not only on the island but in the surrounding marshes. Thus the area of

IIT] THE Five ISLANDS: BELLE ISLE 221

BELLE ISLE
LOCATION

Geographical surroundings.—Near the mouth of Myrtle bayou,
one of the distributaries of the Atchafalya and about eight miles
from the mouth of that river, surrounded by a network of bayous
and impassible sea marsh is Belle Isle.

Myrtle bayou is a quarter of a mile from the islands but two
little deep bayous pass along the island, one on the eastern and
one on the western side. On the south is a small shallow lake,
Belle Isle lake, about half a mile long and a quarter as broad,
with a tiny little marshy island near the northern end; anda
mile over the marshes is the shore of Atchafalaya bay, an arm
of the Gulf. (See plate 21.)

TOPOGRAPHY

Shape and area.—The general shape and immediate surround-
ings of Belle Isle are shown on the topographical map of the
island (Pl. 21). The island, that is, the portion above the sea
marsh, has an area of 360 acres, barely half of which is now in
cultivation.

Position of the hills —The island is a rudely triangular area
with a single range of hills along its north-west side. This
range shows four peaks. The highest, ‘‘ Lookout hill,’’ on the

Céte Carline is given in one place as 300 acres and in another 9,000 acres.
Most of the elevations are based on barometric readings, though some
are merely guesses. Belle Isle is given as more than 200 feet high by Maj.
Stoddard (Sketches of Louisiana, Phila. 1812, p. 179); 85 feet by Hilgard
(Mineral Resources of the U. S. for 1882, p. 558); and 125 by Clendenin
(Bull. La. State Expt. Stations, 1896. On the Florida Parishes, etc., p.240).
It is regretted that on account of lack of time and instruments it was impos-
sible to do exact leveling this year, but it is believed that the results
obtained in altitudes are accurate to within five feet. Leveling was done
with a Locke’s hand level, all levels being run at least twice from different
points on the nearest bayou, and repeated if the results showed a discrepancy
greater than five feet. Locations were made with a 3% inch, open sight,
Keuffel & Esser compass. While great precision is impossible with these
instruments, it is believed that the results will advance our knowledge at
least one step toward a satisfactory degree of refinement.

222 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

westernmost point of the island is 80 feet high. It derives its
name from the U. S. Coast and Geodetic triangulation platform
on its summit. The second, ‘‘Green Tree hill,’’ is merely a
spur of Lookout hill. Near the giant live oak on one side of
its summit is a bit of crumbling masonry which is pointed out
as the ruins of the chimney of the house of Lafitte, the pirate.
Around it many holes have been dug ina fruitless search for
hidden treasure. ‘‘ Bald hill,’’ 67 feet high, and the Shaft hill,
51 feet high near the northeastern point of the island complete
the range. The rest of the island is a gently sloping, slightly
elevated ridge which extends south-east from the hills. Willow
pond, almost in the center of the island is a shallow, wooded,
fresh water pond.

HISTORY OF MINING OPERATIONS

Discovery of salt.—The accidental discovery of rock salt in an
artesian boring on Céte Carline, and the ever increasing difficulty
of mining salt on Petite Anse, due to water in the mine, caused
systematic explorations for salt to be begun on the other islands.

In November, 1896, Capt. A. F. Lucas undertook, at his own
expense, to find salt on Belle Isle. In December he discovered
salt in hole No. 1 at a depth of 373 feet.* In 1897 and 1898 the
Gulf company bored additional holes and in August started a
shaft on the site of hole No. 11 where the salt was found within
103 feet of the surface.

Present work.—With the beginning of work on the shaft the
Gulf company put up a large saw-mill plant and has with it cut
all the timber for its buildings. To the saw mill has been added
a small machine-shop and a barrel-factory. To facilitate trans-
portation a short canal has been dug from Myrtle bayou along
the eastern side of the island. At the time of the writer’s visit,
it had reached the southern end of the shaft building and it was
proposed to extend it past the saw-mill to the site of the evapo-
rating plant and storehouse.

Wax and Doctor’s bayous give deep water communication with
the Atchafalya and the Atchafalya afford a fair depth of water
both to the Mississippi and to the Gulf.

* Letter from Capt. A. F. Lucas,

Ur] THE Five IsLANDS: BELLE ISLE 229

It is proposed besides mining the rock salt to make a fine
grade of table salt by artificial evaporation and to that enda
large plant is to be erected south of the saw-mill.

The company has purchased a tug and two steamboats and
with the construction of the floating elevators it proposes to
build, will soon become a very active factor in the salt market

GEOLOGY

Surface geology.—With the exception of a little area on the
eastern side of Shaft hill the whole island is covered with grayish
yellow to yellowish brown clay. The clay is particularly well
developed on the western part of the island. Southeast of Willow
pond quite a number of springs ooze out of the ground. This
patch of ground though well elevated above the sea marsh is
covered with salt grasses. A spring which was situated south
of the Shaft house, where the saw-mill now stands was regarded
with high faver by the inhabitants on account of a medicinal oil
which it produced.

On the eastern slope of Shaft hill are small outcrops of a gray,
iron stained, rather soft, broken, barytic limestone, which occa-
sionally shows galena and chalcopyrite. This is doubtless the
crumbled or shattered limestone which Thomassy mentions* and
which Hilgard correlated with the Céte Blanche concretions. t
It is evidently quite different from the concretions. This lime-
stone is well exposed in a number of pits dug several years ago
by the U. S. Engineers in an attempt to find stone suitable for
jetty work. Near by, sand and gravel come to the surface. The
gravel has been dug for concrete work around the works.

The sand pit fossils —About 150 yards from this outcrop a sand
pit shows a very interesting section, with fossils. The material
dips about 23°, north 15° west.

* Géologie Pratique, p. So.
+Am. Jour. Sci., 2d Series, vol. 47, p. 85, 1869; Smith. Contr., vol, 23,
separate No. 248, p. 20, 1892.

224 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Sand Pit Section.

(Elevation of top of section 22 feet A. T.)

Feet Jn

Surface soil. Dark humus stained clay......... fe) 6

2. Mottled gray to yellowish brown clay .......... 2 6
3. Mottled gray and brown clay grading below into

finely laminated oray, Clayei: co. 4: seceae eae 4-7 oO

4; ) Massive darkrorayaclayy, casts esses cee rae ees I oO

5: Black clayeavith icon paysite. cars Sate eee I-3 fo)

6: Black shellitconglometatess :. atseteon, ee fe) 8
7. Irregular bedded brown to white sand with clay

pocketsiatid«traces ef Sulphur is. .foe eee es 2-5 fe)

The fossils in layer 6 are very poorly preserved but so far as
they can be identified indicate a cold water fauna different from
the warm water fauna of the Pliocene. All species seem to be
represented on the Gulf coast to-day and we are inclined to
regard it as Pleistocene although it approaches some phases of
the Chesapeake Miocene rather closely. The following is a list -
of species:

Ostrea virginica, Corbula sp.
Lithopaga, cf. caudigera, Mactra sp.

Scapharca transversa, Lucina sp.

Gnathodon cuneatus, Venus cancellata,
Dosinia sp. Semele truncata,
Cardium muricatum, Fulgur canaliculatum.

The wells.—A fairly complete idea of the substructure of the
island may be gained from the records of the thirteen holes
drilled on the island. Hight of these are given on the adjoining
(Plate 22).* In hole number ro gas was struck at a depth of

* All the facts we possess regarding the other five holes are as follows :
2. Quicksand 400 feet.
Salt at a depth of 276 feet.
200 feet deep. No salt.
Sand 175 feet. No salt.
o-248. No record 248 feet.
248-500. Salt 252 feet.
500-748. Salt crystals 248 feet.
The records of all the sections shown on Plate 22 and also hole No. 9 were
obtained from Mr. C. B. Weiser of the Gulf company. The others are from
Capt. A. F. Lucas, who supterintended the drilling.

© OM Ys

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA,

al
|

oo

20
10

70
20

5O

400

150

250

a

350

goo

450

500

4 6 7 10

REPORT, [599

PLATE 22

Shaft 2 13

Pinos
al
xx
bo
sae
Kees Sand
\*x+x
ae
es.
cae
+s [eee Sand and gravel
peeve 8] Gy 1
pests} St TeV

Gravel and clay

Clay

Blue clay

Belle [sle Well Sections

Black shaly clay

.Barite, sphalerite, galena

and limestone bowlders

Baritic limestone

‘Salt

Salt and clay ,

Salt and black shaly clay,

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 2

w

GALENA CRYSTALLINE SALT
(Belle Isle) (Petite Anse)
SPHALERITE
(Belle Isle)
ROCK SALT IMPURE ROCK SALT

(Belle Isle) (Belle Isle)

iT] THE FIvE ISLANDS: BELLE ISLE 225

120 feet in sufficient quantities to throw sand all over the derrick.
It is now bubbling out the hole where it can be easily collected
and ignited. A small amount of gas and oil was struck in hole
number four. The last three are probably of greater interest
than the others.

Section at the shaft.—The shaft was sunk on the site of hole 11
so we can feel quite sure of the material there.

Shaft
(Elevation above tide 7 feet)
No. Depths Feet + In.
TOs CA! Clay tics veers ree Corea perc aes then ates 4 fo)
Be BASaT Ss Ebates Sevtnllance ee cetaceans acca 9 fo)
By ig—. 30 Bhat clayton aati h pions stoke a palale 17 )
4. 30- 40 Bluerclaysamdssandens Gor 2h sicvatercielons 10 fe)
5... 40— 63 Mardiclay and pravel es cele -p.irere iets 23 fe)
6. 63- 68 Blue clay with crystalline masses, from

the size of marble to a man’s head, of
baryte, galena, sphalerite, pyrite and

Chal COPyAsle yc. rare ede yous eestons a eaters 5 fe)
7. 68-95 Blue clayvand “shellg veri wettest. 27 fo)
8. .95- 96% Rock. Impure black limestone and

Daryten ete cee yee. artes steers et nee I 6
9. 96%4-103 Blue clay with masses of baryte near

BIDE DASE cotta Varn tees sia ah ettemecees 6 6
10. 103-116 Dark colored clay with large salt

RY EQS atte este onc nydeo, aa rai ce arehorater ane 14 fe)
II. I16—117 Dark -colored clay with ole... 20%... I fe)
I2. 117-142 Salt*withidark colored ‘clays. 3265.27: 25 fe)
13. 142-162 Wiscolored salt. Aho. Phe oe sare oe 35 fe)
14. 162-163 WWilnite” tumesboiels ars aye ieee oss fo) 8
(55 163-1750) Dirty salt becoming white:...06. 0.3: 12 o

Galena from shaft.—The occurrence of galena and associated
minerals here is even more surprising than the occurrence of rock
salt. It adds another locality to the lead deposits of the Missis-
sippi valley. The crystals are all sharp and show no signs of

*This was the depth of the shaft at the time of the writer’s departure,
May 19, 1899. fo)

226 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

erosion. (See Plate 23.) Numerous pieces were scattered over
the dump at the time of the writer’s visit.

Dr. A. C. Gill, of Cornell University, who has very kindly
examined and identified the specimens collected, states that the
galena shows uo silver, which is common in vein deposits, and
that it therefore seems more probable that this represents a
deposition from sea water by chemical action. The manner of
occurrence, scattered through a bed of blue clay, strongly
emphasizes this conclusion.

Numerous finds of galena are reported from different parts of
the State especially in the northern parishes. These when
looked into, have always shown that the lead was not 27 sztu but
had, without a reasonable doubt, been carried there by the
Indians. Such an explanation will not apply to this deposit.

Salt.—The salt. occurs in several forms; large transparent
crystals one to eight or more inches long, either in masses, where
interference has prevented the formation of perfect crystals or
scattered through dark colored clay, as in the upper part of the
salt mass; smaller crystals in masses having the appearance of
rather coarse crushed ice or inclosing pieces of dark colored clay
which gives the salt a dirty earth-like appearance. Occasionally
the large salt crystals show crystals of gypsum.

Unlike any of the other islands the salt when first struck on
Belle Isle is very impure; its purity seeming to increase with
the depth. The black material which is abundant enough in the
upper part of the salt to color the whole mass and which shows
some traces of oil, brings to mind the thin black bands in the
Petite Anse salt. The resemblance is further heightened by the
fact that the black salt on Petite Anse shows about seven per
cent. of insoluble matter, part of which is gypsum* and the
Belle Isle black salt shows about the same amount of insoluble
matter, part of which, although a much smaller part, is gypsum.

Analyses of salt.--Two samples of salt from Belle Isle have
been analyzed under direction of Mr. R. E. Blouin of the Experi-
ment Stations. ‘To these records we have added for the purpose
of comparison three analyses of salt produced by evaporation of
sea water.

*Notes on the Great Salt Deposit of Petite Anse, Louisiana (Abstract) by
Dr. H.C. Bolton. New York Acad. Sci. Trans., vol. 6, p. 125, 1888.

IIT] THE FIVE ISLANDS: BELLE ISLE 229

Analyses of Salt,

Calcium carbonate.........

|
Turk’s | Martha’s
Black salt Setubalor) Island, | Vineyard,
, Belle Isle Whitesalt) St. Ubes, West Mass.
} . Layer 12 |Belle Isle) Portugal | Indies (Goess- |
(120 ft.) (175 ft.) | (Henry). | (Cook). | mann). |
| |
| Sodium chloride........... | 92.750 | 96.405 | 96.00 | 96.76 | 94.71
Picalcinm sulphate, Yr... .: FO51 ip. 25357 | ted 5O 1A? 5
Magnesium chloride........ .O74 .30 14 .24
Magnesium sulphate........ — 45 64 19
Magnesium carbonate. .... =a See —_ | —
Sodium carbonate. ......... ra — — oo

201
067
Sodimmiysulphates.-. Saocc1.- .837 |
1.804
500

Calermn chlorides —. aoe. | 226 =
Ferric and Aluminic Oxides |

(Fe, O, and Al, O,) .025 — —_-- ——
NWSI Sets eter pein meh ne Cae ==) == SOO; ee e324.
Insoluble matter......... 3-325 .059| .go | —— | ——

These analyses show a marked difference between the black
and white salt of Belle Isle and a close similarity between the
white salt and salt obtained from sea water by evaporation.

Limestone in salt-—The white chalk-like limestone, eight inches
thick struck 74 feet below the top of the salt shows no traces of
organic remains. It is composed of extremely small globular
grains, like an oolite, only the grains are much smaller. The
presence of a limestone of this type in the midst of a salt deposit
possibly indicates a continental movement of considerable mag-
nitude during the deposition of the salt. .

Section of hole No. 12. . About 150 yards northwest of the shaft
and near the old U. S. Engineers pits in hole 12. It is ten feet
higher than the shaft.

Flole No, 12.

No Depths Feet
in o— 1 f2) Clay*tand- sandy barytice) limestone. 64... 454..). 12
Pe eas PETE Cla vere Wena rs oot 3 siays, sts scale beNairacah a) wy ¥cahene/-s terest ave 9
3. 2I— 53 Blue clay with indurate dark colored clay..... 32
Ase i I. BO MOA IS MCOLOLE CCA siacaies tiie wc oa hectase ls Shayla moe 56 eo 27
5. 80-103 Dark colored clay with hard bands........... ae
Gi DhOA 12 Oa bic COlOREUEIA YI TI. unar. S teens wate we ark os 21
7. 130-131 Hard bowlder (probably similar to 6 of the shaft

SCHON hy are Metter eh eke ota cs fase ay a ee I
Dick RT ce tend Datel -<eteo) hoy p¢=(0 (Be) 2 a ge a 7
wists 213 onltowith dark colored’clay.... 6... ........08 75

228 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Section of hole No. 13?.—¥Fossils were found in two layers of hole
No. 13 which was sunk a short distance north of Willow pond.

Section of Hole No. 13.

No. Depths Feet
Ts O=TOO Clay os ermal es ieoraste Oe le ys Verret te a cee 100
227 TOO=LZO Sand Gas deee Spas eet eee oka eee ieee 30
3. 230=135Clay and shells. «00.02. Fits eels eee 5
Ae se LZ 5S UG Gated sh cfoyess erasletae a's kegs cee tanar ote aa ee fe)
5. 145-150 Hard clay and shells............-.+..++.204: 5
0.1 FSORZOO Game. nis! etet ah isi wae e le eles yma steele spree aera 50
7. <- 200-216. Very hardveravel (- <2). 2. 0. sire =e 2c eps ee eas 16
§..-216=260 Hard-sand andigraveliis cc. Sout nes uence 54
re

[B=] Limestone -
400 7

| Salt ~~
bs

7,
¢
7

600 | Feet 200 400
Fic, 6— Section cross Belle Isle, along line A-B, pl. 20.

Conclusions.—A\l\ the data collected, while throwing little or no
light on the age of the salt deposit and further complicating the
questions involved by the introduction of a deposit of galena,
baryte and sphalerite have afforded rather satisfactory evidence
on the manner of the formation of Belle Isle. A map showing
the contour of the salt, constructed on data furnished by the
drill holes, shows an oblong dome-shaped mass, longest along its
northeast and southwest axis, having just the same trend as the
hills ; but differing from the hills in the fact that the dome of
the salt is situated on the northeast of theisland. (See plate 24.)

The shaft shows clearly that this dome shape is due to uplift
and not erosion. When the salt was first struck in the shaft it

§00

‘\
00 yooo = £200 1400 7600 1800 2000 2200 \. 2400

It] THE Five IsLanps: COTE BLANCHE 229

was in the form of a distinct anticline and although the shaft has -
not followed the dome of the anticline exactly, it being now on
one side of the shaft and now on the other, its presence was
always clearly indicated. A cross-section of the island from
A-B, Plate 21, made by connecting the data furnished by the
shaft, the different wells along the line of the section, and the
surface outcrops show a very distinct anticline, or better,
elongated dome (Fig. 6). It is interesting to note the similarity
of the dip of the shell layer and that of the salt. This would
seem to fix the time of uplift. The shells are all species now
living in the Gulf. They may be regarded as representing the
marine facies of the Port Hudson of Hilgard. This would
indicate that in very recent time the Gulfcoast has been the
scene of crustal movements.

ARCHEOLOGY

’ Shell heap.—Excavations for a canal near the shaft on the
northeastern corner of the island, have revealed just in the edge
of the present sea-marsh and covered by from one to three feet
of its deposits a kitchen-midden or kitchen refuse heap composed
of shells of Gnathodon cuneatus, Ostrea virginica, an occasional
representative of the Unzontde and vertebrate remains. As
exposed along the side of the canal the heap is 150 to 200 feet
long and three feet thick. A human skeleton was taken out
near the northern end.

The most interesting feature of the shell heap are the numer-
ous little baked clay objects found scattered through it. Frag-
ments of pottery are relatively scarce. These little objects
average about two inches in diameter. A common form has the
shape of two cones placed base to base. This pattern is varied
by making four indentations around its equator. Others are
irregular spheres with four elongated indentations about them
medially. The way they fit in the hand and their shape would
suggest that they were used in playing some game.

The location of the mound on the edge of the marsh and not
on the island or the edge of some bayou and its being covered
with marsh deposits, would seem to indicate that the subsidence
which has been progressing on the Gulf coast for the last period
is still going on at a fairly rapid rate.

230 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

COTE BLANCHE
LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY

Location.—Although not the central island, Céte Blanche, or
‘Cap Blanche’’ of the early Spanish cartographers, occupies
the geographical center of the Five Islands. It is near the
center of the north shore of Céte Blanche bay in township 15
south, range 5 east. Access is had to the island by means of a
raised dirt-way leading through the marsh from the land of
Cypremort point.

Topography.—Céte Blanche is nearly circular and in point of
size is the third of the islands, having an area of 1400 acres.
On one side the waves of Céte Blanche bay have formed a bluff
about fifty feet high. To this wave-formed bluff is probably
due the early appearance of this island on the Spanish maps.
It is much less rugged than either Petite Anse or Grande Céte.
The deep V-shaped hollows of the centers of those two islands
are entirely wanting here. On the south side, east of the bluff,
a long armof sea-marshrunsupintothe island. Rising abruptly
from this is Oak hill the highest hill on the island.* North of
Oak hill is a shallow depression in the tops of the hills which
was pointed out as the bed of Clear lake. Time was when this
was a small pond something like 300 feet in diameter and 3 feet
deep. This is the only trace of a natural pond on Céte Blanche.

GEOLOGY

Salt investigations.—The recent salt excitement which has
caused the deposits of the islands to be investigated has not yet
had its effect on Céte Blanche. A recent letter from Mr. F. F.
Myles reports that he intends to prospect the island in the near
future.

Immediately after the discovery of salt on Petite Anse in 1862
numerous shallow pits were sunk on the island in a vain search
for salt. There can hardly be any doubt that the salt is there.
All that is required is deep wells.

Surface geology.—The lack of rugose topography and well sec-
tions renders the exact information on the geology of the island

* No altitude determinations were made here, but at the time the writers
estimated it as about 100 feet. Hilgard (Smith Contr. No. 248 p. 10) gives
it as 180 feet on authority of the coast survey.

IIT] THE FIVE ISLANDS: GRAND COTE 2ian

not quite so full as could be desired. There are but two sources
of such information; the sea-cliff and an artesian well near the
sugar house. The surface is composed almost entirely of brown-
ish yellow loamy clay. At one point near the northeast end of
the island a gully exposes a little rather clayey sand with some
gravel scattered through it.

The sea-cliff section.—The sea-cliff section has changed since
Hilgard’s visit in 1869 as one would naturally expect ; the con-
stant encroachment of the waves on the land would exhibit differ-
ent portions of the same beds and in such irregularly bedded
material a fairly marked change may be looked for.

Section at Sea-cliff

Heet

1. Light yellow surface clay, contains some lime........ II

Pam Loewe re Disa cTeSiuClay-om.) siete les cote meee attiel- I
3. Reddish, greasy looking joint clay with many lime-

SUOME TC OLICLELION Si -us ties eralal euptis: ouieh ots ee te oars tide tre 7-8
4. Very fine light red silt with thin clay partings about
every six inches. Looks like successive flood depos-

its’ as seen) on) the*banks of Red river iis :)a2i2.0. %. II

52 i Same as aboveubtty with imonre clay) i..413 0b Sak ee 15
6. Grayish yellow clay eroded in irregular forms by the

WAVES tO) WAtEr le Viel Ui sin mm. a Aree. od ncpa eet cet ieee 2

No trace of fresh water shells could be found. Particles of
vegetable matter could be seen in several layers, particularly in
the lower part of layer six. Quite a number of the calcareous
concretions which cover the beach were broken open in a search
for fossils. Off the southwest corner of the bluff numerous
stumps and trunks of trees are seen, ranging all the way from
the tree which has just fallen in from a recent cave of the bank
to the old remnants which have been battling with the waves
for many years.

Unfortunately the data from the Sugar house well are not ac-
cessible at present.

GRANDE COTE
LOCATION

Methods of communication with the main land.—Until the early
sixties the only way to reach Grande Céte or (Weeks’ Island)
from the main land was by a canoe through Week’s bayou from
Prairie Au Large below New Iberia. All the products of the

232 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

island were shipped by light-draught schooners which could enter
the bay. Finally, at a very considerable expense, Mr. Weeks con-
nected the island with the main land of Cypremort Point by a
raised dirt-way. ‘This rendered access to the island much easier.

Surrounding country.—The island overlooks, on its western
side, an arm of Vermillion bay called Weeks’ bay. Two bayous
approach the island near enough to furnish convenient landing
places. Near the southwestern corner of the island, Garrett’s
bayou is within a hundred yards of the timber. The largest
bayou and the one which affords the best landing place is Weeks’
bayou near the northwest corner of the island. It is probably
more than three hundred feet across and quite deep. Were it
not for the. shallowness of Vermillion bay, which prevents the
passage of vessels of even moderate draught, water transportation
of the salt would be quite feasible. Here is the remains of an
old pier, a relic of the days when water transportation was the
only thing possible. This bayou skirts the island for a little over
a quarter of a mile then turns northwestern and finally south-
westward into Vermillion bay. On three sides of the island is a
trembling sea marsh; on the eastern side is a swamp which with-
out the ‘‘ causeway ’’ would be utterly impassible.

TOPOGRAPHY

Shape and area.—Grande Céte is almost circular with an
indentation in the shore line on either side a little above the
center. The area as shown by the land office records is 1907.69
acres. It is the largest of the islands.

Central ridge.—The ‘‘ Devil's Backbone,’’ the principle topo-
graphical feature, extends north from the mine store to near
boring No. 2, thus occupying the central part of the island and
having a general trend a little east of north. The slopes of the
gullies on either side of this dividing ridge are almost perpen-
dicular and from 20 to 60 feet in height. Occasionally the divide
is no wider than a wagon bed and near the northern end is almost
severed in two or three places. This ridge is from 100 to
135 feet high and contains the highest point on the island.
From the mine store it turns eastward and then northward
giving the whole ridge the shape of a fishhook (Plate 25).

The lakes.—In the space thus inclosed by steep hills is Lake

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 24

Ie

a -— Ss
CANAL J

Y

sl
%G,0

SCALZ OF MILES |

ie “3 w

~

Contour Map of the Salt Deposit on Belle Isle. Elevation given in fect below
Gulf Level

By A. C. VEATCH

N aa ‘ . > TEV
GEOLOGICAT, SURVEY oF LouTSTANA, RKPOR'T 1899
J

i ’ es
' Nays mY
Ey rp | C/ tober Shell Hea ie
Pe Mes ; Sy fey e y ap
mr Ni | 7S Es eae
iG ey irate hee

a

“SCALE OF BinES

ve 17 "
ee ae va) Bs
SSS es

25

PraAtyY

J} Grande Cole

SCH

= te ee et 7 =.
5g IS a a
ee SS ee ee

gs Og Sie tae A ee Oe ck ‘ - ex
en fog a GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, Rigor’, 1899 eee
5, eee a iS

aN f. ‘
neian Shell Heap >
S&S ‘

Ah el
pons

Jopographic Sketch @p of Grande Cole

By vA; iC. ATC

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, I899 PLATE 26

SAL/) SHAFT, GRAND COTE, APR., 1899. LARGE SECTIONED IRON PIPE

; 1s Ae aK

: rey
ae |

S cae

‘

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899
ake Ta 2 3 4 5

GULF

250

5
Ee

300

F5%

450 ;

LEGEND

l Sections

19 11

] Level =

Peer
eva

Sand and clay

Lignite

Salt

13

PLATE 27
14

, : - . = a
a a 7 tr. i De
7 uae 7 -

7 _ = a ee eee a ae

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899
150 2
1 3 4 5 6 7 8

PLATE 27
14

10 "1 1 13

i]

100

if

- 50

150

St LEGEND

nes = Sand Sree | Blue clay
= _ Sand and gravel Sand and clay

sc =
Se jum] Lignite
=

- = RERA| Salt

goo

450.

Grande Cote Well Sections

"he 7
¥ »
ar tay

seeg Tuer FivE IsLANDS: GRANDE COTE 233

valley. This is a small, comparatively level plain about 35 feet
above tide. It now contains three wooded lakes, remnants of
a much larger one which has been partially destroyed by the
down-cutting of the outlet. The most northern of these little
lakes is 660 yards long and a fourth as broad. It was reported
to be bottomless but careful soundings showed a very gently
sloping bottom nowhere more than eight feet deep. The edge
is fringed with reeds and trees but the center is open.

There are two other natural ponds on the island: one near the
sugar house, Sugar House pond, has had its level raised about
two feet by adam. Its depth is about the same as the larger one
in Lake valley. It issituated in the pit of a great amphitheatre.
The other, Lily pond, is near the Weeks residence and like the
others occupies the pit of an amphitheatre of rather low hills.

HISTORY OF MINING OPERATIONS

Early work.—Sharing with the other islands the excitement
produced by the discovery of rock-salt on Petite Anse in 1862
and further stimulated by the high price of salt at that time a
few wells were dug in search of salt, but without success.

Later work.—F ollowing the discovery of salt on Céte Carline
in 1895 and on Belle Isle in 1896, Mr. F. F. Myles undertook the
exploration of Grande Céte asa private enterprise. In March
1897 with Mr. N. Conrad in charge of the drilling he started the
first hole near the sugar house. Conrad drilled five holes,
reporting salt in the fourth at a depth of 276 feet, June 25, 1897.
In July, the same year, Capt. A. F. Lucas who oversaw the work
on Céte Carline and Belle Isle was put in charge. He struck
salt in well No. 7 at a depth of. 205 feet late in August. In all,
fourteen holes were drilled in this preliminary examination. In
March 1898 the Myles Salt company was organized and fourteen
additional holes were drilled under the direction of Mr. Geo.
Cowie, todetermine the best location for a shaft. In July 1898,
it was started on the site of hole No. 24 where the salt approached
nearest the surface.

After a great deal of trouble with quicksand and by employing
a portion of the large, sectioned tubing made to penetrate the
quicksand overlying the sulphur deposit of Calcasieu the shaft
had, at the time of the writer’s visit, reached the salt. The

234 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

difficulty then, on account of the dissoluble nature of the salt,
was to make a water tight joint between the tubing and the salt.

As soon as this is accomplished the intention is to erect the
shaft house and build aswitch from the Cypremort branch of the

Southern Pacific.
GEOLOGY

Surface geology.—Like Cote Blanche nearly the whole of the
island is covered with a brownish yellow soil. In places, notably
in the deep gorges along the Devil’s Backbone and indeed in
nearly all hollows going into Lake valley the upper stratum of
clay has been cut through exposing the underlying sands, and
sometimes gravel. East of the larger lake isa sandpit which
furnishes sand for the surrounding country. Springs are com-
mon on the Northern slopes of the island. ;

The wells.—The twenty-eight well sections (shown on Plates
27 and 28) show very little variety in the subterranean
structure of the island. There is commonly a surface layer of
clay from a few inches to 30 or 4o feet thick and then sand and
gravel down to the salt. In two wells No. 9 and No. 17 layers
of lignite, five feet thick in the first and three feet in the second,
were struck just above the salt. In many of the wells the
hydrostatic pressure is sufficient to force the water almost to the
surface and in well No. 6 it is sufficient to lift the water above
the top of the pipe and form a flowing well.

The shape and position of the salt mass.—The salt on Grande
Céte forms an elongate dome, longest along its north and south
diameter (Plate 29). It occupies the western side of the island
and appears to extend a little west of the mainridge. No borings
have been madealong the ridge so that we can not positively say
that the salt does not extend in that direction. Well No. 2did
not find salt at 212 feet but no borings have been made between
it and No. 9. Whether the dome shape of the salt, well shown
by Plate 29 and the cross-sections of the island Plate 30, really
indicate a dome or whether its present shape is due to the
erosion of the edge of an upturned fault block or to the erosion
undisturbed material, could not be determined in any direct man-
ner. All data collected would however tend to disprove the last
supposition. The shaft, at the time of the writer’s visit, had not

M1] THE Five IsLANDS: GRAND COTE 235

entered the salt far enough to determine the direction and
intensity of the dip.

Origin of the lakes.—Thomassy in his visit to the island noticed
the upland lakes. Sugar House pond he considered the ‘‘ orifice
where the hydrothermal forces made their principal eruption ;’’
the others are craters of depression similar to those which have
given rise to the numerous little lakes of southern Louisiana.*
In the light of our present knowledge of the islands this expla-
nation can hardly be accepted, for the phenomena shown here
cannot be confounded with that exhibited by the mud-volcanoes
of the passes of the Mississippi. The similarity in all these lake
basins point to a common origin.

The observed facts would point to four different ways in which
the lakes might have been formed: (1) by faulting or landslips
produced by orographic movements, (2) by faulting or landslips
produced by the removal of the salt by subterranean waters,
(3) by the formation of sink holes like those of limestone regions
and the subsequent stopping of the basal outlet, (4) by the irregu-
lar filling of antecedent drainage channels by Columbia loam.

Landslips in the sands and clays occasioned by the folding or
faulting of the salt bed, even with the aid of subsequent erosion,
would hardly be likely to produce the rounded amphitheatre-
shaped lake valleys.

Many of the local faults, anticlines and sink holes in northern
New York have been formed in the second way by the removal
of the soluble matter from the beds of the Onondaga salt and
waterlime groups by subterranean waters coming from a distance.
It is possible, though hardly probable, that the lake valleys on
the islands have been formed in the same way. The lack of
continuous layers of impervious strata to confine and conduct
the underground waters would strongly oppose this theory.

The third necessitates the assumption of a very marked subsi-
dence in the region in very recent times, an assumption which
is supported by the partially drowned stream channels of the
coastal regions. If the salt mass was elevated well above the
sea, say 200 to 500 feet above its present level, water percolating
down from the surface of the island would dissolve the salt and

*Géologie Pratique de la Louisiana, p. 82, 1860.

236 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

emerge in the form of salt springs at or near sea-level. The
removal of the salt by water would form caverns. Dirt and sand
would naturally be carried by the water into these caverns in the
salt and finally a large funnel-shaped opening would be produced
on the surface. Such sink holes are common in limestone
regions and quite a number have been very recently produced
artificially on Petite Anse. The galleries and rooms hollowed
out by man in mining the salt correspond to the caverns which
would have been produced by water if the salt were elevated
enough to give the water an outlet above sea-level. Water run-
ning into these chambers through natural crevices in the salt
would soon enlarge them to good sized holes when the dirt and
sand and gravel would follow giving rise toa great funnel-shaped
opening which would tend to enlarge with every succeeding rain.
As the water is kept pumped out of the mine the effect is the
same as if the salt stood 90 or 100 feet higher.

Now, if a subsidence should occur, the chambers and caverns
would become clogged with sand and gravel and clay because of
the diminished velocity of the waters. The material washed
down from the steep sides of the sink hole would tend to fill it
and if there was a considerable amount of clay in the material
the subterranean outlet would become effectually stopped.
Water would accumulate in the depression till it reached the
lowest point in the surrounding rim of hills, flow over and begin
to destroy itself by cutting down the outlet. This second stage
is shown in only one of the holes near the mine on Petite Anse.
This one, which is northeast of the shaft, has become clogged
with clay even though the subterranean channels are still open
and a little pond has formed in its bottom.

Lakes formed outside of the glacial limits by the irregular
filling of a valley by loess, where the latter seemed to collect in the
form of a great levee across the mouth of a valley, have been
noticed by the writer in southern Indiana.* No trace of such a
structure was observed here, and further the lakes have neither
the shape nor appearance of a dammed valley, the upper end
being commonly larger than the lower.

* Notes on the Ohio Valley in Southern Indiana. Jour. of Geol. vol. 6,
p. 262, 1898.

i] THE Five IsLANDS: PETITE ANSE 237,

Conclustons.—Grande Céte shows the same mantle of loamy
clay that appears on Cote Blanche although erosion has pro-
gressed a little further on the former, due to the formation of
sink-holes and the increased gradients thus given the side
streams. The lakes seem to represent old sink-holes formed at
a time when the land stood higher than now and whose clogging
is the result of the subsidence now progressing on the Gulf coast.

From what little salt has been taken out of the shaft and from
the drill holes, the top layer of impure salt found on Belle Isle
seems to be lacking on Grand Céte. This is a point to be taken
into consideration in any theory explaining the origin of the
dome-shape of the salt mass.

ARCHEOLOGY

Shell heap.—The most interesting archeological feature of the
island is the sheil heap on Weeks’ bayou near the landing place just
at the edge of the island. This was first noticed by Thomassy.*
It is 600 feet long between 30 and 60 feet broad and 1o feet
high. The southern end has the shape of a truncated pyra-
mid from which a narrow ridge, gradually increasing in width,
extends to the northern end of the mound, which is almost
as wide as the southern. The heap is composed almost
entirely of the common coast Grathodon. A few animal bones,
oysters and pot-shreds are found scattered through the mass.
Near the northern end numerous skeletons have been found.

PETITE ANSE
LOCATION

Geographical position.—Petite Anse island, Thomas’ island,+
Marsh’s island, Salt island or Avery’s island,as it has been
called in succession, is situated in township 13 south, range 5
and 6 east of the Louisiana prime meridian. It is about ten
miles south-southwest of New Iberia in Iberia parish and three

miles from the shores of Vermillion bay.
Surrounding Country.—l,ike all the islands we have thus far

* Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane p. 82.

+The History and Geography of the Mississippi Valley, to which is
appended a Condensed Physical Geography of the Atlantic United States
and the whole of the American Continent, 2d Edition by Timothy Flint
vol. I, p. 253, 1832.

238 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

discussed, Petite Anse is entirely surrounded by marsh and
swamp land. On the east and southeast, is a large cypress
swamp; a continuation of the Cypremort swamp. The level sea
marsh gives an unobstructed view of the prairies on the main
land and on clear days, of the Gulf waters.

The western side of the island is skirted by the Bayou Petite
Anse. Here is the landing, the boat-house and the old piers
used for shipping sugar and salt; for Petite Anse was important
first as a sugar plantation. Branches of Petite Anse bayou run
along the northern and southern sides of the island and finally
lose themselves in the marsh.

Communication with the main /and.—Communication between
Petite Anse and the main land was established early in the pres-
ent century by the building, from the northernmost point of the
island, of a raised dirt way or causeway through the swamp.*
Communication with the outer world by water was greatly hin-
dered by the bar at the mouth of Petite Anse bayou. ‘This was
partially overcome in 1880 by the digging of a canal from the
lower part of the bayou across the marshes to the Gulf. In 1886
a branch of the Southern Pacific was completed from New Iberia

to the island.
TOPOGRAPHY

Shape and area.—Calculations from the land office maps give
the area of Petite Anse as 1,640 acres or about 300 acres less than
Grande Céte. The island is somewhat oval, longest along its
northwest and southeast diameter and has a marked indentation
in the southwestern part. (See Plate 19.) Its greatest length
is two and three-eighths miles and the narrowest place is barelya
mile and a half.

The hills.—The general relief of the island is well shown by
the topographical map (Plate 31) and the model of the island
(Plate 19). From them it will be seen that, while the island has
no main central line of hills from which everything slopes, there
is a principal hill cluster with minor ones about it. The main
hill cluster extends from southeast to northwest, beginning with
Plum hill, the Second highest on the island, and extending to

*The Emigrant’s Guide to the Western and Southwestern States of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, etc. by William Darby,
with map. New York, 1818, p. 68.

IIT] THE Five ISLANDS: PETITE ANSE 239

Prospect hill and Round Top, which occupy separate spurs on
the northern end. This dividing ridge does not fall below 80
feet and in the case of Prospect hill reaches a height of 152 feet.
Its eastern slope contains two deep pit-like depressions which
are occupied by wooded ponds. A third upland lake or pond,
Willow pond, separates Round Top from Smith’s hill. From
Smith’s hill a chain of hills follow the shore line southwest to
the beautiful residence of the Avery family where it turns and
extends a little way southeast. A fourth pond valley, now
almost entirely drained, separates Plum hill from Cherry hill
which with its outliers occupies the southernmost point of the
island. The whole group assumes on the map the appearance
of a great, rude capital E near the middle of which is Salt mine
valley.

The lakes.—The three upland lakes are essentially the same as
those seen on Grand Céte. Willow pond is reported to be 15
feet deep and is the principal ‘‘crater of elevation ’’ of Thomassy.
Wooded pond and DeVance’s pond show remarkably well the —
rounded sink-hole shape of these valleys. The water level in
the lake is between 35 and 4o feet above that of the Gulf. This
would show the lakes to be of comparatively recent origin for
the streams have not yet, even with this gradient, succeeded in
cutting down their outlets.

Near the old mine are numerous great funnel shaped open-
ings whose origin has been fully explained in the discussion of
the origin of the lakes on Grande Céte. Their depth ranges
from 20 to 60 feet below the surface. To prevent water from
running into these holes and thus into the mine a ditch has been
dug to conduct the waters of the stream, which flows north of
the office, into Willow pond branch. It originally emptied into
Iron Mine run.

HISTORY OF MINING OPERATIONS

Early period: Prior to 1862.—The existence of brine springs
and possibly rock salt on Petite Anse was known to the aborigi-
nal inhabitants of this country long before it was known to
white man. A great deposit of potshreds and ashes in places
three feet thick and extending over an area of possibly five acres

240 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

testify to the extent of salt operations here in prehistoric times.
The occurrence of a piece of basket work lying directly on the
salt has given rise to the supposition that the existence of rock-
salt was also know to the Indians.

The springs were rediscovered in 1791 by John Hayes while
hunting. In that day of slow transportation salt was not so
readily obtained as now and an attempt was soon made to use
the waters of these springs for making salt. This was three
years after the first attempt was made to make salt from the
brine springs of New York.* At the time of William Darby’s
visit (about 1817) the springs had been in active operation for a
number of years and had supplied, toa large extent, the demands
of the settlements of Attakapas and Opelousas.t This activity
was due to the demand and increased value of salt caused by the
war of 1812. The operations were conducted by John C. Marsh
then owner of the island.

War period: 1862-1863.—Following the opening of the Civil
war, salt became very scarce and John Marsh Avery, the 18 year
old son of Judge D. D. Avery, built up the old salt works
established by his grandfather John C. Marshin 1812. The demand
soon overtaxed the capacity of the springs and Mr. Avery directed
his negroes to clean and deepen the salt wells. The negro
engaged in work on one of the wells when he had reached a depth
of 16 feet cried up to ‘‘ Massa John’’ that he had struck a hard
log. Mr. Avery descended into the well and found the log to be
a bed of rock salt. ‘To Mr. Avery therefore belongs the honor of
being the first to discover animportant rock salt deposit in North
America, and, considering the size and magnitude of the deposit,
this is no small honor. This discovery, May 6, 1862, had been
partially foreseen by Thomassy. In 1860, in speaking of the
brine springs on Petite Anse he states that they areformed by the
dissolution of rocksalt by rain water. At the time of Thomassy’s
second visit the production was about 4o baskets of rock salt per

* Mineral Resources of the United States for 1896. Non-metallic Products
Except Coal. Salt by E. W. Parker. 18th An. Rept. U. S. Geol. Sur.
1896-1897, Part V (con.) p. 1289.

+ The Emigrants Guide etc. by Wm. Darby, New York 1818 p. 68.

{ Geologie Pratique p. 78, 1860.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899
150

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

200 ft.

ee ae =
Sand Sand and gravel Gravel : ‘Clay
Grande Cote We
>
3

fghe 2.

PLATE 28

22 23 Shaft 25 26 27 28

d and clay Lignite Salt
CLIONS .

GEoLocical, SURVEY OF LouIsIANA, REPORT, 1899 Pustx 38

ee 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Shaft 25 26 27 28

700

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Grande Cole Well Sections

g
*HOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

(

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- Contour Map of the Salt Deposit of Grande Cut
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PLATE 29

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Contour Map of the Salt Deposit of Grande Cy, Llez
BY A. C. vaaroH

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30

PLATE

1599

LOUISIANA, REPORT,

SURVEY OF

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11] - Tue Five Istanps: PETITE ANSE 241

day.* The salt was quarried from a number of large open pits.
This was a scene of great activity until the destruction of the
works by the Federal forces under General Banks, April 17,1863.T
The amount of salt taken out is estimated between 10,000 and
30,000 tons. . q

Present period: 1867-1899.—After this, little or no work was
done in mining the salt till 1867 when Chouteau and Price sunk
the first shaft 8x8 feet and 83 feet deep; a depth which was
afterwards increased to go feet. Of this, 58 feet were in solid
salt. At the time of Hilgard’s visit (Nov. 1867), galleries eight
to ten feet high and 25 feet wide had been driven east and west
to a distance of 150 feet each way. Work was finally abandoned
by Mr. Chouteau in 1870 upon the death of Mr. Price.

In 1879 the mines were leased to the Galveston company and
in 1880 were transferred to the American Salt company. The
American Salt company occupied Chouteau’s go foot shaft and
fitted up a mill at the mouth of the shaft for crushing the salt.
In order to secure transportation, a canal was cut across the
marshes from near the mouth of Petite Anse bayou to the Gulf.

*Supplement a la Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane. Ile Petite Anse.
Bull. Geol. Soc. France, 2d series, vol. 20, 1863, p. 543.

+ This date of occupation is taken from extracts of the New Orleans Era

of April 19, 1863 published in the New York 77mes April 27. This is quite
interesting as giving avery early newspaper discription of the island and as
showing something of the extent of the mining operations at that time.
‘For the last two months it’’ (the Steamer Cornie) ‘‘ has been constantly
employed in carrying salt from the mines, seven miles southwest of New
Iberia, to the junction of the Teche and Cahawba Bayous. From this point
the salt has been transported to Alexandria, and by way of Red River, to
Vicksburg, Port Hudson and other places occupied by the rebels.”” * *
* * * ‘*Seven miles west of New Iberia and near Vermillion bay, in the
middle of a mud lake, thick grown with flag and cane, rises a ledge of solid
rock, the surface and depth of which have not yet been discovered. From
this mine thousands of dollars’ worth of the best salt has been daily sent
away for the use of the rebel army. Negroes were employed to blast and
‘break it up, some being ground at the mine. It is reported that the rebels
paid four and a half cents per pound for what they took away. When our
troops reached Iberia’’ (April 17) ‘‘a regiment was sent to destroy all tools
and machinery there.”’

See also Annual Cyclopedia, 1863. Appleton and Co. New York p.
70, 1867. P

242 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

A tramway was built from the mine and a short embankment
made across the marsh to Petite Anse bayou where a number of
slips were dug. The salt was loaded in lighters and carried down
the bayou to Vermillion bay where it was transferred to schoon-
ers. This did not prove very satisfactory because of the cost of
transfers and accidents to the lighters and schooners due to mud-
flats and bars.

The salt was mined bychambers and cross-headings averaging
about 4o feet wide and 25 or more feet high, pillars 4o feet in
diameter being left to support the roof.

In 1886 the American Salt company was succeeded by the
New Iberia Salt company which made arrangements with the
Southern Pacific railroad for a switch from New Iberia. This
was completed in 1886 and solved the question of transportation.

The extreme irregularity of the surface of the salt was not
fully appreciated by the companies first engaged its mining.
The surface of the salt changes in one case from 20 feet below
the ground to 100 feet in a distance of less than 200 yards. The
galleries on the 90 foot level were driven under the false idea
that there was 40 or 50 feet of salt above them and soon
approached the outer limit of the salt. Then water commenced
to come in the mine through the crevices. After the water had
started, it did not take long for it to dissolve the salt and change
the crevices into holes. Thus the first sink-hole was formed as
early as 1883.

Others followed and the sand and water and debris carried
into the mine through the sink-holes very greatly interfered with
the mining operations. First the eastern and then the western
side of the mine was abandoned and it was decided (1885) to
sink the shaft 70 feet deeper. This additional depth, with the
eight feet required for the pump, made the total depth of the
working shaft 168 feet. Work was prosecuted on the 160 foot
level by driving galleries and crossways 80 feet wide and 4o feet
high and leaving supporting pillars 60 feet in diameter.

July 1, 1893, Myles and company of New Orleans, obtained a
sublease of the property. The water which entered the upper
levels through the sink-holes finally effected an entrance to the
lower levels and caused that part of the mine to be abandoned in

il] THE Five IsLANDS: PETITE ANSE 243

July, 1895. Operations were continued in the upper level till
1896 when the mines reverted to the Avery family by default
of contract.

Appreciating that the life of the present mine is limited, in
1898 a new company was formed under the name of the Avery
Rock Salt Mining company, to carry on operations in the old
mine and tosink a new shaft. Borings were made and a site was
selected southwest of the old mine and beyond the limits of the
old workings. After considerable trouble with water bearing
sands and gravels, salt was entered at a depth of 54 feet. The
shaft at the time of the writer’s visit had reached a depth of 125
feet and some trouble was still being experienced from water
coming in between the salt and the timbers of the shaft.

GEOLOGY

Surface Geology. —While showing commonly a_ brownish
lowyel loamy soil, this island differs from the others in the
numerous surface exposures of gravel. The graveland sand out-
crops seem to be confined entirely to the southern extremity.
Sand and gravel are particularly abundant to the southeast on
Cherry hill and at the shaft. Some gravel is exposed in the
sandpit on the railroad track and in the sandpit between the house
andthe store. The sand and gravel obtained from the pits is used
quite extensively along the line of the Southern Pacific. While
the bank sand is of fairly good quality the best is obtained near
the mouths of the ravines where the water has washed out the
little clay it contains.

On the northern part of the island there are numerous
outcrops of a variegated chocolate, yellow or green jointed clay.
The notable ones are on the northwest slope of Prospect hill,
on the western slope of Smith’s hill, in the cut north of Avery’s
station and on both the eastern and western slopes of Residence
hill. On the eastern slope of Residence hill, Hilgard reports
finding besides imperfect vegetable remains, shells of Paludina,
several species of (/nzo and a Cyclas. ‘The writer was unable to
find any specimens which could be identified. The false bed-
ding and cross-bedding of these strata render dip determinations
practically impossible.

244 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Lignite.—One of the gullies at the head of Iron Mine Run
hollow exposes part of a bed of lignite, 65 feet above tide.
An attempt was made to mine this for local consumption but it
was soon given up. A shaft 30 feet deep was sunk exposing the
following section :

No.
1... Mellowsclayaixs oc accel. oie eee Lee:
25. LAgamite (x cial wane fe Sicha be acon 18 ft.

3. Clay not passed through.

Something of the thickness of this underclay is shown by a
boring 85 feet deep made about 100 yards, a little north of west
from the lignite shaft, which passed through nothing but clay.

The lignite as exposed in an excavation in one side of the
gully shows a dip of 44°, S. 69° E. If this is the dip shown in
the mine the real thickness of the lignite is about 12 feet. This
dip led Bolton to surmise that the lignite and sandstone, shown
further down the same ravine, dipped beneath the salt.

Section at deep boring.—That this idea is incorrect is shown
quite conclusively by a deep boring about 220 yards from the
lignite in the direction of the shaft.

Section of Deep Boring
(Elevation 48 feet above tide)

No. Depths

x @=) ay - SP ine sandy, clay Soiliictae oie eee Att:

2: 4- 160. Very fine grained, soft pink and drab or
purple sandstone. 510). ree ene 156 ft.

3. 160-166. Hard, coarse grained, chocolate colored
sandstonet) 2 -/..7 SW a one eee Gye:

4. 166-1005. White rock salt not passed through..... 839 ft.

This section clearly shows the sandstone on top of the salt and
indicates an unconformity between the salt and the overlying
beds. A dip of slightly more than 44°, S. 69° E., would be
quite sufficient to account for the absence of lignite in this
section. The absence of gravel is quite conspicuous.

Sandstone of Iron Mine run.—The sandstone, 3,of the above

section, is exposed all along the sides of the ravine from the —

deep boring almost to the bridge near the shaft. As exposed it
is a very fine grained pink sandstone with here and there
pieces of specular iron ore. It is to these bits of iron that the

:
’
:
|

IT] THE FIvE IsLANDS: PETITE ANSE 245

branch owes its high sounding name. The sandstone outcrops
along a line running northeastward in the direction of Willow
pond but no fragments or outcrops were seen beyond this pond.
It has been suggested that this stone might be used for railroad
ballast and concrete work but no careful tests have yet
been made. %

Section northeast of the mine.—The large sink hole northeast of
the mine reaches a depth of 63 feet below the level of the top of
the shaft. It thus affords an excellentexposure. It shows little
besides white and orange sands with occasional gravel, and
masses of clayey sand. On account of crossbedding, falsebed-
ding and landslips, the stratification could not be satisfactorily
determined.

Vertebrate remains.—The most interesting sections to be seen
are inthe sink-holes which occupy the region between the old
and the new shafts. Here are the bone and pottery beds which
have been cited as evidence that man and mastodon were cotem-
poraneous.

The first notice of vertebrate remains on the island, so far as
we are aware, was given by Prof. Joseph Henry in a paper before
the Chicago Academy of Sciences on the verbal statement of Mr.
T. F. Cleu, who contributed a specimen of basket work to the
Smithsonian Institution.* Owen mentions the occurrence of
pottery, but says nothing about fossil vertebrates. In 1883 Mr.
William Crooks, of the American Salt company, presented to the
Smithsonian Institution a collection of bones obtained in sinking
an air shaft. These were turned over to Prof. Joseph Leidy for
examination. He made them the subject of a brief communica-
tion to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences in 1884} and of a
detailed report published in the Transactions of the Wagner Free
Institute of Science in 1889.{ In this he lists :

Mastodon americanus, Mylodon harlant Owen.
Mylodon sp. (cf. robustus Owen). Equus major De Kay.

* Trans. Chicago Acad. Sci., vol. 1, part II.

+ (Notes on Fossil Bones from Petite Anse, Louisiana) by Joseph Leidy,
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. 36, p. 22, 1884.

$¢ Notice of Some Mammalian Remains from the Salt Mines of Petite
Anse, Louisiana. Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci., vol. 2, pp. 33-40, 1889.

246 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Late in the ‘‘ eighties’’ General Dudley A. Avery sent sev-
eral other bones to the Smithsonian Institution ; one of which
was identified as the claw of a A/egalonyx.

Probably the largest collection which has yet been made at
this locality was by Dr. Joseph F.-Joor, of New Orleans, for
Tulane University, in 1890.* These were submitted to Prof. EH.
D. Cope. In his report he figures and describes two new species
of Mylodon and considers that the teeth identified by Leidy as
Equus major DeKay really represent anew speciesf. The species
determened by him are:

Mastodon sp. Mylodon sulcidens Cope.
Mylodon harlani Owen. Equus intermedius Cope.
Mylodon renidens Cope.

To this list Dr. Joor adds doubttully the remains of an Z/ephas,
The bone bed is a fairly rich one and may be expected to yield
some good material to the careful worker.

The section shown on the north side of the sink hole near the

old air-shaft is :
Section Near Air Shaft

1. Gray sandy loam with numerous pebbles....... 7 th Oats
2..\ Broken pottery atid’ ashes. 2st wlyeerk 1: Dt. or date
3. Dark gray silt; looks like hill-wash......./... 5 ft16 ams
4. Finely laminated black loam containing many

STASSH TOOLS I. Bay. aaw ener teks Pee Te fte (Gein:
5s. Medium coarse white sand grading above into

gravel about the size of a pigeon’s egg...... 2+ tte orate

6. Black or dark brown, very hard, gravelly sand
containing fragments of vegetable matter and
Mastodon Mylodonand Equus bones. Exposed
surface shows greenish yellow with sulphur
efflorescenée: ane oe ene eer oe 2) ft Omnis
7 Silla De-qovec So uareata Seo eae cer fetid Acs 10 ft. “0 "1m;

On the south side of the same hole layer 6 becomes much
thicker and grades into a dark tenacious clay.

* Notes on a Collection of Archeological and Geological Specimens,
etc. Am. Nat., vol. 29, pp. 394-398.

+ On Some Pleistocene Mammalia from Petite Anse, Louisiana, by K. D.
Cope, Am. Phil. Soc. Proc., vol. 34, pp. 458-468, 3 plates, 1895.

_—

Il] THE FIVE ISLANDS: PETITE ANSE 247

Leidy remarks that none of the bones examined by him showed
any trace of erosion; a statement which is confirmed by all the
specimens collected by the writer. Just south of the new shaft
in grading for the railroad embankment what appears to have
been a fairly complete skeleton of a mastodon was unearthed
and before it was seen by any one who realized its value it was
buried in the embankment. A few bones which had rolled
down to the foot of the embankment were picked up by Generai
Avery and led to the disclosure of the above facts. About three
feet of a tusk was afterwards found by one of the workmen in
the side of the embankment.

A few stray bones have been found in Iron mine run above
the bridge. These are the only two localities where bones have
been found outside of the lowest part of Salt mine valley.

New shaft section.—Just west of the last section the new
shaft shows very little in common with the bone-bed section.

Section at New Shaft °
POMPOM SCCM SOM pie 5 omar ops renal sates aoe Met ntis et al ah MER Mera ai tt.
Tene OWE GATE re akentod Le aoa lich ohana Hite eters hee) ee heal ok teas eters Eee tte
3. Salud clay and Sravel..) -Watei Mes. tin 'cnc. ceases 8 ft.
PUM S125) OU NACE TLOl. 2 42 1/2) Lhe Poe Cn hapa a ad ac ime AR ct 30 ft.
ea ar SAUL erm ite ett aes rate eat evo hana duct woh iha je ede cata aaa,

The salt.—The salt is white, hard, dry, crystalline, commonly
composed of many small crystsls from an eighth toa quarter of
inch in diameter which are very irregular because of interference.
Occasionally masses are found which are composed of very large
crystals as shown on Plate 23. The salt here shows nothing of
the upper dirty salt found on Belle Isle but is quite white so far
as penetrated, with the exception of parallel bands of dark salt
from two to six inches thick. These are best shown on a freshly
blasted face. Analysis of this black salt by Mr. McCalla, at
one time resident engineer and chemist, shows that the black
bands contain seven per cent of insoluble matter, chiefly gypsum.

Access could be had to only a very small portion of the mine,
at the time of the writer’s visit but Mr. John Avery, Assistant
Superintendent, states that the extravagant dip shown on the
present working face is the same both in intensity and direction

248 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

throughout the mine. The dip shown there is southeast. That
is, if these really represent, as they seem to, lines of stratifica-
tion, the salt is almost vertical. Pomeroy states however that a
close examination reveals the fact that the salt is folded, the upper
level showing three distinct anticlines.

Analyses of the salt._—The remarkable purity of the salt and
the absence of the usual impurities found in other rock salt
deposits has been the subject of quite a good deal of comment
and is one of the hardest points to meet in a rational explanation
of its origin. Quite a number of analyses have been made, of
which the following are the most important.

ANALYSIS OF SALT

ret ; Sodium | Calcium | Calcium MEAS Lee Other Not
1emist. é a nesium | nesium deter-
chloride. | sulphate. | chloride. : matter. Z

chloride. | sulphate. mined.
|

Jules Lafort || —1863...... 97.920 | | 2.08

E. W. Hilgard * +—1863...| 99.880 126 t.

Peter Callvend one ce) 98.900 | .838 . 146 .022 .080 .O14

ID FRc Cola lly cere tiauteae te 98.880 | .76 nig: 323

CyAmGoessmantt cso. 98.880 .79 te tt: 33

C. A. Goessman}{§&...... 98.88 .782 . 400 .003 232

JOsSephayones ae see 99.617 .318 .062 .003

F. W. Taylor 1882* + ....| 98.71 | 1.192 £ .O13 .030

Di Dorenins $a poral 99.097 .7293 .1584 | .0389

Gustavus Bode t.......... 99.252 .694 .042 .O12

Yearly production of salt_—From the following table of the
yearly production of salt at Petite Anse it will be seen that the
output reached its maximum shortly after the completion of
railroad connections and that after the discovery of rock-salt in
Kansas in 1888-1889 it suffered a heavy decline. Although the

The Petite Anse Salt Mine, by Richard A. Pomeroy. Trans. Am. Inst.

Min. Eng., vol. 17, pp. 107-113, 1888.

ll Supplement a la Géologie Pratique. Ile Petite Anse. Comp. Ren. Géol. Soc. France, 2d
series, vol. 20, 1863, p. 543.

* Mineral Resources of the United States for 1882, Salines of Louisiana, by E,W.Hilgard.
p. 564, 1883.

+ Mineral Resources of the United States for 1883-1884, p. 841, 1885.

¢Salt by C. A. Goessman, Johnson’s Universal Cyclopedia, New York, 1895, vol.7, p.274.

§ American Cyclopedia. Salt. New York, 1881. vol. 14, p. 572

Buck, C. E., and’'Goessman, C. A. Onthe rock-salt deposits of the Petite!Anse, La. Salt
Company, Report of American Bureau of Mines, New York, 1867,

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III] Tue Five ISLANDS: PETITE ANSE 249

quality of the Kansas salt is inferior to that of Petite Anse, its
nearness to the great packing houses largely offsets the differ-
ence.

PRODUCTION OF SALT ON PETITE ANSE.*

Year. Short tons. Year. Short tons,
TOL2— Olen eee ? OOO eral weeps acs 25,214
1861—-1862........ 200- 500 TSSOmen eas dos 45,588
1862-1863. ....... 10,000—30,000 tele OMG ola mEmeca « 39,978
1868-1880 .. .... 5,000 TOO a tacoma eres 24,320
Tiksto LaeS IE A may eee 15,000 TOQ2 Sse! sess 28,000
TSS 2st es cle Aen eval 25,550 TEORe ons oneveuales 26,800
TOO Bas casreiees hts aha 37,130 TSOQA ae eM Arne 26,047
MS OMe ewe ryctteme-te oe 31,355 TOQS i crore 22,368
MEOH cisions we ee 41,898 TSOG. sek eens 24,236
TSSO Mero ni ALTOS TIF vos |||" avareeonrsrrats Stance
TOS Peters ewe ere te he AFiN75O' a, hill A ecatiachee ce kes ante

* 1881 to 1896 from mineral resources of the U. S.

The Lakes: a zoological problem.—The lakes on the island are
of the same origin as those on Grand Céte. These fresh water
lakes, three on Petite Anse, five on Grand Céte and one on Belle
Isle, offer material for a very interesting scientific investigation.
Isolated as they are from other bodies of fresh water and sepa-
rated from the main land by sea marshes we would naturally
look for some faunal peculiarities. Although the age of the
lakes is not very considerable they would probably show some
interesting things on variation.

Marsh fires.—Few nights passed during my stay on the island
that great parts of the horizon were not an angry red from dis-
tant marsh fires. During the day columns of smoke told of
their existence, and sometimes they approached sufficiently near
to be seen and heard. In dry seasons or after a very severe win-
ter the reeds are easily ignited, and once started the fire spreads
with great rapidity, often covering many hundred acres. To
these marsh fires is probably to be traced the early idea that
these hills were blazing volcanoes. ‘They have given rise to the
name ‘‘ Fire Islands’’ mentioned by Hilgard and to Stoddard’s
story that ‘‘one of the islands has been known to be on fire for
at least three months.’’

250 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The cypress stump stratum.—It is believed that the cypress
stump stratum which Hilgard found in the marshes surrounding
the island and which he represents in his cross-section as extend-
ing under the island,* represents a stratum much younger than
that seen at Port Hudson bluff. On the eastern side of Petite
Anse is a living cypress swamp which extends eastward along
the coast on a line between the prairie and the marshes. Taking
the present rate of subsidence on the Gulf coast (1 foot in 20
years according to the observations of Maj. Quinny) it hasn’t
been a very great while since the prairie occupied the land now
claimed by the cypress swamp and it in turn occupied that which
is now sea-marsh. The islands antedate this time. Further
there is no evidence of the stump stratum in any of the borings
yet made on the islands. The lignite has in every case been
found in or below the gravel.

Conclusions.—The data thus far collected seem to show that the
salt mass on Petite Anse represents the edge of an upturned
fault block. ‘The dip together with the absence of the impure
salt bed seen on the top of the Belle Isle anticline would seem to
indicate this. Whether this be due to orographic movements or
to faults produced by the dissolution of vast amounts of the
underlying salt cannot be positively stated, but the evidence at
hand rather favors the former. The dip of the lignite bed, the
only surface bed whose dip could be determined, taken in con-
nection with the data furnished by the holes drilled near it indi-
cates that this bed rests unconformably on the salt. Two
separate movements of the strata are then indicated: an initial
movement of about 38°, with an interval during which the clay
and lignite and the pink sand bed were deposited around the

* See section of island. Hilgard, Smith. Contr. vol. 23, separate No. 248,
1872.

Copied by Pomeroy, Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 46, pp. 280-281, 1888. Sci.
Am., Suppl., vol. 26, pp. 10719-10720, No, 671, 1888; Am, Inst. Mining Eng.
Trans., vol. 17, pp. 107-113, 1889.

In this connection it is well to. call attention to the difference between
this section and the facts as they now present themselves.

+ An. Rept. U. S. Engineer 1895. Quoted in Appleton’s Cehenal Cyclo-
peedia, 1895, New York 1896.

111] THE Five ISLANDS: PETITE ANSE 251

protruding salt mass and a second greater movement which
resulted in the tipping of the lignite at an angle of 44°.

The stratigraphical position of the gravel seems to be above
the lignite and its position on the southern end of the island
would thus be readily explained. Although the position of the
gravel could be almost as well accounted for by the supposition
of a deposition prior to the first movement. Of the clay beds,
part are undoubtedly older than the lignite, indeed the direction
of the dip would make the bulk of the under clays on the north-
ern end of the island older. ‘

There are some facts bearing on the date of the last movement.
The vertebrate remains found in mine valley show no trace of
erosion, so they can hardly be regarded as having been trans-
ported by the same agent that brought the gravel. The animals,
which the bones represent, in all probability ventured into the
valley for salt and became mired in the mud which surrounded
the lick or spring. Such deposits in the mire about salt springs
are not at all uncommon. The bone bed was formed after the
elevation of the island and the bones represent Pleistocene
mammialia.

ARCH # OLOGY

Remains in salt mine valley.—The potshreds and other remains
which have been mentioned aboveas indicating the former use of
the salt by the Indians, seem to have been first seen in the exca-
vations made during the war. Owen on his visit to the island
(1865) found fragments of pottery scattered over the old dump
heaps.

About that time Prof. Joseph Henry figured and described in
the Transactions of the Chicago Academy of Sciences a fragment
of cane basket work from Petite Anse received from Mr. T. F.
Cleu with the statement that it had been found directly on the
salt two feet beneath elephant remains.”

This has formed the basis of the statement by Fostert and

* Trans. Chicago Acad. Sci., vol. 1, part II. Quoted by Foster.
+ Prehistoric Races of the United States of America by John Wells Foster,
Chicago, 1881, p. 56.

252 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Nadaillac* that man and the mastodon lived at the same time on
Petite Anse.

Hilgard and Fontaine examined the deposit during their visit
to the island. Dr. Hilgard makes no positive statement but
seems to feel rather doubtful, on account of the detrital nature
of the material, that the reported position of the bones above a
part of the human relics really represents their true order of
deposition. Dr. Fontaine, though writing an article to disprove
the high antiquity of man, states positively that ‘‘they are so
mingled that we can only infer that the men and animals were
coeval.’’t

The formation of the sink holes around the mine made it
possible to examine these deposits more carefully than before.
Bolton states that pottery and other relics are found mingled
with the mastodon bones.{ Dr. Joor does not mention any
relics from the bone bed or below. All those seen by him he
considers of comparatively recent origin; four or five hundred
_ years being ample to account for their present position.§

The writer carefully searched in the bone bed for objects which
could be unquestionally attributed to man but was unable to dis-
cover any. Numerous pieces of cane were found in this layer
and some had a peculiar split appearance which was first thought
to be artificial but turned out to be due to unequal weathering.
If a piece of cane was found partially embedded in clay the
exposed end almost always had the split appearance while the
part enclosed in the bank was perfectly solid. Pieces of wood
showed a tendency to behave in the same way.

A section about 50 yards northwest of the section given above
from the old air shaft shows the greatest thickness of the pottery
bed: yet observed.

* Prehistoric American by Marquis de Nadaillac. Trans. by N. D’Anvers
New York, 1895, p. 36. :

+E. W. Fontaine. How the World Came to Be Peopled.

¢{ Trans. New York Acad. Sci., vol. 7, p. 125, 1888.

§ Notes on a Collection of Archeological and Geological Specimens, etc.,
Am. Nat. vol., 29, 1895, p. 396.

IIT] ‘THE Five ISLANDS: PETITE ANSE 253

Section Northwest of Old Atr Shaft

No Feet Ins.
Surface loam, a brown sandy clay............... 6-10 O
2. Potshreds and ashes with a few specimens of
Gnathodon cuneatus and recent animal bones... 2-3 6
3. Dark gray loam with iron pyrite and iron tubes.. Ucn 6)
Aon Gravel Hel teCOlQhed., aie ges eh seis. pines velar clays a ie
5. Hinely laminated Sray Sil. 6). ee. ee ks lee als Eg,
6. Hard dark sandy clay, filled with black gravel

about the size of a hen’s egg. Fragments of |

reed cane, twigs and small branches are numer-

ous. Contains bones of Mastodon, Elephas (?),

Mylodon, Equus. Weathered surface shows

Sil phinmeilOrescenCe cin..." ait ac aie, cterntlen =! 4 < 4
Prepress efi s nossa era open e ae ry Ine =) 2s ea elastic beds slatere, 2's

So far as our present knowledge goes the evidence of the con-
temporaneity of man and the mastodon on Petite Anse consists
of a single fragment of basket work found in contact with the
salt. While it is not at all impossible that man did live in the
same period as the mastodon yet for this locality to prove that
such was the case it must first be shown, as Mr. H. C. Mercer
suggests,* that the Indians or their predecessors did not carry
on mining operations here. If pits were dug to the surface of
the salt then the position of the basket work beneath the fossil
bones can be readily accounted for.

Other remains.—On the summit of Prospect hill is a little
tumulus scarcely five feet high and forty feet in diameter which
has all the appearance of an artificial mound. It may be one of
the so-called lookout or signal mounds which cap the highest hills
along many of the northern rivers. It shows traces of an
excavation in the center, which I suppose was made by Dr. Fon-
taine as he reports the mound to be regularly statified.+

On the point of the ridge between Wooded pond and DeVance’s
pond are numerous specimens of Grathodon cuneatus and pot-
shreds, indicating a camp site.

* The Antiquity of Man on Petite Anse (Avery’s Island) Louisiana, Am.
Nat. vol. 29, pp. 393-394, 1895.

+ Fontaine’s conclusions are mentioned by Hilgard in his article in Smith.
Con. vol. 23, separate No, 248, p. 19, 1872.

254 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

C6TE CARLINE *
LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY

Geographical position.—lLike Petite Anse, this island has had a
great variety of names: Cdte Carline, Depuy’s island, Miller’s
island, Orange island and Jefferson’sisland. Asthe winter home
of Joseph Jefferson, the famous actor, it is now better known by
the latter name. It is situated very near the line between
Vermillion and Iberia Parishes in the southwestern part of
township 12 south, range 5 east. It is about nine miles west
of New Iberiaand but a short distance from the Abbeville branch
of the Southern Pacific railroad.

Surrounding country.—Unlike the other islands Cote Carline
rises out of a prairie, the sea marsh being two miles and the Gulf
nine miles away. ‘Touching the island on the northwestern side
is Lake Peigneur, a beautiful little stretch of water about two
miles long. The fishermen say that sometimes during very high
prolonged south winds the tide of the ocean is felt in the lake.
The depth of this lake has been variously stated, estimates rang-
ing from 15 to 32 feet. Surrounding the island are flat prairie
lands used for the cultivation of rice.

* This seems to have been the first name for this island which appeared in
literature, having been used by Darby in 1818 in his Emigrant’s Guide to
the Western and Southwestern States of Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.

Flint, in his History and Geography of the Mississippi Valley, 2d edition,
vol. I, p. 53, says the principal islands along the gulf shore of Louisiana
‘west of the mouth of the Mississippi are Barataria, the noted resort of
Lafitte’s piratical squadron, Thomas, La Croix and Ascension Islands. It is
difficult to place these names exactly. They are referred to as elevated
islands rising toa height of from 30 to 100 feet above the sea marsh and
hence we suppose refer tothe Five Islands. Thomas’ is probably Petite Anse
for it is spoken of as being connected with the main land by a causeway
and, so far as we know, Petite Anse was the only one so connected at that
time. Barataria may refer to either Belle Isle or Céte Carline, more
probably the former; for while C6te Carline has a number of old tombs
which are attributed to the early pirates most of Lafitte’s operations seem
to have been conducted from Belle Isle on account of its nearness to thesea.
It may however refer to one of the low lying islands in Barataria bay or
bayou. Noclue has yet been found by which the other two names may
be placed.

IIt] Tue Five IsLhANDS: COTE CARLINE 255

Topography.—The area of this circular protuberance in the
prairie is about 300 acres. It is very regular with a maximum
diameter of about a mile. Facing the lake is a little wave-
formed bluff about thirty feet high. With this exception the
slope from the highest point, which has an elevation of 75 feet
above the lake just back of the Jefferson residence, is very
gradual. The hollows are very insignificant.

GEOLOGY

Surface geology.—tt is this little bluff which Thomassy mentions
in his description of the island and Lake Peigneur is the
‘‘ancient crater ’’ from which he supposed the material forming
Céte Carline was thrown out. Hilgard did not visit the island
and was unable to locate the ‘‘ central crater ’’ from descriptions
received because he was evidently looking for a small lake on the
island itself like those on Petite Anse and Grande Cote.
Although Thomassy’s conclusions were a little distorted his
observations were in the main very correct.

Bluff section.—The bluff sections which he describes shows :

Feet
Weg e SUGLACE SSOL 5s ieen oe hae rdean Re ota oy Saita arti ohe ora ages) ees 2
2. Light yellow buckshot clay with limestoneconcretions. 26
ae. (Gravel tonwatertleviel’s 3 ase Sacra be op rrememheryacn 2

The surface of the island is uniformly covered with a humus-
stained yellow loam containing limestone concretions. The only
exposure of gravel is along the shore of the lake at the base of
the cliff. Numerous springs issue from the gravel bed.

Salt explorations.—In 1894 Mr. Jefferson let a contract for
drilling a well near his home, this resulted in the discovery of
rock salt at a depth of 334 feet early in the summer of 1895.
Mr. A. F. Lucas was then put in charge of the drilling and with
a diamond drill sunk the hole to a depth of 2,090 feet. The drill
was still in salt when work ceased. The section exposed there

was:
Section of Hole No. 1

(Elevation above lake 65 feet—72 feet A. T.?)

Feet
si CRF D OS pO APRON ce oes sty cer eitediedls fei'ohsvekel seve 6 8% ‘a: 265
Pa 2O5— 224 |CoOarsereravel ANd SAUG josie cshe es se ees 69

3. 334-2090 White rock salt without noticeable impurities 1756

256 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Section of Hole No. 8.—Altogether eight holes were drilled to
locate the contour of the salt. Only four of these reached the
salt. They all show a surface layer of clay from 33 to 110 feet
thick beneath which are irregular layers of sand and gravel with
one or more layers of blue clay, and in one case a thin Jayer of
lignite. The nearest the salt approaches the surface is g1 feet,
in hole No. 8 which showed the following section :

Section of Hole No. 8

No. Depths Feet
Bs, aS Sat CLAIM 2. teed otetcwn te te oe feet ine weed Sur tas Ran ea
PNG * Hie roastie MAG Clay, <a)s ts tie ® lornNetatains oor onibe Dkr ok eae 58
2. OL-112 “Rock-salt, mon passed through «2a... ..-.-t oF am

Blue clay and zinc.—In hole No. 7, a depth of 442 feet was
reached without finding salt. This shows fairly well the usual
arrangement of the beds on the island.

Section of Hole No. 7

No. Depths Feet
L. O=-fBonOlay: 4 2h sche bya. Sistas ee sey se eek een es Re 80
DEF iBOLT OT AT Cisco erie e Sek = orate ce mieten Ook e 107
20 NIT89-TO5 anid, and ‘ltée «clay i. ete aces: heen cee 8
AS AT O5=2OO Sam: 278i Ae, Ses ets stan aches wrens tae ones ame 65
5) 260-276 mang and eravyelie. A... 4. tah neers 18
6.) 25 8=-7oR a Coarse lama lines |i Poa a) nieve) ened aeaneeae 25
72. 203-303, sand and oravels J.sci. secsiesaita oi ate ele sere cee 60
8.41 263-306, bite: clay. andozine Samd:.iiigisci te ee kee 33
9: Boo—4e sk Samed yas icieceasse ei pest Ge oe ee phe iees aie ence ame 32

10. 428-442 Cemented sand and blue clay*............ 16

In layer 2, at a depth of between 130 and 160 feet, a fragment
of pottery 2x3 inches was pumped out of the pipe. It is posi-
tively stated that it could not have fallen in from above. Layer
8 records the blue galena and zinc clay of Belle Isle.

Shape of Salt Mass.—At the time of the writer’s visit there
was no one on the island who could give the exact location or
order of the holes. It was therefore impossible to determine
their relative position and elevation. This leaves us decidedly
in the dark as to the exact shape of the salt mass. All that we
know is that there is a point of maximum elevation.

*To this Mr. Lucas adds ‘‘ Salt is probably not very far from this point.’’

IIT] THE FIRE ISLANDS: SURROUNDING COUNTY 257

Conclusions.—The regularity of the surface layer of clay and
the underlying gravel bedsis very similar to Grande Céte and Céte
Blanche, so far as we know it. In three of these wells there is
a single layer of clay which might show something about the dip,

the relative elevation and position of the holes was known.
The island shows no evidence whatever of having been thrown
out of ake Peigneur by an explosion or eruption of any kind.
Nor was Lake Peigneur necessarily formed at the same time.

ATTAKAPAS PRAIRIE
WELL SECTIONS

Fiilgara’s supposition.—The boring of numerous artesian wells
in Attakapas prairie has thrown much light on the stratigraphy
of this part of the country. MHilgard, from a superficial exami-
nation of the country around the islands states that nearly all
the material above the Port Hudson stump stratum has been
eroded ; indeed, he believed that the present relief of the islands
was to a very great extent produced by the removal, by erosion
of the Port Hudson material from the country surrounding the
islands. These sections rather disprove this idea as they show
material of very considerable thickness which Hilgard would
undoubtedly have regarded as Port Hudson.

Jeannerette well sections.—The data collected by Clendenin
give a set of four wells extending from Jeannerette in the direc-
tion of Grande Céte; two of which we have taken the liberty
of reproducing.

Lce Factory Well Jeannerette

Depth Feet
1 Or 5 fe NCCC A yee teeta cue aps gno's. ar gic ey ese whee die 15
2.4. I5-"osn Mottled. clay cand Sardis cystine tonics 3:5 80
3s, ~ 95105) Onganicabed: leaves; twigs Ete 00 ctor ass «te IO
4.) 105-175- Nand and gravel... Water bearing). 3)... sss. 70
5. 175-350 Yellow clay snot passed throwehis so. ee. . 175

A second well much nearer Grande Céte shows a greater
thickness of the beds overlying the gravel.
Q

258 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Artesian Well 3% Miles Southwest of Jeannerette*

Depth Feet
I o-i4o Soil and.gray mottled clay. .....40sc. mes sane 140
2... L4O~TAS, SHEN DEAE a crete ales otic © ee ee Rene 2
3. TA2—-T5 > Oreame Medan. sees te eee eee ysis 10
A;° T52-277) Sand and oravel’.. -.c cea eee ey er 65

Two other wells in the same region give about the same
sections. .

Glencoe well section.—A deep well at Glencoe although quite
near the line of the islands shows an increased thickness of the
upper beds.

Artesian Well Glencoe*

Depth Feet
it CO ePIC ERE RE MPI gy eer AE yer SC I
2. F= 2. Vellowselay.« osc: (is. adiee en ote ee ee ee 12
33 e= 124) Ouicksands ao. her. a art ener ee 12
We pea a oon) ie Clay sae erecta ced ree Aare eee eee ee . ia EES
Be eat Nlaaley aie Clan «chic come ate oon eae Fe cao ree ?
6. ?-625 Coarse sand and gravel. Water......-.20. 05 ?

Although this section is quite incomplete the depth below the
top of the sand and gravel strata at which water is usually found
would lead us to suppose that the depth of the sand and gravel
here is at least 500 feet.

Thomassy’s section.—On his way from New Iberia to Grande
Céte, Thomassy passed by a Mr. Zenon Oliver’s plantation.
This was probably in the southern part of Prairie Au Large.
Here he obtained the following section :

Section of well at Prairie Au Large +

Yellow to: chocolate clay 2 cles astro ene me 2-tor ani
Yellow sand 2.5: iOeSes! 67 ee Ope og See ee eee 5 to 6 ft.
Red sand containing flint pebbles and gravel which
are entirely foreign to the alluvium of the
Mississippi. Not passed through........... 25 alte

* A Preliminary Report upon the Florida Parishes of East Louisiana and
the Bluff, Prairie and Hill Land of Southwest Louisiana by W. W. Clen-
denin. Part III, Bull. La. State Expt. Stations, 1896.

+ Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane, p. 82.

IIT] THE FIRE ISLANDS: ORIGIN 259

This section is quite different from the other sections. The
uncertainty of its location makes it difficult to frame any conclu-
sions regarding it. It may represent a local gravel bed in the
Port Hudson or a slight uplift connected with the insular uplifts.
If the latter be the case a deep well will probably reach salt.

SENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

THE ORIGIN OF THE ISLANDS

Method and date of formation.—Only two of the islands furnish
definite data on the method and date of their formation. Belle
Isle shows a very distinct dome-shaped fold. Petite Anse seems
to represent a fault block.

They cannot be regarded as a portion of a great anticlinal
ridge or backbone, as Hilgard supposed, extending from north-
west to southeast. On Petite Anse the line of strike of the lig-
nite, sandstone and salt is at right angles to the line of the islands,
z. é€., across the supposed fold rather than withit. On Belle
Isle the main line of hills and the salt mass lie northeast and
southwest instead of northwest and southeast. On Grande Céte
the main line of hills and the salt mass extend almost north and
south:

No evidence of the two movements indicated on Petite Anse has
been seen on the other islands and it may be that the phenomenon
there shown is the result of complex faulting. If we suppose
the Five Islands were made at the same time, the time of this
crustal movement can be approximated very closely. The prin-
cipal folding or faulting occurred after the deposition of the shell
bed on Belle Isle and before the bone bed on Petite Anse. Both
of these are Pleistocene.

The upper clay beds spread mantlewise over the gravel beds,
on Grande Cote, Cote Blanche and Céte Carline, seem to have
been deposited after the formation of the islands; very probably
at the same time and in the same manner as the loess beds of the
eastern escarpment of the Mississippi valley.

It would seem then that the formation of the islands began
with a possible initial movement (evidences of which have thus
far been seen only on Petite Anse) in probably late Tertiary

260 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect

time. The main folding and faulting which occurred in the
Pleistocene was followed by the depression of the whole costal
region and the deposition of the upper yellow clays. During the
succeeding high level period the deep channels of the costal
rivers were excavated and the lake valleys formed on the islands.
The subsidence which followed has continued to the present day.

That the immediate shore of the Gulf should have been the
scene of orographic movements in Pleistocene time may at first
appear a little startling but there is no reason why it should not
be so and every reason why it should. The great sedimentary
deposits which have been forming along the Gulf shore in recent
time would tend to disturb its equilibrium. The extent of these
recent deposits is shown in the Galveston well section which at
a depth of 2,920 feet had not penetrated the Upper Miocene.
1,500 feet of this material is above strata known to be Upper
Tertiary.*

Age of the salt deposit.—No data bearing directly on the age of
the salt deposit have yet been obtained. No fossils older than
Pleistocene have been found zz s7#u in the neighborhood of the
salt. The gravel beds which overlie the salt are of decidedly
uncertain date. If we accept the generally received opinion of
the age of the southern gravel beds they are Lafayette or late
Pleiocene. This would make the salt bed pre-Pleistocene.

The only other data we have bearing on the age of this deposit
are the salines of northern Louisiana. Darby first called atten-
tion to the similarity between the salt springs on Petite Anse
and those north of Red River.t Hilgard noticed the same
resemblance is his reconnaissance of Louisiana in 1869 and con-
ceived the idea of a Cretaceous ridge or backbone with several
peaks now represented by outcrops. These salines are in many
cases associated with hard e¢rystalline limestone showing,

*Preliminary Report on the Organic Remains Obtained from the Deep
Well at Galveston together with Conclusions Respecting the Age of the
Various Formations ; Penetrated by G. D. Harris, 4th An. Rept. Texas Geol.
Surv., pp. I17-IIg, 1893.

+The Emigrant’s Guide to the western and southwestern States, etc.,
New York, 1818, p. 86. He says, ‘‘From its proximity, this spring, has
been considered as merely a drain of the sea, but on inspection, it has all
the common features of the salt springs found north of Red River.”’

ei ee oe ae tc

IIT] THE FIRE ISLANDS ; ORIGIN 261

wherever the outcrop is large enough to see the stratigraphy, a
marked dome. The salt springs apparently emerge from this
gypseous limestone, which Hilgard, on two fossils found at
King’s salt works, pronounced Cretaceous. Vaughan on very
slender evidence guessed it to be upper Cretaceous.* This was
proven this year beyond question by a large suite of fossils col-
lected at Rayburn’s salt works.

The salt springs of northern Louisiana are then known to .
emerge from upper Cretaceous outcrops. No salt springs are
known in the Tertiary of this region; therefore Hilgard con-
cluded the salt to be Cretaceous. So far as our evidence goes
this seems the most probable though it can hardly be said to be
proven.

Comparison of the Loutsiana rock salt deposit to the great deposits of
the world.—\n thickness and purity the Louisiana salt deposit easily
outranks any other yet known in this country. In Europe the
famous Strassfurt deposits of Permian age show only 685 feet of
pure rock salt.+ But it is outranked by the salt wells in strata
of the same age at Sperenberg near Berlin, which passes through
3,769 feet of rock salt.{ Geikie gives to the famous Wieliczka
deposits of Gallacia, Austria, which are now believed to be Ter-
tiary, $ possibly Miocene, or even later,|| an aggregate thickness
of 4,600 feet. But this does not represent the thickness of a
single mass of salt as is the case in the Cdte Carline deposit.
The saliferous formations of Wieliczka consist of lavers and

* A Brief Contribution to the Geology and Paleontology of Northwestern
Louisiana by T. Wayland Vaughan. Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. No. 142, 1896,
pp. 12-13.

+ Text Book of Geology by Archibald Geikie, 3d ed., London, 1893, p.148.

+t Geology, Chemical, Physical and Stratigraphical, by Joseph Prestwich,
Oxford, 1884, vol. 1, p. 116, vol. 2, p. 140.

Nature, vol. 15, p. 240, 1877.

Hand Book of Geology by A. Geikie, 3d ed., London, 1893, p. 148.

Elements of Geology by Joseph LeConte, 4th ed., New York, 1897, p.439.

$ A System of Mineralogy by E. S. Dana, 6th ed., New York, 1892, p, 155.

Address by Andrew Crombie Ramsey. Report of Brit. Assn. Adv. Sci.,
1880, p. 13.

262 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

masses of salt separated by beds of clay, marl and anhydrite.*
The rock salt of the salt range of India, the only other deposit
which can compare with the Louisiana beds in thickness, is
associated with beds of clay; the aggregate thickness of the
whole averaging 300 to 700 feet and not exceeding 1,200.+

It would seem that according to thickness and purity the
Louisiana salt beds rank third and possibly second in the great
salt deposits of the world.

* Elements of Chemical and Physical Geology by Gustav Bischof, London
1854, vol. I, p. 383. Quotes Zeuchner in Jahrbuch fiir Mineralogie, etc.,
1844, P. 527.

* Karthy and Other Minerals and Mining by D. C. Davies, London, 1888,
p 86.

+ Memoirs of Geol. Surv. of India,vol. 2. ‘‘The Trans-Indus Salt Region,”’
by A. B. Wynne. Quoted by Davies in Earthy Minerals and Mining, p. 93.

ee

Special Report No. 4

A REPORT ON LOUISIANA CLAY SAMPLES
BY

HEINRICH RIES

LOCALITIES
EXPLANATION OF TESTS
Page Page
WEMONFELILES Of LESUS. < apa\erate 2050 DOGS WL UASLECIIN Sassi ames cians aaa 264
ORIGIN OF CLAYS
RESTA WAL: eda: Ccen tacts oa DGG eS COULEMLOIN ron at at ae, as 265
STRUCTURE
EUONLY DES. vanetninmaens oust oat 265
COMPOSITION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY
PASC roasts eee ee 266 Effect of heat on clay....... 268
SHIT EUC CR oet tee ee DOF SUL G in Me ce ass teus nape cc wo Pel
FUE SUFTIURGES Ces Noi Ss os 268

PHYSICAL TESTS OF LOUISIANA CLAYS

264 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

A REPORT ON LOUISIANA CLAY SAMPLES.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
LOCALITIES

The samples examined were from the following localities :
Harris No. 53. Alluvial clay, R. R. track just S. of Little R.
40. Grand Gulf clay, 1 mile west of Lena.
62. Carter’s pottery works, Robelien, La.
Xs SECs Ty sila, eke
St. Joe brick clay.
Shale, Sec..17, 33N.,, 21 W:

EXPLANATION OF TESTS

Before giving the results of the tests and presenting my con-
clusions concerning the possible uses of the material investigated,
it may be well to explain the tests which were carried out on the
sample, and their practical bearing.

Two kinds of tests.—In the testing of clays, two different lines
of work may be followed, the one chemical and the other physi-
cal. The former gives results that are of practical value only
in certain cases; the latter is of practical importance in every
case, and yields information concerning the material that can be
appreciated and used by the intelligent clay worker. It is the
physical testing that has been done on the samples submitted.

Plasticity.—Clay is a very common substance in nature, and
yet nothwithstanding its abundance, it is one of the mineral prod-
ucts whose properties are least understood. ‘The most striking
property that clay possesses is plasticity, and itis one of the two
properties that make it of such enormous value to mankind.
Plasticity in brief is the property by virtue of which the clay
when mixed with water can be molded into any desired shape,
which form it retains when dry. The second great property is
brought out when the clay is subjected to a degree of heat above
low redness, it becoming converted into a hard rock-like mass,
which for durability and strength is exceeded by few building
stones.

ae ee

IT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 4: CLays 265

ORIGIN OF CLAYS

Residual.—Clay is a secondary substance ; that is it is formed
by the decay of other rocks, especially those containing the min-
eral feldspar. When feldspar decays it yields the mineral
kaolinite, which is a hydrated silicate of alumina. A mass of
kaolinite would be called kaolin, and this latter is the purest
form of clay known, but thus far no absolutely pure clay has
been found in nature. The feldspar often occurs in the forms
of veins, and its decomposition gives rise to veins of kaolin. As
a rule the feldspar is associated with other minerals, especially
quartz and mica, so that the kaolin thus formed is a mixture of
kaolinite, quartz, mica and even some undecomposed feldspar.
A deposit of clay formed under these conditions and containing
only the minerals mentioned would be pure white, and would
also be called a residual clay, because it represents the residuum
of rock decay and is found at the locality where it was formed.
Very often the feldspar is intermixed with minerals which con-
tain iron in some form, and in the decay of such feldspathic
rocks the iron is set free in the form of iron oxide and colors
the clay red. Residual clays of this type are very common all
through the south in those regions which are underlaid by
gneisses and other crystaline rocks, and they form the great
brick-making material of many of the Southern states.

Sedimentary.—As the land surface is gradually worn down by
weathering, the particles of residual material are washed down
into the lakes or seas and there spread out over the bottom in the
form of sediment. Beds of clay formed in this manner are
known as sedimentary clays.

STRUCTURE

Two types.—The structure of these two types of clay deposit
is very different. In residual clays we find that there is a
gradual passage from the fine grained clay at the surface into
that which contains a mixture of fine particles and angular frag-
ments, and this in turn passes by stages into the undecomposed
rock beneath. Indeed the structure of the parent rock is ojten
observable for several feet up into the clay mass, as in the
vrocess of rock decay there is often very little movement of the

266 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

mineral fragments. Sedimentary clays on the other hand show
no relation to the underlying parent rock. They are usually
distinctly stratified, and there may be a number of distinctly
similar, or markedly different layers one on top of the other.

COMPOSITION

Either residual or sedimentary clays may be composed entirely
of very fine grains of clay substance as it is called, or they may
be made up of a mixture of both coarse and fine ones.

The relative amount of these present exercises an important
effect on the behavior of the clay as will be explained later.

In nature it is possible to find all grades of clay varying from
the nearly pure ones to those which are most impure.

A clay which is nearly pure such as the higher grades of kaolin
would have only silica, alumina and combined water in its com-
position, while the impure clays would have not only the above
mentioned ingredients, but in addition lime, magnesia, iron oxide
and alkalies, and the less pure the clay the greater the quantity
of these substances which are found in it. The most important
effect of these impurities as a whole is to alter the fusibility of
the clay, and the greater the percentage of them that the clay
contains the more easily will it melt.

A second effect of these impurities, especially the iron, is their
influence on the color of the clay in burning.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY

The physical properties of clays are extremely important, and
on them depend many possibilities. The most important of
these properties are plasticity, tensile strength, fusibility, color
on burning, shrinkage, and slaking.

Plasticity. —This property has already been explained as that
by virtue of which theclay can be molded into any desired shape,
which shape it retains when dry. The plasticity of a clay
depends almost entirely on its physical condition, that is on the
size and shape of the clay grains, and stands in absolutely no
direct relation to the amount of kaolinite which the clay contains,
although this fact is often erroneously stated in many books.
The cause of plasticity being thus partly understood it is easily
conceivable that clays will vary widely in the degree of plasticity

IIT] SpEcIAL REPORT No. 4: CLays 267

)

which they exhibit. Very plastic clays are called ‘‘fat’’ while
those which are low in plasticity arecalled ‘‘lean.’’ One of the
important effects of plasticity is that it permits the clay to be
molded more readily, and obviates the danger of its cracking
while it is being formed.

Plasticity is developed by mixing the clay with water, and the
plasticity of any clay increases with the amount of water added
up toa certain point, while the addition of more water causes
the clay to soften and turn into a condition of mud. In sedi-
mentary clays, especially the very plastic ones an appreciable
amount of water can be added to the clay after the point of maxi-
mum plasticity has been reached without destroying the cohe-
siveness of the clay, but with residual clays the addition of a very
slight excess of water in mixing is often very noticeable as the
material softens to the mud like condition very rapidly.

Very plastic clays may require as much as 35 or 4o per cent of
water by weight to develop their greatest plasticity, while the
lean ones may not need over 15 or even 20 per cent to accomplish
the same result.

Shrinkage.—If a mass of clay is set aside after being molded
and allowed to dry, because of the evaporation of the water, the
particles begin to draw together and the mass shrinks. This is
known as the azr shrinkage. Clays, which are very plastic and
contain a large quantity of fine particles in their mass tend to
shrink the most, while the very lean clays as a rule shrink the
least. The more water that is added to the clay in molding, the
greater will be the air shrinkage. It is in this stage that the
effects of dry-pressing make themselves beneficially felt, that is
when the clay is molded in the form of a dry, or nearly dry
powder there is little or no water to escape and consequently the
air shrinkage is very low. The air shrinkage of lean, sandy
clays may be as low as two per cent, while for very fat plastic
clays it may beas high as12 percent. There are certain dangers
which attend the high shrinkage in the air drying, i. e. that the
clay does not tend to dry equally fast throughout the mass
unless the operation is carried on very slowly, and consequently
there is danger of cracking in the ware, or twisting of the form.
(If the particles of the clay interlock in an intimate manner, and

268 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

resistance very strongly the tendency to be pulled apart, then
there is less danger of cracking.) This resistance of the parti-
cles to tearing is spoken of as the tensile strength and is expressed
in pounds per square inch. It is measured by forming the clay
into the form of briquettes of the same shape and size as those
used in the testing of cement. When dry these are placed ina
cement testing machine and the number of pounds per square
inch, which is required to pull them apart, is measured. This is
a variable quantity, and may run from ro or 15 lbs., to 4oo. The
tensile strength shown by the various types of clay in their
air dried condition, is

SAO LIAS eases erete te perenne 1o— 25 lbs. per sq. in.
Brickiclaysts, <2. sante isan wt 60- 75
Pottery xclayises c4-¢414-10 oe seek 100-150 ry
Pavano piickrelaysic m= sais clay: 75-150 3

Fire shrinkage.—lf after a clay has been air dried it is put in
a furnace or kiln and subjected to a slowly rising temperature,
it begins to shrink more, beginning at a low temperature and
continuing upwards. This second shrinkage is known as
the fire shrinkage and may be just as variable as the air
shrinkage. It is due partly to the loss of chemically combined
water which the clay contains, and also to the presence of other
volatile materials such as organic matter in the clay. It is just
as important that the fire shrinkage should proceed slowly in
order to prevent cracking and warping of the ware. Fine
grained clays usually shrink more in burning than coarse, sandy
ones, and it is on this account that sand is sometimes added to
the clay in the process of mixing and molding.

Effect of heat on cay.—In addition to the fire shrinkage which
has just been mentioned, there are certain other changes which
take place during the burning of a clay and these depend on the
temperature and also on the clay, whether pure or impure. If
the clay is heated to a certain point, which will be the higher,
the purer the clay, a softening of the particles takes place, or
fusion begins. If the clay is not heated further than this point,
it will on cooling be of a hard, rock-like nature, but will still be
porous. This is known as the condition of incipient fusion. A
further heating to a temperature of from 75 to 200 degrees Fahr.

i

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 4: CLays 269

causes the particles to soften still more under the action of the
heat, so that they pack together in a smaller space, leaving no
interstices. At this point the maximum shrinkage of the clay
has been reached and the mass will also be impervious or very
nearly so. It is what is known as the condition of vitrification.
This is the state to which stoneware, paving brick and sewer pipe
should be burned. But all clays do not yield the best results if
burned to this point.

If the clay is heated still higher it begins to soften still more
and at a certain point becomes viscous or flows. This is there-
fore spoken of as the point of viscosity. In clays which are to
be burned to the condition of vitrification the points of vitrifica-
tion and viscosity should be at least 150 degrees Fahr. apart and
preferably 200 degrees. In limy clays the points of incipient
fusion and viscosity are very close together and consequently it
is not possible to burn a kiln full of ware to vitrification without
danger of running it beyond to the point of viscosity. In some
fireclays the differcence between the points of incipient fusion
and viscosity may be as much as 600 degrees Fahr.

In very impure clays incipient fusion may begin at as low a
temperature as 1,700 degrees Fahr., while in fireclays this same
point may not be attained below 2,700 degrees, and indeed it
really should not in order to permit calling the clay refractory.

Another effect of heating is the change of color that is brought
about, especially by iron, for this is the great coloring agent of
clay in both the burned and unburned condition. With a given
percentage of iron, the clay when lightly burned will be light
red, but as the temperature of the firing increases the color
deepens, passing into deep red and finally, when the clay fuses,
into bluish black. Again, the greater the quantity of iron oxide
in aclay the deeper will be the color produced at any given
temperature. This production of the red color assumes that the
condition of the kiln fires is oxydizing, that is that there is a
supply of air. If there is an insufficient supply of the latter the
the fire will act reducing and the color of the burned clay will be
bluish instead of red.

There are certain ingredients which tend to destroy the red-
dening power of iron, and these are lime and alumina. It has

270 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

been found that if the clay contains a large percentage of
alumina, that the coloration produced by the iron will be much
fainter than if the percentage of alumina were smaller. Lime,
however, is far more powerful in this respect than alumina, for
if the lime percentage is only one and one-half times greater
than that of the iron it begins to exert a bleaching action on the
color of the clay in burning, and if the ratio of lime to iron is
as three to one the brick instead of burning red will burn buff.
This explains the. cream color of many cream colored bricks.
It should be added, however, that a small percentage of iron in a
clay will produce the same shade, but the limy clay will not
stand much heat whereas the one low in iron will, and further-
more if they are overburned, the limy one will turn green-
ish yellow, and the other will tend to pass into a deep buff or
deep red.

An important question with clay workers is the regulation of

the temperature, and the production of similar results during a
number of successive burnings. It, therefore, becomes neces-
sary to have some means of judging the temperature of the kiln.
One method consists in using a testpiece of clay, which shows
certain effects when the burning has reached the proper point.
Another method, which is a modification of the one just men-
tioned, is to use what are known as Segers cones. These are
little pyramid pieces of clays with other substances of a fluxing
nature added. They are so compounded that there shall be a con-
stant difference between their fusing points. These cones are
numbered from .022 to 33. The theory of these pyramids
or cones is that the cone bends over as the temperature
approaches its fusing point, and when this is reached the tip
touches the base.

In actual use they are placed in the kilnat a point where they
can be watched through a peephole, but at the same time will
not receive the direct touch of the flame from the fuel, and it is
always well to put two or more in the kiln so thas warning can
be had of the approach of the desired temperature, as well as of
the rapidity with which the temperature is rising.

In order to determine the temperature of the kiln several
cones are put in, as for example, Nos. .o7, 1 and 5. Suppose

a

II] SPECIAL REPORT No. 4: CLAYS Zp

that .o7 is bent over in burning but 5 is not affected. Then the
temperature of the kiln was between 3 and 5. The next time
2, 3 and 4 are put in, and 2 and 3 may be fused but 4 remain
unaffected, indicating that the temperature reached the fusing
point of three. If this is the temperature at which the burning
of the kiln is completed then in future burnings it is only neces-
sary to put cone three in the kiln and raise the. fire until this
bends over. ‘These cones can be obtained for the sum of one cent
each from Prof. E. Orton, Jr., of Columbus, O. In the testing
of the samples of the Louisiana clays these cones were used, and
the fusibility of the clay is expressed in termsof them. For the
temperature of the fusing points of these cones reference can be
made to the following list which gives the fusion points in
degrees Fahrenheit.

Number of |Fusing point} Number of | Fusing point Number of Fusing point |
cone degr’s Fahr. cone | degrees Fahr. cone degrees Fahr. |
.022 1094 .02 2030 18 2714
.O21 1148 .O1 2066 19 2750
“020 1202 I 2102 20 2786
.019 1256 2 2138 2 2822
.018 1310 2 2174 22 2858
.O17 1364 4 2210 23 2894
.O16 1418 5 2246 24 | 2930
.O15 1472 6 2282 25 | 2966
.O14 1526 7 2318 | 26 3002

| .O13 1580 8 2354 27 3038
| .O12 1634 9 2390 28 3074
.OII 1688 10 2426 | 29 alo
| .O10 1742 II 2462 30 3146
.09 1778 12 2498 | 31 | 3182
.08 1814 13 2534 | 32 | 3218
.07 1850 14 2570) | 33 3254
| .06 1886 15 2606 | 34 3290
£05 1922 16 2642 | 35 3226
| .O4 1958 17 2678 | 36 3362
-03 1994 |

Slaking.—When a lump, or mass of clay is thrown into water
it falls to pieces. This is called slaking. Some clays slake very
rapidly, while in the case of others it proceeds so slowly aS to be
almost imperceptible. Sandy clays tend to slake more rapidly,
than fine grained or dense ones, and shales will at times not
slake at all, although on grinding and mixing with water they

272 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA Sect.

show the same degree of plasticity as clay, for a shale is nothing
more than a clay which has become consolidated by simple pres-
sure of the overlying sediments that cover it. The practical
bearing of slaking is twofold. It comes into play when the clay

is being mixed with water before molding, when it is desired that

the clay shall permit the tempering water to enter all of its pores
both thoroughly and quickly. It also comes into play when
clays are being washed in order to free them from any coarse
particles of sand that they may contain, in which case if the
clay slakes rapidly, the operation of washing can be carried on
with greater speed and at the same time the result will be more
complete.
PHYSICAL TESTS OF LOUISIANA SAMPLES
148. (Survey No. 53.) Alluvial clay R. R. track just S. of
Little BR:

This was a somewhat gritty clay, and slaked easily when
thrown into water. On working it up it developed very good
plasticity, and required only 20 per cent. of water to mix it,
which is low. The tensile strength of air dried briquettes made
from this mass is 55 lbs.

The ratio of fine to coarse particles is shown by the mechani-
cal analysis which gave

Clay ame trmeh sti serait a eye tetea al iaees 72. pericemt.
Hine (SAC icoey ae spooteehettemey stone epee poten By avs
The bricklets made from the clay had an air shrinkage of
G.per Cent.

At cone 3 the total shrinkage was 7% per cent., and incipient
fusion had begun. At this temperature the clay burned toa
good red color. It contains small specks of pyrite which pro-
duce little fused spots when the clay is burned.

At cone 5 the shrinkage is the same and vitrifaction began at 9.

The clay is not to be classed as a fire clay for it is thoroughly
viscous at cone 26.

It would no doubt work for the manufacture of a good grade
of brick, and would perhaps lend itself to the molding of pressed
brick by the dry-press process.

149. (Survey No. 40.)

This is also coarse grained sandy clay and at the same time

one that slakes very rapidly.

a

IT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 4: CLays 273

It took 21 per cent. of water to work it up and the air shrink-
ge of the bricklets made from this mass was Io per cent.
The mechanical composition is very similar to the preceding
one and is:

Clayrand: finersiltye: Ooo er a 73750 p pen cent
Wery fine sandice 4. er he ok Ree 26.30 ie
99.80

The tensile strength was 45 lbs. per sq. in. which is sufficient
for a brick clay, but really should be greater.

At cone 3 the clay burns light red and shows signs of
incipient fusion.

At cone 5 the total shrinkage was 13 per cent. and the color
of the bricklet had changed to a deep red, while the iron oxide
mixed in with the clay substance had caused the latter to sinter,
but the brick was by no means vitrified.

In burning it would be best not to raise the temperature above
cone 3, for it destroys the color and also the texture of the body.

The clay contained but a trace of soluble salts and therefore
there would be but little danger of its becoming covered with a
coating unless it were from the mortar after being set in the wall.
150. (Survey No. 62.) Carter’s pottery works, 2% mi. E. of

Robeline, La.

This is quite a plastic clay and one of the best of the lot sub-
mitted. As the tensile strength often stands in more or less
direct relation tothe plasticity, it may be remarked that the
latter is 75 lbs. per sq. in.

The mechanical analysis also indicates that the clay has mostly
plastic particles, for it gave

AEP Salil hey nd alee rtark en ison eine ret ete on None

EMTS sei temwans A acmer nei eat tol ont 80.75 per cent

OSH EIS iene, Rea RON? ninth. Miata Ca SRR 20.20 pe
100.95

At cone 1 the clay burns hard and dense with a total shrink-
age of 13 per cent.
At cone 3 the shrinkage was the same, but vitrification had
begun.
At cone 5 the clay began to get viscous.
This would bar it out from being a fireclay. It burns however
R

274 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

to a very dense hard body, and could perhaps be used for paving
brick.

The percentage of soluble salts amounted to a mere trace. It
would work for common earthenware articles of small size, but
for stoneware it would probably be found more desirable to mix
it with a more plastic clay.

151. (Survey 10)? Sechi7> ia Nie er We

This clay is very plastic and while it contains little coarse grit
it has much very fine sand. It took 31 per cent of water to
work it up, and the tensile strength of the air dried briquettes
was 75 lbs. per sq. in.

The mechanical analysis gave :

Clay, andiime silt 24. 2580 tao + ane 42.10 per cent
Very dine sands... %40.2/<tee orcs tbgete 40 57.25
99239

The air shrinkage was I1 per cent.

At cone 3 the clay burned light red and the total shrinkage was
12 per cent.

At cone 6 the total shrinkage was 14 per cent and the color of
the brick brownish red, while incipient fusion had begun.

If burned to this temperature the clay would no doubt make a
good grade of face brick. It is nota fire clay for at cone 26 it
became thoroughly viscous.

The clay contained but one-tenth per cent. of soluble salts.

Like the preceding it would do for making earthenware, and
good pressed brick as well.

152. St. Joe Brick Clay, St. Tammany Parish; Da.

A sandy mottled clay that slakes very fast. It took 21 per
cent of water to work it up and gave a plastic but slightly gritty
mass, which for practical purposes does no harm. ‘The tensile
strength of the air dried briquette was 60 lbs. per sq. in.

The mechanical analysis yielded,

IMG Sang j3.45, Saiceh each ae eet 63.00 per cent
Clay and ‘fine silt. os mpsk oe crete BG 5Oue Bar
99.50

The air shrinkage was only 4 per cent which is due tothe high
sand percentage shown by the mechanical analysis.

At cone 3 the clay burns bright brick red and shows specks of
fused pyrite.

a Oa la = a

It] | SPECIAL REPORT No. 4: CLays 275

At cone 5 the color was still red and the shrinkage was 8 per
cent, while incipient fusion had begun.

At cone 26 the clay was completely vitrified.

It is to be regarded as a semi-refractory clay, but not good for
fire-brick.

There was only a trace of soluble salts.
ee, ~SeC! i7. 1 MN. Re er We

This is a soft gritty shale with flakes of mica and much
organic matter. It took 35 per cent. of water to work it up but
did not give a very plastic mass.

The air dried briquettes had a tensile strength of only 30 lbs.
ers. in.

The air shrinkage amounted to 9% per cent.

At cone 1 incipient fusion occurred and the color of the
brick was red. The total shrinkage up to this point was 12
pert cent.

At cone 5 vitrification began and the shrinkage was 13
per cent.

The soluble salts amounted to three-tenths of one per cent,
which is not excessive, but enough to yield a coating.

While the clay burns dense at a comparatively low tempera-
ture, viz., cone 5, at the same time it lacks in plasticity, and
if it is desired to use it for paving brick or stoneware it should
- be mixed with a more plastic clay.

In conclusion it may be said that all of the clays submitted
would, when used alone work for pressed brick, one for paving
brick and two for earthenware.

Attention should be called to the fact that the points of incip-
ient fusion of all lie somewhat higher than they do in most brick
clays, and therefore the best results will be obtained by burning
them in permanent walled kilns.

There is a great tendency among Southern brickmakers to not
only underburn their bricks, but also to mix sand with the clay,
when there is already enough sand in it.

Special Report No. 5

A REPORT ON A COLLECTION OF FOSSIE
PLANTS FROM NORTHWESTERN
LOUISIANA
BY

ARTHUR HOLLICK

CONTENTS
Letter of Transmittal
CRYPTOGAMIA
PTERIDOPHYTA

POL YPODIACEA:
Pteris pseudopenneformis, 279

PHANEROGAMIA
ANGIOSPERM 4-MONOCOTYLEDON

GRAMINEA:

Poacites sp., 279
CYPERACEAE

Cyperites sp. 279

ANGIOSPERM4-DICOTYLEDON

JUOGLANDACEZ:

Juglans rugosa, 280

Juglans schimperi, 280
FAGACEA

Quercus microdentata, 280
ULMACEA:

Uimus tenuinervis, 280
MORACEA:

Artocarpus dubia, 281

Artocarpus lessigiana, 281

Artocarpus pungens, 281

Ficus artocarpoides, ? 281

Ficus harrisiana, 281

Ficus planicostata, 282

Toxylon longipetiolatum, 282

a

II]

SPECIAL REPORT No: 5: Fossi_ PLANTS

MAGNOLIACEA:
Magnolia hilgardiana, 282
Magnolia lanceolata, 282
LAURACEA
Cinnamomum buchi, 283
Cinnamomum scheuchzeri, ? 283
Cinnamomutum sezannense, 283
Cryptocarya eolignitica, 283
Daphnogene kanii, ? 284
Laurus primigenia, 284
Persea speciosa, 284
Tetranthera precursoria, 284
AQUIFOLIA CEA:
Ilex ? affinis, ? 285
Tlex sp., 285
CELASTRACEAE
Celastrus taurinensis, ? 285
Celastrus veatchi, 285
SAPINDACEZE
Sapindus angustifolius, 286
|» RHAMNACEA
Rhamnus cleburni, 286
CORNA CEA:
Cornus studeri, ? 286
ERICACEAE
Andromeda delicatula, 287
Andromeda eolignitica, 287
SAPOTACEAE
Sapotacites americanus, 287
OLEACEAE
Fraxinus johnstrupi, ? 287
APOCYVNA CEA
Apocynophyllum sapindifolium, 288

277

A REPORT ON A COLEECTION OF FOSSIL PLANTS
FROM NORTHWESTERN LOUISIANA

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

CoLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEw York, N. Y.
SEpt. 23, 1890.
PROFESSOR G. D. HARRIS,
Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.:

Dear Sir: I transmit with this a report upon the collection of
fossil plants from the vicinity of Shreveport, La., which you
sent to me for examination some months since. The collection
numbers about 175 specimens, the majority of which are beauti-
fully preserved. The larger number, and best specimens, are in
a fine reddish sandstone*; a few are in gray sandstone} and the
remainder in clay { or clay concretions || .

About 50 species are represented. Of these I have been able
to identify 30 either positively or provisionally. Six others I
have described as new species.

They are all dicotyledonous angiosperms, with the exception
of two monocotyledons and one fern, and they indicate a Lower
Tertiary horizon.

Very truly yours,
ARTHUR HOLLICK.

* Y mile above Coushatta, La.

+K.C. P. & G. R. R. cut, 1 mile west of Shreveport, La.

t Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La. :

| Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou (%4 m. above Slaughter-Pen bluff), Shreve-
port, La.

CRYPTOGAMIA
PTERIDOPHYTA

POLVPODIA GEA

Pteris pseudopenneformis, Plate 32, fig. I.

Pteris pseudopenneformts Lesq., Tert. Fl. p. 52, pl. 4,figs. 3, 4.

Our specimen is the best one of this species thus far figured
and gives a clear idea of the difference between it and P. penne-
orm Weer, Pll Lert., helyet; voller, ps) 38, ple , is: 1, with
which it was originally confused by Lesquereux. Inaddition to
the fragments figured by Lesquereux another by Newberry may
be found in his Later Extinct Floras, etc., Monog. U. S. Geol.
Surv., vol. 35. pl: 48, fig. 5.

In hard clay concretions, Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou (% m.
above Slaughter-Pen bluff), Shreveport, La.

PHANEROGAMIA

ANGIOSPERMA-MONOCOTYLEDON 2
GRAMINEA
Poacites, sp. Pilatess 2 tio:
This is evidently a portion of a leaf blade of some monocotyle-
don, apparently a grass, and may be compared with similar
fragments described under the genus /oacites, such as P. levis
AlsBraudepicted by Heerin) El tert. Helvet: vol: 1, pli25, fe. 10,

PATS eet, 1074. tis, /T1, etc.
In soft clay, Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La.

CYPERACEH A

Cyperites, sp. Plate 32, figs. 3, 4.

These specimens are evidently fragments of monocotyledons,
which may be placed in the genus Cyferztes for convenience,
although they might equally well be considered as belonging to

the Palms.
In soft clay, Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La.

280 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

ANGIOSPERMA:-DICOTYLEDONA

JOGLANDACEE
Juglans rugosa, Plate 35, figs. 1, 2.
Juglans rugosa Lesq., Am. Journ. Sci., vol. 45 (1868), p. 206 ;
Tert. F.; p. 286, pl. §4, figs: 5; 145 pl. 55, nes. 2-9 ee
56, figs. 1, 2.
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.
Juglans schimperi, Plates'32,- fig? 5:33; fies. 1, 2; 35 ese; o
Juglans schimperi Lesq., Ann. Rep. U. 8S. Geol. and Geog.
Surv. Terf:;.1871(0872)) ‘Supply, pass “Lert BL po2a7anee
56, fig. 5-10.
Although these specimens vary considerably amongst them-
selves they occur in such close proximity in the rock that I have
thought it advisable to include them all under the one species.
In regard to our fig. 2, pl. 33, there can be nodoubt, when com-
pared with Lesquereux’ fig. 5, pl. 56, above quoted, but the others
might be more or less successfully compared with /. dubza Ludw.,
Palzontog., vol. 8, pl. 59, figs. 1, 2, or with /. occidentalis Newb..,
Later Ext. Fl., Monog. U. S. Geol. Surv.,vol. 35, pl. 65, fig. 1;
pl. 66, figs. 1-4.
In red sandstone, 1% m. above Coushatta, La.

PAGACE EE

Quercus microdentata, . s/., Plate 34.

Leaf elliptical in outline, about 8% in. long by 3% in. broad in the middle ;
finely dentate-serrate from below the center to the apex, entire and wavy
margined below ; secondary nervation fine, sub-parallel, leaving the midrib
at an angle of about 45 degrees, curving upward near the margin, each
nerve ending in one of the teeth, or the lower ones extending close to and
upward along the margin.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

ULMACEA:
Ulmus tenuinervis, Plate 32, fig. 6.
Ulmus tenuinervis Lesq., Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. and Geog.
Sury.;Terr:;1873)-(1874),;p: 4125" Lert) Pies parse ple 20
figs. I-3.
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 5: FossiLn PLANTS 281

MORACEA:

Artocarpus dubia, 7. sp., Plate 38, fig. 3.

Leaf irregularly three-lobed, lower lobes short, obtuse, ascending, middle
lobe broadest near the middle and tapering to a pointed apex, base wedge-
shaped ; secondary nervation pinnate throughout and camptodrome,

It is possible that this may be merely a young or small leaf of
A. lessigiana (Lesq.) Kn., but it appears to be so distinct and is
so well defined that I have thought it best to describe it as a new
species.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Artocarpus lessigiana, Plate 37.
Artocarpus lessigiana (Lesq.) Kn., Science, vol. 21, (1893),

p. 24; Myrica ? lessigiana Lesq., Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. and
Geog. Surv. Terr., 1874, (1876), p. 312; AZyrica ? lessigit
Itesqae Kerts Hl. cp. 136; ples64) Heir.

In hard clay concretions, Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou, (% m.

above Slaughter-Pen bluff) Shreveport, La.

Artocarpus pungens, Plate38;- fies. 1:2:
Aralia pungens Yesq., Cret. and Tert. FIl., p. 123, pl. 19, figs.
3) 4-
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La. .
Ficus artocarpoides, ? Plate 35, fig. 4.,
Ficus artocarpoides Lesq., Cret. and Tert. Fl., p. 227, pl. 47, figs.
I-5.

Our specimen is too imperfect for satisfactory identification
and I have therefore only referred it provisionally to this species.
It agrees very closely with Lesquereux, fig. 3, above quoted.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Ficus harrisiana, 7. s/., Plate 46, fig, 2.

Leaf about 3% in. long by 3% in. broad across the middle; constricted
to a blunt (?) apex and wedge-shaped at the base ; margin entire and wavy ;
three-nerved from the base and with two pairs of prominent sub-opposite
secondaries above; midrib strongest, basal nerves branched from the lower
side ; all nervation finally thinning out and inosculating near the margin,
tertiary nervation mainly at right angles to the primaries, secondaries, and
sub-secondaries, but broken in places by finer cross reticulations.

It is with hesitation that I have finally decided to place this
leaf in the genus /7cus. In some respects it suggests Avalia,
and in others Hedeva and in general appearance is not unlike

282 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Hf. auriculata Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 2., Fl. Foss. Alask.,
p. 36, pl. 9, fig. 6, but it isa much larger leaf and I have not
been able to compare it satisfactorily with any described species
in either genus.

The specific name is given for Prof. G. D. Harris, through
whose efforts the collection containing the specimen was brought
to my attention.

In clay concretions. Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou, (% mile
above Slaughter-Pen bluff) Shreveport, La.

Ficus planicostata, Plate 36.
Ficus planicostata Wesq., Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. and Geog.

Surv. ‘Tert:, 4872, (1873), p. 393; Tert. Fly, p.200 pla
figs. 1-8, 10-12.

Our specimen is larger than any of those figured by Les-
quereux, but otherwise it agrees too closely with the species to
watrant a separation.

In soft clay, Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La.

Toxylon longipetiolatum, 7. sp. Plate 48.

Leaf, exclusive of the petiole, about 534 in. long, slightly inequilateral,
broadest in the middle, rounded and curving in a bow to the base, some-
what constricted to a short point at the apex ; margin entire ; petiole about
3 in. long, curved; midribcurved; secondaries simple, sub-parallel, cury-
ing upward and approaching each other near the margin, all but the lower
two pairs alternately arranged.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Goushatta, La.

MAGNOLIACE
Magnolia hilgardiana, ; Plate 39.
Magnolia hilgardiana Lesq., 2d Rept. Geol. Recon. Ark., p, 319,
PievG, tie. ae
In red sandstone, 4 m. above Coushatta, La.
Magnolia lanceolata, Plate 4o.

Magnolia lanceolata Lesq., Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 6,
(1878), No.2) p. 24, pls.6, fe. 4.

Our specimen appears to be merely a more robust one of this
species. It is also comparable perhaps with J. longipetiolata
Etts., as figured in Foss. Fl. Bilin, pl. 41, figs. 8, 9.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

111] SpEcIAL REPORT No. 5: Fossii PLANTS 283

LAWRAGEZE.

Cinnamomum buchi, Plate 43, fig. 1.

Cinnamomum bucht Heer, Fl. Tert. Helvet., vol. 2, p. go, pl.
95, figs. 1-8.

Our specimen appears undoubtedly to bea large one of this
species although it also closely resembles the allied species C.
polymorphum (Al. Br.) Heer, as figured in the above quoted
work, on plates 93 and 94, and C. spectabtle Heer, zdzd., pl. 96.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Cinnamomum scheuchzeri, (?) Plate 41, fig. 4.

Cinnamomum schuchzert Heer, Fl. Tert, Helvet., vol 2, p. 85, pl.
gi, figs. 4-22; pl. g2, figs. 1-1ob; pl. 93, figs. 1, 5.

The reference of this specimen to the above species is made
provisional on account of its imperfect condition; there is but
little doubt, however, that it is correct.

In soft clay, Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La.

Cinnamomum sezannense, Plate 42, fig. 2.

Cinnamomum sezannense Wat., Pl. Foss. Bass. Paris, p.
175, pl. 50, ig. 2°: dubium Wat., 207d:, p. 176; pl. 50; fig.
4; Daphnogene pedunculata Wat., ibid., p. 178, pl. 50, figs.
6-10; D. longiqua Sap. and Mar., Essai Vég. Marnes
Heers:Gelind:) p48; plea fig.) Dsezannensis Sap...
Foss. Sezanne., p. 369 [81], pl. 29 [8] fig. 5, etc.

There is but little doubt that most, if not all the leaves
described under the above names are referable to one species, to
which our specimen belongs. In addition to the above refer-
ences comparisons even more satisfactory may be made with figs.
5 and 6, pl. 6, Essai Vég. Marnes Heers. Gelind and with figs.
2 and 5, pl. 9, Rév. Fl. Heers. Gelind., of Saporta and Marion.

In hard clay concretions, Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou (% m.
above Slaughter- Pen bluff) Shreveport, La.

Cryptocarya eolignitica, 7. s/., Plate 42, fig. 1.

Leaf about 6 in. long (including a petiole of about % in. in length),
by about 2% in. maximum width at the middle, oblong-ovate in
outline, slightly inequilateral, entire and wavy margined, tapering to the
apex, abruptly curved-at the base and extending a short distance down the

petiole ; sub-three-nerved by the lower pair of sub-opposite secondaries,
which start from a point about % in. above the base and curve strongly

284 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect

upward ; upper secondaries irregularly disposed, curving upward and all
finally thinning out close to the margin ; tertiary nervation fine, forming a
series of loops between the margin and the outer sides of the lower secon-
daries.

This beautiful leaf appears to be entirely distinct from any
heretofore described. It almost certainly belongs in the ZLaw-
racee and after a number of comparisons with living species in
the genera Phoebe, Oreodaphne, Litsea, etc. I have decided to
place it as given above.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Daphnogene kanii, (?) Plate 41, fig. 3.
Daphnogene kanit Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 1., p. 112, pl. 14,

figs. 1-5 ; pl. 16, fig. 1.

If our specimen were in a better state of preservation it would
probably not be necessary to question the reference to the above
species, of which it seems to be a small form. I have thought
it best to so refer it however, rather than to attempt a descrip-
tion of a new species founded upon fragmentary material.

In hard clay concretion, Vineyard bluff, Cross bayou (% m.
above Slaughter-Pen bluff) Shreveport, La.

Laurus primigenia, Plate 41, figs. I, 2.
Laurus primigenia Ung., Gen. et Sp. Pl. Foss., p. 423.

I have included our specimens under this protean species
largely for the reason that they may be satisfactorily compared
with figures of specimens referred by other authors to the same
species, notably by Heer, in Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 7, pl. 77, figs.
8-13, and pl 78, figs. 1-11.

In red sandstone, 44 m. above Coushatta, La.

Persea speciosa, Plate 41, fig. 5.
Persea speciosa Heer, Fl. Tert. Helvet., vol. 2, p. 81, pl. 90, figs

(hy 2s ple 100, -f1e5/1.82
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, as

Tetranthera precursoria, Plate 44, figs. 3, 4.
Tetranthera precursoria Lesq., Cret. and Tert. FI., p. 228, pl
43, Hy. 2°

In red sandstone, 4 m. above Coushatta, La.

;
;
:

IIT} SpEcIAL REPORT No. 5: Fossit, PLANTS 285

AQUIFOLIACEZE
Ilex ? affinis(?), Plate 44, fig. 2.
llex ? affinis Lesq.,Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Terr.,
Supple 187i (iSgelee pr oe Lette de konpa 270... pls. 50,
11fadsleoR Ne
Our specimen is too imperfect for accurate comparison, but it
appears to be an //ex and is sufficiently near to Lesquereux’
species for at least provisional reference.
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.
Pies "sp; Plate 43, figs. 2, 3.
The two fragments figured apparently represent a leaf related
to the genus //ex or perhaps to Celastrus, but they are too indefi-
nite either for satisfactory comparison or as a basis for the
description of a new species. Figures more or less closely
resembling ours may be seen under /. /ongzfolia Heer., Fl. Foss.
Arct., vol. 1., pl: 48, figs. 3-6 and /. hibscht Engelh., Sitzb.
Isis, Jahre) 1891, pl. 1; fig: 1.
In soft clay, Slaughter-Pen bluff, Shreveport, La.

CLLAST RA GEA

Celastrus taurinensis (?) Plate 46, fig. I.

Celastrus taurinensis Ward, Types Laram. FI1., Bull. U.S. Geol.
SuUrv.NO; 270 pa ROmpln34, ese) 5,00;

This specimen is placed provisionally under the above name
as it is too imperfect for accurate identification. That it belongs
in the genus Celastrus there can be but little doubt as may be
seen by comparison with the figures above quoted and also with
the closely allied species, C. alnzfolius Ward, tbid., p. 80, pl. 35,
figs 1, 2, and C. dorealis Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 2, Fl. Foss.
Alask., p. 37, pl. 10, fig. 4. In fineness of serration it more
nearly resembles the latter two species while in its nervation it
is more like the species to which it is provisionally referred,
especially as indicated in fig. 5 above quoted.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Celastrus veatchi, 7. sf., Plate 43, figs. 4, 5.

Leaf about 3 in. long by 13% in. broad in the middle, elliptical in outline,
tapering about equally to base and apex, obtusely or crenately toothed or
the lower portion merely wavy, with a blunt tip at the apex ; midrib strong

286 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

and straight ; secondary nervation well defined, curving upward, becoming
brochidodrome or sub-camptodrome through the tertiary nervation, with
fine nervilles extending to the teeth and margin.

These leaves closely resembles those of Elgocarpus europaeus
Etts., Foss. Fi. Bilin; Part’ T1l., p.\16, pl. 43, aes: 6-1o), pee
ours almost certainly belong in the genus Celastrus and I have
thought it best to consider them as a distinct species.

The name is given for Mr. A. C. Veatch, the collector.

In red sandstone, 4 m. above Coushatta, La.

SA PINDACEA:

Sapindus angustifolius, Plate 35, fig. 5.

Sapindus angustifolius Lesq. Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. and Geog.
Surv. lerr., 1873. (1874); ps 4154 Lert, Bl py 265. lees
figs. 2-7.

This little leaf appears undoubtedly to belong to the above
species, although it might almost equally well be compared with
the leaf figured as Quercus elena Ung. by Lesquereux in Cret.
and Tert. Fl., pl. 28, fig. 11. Itsidentity with the genus Sapindus,
however, is much closer than with Quercus.

In gray sandstone, 1 m. west of Shreveport, La. (K.C. P. &
Gy ae eUe)

RHAMNACE
Rhamnus cleburni, Plate 47, fig. 1.
Rhamnus cleburni Lesq., Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. and Geog.
Surv. ,) Lerm;, 1872, (1873), pe 3ets, lertubl. paesommaaaes

figs. I-3.
In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.
CORNACEA:
Cornus studeri (?) Plate 45, fig. 2.

Cornus studert Heer, Fl. Tert: Helvet., vol. 3, p. 27, pl. 105
fig. 18-21.

In referring our specimen provisionally to this species I have
followed the example of Lesquereux, who also questioned the
reference of his specimens to the species. There can be but
little doubt, however, that ours is identical with the one figured
by Lesquereux in Tert. Fl., pl. 42, fig. 5.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

a

1] SPECIAL REPORT No. 5: Fossit PLANTS 287

ERICA CEA:

Andromeda delicatula, Plate 45, fig. 1:

Andromeda delicatula Lesq., Cret. and Tert. Fl., p. 175, pl. 34,
figs. 10, II.

Our leaf appears undoubtedly to belong to this species,
although considerably larger than either of those figured by
Lesquereux.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

Andromeda eolignitica, n. sf.. Plate 47, fig. 2.

Leaf lanceolate in outline, entire, about 6in. long by 14 in. wide at the
middle, tapering gradually to the base and somewhat more abruptly to the
apex, which is constricted and narrowed into a point ; midrib strong and
conspicuous ; secondary nervation not visible.

This leaf was probably of thick leathery texture, in which the
finer nervation was hidden. In outline it closely resembles the
leaves figured by Lesquereux as Ficus lanceolata Heer, in Tert.
Fl. pl. 28, fig. 1-5, and also some of those figured by Heer as
palix-longa Al. -Br., in Floss. Arct., vol.3 Nachtr..Mioc: FI.
Gronl., pl. 4, figs. 7-10; but inasmuch as the secondary nerva-
tion in ours is lacking, I have thought it best to give it a new
name.

In red sandstone, 4 m. above Coushatta, La.

SAPOTACEAE
Sapotacites americanus, Plate 42, fig. 3.
Sapotacites americanus Lesq., in Safford’s Geol. Tenn., p. 428,
Plog Ki, hie. 8.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

OLEACEAE.
Fraxinus johnstrupi (?) Plate 44, fig. I.
Fraxinus johnstrupi Heer, Fl. Foss. Arct., vol. 7, p. 143, pl.
80, figs 1, 2.
In comparing this leaf with figures of described species I
found it almost impossible to decide between the one above
quoted and Quercus juglandina Heer, 7bid., p. 89, pl. 71, fig. 19;

288 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

pl. 74, figs. 4-7; pl. 76, fig. 12, and pl. 102, fig. 9a, especially in
regard to fig. 7, pl. 74. It also has some resemblance to //ea
grandijolia Lesq:, Cret. and Tert. Fl’, p; 187, pl. 38, fe. 1 buat
Lesquereux’ specimen is too fragmentary for accurate com
parison.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La

APOCYNACE A.

Apocynophyllum sapindifolium, 7. s/., Plate 46, fig. 3.

Leaf lanceolate, entire, slightly inequilateral, narrowed and decurrent for
ashort distance at the base; midrib strong; secondaries thin and regular,
leaving the midrib at an acute angle near the base, at a slightly more
obtuse angle upward, running parallel to each other for a short distance,
and approaching each other closeto the margin, where they curve upward;
tertiary nervation straight, sub-parailel and essentially at right angles to
the secondaries.

This leaf might be provisionally referred to several described
species under the genera Fzcus and Laurus, but some slight dif-
ference in each instance has led me to think that it represents a
new species. Interesting comparisons may however be made
with cus lanceolata (Heer), Web., as figured by Lesquereux
in Tert. Fl., pl. 28, figs. 1-5; Laurus princeps Heer, by the same
author, in Cret. and. Tert:; Fl. pl: 58) fig. (2 and: £2 premzcaence
Ung., as figured by Velenovsky in Tert. Fl. Laun, pl. 5, figs. 1-5.

In red sandstone, 4% m. above Coushatta, La.

NoTtr.— After page proof of this report had been set up my attention was
called to a paper by Professor H. Engelhardt, entitled ‘‘ Ueber Tertiarpflan-
zen von Chile,’’ (Abh, Senckenb. Naturf. Gesellsch. vol. 16 (1891), pp.
629-692, pls. I-14) in which are described and figured a number of species
identical with ours but under different names. Of special interest is his
Goeppertia spectabilis, which is undoubtedly identical with my Cryplocarya
eolignitica, in which case Engelhardt’s name has precedence.

AC ied

Sy ailee 2" rs cf
RS

PX

eRe
Se ONG

A

schimperi Lesq. P. 280

1,2. /uglans

2 pS L4/
aA.

NG

ty

=<

stifolius Lesq. P. 286.

chimpert esq. P. 280. 4. Hicus
ou

Lesq. P. 280. 3. Juglans s
Lesq.? P. 281. 5. Sapindus an

rugosa
rpoides

artoca

1,2. /uglans

’
,
S,

AKL
RK ERY

6
5
5
~
Q,
o
=
\
8
S
is)
>

=

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

Magnolia hilgardiana Lesq. P. 282

PLATE 39

SS as

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 40

Magnolia lanceolata Lesq., x 4. P. 282

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

namomum scheuchzeri Heer, ?

4
1,2. Laurus primigenia Ung. 3. Daphnogene kanti Heer.? 4. Cin-
5. Persea speciosa Heer.

Pp. 283-284.

n

{

\ /
Sy
x

PLATE 41

PLATE 42

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1599

UJ
é
\D &
RONINIACG

Nit

SAK
cant ian

annense Wat.

Cinnamonium sez
Re 287

2.

sp.

nH.

Sapotacites americanus Lesq.

Ca,
12 Bsij, @

Cryptocarya eoligniti

I.

REPORT, 1899

VEY OF LOUISIANA,

GEOLOGICAL SUR

De Be, | IUGIES SO

Pa28ee

4, 5. Celastrus veatcht, n. sp. P. 285.

1. Cinnamonium bucht Heer.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

PLATE 45

VEE

a

1. Andromeda delicatula Lesq. P. 287. 2. Cornus studeri Heer. ? P. 286

a a
— ~

———

ae NT

ee ——=S>——_) a et
— \
\
\

LK SOE ™

mi ie

rd.? P, 285. 2. Ficus harrisiana,

1. Celastrus taurinensis Wa

sp. P. 288

sapindifolium, nN.

281. 3. dpocynophyllum

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, I899 PLATE 47

1. Rhamnus cleburni esq. P. 286. 2. Andromeda eolignitica,
aiSDey we 2O7)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 48

. Zoxylon longipetiolatum, n. sp., 34 nat. size. P. 282

Special Report No. 6

THE CRETACEOUS AND LOWER EOCENE FAUNAS
OF LOUISIANA

BY

G. D. HARRIS

CONTENTS

CRETACEOUS
EXPLANATORY REMARKS

PEELECYPODA

Exogyra costata, 292
Gryphea vesicularis, 292
Ostrea larva, 293

Ostrea plumosa, 293
Neithea quinquecostata, 294
Camptonectes burlingtonensis, 294
Lima pelagica, 294

Cardium alabamense, 294
Inoceramus barabini? 295
Veniella, sp., 295
Crassatella vadosa, 295
Thetis, sp., 295

Trigonia eufaulensis, 295
Linearea metastriata, 296
Legumen planulatum, 296

GASTROPODA

‘Avellana bullata, 296
Laxispira lumbricalis, 296

CEPTHALORODA

Ptychoceras, near crassum, 297
' Heteroceras, 297
Baculites anceps, 297 .

290 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

BRACHIOPODA

Terebratulina, sp., 297
HOCENE

MIDWAY STAGE

PELECYPODA

Ostrea crenulimarginata, 297
Ostrea pulaskensis, 298
Modiola stubbsi, 298

GASTROPODA

Turritella mortoni, 299
Fusus harrisi, 299
Leiostoma? ludoviciana, 299

LIGNITIC STAGE

PELECYPODA

Ostrea thirsz, 300
Modiola alabamensis, 300
Pinna, 300

Barbatia cuculloides, 301
Leda aldrichiana, var., 301
Leda corpulentoides, zor
Venericardia planicosta, 302
Astarte smithvillensis, 302
Crassatella, sp , 302

Kellia prima, 302

Mactra bistriata, 303
Corbula alabamensis, 303
Lucina ozarkana, 303
Cardium tuomeyi, 303
Ceronia, sp., 304

Pholas alatoideus, 304

GASTROPODA

Pleurotoma huppertzi, var., 304
Pleurotoma silicata, 304
Pleurotomella veatchi, 305
Buccinanops ellipticum, 305
Pseudoliva vetusta, var., 305
*Levifusus indentus, 306

: In] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: MARINE FOSSILS 291

Cancellaria quercollis, var., greggi, 305
Volutilithes petrosus, 305
Levifusus supraplanus, 306
Levifusus pagoda, 306
Levifusus trabeatus, 306
Mazzalina plena, 306
Tritonidea pachecoi, 306
Nassa exilis, 307
Calyptraphorus velatus, 307
Cassidaria brevidentata, 307
Fusoficula juvenis, 307
Turritella mortoni, 308
Turritella humerosa, 308
Turritella precincta, 308
Natica eminula, 308

Natica aperta, 308

Natica alabamiensis, 308
Sigaretus declivus, 308
Solarium bellense, 309

292 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

CRETACEOUS
EXPLANATORY REMARKS

We have seen how, early in the century, several fictitious Cre-
taceous localities and fossils were mentioned from eastern Louis-
sana and how Hilgard, Hopkins, Learch and others have since
mentioned Exogyra costata and Gryphea pitcher: from the salt licks
of northern Louisiana. The latter fossil having been proven by
Vaughan to have been improperly identified, Exogyra costata has
remained the only well authenticated Cretaceous species in Louis-
iana. It is owing to Mr. Veatch’s energy that we have now a
fairly good representation of the Cretaceous fauna of this State.

Mr. T. W. Stanton of the U. S. Geological Survey has kindly
looked over and labeled the majority of the more perfect specimens;
and hence the names which follow may be regarded as his iden-
tifications.

PELECYVPODA
Exogyra costata, ° Plate 49, fig. I.

Syn.—E. costata Say, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vol. 2, p. 43,
1820.
E. costata White, U.S. G. S., 4th Ann. Rept., p. 304, pls.
56-57, figs. 1 and 2, 1884.
E. costata Whitfield, U.S. G.S.,Mon. 9, p. 39, pl. 6, figs.
I and 2, 1885.

E. costata Say, Bull. Am. Pal., vol. 1, p. 291, 1896.

This is one of the most abundant and characteristic molluscan
species in the Cretaceous of the Atlantic and Gulf States. The
smaller or operculated valve only is herewith figured since our
collections have not as yet furnished any of the larger valves.

Localities. —Rayburn’s salt work, Bienville parish, La.—Veatch
(specimen figured). King’s salt work.—Hilgard.

Gryphza vesicularis, Plate 49, fig. 2; Pl. 50, figs. 1 and 2.
Syn.—O. vesicularis Lam., Am. du Mus. vol. 8, p. 160,pl. 22, fig.

3, 1808.

Gryphea convexa Morton, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
vol. 6, pp. 79-80, pl. 4, figs. 1, 2, 1828-31.

III] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: CRETACEOUS FossILS 293

G. mutabilis Morton, zbzd., pp. 81-83, pl. 4, fig. 3.
G. convexa Morton, Synopsis, etc., 1834, p.53, pl. 4, figs.
I_and.2.
G. mutabilis Morton, zbzd., fig. 3.
G. vesicularis White, 4th Ann. Rept. U.S: G.S., p. 303,
pl. 48, figs. 1-5.
UiGsvesteulares, wam? Whitt 7.5. 'G.s.,,.Mon..9,'p./36,
pl. 3, figs. 15 and 13, pl. 4, figs. 1-3, pl. 5, 1885.
This species is widely distributed in the Cretaceous of the
Atlantic and Gulf States. It also occurs in beds of like horizon
in Kurope. The Arkansas and Texas form of this species is the
same as the one herewith figured.

Locality. —Rayburn’s salt work, Bienville parish, La.

Ostrea larva, Plate 49, fig. 3.

Syn.—O. larva Yam., An. sans Vert., vol. 6, p. 216, 1819.
O! jalcata. Morton, Jr. Acad: Nat. Sci. Phila., vol... 6,
pl..2, fig 2:
O. falcata Morton, Synop. Org. Rem. Cret. Group, U. S.,
ES 34 yep. 50 Pi 33 LS Soe PlanO, Lies. OFF.
O. (Alectryonia) larva White, U.S. Geol. Surv., ath Ann.
Rep., 1884, p. 296, pl. 42, figs. 2-9.

This is a very common species from the Upper Cretaceous of
the Atlantic sea border and Gulf States. It occurs also in beds
of similar age in Europe and southern Asia.

Locality,—Rayburn’s salt work, Bienville parish, La.

Ostrea plumosa, Plate 49, fig. 4.

Syn.—O. plumosa Mort., Synopsis Organic Remains, Cretaceous
| Group 7US., p. S51, .pl.3,, fig: /9,..1834:
O. plumosa Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9g, p. 31, pl.
Sees 121s 1385.

Our specimens do not show such coarse radii as Morton’s fig-
ure indicates, nor do they show the undulations indicated by
Whitfield’s figures. Yet we feel little hesitation in assigning
them to this species.

Originally described from Arneytown, N. J.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works, La.

204 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Neithea quinquecostata ? Plate 49, fig. 6, 7.

Syn.—Fecten guinguecostata (Sowerby) Morton, Am. Jour. Sci.,
vol. 18, pl. 3, fig. 6, 1830. Synop. Org. Rem., p.
575 DMO, Ter, Arse
Neithea quinguecostata Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9,
p. 56, pl. 8, figs. 12-14, 1885.
Our specimens are all small and cannot be identified with this
species beyond doubt.
This is one of those forms showing an almost universal dis-
tribution.
Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.
Camptonectes burlingtonensis, Plate 50, fig. 3.

Syn.—Fecten burlingtonensis Gabb, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Jr.,
vol. 4, p. 304, pl. 48, fig. 25, 1860.
Camptonectes (Amusium) burlingtonensis Whitf.,U. S.Geol.
‘Surv., Mon. 9, p. 53, pl. 8, figs. 3-9, 1885.

The specimen figured is very finely and beautifully marked.
There are concentric broad undulations about the beak ; over the
whole surface are concentric lines averaging perhaps one-
twentieth or thirtieth inch apart ; between these extend radially
very fine and sharply defined lines, the characteristic markings
of Campuionectes.

Described originally from Burlington County, N. J.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works, La.

Lima pelagica, Plate 49, fig. 5.
Syn.—Plagtostoma pelagica Morton, Amer. Jr. Sci., vol. 23, p.

292, ple95, ds? 250823:

P. pelagicum Morton, Synop. Org. Rem., p. 61, pl. 5, fig.
2LOaae

Radula pelagica Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9, p. 61,
pl. 9, figs. 3-5, 1885.

Described originally from the Lower Greensand marls of New
Jersey.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Cardium alabamense, Plate 50, fig. 4.

Stanton has so labeled several imperfectly preserved specimens
in our co'lections.

WI] SprcraL Report No. 6: CRETACEOUS FossILs 295

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.
Inoceramus barabini, Plate 51, fig. 2.

Syn.—Probably thesame as /. darabint Mort., Synop. Org. Rem.,
p62; plan he sand pl. 13 )e% 11. 1830.
Also probably the same as /. darabini Whitf., U. S. Geol.
Surv., Mon., p. 75, pl. 15, figs. 3-5, 1885.
Originally described from the Cretaceous of Green Co., Ala.,
and named in honor of Joseph Barabino of New Orleans.
Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.
Veniella sp., Plate 50, fig. 8.
Syn.—Cf. V. rhomboidea Con., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Jr., vol.
Dp 275; pl. 24, fie. 71853.
There can be little doubt about the generic affinities of these
imperfect specimens, but specifically they are unidentifiable.
Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Crassatella vadosa, Plate 50, fig. 5.

Syn.—C. vadosa Morton, Synop. Org. Rem, p. 66, pl. 13, fig.
12, 1834. C. vadosa Whtf., U.S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9, p.
IJ platy, Hes: 12-15:

Our specimens are all small, but they seem to agree well with
the general character of this species, so far as can be judged.
Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Thetis sp., Plate 50, fig. 6.

This little specimen is very well preserved exteriorly but both
valves are together, closed, so that the interior of the shell cannot
be studied without damaging the specimen.

Localtty.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Trigonia eufaulensis, Plate 50, fig. 9.

Syn.—T,. eufaulensis Gabb, Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Jr., vol. 4, p.
396, pl. 68, fig. 32, 1860.
T. eufaulensis Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9, p. 113,
pl. 14, figs. 1-4.
These specimens like the typical forms at Eufaula, Alabama
are rather small.
Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

296 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Linearia metastriata, Plate 50, fig. 7.
Syn.—ZL. metastriata Con., Acad. Nat. Sci. Jr., vol. 4, p. 279, pl.
46, fig. 7, 1860.
L. metastriata Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9, p. 165,
pl. 23, figs. 6-7, 1885.

This is a beautiful little species preserving not only all the
delicate surface markings, but also some of the original color of
the shell.

Originally described from Eufaula, Ala.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Legumen planulatum, Plate 51, fig. 1.
Syn.—Solemya planulata Con., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Jr., vol.

2, p. 274, pl. 24, fig. 11. Legumen planulatum Con.,
Acad ete... jr vole 4, p. 277.

Legumen planulatum Whitf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 9,
p. 184, pl. 25, figs. 3-4.

Specimens all imperfect, yet showing well their characteristic
flattened form

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

GASTROPODA
Avellana bullata,

Syn.—'‘ Tomitella? bullata’’ Morton, Synop. Org. Rem., p. 48,
pl. 5, fig. 3; 1834:
Avellana bullata Whitfield, U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 18,
p. 163, pl. 20, figs. 1-4, 1892.

Though we possess but a small fragment of this species, it is
sufficient to show the characteristic labrum and surface markings
of the species.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Laxispira lumbricalis, Plate 51, fig. 3.
Syn.—L. lumbricalis is Gabb. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., Proc., 1876, p.

201, ‘pls 17a ee gy
L. lumbricalis Whitfield, U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 18, p.
148, pl. 18, fig..25.

The figures represent but small portions of perfect specimens
of this species. They show, however, the characteristic spiral
markings.

Locality.—Rayburn’s salt works.

Il] SpEcIAL REPORT No. 6: Mrpway EocENE FAUNA 297

CEPHALOPODA

Ptychoceras, near crassum, Plate 51, fig. 5.

See Rept. Geol. Black Hills of Dakota, by Whitfield, p. 459,
plate 16, figs. 3-5, 1880. Seealso Meek’s report U. S. Geol.
Surv, Terr., vol. 9, p. 412, plate 20, figs. 4a-d, —P. mortonz

Locality.— PRayburn’s salt works.

Heteroceras sp., Plate 51, fig. 4.
See 7urrilites pauper Witf., U. S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 18, p. 268,

plate 45, figs 1-4.

We do not feel quite satisfied that Weteroceras is the name that
will finally be applied to sinistral cephalopoda of this type.
However, this is a very interesting specimen and deserves to be
figured in this place.

Locality.-Rayburn’s salt works.

Baculites anceps, Plate 51, fig. 6.
Syn.—This species Stanton has regarded as anceps of Lamarck,
and probably regarded it as synonymous with 2. asfer Morton.

Only small fragments have been so far found. They show
the low undulations of asfer as figured by Morton, though the
suture line is not determinable.

Locality.-Rayburn’s salt works.

BRACHIOPODA
Terebratulina sp., Plate 51, fig. 7.
We have not seen any species figured that looks just like this.
Whitfield’s figures of Terebratella vanuxemi and 7. plicata from
N. J. have much coarser coste. The same is true of 7: sayz
Morton.
Locality._Rayburn’s salt works.

HOCENE
Mipway STAGE
PELECYPODA
Ostrea crenulimarginata, Plate 52, figs. I.a.

Syn. O. crenulimarginata Gabb, Jr. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila.,
2dser., vol. 4, p. 398, plate 68, figs. 40, 41, 1860.

298 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

For general synonymy and description, see Bull. Am. Pal.,
vol. 1, p. 159, 1896.

The state of preservation of this species in Lousiana is not the
best. Specimens are firmly imbedded in the rock and fragments
only can usually be obtained. In the bed of the brook however,
there were a few loose, fairly well preserved specimens. It is these
oyster shells that gave the rock in which they they are imbedded
its limy character.

Locality—Raines’ place, near Rocky Spring church, about six
miles W. S. W. of Marthaville, Sabine Parish. The writer has
personally collected this species also near the Cretaceous-Hocene
border line in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama
and Georgia.

Ostrea pulaskensis, Plate 52, fig. 2, 3, 4,
Syn.—O. pulaskensis Har., see Bull. Am. Pal., vol. 1, p. 160.

This isthe Gryphe pitchert Hilgard (Geol. Recon., Final Rept.
1869, p. 29) without doubt.

Mr. Veatch found a large number of these oysters lying on
some of the old dumps at King’s salt works; and it was probably
here that Hilgard found his specimens.

Vaughan has already called attention (Am. Geol., vol. 15,
p. 297, 1895 and elsewhere) to the fact that ‘‘ G. pitcheri is a
Comanche series fossil and does not occur in the upper Creta-
ceous,’’ but he failed to state what the Louisiana specimens
really should be called.

Modiola stubbsi n. sp., Plate 52, figs. 5, 6.

The general appearance and dimensions of this species are
shown by the figures. It is specially characterized by the
prominent angulation on the posterio-dorsal margin, and by the
coarseness of the plications between this angulation and the
most posterior point on the shell. The shell matter is thin and
its various layers show a beautiful mother-of-pearl appearance,
All specimens are broken and crumpled to a considerable extent.
This species seems to have been the most common associate of
the large oyster described above.

Locality.—Raines’ place, about six miles W. S. W. of Martha-
ville.

a ee ee ee

III] SprciAL REPORT No. 6: LIGNITIC KOCENE FAUNA 299

Turritella mortoni, Plate 52, fig. 9.

Syn.—7Z. mortoni Con., Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., Jour. vol. 6,
Pp: 221, plemo wie we eroso- See, bull Am. Pali. vol: 1,
Pp. 224,) VOlA 3A p-n74%

The fragments of this species are sufficiently well preserved to
prove the existence of this species in association with the large
oyster and the few other species found at the exposure given
below.

Locality.—Raines’ place, near Rocky Spring church, about
six miles W. S. W. of Marthaville.

Fusus harrisi, Plate 52, fig. 7.
Syn.—F. harrist Ald., Bull. Am. Pal., vol. 1, p. 64, pl. 5,
figs. 2 and 8, 1895. See also vol. 3, p. 43, 1899.

The only specimen we have of this species is by no means
perfect as could be desired, but there seems to be no reasonable
doubt regarding its identification. It has hitherto been known
only from the lower Lignitic at Gregg’s landing and Yellow
bluff on the Alabama river.

Locality.—Raines’ place, near Rocky Spring Church, about
six miles W. S. W. of Marthaville.

Leiostoma(?) ludoviciana, un. sp., Plate 52, fig. 8.

We have a number of fragments of this Carice/la-shaped-
species but none show its generic affinities beyond question.
When broken off anteriorly the shell has very much the shape
and appearance of some varieties of Pseudoliva vetusta, but no
trace of the characteristic furrow of that genus has been found.
The anterior canal was shorter and more twisted than in Cavicella.
More material is needed for a satisfactory diagnosis of the
species. It is here included on account of its strange appear-
ance and association.

Locality,—Raines’ place, about six miles W. S. W. of Martha-
ville, near Rocky Spring church, Sabine parish.

LIGNITIC

The fossiliferous localities of Sabinetown and Pendleton on
the Texas side of the Sabine have already been described in this
report, pp. 65-67. Though they are not on Louisiana soil, the

300 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

horizons to which they belong are certainly to be found east of
the Sabine, though generally not well exposed.

Had these localities and their fossils been described in the
Texas Survey reports or elsewhere a mere reference to them
would have sufficed here. But since the Sabinetown fauna has
long been misinterpreted and that at Pendleton has been unknown
to previous writers, we have no hesitation in devoting some time
to their study and space to their elucidation.

PELECYPODA
Ostrea thirse, Plate 53, fig. I.

Syn.—Gryphea thirse Gabb, Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., Proc. 1861,
Pp. 329.
Ostrea thirse Heilp., U. S. Geol. Surv., 3d Annual, p. 311,
Di OR, Ls ars Or
O. thirse Hat., Bull. Amer. Pal., vel. (2, gp 40, pliers
figs. 5, 6.

This species was originally described from Nanafalia, Ala.,
where it is found in great numbers.

These specimens have in some instances the true ¢hivs@ appear-
ance, but often they grade towards what we have believed to be
the young of a variety of O. ¢rigonalis at Woods bluff. See pl.

722), Bull.) Aimer. Pal’: ‘vol. 2:

Localities. —Marthaville R. R. cut; well,S. W. 4% S. W. YS.
Toy IN OMe

florizon.—Lower Lignitic.

Ostrea, sp.

There are numerous fragments of large oysters found at Pen-
dleton and elsewhere; but so far we have not found sufficiently
perfect specimens to warrant specific identification.

Modiola alabamensis, Plate 53, fig. 2.

Syn.—M7. alabamensis Ald., Bull. Amer. Paleont., vol. 1, p. 68,
pl 6; Tie! 13; TBE 5.

The specimens found are from Pendleton, Texas. It will
doubtless be found in Sabine and other parishes of La., where
the Lower Lignitic rocks crop out.

Pinna sp. :

No special importance is attached to the finding of fragments

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: LIGNITIC FAUNA 301

of specimens of this genus in rocks from Cretaceous or Tertiary
deposits. However, the silvery, scaly character of the semi-
disintegrated shell is rather noticeable and is apt to attract atten-
tion and arouse wonderment as to the nature of the animal that
produced it. It is a distant relative of the pearl oyster.

Localities—\a Nana bayou, near Many; S. E. of Sodus, lime-
stone concretions.

Fforizon—Lower Lignitic.

Barbatia cuculloides, var. Plate 53, fig. 3.
Syn.—A rca cuculloides Con., Foss. Shells, Tert. Form., p. 37, 1833.

BB aucuiuoes, tan. bull, Amer. Pals vol! 2... 239, pl14;
figcie Leo 7:

The members of this division of the Arcas are somewhat vari-
able in form and surface markings, and we have been unable to
satisfactorily differentiate the Eocene species. In fact the Oli-
gocene forms from Vicksburg, are perhaps of one and the same
species with the Eocene.

Localities.—Pendleton, Tex., S. W. 4%, S. W. 4, S. 18,7 N..,
10 W. Marthaville. ,

Florizon.—-Lower Lignitic.

Leda aldrichiana, var., Plate 53, fig. 5.
Syn.— Voldia aldrichiana Har., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 2. p. 245,

ple 14, figs PS) Jane,1807:
Leda acaia Mall... tr Wag eree Inst. (Sci-7 vol, 3556;
pl. (32) fis 3;"Oct. 1898.

The Sabinetown specimens when compared with those from
the type locality, Woods bluff, will be found to be somewhat
broader posteriorly or comparatively less ventricose anteriorly
than those from the last mentioned locality. Yet the distance
between the localities is doubtless sufficent to account for a con-
siderable amount of variation. It would certainly be unwise to
propose a new specific name for these western specimens when
the differences are confined to general outlines of the shells.

Locality.—Sabinetown, Texas.

florizon.—U pper Lignitic.

Leda corpulentoides, var.

Syn.— Yoldia corpulentoides Ald., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 1, p. 70, .
Dl 6, fge.oe oa, £805.

302 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

See also Bull. Amer. Pal. vol. 2, p. 243.

We must be in possession of better specimens from the type
locality before we can say just what ZL. corpulentoides is. See
remarks on p. 343, vol. 2, Bull. Amer. Pal. It would seem,
however, that this is a variety of the species.

Locality.— Pendleton, Texas.

Florizon.—lower Lignitic.

Venericardia planicosta, Plate 53, fig. 6.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer,” Pal, vol: 1. p:.172; vol:"2, “pr eere.

The specimens so far found in Louisiana are rather smaller
than the average, but still are well formed.

This is the most typical and important species of the Eocene
series.

Lignitic localities. —Sabinetown; 1 mi. EK. of Ft. Jessup; Wms.
farm:; well, °S..W..°%, Se Ws. 4 -Seet. (18-9. N. “ro Wie ee
Nana bayou.

Astarte smithvillensis, Plate 53, fig. 7.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 2, p. 248.

This species seems to be very poorly represented in the Lignitic
of Louisiana. Only one specimen, an exterior impression has
thus far been found. It is from La Nana bayou near Many.
See p. 69 of this report.

Crassatella sp.

Casts of what seem to be short, rugose Cvassatelle have been
found at several places, but they are too fragmentary for specific
determination.

They remind one of C. gadéi from the Midway of Tennessee.

Localties.— Marthaville ; La Nana bayou.

Kellia prima, Plate’53, igor.

Syn.—Kellia prima Aldrich, Bull. Amer. Paleont., vol. 2, p. 181,
plex6; figs 2) san
See also vol. 2, p. 202 and 250.

We have already recorded this species from Sabinetown in the
Bulletins of American Paleontology, p. 202 as givenabove. The
specimens were in the Lea Memorial collection of the Phila-
» delphia Academy, and were collected by C. W. Johnson, of the

i a la ee

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: LIGNITIC FAUNA 303

Wagner Free Institute of Science. So far as known this species
is confined to the Upper Lignitic or Woods bluff horizon.

Cardium tuomeyi. Plate 53, fig. 9, 10.
Syn.— C. tuomeyz Ald., Geol. Surv. Ala., Bull. 1, p. 40, pl. 4,
HES. £3, 13a, 1880;

See also Bull. Am. Pal., vol. 2, p. 252.

The specimens we have in hand are of the same species as
those of the Lower Lignitic of Alabama. They often show,
however, a somewhat coarser costation than the type specimen
of twomeyt does; but so do many specimens from Nanafalia, the
type locality. We have come to think the gap between foumeyz
and hatchetigbeense not so very wide. C. hatchetigbeense is sup-
posed to have fewer ribs and to have sharp large spines on the
anterior and posterior slope. Many of these show this feature
clearly.

Locality. Pendleton, Texas; Marthaville, La.; La Nana
bayou, near Many, La.

Horizon.—Lower Lignitic.

Mactra bistriata, Plate 53, fig. 4.

Syn.—/. pretenuts var. bistriata Har., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 2,
D250. pl. LO, S10, 1807.

With better specimens in hand it is safe to say that this is
distinct from J7. pretenuts, Con.

Locality.—Sabinetown, Tex.

Florizon.—Upper Lignitic.

Corbula alabamensis, var.
Syu.— see Bull! Amier./Paleont:, vol: 2, p. 260.

Here is the same small varietal section of this species as noted
in the above-mentioned Bulletin from various Lignitic localities
in Alabama. It has nostrongly marked characteristics by which
to differentiate it from other members of this section.

Locality.—Sabinetown, Tex.

Lucina ozarkana.
syn.—L. ozarkana Har., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 2, p. 264, 1897.
These fragmentary specimens from Sabinetown seem to
belong to the same species found in Woods bluff beds at
Ozark, Ala.

304 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Ceronia.

We cannot presume to identify or name specifically the frag-
mentary specimens in hand. Suffice to say they seem to be quite
common, and can easily be told by the silvery character of the
shell matter.

Locality.—Sabinetown and Pendleton, Tex.

Pholas alatoideus, Plate 53, fig. 12.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 2, p. 261.

We have little doubt as to the specific identity of this imperfect
cast with the Alabama Lignitic specimens. It will be observed,
however, that in Alabama the species comes from the Lower
Lignitic, while this is from Sabinetown, and Upper Lignitic
horizon.

GASTROPODA

Pleurotoma huppertzi var.
Syn.—P. huppertzi var penrosei Har., Acad.Nat.Sci. Phila., 1895,
p. 58, pl. 4, fig. ro.
P. servatotdea Ald., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 1, p. 59, pl. 5,
fiPe 55 LOOS:

The beds at Smithville, Texas, have a number of species with
Lignitic affinities. This is very evident so far as the Pleurotome
are concerned. The sevvatozdeaas Aldrich has styledit in Alabama,
is common to the Upper and Lower Lignitic, but so far as we are
aware, has not yet been recorded from the Lower Claiborne. The
specimen in hand is a typical Alabama Lignite form.

Locality.—Sabinetown, Tex. Here in the Upper Lignitic.

Pleurotoma silicata, Plate 54, fig. 1.

Syn.—P. stlicata Ald., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 1, p. 60, pl. 4, fig. 3,
1895. seealso, vol. 3) py orspl 2, fpr moog

There are quite a number of specimens of this species in our

collection from Pendleton. In Alabama thus far the form is

known only from Gregg’s landing. This then goes to show, along

with others, the close equivalence of these two localities on oppo-

site sides of the Mississippi, so distant from each other.
Locality.—Pendleton, Tex.

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: LiGniTic FAUNA 305

Pleurotomella veatchi, ~. sf., Plate 54, fig. 2.

Specific characterization.—Size and form as figured; spiral
whorls about six ; somewhat angular centrally, especially the
larger ones, crossed by twenty or more fairly well marked ribs
with directions as follows : commencing just below a well-marked
suture they pass downward and to the right to the middle of the
whorl, where they are deflected perpendicularly to the suture
below ; over each whorl pass raised spiral lines, often slightly
larger and farther apart on the central part of the whorl; body
whorl showing ribs above, which die out below ; spiral stria-
tion over whole volution ; besides the humeral anglea pronounced
though not sharply carinated angle appears on the body whorl
about twice as far below the humeral angle as the latter is below
the suture; mouth parts and columella Levzfusus-like.

Localities.—Pendleton, Texas; Marthaville, La. Named in
honor of the finder, Mr. A. C. Veatch of this survey.

Cancellaria quercollis var. greggi. Plate 54, fig. 3.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 26, pl. 3, fig. 6, 1880.

We have but a small, fragmentary specimen of this species
from Pendleton, Texas, but its markings are so peculiar that its
identification is simple and certain.

Buccinanops ellipticum. Plate 54, figs. 4, 5.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 30, pl. 3, figs. 14, 15, 1899.

The specimens before us are small but seem to belong to this
species.

Localities. —Pendleton, and Sabintown, Texas.

Pseudoliva vetusta var., Plate 54, figs. 6, 7.
Syl —bulkeam. Pal: vol: 2; p. 213 )3;¢- Vol. 3."p. 31) pl? 3, ie 16.

Two varieties of this species are present in the Lignitic of
Louisiana. One, the form figured, is rather characteristic of the
Lower Lignitic and Midway ; another with much callosity about
the upper portions of the volutions is not uncommon in the form
of casts.

Localities—Pendleton, Tex.; Marthaville, La.; La Nana bayou.

Volutilithes petrosus vars,
Syn.—see Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 33, pl. 4, fig. 1, 1899.

West of the Mississippi it seems to be the Upper Lignitic

306 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Sabinetown specimens only that show the peculiar callosity which
often characterizes the Lignitic specimens in Alabama.

Localities—Sabinetown and Pendleton, Tex.; La Nana bayou ;
N. E. of Sodus; S. 2, 9 N., 12 W. The last mentioned locality
may be Midway.

Levifusus indentus, Plate 54, fig. 8.
Syn.—ZL. inmdentus Har., Bull. Amer. Pal. vol. 3, p. 52, pl. 7,
fig. 1, 1899.

This species is locally common in the Lignitic of Louisiana
and is in fact of great assistance incorrelation. So far as known
it belongs exclusively to the Lower Lignitic.

Localities—Pendleton, Tex.; Marthaville.

Levifusus supraplanus, Plate 54, fig. 9.
Syn.—ZL. supraplanus Har., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 50, pl.
6, hig, Treo,

The one specimen from Pendleton is sufficient to show the
existence of this rare species in the Lower Lignitic west of the
Mississippi.

Levifusus pagoda, Plate 54, fig. Io.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 51, pl. 6, fig. 10, 1899.

Represented by several specimens though not very complete
from Pendleton, Texas. .

Levifusus trabeatus var.?

Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 50, 1899.

The form here referred to is precisely that which we formerly
described from the Lower Claiborne of Texas under the name of
L .trabeatoides.

Rare at Pendleton and Sabinetown.

Mazzalina plena, Plate 54, fig. 12.

See Bull. Amer. Pal., p. 54, 1899.

We had one excellent specimen of this species from Pendleton,
Tex.; but it air-slaked and crumbled badly before a figured could
be made of it. Hence the necessity of using our Alabama speci-
men for the purpose.

Tritonidea pachecoi, n. sp., Plate 54, fig. 11.

Specific characterization.—For form and general characters see

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: LIGNITIC FAUNA 307

figure; size sometimes larger than indicated by the figure ;
whorls about seven, slightly rounding, smooth ; suture distinct ;
body whorl with traces of spiral striation medially becoming
more apparent anteriorly ; outer lip crenate at margin and occa-
sionally within at places of former stops in growth of shell;
inner lip slightly crenate or striate in places; columella hollow
as viewed from below.

Locality—Pendleton, Texas. Lower Lignitic Eocene. This
may be the species which is seen in such large masses in frag-
ments of concretionary limestone used in the construction of
some portions of Ft. Jessup.

Nassa exilis, Plate 55, fig. 1.

Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 57, pl. 7, fig. 9, 1899.
Locality.—Sabinetown and Pendleton, Texas.

Calyptraphorus trinodiferus,

Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 70, pl. 9, figs. 2, 2a, 1899.

The Sabinetown bluff specimens show the trinodate character
of the shell finely, likewise the specimens at Pendleton. But
some specimens froma well in N. E. 4% Sect. 2,9 N., 12 W.
Sabine parish, have, so faras observed, not shown any indications
of a knob upon the reverse side of the body whorl. This locality,
as stated before may belong to a Midway horizon.

Cassidaria brevidentata var.

Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 67.

We shall not be surprised when sufficient material shall have
been collected from the Lower Lignitic if this varietal form
proves to be different enough from the original ‘‘ Red bluff’’
type to warrant a new specific name. Our present specimens
though numerous are all too fragmentary to use as types.

Locality.—Pendleton, Texas.

Fusoficula juvenis, Plate 55, fig: 2, 3.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 66, 1899.

This is a characteristic Lignitic Eocene species. It occurs in
abundance at Woods bluff and lower localities in Alabama. I
have already recorded (see above reference) it from Sabinetown,
Texas. We have obtained more material from the same locality.

308 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Turritella mortoni, Plate 55, fig. 4.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 74, pl. 10, figs. 3 and 4.

This is one of the most common and widely distributed species
in the Lower Eocene of the east and southern States.

Many of the Louisiana specimens are rather diminutive in size.

Localities. Pendleton, Tex.; well on S. W. 4%, S. W. ¥%, Sect.
18, 7 N., 10 W., near Ft. Jessup; Marthaville; La Nana bayou
near Many.

Turritella humerosa, Plate 55, fig. 5.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 75, pl. 10, figs. 5-7, 1899.

Also a widely distributed lower Eocene species; but very dif-
ficult to obtain in perfect form.

Localities. —La Nana bayou; Williams place, 1 mi. E. of Ft.
Jessup, La.

Turritella precincta, Plate 55, fig. 6.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 76, pl. 10, fig. 8, 1899.

This is a rare companion of the two preceding species in the
Lower Lignitic beds.

Locality.—Pendleton, Texas.
Natica eminula, : Plate 55, fig. 7.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 88, pl. 11, fig. 22, 1899.

This is a very common Eocene form and may be found from
the Jackson to the Midway beds.

Localities.—Pendleton and Sabinetown, Texas.

Natica aperta, Plate 55, fig. 8.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 90, pl. 11, fig. 27, 1899.
This is a common and characteristic Lower Lignitic species.

Locality.—Pendleton, Texas.

Natica alabamiensis, Plate 55, fig. 9.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 91, etc.

This is found in the Lower Lignitic and Upper Midway beds
of Alabama.

Locality.—Pendleton, Texas.

Sigaretus declivus, Plate 55, fig. Io.
Syn.—See Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 93, pl. 11, fig. 30, 1899.

IID]

SPECIAL REPORT No. 6: LIGNITIC FAUNA 309

Found in the various horizons between the Jackson and Mid-
way in Alabama though not abundantly.
Locality.—Sabinetown, Texas.

Solarium bellense, Plate 55, fig. 11.

Syn.—S. dellense Har., Bull. Amer. Pal., vol. 3, p. 82, pl. 11,

fig. 7, 1899.

Described originally from the Lower Lignitic of Alabama.
One fragmentary specimen is from Pendleton, Texas.

EXPLANATION OF: PLATE 49

Page

Fleeced eee OLY LONGO SUALGA aie ay Wialetale aya wheel acid euese v's. «po leac'eie etch a'afa eerie Ais, wie 292

2 AGrypnee vestcularis x 2, (larger valve). vise wlevele oie sire veo - 292

2) tem ONG H ALL UTA AOL ata ORS SIS erg Eee ECR eee) OIE a as ee 293

AN OSTREAM OSE cen tasettel eter t se teahene’ eres ers et teokales oho cscaus tansy seed Sieesi% 293

ATOR WALLS RAR eR ETE LODE OS OA ROTO OCIA dO Le oI ae 204

OuniVerthea guinguecosiara, (larger valve). ee ece atisels om. cited st 294

Tey INCHED A OUINGUWEGOSLOLA | (OPELCWlAtexvAalVe)) aia s\n) pr evete le scle rece 294
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 50

Page

ioe GIYDREG VESECULATIS. Rae =, Blase Nee Tes on As, Ahn aie al joe 262

2. The same, interior view

Be CMI DLOMELLES OUFLEMRLOMEISUS: go arate icirysiosanse selerscae alesse 294

AR cA ORLEE LULNNALOO INCI SENS sc pcia AR ols ORNS nua og Bia eam Ge 294

Rone OU SSULOLUL CLA OS Caine ah uate Ae cnet tala) We Meiers Nets adi ay ean 295

Ge PRELIS NSP) sete oo ses See RxGo Digarn: cae ey APR Lge SPE UMCD ES oie SoN2O5

Te AUN ALES LOTS ON, 6 SOS Oe eA ORO AAG DO eUIO RS cata Oe 296

Se MIGCILECLED ES Peeraenrerrata Brus calare te Rebcaan istavere LAG note et S Shee as ee RECs 205

On of FUPONIG EUS ANICNSISia oe Soleo se toy Rsk n Panna ay eeu eer me eM a 295
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 51

EUS. Pau e terre tn PUG ILOCOS. Sh elenaha 9-2.) 1 sai a sothsrehenan ears eis ow IS ae es

2a LL OCEKAUILUS ODL LOUR Te Ga etalk ath gaeek aerate . 294

Bre | LAALS PIU OUI DTUCAUES hae treacle hon. n eae Dy pbye tics een 296

4. Hetevaceras, Spi & 3%... ss - Fitna eee cae: cae A re See M8207

5. Ptychoceras crassum?...... Ae os PANS nak era RRO ENT na Ne 297

GPR CUI AL CSRGILCEDS tie da.c tro 3 wah eee Sen eisianer Ns Tish hala wie ase 8 297

dt CV CORALULUIUG BS PPI D Ware ech) ve Nes eee ay ete ee Arie 8) shah acs taiblehe k 297
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 52

Ee al As) 1. | OSEVER CCM ULEINGIE THOU. waicletsn ew ackaie he nee sim, os. swehsle'eia ee

Day As TOSUNCAMM PUL AS KCMSUS rate pene Neialee ane Teoh ee selene tis ers 298

310 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Page
Fig. 5. NTOR(OTE) SEUOOSL. cau = Nokia. Pe Tees eee eee 298
6. MOdGOlG STUBDST OS. Ma Saco t crak CR ae ee 298
7s FUSUS REPTESE So 2 i Ps os SIR en ROE, ORE 299
8. Letostoma (2?) ludoviciangs Mr. te rh hie ele ee ee 299
9. Lupriiella Mortons’ «2 oy Mccaaiag 2 ots ok he en EN Ee 299
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 53 .
Sag
EG ges) Tsey SOSEV ER, LUM EF SCE 2 nee einen ce ora snl 07S iy ae tare ae "08 |
2. Modiola alabamensis (Ala. specimen, taken from Bull. |
AMET Pal iis en sete t Siesta sta Manatee wand aga fal eee 300
3. Barbatia cucullordes. noi ain aa be ete Gee aa eee ee 301
Ai. MackvaubiStyala mos. a aniee «ae La An ees oe ee e 303
Bs) Le CRD QLAVLCRS A020 Fat OE AS et eee eng ae shea ee ep orien 301
6: | VWenericardia” planicosian seo ad etna ok ee ee 302 |
7. <Astarte smithvillensis (Alabama specimen, from Bull. Amer.
Pal SOnitss) -ictesccne geile eibhay Sake ort came ae er eRe ERC eno cer ee 302
SB) ARR CULHO, IOS Pe eer ae
9, 10. Cardium tuomeyi, vars x 4
Er. Wwellta: prime (From BollepAmmer Pal.) sic. es. eee < tein 302
12. Pholasalatordevs (ExromiBullesAms baile) ees ere eee eee 304
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 54
Big. 1... Plearotema silicata.(From Bull. Amer, al.) ues fone “304
Dee LCULOLOVEILA DEALCN UM SPX Nee ene ee 305 |
3. Cancellaria var., greggi (From Bull. Amer. Pal. ) Ars sae IO5 |
4,5. Buccinanops ellepticum (From Bull. Amer. Pal.)........... 305
O72 SPStudolevasdetUusta Nate. Sh eae ee ee eee 305 )
8. Levifusus tndentus (From Bull. Amer. Pal.): \2 230062. 306
9. Levifusus supraplanus (From Bull. Amer. Pal.).............. 306
Lone Levijusus pacova (irom Bulle Amen cals) eeeenn eee acete 306
IV, LHUONIAED POCHECOY SK Bi on nea ee ee ee ee 306
12. Mazzalina piena (Prom: Bull. Amernieals) cin. css ae aoc 306
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 55 i
age
Biget-. Massa. eril2s (Brom Bull. Amer. Pals)woiec oases eee 407
2533... Husopicula juvents. (From (Bull Amer ns Pal.) yo. e ee ee nee 308
4 Wurvitélla mortont ss “i aR BS as Rtas Abra) Stain 308
5. Lurritella humerosa ie ie) f st dah ls ta one 308
6. Turritella precincta of “ NOAA EA TMS NAS ee ee 308
7. Natica eminula ae as SEIN Ct OR NG, aE eyo a a 308
8. Natica aperta Bs uo pt Oi Vth eet 308
g. Natica alabamiensis = as RRM Baar Noite cea has BY oe 308
lo. Stgaretus declivus a oS OS a Seti eal eetas ae 308

11. Solarium bellense ag a {05 TP ES saan arte ans 309

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 49

See explanation, page 309.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 50

See explanation, page 309.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 51

See explanation, page 309.

PLATE 52

1899

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT,

~S

SNS

San
i AN

thy ne

|

\\

|

i

309-10.

page

’

See explanation

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 53

See explanation, page 310.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 54

See explanation, page 310.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 55

See explanation, page 310.

-
.
‘
?
.
1
--
:
‘
= a.

Special Report No. 7

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MERIDIAN LINES

BY

G. D. HARRIS

CONTENTS

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

THE CoMPASS NEEDLE

Variations and imperfections. .312

THE TRANSIT, WITH AND WITHOUT SOLAR ATTACHMENT

HES TIRES ei Pa SAME AES EON BUDE NOOSE As Sa een ore Srapetlor cel onal shetet CASES
IMPROVEMENT OF COMPASS SURVEYING

Magnetic declination and Need of meridian lines...... 314

its secular change..... Bil Bie 1 OU CSVAOLES VED senor aay beter ate 314

OUR OUTFIT AND EXPERIENCES

MERIDIAN LINES ESTABLISHED

TOM OS TAT RICE ae a aP BT ELA THISONOUTE 722s oo ake s ce G2O
TALES Tk (RC OREN TE a BUT SVT EUCPOVE te a inclats ol omeetallors 320
IVGLGHTIDEN ES: Se) soos vont ats UTR MU OILTOEM cheats fener chee esaers 321
COU ATTA ie ee het MeO LON ALARA MAIC ain. ves en helene s 322
Winfield eta eames Aichi OES Sac ALO ty, CP ee SE 322
COLUM OTA SE a a AS a -319

MAGNETIC DECLINATION

Amount of ‘‘ variation’’ determined by one com-
pass not applicable to work done with another. .322
A fe Jicld Jor MAGNELIC WOKR oc ke se ry tes sg 323

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MERIDIAN LINES
PRELIMINARY REMARKS

THE COMPASS NEEDLE

Variations and imperfections.—The propriety of using a mag-
netic needle for determining direction in ordinary land surveying
is indeed questionable. When we know that socalled ‘‘ variation
of the compass needle’’ is changing from year to year (secular
variation);. when we remember that there is an annual variation,
or change from season to season, and a diurnal or daily change ;
when we observe the sensitiveness of the needle toextreme changes
in temperature, its deflection by local attraction and magnetic
storms, orits sluggishness froma worncenter or lossof magnetism ;
when finally we know that no non-reversing needle ever does
indicate the exact magnetic meridian because its physical axis is
never exactly the same as its magnetic axis; then we must admit
that even though the instrument is in perfect adjustment, the
chances of laying off two coincident lines from any given starting
point, at different intervals of time with one and the same com-
pass are indeed slight. Different men with different instruments
at different times, have naturally, as we all know, come to very
different conclusions regarding the location of many corners and
boundary lines.

Without going into details regarding the troubles thus brought
about, it is more to the point to make inquiries as to how the
present methods of determining direction can be improved upon.

THE TRANSIT, WITH OR WITHOUT SOLAR ATTACHMENT

Its use.—No one who has ever become familiar with an engi-
neer’s orsurveyor’s transit can go back to compass surveying with
any degree of satisfaction except in mere preliminary or recon-
naissance work. Again, the ordinary transit is equipped with a
needle, so that whatever merit may be in such a mechanism, is

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES B18

possessed by the transit as well as the plain compass. But the
possession bya transit of a horizontal limb provided with verniers
for laying off or reading angles directly to within a minute or less
of an arc, gives it a superiority over the plain compass that no
surveyor can fail to acknowledge at once.

As time goes on and the price of land increases, there in a ten-
dency to lay less and less emphasis on the actual direction the
boundary lines of land bear to true north and south or east and
west lines. Descriptions are based more and more upon cultural
features the more such features increase. Points are fixed by
their distances from other fixed points, the angle that two inter-
secting lines make is measured with the transit, and such angles
are recorded, while the true bearing of either line with the
meridian is neither sought nor given.

If, however, there is need of knowing accurately (say to 1’ of
arc) the bearing of a line, it can be determined in the day-time
by the same transit instrument provided it possesses a vertical
circle with proper graduations and verniers. This is done by alt-
azimuth observations on the sun. ‘The solar attachment greatly
lessens the amount of calculating involved, though it means
more adjustments to care for.

Cost.—The ordinary compass can be bought for from $25 to $50.
A good transit costs at least $200; it cannot be carried in sad-
dle-bags, nor can a limb or rail splinter be used as a temporary
yet admittedly efficient support. Obviously, then, there is here
a question of more money, time, care and attention at stake,
points not readily and willingly overlooked by employer or
surveyor.

Yet, if the parish owned the instrument, and this it could well
afford to do, and the surveyors were selected by civil service
examination and given a small salary in addition to their fees for
each piece of work, there can be no doubt that in the long run
thousands upon thousands of dollars would be saved and many
life-long troubles averted.

,

IMPROVEMENT OF COMPASS SURVEYING

Magnetic declination and secular change.—Every surveyor knows
that to follow certain lines established by one surveyor, say in

314 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

1820, he must run on one variation, and to follow another in the
same region but established by a different surveyor with a dif-
ferent compass at a different time he must run ona different var-
iation. In other words, putting aside occasional outright poor
work, the lack of a definite knowledge of magnetic declination
and its secular variation on the part of the previous surveyors
has often been the source of a vast amount of trouble, mental and
financial. Unfortunately, even to-day, the surveyor with an
ordinary compass has no ready means of determining the amount
of this variation ; for to determine the number of degrees and
minutes that the axis of his needle makes with a true merid-
ian line means that the latter is already established or known.
But such a known line does not exist in his parish, nor has he
the means of establishing one.

Need of meridian lines.—The above statements are sufficient to
show that if compass surveying be continued, it is quite time
that some systematic records be kept of what each surveyor
means by ‘‘due north’’ or any other direction he gives, basing
his statement on the direction assumed by his unclamped com-
pass needle.

A well kept needle will usually settle twice within 5/ of the
same place. With proper care, it can be read to §/ of arc.
Poor needles may mislead to the extent of 30’ or more.. A line
then that is within 1’ of the true meridian of the place is
sufficiently accurate for all compass work. Any higher degree
of refinement, however desirable and satisfactory on general
principles, is wholly unappreciated in compass surveying.

flow established.—But as before stated, sucha line can be
established by day whenever the sun is shining; or by night
whenever the circumpolar stars are visible, to astill greater
degree of accuracy by a rather unpretentious engineer’s transit.

Instructions for this operation have been so frequently pub-
lished in works and reports relating to surveying and surveys
that it seems quite unnecessary to repeat them here. However
we cannot refrain from suggesting that in place of the usual
paragraph of instruction in night work which reads somewhat
as follow: ‘“‘Let an assistant place a light corresponding in
brightness to that of the stars at a point seemingly exactly

;
{

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES 315

beneath Polaris at its elongation, or let him hold the fine point
of an illuminated pencil on a wooden plug or board fixed to the
ground ;’’ we would suggest placing an illuminating scale (see
Fig. 7) at 600 to 1000 feet from the transit some little time
before the elongation and then watch the star move in azimuth
from I, 2, to say 8 and return.

A fairly good scale can be improvised as follows : Take a new
piece of tin about 6x14 inches and cut slits at intervals of from
.05 to .10 ft. according to the power of the telescope and the
distance available.

- EZ ~~ tn Vy

Fig. 7.—l//uminated scale for night work,

Fractional parts of interspaces can be estimated to the nearest
zig 2. é., 0.01 ft., if the instrument has no micrometer attach-
ment.

When the scale is placed at such a distance as to cause one
space to represent about 207, it follows that readings are made
to about 2” of arc. If when the various readings have all been
reduced to the elongation and there is no serious discordance
shown, it is safe to conclude that the average isa close approxi-
tion to the true elongation.

Other circumpolar stars giving an opposite elongation the
same night can also be observed with the scale reversed. The
true elongation of each can be computed from the several obser-
vations on the same, and all can be used in the final location of
the meridian line.

The position of the scale on the subjacent board should be
accurately marked, and in the morning a fine, straight steel pin

316 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

can be placed where the meanof the elongation readings was on
the previous night and the azimuth of the stars at elongation
laid off in order to establish the true north and south line. The
position for Polaris and several other circumpolar stars is
conveniently given for each day of the year in the American
Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. ‘The latitude of the place can
be determined with sufficient accuracy by an inspection of any
good state map. Then
Sin. Polar Distance
~ Cosine Latitude.

The surveyor will find it greatly to his advantage to establish
his meridian line in the day-time before his night work by equal
altitudes, or ordinary alt-azimuth observations on the sun to
within 1’ of arc. He will thus be able to have the monuments
placed, but not cemented in, and will also have his scale placed
already for illumination at night. The final lining up of the
monuments is but a short task for the next morning. Where
monuments are small and of local construction, there should
always be four placed in line so that any disturbance in one can
be detected by the rest.

Sin. Az. at Elong.

OuR OUTFIT AND EXPERIENCES

We have only to add that our outfit for the past year consisted
of a good Heller & Brightly engineer’s transit, of high magni-
fying power, but with verniers reading directly to minutes only.
Great interest seemed everywhere to be manifest in the work
and we are glad to say that during the coming year this work
will be greatly facilitated by the use of an instrument of a much
superior order of construction and refinement.

With our present small staff, no considerable amount of time
can be spent on work of this nature. It is for this reason we
have suggested and urged co-operation with the U.S. Coast and
Geodetic Survey. See Introduction.

As will be seen below, we have been favored by Maj. Willard
with careful descriptions of many of the Referenceand Azimuth
Points of several of the river surveys.

4
4
'

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES 387

MERIDIAN LINES ESTABLISHED

MANSFIELD

General location.—Across (midway) west yard of Mansfield
Female College grounds and 4% mile to south, in Mrs. Williams’
field.

Marks or monuments.—T hree Lignitic, calcareous, concretion-
ary boulders. N, at northern side of the college grounds, N’, at
the south side, and S, 1800 feet south of N, in Mrs. Williams’
lot.

MANY

General location.—In Mr. E. C. Dillon’s lot west of residence.
For detailed information call on either Mr. Dillon, or Dan’l
Vandegaer, Esq., parish surveyor.

Marks—Calcareous, Lignitic boulders. Only three in number.
S, near a pine tree in Dillon’s yard, west of house; S’, by the
fence just north of stream, perhaps 300 ft. northof S; N, in edge
of field, 897 ft. north of S.

NATCHITOCHES

General location.—Through Normal school grounds west of
the buildings about 150 feet.

Marks.—Calcareous Claiborne boulders; exact meridian
marked by drilled holes filled with lead plugs. The northern
most, N, is within perhaps five feet of the northern line fence ;
N’ is south of N about 30 feet, S’ is just south of the walk or
road leading westward to the woods and S is within 3 feet of the
southern line fence of the school grounds.

COLFAX

General location.—Court house yard, east of Court house.
See Mr. R. E. Mc Knight, Colfax, La.

Marks.—Grand Gulf sandstone boulders; all four within
court yard limits. Definite marks consist of sunken lead plugs
in sandstone. WN and S are very close to north and south limits
ol the yard.

318 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Colfax Base Line Established by U. S. Engineers *

‘* Colfax base line, tertiary triangulation of Red river, was in
Grant Parish, La., near Colfax, but was marked permanently
only at one end; the triangulation stations adjacent to south
base at Colfax were permanently marked.

‘* South base is marked by the pointof a nailset in cement
within the end of a vitrified sewer pipe. The pipe is 12 centi-
meters in diameter and 75 centimeters long. The top of the
pipe projects about 1 decimeter above ground and stands in a
meadow just above Colfax. It is about 100 meters northwest of
the row of cabins on C. H. Teal’s place and about 110 meters
northeast of the fence enclosing a small lot.

‘* Elevation, 35.92 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

igatituder si. 2650 ¢

‘‘ Triangulation stations are marked ina manner similar to
South base.

‘‘Azimuth,South base to Sta. 260,77° 07’. Distance 801 meters.

South base to Sta. 260a, 16° 55’. Distance 1093.6
meters.

South base to Sta. 261, 333° 40’. Distance 1160.6
meters: --

ISS)

WINNFIELD

General location.—Court house yard, east of Court house.

Marks.-—Four limestone boulders from the ‘‘ Marble Quarry.”’
Exact mark consist of lead plugs, as elsewhere. N. and S. are
- near the north and south limits of the court yard. In case of
doubt see Messrs. Dunn, Bailey, Wallace or any other citizen.

COLUMBIA

General location.—Diagonally across Court house yard passing
but a few feet west of the corner of the same.

Marks.—Calcareous boulders. All four within the court yard
limits. Line defined by sunken plugs. In case of doubt as to
location drop a card to A. J. Daniel, Parish Surveyor, Kelly, La.

* The information here and elsewhere credited to the U. S. Engineers was
very kindly furnished by Maj. J. H. Willard, Vicksburg, Miss.

I] . Spectra, RePoRT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES 319

Line, Monuments, Etc., U. S. Engineers (Ouachita River Survey).

‘Permanent reference line, Columbia, Ouachita River survey, is
in Franklin parish, La., on the left bank of the river opposite
the town of Columbia. Both ends of the line are marked alike
by a 4 centimeter gas pipe about 1.6 meters long, with a cap on
top, and a circular flange attached near the lower end by lock
nuts. The pipe is bedded in cement and projects above ground
about 1 decimeter.

“Permanent reference point is about 2.4 kilometers below Colum-
bia, near the bank of Bridger Bayou. It isabout 7 meters north
of the front fence of the Ivy Davis plantation. Witnessed by
three trees with triangular blazes, as follows:

‘Double China berry, 0.4 meter in diameter,29 meters,77° oo’.

China-berry 0.4 meter in diameter, Ig meters, 131° 45’.

China-berry 0.3 meter in diameter, 16 meters, 143° 55’.

Northeast corner of a cabin, 24.5 meters, 126° 45’.

Elevation of cap, 27.01 meters,’’ [Cairo Datum. |

“Permanent azimuth point ison the main top bank of the river
opposite Columbia, near where the road from the ferry comes out
of the woods, and joins the main road. It is north of the plan-
tation fence and about 7.5 meters from the main road. It is
about 30 meters east of a cabin and about 260 meters west of St.
Peter’s church. Witness trees blazed with triangular blazes as
follows: .

‘“ Sweet Gum, 0.5 meter diameter, 19.5 meters, 356° 45’.

Locust, 0.3 meter diameter, 6.8 meters, 310° 00’.

Locust, 0.3 meter diameter, 6.4 meters, 109° 05’.

Sa wWerCormen st. Peters) Church, 291° 20';

AZiMMthest ok. FPA. O4 40l.”

HARRISONBURG

General location.—Main line on Mr. E. D. Spann’s property
passing just east of his house.

Marks.—Grand Gulf sandstone boulders, with lead plugs.
N’, in front of Mr. Spann’s house, 5 feet south of the north yard
fence; N’ by fence at N. E. corner of house; S and S’ are near
the edge of the field on either side of a little branch, about 360
to 380 feet south of N’. Two boulders in the school house yard

320 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA _ [Sect.

one by the fence E. of the school house yard, one by the fence
south of the same building mark an east and west line. "The
westerly side of the new brick jail has a bearing of N. 14° 32.7’E.

Line and Monuments Established by U. S. Engineers Near Harrisonburg

‘“ Permanent reference line, Bushley, Ouachita River survey, is
in Catahoula parish, La., on the right bank of the river, about
two kilometers below the town of Harrisonburg. The line is
marked by a gas pipe in a manner similar to P. R. L., Columbia.

Permanent reference point is about 200 meters south of the
mouth of Bushley bayou, at edge of wood-line, and about 325
meters back from right bank of river. Witness trees blazed with
triangular blazes, as follows:

Maple, 0.4 meter diameter, 18 meters, 320° 30’.

Pecan, 0.3 meter diameter, 21 meters, 14° 00’.

Cypress, 1.0 meter diameter, 6 meters, 265° 45’.

Elevation, 24.20 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

‘Permanent azimuth potntis about midway of old Scott planta-
tion, on large mound (first near river above Bushley bayou),
about 140 meters back from right bank of river. Witness trees,
blazed with triangular blazes, as follows :

Honey Locust, 0.2 meter diameter, 8 meters, 340° 45’.

Sweet Gum, 0.2 meter diameter, 13 meters, 110° 20’.

Sweet Gum, 0.4 meter diameter, Ig meters, 240° 05’.

Azimuth, Pe RUPP torres A Pe rss oa ans

Other Localities Where Azimuth Lines are Established by the U.S.
Engineers
Shreveport base line, tertiary triangulations of Red river, is in
Bossier parish, La., on the left bank of Red river, opposite the
town of Shreveport. Both ends of the base are marked alike
with an underground stone slab and iron pipe rising above
ground. The underground mark is a piece of limestone 46 cen-

; F OR Boe. a
timeters square, and 15 centimeters thick, marked Z with a

spherical headed copper bolt leaded in the center of the upper
face. The pipe is cast iron, 12 centimeters in diameter, and 1.2

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES 321

meters long and stands on topof the stone. The pipeis covered
by a cap which is fastened on by a bolt and nut. Thereisa
small boss on top of the cap, with a hole in the center.

Northwest base is now buried under the front slope of the levee,
about 20 meters from where the levee crosses the embankment of
the V. S. & P. Ry., about 300 meters from the northeast end of
the bridge across Red river. A wooden post stands on top of
the pipe, and projects above the surface to mark the location.

Southeast base is on the field side of a fence on the north side
of a lane running down the river near the left bank, and it is
about 200 meters east of the turn in the lane and 150 meters
west of the house of C. M. Dougherty.

Length of base, 704.34 meters,

Azimuth, N. W. B.S. BH. B. 296° 45’.

Latitude of N. W. B.,.32°'31' 38”.

Elevation of bolt in stone marking N. W.B., 58.37 meters.

Elevation top of cap N. W. B., 59.61 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

Elevation top of capS. E. B., 59.83 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

‘* Permanent reference line, Monroe,is in ouachita Parish, La., on
the left bank of the river and lies along De Siard street in the
town of Monroe. Both ends are marked alike by a piece of ‘‘T’’
rail set in the ground with the top buried about 0.03 meter below
the surface. ‘The head of the rail has a cross on it, marking the
point.

‘“ Permanent reference point is near the west end of DeSiard
street, and about 28 meters from the river bank. It is on line
between a cross cut on Merchants’ & Farmers’ Bank and one cut
on the Block building. It is 3.84 meters from the first and 8.7
meters from the last. The cross on the bank building is 9.36
meters from the angle in the wall beside the door; that on the
Block building is 14.32 meters from the front line on Grand street.

Elevation, 30.83 meters,’’ [Cairo Datum. |

‘“ Permanent azimuth point is 5.6 meters from the iron fence
around the Monroe cemetery and 30.5 meters from the corner
at the gate. Witnessed as follows :

Spire (Col’d) Methodist church, 225° o1’.

Spire a First Baptist church, 121° 56’.

Index finger on monument to Margaret J. Henderson, 9° 32’.

322 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Azimuth; P. “RP. toiPMAc Peege® ise VAG.

Alexandria base line, tertiary triangulation of Red river, is in
Rapides Parish, La., on the right bank of Red river and behind
the town of Alexandria. Both ends of the base are marked alike
with stone and pipe similar to the Shreveport base line.

‘* Northeast base is in a meadow about 50 meters southeast of a
barn.

‘* Southwest base is in open field on a low levee about 50 meters
east of fence.

Length of Base, 955.676 meters.

Avimuthy Ns-BB.; tosi We Bi, 610a3"2

Latitude, IN. as. Bip auer 7 ag.

Elevation top of cap N. E. B., 30.21 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

Elevation top of cap S. W. B., 31.58 meters, [Cairo Datum. |

‘* Permanent reference line, Floyd, Bayou Macon survey, is in
West Carroll Parish, La., on the right bank of the Bayou in and
below the town of Floyd.

‘* Permanent reference pointis marked by a 4 centimeter gas pipe
with a sleeve on the upper end, driven in the ground about 400
meters below Floyd on Mrs. Emma White’s place. It is about
150 meters west of bayou bank, about 10 meters west of edge of
hills, about 200 meters southeast of dwelling, 44 meters south of
cabin and 27 meters north of fence.

“Permanent azimuth point is the cupola of the Court House in
Floyd.

Azimuth, P.-Ro"PSto' Pe Al IPy 161° 46%

MAGNETIC DECLINATION

Amount of ‘‘ variation’’ determined by one compass not applicable
to work done with another.—There are in all compasses and tran-
sits strong probabilities of a certain error in their readings of mag-
netic bearings owing to the fact rst, that the line of sights is not
exactly in line with the zero marks on the compass box and 2d,
that the magnetic axis of the needle does not exactly co-incide
with its physical axis.

Though we made a number of readings at various parish seats
and elsewhere and though we took the precaution to determine
the amount of index error of the transit used, yet we feel that

1] SPECIAL REPORT No. 7: MERIDIAN LINES 323

such readings are scarcely worthy of publication, and for the
following reasons: The results though correct would not be
directly serviceable to local surveyors using their own instru-
ments, and, to be of service in purely scientific work, the amount
of declination should be determined by a magnetometer specially
constructed for such work. And again, the dip and intensity or
total magnetic force should be determined in order to advance
the cause of the science of terrestial magnetism.

A fine field for magnetic work.—The complicated geologic
structure of Louisianais just beginning to be realized. Gener-
alities based on trans-Mississippi investigations, and smooth,
straight lines separating the different series and stages will soon
be relegated to the past. It is mainly through invertebrate pale-
ontology that the relationships of the various formations repres-
ented in the State are and have been determined. Yet if we
mistake not, paleobotany will soon be able to lend a hand in this
work. Possibly too magnetic investigations may throw some
light on stratigraphy. Be that as it may, it is certain that the
smooth agonic lines heretofore drawn through Louisiana will be
crumpled and curvedin a marked fashion when they have been
platted from a large number of field observations.

Witness: At Many decl. about 7° ; Natchitoches, 6° 40’; St.
Maurice, 6° 35’; Couley, 6° 40’; Winnfield, 6° 45°; Columbia,
6° 10°. January and February, 1899.

Have the results of orographic movements so manifest about
Winnfield anything todo with the irregular declination there
shown?

In Louisiana, as well as other States laid out in rectangular
townships, sections, etc., the question of latitude, so essentialin
rapid andaccurate magnetic survey work is often quickly deter-
mined with sufficient accuracy by asking any resident what sec-
tion he is in, or by inspecting his deeds or tax receipts, and
having him point out the locations of the various ‘‘ quarter
quarters’’ called for. Yet there are places occasionally where
there are noinhabitants for 15 or 20 miles along the main roads.

-

324 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

Here the road maps mentioned in our next article would serve
an excellent purpose, enabling one to locate himself at any time
with accuracy.

A magnetic survey of a state should include at least one
observation in every township. The greater the facility with
’ which trustworthy observations can be made, so much the less
expensive and more accurate will be the results.

Special Report No. 8.
A FEW NOTES ON ROAD MAKING
BY

G. D. HARRIS

CONTENTS

LITERATURE

Office of road inguiry...... 326 Practical instruction......

LOCATION OF ROADS

No surveys yet made....... RDG MNT OIAUMICTIUS insect ico

Other objects of road survey 327

ROAD MATERIAL, 328
ROADS AND ROAD MACHINERY, 328

A FEW NOTES ON ROAD MAKING

LITERATURE

Ofice of road inquiry.—Fortunately for those interested in the
construction of good roads, the Department of Agriculture at
Washington, D. C., has instituted an ‘‘ Office of Road Inquiry’’
under the able direction of Gen’! Roy Stone.

This office has collecteda large amount of valuable information
and published it as bulletins and circulars, and has distributed
copies of the same, free to those interested in the subject.

The titles alone are sufficient to show the scope and impor-
tance of this ‘‘inquiry.’’ Note the following :

Bulletin No. r.—State laws relating to the management of

roads, enacted 1888-1893.

Bulletin No. 18.—(Supplement.) State laws relating to the

management of roads, enacted 1894-1895.

Bulletin No. r7—Historical and technical papers on road build-
ing in the United States.

Bulletin No. r2.—Wide tires. Lawsof certain States relating to
their use, and other pertinent information.

Bulletin No. 9.—State aid to road building in New Jersey.

Bulletin No. 16.—Notes on the employment of convicts in con-
nection with road, building.

It seems entirely unnecessary here to give even an abstract of
these and other important papers since they are so readily
obtained, by addressing the Office of Road Inquiry at Washington.

Practical instruction.—The easiest, quickest and most satisfac-
tory way of learning the art of good road making is to watch
those who understand and are actually engaged in making roads.

It was hoped and even announced that Mr. Harrison of the
Washington bureau would oversee the construction of a model
road from the North Louisiana Experiment Station to Calhoun
Station soon after the meeting of the Agricultural Society at
Shreveport. Circumstances were such, however, that Mr. Har-
rison could not then leave Washington to take SEES of the
work and the matter was postponed.

soca

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No. 8: ROAD MAKING 329

LOCATION OF ROADS

No surveys yet made.—The vast majority of Louisiana roads
seems never to have been properly located. They represent
enlarged trails. They are, within certain broad limits, wherever
each season the traveling public sees fit to go. Observe the
broad band of land on either side of most any old or well recog-
nized road and count the different road beds of tens or scores of
years ago now recognizable as narrow long ditches and frequently
overgrown by forest trees. Look again at the several lines of
log roads (‘‘causeways’’) that can be seen running along paral-
lel to each other across marshy stretches.

Is there any real incentive to do thorough and lasting work
on a stretch of road that may soon be paralleled by a new one,
simply because the old one somewhere had one impassable spot ?

Right here we believe is the place to begin. We have urged
each parish surveyor and all others who manifest an interest in
the subject to see at once that at least the ‘‘first class’’ roads are
located. This should be done by giving the distance from the
nearest section corner at which the road enters each section and
the traverse through the section. This information would, of
course, be recorded at the parish seat.

Monuments.—Stone or iron posts could well be used at the
road-sides to indicate the crossing of section lines, and certainly
permanent monuments should be carefully located on either side
of the road at each angle.

Other objects of a road survey.—l believe the benefits to be
derived from a road survey can scarcely be overestimated. It
would establish a network of known points and distances through-
out each parish that would be a most welcome guide to all
travelers, be they geologists, botanists, timber men, commercial
travelers, pleasure seekers, produce shippers or home seekers.
It is no exaggeration to say that a geological survey could be
prosecuted with double the despatch and double the accuracy if
the roads were only located and mapped. Other public and
private works would be likewise benefited by the mere location
of roads. Add to this, the increased facilities of a road bed well
made and well maintained, and the annual benefit, direct to the

Ww

328 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

traveling public, indirect, though far greater to the resident
would be almost beyond calculation.

We have already noted the fact that as time goes on cultural
features are used more and more for reference points and lines in
the description of real estate. Here then is another reason why
roads should be well located. For the future will see many of
these very roads used as boundary lines between subdivided
estates.

RoAD MATERIALS

The common country roads through Louisiana will naturally
be for some time to come ‘‘dirt roads.’’ ‘There are however,
favored localities where shell and gravel can be freely used for
ballast.. In section II of this report under “‘ Lafayette’’ (pp. 100—
104) numerous localites are given where quartz pebbles occur.
In some few cases they are sufficiently abundant to be easily
obtained in quantity, and will doubtless be shipped to a consider-
able distance for road-making in the near future.

So far as dirt roads are concerned their construction and main-
tenance has been greatly simplified of late by the introduction of
road machinery, and we close with the following paragraphs from
circular No. 31 of the Office of Road Inquiry. If they have
already been read, they certainly will bear reading again.

ROADS AND ROAD MACHINERY

The first thing to be observed in building country roads is to afford pro-
tection against water. A dirt or gravel road properly built and maintained
can be made to shed water like a roof, and if the use of narrow tires and the
wearing of ruts could be prevented, our country roads might be excellent.
Water always runs down hill, and this should be taken advantage of in road
building. If the road be properly crowned, that is, if its middle be properly
raised above the sides, the rain and melted snow will naturally run off into
the ditches. On the other hand, if the middle be worn down by travel, the
water collecting there will soon form a puddle, and ruin the road. In the
same way, ruts formed by narrow tires afford a trough for the collection of
water, and contribute to its destruction.

Labor as they might, American farmers have long been unable to build
their roads so as to shed water. But the solution has been found in the road
grader. The American farmer is quick to realize the value of machinery,
and the rapid growth in the use of the reaper, the binder, the separator, is
an eloquent tribute to the practical genius of American agriculture. The

U1] SPECIAL REPORT No. 8: ROAD MAKING 329

growth of the use of road graders has been wonderful during the last few
years, and indicates that the farmer has discovered a practical solution of
the problem how to build his local dirt roads.

The peculiar feature of a road grader is that it cuts away the dirt at the
side of the road, and draws it up into the middle, thus producing a ditch at
each side and a slope in each direction from the center. At the same time
it will cut away the dirt to just the proper depth, and no deeper. In this
particular, its work differs from that accomplished by the use of plows,
shovels or handscrapers. Theroad grader leaves a smooth, regular surface,
giving the road the proper contour, A dirt or gravel road can be put into
excellent shape by running the grader repeatedly over it. Care should be
taken first to remove brush and rubbish from the side of the road, that the
grader may not carry it into the traveled roadway.

To properly finish a dirt road made with the use of the grader, it should
be thoroughly rolled and hardened. It is not sufficient that it be crowned,
but it should be made hard and smooth. The same thing is true of gravel
roads. This can be best accomplished with the use of rollers. Horse rollers
weighing from five to eight tons are most frequently used for the purpose.
All loose stones should be removed from the road surface before rolling, as
well as sods, turf, leaves, sticks or any other matter that will tend to soften
the road bed. A road that is thoroughly and repeatedly rolled is well fitted
to stand the wear of travel, and can be made into a perfect watershed.

The difficulty about the use of road machinery in many localities is to be
found in its cost. It is frequently thought wrong that farmers should be
obliged to tax themselves for the purchase of road graders and road rollers,
in addition to having to stand the regular road tax. There is much justice
in this position, for the average farmer pays his full share of taxes, and
these should not be added to or increased without some very excellent rea-
son. Butthe farmers of the United States are badly in want of good roads,
and the clamor for their construction is growing from year to year. Quite
anumber of towns have solved the road machinery problem by voting to pay
their taxes in cash instead of working them out, and using a parts of this
fund for the purchase of machines, which avoids the necessity of levying an
extra tax for the purpose. This plan has been adopted in New York and
Wisconsin, and probably elsewhere. The town of North Salem, Westches-
ter Co., N.Y., adopted itasfar back as 1681. The town of Canaan, Columbia
Co., N. Y., adopted it in 1887. In Wisconsin, C. H. Everett, until recently
the president of the Wisconsin Dairymen’s Association, says on this subject
in a recent letter: ‘‘ The town of Turtle, Rock County, where I reside, was
among the first to adopt the cash system, and has two improved road graders.
I do not think that our people could ever be induced to go back to the old
system. We know that we have spent enough money in road taxes during
the past forty years to have macadamized every road, and until we began to
pay our road taxes in cash and use machinery, there had been little or no
improvement in our highways.’’

330 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

The proposition to pay road taxes in cash met with little favor in the
beginning. Farmers were unwilling, as might reasonably be expected, to
pay their road taxes in cash instead of in work. But sentiment is now largely
the other way among intelligent farmers, since experience has shown that
more can be accomplished with one dollar of tax paid in cash, than two dol-
lars or even three dollars of tax worked out on the highway. Where the
system has been fairly tried, farmers have found it by no means the burden
expected, since they may still be hired by the road officers to run the
machinery used. Two cases in Wisconsin are instructive on these points.
Martin J. O’Malley, chairman of the town of Westport, Dane county,
writes: ‘° We’adopted the money system in the town of Westport two years
ago. We purchased a good road grader, and we levied a 2-mill road tax
instead of the 4-mill tax that we had been paying working the old way.
The people are allowed to vote on the question at every election, and they
are fully convinced that the cash system is the only true way of getting good
roads. There has been more work done on our roads during the past two
years than in twenty years before.”’

The same experiment was tried in the town of Middleton in the same
county, and with the greatest success. In 1894, under the new law passed
the year before, the town paid its road taxes in cash, and used part of the
money for the purchase of two road graders. Wm. F. Pierstorff, chairman
of the town, told of their experience in an address delivered at Watertown,
in the spring of 1896. ‘‘ Under the old laws,’ says Mr. Pierstorff, ‘‘ we
always levied aroad tax of 4to6 mills. In 18go, a tax of $2,297.80 was levied ;
in 1891, $3,346.70; in 1892, $2,326 77, andin 1893, $2,471.93. In 1894, the first
year under the new law, we levied 2 mills, amounting to $1,051.58, and
bought two road graders. - We gave the farmersa chancein handling graders |
to work at three dollars per day with team, they giving us ten hours for a
day's work. In 1895 we levied 2 mills as before, and expended $1,231.56 for
our regular work on the highway. You will see that for the last two years
we expended for general highway purposes an average of $1,141.57 a year,
while the average for the preceding four years was $2,827.28. It is admit-
ted by all that there was more work done in the last two years than the town
has ever done before. You can do more work with three teams and one
grader in a day than with three teams and a small scraper in a week. Our
people are well satisfied with the new system, and they will never vote to

- go back to the old method of working the highway.”’

For the most recent exhaustive treatise on roads, road-making and road

materials, see Rept. Geol. Surv. Md., Vol. III.

Special Report No. 9

SOME WOOD-DESTROYING FUNGI

BY

Pror. GEO. F. ATKINSON

CONTENTS
STUDY OF FUNGI IN GENERAL
FUNGI ON GARDEN VEGETABLES

FUNGI ON FoREST TREES

POLYPORUS BOREALIS

Page Page

Occurrence and distribution .333, How the trees killed....... 334
CGHAPACERS 242 xo die <0 2, dos 1333) DLAILINE: Of TIREFUNZUSPLIML. 22a
UFO CI OURESHWOD nina 2 beta) ae RRQ SPRUE LE «csi Poe Sea e aai 335

HYDNUM SEPTENTRIONALE
Characters and distribution . . 335

FOMES FOMENTARIUS
Characters and distribution. .335

TRAMETES PINI
Characters and distribution . .337

DADALEA AMBIGUA
CHAKACLEr Sn ad ot Oe Uae B37, ACCLACHES 1 HOMINIS. 338

IMPORTANCE OF A STUDY OF THESE FUNGI

SOME WOOD-DESTROYING FUNGI
STUDY OF FUNGI IN GENERAL
FUNGI ON GARDEN VEGETABLES

During the past ten years or soa great deal of attention has
been given to those low forms of plant life known as fungi,
which cause diseases of farm and gardencrops. ‘These investiga-
tions have made us familiar with the history of many of these
enemies of the farmer and horticulturist, and have taught us
how in many instances to successfully combat them. This has
resulted in the prevention of great loss, and taking the country
over, thousands of dollars each year are now saved by the practi-
cal application of the knowledge gained by studies of the fungi.

FUNGI ON FoREST TREES

Very little attention, however, has been given to the study of
those forms of fungi which attack forest and timber trees,
although the National Government for a number of years has
been engaged in propagating information along certain lines of
forestry work, and in an endeavor to arouse general interest in
the question of the preservation of forests, as well as in the
establishment of a rational method of timber cutting, which shall
protect the young growth and provide for future crops of timber.

The number of fungi which occur on living and dead trees in
the forest is very large, and the damage which is caused by them
in producing the decay of fallen timber, of cuttings, and
especially in causing heart rot of many valuable standing timber
trees is very considerable. When one begins to observe these
wood destroying fungi in the forest, one is impressed with the
great variety of form which they possess, indicating that there
are many species or kinds.

They stand out as brackets or shelves from the trunks of trees,
from the sides of fallen logs, from old stumps, or even from the
ground where they are growing from some decaying wood in the
soil, or perhaps from some diseased root. Some of these plants
are fleshy and soft in consistency, so that they soon disappear.
Others are more or less tough, and dry up considerably during
dry weather but expand again during rains. Still others are of

IIT] SPECIAL REPORT No, 9: FUNGI 333

quite a woody or corky texture, often very hard. Many of these
latter ones live from year to year so that they are perennial.
This article is written for the purpose of calling the attention
of those who frequent the forest, either from a professional or
from a pleasure point of view, to these enemies of the forest.
There are many problems of interest and importance presented by
the relation of “these plants tothe ‘timber trees. .A~ few: of
these problems are suggested by the description of several of
these plants.
Polyporus borealis Plate 56
Occurrence and distribution.—The first one of these plants to
which attention is called here is very active in causing one kind
of heart rot of coniferous trees, especially the spruces, pines,
balsams, hemlocks, etc. It is known as the Polyporus borealis.
It has a very wide distribution not only in Europe and in
America, but probably in other countries as well. A photograph
of this fungus attached toa living hemlock tree isshown in Plate
56. This tree occurred in one or the deep wooded ravines at Ithaca,
N. Y., along one side of the Campus of Cornell University.
Characters.—The fungus is white and is of the bracket kind.
As can be seen, there are several brackets growing very closely
together overlapping each other. -The .bracket is the ‘‘ fruit
body.’’ While these plants have no fruit in the sense that the
higher plants do, yet they produce countless tiny bodies, called
spores, so minute that we cannot see them except with the aid
of a microscope, or unless there are a large number of them
massed together. ‘These spores are capable of starting a new
growth of the fungus. They are borne on the under side of
the fungus, in minute pores or tubes which are so numerous
that the under surface of the bracket reminds one of a honey-
comb structure. The upper side is hairy with coarse strands
which bristle all over the surface. It is rather soft and spongy.
flow nourished.—It will be of interest to know how such a
fungus attached to a living tree obtains its food from the tree,
and also how it is enabled to cause the decay of the heart wood.
In the first place the fungus is growing from quite a large
wound in the side of the tree. The tree has been trying to
heal over the wound for years but it has not been successful,
for the wound is a large one. The healing process, however,

334 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

advanced quite far as can be seen by the new growth all around
the edge of the wound.

Flow the tree ts killed.—Two years ago when I first observed this
tree though it was still alive, a number of the top limbs were dead.
This suggested that the rot caused by the fungus extended entirely
through the tree. To determine this question, and also to see
the relation of the fungus to the decay, as well as to determine
the structural peculiarities produced in the wood by this species,
during its disintegrating action on the wood, the tree was felled
and sawed up into short sections. These sections were then split
and a large number of them were preserved for examination.

Several of the blocks of heart wood split from the tree were
photographed, and one of these is shown natural size in Plate
57. The white strands which extend horizontally inthe wood
are the strands of mycelium which is the vegetative part of this
fungus. It corresponds to the so-called ‘‘spawn’’ of the mush-
room, which is characteristic of all the members of the fungi
belonging to the mushroom group, though there are varia-
tions in its nature and extent. These strands of the mycelium
are composed of numerous delicate, slender fungus threads all
woven together. They extend throughout the length of the
tree inthe heart wood. They grow through the cell walls of
the wood and cause the disintegration of the latter, first by
opening minute holes along the line of their advance, which is
in a longitudinal, radial, and tangential direction. This tends
to divide up the wood into small cubical areas which are more
pronounced later as the fungus threads disappear and the wood
by advanced stages of decay tends to collapse. The fungus
threads have the property of excreting a kind of ferment which
dissolves the woody and cellulose walls, thus disintegrating the
wood and opening a way for the advance of the fungus.

Starting of the fungus germ.—By this thorough examination
of the felled tree it is possible to make out the history of this
fungus. The photograph in Plate 56 tellsa great deal of the
story of how the fungus was able to get inside of the tree and
then to grow out again in the form of the bracket fruit bodies.
The Polyporus borealis is not a parsitic fungus. It cannot make
its way unaided through the sound living part of the tree which

III] SPECIAL REPORT No. 9: FUNGI 335

lies just beneath the bark. The heart wood of the tree is dead,
so that the fungus when it once gets in there can perform its
destructive work. The living wood, just underneath the bark,
when it remains unbroken or unharfned forms an impassible bar-
rier to the entrance of the fungus.

How then did the fungus first get into the heart wood of the
tree? The photograph tells us something of that. There is an
old decaying log lying at the foot of the hemlock tree. Twen-
ty-fiveor thirty years ago thislog was a standing tree. It fell,
and in its descent it struck the projecting base of the hemlock and
knocked off the bark and living wood from quite a large area, two
to three feet in length and a foot or morein breadth. The wound
was so large that it could not heal in time to prevent the entrance
of the wood destroying organisms. Furthermore, the bruised tis-
sues would afford a secure lodgment for these germs. So here
was formed a most favorable infection court, or area. During
damp weather bacteria and fungus germs, the chief producers of
the decay of organic matter, lodging here were enabled to get a
foothold and start the disintegration of the wood. Among them
were the spores of this Polyporus borealis. ‘These spores pro-
duced the delicate mycelial threads, and by the ferment action
of their products these threads gained access to the heart wood,
where there was an abundance of moisture for growth during
the entire season. From this point mycelium spread upward
and outward as it advanced through the tree.

Fruitage.—After a number of years, when the decay had
extended far up in the tree and a large quantity of the spawn
or mycelium strands had formed, reaching a large feeding area,
there was a sufficient amount of food within reach to form the
bracket fruit bodies which can only be formed in the open air.
This same wound then provided a place of exit for the fruiting
stage. The spores formed over the honey-combed area are scat-
tered by the wind, and are ready to infect other trees when an
opportunity comes.

Hydnum septentrionale. Plate 58

Character and distribution.—In Plate 58 is illustrated another
fungus growing on a living sugar maple tree. This is also one

of the bracket or shelving fungi. Its natural size is about eight
7 x

336 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

times larger than appears in the picture. While it is one of the
bracket fungi it differs from the Polyporus in that the fruiting
under surface is not in the form of a honey-comb, but is covered
with spinous, or awl-shaped processes. This fungus grows in
the heart wood also, and the interior portion of the tree was so
badly decayed that the fungus was enabled to push its way out
through a long crack which occurred through the living area.
This tree was one of a grove of trees in Elysium Park, Cortland,
N. Y., and was so weakened by the action of the fungus that it
was blown down during a severe southeastern gale which swept
over this area during the autumn of 1897. This fungus also
occurs in other parts of the United States, and is widely dis-
tributed in Europe, where it also occurs on the maple.

Fomes fomentarius. Plate 59

Character and distribution.—During the same gale alarge num-
ber of trees weakened by the attacks of the wood destroying
fungi were blown down in this region. Plate 59 represents a
beech tree weakened by wood destroying fungi near Mclean,
N. Y., which was broken over at this time. Upon the trunk
can be seen several of the brackets of one of the species, the
Fomes fomentarius. Its fruiting under surface is honey-combed,
but it is very different in habit, texture, form, and color from
the Polyporus borealis. ‘The brackets are scattered and usually
occur singly, so that several do not overlap. The plant is shaped
more or less like the hoof of a horse, small where it is attached
to the tree, and then enlarged outward and downward. The
under surface is more or less concave, with the thick margin pro-
jecting somewhat like the edge of a horse’s hoof. Furthermore,
the surface is marked by a number of concentric ridges, and fur-
rows, marking off the age of the bracket in years. The plant
is perennial, and each year a new layer is added on below, which
is broader than the layer of the previous year. The outer sur-
face is light brown or grayish in color and thus harmonizes with
the color of the beech bark, while the under surface is rich
brown in color. The plant is quite hard and woody, especially
the outer portion, while the inner portion is more spongy and
fibrous and dark brown in color. The inner fibrous portion in
years gone by was used as a tinder in some parts of Europe.

It] SPECIAL REPORT No. 9: FUNGI 337

The plant is widely distributed on both Continents, and occurs
also on the birch, maple, and other deciduous trees.

Trametes pini Plate 60

Character and distribution.—Another wood destroying fungus
shaped something like a horse’s hoof, but much more irregular,
is the Zrametes pint shown in plate 60. This photograph is
taken from a specimen on a pine log collected by Professor
Harris near Mansfield, Louisiana, during the winter of 1898-99.
The fruiting surface here is also honey-combed, but there are
other characters which place it inthe genus 7vametes, instead of
in Polyporus or Fomes. This plant is also perennial and each
consecutive ring represents a yearly layer added by growth, the
lowermost layer being that of the last year’s growth. ‘This fun-
gusoccurs on pines in Europe, and also in the southern and
southwestern United States. In Europe it is known to produce
a characteristic and serious disease of the timber pines.

Dedalea ambigua Plates 61 and 62

Characters.—Another very interesting fungus is that shown
in Plates 61 and 62. It is the Dedalea ambigua, also
sometimes called the Zvametes ambigua. The honey-combed
fruiting surface here is very irregular, sometimes the tubes or
pores are cylindrical with rounded mouths, and again they repre-
sent elongated or sinuous passages, the round ones illustrating
Trametes while the elongated or sinuous ones illustrate Dedalea.
Since the plant in this character varies from one to the other, it
is rather ‘‘ambiguous’’ as to which genus it appertains, and so
it was named Dedalea ambigua. This plant was also collected
by Professor Harris in Louisiana.

It is whitish in color, of a very beautiful appearance, grows
on several different deciduous trees, and forms a true single
shelf. An individual illustrated in Plate 61, is an abnormal
form and shows to us one very interesting peculiarity of all these
plants. The figure to the left represents the position in
which the fungus grew when the tree to which it was attached
was standing. At this time the broad single shelf was formed
so that the shelf was horizontal, or parallel with the surface of
the earth. This is a peculiarity of all the bracket fungi, and of

338 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA [Sect.

the mushrooms as well. The fruiting surface being the under
surface generally, the plane of the cap or pileus is parallel with
the surface of the earth, so that the spores of the fungus can
fall easily out of the tubes, or from between the awl-shaped pro-
cesses, or from between the gills or lamelle, as the case may be.

Accidents in growth.—Now, if by any chance the bracket, or
cap, becomes turned in another direction before the fungus has
completed its growth, it will either change back, as in the case
of the mushrooms, or new growths will start out from the edge
of the bracket in the tough or woody forms. Now, if we examine
Plate 62 of this Dedalea, we shall see the position of the plant
after the tree fell. Since the entire edge of the large bracket
was still in a growing condition there are established a large
number of growing points, each of which develops a new
bracket parallel with the surface of the earth, forming a series
of steps up one side and down the other.

IMPORTANCE OF A STUDY OF THESE FUNGI

From a few of the observations here presented it will be seen
how some of these fungi work serious injuries to forest and
timber interests. "The trees which are attacked may live on for
years or even for acentury or more, but each year the injury
to the timber inthe tree is greater, until within a few years it is
worthless. A careful study of the conditions of attack by these
enemies of the forest, as well as of their life histories, and the
characteristic injuries to the trees would do much to teach us
how to prevent such injuries and loss in the forest. The
wonderful variety of form and kind among these plants make
them objects of great importance to those who are interested in
nature. There is here a great field for new observations on the
part of those whose professional work leads them to the forest.
When such persons become interested enough in these questions
to prepare themselves for making accurate observations, by
some training in the study of fungi, they can do great good
in bringing to light a fuller knowledge of the habits and dis-
tribution of these plants, and careful study by trained observers
must precede any successful attempts toward a rational treatment
designed to lessen the losses now sustained from these sources.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1599

POLYPORUS BOREALIS

(Growing on hemlock.)

PLATE 56

YV

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 57

eae tee Hl H
Mirch a

HEARTWOOD SHOWING MYCELIUM

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF I,OUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 58

HYDNUM SEPTENTRIONALE

(Growing on sugar maple.)

59

PLATE

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

MENTARIUS

S FO

FOME

(On beech.)

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899 PLATE 60

TRAMETES PINI

PLATE 61

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1599

DADALEA AMBIGUA

ip
otra
——

ts

Ee

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LOUISIANA, REPORT, 1899

DASDALEA AMBIGUA

AA

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Aboriginal Works, pec Bottoms
eA ee LIL Ds hs Write Pate arn aint acts ayar\2b + creruael dw iteeahe una sererats lates

Attakapas Prairie

«se eels » ete \ehe cere e 1a) 0 0.0), 0) 0 © eae ee
eee Jer(6, 6) |e) 8/07 «)

a fo) a8, (OU) Biro! ©, ee 6) ne! 6 0 ee! e\.6.\6 = e\\0)/0)\0l"s, 61's) @) = \e) o)\a) 0/"e 0. 6\\0),6, 6)\b).0).=) 00 60.) 0

MUA Ge eCOME COStal LOLmMatlONSs a aciiaeclmele eis ie «ieee ee a
Altitudes in Northern Caddo parish and adjacent portions of Bossier,
PROT OTA TAA OL a aee Sel s cncParsieteve clara 's iaieieseles 2 siaiaere,a eS ve ons wielegh a Soles
AUTH ADAGE SAO UO EMEC AE AICO aCe OL ORO Le Pl. 45,
LAN UO OOD EM GOGE EL AETE IS AANA T SOO HY A RE OO SOT IEC ples
ANP EVOGIO UMGEE RE oS COO TOO IE OOO COCALO DEE SECs eT ETRE 279,
WADOGNIULCE EME As civicaisis lee Osis « Sears wie ars OMS ra CIC Richie OR ES tee
POL MOPEMILLIE SAPTNOLOILUIE oars oes oS weasels od vuide views 8 ona Pl. 46,
MGUUE OUT V CRIES s < olaio.c-2 1a) ee st tiniw avis tye econ oe as
YANATTITO) 5 30 OBE

Siw faliolave\/e).e)e! 9) (ee | s\-ofelal6! e/\e)\e)\0) 61.0) ee) si0)/e), | =e/\s)/s)-s| sie), (0 6); ,e 0)<,0,0

MEESRESSTPLCTENES| oecic. claate bis airs ts \alemysie'sicne vietaeie dae ee
AEDT SS GROOT 8 OS SO TO DOO CG ce US a eo Hee
PNA GU Airey ae reed cies Scie. decar sy edeieie shes Sleieie
Clays; described by Lerch.......-.
Well section at..
ANBIORS TOTO Aas S BOO COC at Ree Bnei cio HT OS NE Sia cio ier o
Artesian wells of Calcasieu, discussed by Hilgard....................
Bere MIP IL SRL LUE tutes SUA Bos Neva. icles os, ey SysistabageiSiA 60-9 xe we IRE, Sse G eal eySi.
NSE IPT EB cs SAU SEAS iS OLA OE OOO OO COD EE By.
PUR Sstictae eG SH ROD Ooi eo SIC DIET CR IR EIEIO Cro iae: Vedle Bok
Astarte smithvillensis
Atkinson, Geo. F
ENB LIED) | UU ATE OEE Cee Soir Cy A ERS SPENT APRS 9-2
ACR U ie (OLE V CUTS Elie. sree tuewave eiclwesere cree Cvallds ices «: 6 sPencace' sie Pl. 20, opp. p.
SERIES ETF ISS 5 GB OR LOIAS OOOO CI SOE OOOO OL sedIE yur sakes, (6
ESOT EEL ON CLAM EL RDLON snl ate feed ee os jale's Gwin Biases srdyslore vets os Jel yeh aban hn

eu ele) = 0:0 0.0) wis 0} wile; el vifelielei'e alis\ (eave >
©, e\is,efe a ee) ereke 6, of (e),e (oe! elelelierelle) eie)eriel ‘ers

eile! ejjehele| eel 6,6, evalle «el in’.@ e\e!6) ele! ee) 4,0) ,0\\6. 60 \e, vi \wjie)eje (a)aliajle aja) sfc) sis) =

olay e!s) wihek= el el.ele\telals @)fe) 01 4\4\'s)/s) s)(s)\e)lo] « v\ ee) te) ss: ee sve elie le s-af0 Bue

ea OTT COMI ES SUOTE carey ete otra) =a lcieistalc So sisi Seis bie Teese sh isls ei eialsn gis. «

BAO UMl OLOR MMe eH arene reece ORI SORA icusln OGIO oe aia wis sles EE wee go,

ISSUIS ISIC Bs 6b Sh he AG 86.0 Le Opeia nea EIC das S40 bids CN Steerer eee een nes
ENE IT ACO | OW iy PM Ye cesta iel sv anetete) oot fal etieret os RCE USER e wes tee! lays sy x eae, ble leags
Contour map of salt deposits.....
Discovery of salt
Fossils

<\s) e)/ais)s ess) =| so ele eee » 6.0) 6 ese 0p 0 60 (0 0 0s 6s 0 60) »

mia stds) 6 abe (4) e\velislvigvallejal al s)'s isle (ele)o alle. toils) cies eee) ae, elle © aes | © eKele ele lene

201
20

257

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340 INDEX

Belle Isle
LC) Lolo Mame rona oad ema onniss Anan Aba iis oho oA 223
Tp OCACLOM fala. co pslay ara e- 5: seph Gem eyere ee Meo Maa. oatees ace pe c ee ee Se 221
Section of Hole No. 12 2 .c,65 ese ealtct ns oe aeteere ee ne 23F7
Section of Hole ANOj29 ao 8 ate ete oltre ea, che paket ne 228
Section of sand pith. a2).ni Seas as aeeiee ticks. peer eee ee 224
Section ‘of “Shakey. ss. cic\s., che wie stvc eee oe ce sel ate eee eee 225
Topocraphicimap Ol. e. sant kse ele co eee Ply 21, Opp. pa2ay
TOPO STAPH Y= ese isie. pots: are Glars,.a.n ale fo tee e Palestia hover ol atetetnere) greene ae 221
Well sechions- 2)... USi rans cers sities ee cee ve eee Pl, 22, opp. p. 225
PB CLCTIIUDLCS lis AB i SAL a teed lope ys, Bis tone eae ove oe eels (ASU ee 17
Bel VILE Te econ eves Stelors i eisisie niel o Oleie sums ate eyo ahd fc eee ane 86
Section att 652 nists states er takcstie, Morea eve suas vibes) eae oe 86
Benchmarks.WiiSd Be birchic sclera bless oe are a 208
BOriae oo. Ci resrate ccaveve se isioits wal tare ah hey ots gee naae eevee en ee cena er 16
Bieavillle paris lay, tesco ae eetecn ake esas a ky eta ee Rote tee ce 83
Bistineanisalt wOLk (so cp.rcmek sng tate ace eee oc eae Oso El eed eee 124
BLACK MAY OME Fe te pacicrs hase le! sucray clade are) dicey aia cuatietolh tol Nenere circ ter Rar nok ot gee 155
Swatip POrieinvol yoo: octet e san tos eee ROE eee ce eee 169
Black Ma ese 2 io. aires c's /etelalsy ats spate la tee ole bene ys SRR Neuen al Nace eee ee ee 77
DAYOW fecptea tears wins bo lare te Ueteiwiele’ ois clontiee, |<) ar ete pe eesti tclen crete tet rea 155
bayou stavel ‘traims Phe. 21 5 Gace acts ciclo aet skein are 102
ASTee1 SL e) BB Oot) SMES ee A mRON AT. Se ena Ao tan DOGO tera so ee Ys
Biutl; wave-tormieds:. 42%. '-) caper ce ns oer eee eer Pl..17, Opp. p. 176
Bossier parish. sone aeine ae sini done ete See Serena Ee ei eee 85
Bottom lakes.” Glasses: Of ya: tent. fi. ssickers pereneaietee ree eee ea ea eee 183-188
Oniginvotye- teeta stelate's slojcaxve Rite te ts petal ccna atan: oct eee eae 183
BON. COA here ton totes er iletey = lolo's lofei(a' = foscue okekatateresteceice-Fgepsie mena eras ceke (chet eae eee 130
BreatixBrd oe 5.6078 crop caine Scloe eremieein aco S16 ajc ae ea Ree 138
Breazeale Sprites Oils o.sclehsttn’ tale calaielstaciekuclene eel Sic tee 148
Chemicalcanalysis Of (oi...,..mpesy sec oe ae 148
BUCCLNUNOPS CHAPLICUWME ORE See eee Pl. 54, figs. 4, 5, 305
Building Stone sss ssc ie oeyeiets osc ore hose ve ny a 130
Caddo parish, Map.of mortherns je. ere Pl. 16, opp. p. 169
Caleareous Somlss |. 2 kicick,cetacetes hoe wiele slays ence ae Netanya 147
(GE NEE TS (eit Bee seereeMrecnrs oii ns dei Seiinc Hesidia anions Wrln a nwicicics an Gatleroiuinhoed A o'6's ¢ 33
Well section, after Hopkins: <9 Since sk 2 eteeic sees «yee 33
Wrellseebiciin sd 35's Sei Caurs eilncistetesoiie ss sine slare 4 wie ore cule aie 62
Calo tn ars sfto Sia. cteteieposelnis oie tere ste ele ve rallgvajale ic fai eye crea Wares eee 82
Calyptvaphorus WANOEUEFUS \o lau) Henle =a Ran ss a ee eee ee ee ae
Camptonectes (Amusium) burlinglonensts .. cece: acess => Joe eee 294
DUPLENSLONCISTS Srcin hala Srssaieto cette AI Re Pl. 50, fig. 3, 294
CONMCEMONEE \GUCTEOUTS nm os e-a apal carta Are ee Pir 545) tie.03 305s
Cardin Glabamenses sass sbivahiae ee Oe8 Ge re Pl. 50, fig. 4,294 —
AULT RACHA DCP COCOR mio ODOC AOC ae. oro. 0 bik 18
EUOMCNE A735 ta Oe ates HO ae ANS SES ina Pl. 53, figs. 9, 10, 303

INDEX 341

MOAPIGEILET 7. «25 cele eloielsincsie ol o) cele orercheiersig tim ginisiece'sis <|letsfwlejninie @ie& so slate'sis 18
MBESEMELI1L~ OE ULACHLATA, 2. crciapsictesa, 3 SSID x dree ti inh SAY om tSh >) alcove» ot Vi sejaecl’orwss 307
(Qadhnie OTTER aan etait oaiepolonko fn ciao RAS ioc PARR Ree Creer a On en ins 71
I eyecare ate ce arcade ar ere onc sca vonse a ot ccc noies vai Maeda) oy es ehay erence are Sudvaysras 61
(CRLAIST ARATE CAE aI CULO ee OIE nC ER aR OE aa 285
BEV ASTI USI LAUT UNMEIUS TSN AAG Sait teiiaties eo iol ey ohoie Susie) weieeederow- ah Se eee Biller Pl. 46, 285
CALCITE S e Roe, HOR RPMS ay ePETSL eo poatiane ere aioli al chetlmel ohenchibte, ton) ender en Se Pl. 43, 285
(CORDA eR Ss ttre ARRIOLA SEC Oc CARER Ue 304
COT Tel ORs te oy POET nares Spree teie ee cuenta eles sera teat ebay ame aiatow averse! Svacehs hfs II
Sitehtels la Keay Ryeyere einige Aecsist oisiotele Ere cactus patshay dolar tersr te Remehe stone etch ais 159
Chimney Rock) Winmiieldsy Ta niece lor, wiefcisicrste icine) «lo 'fol ovele Pl. I, opp. p. 56
(EL ATOIN UTM OUCHE US cece n Fa ete sree alin avers eae ©. sche ssibietens 4 slater ere Ones PAs 2o3
BED ETI ROS Oe este Oop eae SEA CRE EE RAT RSAC PON ELES Ee RESCH PLT LCs EERE NS 2) Bee
POL OUP TEAL IIE Mas clclayescallsl aie a subs chee yr wiare erie Ayaial eve) ofeid¥ata siousie's © sheen. 5 283
SAUD AEECCBE | POS CS OOO Or IT Ee Tei Oe IO Piva T2383
ICE I IIALCIES CRATE aces Foley Bas Se eaehcuelene Pt gais rai cto oveve ne vehot seule) akckaiane! cl suapeiens Pl. 42, 283
BP ETN EL OMEN alc tebanc: hale ache Ata le aisveetcoain i sysseyetevate \afaialie tiepeicbe) Gps a ade iuloe(a 283
iain ort ATs Shue ene eral ersnste raya Vertes er sto devaya\reveyerstareuesiova sltanteyakclevehokalaiel aysyolerers 88
este ste wale eo) ciehenseleyeiavninialale:ayera) risieta af ints: alsleiaieveleinte/e|e/"*+lo(in ©/o\ 127
pTAOSILIOHS Ohare ay cniocct aisle wis ajaterevelainng wreferay are oleterstatehete eaalefera teres paver 266
REC te Ol) IVE AHU OL a peneseyiciezusieync foik teseusuetale RorerseencTenehevatojs? ater erepayes stevens 6h 268
VHS HobmbolaeS Olas Bo gAwoueowanyo cons dGO oN oUT OID OOD oo K0- Rc 8 tC 268
CHIR 4 See nen ae IC Once pee OEE oO aes oa eeoms oc 265
Paaey sie All PLOWEttLSS OL ope iejoretesern eraecerere vin a) le a= cbenl soe tant tea ae 266
Physical LEStS\ OL LOUISZANG SAMPLES 500. c raises se sic,a\slolaleiajcielels/alel= aia 272
samples, Report of Louisiana. . Shee Gie ct o. a: S.ea ccle eae 264
Secitormata Ghrallikka Ea SS ie, re soregeisracestictoleusietas sie) ols teeistaps Avsitey toneVeverer choi 128
Sechoat Sprite Rid ex CHC CE isi cce, vesenscster ns aie’ Peyainye'niera Mister sralaneial = 128
Sliwrba ee so want dgdnoobdaadodoeduanedceco Cand soon aobGoUcUdOOOr 267
SUITORS Oo. GIy RIGA CO CL ICO Dy ORI O STREET ich eee 271
SICH ee ees) « Pee ra sete terreno avo teuice ote aitcrenay ade erste onayettironca eteent 265
Clietve Tah 6 te oe veciete cose oro GC atte o CEE Teepe Caper atone mnsticias tcc 159
(Clhosaclesatlals bing OS pope. CBee ou OS GUI on ion RaenEraE MereoT ho ocr mini oth 43
CGO remain ee ciate csctere onersl s ore ierstereis ercichs etore reco nee ore Nolen warns ahi 80
RMON UTIL CATH ss ora Cis sreyshete ayes ore: eiel som cerecerra osea5, « elerele ebay Pl. 6, opp. p. 81
Gompass Needle; Phe... 62... dA UMGLn es Cee Caen cat /.g0.5 Oeup bc 312
SELLS EN aaa Me em ree ets ota gale Rctdel eae iel ane tm ally sve. o1 site oateve fehareishev overs 313
Comparison of the Louisiana rock salt deposit to the great deposits of
TVS HYY Ol] Ceesenantarcn teeter tro siors coegelelstss slerete aha eiaiensla Sietis etiievaless ovsiG|s 261
(CYavaveaials Raia wacns 6 Gam DAH TIC Oa Oe at OO CRI Oriente nee an En Cer 18
Woochilew brake pratt: ser ctaeisehelcaeists ehetciase coats Seesee sR evay Ho: 8a: 0) Mle a-ararauon ae ere 79
Waa Royse Sos HAS he OOO Ree Siriano hie Rone ranean Pie 2 Opps Ps 57
limestone, Sketch map, vicinity of outcrop...............0..0005 59
Gera tctiae Se ee Pan Serotec has sce cetpsnale eeremnisy ehetore RNG Cual efo'ta% Pl. 3, opp. p. 64

Co-operation witheNationalSuinveyS.vsnrys 12 acre cielg eo sire Sieve celal Fie es

342 INDEX.

(Oro) 9) es en Crier ae eee er eer Cr RIA I en mri ia tak Sigh 5 of oie Ah 42
on Pleistocene Mammalia from Petite Anse, La .........:.. ... 42
Covbuld QlabAmMensis iis He seta ss ea ik he es eee ee 303
ORTSEUS EE PO esa So Cee ee nah ooh Sueitatalchay chs eve Cte mete 18
CORNACEE Nie: Wialesinh aia s yeratedsle eh oie apOteee! eye'ghs tel evar e ee a eat to ee 286
COTHUGD AINMONTS roth? oid od ele eR eee 7
COKRUS. SEHD ERE BIS tic Shae eles ck eee. A ee Pl. 45, 286
Cote BlameWe 2 Vere ccs Fe cee oe eices sls lee Retele late cae ae eyo a 230
Geolosy tres ca) eae oii. ee eee i vwavelaie Cs Sie tni'otrals ea eee 230
Location and Topography... 65224 s\-4 5 = es see ee 230
Section, at Sea-Cliih.8 (0.58555 ce es oes Meee ene eee Bini
Cote Caroline syn kein eats ancie raves e bani 6s els ee ee 254
(SOLOW Sore diviteal yh vigislere sic» Slang o- Wehethe glist sotead aan Tait ee 255
ocation-and> Topographive: 52: cit. semis s acta eee ene he ieee 254
Cottonwood bayou. hes: es eso cle steieietforelefetasaicte iombalste ePaper: cen rene 156
CO Wle yes eps rais ee Vs ie Seat cnenteale che ons: ay nigr ee epee Pe eee ee ee 79
(Shoujo ae VON ts Wg o eGo DOHOR Ate Saat Ata Boor Sade, cauacc - 85
Section alte ESR! cea) hevsailaettucrs oe vat ral Pope bette te ere eee ene eae 260: 7
Cowhidetandy Morseshoe bayou; .. ee oct = icin eee eee 156
COSA aT Pale od s.ces od clas tha olahe Bis yehe Salto) slo ete token a IT
CRASSALCUA' SPs wis caterer tess eee ae ee ee eee 302
UPDOS Ora. .0o 2 C84 aid 5A Ay eA Oe Oo eee Pl. 50, fig. 5, 295
@retaceous fossils: sales tvs tates ie eee ree Ske eae 292
OVE OPS or airs olol ays ated lintel oat ental obs sal cVoh ob lleleat ol alls tatiollalete ele hate ae terete t-te ete ee 104
SOMES 2 ayer asen neat anole eeeersiatons sane scediih hl yee eee pie Sits Asche ee 52, 62
Cross) Paylou sss ae ad Jie utile, & aicite ts wiai dra suk paper meet aneie eeere Me Pe nee 157
Wake ee ee 8 als, sayercteatihs | BE eS Cn ORE en a ee 158
bridge Old shore Tine -at?..i:5.1... Stale ne soe oie 2 eee 174
Deltaat Fook. Of shee aeie Gass erase aoe Soro oo ae Pl, 15, opp. p. 168
Cross; ‘Caddoiand Berry Wakes, ormation Of -.-5 es. ete See _ 168
CHYPLOCAKYV Rs COMP RULICA sn Sone eas op be Eee eRe Ree Pl. "425 283
CHYPAOL ANID hoa niaisis dis BTR & ie 8 ie Re oe ee eae eee ee 279
CYPETLULES SSD Sivas seins sae Seid d 2's Oe ERE ae Re eee Pl 325259
CYpred WUAOVELAME Sans vices oe Sec he an rer Sacer R i 44
ELL Me COAT SOG TAROT ISCO REA Sorc oto e OOOO OOO x of 44
Die dale: Gil an, ree ieee ee eae Pl. 61 and 62, 337
Danville landings a.) te aceavoc ace ac as Seine ons nen ee aoe eee 93
D)OPUMOLCHEVOMESUGNO an tar ete ete bgt eect Ohoakc pus in eee 283
PONT ROSE OEE Se DOR Dil ne Se eee Pl. 41, 284
RY SALLY ERI REECE ES PaO O ICI OO CIO Roo Om SOC! SOOO 283,
DP Arb ouwe wires os. releiwipe tes asia echele weland Sers eae esa ee rae aie he ee 89
Darbyiion <2 ESS shoe thie ana bapbornchatainelstond seth Tee eee atehe ei eter 14
Delahiel@s ch sea es css ee, Cane se ennietees lotten Rie tae MAE eee Sh Ee ees 15
Delta; foot:ef Cross lakes 4.19 as dties ielet alts) a else ee eee Pi. 15, opp. p. 168
Formation ols sucess aay ee eee tere ob cate eo eee ee 174

Demérileis ons Sod ac tee eR a ete a ielste ss hee ee eae rp isis:

Werenminationols tt eridiate Limes) ;cicyeyerclers) sus aire «/avoloieteveeslavcl sheieici ens score 8
WW ielves Omi at GR rowyitl aeeystersyspersveusyererctseefekes cy aeaenc es atencce0aa,/svextvata, ienaleystmtarseelteags 20
DEO EUG QTR Torco SLO EA OC ES FIORE OIC PIS ROS CIE er raas 280
BED OLS te LUM GE Nas ne Reet c ra ye te res sen cereis 2 otis acme ate co aha cum el ale eacuion neice iy tess ereesaiys 135
Wooley sSs bay OU ae oaiscratse ousitin cis ieyeleusveteve sit tay a's evar eiondsusttsptencr seo varenabiatc 156
ID inal :d Sei bd eh OO RGe COMO CH Ee mee LICR e rao tor non Yee 21
Oneras, theonysOle mtd plutt PSi..) meveterhayes auton aie) alee mein cic ierstoey finer nee 21

NO ANSE SSE EW OL a ey es suche. or ors oe hat ree rclin at veka e ctenen cia arenhe los Sais iaen eter taets 55.020
Drip ITO. 7, Svrereuyeesousie eioGha c.crsl ap aie autotekaus aie sale lSuel stevie tsa ma enevelatnce 34
MBS FATTO ATMs no ees, Sacvaes cave oes ee Ree SI ukye ie aaseets, Sic Tea teavaltar tia fo NLR aat MRS loli Moko ier a steko Beeps 12
TD EGE a KS apa NR ce te i Gs i A i ee TR SR eA Ng
arcsec olomicalnwark ar: Wa) Se) cicee asia’ Sia se ote cee a dtdadoay toner oral Il
HS COMO TITICH GC OLO Saye Sane hg sec eiete ys hess eee eh od clewel Stov ns avextNege (ead ehope tae RNS GIS erat 121
HES) LayuseltcCl Gapas eH ee Ne Re eae tecr ic tes Pei ve ev cent oh eaters et sc eseh a cn Sa aN SIA ae mistene tone che ulate aieS 36
Microscopic examination of New Orleans well material.. ....... 36
/EUCAD RH SOS; CLIQUE TE IES PA OC OEE OA AA RATE SETS a OEE 286
HSL Lem NORE Rec PoPeds Neiea/ ek oxo e.cire)ayeceee loacht taba hale a anaes 'c keusveperteya pone Ste. ah atone ace 21
PER TITG ten Smo clay,O Uneatcee yee re Nera ate tte ws eee ceo bavete mia es ckees axe eh eeas eet erepee eles 155
IOS MAT AE pEVeLE TEE AE Ole. 4 fale teva ay ol cea sedereneae tee vaonel ova see sretehe ey ae starsies ei 288
MEDC TILOs SPOCLO OLE S ix sain Weis ee See te nes aes I ee PES INS lees es Pe sw ac alt 288
Bocemewat INALCHITOCIES cect chon crosciereicie eresorniein a ems stele rams oetcich cin casa ees 147
SS StL SSS ys tecesea ee ee ese al dake iia aio tremens ia es ects) aes ae ned eraturrcconTar ade 63-93
LEGDOS 5 OES SES OAC OO OTR RAT Pe ORES OCI cie rae 42
HOT OLE Soh 65 Boosh OER IOS COONS ONT OS ROR RS Cn SOLE DG Or RA Tee 38

IEG UCURALES SAS KAO ODES DOCTORS COT CCC EO a ro colons oe 287
IE ZARA RE (USUI OAS TEES HIRE OG ICS Mr roLo on aie oem 24
COSUDIG GONE 5 clCiG EOE SSAA CT Oe ORR TS Ci ees PIPAG) eS i638, 292
Fagacee THA Say MOS CCID AOU COR A Geen ns Jee Ae ce Aether is Get leet a 280
etry lake: neue: SAR ESE OES CLO Ee REIS RCC Cie TRO aA Eo cA CC 159
WL UCLUSHL RL OCAUD OLO OS calcio erate of ich eyshs Goo heaees eae on ore Pie 25, 281
OGHLE OSTA USAR, BA Spare 0 ELROD EERE IO A TIO OR cee Pl. 46, 281

NE AGEDT ESS A DS SGP OOD GOS ORS ER OOo ee 2S7 250
PUTIDA LE PONIES SOE OCS HNO STOO OCU ROU ee Bil 26; 282
ive wliGlan dS pl ene sir Me, Canc lee. Slat eldest ale fe occa hay naeatent 62 ent S 2551207
ING CLOMESAIETCEDOSLESH a ecwieiatete tae eter ts edss ererneneis aetna eye erartena a eek et 260
ESCH MEO OCOU GARG fle 5 S12) h cc icc vcttianosjtiewies vale iots els gtitlone dey We eeave,g 13
Geographical position and general topographical features ........ 219
iistory Obmuerstudwion athe WislamdS jc <0 ascee sais oclecmiyc e octane 213-219
SPECiallene POR Oten COMESMES mame leet ieee orca eke. ciel Etniclicheyolertiace ‘etetean = 209-212
OLE Sa OFILEILLL ELI Stopes UA OTS ei MINS Reo oasis Se sSe NEE PIS 5933386
TESTES DVS y rap aig, nats Scie & Or Sey MIG MOIS Ak a tiene | Ce oR ai
ALOLEP SS SLLP enaeterennemel ster ee raesic eneteea se Un otc deuce east ann eee lansiae a areusienapenet sete 69
VETOED! [Cra SET Ee a cae te Ay 8 eRe AROMAT a te pa gL 1
ATUES pce teenie cota eee vias restos ap die eicis seek See eres protc ve mfaysny shear 276
WOO oo Senter OO Na PNT an SUK igeS Dit en au A SUR Pea ae a 38

siete! 'alcoiie (wlohe! ws) ele) © 0\|9/.0\\e, p10) 0.40! e/-8),0, wile fel ©) ei1@ Ter 6: \e"le) eley.o!\=leije/'e ie yee

344 INDEX

EVAANUS J ORRSUEPUPT 12. Nadas, e-aiskelelsit is heii eis eee ee Pl. 44, 287
D Soba k=s Mae SCT ERE Aer E Roy Nia reo ae Pabio tiermciccadewc uncign 332
Importance of Side isths, 'esedeV ve nts Re acy. de to ean SRO eae tote 338
onigarden-vemetablesi. ys :\cyrsas cccaictchsats « fai eleveay etal eyereielatete see 332
OnfOresttTEeS: i5'F tes 5.aua, 5 Ne rere tisk eieee = Sova re 332
Wiood- destroying. fs sts nceivats aes aed sae Sie ee 332
FEUSOLCULAG UT CNT Searta siniti SCAR se oO ot RE eR Pl. 55, figs. 2, 3, 307
EUSUS TGPUIST, watatosscs won oh can eye She: arendle MON he Dale eee eee Pl, 52, fig. 7, 269
LUA OULCIONA = Bao dacs aco Gly ols uray tlelore Selein aale Ome cate, ale oe 44
Gab Diario Malate cieaberesoaie: idiots clowher alate, e1chn oko oes Oagersur SUSI e ee eRe eee tet tee 32
Galle tialet tenn na tact ctl oll WorcedoOu bool. pOomInoUboD Ansa dkSc eS. 225
Gasewell gunn Owes clases gore wus shoes aya ctaley ere eon Pll Topp: apt 137
Géologie Pratique de la Louisiane, by Reymond Thomassy........... 21
Geologviokrehie WOLtOm Sie Geiacie wve:s1syeccisse-siele oisiclaveior ae Olt adeeeaaenerercterete 175
Of mnlltands sNObeS{OMmaie ier siete siete sacl edee ieee aeent Pee eee ae 189
(SEOKSSE OWI cas Nie, h sailor sjovossstlol sae suiekaye iaded vad Suess lieliehatsie Relseatal ev atsvetate bere ete eke 80
(@Silovot Eisley Sepnd hme eRe SetPeR Te eRe aI A ear Berroa Ae Erode een aoc aS 85
Glencoe wActes ian swells ey ac callers ce ots torsteta one seanevat or ait ol Sree aie etal eet ee 258
h(a Ue HG) cA ree ae ai SPIE NTE Tc aidiG Sood Oni ¢ 258
(Ciill shapes Ae enon hr ona Sane canna abo gd Gti ase oa: 15
GROMIWE ass ah el sce Se Pilla tien sis) icity gud ae ete ea RRC Oe 279
(Cacehotshh @Fh nl ene eMac nIMOmAneiar moe doco mo ccs oO rm wcmayedo oda cc ie
Grande, Cote, Archaeolo givin. s < «ie csia oar = arctic natn eee kese tse 234
(Eso) Lot2n Sain ene NA LOI iO EBIORLS ENG GO.8 62a Con Sei 4 Sen tee co: 234
Cross Section OF scat anlsce co costs Leerod See ee Pl. 30, opp. p. 241
Histon ol mininovoperationS=s ase eines aera A 233
Location and Topography... ic scape a eee Ae ee 232
Mapyolssalli deposits iz. sears cools eiotots centers ele eres Pl. 29, opp. p. 241
SalllE, Shah Sv.) oise.keyarsyers zeker ole sislete uel somata cheveter te pae Pl. 26, opp. p. 233
Lopographicmap OLS 2 tsc.cuwen conchae eect waster Pl. 25, opp. p. 232
Wel SECELOMS Stee eit ayes wish ciecorsie cram ae Mite araierel cnr teenies Plh 275, 0pp.ps2ss
Ww GllSECHONSiG iaarl-pielaete ra lee Rie aerearer dob deme ee Pl. 28, opp. p. 240
Grand Cone. 27 ish a ceaeeetensvhe estes ee eee satis jetmi shel iajal erste enone Caen 71
(Girard Gas ae a Sae cael noha a meres) eos! a ancl becaney tinue Ob enero a Eas Nee devs Sal taae 94.
F201 bb O eRe ee EERE AU EE TOC SIME A ST OE EMT ore oki ns AiG POAT ASO G0 23
Onisinvol: CenmSehe ke ahisiva ctasticurante eareeiiich tees Asis ays eee te 94
Cena eovalSankeehe Laub Ga be anh oandeosos bags obocdbocncc Pl. 8, opp. p. 96
Grandview Dla fisae ec ie Sarit soliton, haute Seieeo on oe scale ase RET eee 93
(Coe chi(ol TER eR Ay ao Cae HORE eee Cintas homes oS. d a 131
Gry PhO CON WEEE toh bak ins seine cee ae ee 292, 293
TUL LOULES ere ee Teslpetel oalea a oy ha auviaiiee ete ae wed EOS Se ree 293
PUCHOVE oR as0d il PUNE Oa RN eR Oe EET OL Eee 24, 63
ERUIS OE Sasol 8 5 ROS oe ss TNE eS SE eco EE ERS Se ee nS 300
VCSECULGHIS: <P Ten wiahachoie wchetetateey s Pl. 49, fig. 2, pl. 50, figs. 1, 2, 292) 293
(Gy PSU sre ie. eatreretaroftotenstere tae Sie w ONS Peddlt eale ds, ala, SawaTe Io CRONS arene t eer eters 137

Hale's *wood “yard ts s3.. ite gala ie Gels Smee sie ee Sot ete terete 202

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INDEX 345

ee CEI FILLE Sarthe ecb veoh saree widen: Hy cevel aah 8 WAT taySrmsaveseiiath oRLoae 92
Lame Gey S\ DLevInC lanenenone sen spare tere are chore sei chee Vanstone e (6) cvslievobens slows afey Sweetest ae RSS
Beg CUE Brat o ln. 5 ci) che abay snus 2) Sree saben © bvfoob PUDbnO CODE EH son TAD omar oms aC 16
Hagnnisy former work im morthavest: lowisiana..... 2.0.6 .s.- 00 sees 4I
(Sig: ID ees. nS Cele ol Or DROFEOTS OM SREP ACTER a RRR CATH er PIT HT RIESE Meo ee 289, 311
WehtemOnecranSmlSGloms, crapseten-) <isisy-teiot roles aia tele keke oi ols cco TaSieie) sss tahoe che 6
PLA Teta SO Mt oUt peyote esc espe p eft «charac taser repent, SN es Hache ema ee 130
EGRESS Babi saa) o tener crece «oc GERM E cena rch chee bce CRC Rais oem emer Ee 36
HEARTS S Wall] © shay 3) cy epee <oeted a! cynics chienar Naveed chek atten cornc, SPamentemeraseeey cies aie miciitoere ans 88
TD EOI EER COG ANS OES Sc CRTC RA RSLS PEE TOT RATE Oe LS es 281
COW HOTTA STEER DIED SEINE Oe IER I Ae PIECE ce eerie Te 282
WMP UUGIILANO HO GCLULOL ORI ny 5 oy eh eh hae TER ee tees 176
EME Tayi cayas sip COME Alepcteorsts fea sieystevaN=) af okey Vera sy eich sy orccabtie sey scum ane! sews tsea tats Wes Aleencrsveys 158
PEL CLCHOCELUS MSO Otay oi dtehe fades ethers Maka te ele ese ee MaMa Pl. 51, fig. 4, 297
eT Sealiccl Mae eR eisai heres Yiataie tepebaise ee one alle due thee us, Nees cchal® Sylonaness 22 TO

““On the Geology of the Delta and the Mud-lumps of the passes of
Ne PIVINSSISSIP Dl sgn pe sescey oh cic Re eels, veges Shak vetenrel te anatars aterciers veloostals 26

on the ‘“‘Geology of Lower Louisiana and the Rock Salt oe
AGC SAMI G Cap ne se tosayccogs te ciate Wena as have ee are Tea easton Tc ev Maree ral esis oekaieis 27
ticconyot Geological work im Louisiama..,..:)./$. la. sc eenecs so teen wad II
JEIOWbvele. Wed olbicy thc 5 cil, Beiter ene ARETE ety Cet Ece eR Enaa Aina ctatanrais ome ene 276
HELGA Toppers nod sed o) stckectek ree euan shoo cn ake e wlloyar stot atta sherdesh tr. slau one hae acer rete RES mtiets:
Ee fastitT Sas (TROLS) Ne acpsw arose sede rsyse are oheletiess tate) scokesclsts e'anoususbaceu sue uele es eeveae See ne 29, 32
PRP EPIT SS AMC MDD OEEL 1a siniciois.c nies snthove, Sa m.0/8-oiay Specs bunistatiger tet oenten eens 22
LEUNGHUTAIE. SRA TAU TTAMCS COS TERE OG 60 GH HOR OB Oa Hoc oo Os Pl. 58, 335
NSS TAG HOTAA Wie a once ae ERO tio one ae Oran are ns Gin <e G.oc c 199
Ndedilusectionvacross states Hloplanisy fa.) eisueyey-) + sus eicreismetatecie a eees 33
HNEZE GOODS n.d & oD OSCR EAD TEE SAGER COA Ee OO Oboe Pl. 44, 285
TET TOMA OUTLETS SACS toe, ORR REE GEA eee ee EEE ATI tere Rr 288
[ORCL Bite BRO cic Res ct op IA IO ORE ROT PRO Ah ECAR APRN a Pst 285
RODEO LOS ete Ne R ae CURT ord, ie, HAST Che once x! sis cna laveeyesaeiale yeietaeae Wee 285
istiforsaia Gey OL, LOSSIIS: jeep Cialis hie oie since aye foe si-s 2 Snel gehen eee Slsioane ae ii
lnrdiamereliccatwCedarsbiiih ees as. tas ati cuics cn ie alsin ee oe ieee 71
UES ETS ATT Ee OEE RR Se Tr Pils eis 295
Be CHIT ON Clr ENS onc race te for Nel vr son's oh at's sion cae) eusvaneschs onay Suerskoveualeievenat Mae vocmeuniets sentae oue3
VANIH clllyS Cg O Lemeegeec ame reuteh a vonsusinst ors tensy ore scoh nid mlaials ie a nidste oy Share nabarateregtoa nels 133
SENT Pi) Sol aera Mea ania pS Pn SE, SMa Tal eralis cntels a on eee tereansle sig acre eens Oye 148
Ghrermical Ra marly SiSMot songs, Scmaehsi.tsbetc orale sleres tase arsireie oiein ce gvuseeus ceelelehe eee 148
PACESON STROUP MELO P IS eras oie sicher, wierd esse sheers sees Wier syciele <3 SMS e woo Behe s A:
BANISH rer tetas rst Satta fe As, oa Ahead a chansons ee Ey Be cE 82
stage eu Rete ire War evievelehorencralshre Upavane aivel.e vevegeievesetencdewstahay sc lneellovres'a!avovev slain WarolanAeitats 89
eaunaeretteny.clilksectlonGnemrtiem ance sec mcmtetionincaccccece: scat: Sehiee) e257
Aout Cota Oe aN ne we bau sear hears ensray mites. Wekod adh ie eile sole a ate..c Sivan neato 43
Epa CORD epee estrada be rete feyrane Sete rer ezel ah cc capinyc Revenue is east ane at shen gible & aueraehs 108
HoT remember cies oot steric scostened apcteneaes suseeverspou arctan siansy tre infeik slide are 2 jondrel sis) stdue Beet 19

346 INDEX

JURTANADEEE. 15.0 i Rin liis'oxd is Manta cha,> sii inns Xe © opens ee ee 280
JUPMARS GUDIG,.. sens sioju elvicge os sg Ryaehe Owe we ae 280
OCCULEMIGUIS Ei aia wiins Se pale Peak Zig bas oes Ree ee 280
FUE OS. Meoavaid aachsta,cya, 13's ys Bleue o OA SE is eo ae Pl. 35; 280
PUBTAMS: SCRLMRETU. Be asc din) ote te Pl’s 32, 33, 35, 280
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf R. R., cut near Cross lake bridge.... 198
ISCLUS OSD VENUES sate tote con, tears ce - Kae Ko eae Pl. 53, He. m1, 302
Maing ssa Wor kes cso, 5-0" nla ctayerate pe @/ainye nies! Mie tsbefele pee ke ee ea 63
Gick mans wellae errr tartare Ris. lerdvele! ac taveca's, & evs\otenshqrevtuniexe re, vic an et ae 25
MO WLEON cass cesracete ere apeiea elahe neta fens ars tee obs toler) oust eT enter 38
Tahary Steno cpl S croiswieoe co mcartolspelare) wm eralet cle lpveve 1m Miar aerate ane ee 99
Heaturesiof formation im i OuiSiatiar. care seeeeienienee neon een 100
east of /Miassissippi).crsyeis's sci toes wyotin 101
Origin of teri sag 3 sa SS eke a 4s ese Oe 99
Lake BristineamsrHeadrotcn, coven seme t 5 oan alae eee eee eee 55
Tac Gna rles trams cet ey oe ei yl at ests atrabe kane’: sabtuere eee ee ae eee Ee ae 137
Bakes mhorm ationyOi) jc .cit cise tune le) ) dibs Wikta csc) See caper lee tcter arte ie eee em 163
LOD CCL ee TRE e os ig ihe, 2 SRLS cMtlg 5 CARE Eee EEO Te ee ee 283
TECK USHOVLMEEE CULL 50 So. rsd ckole wines x oles eee e eee ee Pl. 41, 284
PO UPEU LEME 5.2. a: » ov inininl ja Sle) aye/ ch eas eas ole Gs eee 288
VAEIEG EE I AO FIO nS Doak ODUaG ob hea. edo. 288
SEQAIUSP UIE UUMLOTUCAIES : 2 ask: Picket na sic)- sees ee +. PL Sie.
NeyjSacgh aid Zim 5 sohtet te eiccacce’s avin 5, cere ae erences ete ae 137
VEC PNR RIS Wah Pee A oP aE re 2, Pic a Sue sso. oa: 301
GIGTEGRTAN Gn eta ek Do CE CECE Pl. 53; \figapgon
COFPULENLOIDESY, aaa ig dk nin eens Ce eee ee 301
Leech meighbarh ood. 5.6.5: ae stasis crt cy- 5 eet epee a 76
LOZ UIC PLOTUDLULUANE. (eras Saray; slore eine oO aE eee Pl. 51, fig. 1, 296
Be1d Voficiotehceseltoe waa e ao ieee cna ees le Eee STOR IRAE: ce Ee 38
TGELOSLONP G2 UHAO ULELAM A ner ein te eee eee Pl. 52, fig. 8, 299
NOX) eo een eer ee ae eae Teter Er Lan tors ais atin esa Gath soso a oo 39-
Preliminary Report byer..5).7. «x.y tis eol etn es 39
Meton, “Section lat 22. ies cere tes ecko Riera: ae ae ae Rn ne ae ee 87
Wetters of itransmission| eases fics eae ee eee 4-6
ECUUUSUSHNGETLTUS (Lier matte A ishepiekee ae ee eC EOE eile Eyal, Ae. 8 172) 3600 im
FASS TOL! RRMA PES NG CAINE) Rey en RSPR, cere 8 Pl. 54) figito; 4¢qaaaas
SUPEGPLGILIES Id ERN ry Nerah Vola cena eM PERE Pe age pe Pl. 54, fig. 9, 306
LVAD CAUOLACS ia Be ois sheets cee e clays 0 hal 2s donee ae Ha be 206
Taberty: Eas ¢ 2 sfck th tiene ane wie hoa Gu dione eros ae a S4u
Tyg dt 36 Sess 8c dca Pelee He. ee © ceeeuers be seals en Ca ee oe ee 134.5)
Lignitemdescuibed) byastoddard= ays a-tie cries emciee enna aera aaa
TASH CLS cronies naka ens oe eo ee isis wale Dea ee ee ee 299
Shed oy ROR rae Mee aI NG Sent Sasa ATIAIGe AN or sierdidd Cus Basa + fee ROA!
LAG PCLARICE? F<) cathe cio SN A ee Sa PILAG hs. 51204!
WWimestonenen ate eee saseSn pe athegs Sino ane t8 bests Tener ake ge a aeerene Ee 130
AnialysisvotmvWadi nih Cl iene ee PP oes 130

Limestone
COUNCTELIONS Pere ary ayeioe clei. e ce oisrcvoise sortie, voit cushe, otender Potieavogeeels 131
HOMES ENE. paged eG eNO Pea PRESTO P ON ICE CNEL len Seer anayevL oie ofle. ms Sts Cyiets oS liehcl Seed 227
teats: COOCHIEM DLAC a cr meyaiese etal 0sRe or obs Aitenshelene 0 eae! Suef mualsrchsloregeeirs 59
NTT COM TIE AIA SENN Pe nevarce cask age eeee¥s © bslevo ves sk os ceaacta Kaos oictenets, ccovsmmtererencust onsite stcheys 82
LOLA OMA GTS IAAT Mit BORE AD AA OA EER OCIA BE OAD Pl. 50, fig. 7, 296
Thy] Oxernie caceaate craters etnias Orie ar acicnch cROe CIA car Cae arc ero Oe an IO ee rec ACAI Oe ae 88
leoesswGenerald Characteristics OL meig Goeeeniesiees ataeU cisleis tO oie 116
(Ovalealingcospard ele oc cutee ecneee NARS orc Che cA Heche CHRO Tema One iy cc an ats 116
ands aVellowsloam Onl oimiOL COLI S egies eclalaie mieletystaieml teas erayctnia seks 115
Wome Garay e esd lanier apevcyere rarseaie gute) at: vor operon ee ogeors hei sreeteie aiecohe sys, overs aeeod hgueis 82
WOES meat Gimli, VEU Sat fis spastys, aie ee erences erbenshs Seely eee cacti emis we 180
Wopasteriar Oil COPS AVVE lis veh ot. fe seventhepehereisrsieeccrseee lee engage se istie tee spenevonsdetiance hehe ea 25
NP ONC Tae Oo Ail Otel Ss tare yl ins Gres sh cteteeceuee es ics in Cis Aloco scorer ayalis © Mi scal evsi noeminee hater gaan ay 145
HAGE sooo vendo csCono OU dd po douoCoonOn age op Gucuadnindo as Chen 73
LONG'S (CEES Sb Sr UCR OE Ae oR ORCI caG enCeE NE ERE Pri rae 67
pelo wa Sa OUMeLO Witte, MMERAS cr verseay op voreqecatsievegrasvesystoey oercreusiersianse uteadl ete le: er 74
LUE TEE 5 325 BRE OS OOO CN LE ARRAS SO TOS EC OCT UC RRR OR RE agi
LEH OD ORAL SE OORT RETF OR COE A OORN SIR ETOAC CG Aa aerate 303
IL Sy Gilles, sd Aieam Bisig tee tee BRO ete HE er RC NR Ina Te ert CI PERPE IEC OS 19, 107
Puree Deltaramad All tivrial se saseeie aes avec wes iehel = leuel hegtnaladstainye Serko od ey me)
WSR USEC S ORES COOLER OC OR ON nO CoD Pies apeloens 202
DUEL CRUE St BS Ae (olan ais aA on cnahons he ons p5a AWS oot Ba aa ob iGED 303
Wiebe; DWECIMAtLOM sarc varitesle cfete cat dooe mL Ricis oo o's ace oy nA RN ee RC 322
SNE RLENGILEE LES S23 RAO CE ER LS Ae Le POT TARDE TE OE OK 282
NGI TI QUIOR A CALERA LS a E RRE REE IE P e IA Pl. 39, 282
UOIGCLO ULL Names tapan ari ee eels, Shs, opts MANS Rho asd Telaiate eda erences eee Pl. 40, 282
LOM UPELLOURL ast G Nee evs <, sys enoyesah-uesere jaye suse behniay > ie aistionsicha stro eave. eae 282
IVC GEE cyte ae CUR ete Cl cde te cichee sovas era sews! aiteuc ts evalisyehansiche'ssan tis ale Pane Muctecimereee 108
MV TATTLE Cesc ouci ayaa ch opasen rome pes ceeee a vies tele Oy tek talarients aecasy die, ha, sn sattoshe noite donate cheno metencheten 72
feAICONBG 0} See ert mere icc once Peal Gh ato O's Ce CR PASC ac CSIR RE Ea Br cae NEL Tol 23
SQW LO MIRAE esis, cers tesencvaevcrer Ie wi sia arctct Caaprarey oi ac sald sea Savay saa gene ag eRetasteNe WD
INIT 5 Cc gh SG RRC NG cE IE eee ats RIES coon Prete FA SR er 136
ANG oKOyeH Cah 0) abKeNs Tao) Lopes en I aS cee bic Mca ae ome Alain os Se, Opp ap: OF
WAICrTIRITEA CON Vas ep aksid CE ROT EO UEC ENG ERO rem tia ce mc ete teas 6 ca 68
VMN ppt TOM sa eis Perko shots eveconsdecsisketslsiesGraiatonsheteueis eicicanesttetener oben oote 7
Vet ral cca eee Meee eae eR ris ORE EN Anchor Vat ayorthand jogalane ete ee See 137
DV iecrrekicsvlllll Sag mena Tey eae gis IR Fils Seuss sia cio har Wesduand loan Mua Miami eM e 71
LWOSCLEL? LTT URLS os och ae eS OOOO AN OEE OA SOS OO aC 38
MUONS DUAL ae SEE, SE RIO OB Bo BC eee Pl. 54, fig. 12, 306
Wienidrai lines sdetermilaatlotin Ol fe secs srrtielstcieiclaid se wes heeson alec susiere 312
aie NS <ehavobalsis Stachcie alts das SOs Ooo CreICkyG Ob: t cet oe oe IRE ea 322
ea Lie OG ih AK cae Ns iy AA Me SRSA Co foke sled va cas Mahe erreur rayne acide sue Jositus-te,besoibats Lepsboseelpns 318
Bie. (Colhnbanl optsi es, =\eear eee cutee Gel RUB SCOOT RRO CROC STG Soin Ie eneneR OMe tae 319
ALN ON CL prey cc Famers eps EeR ere ieha sty oa sep sce she etemveusvalreganotentheasye,alln ilatereieiensye Syscaheyert 322

348 INDEX

Meridian lines, determination of

at MPa SRC oo cd): Spencers iaaversisoa «loon euler etake ect ate anal 07;

Bit Ra yrs 3e Giagetaccralie aces aes. sa, 8 sheueve hafens baveuitae na crtete es Poona ec eee 317

BUT MIOMEGE cies. vosc ia) «1b emeiav ease opensnartieteyeravortie/e’ nave otoptesle eee te ate 321
atuNatchitgGheshiwceniee cee ms eae aeiae Mere acorn Sct 317

at Shreveport ys 2 serecls's Wewaicess dats aiaacveya Seine ase eee 320

cut? Weare file, 27- Sew cascic exsbustene anele sce loti rey tice oe iat ea eee ee 318
lrow/established’s <:. sc. é/totvaip e's 8 bein cena > wee tee Re es 314

Le CULOle nr Sisave lojnesienaterolete san gsegey 289 -<, 4/8 ce1e /eaeyoysha alta eee ee 314
Microscopical examination of New Orleans well material, Edwards... 36
Mintel erin. Se.2 nk gorse sss sansa eter ebere ven Saar e oe or eer eee 87
Mineral products;-uminportant:. 2.52520. Ah... asiectean ie 132
TESOUNCES:) 05 scevetie Was as savase OMe ote. WF cbse sa6r% Gee pa rele vache eee ese Ter

LM GLK GV ANMLEMSES i iis Sisto se eee a ee eee 44
MOCO MAIR OIE ISOS 1 aac catia ane mize). Heh meee PI.'53, figs 2) 300
SLLOD SUM SPO xceieatiece oe pice s tik ans oc aE Oe Pl. 52, fig. 5, 6, 298

NE OMOCOUPLCA OME Fo om WE A Saye a Ree * s analeyd that avd en, ccd Rae le oe 279
IMO MEGETY aiuakcs vis ain: ois sicupers sue area eile gy et ellgcata CARS eet at ire a 82
Miomb eon eriynsg «2.5 gies to-'ialaiesciaraiz is. krsisto elsyes ode 8's titel Qesliebave pallet een gI
ESSA Re as 546 2 telah Ne ee ANG oe Ral OR tee A ee Pl. 7, opp. peg

DI OF ROC oo « acsreov ante <a wn ember Ome wets ale av eS eee 281
IG iq toh oes ae toes ea aea cat rem Moe inm rie Retiay cin Meee ti StS se eee Ly,
Mounds; Origin s08 ick be .% alls ad are mae we eee eee 192-194
Mud lumps, Description of.......... i taesdiNe dcatteheenehne cel: See eee 119
TRheoriesof origin: Of crs. as ins ah ak ie ork 119-20

MM ylOMOI A Birr ntact Bali oo a saad ots ic ava Ghats 1x alah eo Oe 42
BQETLIE ORS ia Orson ao cele Ces cial cap toe ee ss} page

Mg 7t6E 2” VOSSURAU Te anaes Deke wn tod weib Date hertee, MEN alec Rae ee eee 281
IN GSS ORTLTS pes Bete Aa aa ee aerate asoleek ene Pehere ele eens Pl. 55, fig. 1, 307
Natchitoches? 359. sists eee citoc ee Sean Gul ea uoee en Dae ee 70-77
BE CA» ees aa lays ot eiesaeuso fat 3s aailshe, coi lode boveuevahe else haV kere Skeet oe ae I4I.
Back and sie aiid, cohineie easel aciice nore ene hee ee eee 147
Biron tamed er cons are 2 eae yashag avers sel seals OTS eRe Tan 146
Blufivon\ Cane iriver neath macs aes eee Ave cowl. Tg; Oppsipameis
PaliShy? Arta eee eter Bon dis, ay aac Ante aye dos > - 76
Straticraplive: seamen PORES aR OS ORI ictal a,b foi as 144
LOpos tap iyo. cee seme titre tier Bi sfore ay eMe\ see Wewe abouer Be Vs /eedeane 25 SNe Rew 141
WOMANI OL MoItel Kola Olt os Swan gsPoo bocce ps bid ais ood L Pl. 12, opp. p. 144
Natchez blufi_as déseribed<by Hiyell 2)... c2niac. oc eee 20
Bossi] s near cii7cuseesebuak cease see Sisal alckah Ack SOA ae a 20

an Sy A a EPR toys RRR Re eRe. Gin sas an aio 8 ask 5 ¢ 20
CHOLO SOMES Fas oe nape Rein oe eS RE RE EOE 20
NDCHICERE XO re gee a cn ike ROE oe ahi eateetas sen ec Als, ae 20

PT ELG RB IE, sos glade Rar bcauoes pkey ences ee Sener Te ae 20
EROPSES. os. 25 Me 2 sles Jeeta die tele apne el siete eis hae Use eee 20

VES TCA Bin eee en Ser SOIREE a rer ole Sic a dio. Gian or 20

NA OSETUG POA ASA OO TO OIE ACRE ee eka CEE 20
WCF LOWY ie lalate Ie RTE ITS Sie es NE ase OSI SALE Oe Oe 20
SELYITUGT TORN Ns Bieeo Os ee O DCE UH MS DOE RE OL eee ar one ee 20
LGLYSC, Hee OR vata erste oA eT NRIs Se stars LOCO Se OT ee dl 20
JUL TO ALS A SOCIAL Eeb Ca OOO CAEN iin DORE te ke ore 20

FEOF IE oI ORE OK OOP RIO IOELG OTR IE TCT eae 20

SSL OCU ED a: ot Brctars SETA AREER Ge PASI eel ie eye DES EE EE PR 20
SEAL Os ed eae iets Mains ere acrets snare een Rana e: annuity Snes 2 alin Myanmar sta pete oe 20
IMGT REAL TOGK PUGS) <3 SRO A AOS OOOO. 34 oo cin Oe Pl. 55, fig. 9, 308
OPCHLG. Mais s Hien es alee 55a 8 ee aes SS oncter. ke Pl. 55, fig. 8, 308
EVLIRULEG TRENDS eharaneCR ORES 6 OTe CR OTe BER Pl. 55, fig. 7, 308
INICULNCON GULLILOUECOSCOLA. Oe uh Ranta De ects oh ees ie ee Pl. 49, figs. 6, 7, 294
New Orleans well material, microscopic examination, by Edwards.... 36
ING Ome tem OWIETs As cud clots Sptinsta es ogo Clarets. do cave, Sere Tioge' sy Sein Meroe cvateteter es «See 74
ESN space enor chp Sraer Si cnerayei'el"S eile 70, val gt vol shah estes Dee eich ates Ah dosnat sch ee 138
SSAA) EMMAN 1 CLIT Ley OL! een spoon stave rosie ese veer c\evstigne fares slots for gyte leveyialevs wf grate te oc Be 68

IN CWEMELO P CMC LUITE Cline r ragajar Aeatancrcteaal siiel a clever ake iepeyntomnctatresm tai see «le eisteiesea as) e 79
INitasGEevasse welts p)OMNSON:... J ourcte aaiuees arate het eae ole Savas siecle eee 38
Northern Untoneandy Clat bores asniecsincnetinn cen reitets onions ohne ae 104
INGelits Cea bees age ee nrc on cttcnnce. ok a hss ar ak cus el sah SUS ch ot ony ec SBD oie. Bed Gee SD hated alay aha ahs 15
CAO AR Salt WOGKGH? si Riek o2s.c co aISS lche ile RiP eRobereiode els fatale ier slareloaeioans fee | 155
Oldishore linevat Crossmlakesbiridgens...cactcrae eet eter 174
OldenmMlertiany, SHE ti % ccios eeiciss oe aid ailote.s) Susie wate eines eho ere Sees 195
(UAHGAEE PIE. Shee CO OO ee ey oA ID Ass os 287
Wl AO CSI CY Pen etes ace sence cbs Biatana aie arenas ov arniee sinless aad th ieee ees ee ee 93
(QUIDEA ce tacth. Arclore creat ae Rote area UIC near FCT Mr Sone marr ares Spc A ry cn g2
(VLG NOHO S UCIT Ss oe, REO OE OO OOO OOO Obl d HB AnD ON 176
OSUA CONCH CILULETNAF ANALG Sosa te Joe Sate) as see Piy5 23 fig, 1a 207
OH ICOR RT sce OIA OTTO HORROR ERE CE PAC ERECT OTC RT Cot OS CRED 293
SELECT, OV EUS Ira ra NPE ISPS A SIOs AORN SBS faa, Oc ela tenel ee TE 77
(CALCELTY O71. ELA LTD PIN IAS PIs oi era TAT So ea oie LOG Eee 293

US COS ae ee ih VOC EG SA RAI OO EERE PAC ee PIRAQN tiga 202
DLLIILO SAE Pontos aA ATS Te I er Orne SIRI a soe alo ane die otek Pl. 49, fig. 4, 293
DOUES ACT ESU SE OG OA EIR Oe COCR COE LRG Gi sole 4 oh ale tayeys)
USERS otha OGIO SEE AACS AE OCR IC ee ene ance SI
LLET SE, vostepien Brtebinee: FIRS eh tee Sara ets Ee: P53 lea, 200
VESUCULLURUS REMAN Dee eV OS Bak SN SSO Loan SE Mle He PE 292
@ranceisa trdeloLmatlOtce race aea cle cis She oie cher seal eielevsis ise es abel ee ees 23
(OAC LUTTMASE , NEI COE LE A OG A BOOS CBE OS ha On ne Seer: 32
FLLIEL CLM TROND rR os ToT ROO R ERO Soe cd heath Brice ae revel sate oles 30, 34
@)hea Cheaper gees os a eitan ats ee ise erro rarcus ues RMUSIR EL See ove lacs: fm boaiaiaye wala sue bere bes 92
Ouachita river gravel trains..... RO Oca at OS Cie OEIC RRO Ree iee ar 104
Ontlete bay OUSWHORMaAt Om nOF sme ayaa cryesdere sete ale Sele Spe, LOE
EN OHID: SSOUOYE AUST CLT A TIO Pi OA OCCU TRIOS HOTEL T RTE eLoe 44

350 INDEX

Palmoxylan: cellulostim ca cose 5s se sah ne eee 38
GUTBSCCRLO Eas, wick od viata so gepeialee) ea ah eee ene ee 38
Pascagoula, formation, “THe. . 52. /)y. kis < svete oh ieimvi ieee ae ar 94
Peach Orchard. Da yur «ie. ithss «les eve, shescveloreiestiateesce 0 a7ms eerie eet eel eee 156
POCEERULCS Ae BTS aI co isle eye ce ee Ok CR ee 17
POGUE CULLEN BLOM EWS ES a, 0650) sin ajoiasw el oie old.n bine <del ede 294
COTILUUS Gi cies, syejeials = oyeh he (dave phiyahe la “viv, ayete ists) sian, Malia ened elite el eae 67
PO WIS OIG a. aie Li Ahes 2004, oe can cngeteyo ince orn chee tel Agee See ee 32
GUIMQUCCOSLAEA aan oss 3 vd, he we yd ONS eh eo 294
Lets chaQ 149) Nn aera ACen Macks OS mE A Aetoo o Ao hh o dot aoe. ee 65
FOSSIIS 2 pe SEAT ses Sw syareles sitar ute ake Ree ar TN eee ee 66
POPS EOD SP CCLOSE. sO Ae SORE elt ROR OL ee Pl. 41, 284
Petite ANSE paawios itary whys kicks izet oe. a ap atiyetaeh isle 5 eae a eee 130
Br eheeolosyOl ns 5-5 ke sey.te tis aya chev stenetshals kote sens) alee pene) <p eee 251
Cypress StimlpeSeChiOni ih. 2 saci speci secrcu rere jarehtaletere yee ee ee eee anes 250
Geolooyatrs teat ers ketene PE cman a cos oom cits 243
Elistory of minine; Operations. 2. soca cns eee ed See tena 239
ACS ota players wists Asielten eon rare wins sealed Goby Speer a ei ape ete ee ne eee 249
Lecation=—1 opography ci.c).0)45)2 4 case = oe ee ee 237, 238
MAT SHMAIGES Fock kee sae tee eee Ee aenee ote 249
Hoprographic map Of bi7.ce = silky ies bees ree ae Pl. 31, opp. p. 249
Section at mew Shatter tys, peeves acres. tienes ee ec = SQA
Vertebrate remains | O55 sick ac oa cteyy a)-rateoe ea eee 245
Wearhysproduchomol salt. 3). /t2)<-cncehll-n eee see eee 245
Petrolemm<anids\ Gass ie. cig los olaticwise leek: Eee ce eee eee 137
LAAN EVOL OULD. 1 Siti ding .nte beatin Sleek A ae Re oe ee 279
Phystographiy of tae=Bottoms. «a .i20s6, nose ws) aimee ee ae ee 181
EROlAS QIGIOUI ES? TEA oe BoM ee wha cvs ak ee See eee Pll 353, tise 2 eo
PROS Willd, Nar, Wag nOcostarus: 2, So ua darees seen weld eps sare ee 44
Pipes Clays oF oo si od olds bake igen SO ev siwinspsip cdenavere ec eeay ee Een
FUMIE aha Sibte onal ats. TONGA NG oe EL le SOE ee 93, 300
LUNA LTOSLOMEAPA ALICE Lh sR Daa sos ok Agee Lee 294
(DELO E eeeyeenae SU i a Le a = Seat, een 294
Plans fF “Operaitr omni F60ui5 aig oases « nso <stagebevaneieyt o eags ate pe ga cT es Race oer Re 7
TUMCUVOLONUR RUPPEV LET Ta Shs eelesle hoo en OEE eee OE 304
SEVDAVOTO CO chee Se ee OO OR eee 304
SULE CULAR. Bee palate ONO EE ee ete Pl. 54, fig. 1, 304
SEPHUWS pip dorateis erae et aagd OGLE re eso eens AU Cee 69
WICUPOLOTHELIOUCALCRIAIA AOR Ce Pl. 54, fig. 2, 305
POGGILES ASPs cise ere DN cadens ee ea eee Plgee 279)
VOGUE ADAG OME IaGh caeco oO age oes be see svete, aXe oe Sentral eae a eee ee 176
inflecta..... Rare nT OR HM eA tte ohare oo dic.o sox 176
DOUGH ie Sen ee ee Rouslalucteie aude.“ cicuoth ke teen eee eee 176
ERY LOLDES. Ba RR aig Re LSA OO Oe 176
Polypodiace@...... Pea werner teen icion ari oe Cero Occ ao Bos 279

POLY POFUSCOVERLUS Fe cise Sh ciate, dec OR OER Ee RiP soNses

)
on te eld SOmubll wits Sereieie tae cies rates e reeuctales s Sfoafeiaieus ovatayate insane) siehomavels 12
FOSSIL S See tse rea fo SESE ed Sere td ho ken See Muancbe feiss cash ee eee mete NLS svete BI RONG 114
FE OOEL [Deen che a Nite GVA eae tots aeons theea ov ecg outhep sts ¢ Thos acest Mh nue KeAe dara cIGRS oars 23
Omsin ofp Cerriiee preva y ee eeaisc eyo atotekens ce eect berote se ese a euionc taser alate mratedeh ce III
MRC KATES S pan crete cree vecteene terstore as wiaale teratsras Saas sacra neni ec ausre eee eve gente 114
POSEOMES AV OL eros erates kes Meters oaroroeich ana loasis & easvaie Siey aeveto tare eestor boramsteharcliore 157
Rotrers Clays. a. ¢2 sae SR oh Siig ics Gk Ce re RMR ERIS Meir ch eA Ree 24
PROMSGLI rs ys ya eels Nereis Ona eee aca hSatine ofeietn Saedslart fas, dials tas HOLE R I 16
prainie Aare erewielleSeCli One acini rteg Mestelt Inia ints pisitererecarentratemratonay toralote 258
TsO Sed C Ker, ree tae ee coer (onsite taal cr aey ek fa ay cveegtace uieletesia, » Webeelioussatarens ustater aie ayes 55
Sali OIE Say cee es hearenaWens nave te tetanic eons ferme afe ate lee rect oee tte lorlin ete. oneal cleus eae anc re 122
ERO VOILA line. te ensee eee absense ore uae eto he eved He Pore atlevet even dis. ctorenell cia teaecor eRe ote ahs 77
PSE LOLLOGRS Dee eer es oie esate ise me See sea checorefe See ASHES isle iE os sieienehanalte Opes 69
NED SITIES MESS IA CAST SES OS BOR TID RPA ee aa Pi 545 isss6, 7.9305
Pleris pseudopenneformis....... Dicom e ante cdi an Sarees Pl. 32, 279
IPL BSI DY SATs AOE Ret DRO OO Se AOR OE EELS TA ee ee Te 279
EVEN OG ERO So UCAL: CYOUSSILII: | fact sranaten tutoha <) hole atte s-ahese ah acoraayehe’s Pl 50) HS. 5, 207
Aaa LOLI LE RIDGE rca hate, ol atsta tags corals sai ats ets eave Mists e s0a soleil ss 176
(QUuRiGinithay i 7 oabespes Ceo nD Osean O Oe SUUO Gao OSS CEs Coainiicln. it aie QSeIaor 107, 146
formations of Louisiana, development and characteristics ........ 109
MUCMOINS « aod one edo Gee H ODEN Ce OSbHtan boos. sultem cote. oo6 we 118
OVO ATATES SERS AOL OC ODO AE OO Gat MOO epee po acE nod eas 286
EU ATLALTEU AS Hapa sie ko I MN Ale ie es ION eke Se Nh See ate ae 287
DLLCHOCLCIOLEU CPR sey eacn N Ohs AS aN ARS NST TED es Re ee Plt 324, 280
LUST QUEL i A Oe SEO ELSE, Cee TEI EL Re era a 294
aii MeSH CITE EO LOTMAALTOM 5-4, toue wistoiel siels ciate) ove) opalre ic) ateinectistole ays rae 167
CINE HAEEAS CIPS KO) SEH ONEN I Aeon o bond SHE oO asopAnids Sta ioe ALLL 7S
Marlys abet is citer Oil Own 15. je\sleve ciauislajens 2.0 cfeberele svclaleieee eects . 164-166
JENA ReTOURSTACON ete 5 lel dein Genann ence pag RACE Meat nee sen pect arte B54 6 167
Tal ee TIO Vales mentee sna ieieae cokers hers esciseas cee Sa wiles are eres liege one Mustelsvete tere 166-167
Growth ecaymo hry wari mst or ieiees os o's ke en cl sat) seeks 161
Growth of vecetationionmsurtace acess. 2 = 4 ants aa cis oe tei 164
M@mieima nex Cenity ry etree tase epost this fos ok eesr saterain ote sienna ake 160
(Oral orittaepepe tees toys err aiat pets sect paca eich Porton ayoye ails a: © seatie ee Seeiatanet matey eee rebene 160
WatevotuadvancesOn Mead yer pte 4.1 ora cers jeyeidis orsiovs. 5.8 vero tus mie eistek isles shapes 162
TNE ERA EMO LERO OLA Ri arareeiclon te Secasueehnieeee nat eis Gyate eine cual eters SENSES be 163
FSR Gece pre A acetone torah baton eka les ovefsy cise twice wie iene he Me maint sacthstehe 160
ITY IGUOBE ES ta GEC. OS O Oa OEE OORT CREE RA APRS Petey to tee 12
JRE ee Wols D ee © oenolead rococo: d cicesshs Sane orA meee ce Mires Ret thdihe A Sysrane apeaeaesed te go
eb TcnUSMSal taW OTS ysramen, el slsustepaidtona etsestaneraie feveintevayafelcie oer eueaie hoses yea tae)
ICO SSI Spreng cots ser beleastsca mn icte svelte hays valist ase betas: aUstigvsiovecaicisuaingane alate: nbse ace eteys 55
WETD, Git...) goes OSs Abe OGUNeS boOO bode Sco cIUInIO Ad OMObC.6 Orrado Open 53
Re dmarrcy Oil deeds DANOWS Wansiare sora re tota seit shereieialelel a ohatelalel «si ssholerslaleley-tersie 155
Slee ain Gl At ere ete sta levene topes Pe tose vas Sarah evn rolls reveal Set sie, whol oyio (ob es ev «shabu alee Sake 86
IRE! TAN Sse ois Oo PIOILOD BOC PGs ORO ORE Os COICO CORIO C INO OCR REISE Rete 6 152

DHOREOIMMMDASIILS nice laces cote tevstareie ctercisseeueta te ate tvevciele ciate chapel eresleve lerelels 153

352 INDEX

Bank Sections Janes pares place iam «clin hye cate spare ere eee 175
HKG) 0\ to EERO DIOeas Ore ato. of Op OPC at dubai Cregeen sony 154
valley) Sutlmap iol Saye ce, Jno eee ge peccane erie c potentials Pl. 14, opp. p. 153
wells below Shreveport, General section of..........1.......0:0.- 179
Width! of clamnelic 3. 5.) eteirciosiepstatele's x1<)siaet nce ee 153
Reversal of drainage System. 225.8) cece ons oeee ein ototeteiniel te roisieiel ote ener eee 173
Rediwine’S Spricios, AE i ry. sds stabcvenetarebeve shrrcastat ye costa ver senate eee teats eee aaa 83
RA OMNACEE) «18> SEES ae Ae aa Sv ines La eR eno ee 286
FONGVAI IES: CLEDUF ILD ins stirs oSiada ot erate (pace esta eo RTS ee Pl. 47, 286
Ries wHeirich yy, 255.7... 4. [Adee vse at wlee Btelamierale rea eres eee 263,
Road anguity, mice OF 2c okie fsb eatan wore o abet aes ele eens eee 326
JHA PLO VEILS bx 7. wesc snetteisedicte <2, ves Rtesabehe ee iti che topene de eee tee dates ee 8
soe tKe) obhGK=i 9's eee eee SOE ER td ONO ccd cima daittisirs oy ANE 328
Mmakingibycomvict labor. onc ercslsrisc\:io-caetsiaieinic lars rete tae ere 326
Mistoniecallandutechmicalapa pers Oley. ere selene een meee a
ida KO} ony col sa lECy aia Serene AC ALLeO Osa ara Oi BRADY’ Sid SOOO MM ADA NA pede cee 327
INOsSUEVey SMA GevOL 4. See pats mists cases, =:anaotohoneeel vie age Rae Weer eee nen nae 327
Notes.ons joy Grr Harris: i%)..5 +. asteisaavsorstds otal reer ieee meen ee es
Objects, ofa road Survey 4). 'os. cei ete wcie scale Genes a eee 307
Bracticaliinstrietion: p12 .\adis.scks as teristosie salve ete eae ie eee 326
Stat erate xclseii2 ceadhis otal cshettere oy oles nets oh nee gelal cle fee reletel sical: oe 326
SEALS MAWES: 15 cueic Bava soleus oe ayerysh spaces aisles tte be cate eats Felts a alious che ae eae ene Te 326
AMIALETAC LS ieee Ark ila, oe eae aag OLS DETR Pees GS OO ron SE ee 328
VO Delt Ef 43.0 Rusia teasers pas iche tea shels foaoae oie enue et ee SCS ‘sates clot
sRocky Sprite, CH Uk CH. ocsiaie' nats /acciereve tare la eons aeons Siealejel ee elo at ae
RiGSE FS] Disp chattel si onde o 'erayshnr acetate one doy « sliayavewe zitel ike ela al eed s eRe Eevee Te Cot RCTS ental Cree 93

Do UCT One a ee eto en ORAE MATa or aarmmenarce a scocenudd o>

FOSEELLA TAG DELGEG: «srs oye: vie.« toialols si steinrn: 3,» oleTai n'a a Biohal bailed ats ofe cia aelele esi ae e

Ruston? Nine miles west.of annie. mew ete cei om eee eniaeie eee 83
Sabitve parish! salt:worksuvt iis) cnn ly hen issale te oie clones epetenerel soreness ree 124
Salbinleto wine lsc eg eS aan one ener « Seal evagtheee GERM gn Chae he eh en Ie eT een 67

Texas Prohile, biaii-ate fe s,:.cc.ecee teem cee Eee nee 28
Salines of North Louisiana, discussed by Hilgard......... ......... 23

described!iby, Stoddard wisee s)... scala torn Waiens corieerclote nore ean oes 13
SALE LONGO i Se Hie Pantie uote ates OCT ee RTE RIE Loerie 287
Saltese at conta k Seale ars ee chclscamere tors lard etatct ay verse rege peat De hina ayia tests Tay hc 121, 226

AMAL SES “OPM Wiese Mceiokeroe cllehetobeuore vetted HG east aMen eins wick aT Sue aya tee 227, 248

biel cc ena Dicom aca SOCOM ER atria Goes BOO IEIE A oes S44 Goons 66
Sands). cbs shore cnc -susee ceattaweeetorak shel paves yea neta ebetee-\sa5 sietahays ee votes hee) aoreW ake ee eee 199

atid clays, colored ss ie «ania 5 s cycteraye sto omen eons os eis ee a 190
Sandstone waricties: + aceite. ny clencet ee ene ae eee Pane Ta 129
Sandy ‘soil, dight:): i: G.gtesme oa « bdce eres tem cys Seeks Aas el ere ee ee nee 147
SODIUAUS ANUP USTULOLIUS sake = selene ae aes Ane ieee eee Pl. 25, 286
SPOLOCEE ie ib aite en othe oui dh Rar cians oh 1 hg, Nia ieee ot Salle nel een oe 287
SAPOLQCILES QIMETICANUS « o)- Na crdiercye «ee siete ie ecient ets ee eee P42; 267
Sealey eillmmaimeatedtie paneer CREE ERs s Lath Golesi ee Peo re 315

a a i pe

INDEX

Sediment of the Mississippi, The, by Dickeson and Brown........... 20
RS Selammmetn ca tlOmy ssp tetova cote mearcaveretase) stata stabs lenatatel star clichacetche lesa tel Gapenaneeelele 170
SeclMsucatiallie esc mice es erates, soils aia hess roanste Lite ms Wickere aa ooecae deen oe 157
Sirellsmroim ter tro mt at Ge mptsy.ter.-reicicistercreieeerteters creme ineer oi ciee: mittee < 176
(3) SUFENAS OXON Saar rane SraiEIn prone: SOS Aiden o CBE OPAC ois ae Olin: ear as Taka Wels. 1s!
Welta sti Car, seher per etatcnco tier ews hse aaieve slatclicre ot slatebs otate ence Pl. 15, opp. p. 168
(SUNN COV OG Ea ote, etoacs GER OICirnG 5:c 15 0 EN DINO RG GUC. TR RSCnT Ouearat OP IRR ery ca 205
TH OCATL ONG wave, ceapey Wee UM Sd s) SS dia Telcom esa Ne ae EE See oe ae 152
Sllampaiyerc lea, gine. Soon bo qodna acces asopeseue Pl. 18, opp. p. 200
ble Of contents Of; Gi Area vc cc Malin Aosia Tonia conn eee 149
BSPMUKALUS GECILUUS Sirsa dao is iste aie Ses eee eos S tain Late ae Pl. 55, fig. 10, 308
Silverslake and@Poston’s lake; formation Of.) sc... 2. eee nee ok 169
SUE lly, Sing DULAC Comey Kaa Mecca Levene ctaraisiRciateher cma nea he cs eR ole meio ees 75
SEMPER StCL CE MS NIES 1 et srckeian vin 5 «artists» SE ERS wea oe Saiete Hines 66
GyOGl® . TANS shake Grae chet che are he CaS EAI NCRERC PSECU II na 158
Soul Te OSs odes HAA ne Genre eae EO Ose olaieta oo iemtat srs arcsoomnte) nn) Ulta egies 7
Say ORCC MRr, A 1. CUNs Fafals st Sallie Tala ehavotederscla Miohaialeleiiel otas, «Ale ote tato Sete 178
Recuiliarittesvandidistributiomyokes snc. cman eieieiniceiin sc nice 6 ieee a. 177
AILS ESS eee os eats coe ae Jie, SPS aes aie cepa ae ances ac oN Be ae ee Lai
BSL HULLIIL UCLUCIUS CX teta vals tart favors att anete cere srers cove acllekehaee ae IS 5, 1s. 11, 308
SWING LLCO TSA ON AO TOS RISE ROOT TE DISUSE Pig Ao DE RACE 296
Sy OVEN 2 AS oc OCR CaCI OR ER SRC RAE EE eR US cynics Ole eon Aree 84
Mont some Todd. .2A Lett eistomesarans tical eae a eee aie 80
LIL CL Spee sera as 5 tee ays Ua To: Shree eR Ee EASES ae aoe Oe ae 43
5 FELTON Baad rete etek). c/o ne wich « age nme MISE SG cySiget STE en od in VM eee 147
Seeman aneolriShiman Ss DAY OU. .. 2.2202 ay aisle ouole a eet sie Seale taegton tele meeee 156
SS eal VICAU tel CO se esate ety ier repaint ane hate cua) vache letalerst onaye areal eos Nai Seatac a TS ae ee 78
ASMthLLs <b sepa eP ee tee Vela cca ToveligoAateca Ss wie awpshtelewisiotestaa ire eats Pi 5, Opp ep 73
DING MON ESOMER Yereaar. tetova isd Sscchs er seee cesses Seine oN Re 103
Shod dards (sent aee heise cei en ales ors oh ERENER Saale <taroeradcuate remem ates MarR ae 13
Sromescoal plitis Sabiademniverey cic. aetan oucis one eeniace ee ae 66, 135
SAG CUE) Br, oO oP a PKI ae WB
SUAS U AGRE SS BCORI TL SAMS OCS oan C2) << io a A RN 202
SLUIDINS,, UGUEA OE 16 eehokssoobIvo} clo. BN omy G6 COM SSEbEe ea UooeHnion Oo skoac 4
Sulphur... 5. Bary sk tasters n eM erens cr siecrerats Soitea chars) cia arareveet ohenee aetna 126
Or Eye ee ESET ATISIN ce" Teyaneyehssiclohetc sic Soaiansts mea aid aha ei htea eee oe 126
LAD NTEVCUS Seem teers carn haters Nc a scodote siete trata vied ole 96 Pl. 10, opp. p. 129
SULA CUANDO ay act percent Malesia VU loin aeh harshataeye bag dla ecaohias. tee Pl.g, opp. p. 128
SigKers chietianentner den aan davon | Rava ays Lak i sists chbstaera anisign ease cher sere 88
BCOLLY PRET Micron hs a RO aMeEA Ae ete ec NE CN eic osc cade bine Sakes coon 19
“TPSTO YS GTOILRRISS ey 2g Cee PRR Rc gI
LE EBLUL ES NOON, BS HET A I aoe SOO PIES51, fig: 7,297
SUES. Sy Sv Spe 3, SAFO oe nt eS ere a Cnt oe, Sa a og a 7
LENE TA MOG NCAA TEL IC EN MEER OE EE SS aE a Pl. 44, 284
NG EOS: SiO SMR ti, BREE CoP gee et eG PE 295

354 INDEX

TEGEIASSY Oe ark, ctisys ae,arclagesalels ewe tensa te tiers Oye 6 er ee
SEGEOM OL, oi. cic. os coe ciate wie ee oe misse bibieals Gis res 01m 0 chalet eee er
eC Fomatelia 2 DUllata oe), va'nS vile Escg sv Ore 0 Cag ele
Totten, Joseph G.; ‘report Of... 0s)... oes be oo oe eae he
Toxcplan lamPapertolatume «5s pds svi tevn oh «sv os eee Pl. 48, 282
TPUPBELESNAIIRE He... cake Wale = ods oe bes oh Makes < «eens ee Pl. 60, 337
Trarisit, Pie, its"RSes,. «05 scccees <2 vie chs we neil > oan een 12
TPrEZEVEME ATMOUNG 2507 ak oss e Fp sieles e SEE «.phetete-wileio wiew' SRLS ee ize
TAPED CUFQANCMSIS. «ova. wth anos abet opie: oie ee cians Pl. 50, fig 9, 295
Aisne DAVOS < Onere se « ew clots MTEC or 156
Tritonidea pachecoes........ ois aot ad ia teerarsn eee eee 5 avi Seca Pl. 54, fig. 11, 306
BU ge TOS Yop -t = 10 cto tres cats colors = torus wave (o's iv een eed cca ote als eee ete Teta PAP is, 9
TOV Ater lak WUTBEPOSY vice oa Katte > Chagos <a Gayes Sa eee Pl. 55, fig. 5, 308,
PAORLOUE A TN EN Nie ne aah Ae Pl. 52, fig. 9, Pl. 55, fig. 4, 69, 299, 308
PUB ORD Goo os oles Vic ocean, Negra 28 Ne eter eee ee ee 297
PULECUILOLG ara a ia 53 RAGS: OS Nia RS ee Pl. 55, fig.6) 3058
AU eee oy ai Sha 3 6 Gea ARO ME SS ee ee 80,
TUES TCM ILUEREES Fs oe cio, 6 8a clever 3s 22 aoa a ee ee Pl. 32, 280
Mipland tales v Ae OF. Sole vse tks sda aiden me <2 See are
WHS cS ato laren ale | Reimers Deca ee PP SN ER en din =. gk
Vaughan on Stratigraphy of Northwestern Louisiana................
Byeeue tye AGC soi 05 cate eyane wis whe ele toe ay rel ale ape ate van cot ee ce a 149,
MAPHTETIG , SI) se ora s sig ghee e weieieleiersstia @ ade yartele e ointom ore CRTs eres
VEREKICAKLG PIANICOSLE,; VAL: ate ae.tette eins area Pl. 53, fig. 6, 69, 93, 302.
BN SEHOTI POAEASIN 5 a0. g sing she ie he Spi rie ecm © fname er I
WAS) bh sake 0011 CeO R A AMMAaND ao aaos Dnbicodagsupeccnoneoac 5
AVE LO tI AVELUIS: 1c che este mic /Ptsleren sls inte Cees ooh nado fee oo

Watiavia (GON 5 Ioan ee soos, Sie Oar mine SS orIC ee oo. ho UG cota sec 2 eres
MOUULBIET CS) PELFOSUS 2, os estes wise oS ae gic a aol oS eleven Sees obsess 69, 2
Waterfallsand) Rapids, Mornmation Of- os cpt a. eci eee
Water supply...... ye aeeaecvhhet opera's oe a/c re aiate te teqkers © cones eee eae a
Wave-tormed “bluthy.: eee rer c= oc seeie t's sree Pl. 17, Opp: pew
Wiebster parish, Norkhernmpart:. <.\5.4 ses .e)iapieerdn ieee meee
Reet: SECHONSY 5+ 55 he eect thee (lsh an Wo teres Seni enone eee Se ee
A) WAteebot 3 Cl eI M dire ts ci OHS ata aC RGA eOE teAN Ane Gueaoo ote -<

AIRE DIES? OAKEY, OKCLCM Ole 12/5, ww desis alanhe hiss < ey eee See)
Wilt PATS cea) cys ia a sere ase ys. diacetate teha) Sais Yonal Nees. . = bretelenmate lahore eee
NIV EY ATE ERS ISMN rec ore repress Mere tere See nl ct ds cosets seiioterass lave oes eee aketet eee ai
Yellowloam, The......... “A ERE U ata te otk cae Rel ioe eer

PDISETUPLLOD OL. 252 vsacts lane's aul iet<' 5 /Ab a eee ipa ska epee snlaepe |, OL
VOLAC OTA ACR TOME | 1 hoi oa cio. a rh: Witge Fs nsvhn, > 40 a, s2 oho ws 8 ayaa «ls rr

Zeuslodon houes found at Wallos (oys.0s:.02 sais «<> ss ee eee :

CELOLD ESE Pe os stadt pice koh o8 Sos oS AR EE ee
A, 7, 7

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