Roaring Run Iron Furnace EarthCache
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The Roaring Run Iron Furnace was a hot-blast charcoal furnace used to produce metal out of brown hematite from a bank approximately 1 mile to the south. The furnace was originally built in 1832 and was rebuilt in 1847. In 1854, the final year of use, the furnace produced 800 tons of pig iron used to make "hollow ware" for local consumption.
Hematite is one of the most common minerals, and is typically the cause of the red or brown coloration of most rock such as sandstone. It is the mineral form of iron oxide and can be found in the colors black to silver gray, brown to reddish brown, or red. This mineral has been mined as the main ore of iron and is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle. Large deposits of hematite are found in banded formations and are most likely found in areas where there was standing water or mineral hot springs. Deposits can form in water such as on the bottom of a lake, spring or other standing water or can form without water but this is usually caused by volcanic activity.
Hematite has several varieties which include:
Hematite Rose - "a circular arrangement of bladed crystals which give the appearance of the flower of a rose"
Tiger Iron - "a sedimentary deposit of approximately 2.2 billion years old that consists of alternating layers of silver gray hematie and red jasper, chert or tiger eye quartz"
Kidney Ore - "the massive botryoidal form that gives the appearance of lumby kidney-like masses"
Oolitic Hematite - "a sedimentary formation that has a reddish brown appearance an earthy luster and is composed of small rounded grains"
Specularite - "a micaceous or flaky stone that is sparkling silver gray and is sometimes used as ornamental stone"
While hematites varieties all differ in ways they all have a rust-red streak.
I did not find much information at the site about the furnace nor the iron production so the logging requirements will be quite simple.
Logging requirements. In an e-mail through my profile please send me the answers to the following questions:
1. Walk around the furnace and tell me on how many sides are there furnace access.
2. Give your best estimate as to how tall the furnace is.
3. On the way in or out, stop at the area informational sign and tell me the name of the stream that runs through the area.
4. As stated in the description, the furnace was approximately 1 mile from the hematite mining site. The reason for this was that the nearby stream provided an ample flow rate to provide power to the furnace and ore washers. Estimate to your best ability the flow rate of the stream.
Although not a requirement of logging the cache, please take your camera and post photos of your visit.
All information gained by internet and libray research.
CONGRATS TO mdlittleA FOR THE FTF!!
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