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~~IJ; <br />. . <br />THE ASPHAT,T DEP03IT3 OF MIDDLE PARK. <br />i ;. <br />Some interest has been aroused of late in the discovery of ~;,~ <br />. ~ .g <br />asphaltum in the Middle Park, Grand County, Colorado. During the f,: <br />~. ~ i~.1 <br />past year an attempt has been made to explore the deposits, and consid- 3 <br />arable pork has been done to ascertain their character and ,extent. I,,,,3 <br />Little has been accomplished, however, in this respect and it yet <br />remains to be seen what they will develops. <br />The deposits consist, so far as discovered, of small fisaureg <br />in the cretaceous formation extending along the 106th. meridian <br />:north of lat. 40, as described by Hayden. <br />These flssures seem to cut the formation, which dips to the west <br />and seems to be the eastern extremity of the cretaceous sandstones of <br />Utah and Western Colorado. The veins have an inclinal'ion of from 20 to <br />4 0 degrees, depending on the slope or incline of the surfaco. The <br />elevation is about 10,500 feet. Tho country is very mountainous, <br />cut by deep gulahos or water courses and is heavily timbered. The <br />snow fall is heavy and lays upon the ground late in the spring. The <br />surfaoo is completely disintegrated and the formation is covered with <br />a heavy wash, in some cases fifty feet deep, maklttg prospecting very <br />difficult. <br />Tho size of the veins discovered varies from a mere seam in the <br />..^ormation to disconnected pockets of from Pour to six feet in width. <br />The voin completely pinches out at about 50 feet below the aurfaeo, fr~ <br />from the weight of the formation above the iacline. Tho veins show etro <br />volcanic aatlon, rho formation being heavily stained for considerable , <br />dlstanco either side of the streak, and action of the gasses omitted <br />is noticablo throu6}tout the travorae seams in the roak.for a distance <br />of from fifty to 100 foot. <br />The product, so far as ascertained, is of twa kinds. A hard <br />~. bro:miah aubatnnco, having n smooths fracture, though tough and grams <br />. lar in Ste structure, readily fusable over flame, will not melt of <br />Itself, but ao~uable under heat Sa oil, aoluable sold in beazole. <br />In solution 1s dark black in appearance and lustrous. This senses to <br />Fare been aub~eated to a very high teaperature, fills the outcrop of ti~ <br />/~~ <br /> ,;. <br />l~~ <br />GI ~ ;~ <br /> <br />a <br /> -s l.i <br /> <br />.~ ~, <br />~ <br /> i} <br /> <br />`i ~` f~ . <br />:a <br />i. <br />