Old Mines of Southern California: Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern CountiesFairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman)
History
Old Mines of Southern California: Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern Counties
Fairbanks, Harold W. (Harold Wellman)
Geology -- California, Southern; Mines and mineral resources -- California, Southern
Carrizo Mountain was ascended from the north by following up a wash
through the clay hills. At the foot of the mountain there is a small
outcrop of ancient volcanic rock greatly altered. This rock rests
against the limestone which forms a large part of the north end of the
mountain. The limestone is crystalline in every portion. The strike, as
well as that of the schists and quartzites by which it is inclosed, is
north 30° to 40° west, dip 75° to the southwest. The color of the
limestone varies from white to streaked and variegated. It was carefully
examined for fossils, but no traces of them could be found. The
limestone is, however, filled in many places with the holes of borers,
and one small incrusting coral and one barnacle were found. The
elevation of the north peak is 1,700 feet, and these were found nearly
at the top. Everything points to a great elevation here in times so
recent that the atmospheric agencies have not yet had time to remove the
surface exposed to the ocean waters. Another factor enters into this
time computation, however, and that is that in this climate, where the
rainfall is so slight, a great many years are required to effect slight
changes. Toward the south peak the rock is almost wholly micaceous and
quartzose schists. Judging from the great amount of metamorphism shown
by these rocks, fossils, if they ever existed, must have been destroyed.
At various points on the northern end of the mountain are horizontal
deposits of a soft, shaly sandstone full of fossils, similar to those
found north of Carrizo Creek. The corals are very large and perfect.
Some nearly entire specimens of large oysters were also obtained, but
most of the bivalve shells are represented only by casts. With all the
exploration which has been done, it seems probable that these beds have
never before been seen.
Professor Blake, geologist of the Pacific Railroad Survey, passed up
Carrizo Creek in 1853, but, from the statements made, it seems his
observations were confined to the immediate vicinity of the road. His is
the only geological party that has visited this region up to the present
time. The vicinity of Carrizo Mountain is a favorite one for
prospectors, and every winter it is visited by a number of parties. As
yet no important discoveries have been made, and I cannot say that I
think the region is a favorable one. Silver has been reported from the
southern slope of Carrizo Mountain, and at one time there was
considerable excitement. The mountain, though formed wholly of
metamorphic rocks, does not appear to have been mineralized to any
extent. Only one dike was seen on the mountain, and that was of a
coarse, granitic nature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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