Show PORTLAND CEMENT IN EASTERN KANSAS in he opinion of erasmus haworth and F C schrader of the united states geological survey a considerable extension of the portland cement industry may be looked for in eastern kansas the real basis of the kansas cement industry is not the limestone or shale although these are satisfactory enough but the supply of cheap natural gas which is available in the independence quadrangle this quadrangle lies in the southeastern part of kansas adjacent to indian territory and within the kansas oil and gas fields it embraces all of montgomery and portions of adjoining counties besides a large amount of natural gas suitable for fuel the area contains quantities of first class limestone and shale which are unusually regular in composition two plants are already in process of construction st one at independence by the western states portland cement company and one at neodesha Ne by the american portland cement company the plant at independence is located on one and one half miles southeast of town near the junction of rock creek and the verdigris river it ha hasten almen built on the drum limestone which here attains a thickness of nearly feet this limestone which is to be used as one of the raw materials here outcrops over an area of several square squar miles it is semi crystalline medium rained grained and highly it has been I 1 tested tested by the company and f found to be entirely satisfactory the analysis showing it t to be a very pure lime carbonate shale quantity is also at hand in the of good formation that overlies over lies the limestone while fuel can be obtained from the great gas wells near by and water from the verdigris river at neodesha Ne the limestone to be used caps the hill known as little bear mound about a mile northwest of town where it has been found by the companas comp anys drill tests to have a thickness of fifty five feet and is allen limestone here known as the lola iola suitable shale is also present underneath the limestone and an abundance of oil and gas tor for fuel purposes is at hand lathbury of philadelphia pennsylvania were employed by the kansas state geological survey to make a chemical examination and also an actual burning test of the limestone and shale from the site of the factory they pronounced the limestone well adapted to the manufacture of portland cement and the shale suitable for use with ie e limestone the erection of a third cement plant at the west base of table mound on the bank of elk river is said to be contemplated the rocks exposed here consist of forty five feet of pure crystalline piqua liqua limestone overlying an eighty foot bed of shale which in turn rests upon a five foot bed of the lola iola allen limestone underlain by forty or more feet of shale both the piqua liqua and the lola iola allen liem stone are remarkably persistent over wide areas in the state and wherever they may be found they are likely to be suitable for making portland cement these facts are briefly set forth in bulletin no of the united states geological t survey which is entitled contribution to economic geology 1904 |