USA > Maine > A gazetteer of the United States, comprising a series of gazetteers of the several states and territories. Maine > Part 5
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Deer Island is next in size to Mount Desert, and lies on the eastern side of Pe- nobscot bay. It is about 9 miles long, and 5 miles wide. It is mostly composed of granite, upon which there is an enormous bed of serpentine. North-west of this is Little Deer Island, distinguished for "a remarkable mass of greenstone trap, mixed with terpentine, which has burst through the strata of slate rocks, and rises to the height of 150 or 200 feet above the sea-level," and resembles the appearance of a volcano. For a hone-stone, it is equal to that brought from the Levant.
For Islands are a cluster of islands in Penobscot bay, and incorporated into a town called Vinalhaven. They are interesting in a geological point of view, and some specimens of anthracite coal have been found there, of which there are two veins or narrow beds ; but they are of no great value.
Isle au Haut is an island composed of granite, at the entrance of the Eastern bay, as it is called, which is a passage of Penobscot bay between Fox islands and Deer island, east of the first, and south of the last. North of Fox islands, and west of Deer island, there is a large collection of small islands, of no particular importance, except as they serve to diversify the scenery of the bay.
Long Island stretches itself along the middle of Penobscot bay, from N. N. E. to S. S. W. for 12 miles, which, with a number of small islands extending S. about 5 miles further, constitutes the town of Islesborough.
Brigadier's Island is in the northern part of Penobscot bay, bearing E. N. E. from Belfast, distant about 5 miles. It is mostly covered with trees, and is a place of considerable resort by pleasure parties.
Orphan Island is in Penobscot river, just below the village of Bucksport, and forins what is called the Narrows in that river. It is about 4 miles long.
Matinicus Islands are a group of islands at the entrance of Penobscot bay, south of Fox islands, distant about 10 miles. The principal of them is Matinicus, Wooden Ball Rock, and Seal Rocks. They are little more than a collection of rocks raising their naked heads above the surface of the ocean.
Islands are thickly scattered along the entire coast, from the mouth of the Pe- nobscot bay to Casco bay. Among the principal of these may be named White and Otter Islands, off Thomaston, composed of granite; Rachlife's Island, a locality of beautiful granite ; Whitehead, on which is a light, composed also of granite, with an enormous trap-dike intersecting it; Green Islands, which lie S. E. of Whitehead, and between it and Matinicus ; Matinic Island, bearing S. of Whitehead about six miles ; and Mosquito Island, bearing S. W. 5 miles from Whitehead. All these isl- ands, with others of smaller size, are on the S. E. borders of the town of St. George.
To the westward of St. George, in Muscongus bay, is a multitude of small islands, forming a small archipelago, not worthy of particular notice, with the exception of the Franklin Islands, where is a light, and Muscongus Island, near the shore of Bre- men. At the entrance of this bay from the east, there is a cluster of islands called George's Islands. They lie S. S. W. of the town of St. George, distant about four miles. South of these islands is Manhegan Island, on which is a light, distant about six miles, and is composed of granite.
Burnt Island is at the entrance of Townsend harbor, and has a light upon it. It is one mile and a half from the village, S. 20° W.
Sequin Island is a high island at the mouth of the Kennebec river, upon which is a light.
Casco Bay Islands. The islands in this bay are very numerous. It is said they number over 350, and inany of them are very beautiful. Jewell's Island is noted for being the locality of copperas and alum works; Parker's Island, for its
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magnificent beryls ; and Crotch Island for its numerous clefts of talcose slate, filled with veins and crystals of quartz. All the islands in this bay are small.
The number of islands from Casco bay to the west line of the state is very small, and of no great magnitude. The principal are, Richmond's Island, S. W. of Cape Elizabeth, near the shore of that town; Stratten Island, on the north, Wood Island on the south side of Saco harbor, upon the last of which is a light ; and Boon Island, off cape Neddock, in York, upon which there is a light also.
Such are some of the principal islands of Maine. They are the most important and interesting, as well as the best known, and occupy the most conspicuous sitn- ations. But so numerous are the islands in this state, that it would take more space to record their bare names than this article fills, if we include those in its multitude of lakes, ponds and rivers.
Geology and Mineralogy.
The term geology is compounded of two Greek words, ge, meaning the earth, and logos, a discourse, and signifies discourse concerning the earth, or the science of the earth. It is its province to investigate and describe " the structure of our globe, the nature of its various components, and the laws which have affected and still continue to produce changes in its mass."
Maine has been but partially and very hastily surveyed ; but this has revealed enough of its geological character to show that it is exceeding rich, various and in- teresting, both in a practical and scientific point of view. The very lucid and inter- esting reports of Dr. Jackson's surveys show that the mineral resources of the state are various and great ; and it is to be hoped that the time is not far distant, when the survey so auspiciously commenced, will be resumed and completed in the most thorough and careful manner. A more judicious and economical appropriation of money could not be made by the state than for the completion of this survey, beside securing to itself the gratitude of all scientific men.
In this article we shall give a list of minerals used in the arts, found in this state, with a statement of the localities where found, and the probable amount that exists.
Beryl and Garnets. "Beryl, a sub-species of the emerald, occurs in Maine, in large and beautiful crystals, some of which are from 6 to 8 inches in diameter. It crystallizes in the form of a six-sided prism, with plane terminations. Its color is of various shades of green, and the nearly transparent varieties of a sea-green color are used in jewelry, under the name of aqua marine ; the latter variety is found in Bowdoinham, imbedded in quartz veins, which traverse granite. The other dark- green varieties are also found there in the granite itself, and in the soil derived from its decomposition. Large and beautiful beryls are also found in the granite of Par- ker's isle andat the mouthof the Kennebec river. They are also found in Albany, near the Portland road.
" Garnets suitable for ornament occur in various parts of the state, the finest yel- low kind being found at Phipsburg, while the deep red occur at Brunswick." Dr. Jackson and a friend, " aided by a laborer, succeeded in obtaining, in a few hours, no less than two bushels of crystals" of beryl and garnets, by digging into the earth where granite rocks had decomposed, in the town of Bowdoinham.
Bismuth. An ore of bismuth has been found at Lubec. " This ore may be wrought for making soft solder, used by the workers in tin plate, and it may also be used as a component of type metal."
Copperas and Alum. " Iron pyrites, or sulphuret of iron, abounds in Maine, and may be used in the manufacture of copperas, when it occurs in veins; and when mixed with slate, it may be used also in the manufacture of alum. This mine- ral is one of the most abundant in Maine, and is frequently mistaken for gold or
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silver, according to the color it presents. The pyritiferous slates of Maine are ex- ceedingly rich in this mineral, and may be made to form both copperas and alum." This mineral is found in abundance on Jewell's island, and in Brooksville, opposite Castine. The latter, in particular, is a very rich deposit of pyritiferous slate, which may be wrought profitably both for copperas and alum.
Feldspar, "suitable for the manufacture of fine porcelain or China ware, is abundant in Maine, and is vastly more pure than the kind used at the porcelain works of Sevres, in France. When the citizens of Maine become adepts in the art, we need not send abroad for China ware, for we have all the materials required, and an abundance of soft wood necessary for baking the ware." The properties of the feldspars of Maine have been amply tested, and the dentists of Boston pronounce that obtained at Brunswick the best they have ever used in making mineral teeth.
Fluor-Spar, "a mineral composed of florine and calcium, is found in Maine at Long island, in Bluehill bay. It is of a green color, and is crystallized in octoedra, a form composed by two four-sided pyramids applied base to base. This mineral is used only by chemists for the preparation of floric acid, and by the workers in glass for etching on that substance."
Freestone. This is also called new red sandstone, and is "found in Maine along the St. Croix river, forming high cliffs, skirting the river from Pleasant Point to Robbinston. This locality offers some varieties which may be advantageously quarried for building-stones, while its quantity is inexhaustible. A very compact kind of sandstone is also found at Nutter's Head, which makes excellent hones for fine tools, said, by those who have used them, to be superior to the Turkey oilstones. The sandstone cliff's of Perry have already attracted attention, and will doubtless be quarried for freestone."
Granite. " Maine is pre-eminent for the abundance and excellent quality of her various and beautiful granite rocks, which offer facilities for quarrying and exporta- tion, unequalled by those of any other part of the known world.
"However public taste may vary in respect to the shades of color required for ar- chitecture, the quarries of Maine, furnishing every variety, will always be able to meet the demand.
" Not among the least of the advantages over other states, are the facilities which exist for the ready transportation of the stone to market, since the numerous bays, deep inlets, and estuaries of large navigable rivers, afford ready access to most of the important quarries.
"Owing to these uncommon advantages, the granite of Maine is destined to sup- ply the whole Atlantic coast of our country and the West Indies ; for it can be quar- ried and shipped to any of our large cities at a lower price than any building-stone can be obtained in their vicinity.
" Since this stone is so beautiful and substantial a material, it is certain that there will be a constantly increasing demand for it, as the population of the country in- creases, and new buildings are required.
" On Penobscot river there occur inexhaustible supplies of excellent granite rocks, admirably suited for architectural purposes, and so near navigable water as to render the stone valuable for exportation.
"The whole mass of Mosquito mount is composed entirely of granite, and it must contain at least five hundred millions of cubic feet, equal to 30,000,000 tons." A canal for sloops has been dug from the river to the base of this mountain, so that blocks of stone can be taken out of the quarry, and placed directly upon the decks of vessels. Dr. Jackson saw specimens of the Mosquito Mt. granite finely dressed and polished. "It is vastly more beautiful than any of the oriental granites used by the ancient Romans." It is free from stains of oxide of iron and pyrites.
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" Mount Waldo is composed of the same kind of granite, and contains more than one billion five hundred millions cubic feet of granite, or 100,000,000 tons."
" Bluehill bay is a very convenient harbor for vessels engaged in transportation of granite, and there are immense and inexhaustible quarries of this stone favorably situated for transportation" upon its shores. There is a hill composed of this stone near the Narrows, which contains "no less than 600,000,000 cubic feet of stone." A quarry has been opened at this place. "Owing to the presence of black mica, it is a little darker than those before described." There is also a ledge of considerable extent at the head of Long cove, and of a very fine kind of granite, suitable for Ornamental work of the most delicate description, and " will present delicate sculp- ture to great advantage." There are many other localities where granite may be obtained on the shores of this bay.
" On the South Fox islands, Vinalhaven, good granite abounds," but of a coarse variety ; also on Deer island.
" Buck's Harbor is a deep and safe cove, protected by a little island at its mouth. The granite quarry opened at this place is one of great value, on account of the goodness of the stone, and the facilities for extracting and shipping it for sale. Its cubic contents will amount to more than 634,000,000 cubic feet, or nearly 40,000,000 tons."
At Edgecomb there is an inexhaustible supply of a beautiful dark-blue granite, excellent for building. Its quantity is estimated at 100,000,000 tons. " Phipsburg has a number of good quarries of granite-gneiss, similar to that wrought at Hal- lowell." In Brunswick, three miles from Bath, there is an "abundant supply of granite-gneiss; there being more than 100,000,000 cubic feet of this stone on a hill which is elevated 85 feet above the sea-level."
In Hallowell there is a very extensive quarry of granite-gneiss, which, when hammered, appears at a distance like white marble. "The ridge composed of granite, in this town, is elevated about 400 feet above the level of the Kennebec, and it extends in a north-east and south-west direction. Since there are no well- defined boundaries yet ascertained for this locality, it is improper to make an esti- mate of the quantity of stone that exists there." Augusta also contains a quarry of stone similar to that at Hallowell.
" Kennebunk is also celebrated for its granite quarries. The granite is of a dark color, owing to the predominance of black mica. There are many other ledges of similar granite in Kennebunk. We estimate the quantity of granite, in this town, to be more than 250,000,000 tons. But it cannot be drained to more than half its depth."
Besides these localities, there are innumerable others in the interior of the state, which cannot be available in commerce, but will afford excellent building materials for the towns and villages where they occur.
Honestone. This stone, " useful for oilstones, is extremely abundant in Maine, and may be advantageously wrought upon Little Deer island and the Western island in Penobscot bay. It is equal in quality with that brought from the Mediter- ranean, known under the name of Turkey oilstone, which sells in Boston for fifty cents a pound. The locality is amply sufficient in extent to supply the world with oilstones."
Hornstone, " which will answer for flints, occurs in various parts of the state, where trap rocks have acted upon silicions slate. The largest mass of this stone known in the world, is Mt. Kineo, upon Moosehead lake, which appears to be en- tirely composed of it."
Iron, arsenical, "oceurs abundantly in Maine, forming veins in the granite, sienite and greenstone trap rocks. This mineral is composed of 46 per cent. of arsenic and 54 per cent. iron, and may be used for the purpose of manufacturing the
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white oxide of arsenic, which is used in making shot. There are considerable veins of this ore at Bluehill, Thomaston and Newfield." In this last town, the rocks are highly charged with arsenical pyrites.
Iron ore. "There is an abundance of valuable ores of iron in Maine, which are of great statistical importance to the country. Iron is one of the essential requi- sites in all the arts of civilized society, and is the strong arm of national prosperity. It is a knowledge of the art of working this metal that distinguishes the more power- ful civilized races of mankind, and gives them the means of withstanding the en- croachments of barbarians."
The most extensive collections of iron ore, yet discovered in the state, are in Aroostook county. This ore is of the red hæmatite iron, of the very best quality. The only bed of ore yet discovered is on the Aroostook river. It is 900 feet wide, and of immense and unknown length. It is probably connected with the great bed of ore discovered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, extending through the country, and passing directly above the United States military post at Houlton. This ore yields 53 per cent. of iron, and will give 60 per cent. of cast metal, or 50 per cent. of bar iron. It is regarded by Dr. Jackson as " wholly inexhaustible." At Lin- næus, in this county, several valuable beds of granular magnetic iron ore have been discovered.
The same kind of ore occurs on Mt. Desert island, at Bass Harbor, though veins have not been discovered sufficiently powerful to justify any attempts to work it. It is thought, however, that further explorations may reveal more powerful veins. There is a rich variety of hydrated oxide of iron found at Black's island, near Mt. Desert. There is also a large vein of magnetic iron ore on Marshall's island, three feet in width. Small quantities of specular iron ores are found on Seward's Neck, but not sufficient to work.
" Many places in the state furnish abundant supplies of bog iron ore. This ore is constantly forming from the decomposition of iron pyrites, existing so abundantly in the slate rocks of Maine." These beds are principally in the interior of the state. A bed of this kind of ore occurs in Newfield, and of very good quality. It appears to be a very extensive deposit. There is also an important bed of this ore in Buck- field, and is of considerable extent. The ores produced from this bed are said to be "exactly like those of Sweden, from which their fine tough iron is made, so uni- versally admired for its strength, purity and adaptation to making cast steel."
Bog iron ores also abound in Shapleigh, Argyle, Clinton, Patricktown, and Ray- mond ; also at Castine, Paris, Saco, Jewell's island, and Thomaston, but these are small deposits. In Lebanon there is an extensive deposit of this ore. " In the town of Union there is an enormous bed of this ore, more than 30 feet thick." " In Dover there are several valuable beds of bog iron ore of excellent quality." In township No. 4, 11th range, in Piscataquis county, there is " a considerable of a deposit of solid pan iron ore, which is from eighteen inches to two' feet in thickness." In Foxcroft there is a small deposit of bog iron ore. In Raymond, magnetic iron ore occurs in a hill 371 feet above the neighboring lake. It is, however, so closely imbedded in the rock that it will be very expensive to extract and fit it for the furnace. In Rumford there is a bed of this ore sufficient to supply a blast fur- nace, of small size, ten years. In Andover there are two deposits of this ore, of excellent quality ; but the amount is small. "In Skowhegan there occur several large deposits of bog iron ore, some of which is solid and of good quality." There are several deposits of this ore in the adjoining town of Clinton. In Turner, also, there is a deposit of the same kind, of considerable extent, from which iron of good quality has been made. Upon a further exploration of the state, there will, doubt- less, be many more localities discovered of the different kinds of iron ores.
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Jasper, "a precious stone, is found abundantly in the state, in beds always in contact with trap rocks. On Sugar-Loaf mountain, upon the eastern bank of the Seboois river, there is a bed of this mineral, 10 feet wide, cutting through the moun- tain, in contact with a huge trap-dike, to which it owes its origin. Immense quan- tities of boulders, or rounded masses of jasper, also occur scattered in diluvial soil, and are found in the bed of the Aroostook and St. John rivers."
Lead. "Lead ores have been found in several parts of the state, but not in very large veins. The Lubec mines appear to be the most valuable, and may doubtless be wrought to advantage. Lead ore has also been found near the south line of Dexter, the veins of which are supposed to extend into the adjoining town of Co- rinna. This is a very rich ore, but no veins have yet been discovered of sufficient magnitude to repay the labor of working it. Small veins of this ore have also been found in Parsonsfield.
Limestone. "No other state can vie with Maine in the abundance of its limestone, and the amount of revenue derived from commerce in this article is immense, and probably far greater than is generally apprehended.
."Thomaston is justly celebrated for her inexhaustible quarries, which serve to supply nearly all the cities on the Atlantic coast with lime used in their buildings, and for agriculture.
"Few, perhaps, realize the fact that there are no less than $14,000,000 worth of limestone within 20 feet of the surface, in Thomaston; and that already, while but a trifling proportion of the stone is exported, nearly half a million of dollars are annually realized from the sales of lime ; beside which, we have also to estimate the value of the carrying trade, the whole business being in the hands of the citizens of Maine.
" Limestone abounds also in Camden, Hope, Lincolnville, Warren, Union, White- field, Machias, and Lubec, from several of which places it is exported in the state of lime. York, Cumberland, Oxford, and Kennebec counties contain as much lime as will be required for their agriculture." Aroostook county also abounds in lime- stone of an excellent quality and in great abundance. In Dexter, Penobscot county, there are immense beds of good limestone. To say all in few words, lime- stone, so far as examinations have been made, is found to exist in every part of the state, if not of a quality suitable for the arts, yet sufficiently pure for agricultural purposes, which is of inestimable value to those sections, and indispensable to render their soils as productive as they are capable of becoming.
Limestone, argillaccous. This limestone " may be converted into hydraulic cement, a substance imported for the construction of sub-aqueous works, and is also manufactured from a similar rock in the state of New York and Canada." This kind of stone is " found abundantly around Lubec, and along the shores of the St. John river, on the public lands."
" The green marble of Starboard's creek, and that from the point of Maine in Ma- chias, will become of considerable commercial value, since they may be converted into hydraulic cement by a very simple operation."
There is a ledge of limestone at the Forks of the Kennebec, from which may be manufactured a cement that hardens under water, fully equal to the hydraulic ce- ment imported from England. Dr. Jackson says of this locality, " that it cannot fail to become a most important discovery to the people of Maine to find so good a cement in the state."
Manganese, the black oxide of, is a substance used in the manufacture of chloride of line, or bleaching powder, and, when found in quantity, is a valuable article in commerce. It is found at Hodgdon, Thomaston, and in several other localities, but not in sufficient quantities to supply the market, so far as present dis- coveries show.
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1.75957
. Marble. "Large and valuable beds of pure crystalline white limestone, suitable either for marble or for lime, occur in the south-east part of Brunswick, near the coast. Union possesses an inexhaustible supply of elegant white dolomite marble, suitable for lime and for monumental architecture." Several other kinds of marble occur in the state in different parts.
Peat. This substance "occurs abundantly on many low lands in the state, and may become an article of value." Throughout York and Oxford counties, peat exists in great abundance. It is valuable either for fuel or manure.
Quartz, granular. This stone is valuable for making glass. There is a bed of this stone, which forms a mass of great size, at Grant's Point, Machias, where it may be profitably manufactured into flint glass. " A beautiful variety of granular quartz, white as snow, occurs in beds at Liberty and in Whitefield," where an ample supply may be obtained for a glass furnace. " It is much purer than any sand that can be obtained, being free from oxide of iron and vegetable matter." Dr. Jackson manufactured several specimens of different kinds of glass from this rock, of a very beautiful description, which he deposited in the state cabinet.
Saud, ferruginous. "On a small, low island, N. W. from Moose island," in Moosehead lake, is a "beach almost covered with fine ferruginous sand. It is the common black sand used in writing. It lies upon and in strata with the yellow beach sand, and may be collected in great abundance. Such sand is commonly sold, when put up in papers, at six cents each. To obtain large quantities, it might be scooped up with shovels, and afterward separated from the yellow sand by power- ful magnets."
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