History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 5

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100

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Early next morning Louis and Murch were directed to follow up the stream until they came to the lake, while the rest were engaged at the camp, and to return and report. In the course of a couple of hours Murch returned, announcing, with great glee, that he had found his lake and the island they were in pursuit of-that his character for truth and veracity was fully vindicated, for, strange as it may seem, it was the very spot where he had seen it thirty years ago. The party ac- cordingly went back with him to explore the locality. Leaving the stream, and proceeding in a northwesterly direction over a low ridge of hard-wood land, they found an abundance of boulders and also a ledge of the fossiliferous limestone of the same character as the large boulder just described and as those found at the Grand Falls, the Hunt Farm, and as low down the river as Whetstone Falls. After a walk of about three-fourths of a mile from camp, they came to Murch's Lake, usually called, from its shape, Horseshoe Lake. At the westerty end of this lake, and a few rods from the shore, was the long sought for island. The water was sufficiently low to allow wading to the spot. It proved to be a portion of the limestone ledge they had just passed, ris- ing from the water about 20 feet, and say from 200 to 300 feet in cir-

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

cumference. Its top was covered with bushes and small trees. The caves talked about proved to be large tubes or tunnels from three to four feet in diameter, worn smoothly, as if by running water, in a hori- zontal position, completely through or across the island. These tunnels are at the base of the island, and, of course, when the water in the lake is high, are nearly or quite submerged. They are at right angles to each other. The water was sufficiently low to allow the visitors to creep through them. At the place where they cross each other is a room, or cavity, not quite eight feet in diameter and about five feet in height. There are three others commenced, but they pass only a little way before they run into one or the other of the main tunnels, This lime-rock, as before stated, is fossiliferous, and contains several species of organic remains, and the whole of this portion of the lake is floored over, as far as examined, with the same rock, the flooring being quite level, and is covered with a fine silt or deposit of limestone particles, which render the water turbid when disturbed at the bottom. Here, then, is the site or parent bed of the limestone boulders, which had been found scattered along the pathway from Whetstone Falls to the lake. The questions, which an examination of the place gave rise to, are: What has worn these tubes or tunnels through this solid rocky islet? There is no current of waters in the lake, and if it had been done by currents of water, why are they worn at right angles to each other? Was the site of this lake, or this portion of it, once a ridge or mountain of limestone, which has been carried away by some tremen- dous sweep of waters and ice, and a basin thus excavated down to the present flooring of the lake, leaving only the lonely island before us as a witness of its former location? These queries and others of similar import can be answered only, if answered at all, by facts obtained by more extended and rigorous observation and research than we were able to make at the time of this visit to the place.

Having finished the brief examination, and collected specimens of the rock, the scientists went back to their tent, packed up, and started on the return to Camp Johnston. On their arrival, they met Prof. Hitch- cock, who, with Messrs. Goodale and Packard, had gone up the river to Trout Brook Farm, and returned, leaving the others to await their ar- rival. They had examined the sides and summits of the Traveller and other mountains near by, the rock formations at the outlet of the lakes and its shores, and the next day started again in company with others. Two miles above the camp above the camp they came to the dam at the outlet of the Grand Lake (Montagamon). This dam had been built by a company of the proprietors of townships above, and was as firm and durable a structure as could be built of timber. At this place commences the extensive chain of lakes which are found in this section of the wild lands, and which occupy so large a portion of the summit territory between the waters of the Penobscot, Aroostook, Kennebec, and St. John. They also found here the commencement of a series of dams and other improvements, built at great expense by the proprietors above named, extending from the foot of this (Grand) lake to the foot of Church Lake, at the head of the Alleguash, one of the St. John tributaries, giving them control of the waters of eight or ten lakes and extending more than eighty miles. By these dams and one or two locks, they not only husband the waters in these vast reservoirs, but are enabled to bring great quantities of lumber from the St. John waters, which would otherwise have to float down that river, instead of run- ning down the Penobscot, as it now does. They are enabled to do this by the slack water caused by the flowage of the several dams, by which immense rafts of lumber are floated across the lakes and through their several connecting thoroughfares. When all the logs of the winter's operations have thus been brought down to the lower dam, the gates are all opened and the accumulated waters let loose, which gives a freshet sufficient to float them down to the booms above Oldtown, where they are caught and secured for use until they are called for. The thorough structure of these fixtures, and the liberal expenditure over so large an area of country, reflect much honor on the enterprise and energy of the proprietors, and the doctor had no doubt were found to be profitable investments in a pecuniary point of view. At any rate they are instrumental in giving the Penobscot lumberman successful triumphs over the obstacles of nature, hardly rivaled in any other country. They noticed, however, another inevitable result of such flow- age. Thousands of acres of splendid interval land, on the banks of the streams flowing into and the connecting thoroughfares of these lakes, are submerged a great part of the year, As a natural consequence, the beautiful forest growth, with which they were once covered, was killed and falling in every direction. This gives an unpleasant appearance to the otherwise beautiful scenery, and to the eye of an agriculturist seems to be rather a wanton destruction of so much valuable soil. But it belongs to those who flow it, and they have a right to use it in such way and manner as shall give them the most profit.

Between Grand and Second Lake, or, as the Indians call them, Mon- tagamon and Montagamonsis, is a wide extent of this now submerged interval land. On the western upland margin of one of these tracts, on Trout Brook, No. 7, in R. 9, the Messrs. Pingree & Co. have made an excellent farm (Trout Brook Faim). We found this farm under the management of Mr. Berdeen, assisted by three hired men. It is in rather a retired situation, being about thirty miles from any other human abode. The soil is excellent and very productive. It is prin- cipally devoted to the production of hay, but grain and roots are also raised in abundance.

This is the farm more lately owned by Mr. E. S. Coe, of Bangor, which will be found mentioned by and by, in the narrative of Mr. Steele. The party had now passed out of Penobscot county, beyond which we need not follow them.

FROM MATTAWAMKEAG TO THE ST. JOHN RIVER.

The description of the geology of this section of country includes the geology of the East Branch of the Penobscot; of Mt. Katahdin; of Webster Creek and Lake; of the Alleguash lakes, and the Alle- guash river, or the district travelled over in August and September by our large exploring party, whose history has already been given.

We use only that part falling within this county.

The rock at Mattawamkeag is talcose schist, a member of the clay- slate formation, dipping 64 degrees southeast. In ascending the Pe- nobscot we find alternating layers of clay slates, occasional talcose schists, and grits, all the way to the Pond Pitch of the Grand Falls. At the mouth of Salmon Stream, in the southeast corner of Nicatou, these grits and slates dip 70 degrees northwest, making an anticlinal axis with the rocks at Mattawamkeag. A mile above Salmon Stream the dip is 50 degrees northwest, and still further 60 degrees north- west.

Boulders of marble, along with slate, granite, etc., are everywhere seen in the bed of the river. A mile and a half below the village of Nicatou there are two small and very pretty alluvial terraces on each side of the river. The island at the junction of the two branches of the Penobscot is the remnant of a high gravel delta terrace, deposited by the West branch. Another part of the same terrace is at the fork itself. Back from the river coarse drift with boulders everywhere shows itself.

Two miles up the East branch, at Ledge Falls, the rocks are slate, grit, and conglomerate, very much distorted, but with an average dip of 60 degrees northwest. It is an interesting locality for examples of small plications of the strata, and also for examples of cleavage planes and laminæ crossing the strata. The two planes cross the strata at various angles from 30 to 40 degrees. The strata stand upon their edges at the north end of the Falls. Some of the strata are bent, so that portions of them resemble a row of fossil upright trunks of trees. The layers are both thick and thin-bedded. A conglomerate composed of large pebbles of calcareous slates is imbedded in the grit. A short distance north these pebbles are flat and elongated. A quarter of a mile north of the Falls the strata are perpendicular, running north 70 degrees west.

Two terraces are found on both sides of the river through most of the town, and at Mr. Hiram Fish's house they are remarkably beauti- ful. Their material is gravel. Higher up there are three and four ter- races rising above one another in regular succession. In the south part of No. I, there is a patch of clay a rod long and rising 10 feet above the water, which is set into coarse and fine gravel just as if it had been elevated from beneath. It was probably deposited in a deep hole in the gravel bed.

The solid rocks grow more slaty in ascending the river. At the lo- cality of the clay in No. I, the clay slate dips 88 degrees northwest. A few rods above is a gray grit having the same position. At the Rocky Rips, above the mouth of Meadow Brook, the grits dip 75 degrees northwest. Half a mile above is a band of clay slate, with the strike north 28 degrees east, and a southeasterly dip of 80 degrees, or making a sharp synclinal axis with the strata at Rocky Rips. At Grindstone Falls the rocks are alternating strata, as before, of clay slates, fine grits and quartz rock, dipping from 85 degrees east to 90 degrees south- easterly. Numerous boulders of granite fill the bed of the river at the Falls.

On the east side of the river at the Falls are crushed ledges of slates, analogous to interesting examples found in Vermont. The ledge on the east side of the river is high-say 30 feet-and nearly perpendicular,

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

but at its bottom at the water's edge are fragments of slate which have been broken off, scattered along at intervals of 20 rods. This pile of fragments is several feet thick, but is greatly reduced in size from what it has been, because the spring freshets have washed away many pieces from year to year. The force breaking off the strata appears to have come from the southeast. If one could imagine that a great rock 20 rods long happened to fall from the skies upon this particular spot, the results would be similar to what may now be seen.

The theory has been proposed that these ledges were crushed by the toppling over of icebergs when the country was under the ocean, or that a huge wave elevated an iceberg, so that when the wave receded the iceberg fell upon and crushed the ledges. Professor Hitchcock thought the present case could be ascribed to frost and gravity. The water at the base wears away the bottom of the cliff and weakens the rocks there. The water which enters the fissures of the rock weakens the ledges still more by freezing. And as a heavy mass of . snow and ice has accumulated in the winter upon the top of the cliff, it may be that its weight, combined with the weakening of the strata beneath, will cause the upper part of the ledge to fall down and present this crushed appearance. A similar example he had seen had removed all the debris before that time. Where these examples of crushed ledges occur upon the southeast slopes of hills, it is conceivable that the strata were broken off by the drift.

This is a fine region for terraces, as compared with the rest of the State. One upon the west side of Godfrey's Falls is 72 feet above the river. From its top there is a fine view of Mt. Katahdin.

At the upper part of the falls the strata dip 60 degrees northwesterly. At Crowfoot Rips in No. 2, R. 7, the slaty rocks dip 80 degrees south- east. The rapids here are produced by the fall of the water over nu- merous blocks of granite. Beautiful blue clay is found in this township. About Brown's island the sand is cemented into alluvial sandstone by the peroxides of iron and manganese. At the Bear Rips the slates dip 75 degrees southeast. A large number of boulders of the Lower Hel- derberg limestone were found at Whetstone Falls, containing in great abundance encrinal remains and the coral Favosites Gothlandica. These boulders in the township above are very large, one of them being 14 feet in diameter, and it would seem as if their source could not be far distant. The clay slates and grits at these falls dip 65 degrees southerly. The prevailing dip thus far is northwesterly, but we have passed over two anticlinal and two synclinal axes at least, since leaving Mattawamkeag.

From Mr. Hunt's place Professor Hitchcock made a visit to Mt. Katahdin, guided by the Rev. M. R. Keep. He notes that-

The path traveled from the Hunt farm to the top of Katahdin was struck out by Mr. Keep, to whom the State donated a quarter of a township in consideration of his services upon the mountain lands.

On the east bank of the river, just above Mr. Hunt's house, there is a bank of gravel and sand whose strata are inclined at an angle of twenty-five degrees south, and must have been deposited over a steep slope. Some of the strata are consolidated by a ferruginous cement. At this place we found in boulders of loose sandstone a number of fossils of Lower Devonian type, coming probably from the Devonian rocks above. These boulders are different from those seen on the west side of Mount Katahdin. We suspect the range of mountains west of the East Branch, in Nos. 3 and 4, to be composed of trap-rock. They have also somewhat of a sandstone aspect.

A short distance above Hunt's farm, in No. 3, the same clay slates that were described below No. 3 occur, running north 10 degrees east and dipping 80 degrees east. Beyond, the strike is north 20 degrees east and the dip 73 degrees east. There is a large amount of clay along the river at the mouth of the Seboois. The boulders on the river's banks are now mostly sandstones, conglomerates, honestones, and slates, very rarely any of granite. A few miles higher, the granite disappears altogether.

Professor Hitchcock ascended Lunksoos Mountain on the west side of the river, and found its top to be 1,378 feet above the river, by the aneroid barometer. This mountain forms the boundary line between Townships Nos. 3 and 4, and appears to be composed of the same rocks as the range of peaks in No. 3. Lunksoos mountain is entirely composed of trap, a tough variety without any columnar seams. He had a fine view of the country all about this mountain, and in his note-book speculated "a considerable" about the geological character of the various hills and valleys observed, but did not give his surmises in his report. He was sure, however, that a mountain five or six miles

northwest from Lunksoos is composed of granite, as he could see the white rocks composing it both from here and from Katahdin.

In Number Four of the Seventh range, the grit-rocks dip 60 degrees southeasterly. A similar ledge, called Suffer's Rock, has strata dip- ping 65 degrees southeast. At the mouth of Big Spring Brook in No. 5, R. 8, a horseback commences, which extends rather more than a mile to Bowlin Falls. Its material is unusually coarse, and boulders of granite predominate in it, Here the strata of slate and grit dip 50 de- grees northwesterly, forming an anticlinal with the strata previously observed.

The surveyors had now arrived at the Grand Falls, which consist of seven different smaller falls, all of which have different names, and are found in a straight line, in a distance of three miles, but more than this if the course of the river be measured. The following are their names, in ascending order; Bowlin Falls, Hull Machine, Grand Pitch, Pond, Upper Pitch, and Stairs Falls, which consists of two parts. The same clay slates and grits at the Hull Machine dip 12 degrees northwesterly. At the Grand Pitch the grits prevail, alternating with thin bands of clay slate, standing perpendicular and running north 40 degrees east. The fall of water here is quite great and very beautiful. Large boulders of conglomerate are common here, such as are presently described in place. The strata of slates above the Grand Pitch dip 54 degrees southeast. Close by the Pond Pitch the last of the slates ap- pears, running northeast and standing perpendicular. It was thought there are two anticlinal and two synclinal axes between Hunt's Farm and Pond Pitch, or four anticlinal and four synclinal axes observed in this group of strata above Mattawamkeag. Hence they had crossed the same strata eight times on this section.

At the Pond Pitch trap rock is found in place, which continues to the Upper Falls. In climbing a hill west of the falls they found a few rods' thickness of slate and quartz rock before reaching the trap con- stituting the hill, which appears to be the continuation of the trap of Lunksoos Mountain. The junction between the trap and conglomer- ate above was not noticed, but they suspected the trap to be bedded and related to the conglomerate, just as the trap rocks of Perry under- lie the Devonian conglomerates and sandstones of that region. In a figure of the Report is represented the relative positions of the under- lying slates, the trap rock, and the coarse conglomerate about to be de- scribed.

At the bottom of Upper Falls the party were struck at once by the great change in the character of the rock. They found an exceedingly coarse conglomerate composed of pebbles of various hornstones, jas- pers, slates, and occasionally granite, averaging two inches in diame- ter, and sometimes three feet through. Rarely seams of slate, and in one place several feet thickness of a calcareous rock, occur with the pebbles. It is difficult to ascertain the true position of this rock, but Prof. Hitchcock considers the following as the normal one: Strike north 65 degrees west, dip 45 degrees north. The same layers are trav- ersed by cleavage planes running north 18 degrees east and inclined 83 degrees east. This rock must be about 150 feet thick, and is evi- dently the base of the following series of rocks to be described. Very large boulders of fossiliferous limestone abound in the vicinity of the Falls, whose course must be quite near.

Above the Upper Falls, the rocks consist of fine-grained, dark-col- ored sandstones, having a peculiar conchoidal fracture, like clay. On account of the rain he had no time to stop and examine them closely. At Stair Falls, the ledges cross the river so as to make a series of falls, like a pair of stairs. The strata dip 40 degrees northwesterly, and are composed of sandstones of different textures and colors. Some of the ayers contain a trilobite, a new species of the genus Dalmanites. At the upper pitch of the Stair Falls, the dip of the strata is a little higher. A little yellow ochre is found in the sand ou the banks.

The party staid a few days at Johnston's Camp, in the central part of No. 5, R. 8, partly to recruit and partly to explore the vicinity. At the camp is the finest locality of Devonian fossils yet seen in Maine, but the ledges do not appear-the specimens are entirely in loose frag- ments, whose source must be very near. Among the specimens are such characteristic forms of the Oriskany sandstone as the Renuseleria ovoides. The fossils are entirely marine mollusca. The rock is a loosely cemented sandstone, very much like the Oriskany sandstone of New York, but unlike the Oriskany sandstone of Maine, as already de- described.

A very high range of mountains appeared west of the camp, one peak of which was ascended. Boulders, frequently of enormous size, of red sandstone, are abundant between the camp and the mountain. They are so large that no can doubt that they came from the base of the mountain. The mountain itself is composed of a beautiful drab-colored

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

silicious slate, weathering grayish white, whose strata at the summit run north 70 degrees west and dip 40 degrees northerly. This Traveller is the isolated conical peak lying to the northeast of a much higher range of mountains, which has received the same name, but must be nearly a thousand feet higher. The peak is 1,622 feet above the river at its base; 625 feet below the summit is the lowest at which the Leci- dea geographica is found. The same silicious slates were found a small pond in No. 5, R. 6, just over the line.

Dr. Holmes made an excursion to the east part of No. 5, R. 8, and found at Horseshoe Pond, in the northeast corner of the township, a large mass of limestone containing the Favosites Gothlandica and crinoidal joints, which belongs to the Lower Helderberg group of Upper Silurian rocks. This rock probably crosses the East branch, but escaped notice in consequence of being covered by alluvium. Its strike is northeast and southwest. There is a small island in the pond, composed of this white limestone, in which there is a cave. About a mile west of the pond, the doctor reports an enormous boulder of limestone, upon which trees ro inches in diameter are growing. It is 18 feet high, and 198 feet in circumference. It is on the top of a hil 300 feet above the pond. Between the limestone and Stair Falls, the rocks are fine, dark-brown sandstones, somewhat similar to those at Stair Falls.

Approaching the dam at the foot of Matagamon or Grand Lake, in No, 6, R. 8, we find red sandstones, which are still more abundant and bright-colored at the dam itself, although black argillaceous seams are found with it. The strata dip 40 degrees northwesterly. Numer- ous fossil marine mollusca are found at the dam, several of them very large, together with some marine vegetation, while remains of land plants are fouud further north on the west side of the lake. Half a mile below the dam are fossils resembling those collected at Johnston's Camp.

Passing northerly, is found a steep, high ledge or mountain, known by an inelegant name, which is a little back from the lake, and proves to be silicious slate, being a continuation of this rock from the Travel- ler. Calcite, chalybite, or spathic iron, and traces of manganese oc- cur in this slate, often in nodular masses. These slates would seem to be the results of the alternation of the sandstones, unless there has been a great dislocation of the strata, for the sandstone layers do not seem to have been disturbed at all by them, The sandstone is found to continue on both shores about half-way up the lake. The most northern strata seen have the strike north 70 degrees east, and dip 15 degrees northwesterly.

The geologist supposed these sandstones to be the equivalents of the Gaspe sandstones of Canada. There is a very fine opportunity for studying this group, both lithologically and paleontologically, in the region of Grand Lake, and also its connection with the Katahdin rocks. The Gaspe sandstones are 7,000 feet thick. The Grand Lake strata are certainly as thick as the Gaspe.

He next came to a class of rocks entirely different from the sand- stones, consisting of black slates and slaty limestones, often very much permeated by cleavage planes. He referred this rock in his map to Silurian in part and Devonian in part, with a very indistinct notion of its proper place. The first ledge of it has the strike of north 55 de- grees east, and its strata are perpendicular. The rocks in the neigh- borhood are very much contorted, while the sandstones are not, just as if the slates were largely disturbed and elevated before the deposi- tion of the sandstones. Further north the slates dip from 45 to 50 de- grees northwest. Numerous small curves are found among them. On Louis Island the slates dip 42 degrees south, making a synclinal with the strata first observed. The cleavage planes are developed in these ledges at right angles to the strata.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 5

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co. Number of Pages: 1100

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100