USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 26
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(inciss-In many places throughout the district, this rock is found overlaying the granite. In some cases it forms hills, and iu others constitutes no inconsiderable proportion of some of the mountain ranges. It is quite abundant in some of the High- land ranges of mountains. The same kinds occur which we have mentioned as occurring in the northern district, to wit, the slaty common and indistinct slaty.
Imbedded Minerals-These are tourmalines, garnets, iron Gre, beryl, chalcedony, &c. The tourmalines and garnets are of common occurence. Iron ore is not unfrequent. The be- ryl, Dr. Mitchell informs us, was found at Sing Sing, in the county of Westchester, and the chalcedony about New-York.
Il n'lende-This rock is met with in several places Pro- fenor A. Eaton gives us to understand, that it constitutes most or all of Batter Hill, at the Highlands. He speaks of the slaty, granitic, and gaeisseoid varieties. Hornblende is found at sev-
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eral other places in the same mountains. After gueiss it is considered the most abundant rock.
: -! Sienite-This rock, although occasionally found, does not appear to hold a very conspicuous station in the district.
. Mica-Mica occurs in many places in this district. We have seen it in place on Manhattan and Long Islands, overlay- ing the granite. Some is straight and thick slaty. This is what is called common mica. Some is undulated-some is straight slaty, and others fine slaty. Its colours are greyish, yellowish, blackish, &c. The grey we have noticed in plates an inch or more square. 'The specimens were exactly like the Mes. covy glass, used for windows, lanthorns, &c. The plates are easily divisible, and are very thin. Dr. Mitchell says. that mica occurs on New-York island, in six sided plates, evident- ly of a crystallized figure. Mica is found in the Highlands.
Mica is not a very abundant rock in the State. We shall close this article with an account of some localities in the west- ern country. This, although not in order, may nevertheless be acceptible.
Mica slate, according to Mr. Thomas, one of the canal en- gineers, is found in several places in the county of Chatauque, and in . the Pennsylvania triangle. We shall state the sub- stance of several passages in his travels. 1
Twelve miles south of Cattaraugus creek, in the county of Chatauque, and one mile southeast of the road on the beach, mica slate occurs. It is primitive. The Chatauque ridge is distant two or three miles. Here. the Canada-way, a small tor- rent, has denuded it.
About five miles southwest of Fredonia, on Canada-way, the streams have laid bare the mica slate rock, which is but a few feet beneath the surface. Many fragments are scattered over the surface. These exhibit the curvilineal form.
Mica slate, it is highly probable, is the basis rock of the Chatauque ridge, in this quarter.
Mica slate appears in Twenty Mile creek, forming its banhse The banks exceed fifty feet in perpendicular elevation. The VOL. I. 38
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soil hereabouts is composed of the ruins of rocks of this de- scription.
: Mica slate occurs in the vicinity of Erie-town, in Pennsyl- vania, where the waves, some years ago, broke through the peninsula. Here it has a fine argentine appearance, exhibit- ing the curvilineal appearance or form. It is carried for build- ing stone.
Steatite-This rock has not, as yet, as far as we can learn, been discovered in place, in the district ; but there can be ho doubt of its holding a station; since, according to Dr. Mitchell, it has been found in the alluvial soil of the city of New-York, . and its environs, in loose masses ; and also on Staten Island, near the Health establishment.
-'Actinolite is found in Manhattan Island, in very beautiful green crystals, from one to two inches long, through rocks of ilidurated steatite,-Dr. Mitchell.
Limestone -- Primitive limestone, or granular limestone, oc- curs in the county of Westchester. The formation extends from " the town of Sunderland, or even farther, in the State of Ver- mont, through the western part of Massachusetts, alinost to the city of New- York. A portion of this formation penetrates into the county of Rensellaer. Professor A. Eaton calls that of the latter county transition : and Dr. Mitchell, and some others, primitive. The quarries of statuary marble at Sunderland, Ar- lington, Shaftsbury and Bennington, in Vermont ; and those at Lenox, Stockbridge, &c. in Berkshire, in Massachusetts, are embraced in it. In many places it alternates with mica, slate and gneiss. It is stratified, and has a grammlar structure. Its 'usual colour is snow white-sometimes it is clouded, and at other's striped, dotted and spotted. It takes a good polish. In svine instances the polish which it takes is exquisite.
The marble of Sing Sing, and of West Farms, in the county of Westchester, is but little inferior to the preceding : perhaps when the quarries are extensively wrought, and the marble brought into repute, it will be found nowise inferior to that of the best quarries in Massachusetts and Vermont. The marble from the county of Westchester, which we have seen, is white.
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" The island of New-York, near King's Bridge, affords a compact marble, which is employed in architecture. It is white ·and granular, and contains considerable quartz. In some places 'it is penetrated by brilliant pyrites. The grains, in some, spots, are as large as the particles of course salt. They fall asunder spontaneously, or with the gentlest motion." -- Dr. Mitchell.
The following is copied from Professor Eaton's Geological - Nomenclature for North America :-
Granular limestone-Divisions-" It is compact at Stock- bridge, Massachusetts, sandy on the west side of Pittsfield, 'in the same State, on the Albany stage road. Varieties-Statuary marble, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Dolomite, Barrington and Sheffield, Massachusetts, and Milford, Connecticut. Con- tents-Tremolite, Canaan, Connecticut. Serpentine and chromite of iron, Milford, Connecticut.
Serpentine-" Some of the huge rocks of stellated asbestus, in the city of New-York, run into serpentine. Specimens yield to the saw, and can be made into slabs like marble. It is green- ish and variegated, with whitish clouds. Detached pieces of 3: serpertine have been found scattered through the alluvial basis of the city of New-York. Some of them are beautifully colour- ed. The colours vary from deep green to cream coloured, and whitish. Some present the appearance of vegetable forms in painting, and are in reality a kind of landscape stone. Dr. Mitchell.
The promontory of Hoboken, in New-Jersey, consist chiefly of serpentine, in a massive form. It is cracked through in all directions with viens and fissures. Dr. Mitchell.
.The veins contain native magnesia ; also silex and iron. Dr. Bruce has described the former in his American Meteorological Journal, thus; " colour white, passing into greenish white ; Justre pearly ; structure foliated ; the folia or leaves frequently having a radiated position : the leaves, when separated, are transparent : in the mass they are translucent. The veins vary in breadth from a few lines to two inches.
The more ancient serpentine is ranked among primitive rocks :
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the more recent among transition. ? It often encloses steatite, talc, asbestus, mica, chlorite, garnet, magnetic iron ore, &c. . , Asbestus, with rigid fibres, is often found in the city of New- York, in detached masses : it is mistaken by many for petrified wood. It is also found at Hoboken, in New-Jersey, where it fills the veins of serpentine. It is likewise found on Staten Island, where it accompanies steatite.
The forms of asbestus, called thrum stone, leather stone, mineral cotton, and Salamandar's wool, are all contained in the primitive formation of New-York, and its vicinity.
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Amianthus occurs in the mountains along the confines of New-York and Connecticut, at Staten Island, &c. The varie- ties are numerous-the fibres are sometimes ten or twelve inches long, and by their whiteness, parallelism and flexibility, resem- ble flax. 'At Staten Island, fibres have been found which were nearly two feet long, and which twisted like hemp-Dr. Mitchell.
Amianthus was fabricated by the ancients into cloth, which, being incombustible, they wrapped up the bodies of their dead in it, before they were placed on the funeral pile, in order that their ashes might be gathered without admixture.
Actinolite is found in the stellated asbestus, in beautiful green crystals, from one to two inches long-Dr. Mitchell
Palisadoes-On the west side of the Hudson, below the Highlands, or Matteawan mountains, there is a range of rocks of secondary formation, called by this name. Red sandstone underlays these rocks, as may be observed along their base on .the margin of the stream, where it is not covered with ruins. Dr. Mitchell, in his Geological Survey, in addition to the sand- stone rock, remarks, that indurated clay underlays some por- : tion of the range. The range is about thirty-eight miles in . length, and from one to two in breadth. These rocks are trap or greenstone .: See Dr. Ackerly's Geology of. the Hudson. Dr. Mitchell, in his survey, considers them basalt, and is of opinion that they were formed by subterraneous fires. The sandstone supporting them, exhibiting no symptoms of derange- : ment in its strata, induces us to adopt the opinion of Dr. Ack-
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ley, and some others, that their origin is attributable to water, not to internal fires. The sandstone beneath them is in hori- zontal layers, and appears at the water's edge, and some higher.
The palisadoes approach the Hudson, from the northwest at Haverstraw bay, in the county of Rockland, and then turning, take a southerly direction, running sometimes near the river, and at other times at a small distance, till they arrive at Tap- pan bay, where they advance along the stream for many miles, forming a very high wall, with an almost perpendicular front.
These rocks are disposed in vertical strata, with perpendicular fissures, which separate them from top to bottom, giving them a very extraordinary appearance. The front of the range, along the Hudson, is bare about midway, and appears to very great advantage from the stream. The lower part of the front is concealed by an immense debris which has been formed by the breaking down of the rocks. The rocks composing this : range, descend very gently in their progress southwardly. The palisadoes are partly in the county of Rockland, and partly in New-Jersey. Bergen Point, north of Staten Island, it is said, is their termination. This range of rocks, from its front, exhi- biting an appearance like the trunks of trees, set side by side, has not been inaptly named.
Like the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, the columns compos- ·ing the palisadoes are severally in short pieces, which are so _ shaped that the one fits and is adapted to the other.
Nyack Hills-The Nyack Hills, in the county of Rockland, are, properly speaking, a continuation of the palisado range. They are mostly composed of red sandstone, and at first occu- py the country along the Hudson ; then a little back, and after- · wards along the margin of the stream, or in other words, they 'commence on the western bank of the river, then diverge, and lastly return. Between these hills and the Hudson, there is a champaign tract. . The Nyack Hills are considered by geolo- gists, to be of secondary formation. The sandstone of these hills is a durable and excellent building-stone. The layers are thick, and are disposed in a line with the horizon, or nearly so.
At Nyack, thirty miles north of the city of New-York, the
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sandstone strata. overlay the bones of land animals-Dr. Mitchell.
'The same distinguished naturalist, remarks, that the bones disinterred at Nyack Hills were in a stratum of loam, underlay- ing a mass of red sandstone, eight feet thick, upon which was superimposed a cover of arable soil, four feet deep.
: These hills, it would seem, were formed anterior to the pali- sadoes, and are to be deemed of cotemporaneous formation with the red sandstone supporting those rocks. ,
Geological structure of Long Island resumed.
This island, as we have before remarked, is divided into primitive and alluvial. On the north a ridge of hills extends from the west end of the island, as far east as River Head, a distance of sixty miles. That part lying north of the hills, and , facing the sound, is diversified with some rises and eminences ; while that part situated on the south, is a plain with a very mod- erate descent, southwardly to the ocean. The eastern part of the island, or that beyond River Head, is also mostly a plain. Granite, it is supposed, constitutes the base of the whole island, and supports the soils, whether sand, sandy loam, clay or gravel. The hills constituting the spine, are chiefly granite ; so are the rocks which appear along East River, Hell-gate or Hurl-gate, and the Sound.
The plain, or alluvial tract, which contains two-thirds or more of the island, is composed mostly of sand and sandy loams, which repose on the granite. Some have supposed that thesc sands and loams have been brought by the Gulf stream, and spread over the primitive rocks. This supposition seems not to be well founded. The transportation of the sands and loams, com- posing the plains, must have been by an agent possessing much more power than the Gulf Stream.
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Along the south side of the island, there is a flat from one to two miles broad. This flat ends at the ocean, by passing under its waters. From thence the descent continues southerly and southeasterly to the Gulf Stream, where it terminates a.
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bruptly. In that stream no soundings are to be obtained, with- out a very long line. The declivity, all the way from the ter- mination of the flat, to the Gulf Stream, which is from forty to sixty miles, is very gradual, being about four hundred and eighty feet, which, on an average, is from eight to twelve feet to the mile. The eastern part of this flat is sand and sandy loams ; the middle and western parts are formed of sand, loams and stones. The south side of the island is inaccessible to ships owing to flats, shoals and bars.
Long Island, it is believed, was once a part of the continent, but was separated from it by the waters of the Sound breaking through at the narrow strait, called Hell-gate, and making their way thence southwesterly to New-York bay. The Indians, who formerly lived in the vicinity of this strait, had a tradition that there had been a time when their ancestors walked over this strait without wetting their feet, by stepping from rock to rock.
Primitive Clay Slate.
This rock occupies a narrow strip along the eastern margin of flie counties of Rensellaer, Washington, Columbia, &c. Wil- liamstown mountain is mostly clay state. This range stretches on the one hand through the State of Vermont, and on the other through the States of Massachusetts and New-York, into New- Jersey. Its lamina, in some places, stand at angles of from fifty to sixty degrees, and at others approach the horizon. The Jaininte are straight, undulated, &c. -
Several quarries in the counties of Rensellaer, Columbia and Dutchess, have been wrought for roof slate, but as the people of the city of New-York have imbibed a taste for Welch, and other foreign slate, these quarries have not been opened to any extent. The clay state of this range, displays various colours, such as slate colour, green, blue, purple, blu- ish purple, deep red, brick red, varigated, &c. Veins of milk- white quartz traverse it.
Chlorite of a beautiful green, manganese, sulphuret of lead, iron pyrites, red and striped jaspar, have been found in it.
See Eaton's Surrey, Silliman's Journal of Science, and Dary's remarks.
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: IL. CLASS II. : [' 4
Slate-Clay slate, or slate of different kinds, going undet that denomination, occupies large portions of the State.,In , treating of rocks of this kind, we shall be under a necessity of making certain distinctions, which have not hitherto in general been made. The slate of the Hudson and its vicinity, differs , from that of the interior, while the latter varies from that. of the west. On the Hudson the layers are either vertical or ob- lique. In the interior they are horizontal or approximating to that position. In the west the layers have dispositions with the horizon, but the character of the rock differs from the slate rocks of the interior and the Hudson. The difference in the three cases is very marked. Each. variety has something mark- ed-something distinct.
We shall endeavour to give the outlines of the formation. These in the main will be found correct : Although accuracy in every particular may be desirable, yet in the infant state of geology among us, it cannot be expected. Again, the improve- ments are too recent, and- not sufficiently extensive. Only about one-fourth of the superfices of the State, or very little over, is cleared and cultivated, as will hereafter be seen in our statistical view.
'Setting out a little north of the Highlands, or Matteawan mountains, on the Hudson, we find that the slate commences where the granite and other rocks of primeval formation ter- minate on that side, and extends northwardly on both sides of that river, to, or very near the head of Lake Champlain, where it passes under the limestone formation in that quarter, which we intend noticing hereafter. It however, re-appears, after it has passed under the latter rock, which is incumbent, and pervades the narrow strip from the head of South bay on the latter lake, southerly to Wilton, in the county of Saratoga, and west- erly to the foot of the Palmertown range, of the Sacondaga mountains. On the cast it runs back to the mountains, pervad- ing most of the counties of Washington, Rensellaer, Columbia
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end Dutchess, or such parts as are not embraced in the primi- tive tract which we have last described. On the west side of Hudson's river it runs back to the Kaatskill, and other moun- tains, and thence westwardly to lakes Outario and Erie, although not without some interruptions, as we shall show in the course of this chapter.
Slate may be said to underlay parts of the counties of Ulster and Orange ; all of the counties of Green, Albany, Schoharie and Schenectady ; the southerly parts of the counties of Sara- toga, Montgomery and Herkimer ; the greater part of the coun- ty of Oneida ; the southwesterlry part of the county of Lewis ; the northeasterly half of Oswego. The counties of Sullivan, Delaware, Otsego, Broome, Chenango, Tioga, Courtland, Tompkins, Yates, Steuben, Alleghany, Chattaraugus and Chatauque, are wholly, or in part, underlaid by it. So are the southerly parts, of Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, Livingston, Genesee and Erie. Its bounds on the south and east are the primitive district secondly described, and those of the State, while westwardly and northwestwardly, it is terminated by lakes Erie and Ontario, and northwardly by the primitive district firstly described.
Slate, in general, is the fundamental rock in this district. The sandstone, limestone, and other rocks of newer formation, are incumbent on it or one another. Almost every where the slate may be seen passing under and emerging from beneath the latter rocks. This is observable in the first and second great limestone tracts, and in other tracts more limited. On the borders, however, of Lake Ontario, in certain places, the slate dips and disappears so that we only see the limestone and sand- stone rocks.
Slate, in general, forms the banks of the Hudson, between the Highlands and Sandy Hill, a distance of one hundred and twenty-five miles.' It often, within these limits, rises in masses, and forms ledges, cliffs, &c. while in others, it is covered with soil only appearing where excavations are made, as in the cases of wells and cellars, although not always in these. It forms the beds and banks of most of the streams that fall into the Hudson, VOL. I. 39
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within the space specified. The bed and banks of the Mohawk are slate, nearly as high as the city of Schenectady. In the vicinity of this place, it passes mostly under the alluvions, ap- pearing, however, occasionally in the hills. Following the Mo- hawk upwardly, slate re-appears in Flint Hill. The base of " this hill is slate. From this hill, westwardly, slate occurs in va- rious places, to Fall Hill. Indeed, it may be said to form most of the bed of the river thus far, the sandstone and primitive rocks scarcely making exceptions. The same rock may be traced from the west side of Fall Hill to Utica, Rome, and to the source of the river ; also in Fish creek, Salmon river, and northwest- wardly, in that direction, to Lake Ontario.
The Schoharie, which has its rise in the Kaatskill mountains, is, in general, underlaid with slate. The beds and banks of the Cayadutta, Canajoharie, Osquake, Fulmer and Staring's creeks, are mostly slate. The same rock shows itself in Caro- ga creek, and the two Canada creeks, at and near their mouths. In the Schoharie it may be found for at least twenty miles above its mouth, withont interruption. In the Cayadutta, about four miles. 'In the Caroga, for several miles, soon after leav- ing the river valley. In the Canajoharie, with very few excep- tions, upwardly to the Osquake hill. In the Osquake, to the mills of Mr. Van Horne, ten or twelve miles. In East Canada, up to the falls, a mile. It is only in the bed till we come near the foot of the falls where the rock is limestone. In West Canada creek, it is found about four miles, where it is interrupted by a kind of calcareous sandstone, then by granite, and afterwards . by the same sandstone. Slate, notwithstanding these interrup- tions, is abundant in Hassencleaver mountain, a little back from the stream. On the south side of the Mohawk, slate is found, southwardly to the sandstone, which supports the limestone for- mation, running westwardly from Coeyman's, in the county of Albany, to the Niagara river. The shores of Ballston, Sarato- ga, and Round lakes, where not covered with soil, are slate. The bed of Fish creek, that falls into Oneida lake, those of Little and Big Salmon rivers, and that of Little Sandy creek, are slate. Hassencleaver mountain, which is in the counties of
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Herkimer and Oneida, is mostly slate-also those parts of the Highlands of Black river, which are westwardly and southwest- wardly of the limestone formation, extending from the Mohawk, through the country to the St. Lawrence, and Lake Ontario.
The Kaatskill mountains have slate for their base. 'The same rock forms the bases of many of their collaterals. Slate surrounds about two-thirds of Otsego lake. 'T'he bottoms of the Susquehannah, Unadilla and Chenango rivers are usually slate. Owasco lake is environed by slaty banks. Cayuga lake, from its head northwardly, to the limestone formation, is enclosed with slate. Fall creek, that empties into it, runs over a slaty bottom. The shores of Seneca lake are slate. The central limestone formation crosses the northerly part of Cay- uga lake, and by the head of Seneca. The shores of Crooked, Canandaigua, Hemlock, Honeyoe and Canesus lakes are also · slate. Slate constitutes the bed of Genesee river, from Mount Morris up to Nunda, &c. The stream, for ten miles, flows through a rocky ravine of slate. It forms a floor for Allen's creek, above the central limestone formation. Eighteen Mile and Cattaraugus creeks, which fall into Lake Erie, have beds of slate. The shores of Lake Erie hereabouts are also slate.
The extent of the formation, computing from the interior of the county of Rensellaer to Lake Ontario, at the mouth of Big Salmon river, in the county of Oswego, is rather over one hun- dred and fifty miles, and in a northwesterly direction. West- wardly of Little Falls, this portion of the formation spreads. Its extent, from Stephentown, in the county of Rensellaer, west- wardly to Lake Erie, surpasses two hundred and eighty miles.
The slaty. districts often present very beautiful scenery. Those along the Hudson, and that south of the limestone ledge, between Linklaen's lake and Genesee river, afford good ex- amples.
We have already remarked that the slate formation exhibits several kinds. We shall enumerate and notice those which are the most considerable. These are :- First, transition clay slate : Second, grey wacke slate : Third, secondary slate :
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Fourth, bituminous slate : And fifth, allum slate. The three latter belong to the third class of rocks, or such as are secondary.
Transition Slate-This rock occupies the country on both sides of the Hudson, from near the Highlands, northwardly al- most to the head of Lake Champlain. It passes on the east and west under the grey wacke slate. The clay slate along the Hudson is either vertical or much inclined. . At Gibbons'- ville, Troy, and many other places on the margin of the river, it is often perfectly vertical. The layers are thin waved and contorted. They are glazed and very fragile. The latter is usually called glazed slate. , A little above Gibbons'-ville, it is seen in the islands at the month of the Mohawk, and thence up the latter river to the Cohoes Falls, holding intermediate posi- tions between the perpendicular and horizontal. The shores of the islands, and the banks of the river, are usually precipit- ous. The rise of the banks, from the mouth of the Mohawk to the head of the Coloes, is from one hundred to one hundred and thirty feet. The dip at the falls is towards the Hudson. The layers have angles of between sixty and seventy degrees. These falls are not perpendicular, the declivity corresponding with the dip and lean of the rocky layers. The descent of the falls is seventy-eight feet. The islands, banks and falls exhibit fine sections for observation.
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