USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 29
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rock shows itself at short intervals all that way. We ascend several short steeps that cross the road. Those parts of the latter towns, situated in this formation, are hilly. The same rock is seen in the towns of Cherry Valley, Springfield and Richfield, in the county of Otsego-and in the towns of Stark, Warren, Columbia, Lichfield and Winfield, in the county of Herkimer, in innumerable places, rising above the soil. These towns, so far as they are embraced in it, excluding Cherry Val- ley, have a beautifully waved surface, the limestone rising into swells and hills. The northerly part of Otsego lake dips into the formation. The rock is very conspicuous in the counties of Oneida and Madison, in the towns of Bridgewater, Sanger- field, Madison, Katon, Nelson, Cazenovia, &c. The bed of Chittenango creek, for some miles, and the hills extending along it, are limestone. The rock constituting the high falls on that stream is limestone. In the counties of Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca, the same rock displays itself along Limestone, Butternut, Onondaga, and Nine Mile creeks. Skencatelis, Owasco and Seneca outlets. The streams have, in many places, laid its strata bare to great depths. Butternut, Onon- daga, and Nine Mile creeks, run in deep ravines. The rock, however, is not confined to these streams and their borders, but shows itself often iu the spaces between them. Green Pond, in Manlius, Onondaga county, is environed by a limestone dyke, which is generally very precipitous. At Cayuga lake we lose sight of the rock, since it passes under that lake. It, however, soon rises, showing itself along Seneca outlet, where it forms falls and several rapids.
Between Seneca county and Genesee river, limestone is of very ordinary occurrence. The latter river passes over it for many miles. The rapids and falls at Rochester are occasioned by it. Below the great fall at the latter place, the bank on the east side of the river, exceeds one hundred and twenty feet per- pendicular elevation. The falls, themselves, are ninety-seven feet, and they are lower than the surface of this part of the country.
Between the rivers Genesee and Niagara the limestone rock
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displays itself eminently along streams in ledges, and various places, in naked patches. The streams descending in the di- rections of Lake Ontario, Genesee and Niagara rivers, have denuded it in very many places. Human industry and perse- verance have also been active in laying it bare for our inspec- tion. At Lock Port, and its vicinity, in the county of Niagara, about three miles have been laid bare, and perforated to the. depth of from three to thirty feet. On Niagara river, from Lewistown to the falls, and we might add, to Black rock, (for the alluvial detritus, between the head of the falls and Tonna- wanta creek, does not form an exception,) the stream has laid · it bare, and opened to view a fine section. The view is perfect up to the falls, and the head of the rapids. The thickness of the rock is determinable up to the great fall. Above this we cannot determine it with certainty. Limestone occurs along Lake Erie, as far as Eighteen Mile creek, overlaying the slate. The same rock pervades and occupies much of the surface of the country, east of Buffalo, for twenty-five miles. It is un- doubtedly continuous. The great road often passes over the bare rock. At Caledonia, in the county of Genesee, and thence westwardly for two miles, there is very little soil on the rock. In this field, four or five acres, admitting of tillage, are rarely to be found. In Allen's creek, in the county of Genesee, this rock is found in its bed and banks for miles. Thomas, whom we have had occasion to mention more than once in this chap- ter, in his valuable travels, says, that limestone underlays the country west of Genesee river.
The shelly limestone is incumbent on the blue, and does not form a continuous stratum, being in patches and small fields.
The marble quarries which are known, or such as have come . under our observation, are at Cherry Valley and Springfield, in the county of Otsego and Warren, and Germanflats, and Co- lumbia, in the county of Herkimer. Others unquestionably exist. We intend to confine our remarks mostly to the quarry at Cherry Valley, because it has been opened and worked for some years, and is better known ; and because the stone is in considerable repute for certain uses and purposes. The stone
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constituting this quarry, or field, extends lengthwise along the valley, a mile and upwards, running from north to south. Its breadth, it would seem, is less since it appears to be limited by the hills forming the outlines of the valley. The rock is of the calcareous kind, and contains magnesia, which is very manifest on the surfaces of the layers. The lamina are thick and dis- posed in a horizontal manner. The fissures are latitudinal and longitudinal. The colour of the rock is grey. Several acres at the quarry are bare. The layers are from one to three feet thick. Shafts, from twenty to fifty feet in length, may be split off. When subjected to the chissel, the marble of this quarry receives a good polish. Exposure to the air adds hardness to it. It is wrought into jamb, chimney, and hearth pieces, tomb stones, &c. It is a very durable firestone. The marble of Springfield has been used for hearths, jambs and backs .- The marble of these quarries abounds with organic remains. Among these we have noticed zoophites, madreporites, cornuites ovites, and pectenites.
Hornestone is of common occurrence in the formation. We have already adverted to it. It sometimes fills up fissures and chinks, and at others, forms small beds and thin layers. We have seen it in the counties of Schoharie, Otsego, Herkimer, Onondaga, Ontario, Munroe, Genesee, Erie and Niagara. It is much more plentiful west of the county of Cayuga, than it is east. It is blackish, brownish, greyish, yellowish, &c. Some specimens very nearly resemble gun flint. In the Oak open- ings, in the counties of Genesee and Erie, the limestone encloses nodules of hornestone. The same kind of hornestone is found in the debris at the falls of Niagara, accompanied by radiated . quartz, rhomboidal crystals of carbonate of lime, foliated gyp- sum, &c. The Agoneaseah used hornestone for axes, arrow heads, spear heads, chissels, gouges, &c.
Calcareous sandstone occurs in some places in patches and small fields. Sand predominates at one time, and calcareous matter at another. The rock is in thick and thin layers ; usual- ly the former. Professor A. Eaton, and Dr. T. R. Beck, in their Geological Survey of the county of Albany, give an ac-
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count of a highly interesting locality in the Helderberg. The account is too long for insertion here. Others, having equal interest, are found in the counties west of Albany. It is a very common rock in all our limestone fields. To us it appears to hold the same station in regard to limestone, that the coarse sandy wacke does to the fine.
Beautiful and very perfect crystals of quartz are found in this rock. Some are very large and highly transparent.
Slaty silicious limestone is another subordinate rock in this formation. It is found in patches in several places .. The lay- ers vary from half an inch or less to twelve or more, and are on a line with the horizon. Its colour is bluish, brownish, &c .; in the county of Onondaga, it is not unusual to find it overlay- ing the water limerock.
Porus sandstone, with a small portion of the carbonate of lime, also occurs. It is very open in its texture. In some in- stances it is incumbent on the limestone, and in others on the slaty silicious limerock, It is ordinarily in thick layers, separ- ated by natural cleavages.
Secondary Clay Slate-Patches of this rock are now and · then found on the formation. This rock, like the preceding, may be pronounced subordinate. We have observed several of these patches in the county of Onondaga.
Veins of calcareous spar often traverse the limestone of this formation. It is also seen filling up some of the rents. Its col- ours are various. Stalactites abound in some of the subter- ranean recesses, and are often large.
Sulphate of zinc, barytes, strontian and lime, fluate of lime and snowy gypsum have been found; also, quartz crystals. The fluate of lime often occurs in small pieces ; sometimes attached, and sometimes loose.
Throughout the whole formation organic remains are found, and often in great numbers. The following may be enu- merated :- Nerites, cornu madreporites, zoophites, terebratu- lises, pectenitės, ovate anomites, cordate anomites, gryphites, turbinites, terebrites, buccinites, potamodes, orthocerites, styl- astrites, anthocephalites, isidites, arbo-madreporites, encrinites,
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trilobites, favosites, cornuamanonites, corallinites, anomias, oysters, &c. To give localities would be superfluous, since most or all of the foregoing, besides many others, may be found in every county. Dr. T. R. Beck, and Professor Eaton hate made out large catalogues.
The second formation, as to extent, commences in Montgom- ery county, at or near Anthony's Nose, and runs up the Mohawk, occupying, in some measure, both sides of the river, chiefly the north side, to the west side of Fall Hill, where it leaves the river, and stretches across the country to Lake Ontario, and the river St. Lawrence, which it crosses. It passes through the counties of Herkimer, Oneida, Lewis and Jefferson, being about one hundred and twenty-five miles in length. Its breadth va- ries in different places, and cannot be stated with much cer- tainty. 'In Montgomery and Herkimer, as far as Fall Hill, it may be from one to three miles. In Herkimer, northwest of Fall Hill, it is not much broader, being no where over four miles and a-half, and often not above two. In Oneida it is broader and continues to spread. Measuring from Black riv- · er, at the Great Bend, westwardly to Lake Ontario, its breadth is twenty-five miles. On the St. Lawrence it is still broader. We have not been able to ascertain how far it extends dowu the St. Lawrence ; nor do we know whether it stretches west- wardly after crossing that river, and joins the central formation, which also crosses into Upper Canada. Its boundaries are not easily defined. In this State Lake Ontario bounds it on the west, from a little south of Big Sandy creek, in the county of Jefferson, to its outlet; the river St. Lawrence is to the northwest ; Black river, from near the Great Bend, bounds it on the northeast upwards of forty miles ; the other parts are bounded mostly by the grey wacke slate districts.
It occupies very small portions of the towns of Root, Canajo- harie and Minden, in the county of Montgomery; considerable portions of Palstine and Oppenheim, in the same county ; parts of Manheim, Herkimer, Fairfield, Newport and Russia, in the county of Herkimer ; parts of Trenton, Remsen, Boon- ville, &c., in the county of Oneida ; most or all of the towns
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of Lyden, Turin, Martinsburgh, Lowville, Denmark, Harris- burg and Pinckney, in the county of . Lewis; and nearly all of the county of Jefferson. 1
The formation, taken together, does not contain much, if any, under 1100 square miles.
Throughout the whole extent of the formation the limestone appears at short distances above the soil, sometimes in small, and in others, in large masses. Along the Mohawk valley it is frequently interrupted by sandstone and calcareous sandstone ; the latter usually underlaying it.
The limestone in the towns of Root, Canajoharie and Min- den, is insulated and in small patches. The rock, in general, from the Nose to the Osquake, is a calcareous sandstone, and in some instances a sandstone. These rocks commence on the bank of the river, and after passing the Nose, recede and skirt the flats. The Erie canal runs now at their base, and then not. These rocks do not extend back of the first river hill. They are succeeded by the grey wacke slate. This rock is seen in Platakill, Canajoliarie creek, &c. The bluff, at the Nose, on the south side of the river, for a quarter of a mile, has an ab- rupt front of 200 feet elevation. Before the construction of the canal, there was only room for a road at its base. The sand- stone on the north side of the river, begins upwards of a mile below the Nose, and extends up the valley two or three miles, usually exhibiting a perpendicular front. It then gives way to the same calcareous sandstone. The latter rock, westwardly, in the river valley, as far as Manheim, prevails, although lime- stone is of frequent occurrence. In many instances the former passes imperceptibly into the latter.
The limestone usually commences on the river hill. In some instances it encloses or surrounds small fields of slate. The slate of these fields rises above it, never having, as it would seem, been covered by it. The same is observable in Fair- field, and some other towns in the county of Herkimer. Some imagine the slate to be a subordinate rock, but our opinion is otherwise. The lime rock is sometimes thinly superimposed over the sand and calcareous sand rocks, while at, others, it is VOL. I.
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"wanting. In the counties of Montgomery and Herkimer, streams are to be seen flowing on slate, while the limestone is in view at only a short distance. Caroga, East and West Canada creeks may be adduced as examples. The East Canada, for a mile above its mouth, runs on a slaty bottom. The rock is blackish, fine, smooth, and disposed in thin plates. Above this the calcareous sandstone appears along the banks of the stream, and above the latter the limestone. The limestone is about half a mile north from the river road. At Christie's, or Beardsley's Falls, on the latter stream, all these rocks may be seen. The creek's bed, up to the foot of the falls, is slate; then succeeds the calcareous sandstone; and lastly, the limestone. The falls themselves are limestone. The falls and rapids extend upwardly nearly a mile. The probable descent is 160 or 170 feet. Along the falls and rapids are very valu- able quarries of limestone. On the west side, in the town of Manheim, quarries have been opened and extensively used for locks, aqueducts, &c. The layers vary from one to three feet. The same rock emerges on Fall Hill, on the north side of the river. In the vicinity of Little Falls village, quarries have been wrought. The limestone is on a calcareous sandstone, which rests on granite or gneiss. The disposition of the different rocks is easily seen at this place.
Limestone frequently rises in view between the Little Falls and Trenton Falls. The streams have uncovered it in sundry places. It is underlayed by slate sandstone and calcareous sandstone. The bed of West Canada, about a mile and a-half from its mouth, is slate, like that of the East Canada creek. This rock constitutes its bed about three miles, when it passes out of view under the calcareous sand rock. In some places the latter is a real sandstone. The calcareous sand rock is seen up- wardly for six miles. It is also seen in the banks and sides of the bills, but not far back. The primitive rocks, in some places, break through it. Half a mile above Middleville, in the town of Newport, there is an instance. The limestone is above the calcareous sandstone, mostly on the left side of the stream, and a little back ; some small patches only being found on the
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right side. At the village of Newport, limestone forms the bed of West Canada creek. The same rock we have seen underlaying the stream in two places, between this and Tren- ton Falls. The formation seems, however, to be a short way from the stream's left bank, almost up to the mouth of Cincinna- tus creek. West Canada creek, at Trenton Falls, has worn out a very deep course for itself in the rocks. Hereabouts the stream runs over limestone for six or seven miles. Its bed is very winding. The formation, where the creek crosses it, is not four miles broad. The ravine at Trenton Falls is over two miles in length. . The rock is found about two miles and a-half above, and a mile and a-half, or more, below. The rocks, at the ravine, are laid bare to the depth of from sixty to one hundred and seventy feet. The limestone, at these falls, exhibits varieties. Cincinnatus and Steuben creeks have floors of the same rock. These streams are in the county of Oneida, and make their way into West Canada creek, a little below Trenton Falls.
In travelling from the village of Trenton, in the latter county, to Leray'sville, in the county of Jefferson, a distance of sixty miles, limestone is constantly appearing along the highway, 1 except on the Highlands of Black river, for two miles, where it is covered with earth. It constitutes the floors and banks of all the streams, which descend into Black river, on the left. The bed of this river, from the Great Bend, to its mouth, is the same rock. Most of the country is hilly. We can trace the lime- stone from the bottoms to the tops of the hills, and from their tops to their bottoms. In the town of Denmark, in the county of Lewis, it is denuded in some places to the extent of acres. The surface is rent with fissures. Along Black river it is now seen in perpendicular masses, forming high banks and then in ledges. In several places it forms cascades and heavy rapids. From Leray'sville, it is found on the one hand, to the River St. Law- rence, and on the other, to Sacketts Harbour, and southwardly to Big Sandy creek. The shore of Lake Ontario, from near the mouth of Big Sandy creek, to its outlet, is limestone. The ravine at Trenton Falls, the beds of Deer creek and Black river, and above all, the hills in the county of Lewis, would lead
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us to believe, that the formation, after reaching Trenton Falls, has great thickness. West Canada creek, at Trenton Falls and Deer creek, which falls into Black river, in Lewis county, pre- sent deep sections, and good examples.
'This formation exhibits a very diversified surface. From its commencement in Montgomery county, it, in the main, rises till it has reached the summit of the Highlands of Black river, where it attains an elevation of from 1,220 to 1,400 feet above the ocean. Thence to Champion, on Black river, it falls. Here a kind of plain begins, which continues northerly to the St. Lawrence, and westwardly to Lake Ontario. In Lewis, ' and on the borders of Jefferson, the aspect is broken with hills. The soil in some places is fertile, and in others meagre.
There are two principal kinds of limestone in this formation ; the one is blue and the other grey. The former extends throughout the district, the latter is insulated, and rests on the preceding. The blue is quarried for locks and building stone. The grey is used for the same purposes, and also for jambs, hearths, and tomb stones. Both kinds are compact and often disposed in thick layers.
Subordinate rocks-Among these may be enumerated calca- reous sandstone, porous sandstone, &c.
Hornestone is occasionally seen in the fissures. Calcareous spar, barytes, strontian, fluate of lime, zinc, crystals, &c. occur.
The limestone of this formation is cavernous. The caves at Root, in the county of Montgomery, and at Watertown and Brownville, are in it. Holes, or chasms, which swallow up streams, are not unusual. One of these, near the Little Falls, ingulphs a stream, which it disgorges at the distance of half a mile.
Limestone occurs in the counties of St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton and Essex. lu the first it is abundant, but not, we be- lieve, in the others.
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The third formation, which we intend to notice, begins on the confines of Vermont, a few miles northeasterly of White Hall, in the county of Washington, and runs southwesterly, to the town of Florida, in the county of Montgomery. It is be-
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tween sixty and seventy miles in length, and from two to four miles in breadth. Dr. J. Steel estimates its breadth, in the county of Saratoga, at three miles. This formation extends entirely through Washington and Saratoga counties. It crosses the Hudson at Glen's Falls, and the Mohawk, above Schenectady.
Limestone appears along Wood creek ; at Glen's Falls, and their vicinity ; at and near Saratoga Springs; in Milton, Gal- way, Charlton, Glenville, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Florida. Much of the formation between Wood creek, in the county of Washington, and Galway, in the county of Saratoga, is covered with sand and sandy loams.
Calcareous sandstone, porous sandstone, and firestone, an. impure limestone, called by some bastard limestone, occur as subordinate rocks.
Hornestone is at times found imbedded in the limestone .-- Calcareous spar, of various colours, traverses some of the seams. Sulphates of barytes and strontian, and fluate of lime, are found. Quartz crystals, of a beautiful transparent colour, occur abund- antly, at Galway, and other places, in the rocks.
· The limestone of this formation, is arranged in horizontal layers. Its most usual colours are blue and grey. The grey is in patches, and rests on the blue. It abounds most in or- ganic remains. Dr. Steel, in his Geological Survey of the . county of Saratoga, enumerates, among others, the following celleporites, pectenites, orthoceratites, gryphites, ostryalites, amonites, corallinites, cardites and terebratulites.
In the county of Wayne, about three miles south of Lake Ou- tario, there is a range of limestone. It crosses Great Sodus bay. It is chiefly composed of shells and other organic relicts. On the east side of the bay quarries have been opened and wrought. The stone takes a polish. Remarkably fine crystals are imbed- ded in it. This range is insulated and limited in extent. It is in the sandstone district, and is supposed to be incumbent on that rock.
Thomas, in his travels, says, that the fragments of this rock are not extensively scattered on the hills south of the range.
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In the counties of Steuben, Alleghany, Cattaraugus and Chautauque, there are fields of limestone, but they have no great extent.
Transition limestone-This rock occurs in the southeasterly part of the county of Washington, and in the easterly parts of Rensellear and Columbia. It joins and alternates once or twice with the transition clay slate, wherever it has been examined. Its colours are bluish, blackish, &c. It is traversed by veins of milk-white quartz. Chlorite is found in it. See the Geological Survey of Rensellear county, made by Professor Eaton.
There is a limestone formation, of considerable extent, in the . counties of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster. According to the account given by Dr. Mitchell, it commences on the northeast at the partition hills, in the county of Dutchess, and runs in a southwesterly direction, to the Hudson, which it crosses, and penetrates Orange and Ulster counties. It is commonly seen in valleys, and on the borders of streams. At and near Newberg it shows itself along the banks of the river. It reposes on clay slate. It is a good building stone. Much of the lime used in the city of New-York, is made of this rock. Dr. Mitchell calls it a transition rock. This formnation, and the preceding, are probably only one.
Limestone is abundant in the towns of Kingston, Esopus, Hurley, &c. in the county of Ulster.
Marble occurs in the towns of Kingston, Hurley, Esopus and Marbletown, in the same county. It is black, striped, veined and spotted. It takes an exquisite polish. The black marble found at Kingston, Dr. Mitchell calls lumachella marble. Thic marble of Ulster county has not obtained much repute in New- York.
Fresh water limestone has been discovered in most or all of the towns in Ulster in which marble abounds. It has been used for cement, in the construction of the locks on the Hudson and Delaware canal. The demand for fresh water lime has already been considerable in the city of New-York. ,
In the county of Greene, westwardly of the villages of Cats- kill and Athens, there is a ridge of limestone, but we are not
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informed of its extent. It is upwards of a mile west of the former village, and three west of the latter. The Athens turn- pike crosses it. It has an undulating surface, which often ex- hibits bare masses of rocks. Lousler'sburg, four or five miles west of Athens, agreeable to the report made by Messrs. Jabez D. Hammond and Joshua Pitcher, two of the state road com- missioners, is 322 feet above the tide waters of the Hudson.
Small fields of limestone are not of uncommon occurrence in the basin of the Hudson. In the county of Columbia, half a mile westwardly of the village of Claverack, there is one containing seven or eight hundred acres. The rock rises ab- ruptly, and is partly bare. Slate underlays it.
Dr. Mitchell, in his Minerological Survey of the country along the Hudson, in 1797, says, the rocks exhibit the like- nesses of sea shells ; and that, on being broken, their internal substance is found to consist of the coverings of marine ani- mals. He further adds, that at the time they lived, the waters of the ocean must have stood over this part of the continent.
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