oe ane SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES DRAPER FAMILY COLLECTION - GIFT OF DANIEL C. DRAPER A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF MANHATTAN OR NEW YORK ISLAND, TOGETHER WITH A MAP OF THE ISLAND, AND A SUITE OF SECTIONS, TABLES AND COLUMNS, FOR THE STUDY OF GEOLOGY,, PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR THE AMERICAN STUDENT. BY ISSACHAR COZZENS, Jr., LIBRARIAN OF THE LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK, CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR THE PROMOTION OF SCIENCE aT WASHINGTON, &c., &c., &C. NEW, ¥ O RK: W. E. DEAN, PRINTER & PUBLISHER, 2 ANN ST. ENTERED According to the Act of Congress, i in the year 1843, by ISSACHAR COZZENS, dLSiig: a the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern "District of New York. | TO Dre. J. AUGUSTINE SMITH, PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS, NEW YORK. Dear Sir: Knowing you have taken a greater interest in the pro- motion and study of Geology than any other person in the city of New York: and as your late lectures have proved your high attainments in the science, I beg leave to dedi- cate to you this my humble contribution. I am dear Sir, Your friend THE AUTHOR. New York, January, 1843. PREFACE. Wuen [ first undertook to make Geological Sections, Maps, &c., it was for my own study and amusement, and I had no thought of publishing my productions ; but as I found most of the elemen- tary works on the subject, to be mere collections of hard names and foreign references, and conse- quently not likely to be looked on by the Ameri- can student, but as a task, I thought I could show something more agreeable nearer home, and by adding historical facts, anecdotes and reminiscen- ces of the city, I might induce some to read and become interested, in the greatest of all sciences; I therefore enlarged my work, and now, by the advice of my friends, I lay it before the public, hoping, it may at least serve as a stepping stone to the young Geologist. DEFINITION AND USES OF GEOL OG Y. Defimtion of Geology.—Geology is the study of the rocks, and all earthy and mineral properties, that form the crust of the globe, which man and his cotemporaries now inhabit ; of all the apparent, past changes it has undergone by volcanoes, floods, earthquakes, and other lesser causes, such as heat and cold, the wear and tear of its surface, by rains or any thing else, which alters, or occasions a dis- placement of any of its materials. Uses of Geology.—The knowledge of Geology seems to be requisite in all states and pursuits of hfe. The artisan and the mechanic, are benefited by the mineral products of the earth ; without Iron alone, (the rusty king of all metals,) man could not exist in a civilized state, for, from the weighty hammer and the delicate needle comes most of the power, that man possesses in the mechanical arts. The agriculturist is assisted by a knowledge of the rocks, which compose the base of the material of 8 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. the soil which he is cultivating—practical men have often found out that soil* which is most con- genial to the plants they intend to raise, but with the knowledge of Geology, their strength would be supported, and their practice made more perfect. The soil which produces in the greatest abund- ance, wheat, (the staff of life,) appears to lie be- yond the Alleghany Mountains: in the state of New York it is underlaid by what is now called the “Si- lurian system of rocks:” these rocks consist of Limestone and Sandstone, and shaley clay, impreg- nated with lime, and some Gypsum, and are great beds of shells, which appear, asif they were once at the bottom of some ocean—the soil lying on the top of these rocks, is the most prolific to the farmer, in its products of grain and grass. Even to the well-digger, a certain knowledge of the dip and make of the rock is requisite, that he may know how deep he must descend, and whether water can be obtained, and if attainable at all, at what spot. I have known well-diggers to pass * On the warm, sandy soil of south New Jersey and Long Island, you can raise the sweet potatoes, (Convolvulus Batata,) although this plant, grows more luxuriantly in more southern latitudes. Ihave known these potatoes to grow from 12 to 16 inches long on the sandy soil of New York Island, on the farm of J. M. Bradhurst, Esq., 9 milesnorth from the City Hall, on the Kingsbridge road, while as far south as the city of Wash- ington, ina clayey soil, they did not grow much longer than one’s finger. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 9 through some rocks upwards of 100 feet, and not find water after all that vast expense, when, if they had gone from I to 500 yards from the spot where they commenced, they would surely have got a good supply. It is my opinion, that it is almost an absurdity to commence digging or boring, below the top of any of the primitive rocks, to obtain water of any sufficient quantity, for wherever I have known excavations made in these rocks, the water which filled the cavities had always penetra- ted or wept in, between the Diluvium at top and the main rock, whether it was Granite, Gneiss or any of those which the older Geologists designa- ted as primitive; and yet there is a small chance that water might be obtained through some un- known hollow fissure, but these cavities appear very rarely in the older rocks. ‘To the miner, as it gives him the dip and the strike of rocks, and may show him when the mine will be flooded, the knowledge of this science, is of the first impor- tance, whether it is intended to mine for coal, the ores of metals, or even in quarrying stone. Many more instances might be adduced, to show the use- fulness of Geology ; but as it expands the mind, being a matter of fact study, this alone, is suffi- cient to recommend it more generally. 2 A GEOLOGICAL MAP OF NEW YORK OR MANHATTAN ISLAND BY I.COZZENS J ae QB ; (BE : Cs Ai jiiyin tt AYA HE egi TOMA Nunya) Hy AAA Ut iN Wit Sersey —— PART OF NEW YORK_ BAY. Ly ff GovernorslsK Sas 2 Sterute. [dee ne . 7 > as | 7 Print Limestone. 8 Dilevium. peste | g Quaritch G Serpentine 0K. above. Section of New York. or Manhatan | Vide Witer Mark. Island trom the Battery to Spuptendasvel Creek. /Grantte.? Svenite. 3 Gneiss. 4 Hornblende Slate. 9 Quurtx Rock. 6 Serpentije. 7 Primitive Limestone : & Dilavizan: > gk ye Washington. Yi Lith. of Endicott H York E SN as === =——_ = es Se az by be Se , AF Section of New York. or Manhattan Island Lrom the Battery to Sjuipteudayv' DESCRIPTION NEW YORK OR MANHATTAN ISLAND. Ploie Ve Figs 1: This island is about 13 miles long, in a straight line, from the point of the Battery to Kingsbridge ; but by the old road, with all its windings, it is 15 miles. It consists of eight different series or for- mations of rock as follows : Ist Granite.—(See Map and Section, plate 1, fig. 1 § 2, marked 1.) This begins to show itself at 28th Street, a little east of the 8th Avenue, and runs in an interrupted line to the North river at 32nd Street, from thence, it is seen between the 10th Avenue and river, and parallel with the river, to 60th Street; itthen crops out again at 86th Street, between the “ Harlem Railroad Tunnel” and the “Receiving Reservoir” of the Croton Water Works: in levelling east 22nd Street, near, and south of the “ Bellevue Alms House,” it was expos- ed in two places in a pyramidal form, the top of which was cellular, and had a spongy appearance, 12 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. in the cells were found small crystals of Quartz, Feldspar and Prismatic Mica; the Gneiss lying superincumbent, with its dip varying from 30° to 45°. 2nd Sienite.—(See Map and Section, plate 1, fig. 1 § 2, marked 2.) This crops out at the north edge of the Serpentine: it may possibly be a large boulder of Greenstone, but if it proves so, it is the largest on the island ; it is buried within a few feet of its top, which presents a considerable surface ; it contains more Quartz than any of the Greenstone of the palisades which I have seen, and is a rock almost entirely composed of Quartz and Hornblende. 3d Serpentine,— (See Map and Section, plate 1, fig. 1 § 2,marked 6.) Between 54th and 62nd Streets, the shore and 10th Avenue, there are 4 or more small knolls, of black Serpentine, with scales of silvery and golden Talc, accompanied by a vein, about 12 feet wide of Anthophyllite. This vein is in a vertical position. At the north end of the Serpentine proper, this Anthophyllite shows itself in two places, 7 place; one, on the rising ground, and near the Sienite, the other at high- water mark on the shore. Actinolite is found im- bedded in the Anthophyllite. The Serpentine locality commences where the Granite ends. At ‘the south end, there is a vein of Carbonate of Lime. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 13 This Carbonate of Lime has many small specks of Serpentine diffused through it, and forms a kind of “ Verd antique,” which, when polished, makes handsome specimens. At this locality formerly, at a considerable expense and labour, many exca- vations were made in search of the precious me- tals; the seekers allowing themselves to be de- cieved by the glitter of the golden and silvery Talc, through the Serpentine. 4th Gneiss.—(See Map and Section, plate 1, fig. 1 § 2, marked 3.) 'This rock has a greater extent, and shows itself more than any other on this island ; it begins at the Battery, which it underlies, and a few years ago showed itself by an out-crop on one of the walks, but it has been levelled and buried, in making improvements, on that most delightful of spots; it was to be seen also (until lately) at the lower end of east 14th Street, near the river, but this was also buried, by levelling that part of the city: in 8th Street, west of the 3d Avenue, in digging a well, it was found about 18 feet below the surface. In boring for fresh water at Disbrow’s Blacksmith’s shop in Bleecker street, between Broadway and Mercer street, after passing through some 500 feet of Gneiss, the Granite was reached. ‘The first or nearest place where it is now to be seen, is at 22nd Street, near the 8th 14 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. Avenue (as is shown by the blue on the map.) This rock begins, on the south side of, and under- lies Governor’s Island, which is its most southern extent, passing through New York Island, and running through the greater part of Westchester County: it forms the rock, at the straits called Hell-gate, and even at that place (where it may be traced some 8 or 10 miles) underlying Long Island. The Gneiss of New York Island is a peculiar variety, and has more Mica than common, and which is also in larger plates than usual for this rock: some of this Gneiss, might with propriety, be called coarse Mica Slate. It is not a good building stone, on account of its splintering pro- pensities, which makes it dress uneven and rough, if it is struck with an intent to make a cross frac- ture, it is sure to split the wrong way. On the 10th Avenue near 60th Street, it is associated with Hornblende slate, and a granular Quartz rock, and at the “Railroad Tunnel” at Yorkville, with Hornblende. On the East River, above Bellevue, are precipitous Gneiss rocks from 20 to 30 feet high, forming bold bluffs, and overhanging the water; at this place, it is sometimes, charged with Sulphuret of Iron in a state of decay, as may be A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 15 seen at Hell-cate ferry. The dip of this rock varies from the extreme of horizontal to vertical. 5th Hornblende Slate.—(See plate 1, fig. 1 & 2. marked 4.) ‘This rock, is associated with the Gneiss in many parts of the island; at Spuyten- duyvel bluff, at the north end of the island, a large range is seen, which has been opened as a quarry. At Manhattanville, as you go north from the village, there is also a large bluff of this rock. The struc- ture of this rock is lammellar, with black flat and long crystals of Hornblende, and grains of Quartz disseminated through it. 6th Quartz Rock.—(See plate 1, fig.1 & 2, mark- ed 5.) There are on the 10th Avenue near 60th Street, veins of various thickness of gray, granular Quartz, which, when broken out in hand specimens, is so friable, as to crumble into sand ; this is asso- ciated with the Gneiss and Hornblende slate, in a_ ledge of rock east of the Serpentine. 7th Primitive Limestone (See plate 1, fig.1 & 2, marked 7.) of Kingsbridge is well known ; it is a Dolomite,* and has all the varieties of white, sray and light blue, granular, coarse marble; it begins at the south end of Mr. Dyckman’s farm, * This Dolomite I examined some 16 years ago, and found it to contain about 28 per cent of Carbonate Magnesia, from which I manufactured good Epsom Salts (Sulphate of Magnesia.) 16 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. and runs through the middle of the Island to Spuy- tenduyvel creek; the same rock runs through Westchester County, and is seen on the other side of Kingsbridge, and thence along the river toward Yonkers, especially, at Mr. Delafield’s farm, where there is an extensive quarry, at East and Westchester,* at Greenburgh, at Singsing, and at Verplanck’s point: a coarse marble for building is worked at Singsing by the prisoners. A quarry was opened at Kingsbridge, some years ago, which proved unprofitable. Lime has been burnt from this Limestone, but as it will not slack quickly, but first crumbles up in small grains, it has been discon- tinued for fine work.t There was a few years ago, at the south end of this formation, on a by-road, leading from the main road, to the North river, a spring or nat- ural fountain of pure cold delightful water, which gushed from this rock, and emptied in a natural trough of the same rock, within 2 feet of the level of the road ; this trough was large enough * The Merchants’ Exchange in Wall street which was burnt down in the great fire of 1835, was built of the Westchester Marble, (Limestone,) the chafts of the columns were at least 24 feet in height and were of one piece. The new Exchange is built of Sienite called Quincy Granite. + When time is allowed, for lime made from this marble to slack per- fectly, it answers well for strong work, and it has also, been extensively used for agricultural purposes. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 17 for animals to drink out of; but alas! in an evil hour, it was conceived by the owner of the land to quarry the stone at this very spot, and all the curiosity, with the beauty, is now gone. ‘The quarrying at this place had laid bare some hundred feet of surface, on which was seen what are called ‘‘ wave-marks,”* and which resemble the sand ripples of the sea-shore, after the tide has fallen, at the time of a calm. These wave-marks were no doubt caused by the waters passing through a seam, which lay in a position nearly horizontal, and forming an inclined table, over which the water passes to its outlet, the spring: hence not all the ‘‘ripple-marks” mentioned by geologists, and which are supposed by them to be caused by the ocean’s ebb, are made in that way, but may have been formed by water (as in this case) passing through seams and fissures of rocks, particularly the Limestone rocks, which water has the power of dissolving. Another curious fact, although not strictly geo- logical, may be mentioned here, as it caused some wonder about 40 years ago. There were then three * I visited this locality three weeks since, and found still some remains of the “* ripples” on the rock, but they have been mostly obliterated by the crumbling structure of the rock, and the trampling of the catile which go to drink out of a pool which yet remains on the lower edge of the quarry. 3 18 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. foot-marks (two left feet and aright one) on the smooth surface of the Limestone, on the north end of this formation near the road. These foot- marks appeared to me to have been made thus: first, the person, whoever he was, who made them, had stept in the mud, and then walked up the rock ; the mud from his foot gave an outline, and then some sharp instrument was used to check and trace that outline; an Indian stone axe, or a steel one may have been used, for these marks did not seem to be of much antiquity: they were shown as a great curiosity under the denomination of Indian tracks, and were destroyed by the quarry- men, upwards of 30 years ago. Judging from this, and similar wonders which I have seen and heard of, I must infer that the “ foot-marks,” &c., &c., of the would-be geologists, are not exactly what they are cracked up to be. ‘This formation* rests on Granite. For list of minerals imbedded in it, see catalogue. 8th Diluvium.—(See plate 1, fig. 1 and 2, marked 8.) ‘This formation covers almost all the island; but under the city, and at the lower or * Boulders of this Limestone are seen at Newtown, (Long Island,) which is about 10 miles south of Kingsbridge—a piece of one, on the road to Williamsburgh, would weigh at least 500 pounds; it has been broken to make stone wall. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 19 distributing Croton Reservoir, in 42nd Street, and at Harlem flats, and on the Kingsbridge road, near the 12 mile stone, it is of the greatest depth: (it is coloured on the map as a reddish-brown.) In this wash, as it is called by some, are found types of all the rocks of the valley of the Hudson. As seen when taken in mass, its co- lour are a mixture of yellow, red, gray, and brown; it is a compound of boulders, gravel, sand and silicious clay. In its structure it differs; in some places it isa fine yellow sand lying on the top, as around the region of Broadway and 8th Street, (old Sandy Hill Lane,) and on part of Mr. Bradhurst’s farm, and on the Kingsbridge road between the 7th and 8th mile stone. Part of a hill of this sand may still be seen at Mr. Brevoort’s place, at 10th Street, west side of Broadway. This kind of sand,* whenever seen, always lies on top. In describing the hills which have been dug down, I shall begin with the ridge,t which com- menced at Warren Street, ran parallel with the * This same kind of sand forms the earthy part of Bedlow’s Island, the peninsula of Paulus Hook, (Jersey City,) Hoboken, and a large field near Hackensack, N. J., and also large areas on the south part of Long Island; and always lies on the top of the coarser Diluvium, and is never more than four or five feet in depth from the top. + On a hill near where the corner of Provost and Varick Street now is, there was a revolutionary fort still standing in 1797, in which some of the old cannon lay dismounted. 20 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. North River, and ended at Mr. Lispenard’s place, near where Canal or Laight Street now is. The sand, gravel, and other material of these hills, were not so coarse and so varied as those to be described. In the same line, after passing Lispenard’s creek,* we come to what was called Richmond Hill, (or rather, as the boys 50 years ago called it, ‘The General’s Woods,”) which was 30 feet higher than the present level of «Tivoli Garden.”t ‘The ma- terials of this hill were the coarsest of all the hills on the North River ridge, but the boulders were not so large as those at Corlaer’s Hook. A high hill was dug down between where An- thony and Canal Streets now cross Broadway. In this hill were all the varieties of this formation ; its height was from 25 to 30 feet above the presentlevel. On this hill, near where Franklin Street now is, on the east side of Broadway, stood a water basin, built before the Revolution, for supplying the city with water. A large well was dug near where White Street now crosses Elm Street; this well * This creek commenced at the Collect pond and ran through Lispe- nard’s meadows to the North River. + This house stands within a few feet of the spot where it stood 50 years ago, but has been lowered to its present level; around this old mansion stood oaks, chestnuts, and other aboriginal trees of gigantic size. I remember one old chestnut tree which was at least 7 feet in diameter. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. Pa | was from 30 to 40 feet span, and was to have had a steam engine, to force the water up the hill into the basin. The author has in his possession#three paper bills, issued in 1775 and 1776, for the pur- pose of carrying this project into execution. Description of the Bill—on the face. VSSKSSCsesSseSSstKSSsssIssesssesssssesseese sa NEW YORK WATER WORKS. 4 [No. 1257.] ot aps NOTE shall entitle the BrEareErR to the Sum of & EIGHT SHILLINGS, ‘ current Money of the Colony of New-York, payable on Demawnop, by ;3 > the MAYOR, ALDERMEN,and COMMONALTY of # ; the City of New- York, at the Office of Chamberlain of the said City, 2 pursuantto a Vote of the said Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, * = * of this Date. Dated the Fifth Day of Murch, in the Year of our €; Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-six. By Order of the Corporation, SOD ES 0) OHH HG) GEGOOSOSOa a 2 ANDW. GAUTIE, S 8s. H. BRASHER. Ososseeregesegsoceseesasesesesnocea Cie eS eh SS OS On the reverse is a plate of an old-fashioned steam (?) engine, with a fountain on each side ; - and on one of the margins, “ Eight Shillings’—on the other, “New York, printed by H. Gaine.” The two four-shilling bills are dated 1775, and are signed by Wm. Waddel and J. H. Cruger. Tra- dition says this project failed in consequence of the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, which is very probable. 22 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. On the west side of Broadway, and nearly op- posite to the water basin, stood an old fort (built of earth) which had been used during the Revo- lutionary War: on the outside of this fort, on the slope of the hill, were buried many of the American prisoners of war who had died in the old “ Sugar House” in Liberty Street, then Crown Street, or in “The North Dutch Church” in William Street, both of which were used as prisons by the British. These bodies were buried so near the surface, that by the slight washing of the hill their bones were exposed; and many atime, when a boy, have I seen their remains pulled out and abused by my thoughtless companions—as late as 1800. The next hill to be described was the highest and steepest on the south end of this island, and was called ‘“‘ Bunker’s Hill ;”* it stood where now * They commenced levelling this hill about the year 1802, and in dig- ging down, the earth was removed more than 14 feet lower than the bot- tom of the well ; in it were found old iron hoops and other relics ; among which was an old cannon, (a nine pounder,) which I saw there at . the time. How often have I, when a boy, stood on the breast-work of this hill, and looked, with delight, to the south, over that beautiful sheet of water, the Kolck (Collect,) on the small city, with its few spires and domes. Beyond was seen the bay, with the hills of Staten Island still further in the south ; then turning to the west, the ‘“‘ Noble Hudson,” with the Newark Mountains in the distance, the farm houses and country seats of the island, and that stupendous work of nature, the palisades, on the north, and on the east the high ridge of that fertile plain, Long Island, «‘ all covered with their native green.” A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 23 is the junction of Grand, Orange, and Elm Streets, and where now stands “Centre Market.” The Diluvium of: this hill was similar to the rest of the hills of the island. It was a steep, and somewhat pyramidal hill, about 100 feet higher than the pre- sent level of Grand Street. On the top stood an old | fort, in the centre of which was a well, from whence I have seen water drawn as late as 1800, and which, no doubt, had supplied the garrison who quartered there during the Revolutionary War. It is a curious fact, that after the earth was re- moved from the surrounding hills, and from around this well, the bottom of it was left dry; this shows that the well was supplied with water from the sur- face, and that surface wet by rains. A coarse gravelly range of hills* lay on the west side of Broadway, north from Canal Street, to near where 4th Street now is. In this range were few large boulders. It was composed chiefly of coarse gravel and small boulders fit for paving stones. * Most of these hills being covered with a small growth of cedar, and other trees, many kinds of game birds were found in great plenty, as late as 1797, as near the then city as Reade Street on the North River, and Rutgers’ Street on the East River, such as Quails, (Perdix Virginiana, of Lin,) Woodcock, (Scolopax Minor, Gmel.,) Snipe, &c., &c., with all the smaller tribes of the neighbourhood ; and in the salt marshes, and on the shore, were seen all the varieties of the water birds. DA - A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. The hills at “Corlaer’s Hook” were dug down between the years 1800 and 1830. Some of them, at the east of Col. Rutgers’ house,* were nearly 80 feet in height; they were composed of all the different kinds of drift wash, &c., which are found on this island, and particularly of a vast number of large boulders, laying on, and next to, each other, and this to a greater degreethan in any other place. These heights have been lev- elled’; but even now, in many parts of this region, when cellars are to be dug, many of these boul- ders appear,’ and when broken up, a sufficient quantity of stone is obtained to build the founda- tions. In digging down these hills, and breaking the boulders, many handsome minerals and fossils were found, which I shall enumerate in the cata- logue. Two of these boulders were Anthophyl- lite, one of which was 18 feet long, 9 or. 10 feet high, and about 12 feet broad ; in this were beau- tiful crystals of Actinolite.t This Anthophyllite * The country seat of Col. Henry Rutgers stood where now stands a new building (in a square) occupied by his nephew, Col. Crosby; in the rear of this, towards. the east, on the highest of these hills, was a fort; this hill, if I recollect rightly, was more than 60 feet above the present level of Montgomery Street. There was also a fort where Division and Pitt Streets join Grand Street, on a hill called Mount Pitt. 7 Near this boulder lay another large one of Chlorite slate, which was translucid, showing a beautiful green light through its thin edges. This boulder cannot be referred to any known locality in this neighbourhood. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 25 had the same character as that of 60th Street, mentioned in the description of the Serpentine locality.* There were many boulders of Granite, Gneiss and Greenstone, as large as the two above- mentioned. The place where the young miner- alogists used to roam in search of specimens, is now built upon, and churches and houses cover the spot. At 42nd Street, on Murray Hill, at the Distrib- uting Reservoir of the Croton*Water Works, the Diluvium is a tough cement of clay, gravel, and boulders, very hard to dig. In digging through 42nd Street, the pickaxe had to be used for every shovelful of this clayey cement: which formed what is called, a hard-pan, of about fourteen or more feet im thickness. At this locality there were more large boulders than at any other, if we except Corlaers’ Hook. The Diluvium of Manhattanville and Harlem flats, consists of gravel and pebbles, with boul- ders the size of a paving stone, and a few spe- cimens of Kingsbridge marble, but no Serpentine. There is on “ the flats,” and after you pass the Tun- nel, three or more detached spurs of the Gneiss * Boulders of Anthophyllite and Serpentine are strewed all over this island, and Long Island, below the line of 60th Street. 4 26 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. rock, of some elevation. ‘There was once a very large boulder of “‘ Hudson River Slate” on Mr. Myers’ farm, near his house, this was one of the largest pieces of this rock, which has been seen south of the Highlands, it was long since broken up, and used for building stone. At an old tavern, called the “ Cross Keys,” on the Kingsbridge road, in the tavern-yard, is a detached rock of Gneiss cleft in two pieces lying side by side, and on the top of the Gneiss rock which les in place, the striae of this removed rock, cross at right angles, the rock in place below—it is as much as thirty feet long, the two pieces together, being about nine feet broad and ten feet high. In the valley, between Forts Washington and George, on the Kingsbridge road, and on the left side, there are a vast number of detached pieces of Gneiss rock, which have evidently been pre- cipitated from the cliff above, which forms the hill of Fort Washington. The largest of all the boul- ders on the island, is the one which stood on a bare Gneiss rock at Depeyster’s place, on the east side of the Kingsbridge road, where it is now crossed by 106th Street, and near the six mile stone. There was also a boulder, or rath- er large piece of rock, (which had been detached, A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. Da. and slipped from its natural place,) near the old post road, and near where 5lst Street crosses the 3rd Avenue; this large flat piece of Gneiss, lies supported against the rock of which it once formed the top, presenting the appearance of a cavern, particularly when it was surrounded by trees and undershrubs, overgrown and entangled with briers, giving it a deep shade. Fresh water ponds.*—There were three or more fresh water ponds on this island: the first and largest, was called the Kolckf (Collect) by the worthy Knick- * In these ponds, were several kinds of fish, one peculiar to fresh water —viz. (Labrus Auritus, of Mitchill,) or fresh water sun-fish; the other species were common to both fresh and salt water.’ —The common eel (An- guilla Vulgaris, of Mitchill,) three varieties of Killifish, (Hsox pisculen- tus, of Mitchill) one of which, I do not recollect having seen any where else, it was called by the boys, ‘* Yellow-bellied Cobbler,” on account of its abdomen being of a golden colour. The ‘“‘stickle back” (Gasterosteus quadracus, of Mitchill) was found in the powder-house pond, but did not inhabit ‘ the Collect.” + This pond, when frozen over, was a most delightful spot for skating, and sliding, to which all the boys of former days repaired, some hundred might be seen amusing themselves, forgetting in the ardour of play the intense cold of the weather; but woe to those who were caught there on Sunday; old Delamater, old Thompson, and afterwards old Hays, then a young man, (the Sunday constables of that time,) gave them more ter- ror, with the thoughts of Bridewell, than all the pleasure was worth. At the great undertaking of filling up this pond, and levelling the sur- rounding hills, a curious fact took place which should be noticed here. The specific gravity of the sand and gravel of the hill, was so much greater than the mud and sediment of the pond, that it pushed up in its centre large islands of this sediment, exposing a soft quagmire, and the 28 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. erbockers. This pond lay under that part of the now city, which is Duane, between Cross and EJm Streets, and between Elm and Orange Streets, the middle of which is now called Centre Street, and but a few years ago called Collect Street. “The Hall of Justice,” that Egyptian fabric, vul- continual throwing in of the heavy materials, raised the mud in some places from 8 to 10 feet, above the original level of the water, this mud became somewhat dry, and cracked open some 8 or 10 feet deep, falling over the heavy material and exposing what may be supposed, was once the under part and lay near the bottom of the lake; in this substance were Hickory, Butternut, acorns and seeds of all the surrounding forest trees, which had formerly skirted this pond; with great thickness of leaves, and some limbs of trees, and other black vegetable matter resem- bling peat; this induced the corporation of the city to employ men to make what the Irish call hand turf, it being too soft to cut with a turf spade; a large quantity of this turf was dried and carried to the alms- house for fuel, but it had a peculiarity not dreamed of, and which could not have been supposed as coming from the bottom of a fresh water pond, namely, an overcharge of marine salt. This I proved by burning out the vegetable matter, and leeching the ashes, (which consisted of a large porous mass, as large as the size of the peat acted upon,) and concentra- ting the lixivium to a pelicle. The knowledge of this analysis, caused Dr. Pascalis to say that this small lake, had formerly been a natron lake, similar to the natron lakes of Egypt. The salt in this mixture prevented the turf from burning, and, of course, making turf from the bottom of the collect was discontinued. It was about the year 1801 when they commenced filling up the collect—the first earth thrown in came from the excavations then making for the cellar and foundation of the “ City Hall,” in the park. In this pond, where now Pearl Street is, between Cross and Elm Streets, there was a natural island, with a powder-house on it, which gave the name of Magazine Street to that part of Pearl Street; and atthe corner of Anthony and Collect Streets, was a point of natural ground. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 29 garly called “the Tombs,” stands near what was once the middle of this small lake. The second pond of any size was called “ Pow- der-house pond,” and was a little west of Kipp’s Bay, near where 32nd Street crosses the 4th Av- enue. There was a small pond on the Green- wich road, now Greenwich Street, near where Provost Street crosses it, called “ Higby’s pond,” and another where St. John’s church now stands, in the rear of Mr. Lispenard’s place, called the “‘ Cat-fish pond,” I have seen cat-fish (Silurus cot- tus, of Mitchill,) in this pond, but do not think they originated there. There is now, on the Kingsbridge road about half a mile north of Harsenville another pond,* at this pond a few years ago the bull-frog (Rana Maxima, of Catesby,) took up his abode, I have never seen this Batracian on any other part of the island: a brook from this pond runs into ano- ther pond, between the road and the Hudson River. These are the principal ponds on the island. Swamps and Salt Marshes.—Under the old * Since writing the above, I have been informed by Major Leconte, that these two ponds were artificially made; the one on the east side of the road, by the British, during the Revolutionary War; the one on the west side by the proprietor of the land: but that there was here a natu- ral stream or brook I have no doubt. 30 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. part of the city, were some swamps and salt marshes, the first to be mentioned was at the lower end of Broad Street, the second at old Fly Market, now the lower end of Maiden Lane ;* the third, the swamp of Ferry and Jacob Streets—of this swamp something may be said. There was in this city, in 1824, a Mr——, who fancied and persuaded himself and others, that good and wholesome water in great plenty, might be had by tapping the earth in this place; so at it they went, and a great deal of time and money was spent in endeavouring to accomplish this object, but it so happened, they did not know (being neither Geologists nor Philosophers) that all our fresh water comes from the clouds, the rain falls on the earth and is absorbed, seeks its level, leeches through the earth and carries (if any in its way) all the salt, filth, and stuff it is capable of dissolving. As the tanners and curriers of the neighbourhood were very anxious to have good soft water, they employed this man to bore. He began his operation in Jacob Street, passed through * At the corner of Maiden Lane and Gold Street, in digging to lay a foundation, the bottom of some old tan-vats were exposed, with the tan in them in a good state of preservation; the ground on the top, had evi- dently been made, as the bottom exhibited all the features of an ancient swamp or salt marsh. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 31 the made ground on top, and came to the old swamp, with all its black mud, its remains of peat, roots of trees and other materials, such as are known to be in these places, but no fresh water, on the contrary, it was hard and stinking. What was to be done? after spending so much money ! no good water! no good water! “ Why it is a mineral spring,” said one ; “It is a mineral spring,” said another, “ The Corporation should certainly purchase it for the public,” cried a third ; “ 'There’s no doubt but it will cure all diseases, the Corpora- tion should certainly purchase it!” a petition to this effect was sent in, and a Committee of the Corporation appointed for this purpose. The com- mittee sent to Drs. Torrey and Macneven, and to the writer of this through Alderman requesting an analysis of the water. Drs. ‘Torrey and Macneven did nothing as I have understood, I examined the water, and gave an analysis to Al- derman but never received any acknowl- edgement, although by this analysis and report, the Corporation, no doubt, saved some thousands of dollars, which the owners and projectors of the spring asked. A regular fountain was set up at the spring, and six cents per glass was charged for this corrupt tanyard swamp water—one glass which I drank gave me a cramp in the stomach; I oe A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. thought at the time, and do still, that the proprie- tors of the concern put an extra quantity of salt in the well, for sometimes the water was salt as brine, while at others it was only brackish. At this “Spa,” as it was called by the puffers in the news papers, a large number of people were collected ; all the credulous, the searchers after the marvel- lous, were there, and were true believers in its medicinal effects.* Another swamp lay under that part of the city where Oak Street crosses Oliver—here, it was said, that another of these medicinal springs was discovered, by a negro but a few years ago. The next swamp and largest of all, was called “¢ Lispenard’s meadows ;” one arm of this swamp began near to, and a little north of, Reade Street, between Church Street, and the range of hills before described, which ran parallel with the Hud- son River. ‘The middle of this swamp, ran through * It seems tome that there are people who delight in being hum- bugged, or else why run after these second kind of Cotton Mather witch- crafts—Animal Magnetism, Phrenology, the coming of the Millenium in 1843, Mormonism, Homeopathy, &c., &c., (though this last being in small doses, is not so difficult to swallow,) all these have their firm ad- mirers and believers, as has ‘‘the Mermaid,” a thing made of a Cod- fish’s tail and an Ape’s head, and its body stuffed with oakum. It does me some good to think that I foiled them once—viz; at the swamp spring, and that Dr. J. Augustine Smith, in his ‘‘ Select Discourses,” has staggered the phrenologists- A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 33 that part of the city on which West Broadway is now built, crossed Canal Street, and ended where Spring Street now intersects Laurens Street— from east to west, it ranged between Howard and Walker Streets, west of Orange Street, and was bounded on the south by the Kolck pond, it covered much of the ground on each side of Canal Street, had a creek in its centre, whose source was the aforesaid Kolck pond, and ran under the “stone bridge,” into the Hudson, where the foot of Canal Street now is. Another brook came in from the north; these streams. met in the middle of the swamp, near where West Broadway and Laurens Street meet Canal Street—at the source of the northern branch, there was a spring of fresh water, which gave the name to Spring Street. At ‘‘spring tides” the water of the creek was often backed up, and could be seen running up, as far as the stone bridge, which stood where Canal Street crosses Broadway. The “ Minetta water” which gave the name to that little crooked lane, Minetta Street, was a small brook, the head of which lay north of part of “old Potters’ Field” now Washington Parade Ground, and near where the corner of 6th Street and 5th Avenue now is. In 1820, there was still a small colony of muskrats, bordering this creek. The 4) 34 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. brook passed along the lower end of Potters’ Field, and formed a large pond called Bollus’s pond, where Downing Street now is; the low swampy grounds that were filled up, caused this pond, which lay a little north-west of Richmond Hill. Salt Meadow.—The next great tract of land, which has been altered by improvements, is “ Col. Marimus Willet’s and Stuyvesant meadows,” Col. Willet’s house stood a little north of Corlaer’s hook point; at the first lowland, near where Riving- ton and Columbia Streets cross each other, at this point, the salt marsh began, and ran along the East River, to a small distance beyond what was called Brandt Muhle point,” (Burnt Mill Point,) from a wind-mill formerly burnt down at that place. It was afterwards called Manhattan Island, and now the Dry Dock. This was once a famous place for the credulous to go money-digging, for it was said by all the wags of those days, that the pirates Kidd and Blackbeard had buried their plundered treasures here. The writer has seen more than 20 large holes which had been dug im this little knoll, About 25 years ago, the spot was covered with beautiful native oaks and other trees, and on its beach I used to catch an insect called the Cicindela. These meadows were nearly a mile long onthe shore, and more than half a mile in A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 35 width, now they are almost all filled over with the earth of the surrounding hills, and built upon. There are some salt meadows yet beyond the six mile stone, on the East.River, which are some- what altered. At the foot of 30th Street, near the Hudson River, was a small salt marsh now all covered over with earth from the surrounding hills. There is yet a salt marsh, which has had no improvements on it, but the fillmg up and grading of the 10th Avenue, this is on the North River, near the foot of 42nd Street, at the upper end of the “Timber basin :” and there are a few other formations of the same kind near Kingsbridge. There were many small streams or brooks on the Island, but none of importance, if we except the one called Harlem creek, which runs through the salt marsh, at the six mile stone; this creek has two or three branches, one of which follows along the lowlands to near Manhattanville, where some projectors in a speculation commenced a few years since, a canal, which they left when partly finished. In digging down the hills of this Island, to fill up the swamps and low grounds, there has been a fine chance, for the geologist to observe, how the materials of this Diluvium were deposited ; in some 36 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. parts, as at 40th Street, near the Distibuting Reservoir, all the pebbles, sand, gravel, clay, and boulders, are intimately mixed, and it has the same “appearance at the top, as at 15 or 20 feet, below the surface. At Corlaer’s hook, most of the large boulders lay the lowest, but yet there were some at top: in many other places, the boulders were near the top, gravel next, then the sharp-grained sand, used for making mortar; but it must be observed, that almost always, if there was any sand, it was found in the lowest part of the strata: in some of the hills, there would be from five to ten different kinds of strata, composed of nearly the same materials ; on the top, yellow, Silicious clay of one or two and sometimes three feet in thickness, (which appears to — be an Alluvium*) then much gravel, small quartz. * Alluvium, (a member of the Diluvium.) There was on this Island, in many of the valleys or hollows, a fine yellowish-brown, Silicious clay of some tenacity, which was used for making moulds and forms by the founders of Iron, Brass, &c., and by masons for making a coarse cheap mortar ; the localities in and about the city, are all dug out and built upon—in Broadway opposite Park Place, in laying the Iron pipes for the Croton water, one of these clay beds was come to, which had been partly dug out, and filled in with rubbish, and which I saw but a few days ago. On the Island beyond the city, in the valleys, these beds are still to be found. If there is any formation, that can be called Alluvial, in my opinion it is formed thus—an earthy matter, is carried up in the sap of trees, or other plants, and is kept in an organized form, until the tree has lived its time, when the tree dies and decays, all the matter of its A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. Sire sand, with some large boulders the size of a paving stone, (the largest, being 3 or 4 feet thick) then a soft brown coloured sand, with little grit and con- siderable mica, from two inches to sometimes a foot in thickness; then a clear sharp-grained coarse sand, with very little mica, five or six feet thick; next a gravel of small pebbles, two or three inches thick ; then a sand, similar to the one above, but not so clean and sharp ; giving the bank a striped ribbon- like appearance, of gray, brown and ochre yellow : these different layers appear to have been deposited under different circumstances, or from a different influence, or at differenttimes. ‘There are some of these hills, which have twenty varieties of deposit, each deposit having its peculiar colour, its coarse- ness or fineness, its material; and then again, some compound, (if we except its earthy,) is in time dissipated, the ashes of which, in the form of earth is left, and is washed down by rains, to the low grounds, and there forms beds, if the locality on which the plant grows is Silicious, this Alluvial clay is Silicious, if Calcareous, the clay will be Calcareous, or if Aluminous, it will partake of the Aluminous quality, and so on; when these vegetable products fall in swamps, or other wet placesy and are not shifted by mechanical or altered by chemical changes, they retain their skeleton forms, and have been called Infusoria by some, and have excited much wonder, as they are thought to be of ani- malcular origin; it is not to be supposed, that alZ these minute skeleton forms are of vegetable origin, some may be of animal, but when we take into consideration, the vast quantity of vegetable matter, that the earth pro- duces, and the comparitively, small quantity of animalcular, there is some reason to doubt, that all the beds of clayey earth, which form the bottom of ponds, &c., are of animal origin. 38 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. of these deposits, have all the materials of every kind, but contain no carbonaceous matter. How all these formations came where we find them, and at what time, and by what means, so regularly irregular, I shall not attempt a conjecture: no one believes those, who pretend to make it out by metaphysical reasoning, and as to facts, we have so few; we know that it is here, and was in some place else once, but any further, is a grand puzzle. Water.—The water of the Island of New York, in most of the natural springsand wells was good, and is so now, on all that part of the Island above 42nd Street, where there has not been this digging down of hills, filling up of swamps, and other low srounds. [ut it isnot to be supposed, the element could continue pure with our dense population, and where, all kinds of animal and vegetable sub- stances, are brought for food, and other purposes ; the drainage of the sinks and cispools, carrying down all the salts, both alkaline and earthy in solution, is enough to contaminate the city wells in a very few years. It is an unpalatable fact, that the draining of the sinks, forms part of the water, which we are daily using and have been drinking for so many years. I have always been an advocate for pure water, and was one of the first, who suggested the idea of bringing old Croton A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 39 to our city, and now after a lapse of some 30 years, I rejoice that this limpid stream is led to our doors. There were some few wells and springs on the Island, which were somewhat charged with iron, making them Chalybeate ; the one near where 24th Street, crosses the 8th Avenue, is so strong with iron, that it could not be used, for any useful purpose, neither had it any medicinal quality. Two of these springs were opened at the upper end of the Island, beyond the 8 mile stone, which were also abandoned, having no medical property. SECTION OF THE PALISADES, West Side of the Hudson River. In describing plate second we will begin as be- fore, with the lowest rock. Ist Granite.—(See plate 2, fig. 1.) This rock if present, is always seen the lowest. The Granite, that underlies the shore of New Jersey, was reached, in boring some few years ago, for fresh water, on the Hoboken meadows ;* the spot selected for this project, was about half way between the ferry wharf and the foot of Bergen hill. The operators after passing through the mud, sand, and other deposits from the river, which once flowed over it, came to the Sandstone which was easily passed through, and then toa much harder rock, which dulled and destroyed the points of their augurs. The borings which * About 20 years ago, these meadows were dyked in to keep the tide at high water, from flowing over them, and large ditches were dug in many directions, over the meadows as drains, which exposed a number of recent shells, partly fossilified. These shells consisted of the recent oyster (Ostrea Borealis) Psammobia, Mytilus, Modiola, &c., &c. These shells lay about 4 or 5 feet below the surface. r ie cin TREES 3 AAS - P pert adoes on the Hudson River trom Jersey City to Fort Lee. | Granite? Se nine & Red sandstone +. Greenstone Slate 3. Trap or BasaltdDiiw une. 7 tes, ty 2 fy 7 & Gi E¢GK2 8 VLAD Draw by 1, Consens Jr Lith. of Eradscocaté N'Y. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 4] were first brought up, were when dried, a dust of gray Sandstone. After passing through this Sand- stone, and just before they stopped operating, they came to the harder rock, the borings of which contained grains of Mica, Quartz and Feldspar. The two borings had at first sight a similar appear- ance, but the upper had no Mica in its compo- sition. From the presence of Feldspar and Mica in the lower borings and from the greater hard- ness of the material, it is to be inferred that the Granite was reached, for whenever Mica accom- panies the red Sandstone of this region, it has a large portion of per-oxide of iron, (which colours it red,) some clay, and is soft and easy to work. The hardness of the bottom rock, and the difficulty with which it was pierced, caused the stopping of the operation and no fresh water was obtained at this place. At the side of the Weehawken hill road, soon after you pass the “ William Tell House,” the Granite shows itself, underlying the red Sandstone, which is in this place very thin, and altered by the trap that overlies it. 2nd Serpentine.—(See plate 2, fig. 2.) This rock is a different kind of Serpentine* from any * In 1824, I undertook to make Epsom Salts of this rock, but was foiled 6 42 _A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. seen from other localities, (if we except the Ser- pentine of Staten Island,) containing a larger portion of Magnesia than common ; it is of a light green colour, with variations, and having many veins of Carbonate of Magnesia, running through it; the Hydrate of Magnesia, not being so plenty. There are also some veins of Magnesian Carbonate of Lime, a kind of Gurhofite, accompanying it, in which, are seen the Hydrate in small scales. Locality—Castle Point, as you go north, from the ferry wharf, to that delightful walk “the Elysian Fields.” This has long been a favourite resort for Mineralogists. ‘There was once, at this locality, near the shore, in the perpendicular cliff, a wide seam filled up with a conglomerate of all the surrounding rocks, as well as Serpentine cemented together by a Carbonate of Lime and Magnesia. 3d. Sandstone.—(See plate 2, fig. 3.) This rock, is said to underly most of the state of New Jersey, north of a line drawn from New Brunswick on the Rariton, to Trenton on the Delaware, if we except the most north-western part of the state, which appears to be a Transition Limestone with by the great quantity of oxide of iron and other metallic oxides it con- tained, which is the reason it has not been used for this purpose; I had a large product of impure Sulphate of Magnesia. a. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 43 occasionally rocks of the more primitive orders such as spurs of the Highlands of the Hudson River. I have always considered this as the old red Sandstone, or an equivalent for it, but as ob- jections are made to its being called the “ old red Sandstone” we will describe it. In the first place, it is destitute of fossils, itis of many qualities of coarseness, but is not known to have many grains as large as a pigeon’s egg. In colour it has all the varieties of red, chocolate brown, buff, yellow, gray and dirty white, and where altered, as if by heat, it passes into jasper, with all the above colours, to which may be added blue and violet. Imbedded in it, are Nodulous, Crystalline, Carbo- nate of Lime, inclosed in Micaceous oxide of Iron. Micaceous oxide of Iron in geodes, Sulphuret of Copper, Wc. ; for other minerals see catalogue. It is my opinion, that the impressions of fish said to be found in this Sandstone, do not come from this formation, but from one of the upper members of the Coal Measures* which lie above it, and are in * Since writing the above, I have visited the Pompton fish locality, and am more strengthened in my opinion, that the shales which hold these fossil fish impressions belong to the Coal Measures. It is situated at one of the extreme westerly points of the trap rocks, and there is all the appearance of a fault, which should be the right place to find a dislocation of this kind. The rocks in situ, lie as described before by Mr. Thompson. 44 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. a shale containing Bitumen, and many of the same types, as are founed in the coal fields at Chester- field, near Richmond in Virginia; where are also the same impressions of fish, ferns, plants and bitumen ; the specimens brought from thence by Dr. Draper and presented to “the Lyceum of Natural History” have the same fossils and same character. At the new locality at Pompton, there are according to Mr. Aaron R. Thompson’s account, three different series of rock, which lie thus—first and lowest, lies the Sandstone, then shale, with bitumen, impressions of fish, &c., then on the top a conglomerate of pebbles with a calcareous cement, this conglomerate is the same, as what is called at Shawanjunk Mountains, ‘¢ Asopus Millstone,” and by Professor Rogers ‘¢ Potomac Marble,” which is composed of quartz pebbles and aluminous slate and in which not unfrequently are seen small crystals of native alum or a kind of Sulphate of Alumine. At and on the road which runs from the “ water gap,” of the Delaware River, this is again seen and is a con- See plate 8, fig. 1. Which represents a section of the rocks with the fault, as seen on the east side of the Ramapo River, aboutihalf a mile north of Mr. Ryerson’s Iron Works, in a ravine through which a brook runs. Plate 8, fig. 2, represents the rocks on the opposite side of the ravine, with a spur of trap at the highest point. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 45 glomerate of Limestone, quartz and argillitic peb- bles; then again the conglomerate of the Potomac is of different kinds of coloured Limestone with few quartz; one of the colums in “the House of Representatives” at Washington City has a quartz pebble in it, which may be seen by its projection above the other parts of the surface of the column. As this faint and interrupted, thin streak of “the Coal Measures,” is lying superincumbent to this Sandstone, it cannot belong to it, but to the Coal Measures the same as those of Virginia. The “rain marks” of this formation, so often spoken of, appear to be formed thus—at Belleville, Newark, and Patterson, where the Sandstone is quarried in a large way, the stratum lies nearly horizontal, or with but little dip ; the thickness of each layer is from one inch to four feet and sometimes as thick as six feet; between each layer is a ferruginous chocolate brown or red clay, this clay lies between most of the layers, (I have seen it where it is quarried to 25 feet depth, passing through eight or ten, or more of those layers,) and if any person will take the trouble to examine the under surface of each layer, as well as the upper, they will find, that on both surfaces of these layers, the marks exist. At every certain deposit of the sand of more or less thickness, there was a deposit of 46 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. slimey, clayey argillaceous matter, highly charged with oxide of Iron, some of which deposit still remains between and separates each layer. All do or will admit, that this Sandstone, was once grains of sand, like the sand on our beaches, but by time and the natural chemical action which is always going on, it has become indurated and cemented. All bodies that can absorb water, swell, and as they loose it shrink, (on this principle «¢ Wedgeworth’s Pyrometer” is made,) by this ex- pansion and contraction the seams were made, and as the clay or argillaceous deposits were not so prone to cement as the silicious, there the seams do still exist; clay when drying shrinks, as this clay dried, it adhered to the upper and under surfaces, and in time became indurated, and by its shrinking it naturally formed these. impressions called ‘rain marks.” If any one will take plastic clay, make it into a soft batter or paste and put some of it between two roof slates, the phenomenon will be partly explained by pulling them apart. Many writers on Geology, do not take into con- sideration, the great chemical, as well as the mechanical changes which are going on; the influence of heat and its negative cold, magnetism, wetting and drying, solution, attraction, deposition, and cohesion, all have a tendency to alter and A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 47 make different modifications; there are natural chemical changes always going on, as a proof of these changes, dip a brick in a solution of Muriate of Soda, (brine of common salt,) put some mason’s mortar on each side, lay it between two other bricks and keep it ina damp place about a fort- night ; a salt will crystalize at the sides of the one which had been diped in brine, but on the upper and under ones no crystalization will take place, these crystals will not be (Muriate of Soda) com- mon salt, but will be changed to Carbonate of Soda an alkaline Carbonate. This process is going on, in all our brick walls, in new buildings,* where the bricks in transporting have been left at the landings and soaked by the tide-water, or where they have been exposed on the deck of the vessel to the salt spray. | 4th Greenstone Slate.—(See plate 2, fig. 4.) This is an horizontal layer, between the Sand- stone and the vertical trap, of which last it is a member. It is lammellar, and between its laminz it has in many places, minute crystals of Datholite, and all the minerals of this formation. It is seen most beautifully at the shore under the bluff at Weehawken for more than half a mile, with its *See Dr. J. C. Jay’s Walls to Cabinet, 22 Bond Street. 48 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. dip towards the west, and from ten to twenty-five feet or more in thickness. : Sth Trap.—(See plate 2, fig. 5.) This rock, viewed from a distance, has the appearance of an columnar structure on a large scale; but on a nearer approach, it is seen to be full of seams and fissures in all directions; with an uneven surface. When the excavations were making at Bergen hill for the railroad, three six-sided joints were ex- posed, similar to those of the Giant’s Causeway, of Carraefergus, but in their horizontal seams, they were without those grooves of parting, which the Irish Basalt has. I have seen from three to seven sided pieces at this and many other places; at Weehawken in many parts and at one particular spot on the shore this rock takes the columnar form. The trap of the Palisades has a long range, beginning at the north end of Staten Island, (where it lies beneath the diluvium,) running from thence along the Hudson River to Vredideka hook, (which according to Captain Partridge, is 668 feet in height) to Harvestraw Bay, where it ends on the Hudson River, from thence it runs west. In this formation are found all the varieties of Trap, Ba- salt, Sienite, Greenstone, Porphyritic Greenstone, Greenstone Slate, Toadstone, Amygdaloid, &c., &c, A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 49 In every locality the Trap has a vertical appear- ance. For Minerals see Catalogue. 6th Diluvium.—(See plate 2, fig. 6.) Is the same as that on the Island of New York. DESCRIPTION OF SECTION. Plate 3. This section, it will be seen, commences at the Palisades of the Hudson River in New Jersey, runs across the Hudson River, the island of New York, the East River at Hellgate, and Long Island to the ocean, and has nine, and probably ten, dis- tinct rocks or formations, in a stretch of 20 miles. Ist Granite.—( Plate 3, fig. 1.) Evidences enough of this rock have been seen and traced out to show that it underlies the Trap formation that borders the Hudson River, then opposite, on New York Island, it shows itself largely, as is mentioned in description of plate 1, fig. 1, marked 1, page 11; it is also seen at Sunswick,.on Long Island, (now called Ravenswood,) near the seat of the late Col. G. Gibbs, in a quarry of Gneiss, crossing it in all directions, both in veins and in layers. For this fact Iam indebted to Messrs. George and O. W. Gibbs, and I have since visited the locality and ob- tained fine specimens. 2nd Gneiss.—(Plate 3, fig. 2.) This rock has Df Section From the Falisadoes New Jersey across the Hudson New York Is” Held Gate Long Is"tothe main- Orang, 2. Cnewss,4 Serpentine? hed Sandstone, Green Stone Slate, 6. Tragv,iGreen Sand. ~ oes ta 6. Tertiary, 9 Diliv wim, 10 Beach, Sand. — A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 51 been quarried in many places. At Hallet’s Cove, near the ferry, where it is beautifully striped, blue- black and white, (giving it aribbon-like appearance,) it isa good building stone. At Ravenswood, which is a mile south, this rock does not quarry so well, having none of its seams so easily opened—at both localities its strata is vertical. This rock may be traced to the salt-marsh, one mile north of Williamsburgh. ) 3d Serpentine.—(Plate 3, fig. 3.) 4th Sandstone.—(Plate 3, fig. 4.) oth Greenstone Slate.—(Plate 3, fig. 5.) 6th Trap.—(Plate 3, fig. 6.) The rocks of these four formations have been described already under their respective names. 7th Green Sand.—(Plate 3, fig. 7.) New Jersey Marl. It is more than probable that this member of the Cretaceous Group underlies Long Island and may be a continuation of the great range which begins at the south, in Virginia, and runs through New Jersey to the Neversink Hills, at which place it is last seen above the surface. Dr. J. C. Jay exhibited at the Lyceum of Natural History on Monday, December 19th, 1842, a large and beautiful specimen of the Exogyra Costata of Say, of the same age and formation as those of New Jersey. ‘This specimen was given to him to 52 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. exhibit by Mr. Furman of Brooklyn, Long Island, and it was said to have been found (in digging a well) sixty feet below the surface; the specimen was very perfect, having both valves and some of the earthy matter of the Green Sand adhering to it—the only perceptible difference was, that the earthy matter was rather finer and had more shining specks of Mica than the Green Sand of New Jersey has—if this prove true, the establish- ment of Green Sand underlying Long Island is made out. It has been often said that quantities of large oyster shells have been taken from the bottom of deep wells on the island ;* the Exogyra and Gryphzea so much resemble our common oyster that almost all persons who are not unac- quainted with Conchology call them so. 8th Tertiary.—(Plate 3, fig. 8.) The Tertiary * While I was writing on this subject, my friend, Dr. Samuel Akerly, came to my house, and after examining the fossil exhibited at the Lyceum, he confirmed the identity of the Green Sand on Long Island, by telling me that Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill had received the same fossil (Exogyra Costata) from Long Island, (between Brooklyn and Flatbush,) it was ob- tained from the bottom of a well which Mr. was digging, many feet below the surface. Dr. Swift, of the U. S. Navy, exhibited, as I understand from good authority, shells and pebbles of ancient sea-beach, taken from the bottom of a well dug on Long Island for the use of the United States Naval Hospital. What is remarkable, the workmen had to blast through a boulder in carrying on their operations. The shells were so weathered and water-worn that nothing could be determined as to their geological age. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 53 of Long Island, is a formation of White Quartz pebbles and sand, tinged yellowish with an oxide of Iron, and may be seen on the road as you go from Jamaica to Rockaway, and several other places. Itis said that at “ Lloyd’s Neck,” fine potter’s clay in beds is found at tide-water mark. I once saw a waggon load of shell limestone that was brought from Long Island which had all the character of that rock which is found at Cape Fear, North Carolina; this was brought to New York to burn as a lime to be used for agricultural purposes. The late Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill had in his possession at one time, some oyster shells (Ostrea Canadensis) said to have been taken from a well on Long Island at the depth of thirty feet or more. 9th Diluvium.—( Plate 3, fig. 9.) The Diluvium of Long Island is on that range of hills which commences at Brooklyn Heights, and runs east through Harbour hill to the village of Norwich near Oyster Bay ; on both sides and on the top of the ridge are all the varieties of boulder, gravel and sand, as in the Diluvium of New York Island, see page 18. 10th Beach Sand.—(Plate 3, fig.10.) This is at the present time forming and altering its form, on the south shore of Long Island where the ocean 54 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. is rolling in its waves; and at all storms from the south and east, lobsters, crabs, shell-fish and other inhabitants of the deep, are thrown up from the bottom of the ocean. In a tremendous storm, about the first of March, 1839, on the beaches of this part of the island, was a wind-row of shells, from ten to twelve feet wide, and from two to three feet deep, that skirted the line of high-water for miles; these shells contained the living animals, and thousands of crows (Corvus Americanus) came here to feed on them—they were the beach clam or skimmer (Mactra gigantea) Natica heros and duplicata, and many other bivalves and univalves, with many species of crustacea, and one species of asterias. These shells, crabs, &c., were thrown in a layer or series, with the sand at their bottom and top, with a dip to the south similar to what we see in some members of ancient formations. La, Section of Staten Tsland from the Telegraph to the Kills. 5 aS 8 x S © aS S is S Is N N S S S 8 s - S 8 NS SI wh 8 RS N iS S ~ 8 S S SECTION OF STATEN ISLAND. Plate 4. Ist Granite.—(Plate 4, fg.1.) ‘This is seen at the south side of the ferry wharf, on the shore, between high and low-water mark at ‘Tompkins- ville, this rock differs from the New York Granite, and is what is called Graphic Granite, it has a large vein of white translucent quartz running through it; fine specimens may be obtained here. 2nd Serpentine.—(Plate 4, fg. 2.) This forms the highest hills on the island, it is similar to the Serpentine of Hoboken, but that no Hydrate of Magnesia has as yet been found, but abundant veins of the Carbonate. This Carbonate was brought up, by the sinking of a shaft (which was done by some dreamers after riches) in a valley, about four miles from Tompkinsville, on the south side of the turnpike. Crystals of the mineral since called Marmolite by Mr. Nuttal, were found imbedded in the Carbonate of Magnesia. It would 56 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. seem that the white silvery Talc of this locality took the place of the Hydrate of Magnesia. 3d Sandstone.—(Plate 4, fig. 3.) Indications of this rock shows itself, both on the south of the Island on the Richmond road, and on the north end, near the Trap ; but it is supposed not to have been found in place as yet. 4th Trap or Greenstone.—(Plate 4, fig. 4.) This rock is the southernmost end of the Pali- sades of the Hudson River: it is generally a better kind to work or dress, than any further north of. this locality, quarries have been opened, and large square blocks have been dressed, which show a beautiful and durable material for building, it is erroneously called “ Staten Island Granite.” oth Beds of Pea Iron Ore.—(Plate 4, fig. 5.) These beds I think may be members of the Sand- stone, they can be seen on both sides of the Island near the first corner, where the road runs from the Turnpike to New Brighton or “the Kills ;” and on the road that leads from Tompkinsville to Richmond on the right hand, just before you come to the Moravian Meeting-house. ‘This ore has been mined. 6th Diluvium.—(Plate4, fig.6.) This formation is mostly the same as that of New York and Long A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 57 Island ; its greatest range is on the flats at the south side of the Island. At Stapleton, in digging down the hills, boulders of the “ Catskill Mountain Limestone,” were exposed containing Delthyris and other fossils. For Minerals see Catalogue. SECTION DONDERBERG. Plate 5. This commences at Stoney Point and ends half a mile beyond the turn of the river, above “ Cald- well’s Landing,” on the west side of the Hudson. Ist Granite.—(See plate 5, fig. 1.) 2nd Gneiss.—(See plate 5, fig. 2.) These rocks are similar to those described before. 3d Talcose Slate—(See plate 5, fig. 3.) This is one of the rocks which the older Geologists called Argillite ; it is aslaty rock, of a dark slate blue colour, with sometimes, the shining lustre of talcy matter in its seams: with a natural rhom- boidal and splintery fracture ; it rests on Gneiss at this locality. 4th Limestone.—(See plate 5, fig. 4.) This is what the older Geologists called Transition Lime- stone ; no fossils have been found at this locality. In the veins, is handsome Talc, of a light colour with a good lustre. This Limestone is not fit to use as a marble, but is excellent for burning lime ; AY) ANLG G FLOUSIUNT UOMSUDLT 7 FY]§ OSOU]UY G SS2CUD GF ALUVLG f yop may urmpunoy bLegsepuUog YbN0LY) ta ALL UOSPULT BY) U0 PU YJ AU0ZS WOLT UOTPIAS A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 59 which lime is used in building and for agricultural purposes. Sth Brick Clay.—(See plate 5, fig. 5.) This is a diluvium clay, of two varieties of colour, the top is a light buff or dun colour, while the bottom is of a light slate blue, containing some black vegetable matter; large quantities of brick are made from a mixture of the two varieties of this clay: on the top of this clay, is a diluvium of gravel and sand, which is also used in the composition of the brick. This bed of clay is from eighty to one hundred feet thick. SECTION OF THE ROCKS OF THE ISLAND OF RHODE ISLAND. Plate 6. ist Granite.—(See plate 6, fig.1.) This rock shows itself, at the south end of this Island, and is a close-grained compound of Quartz, Mica and Feldspar, with occasionally some Hornblende ; one variety has small green specks resembling Ser- pentine. It is not overlaid by Gneiss, as on the Island of New York, there is however one variety of the Graywacke, (which appears to run into Gneiss,) which has a small quantity of Mica in its compo- sition. 2nd Serpentine.—(See plate 6, fig. 2.) ‘The locality of this rock is between the town of New- port and Fort Adams, near the Granite; itis a black variety of nearly the same quality as the Serpentine of New York Island. 3d Talcose Slate.—(See plate 6, fig. 3.) This rock, may be seen at Fort Adams, in the area of Plate 6. 5 Coal Mines ga Section from Brentons Beek to Portsmouth, Island of Rhode lslanrd. 1 Grande 2 Serpentine 3 Talcose Slate + Varieties Graywacke F Shale 0 Coal A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 61 that fortification ; it is very similar to its brother rocks at Stoney Point; veins of Talc, Quartz and Carbonate of Iron run through this rock. 4th Graywacke.—(See plate 6, fig. 4.) ‘There were many rocks called Graywacke by the older Geologists, the one which I have retained this name for, is a slaty conglomerate of pebbles and sand, cemented together, by a silicious cement, and without fossils. ‘There are four or more distinct varieties of this rock on this Island, the most curious of which, are seen at the bluff that separates Easton’s beach from Sachuest, at the south end of the Island; at this locality all the varieties may be seen, from the fine grain slaty sandstone or grit, to the coarse conglomerate ; at this locality also, one variety has pebbles of a somewhat ovate form, which lie all in one direction, that is, they are longer than broad and lie side by side, and do not cross each other. Some varieties of this Graywacke run into the shale above it, and are so similar in appearance that they are diff- cult to distinguish. The kind used to make tomb- stones of, is an argillaceous slate, it is quarried near the Granite on the west side of “the Neck” near ‘“ Hog-hole.” 62 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. At the above promontory* or bluff there is a remarkable chasm called “ Purgatory,” the opening of which faces the ocean and is about ten or twelve feet wide, and is open up to the top of the rock, and runs in from the sea about one hundred feet or more ; this rock projects out in the ocean, and is some seventy or eighty feet higher than the level of the water, the top is covered with diluvium * In the summer of 1840, I visited this romantic spot, and standing on the top, looked on the vast sheet of the ocean, which continually rolled in its boisterous waves, the sound of which gave a peculiar echo, like the dull ring of a metallic basin. There were some thousands of the white bellied swallow, (Hirnndo Bicolor, of Audubon,) who after skimming the beach and ocean, would dart up and down, through this chasm, with swallow swiftness, while on the sod about the top, hundreds more sat perched, uttering their sharp note (wit, wit, wit,) the echo from the wave below, the bass roar of old ocean, the diamond brillancy of the spray sparkling in the sunshine, and the fresh breeze, all contributed to make this spot pleasingly sublime. Near this chasm, and on the top of the rock, are many irregularly shaped cavities, or impressions, filled with a dark blood red, argillaceous oxide of iron, these marks have a vermiform and confused appearance, and can be distorted in any form the imagina- tion chooses, one of these is as large as a human body would occupy, of which a legend is told—lIt is said, that about the time the white man, first came to these parts, and long before Roger William’s or William Coddington’s days, that an Indian, who was jealous of his squaw, took her to this rock“and there killed and left her, that the great spirit of the red people, was vexed atthe act and opening this chasm threw in the murderer, and that the metallic, echoing, moaning sound has been ever since heard at the place. They who tell this story imagine they see the impression of the body, which is supposed to have decayed on the spot, and that the brownish red oxide of Iron is the congealed blood of the victim. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 63 and sod, and is sloped in, making it funnel shaped ; the bottom, is some twenty feet below the level of the ocean, and every rolling wave dashes in and throws its spray to the very top. How this opening in the rock was formed is somewhat problematic. The place in former times, might have been filled with softer materials, which were washed out by the waves of the ocean, continually dashing in—and yet no traces of any decomposable rockremain. Therock could not have been parted by any convulsion of nature, for the cavity is nearly as wide in its further end as at the mouth, and its sides are perpendicular ; resembling an alley be- tween two high buildings, with its back end closed up. Sth Black Shale.—(See plate 6, fig. 5.) This is a true coal shale, and commences at what are called “the Blue rocks,” at the north end of the town, on the shore, below Fort Green. It runs interruptedly, all along the Island to the Ports- mouth Coal Mines, which are about eight miles north of the town. In this shale is seen impres- sions of Lepidodendrons, Sagillaria and other fossil plants. 6th Rhode Island Coal.—(See plate 6, fig. 6.) This is an Anthracite of a lead blue colour, which is caused, by the diffusion of Plumbago, through 64 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. all its seams and crevices. The coal assumes sometimes after exposure a ferruginous rusty appearance. ‘This coal is probably the oldest of all its kind for it has not only lost all its bitumen, (if it ever had any,) but is pervaded by seams of quartz, which are sometimes four or more inches in width; it has also seams of Asbestos and Ami- anthus. It is a very hard coal to kindle,*but will make a very hot fire, if properly managed ; it is economically used in the proportion of one-third with other coal, where much heat is wanted, for a long time, as for manufacturing purposes, &c.* 7th Diluvium, The Diluvium of the Island is a gravel of all its own rocks, covered with a some- what stiff clay, and has a soil on top, which yields well by cultivation. ‘There are none or very few boulders of any size, which have been transported from other localities, if we except some few, which lay on the shore below high water. * When this coal was first discovered, a load was sent to a somewhat crusty old fellow, who had the old fashioned Liverpool coal grate, think- ing that he would be the right person to try its properties, but in,his grate which was of a wrong construction for burning this coal, and was par- ticularly adapted for bituminous, the fire soon went out, which caused the old jockey to say, that if he wanted fire proof houses, he would cer- tainly build them of this Rhode Island Coal, for it was the only material of the kind that would stand fire—we should not pronounce judgment too hastily. Rhode Island Coal would be invaluable if we had not a better quality in such large quantities. LLG GT Section of the Falls of Niagara WZEADO L839, 10,11 12, are Series of Rocks belonging to the Silurian. SECTION OF NIAGARA FALLS. Plate 7. The rocks and formations at the Niagara Falls and River, are twelve in number, and are mostly described by Mr. James Hall, one of the Geologists of the State of New York. Ist Red Marl.—(See plate '7, fig. 1.) This is the lowest rock, the bottom of which lies below the level of Lake Ontario and is of a somewhat destructable kind.* 2nd Sandstone.—(See plate 7, fig. 2.) This Sandstone is said to be twenty-five feet thick, and is of the hardest kind, and not easily worn away by water. I suppose this Sandstone, which forms an irregular bar across the river,) by its hardness and its not being acted upon easily by the running water, its projection above the level of the marl which it overlies, and which is easily removed by the fierce stream, and by its crossing the river, ) to cause, what is called the whirlpool; there is an * In the Geological reports of the State of New York, all soft crumbling Rocks seem to be called Marl, and many of the Sandstones, Grits. 9 66 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. irregular bar similar to this across the Licking river in Kentucky, which at high-water shows all the same phenomena, but on a smaller scale. ~ 3d Red Marl and Sandstone.—(See plate 7, fig. 3.) Seventy feet thick; of this it is said the upper layers only are hard. Ath Limestone.—(See plate 7, fig. 4.) ‘Twenty feet thick. Sth Shale.*—(See plate 7, fig. 5.) Eighty feet thick. This shale is of much interest in a Geolo- gical point of view, as its softness causes it to be washed out of its bed from under the falls, leaving the Limestone (see 6th below) above, to hold up itself until a certain projection is formed, when by its vast weight it falls down in the abyss below. This debris is carried down the stream and is somewhat levelled on the bottom of the river. As the dip of this shale is descending towards Lake Erie, it must sink far below the influence of any water before it arrives at the boundaries of the Lake, so that Lake Erie will not be drained as soon as some of our very wise and flowery writers on Geology have imagined. I refer to those who write the romance of the science, prophecying miracles and making wonders as they go. * This is another of these general names for any rock which has a slaty structure, and is not slate proper. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 67 6th Limestone.—(See plate 7, fig. 6.) The Limestone of Niagara Falls is twenty feet thick at Lewistown, where it forms the top and peak of the bluff called Lewistown heights ; and is eighty feet thick at the great pitch of the great fall and reposes on the shale described as 5th. This is the same rock as that at Lockport, and was called by Professor Eaton the “ Geodiferous Lime Rock ;” at that place the canal was cut through it at con- siderable depth and many beautiful minerals were obtained. If I understand things rightly, this is the main rock that forms the basin of Lake Erie, the level of whose waters is 334 feet higher than Lake Ontario. If the level at Lewistown is 9 feet higher than Lake Ontario, and there is a fall of 101 feet from the level of the great pitch, the great pitch being 164 feet and the fall at the rapids 40 feet, and 20 feet more from the rapids to the level of Lake Erie, then these sums added together give the whole height of the falls 334 feet, as stated above. Lake Ontario is said to be 222 feet above the level of the Atlantic Ocean, which added to the 334 feet, makes Lake Erie 556 feet higher than tide-water ; now if a straight line be drawn from Buffalo to the Telegraph at Staten Island, which is the nearest point across the land to the 68 A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. ocean,* it will be found to be about 300 miles, which is a rise of only about 100 feet, in every fifty-four miles, or thereabouts. 7th Shale.—(See plate 7, fig. 7.) ‘This Shale belongs to the Onondaga salt group. 8th Corniferous Limestone.—(See plate 7, fig. 8.) This rock is a Limestone, with a large pro- portion of Hornstone, which is a silicious mineral, resembling flint in appearance, of the colour of horn, from which it takes its name, I have seen fossils in it completely silicated. 9th Pyritiferous Rock (of Eaton.)—(See plate 7, fig. 9.) This name seems to have been dropped by the state Geologists. 10th Shales of the Hamilton group.—(See plate 7, fig. 10.) See table. 11th Shells.—(See plate 7, fig. 11.) These beds of shells consist of Unio’s, Anodonta’s, Me- lania’s and of other inhabitants of fresh water lakes and streams; they are found on top of the highest ridges of Lewistown heights and on Goat Island, and no doubt were left there when the level of Lake Erie was much higher than it now * It is a great pity that the means could not be procured to build the Erie and New York Railroad, the distance in a straight line is so short; and I am of opinion that the land and property holders of this city stand greatly in their own light by not having the enterprize carried into effect. A GEOLOGICAL HISTORY. 69 is, and that they were carried there by the stream of the river when it runs over the top of these bluffs, for it is to be supposed that at some remote period the heights of Queenstown and Lewistown were joined and that the falls were as low down the river as that place, which is about seven miles from its present site. 12th Fragments of Sandstone and Limestones. —(Plate 7, fig. 12.) Mr. James Hall (State Geologist) says in his report “‘ these fragments are thrown together in the greatest confusion, and bear conclusive evidence of the action of a power- ful current.” Poem Dp ae, t, an /Old Rod Sandstone 2 Shalewith Fish 3 conglomerate 4 Trap or Basate eee ty a ‘ iy 4 oy) Pee ge EXPLAWA TION Ff Plate @. Lhese Columns cori cspaniteaa i 77 Secon, Showing the diferent Rocks as they are Found at the Lwusiies sey “erase the figure and. litle COT TOSPLONLNG with the Aumber of Each Plate . ae COLUMN FROM THEN OLDMN of R HODH 182 COLUM. ee j HUDSON Ja the OCEAN " Reach §. andy DL ta. runbéive Lime Store ose = ES Serperdine. \- A Quartx Lock % Hornblenile Slate = Cress. COLUMN of VIAGARA Lig LN Fresh Waker Shells . Wi PE equal heghts on our /sland. F ne Corneferous pee COLUMN Ril unestore - eae ‘ eae OF Pe aie Perey ieee Se wai, Diluviam.\ Basalt or hy : Traje : A= == fe oef 2 Limestone. 48 Lae rll | Lealcose Stace. yy O7neiss. "gs 4 CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. LIST OF AGGREGATE OR COMPOUND MINERALS FOUND ON THE ISLAND OF NEW YORK IN PLACE. Granite, Gneiss, Mica Slate, Hornblende Slate, Sienite, Primitive Limestone, Serpentine, Quartz Rock. LIST OF SIMPLE MINERALS FOUND IN PLACE ON NEW YORK ISLAND. Actinolite, 60th Street, Hudson River. Anthophyllite, é ss Talc, ce a ‘* in Gneiss, Bellevue. Serpentine, (Black,) 58th to 60th Street. Carbonate of Lime, a vein in Serpentine, 58th Street. Quartz, in all the veins of Gneiss and Granite. “« (Fetid,) in veins of Primitive Limestone, Kingsbridge. «crystals in Granite, old Glass House Point. ae of a Bellevue. Feldspar, in many veins in Granite and Gneiss. “ fetid in veins of Primitive Limestone, Kingsbridge. ** Adularia in veins of Gneiss, Bellevue. Mica, in Granite and Gneiss, “ Green, (Dr. Torrey.) “prismatic, in Granite, Bellevue. Hornblende Slate, (Spuytenduyvel Creek.) (2 CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. Hornblende Slate, Manhattanville. a in Gneiss, Harlem Railroad. Tourmaline Black in Granite, McGowan’s Pass. ss &¢ Gneiss, Fort Washington. se e Fetid Feldspar, Kingsbridge. 23 Brown or Brown Schorl in Primitive Limestone, Kingsbridge. Cyanite, discovered by F. S. Cozzens near the Deaf and Dumb Institute. Tremolite, Kingsbridge. White Augite, “ Titanium, crystals of, Kingsbridge. Copper, pyrites Ss Iron, 3 as 3: ce of in Gneiss, Hellgate Ferry. Sulphate of Iron, Hellgate. dg ‘“« in the water of a well twenty-five feet below the surface, 8th Avenue near 28th Street. Sulphuric Acid, an excess in Sulphate of Iron, Hellgate. Epidote, New York and Harlem Railroad. Stilbite, Red, rs ée Bog Iron Ore, in many places in the low grounds between 8th Avenue on the west, and the old Kingsbridge road on the east, and between 6th Street on the south and 32nd Street on the north. Garnets, coarse, in abundance in the Gneiss, Hopper’s Point, Hudson River. Garnets, small, in many places and at 32nd Street. Apatite, or Asparagus Stone, (Dr. Torrey.) Sulphuret of Molybdena, in Gneiss, R. R. Croton Water Works. Phosphate of Lime, in crystals, Baron Lederer’s Collection. CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. 73 LIST OF MINERALS FOUND ON THE ISLAND OF NEW YORK IN BOULDERS, AGGREGATE COMPOUND. Granite, many varieties. Gneiss, és €s Mica Slate. Hornblende. Primitive Limestone, the same as that of Kingsbridge. Serpentine, with all the varieties of Hoboken. Ce Black, cs ‘e the Island. Sandstone, all the varieties of New Jersey. Trap Basalt, and Greenstone all the varieties of the Pali- sades. Delthyris Shale, containing fossils. Transition Limestone, same as that of Stoney Point (without fossils.) Limestone, apparently the same as that which now is found above the Highlands ; containing fossil shells, corals, &c., &c. Argillaceous Slate, the same as at Newburgh, Orange County, New York. North River Slate, the same as that of Coeymans, New York. Hudson River Slate, with veins of Quartz, the same as is found at Poughkeepsie. Graywacke or Grit, the same as that from Kingston on the Hudson, which is used for flaggings in New York city. Talcose Slate, same as at Peekskill and Stoney Point. Basanite, (a kind of Lydian stone.) Anthophylite, from the Serpentine locality of 60th Street, 10 74 CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. LIST OF SIMPLE MINERALS FOUND 1N THE DILUVIUM, AND OUT OF PLACE ON NEW YORK ISLAND. Actinolite, Corlaer’s Hook. f 8th Avenue. Adularia, Corlaer’s Hook. A mineral called Cleavelaudite in boulders of Trap, Corlaer’s Hook and near 40th Street, North River. Amianthus, in Serpentine boulders, Amity Street. Mountain Cork, a es Amyzgdaloid, Corlaer’s Hook. Ligniform Asbestos, “ ks Green Carbonate of Copper, in coarse Jasper, Gorlaer’s Hook. Sulphuret of Copper, in coarse Jasper, Corlaer’s Hook. Cholorite Slate, (green,) “ & Epidote, ‘ & Garnets, (Red) in Granite, “ « « (Brown) ce « Micaceous Plumbago, e “ Hornstone, « “ Jasper, coarse Red, “ & Kaolin or decayed Feldspar, old road three mile stone. Oxide of Manganese, associated with Bog Iron Ore, 5th Avenue. Roe Stone, a small round mass found by F. 8. Cozzens, Corlaer’s Hook. Quartz, ferruginous, greasy, irised, milky, yellow, brown, red, &c., &c., and boulders all over the Island. Steatite, or Soap Stone in boulders, 40th Street. Talc and Asbestos, in a boulder of Serpentine, (Mathews.) Crichtonite, in Smoky Quartz, found by (W. H. Pease.) CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. 79 A boulder of ‘ Verd Antique,” near 24th Street and Union Square. Selenite, in crystals in a Gneiss boulder, Harlem Common. ge a se oC Corlaer’s Hook. FOSSILS FOUND ON THE ISLAND OF NEW YORK. Delthyris, Orthis, Atrypa and other fossils found in Delthyris Shale. In some of these boulders all the Carbonate of Lime has gone, leaving the impressions of the shells in a porous Sandstone. Madreporites, Cyathophyllum, &c., &c., were found by Dr. Alex. Anderson at Corlaer’s Hook. The late M. Paff had in his possession a large boulder from Corlaer’s Hook, which con- tained Coral and other fossil, which made when polished beautiful specimens. The cellular part of a large bone, probably of the Mastodon, was — found in digging the cellar of J. M. Bradhurst’s house, about ten feet below the present surface, in Broadway near Franklin Street. CATALOGUE OF MINERALS FOUND IN SECTION OF THE PALISADES, PLATE II. In the Serpentine of Hoboken, are found Marmolite, Nemalite, Gurhofite, Conglomerate of pebbles, with a calcareous cement, Pulverulent Carbonate Magnesia, Chromate of Iron, Oxide of Iron, Native or Hydrate of Magnesia. In the Trap or Greenstone, Calcareous Spar, Iron Pyrites, Pyritous Copper, Carbonate of Lime in veins, Stibbite, Preh- nite, Datholite, Thomsonite, Mesotype, Iridescent Datholite, Rhombic crystals of Carbonate Lime, with faces resembling 76 CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. Lenticular spar, Laumonite, a dyke of Green Trap. Iron Pyrites of a silvery hue, and Copper Pyrites of a golden hue, a mineral called Cleavelandite. In the Sandstone, at Block House Point, Hudson River, Kaolin. —At Schuyler’s Mine Calc. Spar, Pyritous Copper, Blue and Green Carbonate of Copper, Micaceous Oxide of Iron, &c. LIST OF MINERALS FOUND IN SECTION, PLATE III. This cross section contains many of the minerals before «men- tioned in the Palisades and New York Island, the minerals peculiar to Long Island are round white Quartz pebbles, Limpid Quartz pebbles, Quartz pebbles coloured yellow with Oxide of Iron ; some few handsome Agates, Chalcedony and Jasper pebbles have been found associated with the Quartz pebbles. A large bed of fine Potter’s Clay is at Lloyd’s neck, (Clarkson Crolius.) Eagle Stone or nodular argillaceous Oxide of Iron, at Wil- liamsburgh. LIST OF MINERALS IN SECTION, PLATE IV. In the Serpentine of Staten Island are found Quartz, gray, radiated with surface terminations. i blacks as a ss oreens - + re «¢ smoky small detached crystals. Pulverulent Carbonate of Magnesia, Silvery Talc, Earthy Talc, Bronze crystals of Marmolite, Amianthus, Asbestos, Hematite, (brown,) many varieties, Chromate of Iron, Magnesite, Pea Tron Ore. CATALOGUE OF MINERALS. TA. Fossils in the Diluvium, in a boulder Delthyris, Atrypa, &c. In the Trap, south of New Brighton is found Laumonite. LIST OF MINERALS IN SECTION, PLATE V. The minerals of Donderberg are the same as are in most Prim- itive Mountains with the exception that in the Transition Limestone there is a light olive green Talc. LIST OF MINERALS IN SECTION, PLATE VI. On the Island of Rhode Island besides the minerals mentioned are Black Serpentine, Tale in Talcose Slate, at Fort Adams, small veins of Carbonate Iron, a peculiar kind of Staurotide in Argillaceous Graywacke, Asbestos, &c., in the Anthracite is Graphite, &c., &c. SECTION OF NIAGARA FALLS, PLATE VII. Geodiferous Lime Rock, Swinestone, Calc. Spar, Snow white Gypsum, Selenite, Anhydrous Gypsum, Yellow Blende, Ga- lena, Dog-tooth Spar, Bitter Spar, Lenticular Spar, Sulphate of Strontian, Iron Pyrites. GEOLOGICAL TABLES. EXPLANATIONS OF THE ABBREVIATIONS IN THE TABULAR COLUMNS. AUTHORS. B. Professor Buckland. F. Professor Featherstonhaugh. C. « Conrad. L. 6: Lyell. Br. British Isles. Con. Connecticut. Eng. England. Eu. Europe. re eynanice: F. W. Fresh Water. Ger. Germany. Ire. Ireland. Ky. Kentucky. Mam. Mammalia. Penn. Pennsylvania. Mass. Massachusetts. Rep. Reptiles. Mar. Marine. R. 1. Rhode Island. Me. Maine. St. I. Staten Island. N. Am. North America. Scot. Scotland. N. Eng. New England. S.Am. South America. N.H. New Hampshire. | Ten. Tennessee. N.J. New Jersey. Vt. Vermont. L. C. Lower Canada. | Be Ohio. EXPLANATION OF THE TABULAR COLUMN. Pages 81, 83, 85 & 87. The next first four pages of Table I, form one column and is in an as- cending series, beginning at the bottom of page 87, No. 1, Granite, (which was considered the lowest rock, by the older Geologists,) then going up the series and back to page 81 to the Diluvium, No. 53, which represents the top, the four pages taking in all the series and formations ; but it will be seen on page 85 there are numbers from la to 7a which is an innova- tion, I was forced to make to bring in the Silurian Rocks, for until lately these rocks were called Transition Limestone and Graywacke, (which are represented by 19 and 20, page 85,) and they were not divided into sections until Mr. Murchison undertook the task. 81 A Geological Column of Rocks, compiled from Professor Buckland and G. W. Featherstonhaugh. RI nme No. Mastodon, ( ¢ RPP PPP IID LPP PPP PPP PAP |oecbG --—Fresh Water.——————-—— Cretaceous. —-———-—, ——_——_-— Tertiary, ON On oo | =| sl [ele] &| sl sl el si OO =) Organic Relics. is Le) TABLE I. NAMES OF SERIES. jell ee Material. Thickness. Locality. Depth in Feet. " oon z pyle of ne ee Megathe 1 »grav., bould. Over th Mecalonervand Diluvium. ee, Syn oat ehalot the earth . other mam. works of man. - imMPE Wisco Tur a oo Ban F. W. Shells Upper Fresh Clay,Sand. | Auvergne in 122 B. Larve of phryga- Water France. 60 F nae. 0 e Pica a) Van Theis AT England, D Marine shes. [Upper Ma- Clay, Sand, New York. 36 B. 7 ypsum. Canada. rine. nes Ame ee GO EE Land and Fresh Lower Fresh Clay, Sand, England. 63 B. Water Shells. Water Gypsum. 170 F. Mam. Rep. Fish, London Clay. England 550 B. Shells andWood. Clay. 110 F. Marine andFresh Plastic Clay. Pipe Clay. England. 1131 B. Fish, Shells, | Eh itis OE Upper Ea B. Echini, Chalk White Chalk Europe. Lower 300 . Zoophytes. G with flints. 700 F. at Te ee DT Kn ‘Chalk Marl. Chalk with clay.| England. 100 F SAMS Hie TUS HON UU ae ass a NN ea He Te: Echini, se Upper Green Clay and Sand. |England. 150 B Zoophytes. Sand. Gault. iEish, Shells, /LowerGreen Tralee 150 L foe Sand. New Jersey. |Rep. Fish, Crus- ~ |Clay and dirt Tate oe land FW. Shells, Weald Clay. Gemma nin England. 300 Ls. Plants & Wood. tants Nee et a Hastings or aera! 500 B. fron Sand. ew Jersey 1200 Lk Purbeck Clay. England. 400 B Limestone. 83 Continuation of Column No. 1. TABLE I. INo.| lGeeinic Re Renee NAMES 0 OF SERIES 1 aie, al Dontin. . Denn Fook 39 Saurians. Fish. © \Porland Lime. England. 200 B ; | 2 Ammonites. ‘Oolite oe $ — ais inciniact see WASTE EAN aly ° 38 Nautilli Corals, Kimmeridge Clay. England. 600 B g | 3 Apiocrinites. * Clay. ° ‘5 SOS SET eT er a | 37st. (Oclite. Ns et) OB Se eymaner co (ous Si, ey PSOne | 36 Jeopterous I> Coral Rag, |bime and Sand. Jengiana. iP B. 2 | e 4 | — ee | ae ee 30 Scales of Fish. |Q)yford Clay. Clay. England. 900 B. | a ere mame iar ee b O4 ‘Cornbrash. Sandy Lime. England. 10 B. | 2 5, | | —-— ° 33 Forest Mar-|ime. England. 60 B. ce __/ble. =n Neal as | 32 Cae Clay. England. 400 B. : | 31 Great Oolite.|Line Shuglenct 140 B. | = is a | 30 Earth s ‘Clay. Bneland! 140 BR. 3 29 infer 10r ‘Lime. England. ; Oolite. ‘Sand. ‘D8 reptiles, Fi h, i Cl d Lime- |England, | Sleeps rey |Lias. Co eet ae ieee B. (—|—__—_f-— sree a gland, 7 Sypee eceaee 1000 B. i redsandstone @7°s"™ Sa a a 26 Magnesian England, 300 B RD: a Germany. 2 {3 Limestone. 3 wee BLL EEO Kil i Lie an SW — | ei = OOO VGAs ICs a= —-—— ——Transition. ——-————._» ————_——-—- Silurian. | Sl O — >| sl silpls | S =) [es eb ~ aD | at = rot) 85 Continuation of Column TABU) I Organic Relics. ra oO. | | | Plants. * ) ww Shells. Zoophytes. Fish. Trilobites, Graptolites, Shells & Corals Fucoides and other Marine plants. Trilobites, Marine Shells. Sandstone. Lingula Ovata. Vermiform fos- sils resembling Annellides. Lowest organic relics. All the rocks be- lowthis inclusive are Crystaline. NAMES OF SERIES. Exeter Con- glomerate. Coal Mea- sures. Millstone Grit & shale. Carb’iferous: Limestone. OldredSand- stone. Black slate or Black shale. Corniferous. Limestone. Upper Fucoidal Sandstone. Seas Limestone. Lower Fucoidal Sandstone. Mohawk Limestone. Potsdam _ Sandstone. Graywacke. Transition Limestone. Alum Slate.. |Whetstone | Slate. Flinty Slate. Material. Anthracite and Bituminous coal. Hornstone. Lime. Lime, Clay, &c. Sand and Oxide of Iron. Lime. Sand and Lime. Grits and Con- glomerate. Lime and Talc. Pyrites and Na- tive Alum. No 1. on Thickness. Tocalioy. pews in Feet. England, France, Germany. | Europe, North America. Europe, North America. Europe, ; North America. Eng., Scot., N. York, N. Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut. New York. New York. Ohio, Kentucky, Tennesse. New York, Tennesse. New York, | a a Se en | a ee New York. New York, Tennesse. New York. Eng., Germany, Massachusetts, R.1., N. York, New Jersey. England. Stony Point, New York. British Isles. Ireland. 100 F. Tees ease em g = ———, —Magnesian Prim.— —Primitive.— —Trappean.— —Magnesia Primitive.— = 87 Continuation of Column No 1. TABLE I. No. |Organic Remains| NAMES OF SERIES. faelololSslelslelsl ~lolewetlatala | | Diallage. Serpentine. Green Stone ples, Green Stone Minerals. Silex and Mag- nesia colored by Tron and Chrome Silex and Mag- nesia with Lime. Hornblende. Feldspar.Quartz. Hornblende and Feldspar. Localities. New England, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. New York Island Staten Island. Scotland, Treland, N. Y., Conn., New Jersey. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Quartz rock. \Clay Slate. Chlorite Slate. Talcose | Slate. Steachist. Hornblende. Slate. ~|Hornblende Primitive Limestone. Mica Slate Gneiss. Granite. e Quartz in Grain with Mica. Silex Magnesia and Alumine. British Isles, N. America, S. America. Cornwall, Eng- land. New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania. Argellite with alc. Soapstone. Hornblende. Hornblende and Quartz. Marble and Do- lomite. Mica and Quartz Mica, Quartz and Feldspar. Mica, Quartz, Feldspar. New York, Rhode Island, Virginia. "| Wales, Vermont. New Hampshire. New York. New York Island ~~ |New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania. New York, New England. Europe, — N. America. S, America. Europe, _ N. America, S. America. Thickness. — { Depth in Feet. } 150 F. 160 F. 450 F. : | . 1150 F. 150 F. 200 F. 300 F. 400 F, Depth unknown. EXPLANATION OF TABLE II. Pages) 89,91, 93 & 95: This table is in a descending order. The recent (No. 1) which I have added, is the uppermost and is of course placed at the top of the table— this is called by some Alluvium. Mr. Lyell makes only two divisions in the older or Primitive Rocks, the stratified and the unstratified, but Granite is considered the lowest, see page 95. 89 A Geological Column of Rocks, after the manner of Mr. C. Lyell; with additions and remarks. TABLE II. ; 4 ; 1 Recent. Man and his cotemporaneous animalsand plants.) 1: Hoboken Meadows. Psammobia fusca.—Ostrea borealis. } ; 2. Gowannus_ “ ‘ 3. Rockaway Beach. ; oe a a i | . . . Q This Newer Pliocene is the recent of Mr. Lyell | ; + |e 2 Newer Pliocene. and contains fossil shells, &c., with relics of} | the works of man. So | Ve ee ee Eee EEE | $ ae : Quartzose Sand and Shells, Fusus, Murex, } ‘ as 3 3 Older Pliocene. Cyprza, Nassa, Astarte. Voluta Magellanica. mild 1. Red Crag. ‘els 2. Coralline Crag. i |s Ss Smirk Ue — 1 (15 j Land and fresh water shells—cylindrical cases ie ale Miocene. of the Larve of Phryganea, coated with sin minute shells—at Auvergne, France, and Italy. This series is wanting in England. | 1 me ee So = 5 Contains bones of Mammalia, Turtles, remains | pata a ) Eocene. of Sword and Saw Fish, marine and fresh i 1. London Clay. water shells. i 5 5 a $ ) 6 | Thi k as Chalk, i tk the W t- | . his rock as Chalk, is not known on the West- } aU SU Chalk. ern Continent - but is abundant in Kurope, ; § 1. White soft chalk with flints. particularly in England, and is characterized ; § c | 2. White hard chalk with few or} by the remains of Zoophytes, Shells, Shark’s } i les | no flints. Teeth, palates of other Fish, Echini, &e., } ; 2 | 3. Chalk Marl. &c. } i 1 (>) | 7 Caen Duara Gap Maran \ hs. pAT han rea CUNY AGAR TTS Yecnlicy {A} | / Ges There isin New Jersey at Mount Mitchill (e 3 ig Gr cen Sand. Neversink Hills, end running southinto the {Ss} o 1. Upper Green Sand. State of Virginia, a bed underlaying a ferru- ‘2 5 2. Gault or Blue Marl. gineous sand called Marl, which appears to ‘Z 3. Lower Green Sand. be by its organic remains an equivalent to ; i | 4. Iron Sand. the Green Sand of Europe—it contains ver- } O]:| 5. with occasional Limestone. tebre of the Whale, Shark’s Teeth, Coprol- } el | ites, Teeth of Monitors, and many fossil } ee shells, &c. ; ee EE ee ee a4 4 = i8 W This contains what is called the Dirt Beds, and } tile ealden. is remarkable for its fresh water and land ; } S 1. Weald Clay. fossils, its forests of stumps and trunks of } $ se] 2. Hasting’s Sand. trees—it contains the remains of Mammalia, ! Sau. |Mea 3. Purbeck Beds. Birds, Reptiles, Fish and Fresh Water Crus- } fed | tacea, (Cypris.) ; re ot Continuation of Column No. 2. TABLE II. AAR APLAR ALANA Aiea STO DARY. 9 10 Oolitic Group. 11 12 13 ) G. | NewRedSandstoneGroup | = | Upper Oolite. 1. Portland Stone. 2. Kimmeridge Clay. ——S ee Middle Oolite. 1. Coral Rag. 2. Qxford Clay. Lower Oolite. . Cornbrash. . Forest Marble. . Great Oolite. . Fuller’s Earth. . Inferior Oolite. eS Lias. 1. Blue Lias. 2. Striped ‘‘ 3. White ‘ Up. Red Sandstone. 1. Keuper Sandstone. 2. Muschel-kalk Limestone. 3. Bunter Sandstein. Low. Red Sandstone. 1. Magnesian Lime Stone. Coal Measures. 1. Coal. 2. Milistone Grit. 3. Mountain or Carboniferous Limestone. Old Red Sandstone. 1. Quartzose Conglomerate. 2. Cornstone and Marl. 3. Tilestone. | O. R. S. G.* | Carboniferous This group contains eleven or more series of § strata, and is characterized by its Ammonites >} some of which are said to be as large asa coach-wheel, while others are of the size of a sixpence ; it does not cover a large. area, but has many fossils, such as Reptilia, (some of which have been found eighteen or more feet in length, Icthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Amblyrhynchus, &c.) Bones of many kinds of Fish, as the Chimeera, Insects, Zoophytes, Radiata, Conchifera, Mollusca. This section does not differ much from the rest of the Oolite, but in not containing the Oolite mineral called Roestone, and being the low- est of the group. i The fossils in this group consist of Swamp plants, Ammonites, Shells of the Posidono- mya, Productus and Spirifer, Fish of the Genus Paleoniscus of Agassiz, Crinoidea or Stone Lillies, &c., &c., with large foot marks supposed to be of a gigantic Batrachian. —— ee This is characterized by its numerous species } of Swamp Plants, such as Ferns, Sagillariz, } Calamites,Lepidodendron, &c., which appear to have grownin a warmer climate than the coal is now found in—there are also found a few fresh water and marine shells, teeth of fish of the Sauroid family of Agassiz. | | This rock is characterized by several species of cartilaginous fish with bony coverings, somewhat like the genus Loricaria of Lin, it contains also shells, &c. * Old Red Sandstone Group. 9 0 Continuation of Column No. 2. TABLE II. laa] Upper Siliren: 1. Upper Ludlow, 2. Aymestry Limestone, (argillaceous limestone.) concretions of Limestone. PRIMARY FOSSILIFEROUS ROCKS, 1. Wenlock Limestone, (concretionary limestone.) 2. Wenlock Shale. (argillaceous shale.) | LlandeloForm. |Caradoc Formation. | Wenlock Forma. | Ludlow Formation. 2 /18)Lower Silurian. Shelly Limestone. 2. Sandstone thickly bedded. 3. White Freestone. 19 Llandelo Flags. z 2 | .|20|Volcanic Rocks. ‘oD These are termed unconformable sees} rocks and consist of : a} * 1. Volcanic Ashes and Scoria. sett | DA bint = 3. Pumice Stone. je | * 4. Lava. io) 5. Trap and Greenstone. ‘fay 6. Basalt and Dykes. ‘7 | § 7. Sienite. {fe | 8. Trachyte. wD 9. Porphyry. Al Wie 10, Amygdaloid. t § (micaceous gray sandstone.) 3. Lower Ludlow Shale with 1. Caradoc Sandstone, Flags and 1. Dark colored Calcareous Flags ? These rocks are what the older Geologists termed Transition and Graywacke, they con- tain numerous marine fossil shells, plants, Zoophytes, and Crustacea, (Trilobites,) but i no remains of the higher order of animals have as yet been found. The Lingula Ovata i of Conrad appears to be the oldest fossil known. These rocks have many varieties of form and } are generally vertical, (the Palisades of the Hudson River is one example,) they contain many minerais imbedded. Being thrown up by volcanic action they are found in all situ- ations, sometimes above and sometimes be- low any of the others. | . LLL LLL LOO OOOO 95 Continuation of Column Now 2: TABLE II. On ‘ ’ ‘ _ > ‘Stratified Primitive Rocks next above the oldest ed base 21 Metamorphic Rocks. and containing the same veins and minerals 215 1. Argellite. | as the oldest. io 2. Talcose Slate. | SIS 3. Chlorite “ | = Sienite, a }) Underlays Staten Island and part | of Long Island, at Hallet’s Cove, - Island ‘of New York, Highlands. | N. York, and in all the New Eng- J land States. EXPLANATION OF TABLE V. Pages 103, 105, 107, 109, & 111. On the five following pages I have given a synopsis of the Rocks of North America in a descending order, from 1 at top to 25 at the bottom. It will be seen that at the top I have noticed many of the antiques, &c., of © this continent, which I think should not be overlooked as they are inter- esting to the Geologist as well as to the Historian and Antiquarian. 103 A Geological Column of the Rocks, &c., of North America; showing their different formations and positions, with their Localities ; from the most recent and upper, to the lowest and most ancient ; with observations on the same, by Issachar Cozzens, Jr. TABLE V. | | Historic Age z Man and his cotemporaries, with his works of art and science. 1 | Mounds sae cat Containing human bones, fragments of rudely made pottery, utensils and ornaments worked from sea shells and native copper ; pieces of wood and char- coal, &c., &c.; found at Cincinnatti, by J. Dorfeu- ille. In Montgomery,Co., N. York, by Mr. Morris. At Constantia, L. Oneida, by myself. 2| Heaps of Oyster Shells, With stone axes, rude pottery, arrow-heads, &c., &c. High banks on the Islands of New York and Long Island, and at Communipaw, N. J. RP d formations of the present age. 3 | In Caves, Are found dried human bodies, covered with robes made of Turkey’s feathers and grass mats. Bones of the Megalonyx Jeffersonii. Virginia and Ken- tucky. 4 | Salt Marshes and Sea Beaches, Marine shells, Psammobia fusca, Ostrea borealis, &c., &c., at Hoboken, New Jersey Indian pipes. Sand, gravel and shells at Rockaway. | Ae ee 5, | Peat Swamps and Lacustrine Deposit. Bones of the Mastodon Giganteum, fresh water shells, Planorbis, Volvaria, Physa, and Infusoria at West Point, Orange Co., N. Y. 6 | Big-bone Lick. Bones of the Elephas Primogenias, Mastodon Gi- ganteum, Megalonyx Jeffersonii,—three species of d Q | ’ | Bos. Stone arrow-heads, &c., &c., Kentucky. s of the Aborigines an Antique (Megatherium Cuvieri, found at Skiddaway Is- land, Georgia.) > Coral Reefs. Conglomerate of shells and coral. Florida, Ba- i hama Banks, Bermudas. ‘|g | Diluvium. Boulders or Erratic blocks, sand, gravel, and the i wash of all mountains and highlands. Country east of the Alleghanies, Atlantic coast from Maine to Staten Island. —e ~ * Present Time. LOD Continuation of Column No. 5. TABLE V. a ae 9| Pleistocene of Conrad, ; ; ; This is 200 feet above the level of the sea. The Marine Shells, are Saxicava, Sanguinolaria, ; Modiola. } : In the Valley of Lake Champlain. Oo” Fifteen feet above the sea are the Ostrea, Virgin- ‘Le iana, Venus mercenaria, Pyrula carica, Anomia, ) $ ; \ ; 2 Astarte. In Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. 100 feet above the level of the sea are found Nucula Portlandica, Mactra, Mya. Bangor, Maine. 10) Post-Pliocene of Conrad, > as) Ss 12 feet above the sea, Gnathadon cuneatus. > Neuse Riv., N. Carolina, Potomac River, Maryland. aa ; Brees } 1/11! Miocene of Conrad, ey 100 feet above the level of the sea, 17 per cent. of } recent shells, the rest are ancient, but none of this 4 division are found in the Eocene below. } Eastern counties of N. Carolina, Virginia, Maryland... ee 5 OE cs Py oc ; |12) Eocene of Conrad, ; 200 feet, above the level of the sea. An equivalent ; to the “London and Parts Basins,’’no recent species. ? Clairbourne, Alabama; Natchez, Miss. ; Wishita ; River, La. ; Fort Washington, Piscataway and Up- ' per Marlborough, and in Maryland. yess } 113) Chalk. an | This rock is wanting in North America. There } is in the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, ; a gigantic shark’s tooth, (Carcharilas Megalodon,) a from Cuba, presented by Mr. —— » this may = belong to this series ? 5 “oO— es) } = 14 Green Sand or Jersey Marl. SO ; This series contains the teeth and bones of Sau- } rians, Sharks, &c., viz., Mososaurus, Geosaurus Mitchelit, Sphyrena, Lamna plicata, lanceolata, 4 Manteill, and acuneata. Shells: Gryphma, Exogyra, ; Terebratuia Sayil, Pecten quinque-costatus. Mt. Mitchill,Neversink Hilis,N. J. i— —_ S * * ~ re i '15| Wealden. } . | This series is not found in North America. cK rs » POOR S E PI SECON LON OSES) * Fresh Water. 107 Continuation of Column No, 5. TABLE. V. 16| Oolite. This rock has not as yet been found in North - America, but Mr. Lea has described some fossils from New Grenada in South America, as belong- ing to the series. The Oolite of Cumberland Mountains, described by Dr. Troost, I think is the same as the Roe Stone, which is very abundant in the upper part of Sussex County, New Jersey, and at Saratoga in the State of New York, and belongs to the rocks of the Si- lurian series. Mr. T. W. Storrow brought from Illinois, a specimen of Roe Stone which is very dif- ferent from those brought from the above-mention- ed localities. This may prove to be a true Oolite. — ~) Lias or Jura Formation. None in North America. — (e2) _AXsopus Millstone, (Potomac Marble, of Rogers.) This is a coarse conglomerate, with a calcareous cement ; it com- mences at Shawanjunk Mountains, New York State, running through Sussex Co. in New Jersey, and ending on the Potomac, where it is called ““Potomac Marble.” The nearest tocality to the City of New York is at Ramapo River, near Pompton, New Jersey. See plate 8. RPPIPPPIPIPP PPPOE aaa New Red Sandstone. 19 Upper Red Sandstone. This Sandstone is very abundant in the Western States, overlaying the Bituminous Coal. At Cumberland Mountains, Little Rock Castle Creek, Kentucky, and in many other places it con- tains fossil vegetables, such as Palms, Ferns, &c. | - Oolitic Rocks. - SR Is OS OI eee ——— << — EEE PLL PII Continuation 109 of Column No 5. TABLE V. 20) Coal Measures. RR A Carboniferous Group. 22) Old Red Sandstone. I EEE eee Old Red Sandstone. | 21| Carboniferous or Mountain Limestone. Ist. Bituminous Coal, abundant at Chesterfield, near Richmond in Virginia, (resting on Granite,) the upper layer of which contains fossil fish. The Shales of Middletown, Connecticut, and of Pompton and Boontown, N. Jersey, are the same, and contain the same fossil fish as the above. In the Ohio valley is the largest coal field in the world, this coal contains more Bitumen than com- mon. The shales which accompany it abound with impressions of plants, such as Sagillaria, Ca- lamites, and Lepidodendrons, &c., &c. At Pictou, in Nova Scotia, and at Newfoundland are also coal-fields. 2. Anthracite. The Black Anthracite Coal of Pennsylvania, is the largest bed of this variety of coal in the known world. The principal localities are Susquehanna, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Lacka- wanna. ? It is accompanied by shale with impressions of plants, and rests on Argeliite and roofing slate. 3. The Blue Anthracite of Portsmouth Rhode Island, is accompanied by Quartz and Asbestos and takes its color from Graphite or Plumbago. The shales are accompanied by the usual fossil] plants, and it rests upon Gray wacke and Talcose Slate. 4. The Worcester, Mass., Anthracite is nearly the same as the Rhode Island, but has a larger quantity of Graphite. The localities of this series are in the valley of the Ohio. On the road near the Mount Vernon Post Office, in Kentucky, are many fossil Polyparia, measuring from 12to 14 feet in diameter, and which project from the rock nearly one foot, the main rock having been worn from around them by time. West side of the Hudson River, underlying the Palisades and other parts of New Jersey. Underlying the Trap of East and West Rocks, New Haven, Connecticut. These localities contain no fossils, but at Bloss- burgh in Pennsylvania, is found the Holoptychus Nobillissimus. eee 111 Continuation of Column No. 5. TABLE V. é | 23) Silurian Rocks. l. Upper Silurian. This series contains more ; than four species of Trilobites, one Univalve, and some Radiata. 2. Middle Silurian, contains more than fifteen species of Trilobites, with Eurypterus remipes; ten species of Polyparia, one Fucoides, three Cri- noidea, more than seventeen Bivalves, and fourteen Univalves. 3. Lower Silurian, contains about nine Trilo- bites, three Fucoides, two Polyparia, one Radiata, é $ PARR P ALLA PD AAPA ARAL ALLA twelve Bivalves, five Univalves. This series is found west of the Alleghanies, extending from Canada, through New York, Pennsylvama, and Ohio to Kentucky ; further to the southwest it has not yet been mentioned. Primary Fossiliferous Rocks, 24, Volcanic Rocks. The principal localities are the Palisades, west side of the Hudson River, New Jersey ; Passaic Falls, Patterson, New Jersey ; East and West Rocks, New Haven, Connecticut ; The Subterra- nean Wall, North Carolina. | Uncontormable. 25) Metamorphic Rocks. Eastern States. One ridge of the Alleghanies from New Hampshire to Alabama. Old Primary. Plutonic Rocks. Localities same as the Metamorphic Rocks. RA aaa ene LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Major Joseph Delafield, ‘John Leconte, Dr. John C. Jay, Oliver W. Gibbs, S. B. Buckley, Geo. A. Farley, Chas. M. Wheatley, A. R. Thompson, Prof. J. Augustine Smith, Wm. Cooper, H. W. Field, Benj. H. Field, John H. Currie, Isaac Green, M. D. Stacy B. Collins, Samuel Thomson, John Campbell, Wm. Delafield, P. H. Reason, James R. Chilton, M. D. Prof. J. W. Bailey, F. S. Cozzens, Baron L. Lederer, (Austrian Consul,) Samuel Piggot, J. Edwards, Chas. Olmstead, James Hatfield, J. P. Giraud, Jr. B. W. Budd, M. D. Joseph Curtis, J. M. Bradhurst, He, We Field, Jr. C. A. Lee, M. D. F. B. Tower, Geo. F. H. Youngs, Peter A. Jay, Sylvanus Miller, John Jay, George Folsom, N. B. Wilbur, George Gibbs, Wm. Oland Bourne, James E. Dekay, M. D. Prof. J. Draper, John F. Greene, George Endicott, W. Partridge, Wm. B. Cozzens, 7. Be Cozzens, Prof. John Torrey, M. R. Zabriskie, 114 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. J. G. Bell, Wm. B. Cozzens, Jr. Dr. Samuel Akerly, Wm. Moak, Henry Schoolcraft, Thomas D. Moore, Mrs. L. D. Wright, Wm. 8. Tompkins, M. D. J. P. Bliveu, M. D. Stephen Wood, M. D. J. W. Francis, M. D. H. H. Schieffelin, Christopher Wolfe, Stewart Brown, Edward Backhouse, O. W. Morris, George C. Dekay, Wm. E. H. Wilmerding, Hiram Parker, Abraham M. Cozzens, J. W. Bradshawe, M. D. Lewis M. Rutherford, Wm. S. Sears, John J. Andubon, J. W. Andubon, Edgar S. Van Winkle, Charles E. Butler, Jonas Booth, Caroline Roe, Anson Willis, John J. R. Depuy, New York, Feb. 7, 1848. Edward Blunt, Dr. J. Smyth Rogers, — Martyn Paine, M. D. George N. Lawrence, Clarkson Crolius, Wm. Lohman, Wm. H. Pease, Henry W. Bonnel, Chester Driggs, S. Q. Hinsdale, John S. Green, John Haddan, John Keals, Wm. Jones, Abraham Hatfield, Henry Penney, Robert Leggett, J. H. Cook, J. R. Lecount, Samuel Griffith, Thomas Sewell, J. Tyson Klots, Lambert Suydam, Christopher Prisley, N. Norwich, A. A. Hunter, L. C. Beck, M. D., Lawrence Reid, Rev. John F. Schroeder, Flush- ing, L. Island. rea Pa Nie SMITHSONIAN INSTIT T Mh L HTN RARIES HM 7088 00223445 Ub g logical Niet chen or New