62 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 



THE SUB-CARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONE EXPOSURE AT GRAND 



RAPIDS, MICH. 



BY CHARLES A. WHITTEMORE, GRAND RAPIDS. 

 (Read before the Academy, Dec. 26, 1895.) 



My work as a member of the Kent Scientific Institute of Grand Rapids 

 has called for many excursions to our limestone quarries and I now offer 

 you a few notes from observations taken in the field and from what I 

 could gather from those whose interest or business led them to a 

 knowledge of the subject. Before entering upon the work I trust you 

 will allow me to say a few words about the society I have the honor to 

 represent. The Kent Scientific Institute was organized in January, 1868, 

 and was shortly after incorporated under the laws of the state "for the 

 study of the natural sciences and to maintain a natural history museum.'' 



It succeeded a society known as "The Grand Rapids Lyceum of Natural 

 History." 



Museum material rapidly flowed into the society both by donation and 

 purchase and in a short time there was a valuable collection on hand. 



The society was organized as an independent body, but an agreement 

 was soon entered upon with the board of education of the city whereby 

 the board furnished a place for the meetings, and room for the collect- 

 tions. In return the society allows the board to use the museum material 

 for instruction in natural history in the public schools. Therefore any 

 teacher in the city can send for what he may wish to illustrate his 

 science work. We have a collection of 700 mounted birds, 1,150 skins. 

 1,400 eggs, and nearly 10,000 species (30,000 specimens) of shells. There 

 are 165 bottles of alcoholic specimens, more than 0,000 minerals and 

 fossils, and 1,500 plants. Like most societies of this kind we are sadly 

 in need of means to properly display our collection. In the 28 years of 

 its existence the society has supported its meetings twice a month, and 

 has kept alive a spark of interest in natural history. The museum has 

 given pleasure and instruction to hundreds of scholars, and many a young 

 man can date from it his inspiration to a life of natural science. 



Although the general course of Grand river is to the west, opposite the 

 city it flows to the south. Just below the city it begins a large bend to 

 the west. In the river bed the rock comes nearly to the surface of the 

 water and in some places it is below low water level. Consequently there 

 is considerable current, whence our city gets its name, from the grand 

 rapids of Grand river. On each side of the river there are hills, making a 

 valley one and one-half miles wide. The highest point on the east side, 

 our city engineer who gives me these figures tells me, is 165 feet high; on 

 the west side of the river near the John Ball park, the hill is 148 feet above 

 low water mark, hence another name, The "Valley City" of the Wolverine 

 State. But we are not responsible for the latter part of the title. 



The rock makes its appearance in the river bed at a point about 100 

 feet above Pearl street bridge. That it is limestone needs no argu- 



