BUILDING AND OUNAaMEWTAL STONES. 403 



tain a .sullicieiit pLMceiita^c of iiia,uiit'sia to uicrit the iiani'j iiiaj^iiesiaii 

 liiia-stoiR', tlioii.i;li scarcely eiioiiyli lo couslitutc a true doloiniLe. Many 

 ol'tlie rockis belonging' to this groiii) are marbles, au(iha\e already beeu 

 described. 



At (Jreenport, Colambia County, a stratum of Lower Silurian lime- 

 stone upward of GO or 70 leet in thickness is extensively worked for 

 ornamental and building- purposes. The quarry i>ropcr is said to cover 

 an area of 10 acres, and a face 30 feet liigh and half a mile in length has 

 been opened. The stone is of medium texture, scnii-cry stall ine, of a 

 water-blue or gray color. The quarries at Glens Falls, on both sides of 

 the Uudson liiver, furnish beside the black marble already referred to a 

 great amount of dark-colored limestone which is used for tiling, etc., as 

 well as burning into lime. At Willsborough and Crown Point, in Essex 

 County, there are also extensive quarries* of blue-black limestone of 

 good quality. In various towns in JMontgomery County a gray or blue- 

 gray semi-crystalline limestone, is worked for building- material. The 

 stone is said to be strong- and durable, though care need to be used in 

 its selection. At the Indian reservation in Onondaga County a gray, 

 c<»mi)act, semicrystalline limestone, said to possess great strength and 

 durability, was formerly extensixely (juarried, but the work has of late 

 fallen oif somewhat, owing to lack of trans[)ortation facilities. A gray, 

 crinoidal stone that takes a fair polish is also found at Onondaga, in 

 the same county. 



At Lockport, in Niagara County, a fossil-bearing calcareous dolomite 

 has been (piarried for many years for general purposes of construction in 

 New York and liochester. The stone does not take a good surface and 

 consequently does not polish readily, but some portions make quite 

 showy mantels, owing to the presence of red crinoidal remains. Accord- 

 ing to Professor Julien * this stone as used in New York City has not 

 proved durable. The fault, however, he regards in part to the manner 

 in which the stone is used, about 40 percent, of the blocks being set on 

 edge. 



North Carolina. — Limestones and dolomites of good quality for build- 

 ing purposes occur in abundance in this State, but are not extensively 

 quarried for lack of a market or transportation facilities. Near New 

 IJerne, Craven County, there occurs a very coarse cellular shell stone 

 of Eocene age that has been used lor underpinnings and fences, but it 

 is said not to weather well. Material of the same nature, but much finer 

 in lextuie and more com[)act, occurs at Itocky Point, in Pender County, 

 and wliicli has been used in the construction of breakwaters and other 

 harbor improvements at Wilmington, in this State. A coarse, dull red 

 dolomiteoceurs at Warm Springs, in Madison County, and also light blue- 

 gray varieties, but neither are worked, as there is little demand for the 

 material. 



* Kcport of Tcuth Census, Vol. x, ^i. ^GD. 



