“1892. ] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. i9 
A REVIEW OF WORK HITHERTO DONE ON THE 
GEOLOGY OF THE ADIRONDACKS. 
- od. F. Kemp, 
Abstract. 
The paper was illustrated with{ specimens of rocks and min- 
erals and with a series of lantern slides, 
After a brief topographical description of the region, of its 
historical importance and economic resources, the subject 
proper was taken up. Reference was made to the small amount 
of geological work that had been done, upon it. Peter Kalm, 
who visited Crown Point in 1749, has left a few notes, and an 
occasional traveler in the later years of the last century has 
done the same. The iron enterprises in the early years of the 
present century brought the geological structure into promin- 
ence. Mr. A. E. Jessup contributed to the Journal of the 
Philadelphia Acad. of Sci., Mar. 19, 1822, a few pages on the 
“Geology of the Northeast Part of N. Y.’’ which were published 
in Vol. II. p.185. He speaks of the secondary and primary rocks 
of Lake Champlain and of the primitive trap at Willsborough, 
which was visited by Dr. Wm. Meade in 1810. 
The next paper of importance is that of W. C. Redfield, * 
who was one of a party interested in the magnetite mines at 
Lake Henderson. He describes their trip to the sources of the 
Hudson, and mentions labradorite rock, trap dikes and the 
great (so-called) dike at Avalanche Lake. In 1836 the bill was 
passed establishing the New York Survey, and in the spring of 
1837 the geological parties took the field. Ebenezer Emmons 
received the second district, which included the mountains. 
For the first year James Hall was his assistant. Emmons’ first 
annual report (1837) describes his reconnoissance of the east 
and west portions of the Adirondacks, and then the three 
sections that he made from east to west. One was at the lat- 
itude of Lake George, one at Cedar Point (Port Henry), and 
one on the north side. Up to Emmons’ visit Whiteface was 
thought to be the highest peak. It was called 2,600 ft., 
being supposed to be 1,200 lower than Round Top in the Cat- 
skills. Emmons made it 4,885, and was the first to discover 
that there were higher peaks to the south, affording thus a sig- 
nificant commentary on the little that was known of the region. 
His second annual report (1838) is chiefly filled with details of 
St. Lawrence and Essex counties. The latter is stated to contain 
* W. C. Redfield. Some account of two visits to the mountains of Essex. Co." 
N. Y. 1836-37. Amer. Jour, Sci. I., xxxiii, 301. 
