294 GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 



Catskill group. This group has an extensive range in the county, covering a large area of 

 the high ground between the Unadilla and the Chenango, and between the Chenango and the 

 Genegansettc rivers, and extending in places to the west of the latter. It affords better build- 

 ing materials than the lower rocks of the southern counties, especially the grindstone variety, 

 which occurs to the west of the Chenango river. This latter rock is abundant in the towns 

 of Preston, Macdonough and PharsaUa. It is easily wrought, is of a good lively color, and 

 is the handsomest building material of the whole of the southern counties. 



12. Broome County. 



The characteristic features of the county are, first, the broad valleys, and deep ones too in 

 some places, through which the Susquehannah, the Chenango, Tioghnioga, and other rivers 

 flow ; and secondly, the high elevations to the south of the Susquehannah, and to the east of 

 the Chenango, which cover the greater part of the towns of Colesville, Windsor and Sanford, 

 in which the Cookquago, the Oquaga and the Randolph mountains so called are situated. 

 The west side of the Chenango river, extending up to Cortland county, is much less elevated, 

 owing to the absence there of the upper group which covers the higher parts of the county. 

 The whole of the valleys are valleys of excavation, their breadth and depth showing the 

 greatness of the action of water. 



No other rocks have been recognized in the county, but those which belong to the Chemung 

 and Catskill groups, with one local exception. The former occupy the whole of the county 

 to the west of Chenango river and Chenango county, and north of the Susquehannah. It 

 borders also the latter river on the south side, keeping at a distance of a mile or more from 

 the river, as the high hills of which it forms the base advance or recede from it ; from thence 

 it extends into Pennsylvania. In like manner, on the return of the river into the county at 

 the Great bend, it skirts both sides in its passage, so to speak, into Chenango county. It 

 also covers a part of the county to the east of Chenango river, disappearing under the Catskill 

 group of the higher elevation. 



Numerous quarries have been opened in the group, especially near Chenango river, for the 

 purpose of procuring stone for the canal ; among which is Smith's quarry, on the hill not far 

 from Port Crane, which illustrates the variableness of the mineral nature of the group ; 

 showing a mass of hard sandstone, which extends for forty or more feet with considerable 

 regularity, and then terminates in the shale ; the same kind of slaty shale which occurs above 

 and below it, taking its place. 



Near Binghamton, the quarries are more numerous ; and a few are more extensively worked, 

 such as Brown's, about two miles above the village, on the west side of the Chenango, and 

 near the top of the hill. 



There are several openings in the hill-side at Port Crane, not far from the level of the canal ; 

 where some of the same fossils which exist at the quarries near Norwich, and near the 



