HIGH-GRADE SILICA MATERIALS 13 



Lithologic character. The gray-white quartzite has the same 

 general habit and composition as the rock at Accord; the grains 

 are smaller, however, and in many cases traces of the original 

 rounded grains still exist. The same included matter is prominent, 

 and about the same quantity and distribution of minerals other than 

 quartz may be seen; crushing and granulation are also just as much 

 in evidence. The appearance of the rock in thin section is shown 

 in figure 9 ; by comparing with figure 8 it will be seen that the chief 

 difference between the rock at Accord and at Ellenville is in grain 

 size and not in quality. This difference is no doubt due to different 

 beds having been sampled. All the quartz grains show secondary 

 growth ; the rock from both localities has a fairly good interlocking 

 structure, and is fairly tough and hard. 



The Ellenville grayish white quartzite bed carries 98.32 per cent 

 SiO 2 (table i) ; the alumina (1.23 per cent) is confined to sericite, 

 and to kaolinitic and claylike patches, and the iron (0.20 per cent 

 Fe 2 O 3 ) is present chiefly as oxide, distributed between grains ; the 

 same holds true for the Accord rock. Washing the crushed rock 

 would undoubtedly improve its quality. 



Operating facilities and transportation. Both Accord and 

 Ellenville are on the Kingston branch of the New York, Ontario 

 and Western Railroad; the quarries now in operation, or which 

 have been operated in the past, are situated not more than 3 or 4 

 miles from the railroad. The mountain roads leading into the quar- 

 ries near Accord are poor; those in the vicinity of Ellenville are 

 better. The only problem connected with transportation is confined 

 to the' mountain roads, especially at Accord; the haul is down grade, 

 steep in some places; in the valley the roads are good, and as the 

 valley is very narrow, any quarries which might be subsequently 

 opened would not be far from the railroad, but at a greater or less 

 distance, of course, from a freight station. 



There is not, as a rule, a very heavy cover or overburden on the 

 Shawangunk, especially where the dip is steep, as at Ellenville; 

 the rock is variable, however, and considerable care would be neces- 

 sary in stripping undesirable beds in order to reach and quarry 

 the better layers, an operation which would cause much wastage. 



The rock seems to be better adapted for the manufacture of 

 silica refractories or ferro-silicon than for any other purpose; this 

 feature will be referred to in part 2. 



