HIGH-GRADE' SILICA MATERIALS 15 



grains with trains of inclusions terminating at original grain 

 margins, the clear secondary growth of quartz in parallel orienta- 

 tion, the size of the grains and the character of their interlocking, 

 are all very well illustrated. 



Operating facilities and transportation. The Utica division of 

 the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad offers excellent 

 transportation facilities; this line runs not more than one-fourth 

 of a mile distant from the outcropping ledge. The station, at 

 Oriskany Falls, is about I mile from the outcrop. 



The roads are good, no serious grades are involved, and the 

 motor or wagon haul is short; the ledge is not more than 500 or 600 

 feet from, and at a slightly greater elevation than, the highway. 

 There seem to be no difficulties attached to the question of 

 transportation. 



The formation is essentially horizontal, not particularly heavily 

 covered, although in places the drift is very thick, and not difficult 

 to quarry. 



The situation appears to be very favorable for successful opera- 

 tion. The rock crushes readily, breaking down into a granular 

 " sand " which could be washed without difficulty and improved 

 thereby in quality. It is probably the best glass rock of the series, 

 but not so well adapted for other purposes as some of the quartzites 

 described. 



THE POTSDAM SANDSTONE (CAMBRIAN) 



General description. This formation forms a part of the Paleo- 

 zoic fringe around the Adirondack massif ; occasional outliers occur 

 in the Mohawk valley, and it may likewise be found in isolated fault 

 blocks at the edge of the Adirondacks in various places. It is 

 variable in quality and character, ranging from a compact, hard 

 quartzite, to a thinly and evenly bedded porous sandstone. In a 

 number of localities the Potsdam is a distinctly white, saccharoidal, 

 more or less friable, fairly pure, quartz sandrock, and it is this 

 type that offers material which may possibly be of sufficiently high 

 grade for use. This phase of the Potsdam occurs in the town of 

 Mooers, Clinton county; in Franklin county, 4 or 5 miles southwest 

 of M alone, and in the towns of Moira (almost on the township 

 line between Moira and East Dickinson, .well exposed in a brook 

 running into the west branch of the Little Salmon river), Bangor, 

 West Bangor village, and on the Thomas farm about 3 miles 

 southeast of Bangor. 



