408 STRATIGRAPPIICAL GEOLOGY. 



GEOLOGY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY BETWEEN CLAREMONT 

 AND HINSDALE, INCLUDING THE COOS OUARTZITE ON THE EAST- 

 ERN BORDER OF THE MERRIMACK TOPOGRAPHICAL DISTRICT. 



BY J. H. HUNTINGTON. 



General Features. 



While in general the hills approach very near the river, there are 

 localities where broad meadows extend for a considerable distance on 

 either side. Usually, however, where an interval is found on one side 

 of the river, on the side opposite the hills are often abrupt and near the 

 river, but very frequently it is the case that the hills are very near on 

 both sides ; and thus we have the varying scenery that is the charm of 

 the Connecticut valley. 



Just below North Charlestown the quartzite hills approach the river 

 on both sides. Rattlesnake hill, with its nearly vertical quartzite, and 

 opposite in Springfield the same rock on Skitchawang mountain, forms 

 a high, precipitous bluff. East of the road south of Rattlesnake hill the 

 country rises quite abruptly into a high, plateau-like area, then descends 

 into the valley of Winter brook, but rises immediately on the east border 

 of Charlestown into Perry mountain. South of Beaver brook we have in 

 part a terrace plain, but this is broken by the quartzite ridge of Oak hill, 

 which is cut by Mill brook, and then rises again in the ridge directly east 

 of the village of Charlestown. To the south-east there is no marked 

 elevated area, except Sam's hill. Going east from the village there is a 

 gradual rise until the country reaches the general height of 1300 feet in 

 Acworth. In Vermont, west of Charlestown, the country is elevated and 

 broken. Between Charlestown village and South Charlestown the mead- 

 ows extend a considerable distance from the river; but the hills approach 

 the river again, and Kilburn peak rises abruptly opposite ]3ellows Falls. 



From l^cllows Falls to Brattlcboro' the valley is narrower than it is 

 either north or south ; and, since the sides of the valley are abrupt, the 

 terraces extend only a short distance from the river. South of Kilburn 

 peak the country rises from the river in broken, undulating ridges; those 

 on the east side increase in height southward until they culminate in 



