GEOLOGICAL POSITION OF NEWPORT CLIFF ROCKS. 313 



sandstone and shale farther southward, where the pitch must be at least 

 15° S. This southward pitch is again well seen along the northern margin 

 of the cove, west of Oclu-e Point, where, however, it is very low south. It 

 continues to be shown at the northwestern angle of the cove. 



The southward pitch of the folded series last described would certainly 

 carry it beneath the black coaly shale series exposed along the western 

 side of the cove almost as far south as Sheep Point. This series of coaly 

 shales and black carbonaceous sandstones contains abundant fern leaves. 

 It strikes approximately north-south and dips steeply westward, but near 

 its northern end it looks very much as though it overlies the green 

 coarse conglomerate series forming the north side of the cove. Arkose is 

 found in the northwestern angle of the cove. Its association with coalv 

 shale recalls similar exposures on Sachuest Neck. There may be faulting 

 here. 



When the very marked southward pitch of the cliff series of conglom- 

 erates is considered in connection with the marked southward pitch of the 

 Eastons Point anticline and the similar pitch of the rocks on Miantonomy 

 and Beacon hills, it seems as though the cliff conglomerates might repre- 

 sent a southern extension of the coarse conglomerates of the last-named 

 localities and a westward continuation of the Purgatory conglomerate. 

 The failure of the coarse conglomerate to crop out along the western hill 

 slopes of Newport and at points southeast of the Miantonomy exposures is, 

 however, difficult to explain if this be the structure. The conglomerate 

 layers in the sandstone east of Almys Pond are hardly satisfactory evidence 

 of the former continuity of the coarse conglomerates between Eastons 

 Point, the Newport Cliffs, and Miantonomy Hill. In any event the New- 

 port Cliffs would represent only the basal part of the coarse conglomerate 

 section. The Fort Greene and the Newport Cemetery coaly shales seem to 

 belong beneath the coarse conglomerate stratigraphically. 



Newport itself seems to be underlain by strata belonging to the Aquid- 

 neck series (see footnote on page 372). If this be true the Newport Cliffs 

 may represent a section formed by the sharp synclinal infolding of rocks 

 along' the trend of the cliffs. This synclinal structure was accompanied by 

 considerable subsidiary folding, and involved the lower part of the conglom- 

 erate series. A similar strong axis of folding seems to have been present 

 off the western side of Coddinsrton Point and Coasters Harbor Island. 



