228 Geological Reports of the State of New York. 



one of the districts, the designations of the rocks, their position, 

 connection, and organic remains, demand the language of one 

 mind. Hoping for a harmonious and splendid work, let us take 

 a brief review of the progress of the survey for the last year. 



As the general groups had already been announced, and are 

 considered correct, the additions have been made chiefly from 

 the filling up of the less observed parts of the state. 



1. Facts in respect to the salines at Onondaga lake. By bo- 

 ring at Syracuse to the depth of two hundred and sixty five feet, 

 one hundred feet deeper than any previous boring, brine of much 

 greater strength was obtained. Taking saturation at 100'^, the 

 old well yielded brine of ihe strength of 56°, on the scale; while 

 the new well gives the strength of 78°, a difference of nearly 

 forty per cent. The av6rage number of bushels produced in the 

 two preceding years, was 2,700,000 ; and this amount may now 

 be greatly increased. The importance of the salines to the state 

 and to the country, needs no remark, and the means of making 

 them more valuable are ably considered by Dr. Beck, pp. 18-23, 

 and by Prof. Vanuxem, pp. 141-5. 



2. The amount of hydraulic limestone in the western part of 

 the state, and of nearly the same excellent quality. It hes at 

 the base of the terrace of limestone, which is so prominent in 

 Erie County, and may be traced from Niagara River to Cayuga 

 Lake. It is attended every where " by numerous and copious 

 sulphur springs," or springs yielding sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 

 From Black Rock eastward, it occurs in many places; abounds 

 at Williamsville, where it is burned and ground for cement by 

 thousands of barrels. It occurs at Rochester also. The differ- 

 ence in the quality of the hydraulic lime is attributed more to the 

 burning than to the stone itself Many of the strata appear to 

 grow thinner in the western district, and some to disappear. See 

 Report, pp. 150-8, Hall. This terrace bounds on the south all 

 the beds of gypsum, p. 156. 



3. Discovery of abundance of primary limestone on the iorth 

 and the west shores of Lake Janet, is of great importance to that 

 part of the state. — Report, p. 126, Emmons. 



The " steel ore" of the Dnane bed is wrought at once into cut- 

 ting instrnmenis of fine quality. Prof. Emmons does not state 

 that the ore is steel, or that it is made into steel, but the fact that 

 good edge tools are formed of it. p. 134, 135. 



