10 
with the ground on either side, but when 
earth, to a depth of about Io feet, was 
dumped upon it in order to obtain the 
new grade, the fill sank and banks cn 
each side rose to the new level of the 
roadway, exposing a rank black vegetable 
matter resembling peat. In the rising, 
large trees were lifted and in several cases 
the roots of these trees were wrenched 
from the sod in which they were imbeded 
and are now inclining at a critical angle 
where the least disturbance will meau 
their downfall. 
Under the old roadbed, about 200 feet 
from Fingerboard road and about one font 
below the surface, was a sectiou of a 12 
inch culvert pipe, but since filling in, this 
pipe is seven feet in the air. 
No exact statement of the amount of 
earth required can be given; the actual 
fill, if no settling took place, would take 
about 10,700 cubic yards and in making 
up the estimate, 15,000 cubic yards more 
were allowed, making a total of 25,700 
cubic yards. About 7,000 cubic yards 
have already been dumped and the fill 1s 
at present sinking about as fast as it is 
made. Borings made with a 2 inch pipe 
show a blue clay underlying the peat at a 
depth varying from 17 to 28 feet at 200 
and 250 feet from the Fingerboard road, 
while at a distance of 300 feet a I inch 
pipe was driven down 33 feet but no bot- 
tom reached. The pipe penctrated the 
ground with very little pressure. 
Mr. Rotheroe, engineer in charge of the 
S. I. R. T. R. R., states that when the 
raivroad company made their fill over this 
swamp, it sank to a depth of from 8 to ro 
feet and spread out to a width of about 
150 feet at the surface of the peat. 
Respectfully yours, 
HENRY P. MORRISON, 
From these facts it is evident that a 
good sized body of water once occupied 
the entire depression and that in places it 
was more than 30 feet in depth. This 
gradually became silted up from surface 
drainage and the accumulation of decayed 
vegetation, until all that now remains of 
it is represented by Liiling’s pond. The 
overflow was evidently where the railroad 
station now stands, as may be seen by 
following around the level of the swamp 
and pond, anda sluggish stream may be 
noticed flowing in this direction and 
doubtless more water gradually seeps 
away through the spongy peat which 
apparently fills the outlet. As the new 
roadbed is practically a dam across this 
outlet it will surely result in raising the 
level of the ground water, unless some 
provision is made for proper drainage. 
In the meantime it will be interesting to 
watch and note when a state of isostatic 
equilibrium is finally attained. 
RECENT LITERATURE RELATING TO 
STATEN ISLAND. 
A Guide to the Study of the Geological 
Collections of the New York State Museum. 
Fredk. J. H. Merrill. Bull. N. Y. State 
Museum, Vol. iv., No. 19, (Nov. 1898) 
pp. 262, pls. 119 and map. This bulletin 
is practically a popular text book, pro- 
fusely illustrated, on the geology of the 
State. Unfortunately none of the illus- 
trations refer to Staten Island, but there 
are numerous brief references in the text, 
under both Historic and Economic 
Geology. On the map the serpentine 
area of the Island is colored to represent 
Lower Silurian, in conformity with re- 
cently expressed views of the author, but 
further than this the local references con- 
tain nothing of special interest. 
MINOR NOTES. 
Mr. J. B. Hillyer presented a partial file 
of the Richmond County Mirror, for the 
years 1837-38, and read a number of inter- 
esting items relating to the Island. 
