340 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



puzzling ways, and by which they received brecciated and gneiss- 

 oid structures. This metamorphosing process then ceased in 

 pre-Cambrian time and on the flanks of the old crystallines were 

 laid down the Potsdam sandstone and the Silurian shales and lime- 

 stones, all of which show comparatively unaltered forms and not 

 greatly disturbed positions. Their dips are low, mostly to the north, 

 and beyond comparatively slight faulting they have not been par- 

 ticipants in heavy movements. What disturbance appears is 

 probably to be attributed to the upheaval of the Green Mountains. 

 There is evidence in neighboring townships which indicates that 

 the Cambro-Silurian sediments formerly reached well up into the 

 valleys, at least in the case of the Potsdam, but that they have 

 been since extensively eroded. 



IRON ORES 



The ores are all magnetite, but as already outlined are of two 

 varieties. The one that is useful and merchantable to-day is prac- 

 tically free from titanium. Variable amounts of phosphorus and 

 sulphur, occasionally reaching high percentages are present. These 

 ores seem to be uniformly associated with the older gneisses. The 

 second variety contains titanium, often in very considerable amount. 

 The limestones are devoid of ore in these townships. In Moriah 

 there are the following mines, all of which have been practically 

 worked except the last named. They are all non-titaniferous. The 

 Mineville Group ; the Barton Hill Group ; .the Cheever Group ; the 

 Pilfershire and Pease Pits ; the Lee Mine ; and the Coot Hill Mine. 

 In Westport there are the following which are all titaniferous, 

 except perhaps the first named. The Nichols Pond Mines ; the 

 Split Rock Mines ; and the Ledge Hill Mines. None of these latter 

 have been worked in years. 



The general merchantable ore in Moriah is non-bessemer, for only 

 the mines on Barton Hill furnish bessemer ores. The following 

 table illustrates their composition. The Lee mine is quite sulphurous. 

 The Pilfershire and Pease pits have been long abandoned. The 

 Coot Hill mines have no serious showing of ore and were an 

 ill-advised enterprise ; and the mine put down on the county atlas 

 as occurring north of Crowfoot pond is purely imaginary. The 

 outcrop of gabbro or gabbro-gneiss near Mr J. Lewis's house, Moriah, 



