54 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



combined silica, alumina and iron oxid and from 54 to 75 per cent 

 of lime and magnesia carbonates. Analyses of typical cement rock 

 from the quarries at Jamesville, Onondaga co., show about 82 

 per cent of carbonates and 17 per cent of silicious impurities. 



Portland cement. The manufacture of Portland cement in 

 New York has been a development of the last 25 years. The first 

 plant making a commercial product was erected in 1881 by the 

 Wallkill Portland Cement Co., at Carthage Landing, Dutchess co. 

 Limestone from the Helderbergian group and clay were used as 

 ingredients and the cement is said to have been of excellent quality. 

 The successful issue of this venture led to the establishment of a 

 larger plant at South Rondout, which was operated until destroyed 

 by fire in 1889. The first attempt to manufacture Portland cement 

 in the central part of the State was made in 1886 at Warners, 

 Onondaga co. The materials employed were Quaternary clays 

 and marls. This plant, afterward purchased by the Empire Portland 

 Cement Co., has been enlarged and is still active. It was not until 

 about 1890 that the industry began to expand, the output up to that 

 time averaging less than 50,000 barrels annually. In 1890 the 

 production was 65,000 barrels; it increased to 87,000 in 1891, 10 

 124,000 in 1892 and to 137,000 barrels in 1893, since which time its 

 growth has been rapid. 



The materials employed by the various companies operating in 

 the State include limestones, marls, clay and shale. The greater 

 number of plants use a mixt.iie of limestone and clay. The lime- 

 stones are from the Trenton, Helderbergian and TuUy formations, 

 while the clays belong to the Quaternary. A mixture of marl and 

 clay is used by four companies. Shale serves as a substitute for 

 clay and is quarried at Ithaca (Hamilton series) and on the Hudson 

 river (Hudson River series). A brief description of the limestones 

 and clays of New York will be found under their proper titles. 



Production. There was increased activity during 1905 in 

 cement manufacture in which both the Portland and natural cement 

 works participated. The aggregate production amounted to 

 4.375^520 barrels valued at $3,637,553. The gain over the previous 

 year, when the total was 3,258,932 barrels valued at $2,453,661, 

 amounted to 1,116,588 barrels or 34 per cent. The production was 

 reported by 21 companies in 1905 and 23 companies in 1904. 



The greater part of the increase was contributed Dy the Portland 

 cement plants which reported a total of 2,117,822 barrels valued 

 at $2,046,864 against 1,377,302 barrels valued at $1,245,778 in the 

 previous year. The production was the largest on record. The 



