DESCRIPTIVE NOTES OF QUARRY DISTRICTS AND QUARRIES 269 



The color Is predominantly dark-gray or bluish-gray, and 

 hence (more by contrast with the red sandstones) a " blue- 

 stone." Reddish-brown and some greenish-gray stones 

 occur In the quarries higher In the mountain sides, as in the 

 valley of the Esopus creek above Shokan and in the Palen- 

 ville quarries. There is a decided preference for the 

 typical '' blue-stone " over the reddish or brownish-colored 

 grades. In texture the range is from the fine shaly or argilla- 

 ceous to the highly siliceous and even conglomeratic rock. 

 The best blue-stone Is rather fine-grained and not very 

 plainly laminated, and Its mass Is nearly all silica or quartz, 

 which is cemented together by a siliceous paste and con- 

 tains very little argillaceous matter. Hence, the stone is 

 hard and durable and has great strength or capacity of re- 

 sistance to crushing or compression. Coarse-grained sand- 

 stones and even fine conglomerates occur and are quarried 

 In some localities. These sandstones are not often found 

 loosely cemented together and friable ; and they are rarely 

 open and porous." 



A representative specimen of the best Hudson river blue- 

 stone, and obtained from the Bigelow Bluestone Company 

 of Maiden, was subjected to a series of tests, with the fol- 

 lowing result : specific gravity, 2.751 ; weight per cubic foot, 

 171 pounds; ferrous oxide, 4.63 per cent ; ferric oxide, 0.79 

 per cent ; water absorbed, 0.82 ; loss in dilute sulphuric 

 acid solution, 0.20 percent ; alternate freezing and thawing, 

 unchanged; at temperature of I200°-I400° F. color 

 changed to dull red, slightly checked and strength some- 

 what Impaired. 



"The blue-stone territory south-west of Ulster county is 

 confined to a narrow belt crossing the towns of Mamakat- 

 ing, Thompson, Forestburgh and Lumberland In Sullivan 

 county, and Deerpark In Orange county. And there are 

 quarries near Westbrookville, near Wurtsborough, along 

 the Montlcello railroad and on the Delaware river at Pond- 

 Eddy and Barryville." 



