GEOLOGY OF THE LAKE PLACID QUADRANGLE 8l 



The best preserved terraces of the Upper Lake Newman were 

 found in "the extreme southwest corner of the quadrangle in the 

 neighborhood of John Brown's grave and along the West branch 

 of the Ausable river. The name of the lake is derived from the 

 town of Newman, the terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Rail- 

 road, where well-preserved levels occur on the north, south and 

 more especially at the point where the Lake Placid-Keene highway 

 crosses the river. Here a striking view of them may be obtained. 



As may be inferred from figure 3, the present theory is that a 

 portion of the ice body that was responsible for the existence of 

 Upper Lake Newman, was situated for a time near the southern 

 edge of what is now Lake Placid, and it is believed that the morainal 

 dam that later brought about Lake Placid was formed during this 

 period. The ice experiencing minor advances and retreats pro- 

 duced the exposure above mentioned, showing drift on top of the 

 stratified sands of Upper Lake Newman, 



In the vicinity of John Brown's grave, well-preserved benches 

 show a complete separation of Upper Newman from the succeeding 

 lake, Lower Newman; the upper series ranging from 1800 to 1820 

 (one well-marked level at 1806.5 feet) while the lower group vary 

 from 1740 to 1780 feet. The same difference in levels was found 

 in the Saranac quadrangle one-half of a mile north of Harrietstown, 

 where a corresponding group of benches occurs.^ 



Upper series : eastern section. The Keene lake. During 

 the greater portion of the life of the western portion of Upper Lake 

 Newman, the ice lobe in the valley of the East branch of the Ausable 

 river was retreating northward and allowed a growing body of 

 water to accumulate in the Keene valley. This body of water, 

 named the Keene lake, left terraces high up on the valley walls, 

 especially in the brook valleys where the present streams have 

 bisected them. The sands on East hill at 2000 feet altitude, in the 

 southeast corner of the Lake Placid map, were probably deposited 

 at this time. The greater portion of the lake, however, filled Keene 

 valley and thus was largely located within the confines of the 

 Mt Marcy sheet. 



The outlet is regarded to have been to the south through the 

 double fault-line valley, in which the famous Ausable lakes are now 

 located, into standing waters in the northern half of the Schroon 

 lake sheet. The two passes to the east, namely, the Spruce hill 



^ Ailing, H. L., " Geology of the Lake Clear Region. N. Y. State Mus. 

 Bui. 207, 208, p. 133. 



