MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 39 



to the possible variations that may take place in the several beds 

 to be worked. Obviously no general classification of the different 

 limestone formations can be made upon the basis of composition. 

 However, certain formations are more likely to contain suitable 

 material than others. Broadly speaking, the chief supplies of high- 

 calciimi limestones are to be found in the following geologic groups 

 ,or formations: Grenville, Chazy, Trenton and Black River, Clinton, 

 Helderberg, Onondaga and Tully. Their stratigraphic range is thus 

 from the early Precambrian to the middle of the Devonian. To 

 these groups might be added the marls found at the surface and of 

 recent (Quaternary) age, but as already noted the use of marls seems 

 to be no longer economically practicable. 



The distribution of limestones in the State is discussed briefly 

 in the section "Stone" elsewhere in this volume and has been de- 

 scribed at length in New York State Museum Bulletin 44, " Lime 

 and Cement Industries of New York." 



The fact that the Grenville formation contains limestones that 

 fulfill the chemical requirements of portland cement manufacture 

 seems to have escaped attention in most of the published accounts 

 of the local supplies. The Grenville is, however, notable for the 

 extensive development of carbonate rocks which range from those 

 high in lime to magnesian limestones and dolomites. They all have 

 a crystalline texture in contrast with the limestones of the later 

 or Paleozoic formations. They have long been successfully employed 

 for lime burning and are probably equally adaptable to cement 

 manufacture. Their occurrence is restricted to the Adirondacks 

 and southeastern Highlands, the larger areas being on the north- 

 western side of the Adirondack region in St Lawrence county. As 

 a rule they are low in silica and aliunina, but rather high in magnesia 

 which locally may fall within the admissible proportions. 



Industrial development. The earliest commercial operations in 

 Portland cement manufacture in New York were inaugurated in 

 1 88 1 by the Walkill Portland Cement Co. with works at Carthage 

 Landing, near Beacon, on the Hudson. The supply of limestone 

 was obtained from the vicinity of Kingston and the burning was 

 perfoirned in upright kilns with coke from the municipal gas plants 

 of New York and Albany. The product found a ready sale and 

 the enterprise was so successful that a second plant at South 

 Rondout near Kingston was erected and placed in operation in 

 1883. The latter had a capacity of 200 to 300 barrels a day. Fire 

 destroyed this plant in 1889, after successful experiments had been 

 made with a rotary kiln using oil for fuel, the first venture of the 



