﻿THE 
  MINING 
  AND 
  QUARRY 
  INDUSTRY 
  I908 
  83 
  

  

  The 
  sheet 
  of 
  diabase 
  forming 
  the 
  Palisades 
  and 
  altogether 
  in 
  

   New 
  York 
  and 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  having 
  an 
  outcrop 
  of 
  some 
  70 
  miles 
  

   and 
  a 
  thickness 
  of 
  300 
  to 
  800 
  feet, 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  trap 
  mass 
  

   in 
  the 
  State. 
  Rockland 
  and 
  Richmond 
  counties 
  are 
  the 
  chief 
  pro- 
  

   ducers. 
  

  

  The 
  chief 
  use 
  of 
  trap 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   crushed 
  stone 
  for 
  use 
  as 
  a 
  material 
  in 
  macadam 
  road 
  construction. 
  

   Its 
  peculiar 
  interlocking 
  crystallization 
  and 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   pyroxene 
  have 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  rock 
  a 
  very 
  decided 
  toughness, 
  and, 
  

   since 
  this 
  property 
  is 
  accompanied 
  by 
  the 
  quality 
  of 
  the 
  separate 
  

   particles 
  to 
  bind 
  into 
  a 
  firm 
  mass 
  after 
  the 
  road 
  is 
  constructed, 
  the 
  

   (material 
  has 
  attained 
  a 
  well 
  earned 
  reputation 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  

   road 
  metals. 
  

  

  The 
  other 
  important 
  uses 
  are 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  crushed 
  stone 
  for 
  

   concrete 
  construction 
  and 
  for 
  railway 
  ballast. 
  As 
  a 
  building 
  or 
  

   monumental 
  stone 
  diabase 
  is 
  of 
  little 
  importance. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  place 
  

   its 
  toughness 
  makes 
  it 
  an 
  extremely 
  expensive 
  stone 
  to 
  quarry 
  and 
  

   to 
  dress, 
  and 
  then 
  too 
  its 
  somber 
  hue 
  is 
  generally 
  objectionable, 
  

   although 
  in 
  monumental 
  work 
  the 
  contrast 
  between 
  the 
  hammered 
  

   and 
  polished 
  surface 
  is 
  a 
  pleasing 
  feature. 
  

  

  The 
  production 
  of 
  trap 
  in 
  1908 
  was 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  dike 
  near 
  

   Greenfield, 
  Saratoga 
  co., 
  where 
  considerable 
  road 
  metal 
  was 
  taken 
  

   out, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  Rockland 
  county 
  quarries 
  at 
  Haverstraw, 
  Nyack, 
  

   Mt 
  Joy 
  and 
  Rockland 
  Lake. 
  The 
  crushing 
  plant 
  of 
  the 
  Quinroy 
  

   Construction 
  Co. 
  at 
  Port 
  Richmond, 
  Richmond 
  co. 
  was 
  destroyed 
  

   by 
  fire 
  in 
  March 
  1908 
  and 
  no 
  output 
  was 
  made. 
  They 
  will 
  probably 
  

   rebuild 
  their 
  plant 
  during 
  the 
  coming 
  season. 
  

  

  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  decrease 
  in 
  construction 
  work 
  during 
  1908, 
  

   because 
  of 
  business 
  depression, 
  the 
  output 
  of 
  trap 
  rock 
  fell 
  below 
  

   ihat 
  of 
  1907, 
  the 
  total 
  value 
  in 
  1908 
  being 
  $723,773 
  as 
  against 
  

   $941,627 
  in 
  1907. 
  About 
  81 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  production 
  was 
  sold 
  

   for 
  macadamizing 
  roads 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  used 
  for 
  concrete 
  con- 
  

   >truction 
  and 
  railway 
  ballast. 
  

  

  