﻿s: 
  

  

  GEOLOGY 
  OF 
  THE 
  PORT 
  LEYDEN 
  QUADRANGLE 
  25 
  

  

  Lowville 
  limestone 
  

  

  The 
  Lowville 
  limestone 
  formation 
  takes 
  its 
  name 
  from 
  the 
  

   type 
  locality 
  at 
  Lowville 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  beyond 
  the 
  map 
  limits 
  to 
  

   the 
  northward. 
  It 
  was 
  formerly 
  called 
  the 
  Birdseye 
  limestone 
  

   because 
  of 
  the 
  spotted 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  surfaces 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  emer- 
  

   gence 
  of 
  the 
  calcite-filled 
  tubes 
  so 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  formation. 
  

   These 
  calcite-filled 
  tubes 
  stand 
  perpendicular 
  to 
  the 
  stratifica- 
  

   tion 
  planes 
  and 
  were 
  first 
  thought 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  caused 
  by 
  a 
  

   seaweed 
  of 
  the 
  Fucoid 
  type, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  now 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  

   genus 
  Tetradium 
  of 
  the 
  branching 
  corals. 
  Not 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  Low- 
  

   ville 
  beds 
  contain 
  the 
  Tetradium. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  old 
  State 
  report 
  by 
  Vanuxem 
  everything 
  below 
  the 
  

   Trenton, 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  was 
  described 
  under 
  the 
  heading 
  " 
  Black 
  

   River 
  limestone," 
  but 
  the 
  following 
  quotation 
  shows 
  that, 
  on 
  

   lithologic 
  grounds, 
  he 
  recognized 
  three 
  divisions 
  of 
  the 
  forma- 
  

   tion 
  : 
  '' 
  The 
  cliff 
  show^s 
  several 
  distinct 
  kinds 
  of 
  limestone, 
  not 
  

   being 
  a 
  homogeneous 
  mass. 
  The 
  upper 
  part 
  is 
  mixed 
  irregularly 
  

   with 
  black 
  shale. 
  . 
  . 
  The 
  second 
  division 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  lighter 
  

   color, 
  with 
  less 
  shale 
  or 
  impurities, 
  more 
  brittle, 
  and 
  contains 
  

   the 
  Fucoides 
  demissus 
  (Tetradium), 
  etc. 
  . 
  . 
  The 
  third 
  

   division, 
  and 
  which 
  therefore 
  forms 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  cliff 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

   is 
  light 
  colored, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  layers 
  present 
  mud 
  

   cracks, 
  showing 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  shale. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  these 
  layers 
  that 
  

   the 
  stone 
  exists 
  which 
  is 
  burnt 
  for 
  waterlime 
  at 
  Lowville." 
  ^ 
  His 
  

   upper 
  division 
  corresponds 
  to 
  our 
  Black 
  River 
  limestone, 
  the 
  middle 
  

   one 
  nearly 
  to 
  our 
  Lowville, 
  and 
  the 
  lower 
  one 
  nearly 
  to 
  our 
  Pamelia. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  map 
  limits 
  the 
  LoAvville, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  Pam- 
  

   elia, 
  is 
  present, 
  except 
  at 
  the 
  extreme 
  south, 
  as 
  an 
  almost 
  con- 
  

   tinuous 
  surface 
  exposure 
  or 
  ledge 
  facing 
  the 
  railroad. 
  In 
  spite 
  

   of 
  its 
  considerable 
  thickness 
  its 
  areal 
  extent 
  is 
  small 
  because 
  

   of 
  its 
  outcrop 
  along 
  this 
  steep 
  slope. 
  The 
  Lowville 
  beds 
  are 
  

   mostly 
  bluish 
  dove-colored, 
  pure 
  limestones 
  in 
  beds 
  varying 
  

   from 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  to 
  2 
  feet 
  thick. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  mud 
  

   tracked, 
  others 
  are 
  shaly, 
  while 
  still 
  others 
  are 
  fossiliferous 
  

   ommonl}' 
  with 
  the 
  Tetradium. 
  A 
  notable 
  feature 
  is 
  the 
  pres- 
  

   ence 
  of 
  limestone 
  conglomerate 
  at 
  several 
  horizons. 
  In 
  passing 
  

   downward 
  this 
  conglomerate 
  is 
  prominent 
  where 
  the 
  pure 
  dove 
  

   limestones 
  give 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  more 
  impure 
  bluish 
  gray 
  to 
  whitish 
  

   gray 
  limestones 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  here 
  where 
  the 
  line 
  between 
  the 
  Low- 
  

   ville 
  and 
  Pamelia 
  has 
  been 
  drawn. 
  Within 
  the 
  quadrangle 
  this 
  

   line 
  is 
  a 
  difficult 
  one 
  to 
  draw 
  with 
  any 
  great 
  degree 
  of 
  accuracy. 
  

  

  'Geol. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  3d 
  Dist. 
  1842. 
  p. 
  42. 
  

  

  