﻿NIAGARA 
  FALLS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  3I 
  

  

  derberg 
  range, 
  which 
  cnhninates 
  in 
  southeastern 
  New 
  York 
  in 
  the 
  

   high 
  plateau 
  of 
  the 
  Catskihs. 
  The 
  Allegany 
  plateau 
  is 
  everywhere 
  

   much 
  dissected 
  by 
  streams 
  whose 
  gorges 
  have 
  made 
  the 
  scenery 
  of 
  

   southern 
  New 
  York 
  famous. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  now 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  topographic 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  Niagara 
  

   district 
  are 
  arranged 
  in 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  six 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  extending 
  belts 
  

   of 
  alternating 
  lowlands 
  and 
  terraciform 
  elevations. 
  The 
  lowlands 
  

   are 
  the 
  Ontario, 
  Tonawanda-Chippewa, 
  and 
  Erie, 
  the 
  uplands 
  are 
  

   defined 
  by 
  the 
  Niagara 
  escarpment, 
  the 
  Onondaga 
  escarpment 
  and 
  

   the 
  hills 
  of 
  southern 
  New 
  York 
  which 
  constitute 
  the 
  northern 
  edge 
  

   of 
  the 
  Allegany 
  plateau. 
  The 
  northern 
  boundary 
  of 
  this 
  belted 
  

   country 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  old 
  Canadian 
  highlands. 
  

  

  We 
  must 
  now 
  briefly 
  consider 
  the 
  various 
  strata 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   area 
  under 
  consideration 
  is 
  constructed, 
  their 
  origin, 
  and 
  the 
  man- 
  

   ner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  topographic 
  features 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  were 
  produced. 
  

   A 
  brief 
  review 
  of 
  the 
  table 
  of 
  Paleozoic 
  strata, 
  given 
  on 
  pages 
  20 
  

   and 
  21, 
  will 
  be 
  helpful 
  to 
  an 
  understanding 
  of 
  the 
  succeeding 
  pages. 
  

  

  Development 
  of 
  the 
  Paleozoic 
  coastal 
  plain 
  

  

  The 
  Laurentian 
  old-land 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  rocks 
  older 
  than 
  the 
  

   Cambric 
  period 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  history. 
  These 
  are 
  largely, 
  of 
  igneous 
  

   origin, 
  and 
  such 
  as 
  were 
  originally 
  sediments 
  have 
  generally 
  suf- 
  

   fered 
  much 
  alteration 
  through 
  heat, 
  pressure 
  and 
  other 
  causes, 
  and 
  

   in 
  most 
  cases 
  have 
  assumed 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  crystalline 
  character. 
  

   Though 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  pre-Cambric 
  rocks 
  may 
  show 
  apparent 
  

   stratification, 
  the 
  present 
  attitude 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  does 
  not 
  often 
  bear 
  

   a 
  close 
  relation 
  to 
  their 
  original 
  condition. 
  Indeed, 
  these 
  ancient 
  

   rocks 
  are 
  generally 
  much 
  disturbed, 
  their 
  beds 
  folded 
  and 
  flexed, 
  

   and 
  their 
  laminae 
  much 
  contorted. 
  Nor 
  do 
  the 
  layers 
  of 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   Cambric 
  rocks 
  bear 
  any 
  normal 
  relation 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  later 
  date, 
  the 
  

   two 
  series 
  being 
  wholly 
  discordant 
  with 
  each 
  other. 
  The 
  older 
  beds 
  

   are 
  much 
  worn, 
  vast 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  folds 
  having 
  been 
  swept 
  

   away 
  by 
  erosion, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  truncated 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  por- 
  

   tions 
  the 
  newer 
  strata 
  were 
  depc?sited 
  in 
  an 
  essentially 
  horizontal 
  

   position. 
  This 
  unconformity 
  of 
  relation 
  between 
  the 
  newer 
  and 
  

   older 
  strata 
  is 
  a 
  marked 
  feature 
  wherever 
  the 
  two 
  series 
  are 
  ex- 
  

  

  