﻿NIAGARA 
  FALLS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  95 
  

  

  it. 
  The 
  quartzose 
  capping 
  rock 
  consists 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  a 
  white 
  

   bed, 
  from 
  i^ 
  to 
  2 
  feet 
  thick 
  and 
  showing 
  cross-bedding 
  structure, 
  

   followed 
  by 
  shale, 
  i 
  to 
  ij 
  feet 
  thick 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  reddish 
  color 
  in 
  places, 
  

   and 
  finally 
  by 
  a 
  soHd 
  bed 
  of 
  white 
  quartzose 
  sandstone 
  5 
  feet 
  in 
  

   thickness, 
  and 
  like 
  the 
  lower 
  bed, 
  showing 
  cross-bedding 
  structure 
  

   on 
  the 
  weathered 
  sections. 
  A 
  few 
  thin 
  layers 
  of 
  sandstone 
  overlie 
  

   this 
  bed, 
  having 
  a 
  total 
  thickness 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  a 
  foot. 
  On 
  these 
  

   follow 
  the 
  shales 
  of 
  the 
  Clinton 
  formation. 
  

  

  The 
  upper 
  Medina 
  sandstones 
  and 
  shales 
  may 
  be 
  traced 
  in 
  both 
  

   walls 
  of 
  the 
  gorge 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  falls. 
  From 
  the 
  southward 
  dip, 
  the 
  

   beds 
  progressively 
  pass 
  below 
  the 
  water 
  level, 
  till 
  near 
  the 
  falls 
  

   only 
  a 
  small 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  beds 
  remains. 
  These 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  

   at 
  the 
  river 
  margin 
  in 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  gorge, 
  between 
  the 
  Maid 
  

   of 
  the 
  Mist 
  landing 
  and 
  the 
  carriage 
  bridge 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

   On 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  side 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  sandstones 
  are 
  ex- 
  

   posed, 
  the 
  remainder 
  being 
  covered 
  by 
  talus. 
  During 
  high 
  stages 
  

   of 
  the 
  river 
  these 
  exposed 
  beds 
  are 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  water. 
  On 
  the 
  

   Canadian 
  side 
  an 
  extensive 
  ledge 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  Medina 
  sandstone 
  is 
  

   exposed 
  opposite 
  the 
  inclined 
  railway 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  side. 
  In 
  

   the 
  banks 
  behind 
  this 
  ledge 
  the 
  white 
  quartzose 
  sandstone 
  which 
  

   forms 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  Medina 
  occurs, 
  its 
  top 
  being 
  at 
  least 
  25 
  feet 
  

   above 
  the 
  water 
  level. 
  It 
  here 
  forms 
  a 
  projecting 
  shelf 
  on 
  which 
  

   rest 
  huge 
  blocks 
  of 
  limestone 
  broken 
  from 
  the 
  cliff 
  above. 
  From 
  

   this 
  we 
  may 
  judge 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  Horseshoe 
  falls 
  the 
  upper 
  

   layers 
  of 
  the 
  Medina 
  may 
  still 
  be 
  above 
  the 
  water 
  level. 
  

  

  Clinton 
  beds 
  

  

  The 
  Clinton 
  beds 
  at 
  Niagara 
  aggregate 
  about 
  32 
  feet 
  in 
  thick- 
  

   ness 
  and 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  stratum 
  of 
  shale 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  and 
  two 
  distinct 
  

   strata 
  of 
  limestone 
  above 
  this. 
  (See 
  Plate 
  14) 
  

  

  Clinton 
  shale. 
  Resting 
  immediately 
  on 
  the 
  quartzose 
  layers 
  

   which 
  terminate 
  the 
  Medina 
  formation, 
  is 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  olive 
  green 
  to 
  

   grayish 
  or 
  sometimes 
  purplish 
  gray 
  shale, 
  which 
  readily 
  splits 
  into 
  

   very 
  thin 
  layers 
  with 
  smooth 
  surfaces, 
  and 
  is 
  quite 
  soft 
  enough 
  to 
  

   be 
  easily 
  crumbled 
  between 
  the 
  fingers. 
  Fossils 
  are 
  rare 
  in 
  it, 
  but 
  

   occasionally 
  layers 
  are 
  found 
  which 
  have 
  their 
  surfaces 
  covered 
  with 
  

  

  