REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1900 rl81 



In grading for a trolley line from Marcellus station to the 

 village an outcrop of plaster rock was exposed in 1900 near the 

 station. The outcrop is about 20 feet thick and extends along 

 the road about IGO feet. The rock shows layers of white fibrous 

 gypsum at intervals ranging from 3 to 12 inches. These 

 layers are from | inch to 1 inch in thickness. The main rock 

 does not seem so solid as the material found at Union Springs 

 and Fayetteville, but should make a fair land plaster. It would 

 probably not make good calcining plaster, on account of the 

 fibrous gypsum. The bed seems to be quite extensive, judging 

 from the fact that it is found at the same horizon just across 

 the valley. The bottom of the bed was not excavated, and it 

 was not found elsewhere on the road, owing to the fact, 

 probably, that most of the rock cuts are above this horizon. 



The Wheatland land plaster co., Mumford N. Y. 



This company has a mine about 3J miles from Caledonia, on 

 Allen's creek. This mine is located in a knoll and is entered by 

 a tunnel. The gypsum is in three layers, the best quality being 

 in the middle. The deposit is about 6 feet thick. The mine is 

 timbered throughout. Pillars are left ranging from 15 feet in 

 diameter to 30 x 75 feet, according to the condition of the roof. 

 About 15 men are employed at the works at present. Much of 

 the time the number is increased to 30. 



The rock is drilled by a hand power screw drill. The blast- 

 ing is accomplished by dynamite exploded by a battery. The 

 rock is hauled, on cars holding about 1 ton, by mules to the 

 mill, which is on the opposite side of the creek. The largest 

 pieces of rock are run through a Blake crusher, and from that 

 directly to the mill. The capacity of this crusher and mill is 

 about 40 tons a day. The smaller pieces, up to the size of a 

 man's hand, are taken to a crusher of special design made to 

 order by a firm in Caledonia. This crusher consists of a corru- 

 gated cone of iron in which a series of disks rotate. These disks 

 are about 2 inches thick and 1 foot in diameter, having teeth 

 similar to saw teeth. They are fastened to a square shaft and 

 pulverize the rock as fast as a man can shovel it in. This 



