SIXTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I9O9 35 



plished with the cooperation of the United States Geological 

 Survey, under the agreement published in my last report, the 

 two offices sharing the work and the use of the results. 



Iron ore explorations. The Lake Sanford region, Essex co., 

 was visited for the purpose of recording the recent develop- 

 ments that have taken place since the issue of the report on the 

 Adirondack magnetites. Exploration with the diamond drill has 

 demonstrated the presence of many millions of tons of ore, thus 

 confirming the general opinion relative to the resources of the 

 region. Experiments in the reduction of the ores are still under 

 way and their favorable outcome will mean a very large incre- 

 ment tO' the mining industry of the Adirondacks. 



Examinations have also been made of the Forest of Dean mine 

 near Fort Montgomery and of the arsenical pyrites mined near 

 Carmel, Putnam co. 



SEISMOLOGICAL STATION 



The seismographs in the basement of the State Museum have 

 continued to render efficient service, with only occasional stop- 

 pages of short duration for the purpose of slight repairs or 

 readjustments. Since their installation in March 1906 they have 

 registered 54 different disturbances. The number registered 

 during the year ending September 30, 1909, was 19 as compared 

 with 9 in the preceding year. The seismic frequency has thus 

 been rather notable, equalling in fact the record for the year 

 1907-8 which was distinguished by a series of very heavy earth- 

 quakes in Mexico, the West Indies and Central Asia, that in- 

 volved many minor readjustments in their train. 



The sources of the shocks in the past year have been fairly 

 well distributed over the different seismic zones. The Cordil- 

 leran region, after the repeated rackings that followed the San 

 Francisco earthquake and extended from Alaska to Chile, seems 

 now to have settled down to a more normal condition. Slight 

 tremors only have been reported from that region. The loci 

 of pronounced activity have shifted to the east-west zone 

 which extends from the Mediterranean coast to Central Asia 

 where there have been several heavy earthquakes ; of the num- 

 ber the Messina earthquake of December 28, 1908, involved the 

 most appalling catastrophe that has ever been inflicted upon a 

 civilized country. The shock itself does not appear to have 

 been commensurate with the enormity of the destruction, the 

 tracing obtained at Albany as well as at other stations showing 



