^^ Report of the State Geologist. 



Drift-filled Channels. 



The most important are the channels of the two lakes, which 

 are evidently choked with deposits. The E'ester well, sunk at 

 Geneva three years ago, about G.\e feet above the lake, along the 

 north shore, one-sixth of a mile from the proper border of the lake 

 valley, struck rock at 212 feet. The mixed deposits comprised 

 blue and other clay, sand, gravel, till- stone and large bowlders. 



The Seneca river, leaving the lake of the same name at its 

 ]^. E. part, flows over Corniferous rock for a mile at Waterloo ; 

 and again for two miles over Salina rock at Seneca Falls. There 

 is some reason to believe that a much deeper ancient channel, 

 parallel with Seneca river, or crossing it in places, is concealed 

 under the drift. 



The evidence consists in the statement of those under whose 

 care the gas wells at Seneca Falls were drilled ; to the effect that 

 the three wells, ISTos. 7, 6 and 6, lying nearly in a straight line in 

 the north part of the village, struck rock at 70, 60, 75 feet 

 respectively. This line protracted eastward strikes a part of the 

 river where the cliffs of plaster rock disappear, reappearing 

 farther east. To this add, that in well ISTo. 7 it is said that gravel 

 was encountered at intervals below 70 feet, until a depth of 200 

 feet was reached. 



Till, in general. 



The character of the till varies in correspondence with that of 

 the underlying rock, as is usual. This is most plainly shown in 

 the till which covers the Upper Helderberg rocks, where the 

 amount of limestone is sufficient to give a decided blue tint to 

 the clayey mass seen in gross. The shales mostly disappear in 

 the till. The high lands near the southern border of the county 

 begin to show impoverishment, due to the presence of large quan- 

 tities of sandstone. 



Bowlders do not form a conspicuous part of the scenery ; stone 

 fences are rare. Gullies cut through till display a fair assort- 

 ment ; the large ones either belong to the Archaean formations, 

 or to the Upper Helderberg limestone. The largest seen were 

 two, both of the latter class, each 11 feet long, in a ravine south- 

 east of Bearytown, three miles south of the outcrops. 



