Geology of Seneca County. 83 



Several mineral springs have proved to have 'a commercial 



value on the west side of Seneca lake and on the east side of 



Cayuga lake. The possibilities are equally good for Seneca 



county. 



Seneca Lake. 



This body of water as far south as North Hector lies within 

 the boundary of Seneca county. The greatest depth, 61 8 feet, 

 given by the Cornell University survey, is at the southern part 

 of the county ; a depth of 400 feet or over is maintained for 28 

 miles. Its surface is 441 feet above tide ; its bottom, therefore, 

 is 177 feet below the surface of the sea. The depth and volume 

 of the water maintains it at a comparatively equable tempera- 

 ture. It is usually open all winter and is cold in summer. 



The water partakes of the character of its sources, containing 

 rather large amounts of gypsum, with carbonates of the earthy 

 bases, giving it a '"' hard " character and causing the formation 

 of crusts on the inside of boilers. 



Dredging, undertaken for the purpose of recovering the bodies 

 of drowned persons, was carried on to a slight extent this 

 summer at points near the middle of the lake opposite Willard. 

 The water there* is 530 feet deep. It was reported that the 

 dredge encountered no opposition f rjm unevenness of the surface ; 

 that there was a foot of very soft ooze, under which was blue clay. 

 The ooze contains a variety of diatoms, of species known to 

 inhabit the fresh waters of the neighborhood. 



Superficial currents of very moderate rapidity and changeable 

 direction were observed in places near shore. A more important 

 current is indicated near Geneva, by the muddy streak which it 

 makes at a distance of from a quarter to half a mile off shore. 

 The peculiarity of this current is, that it pushes southward in 

 the face of the violent and continued soujth winds which are of 

 frequent occurrence in winter in this part of New York. On 

 the first day of such a wind the north end of the lake is muddied 

 by the breaking of the waves on the shore ; on the second day 

 a pal-t of the muddy water moves slowly southward in a narrow 

 column or streak on the surface, requiring many hours to accom- 

 plish the distance of about two miles, beyond which I have not 

 observed it to extend. Accompanying this southerly movement 

 is a northward flow of the muddy water from a brook just 

 south of the viUage ; this streak being rather near the shore. 



