﻿Report 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Geologist. 
  243 
  

  

  bituminous 
  matter. 
  Some 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   carbonaceous 
  matter 
  was 
  abundant 
  show 
  many 
  small 
  abrupt 
  curva- 
  

   tures 
  of 
  the 
  laminae, 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  layers 
  showing 
  many 
  

   low, 
  round 
  or 
  oval 
  elevations. 
  The 
  texture 
  was 
  very 
  fine 
  in 
  most 
  

   of 
  the 
  layers 
  and 
  the 
  rock 
  very 
  hard. 
  

  

  The 
  hopper-shaped 
  crystals 
  were 
  found 
  at 
  three 
  horizons, 
  in 
  the 
  

   middle 
  of 
  layers 
  about 
  six 
  inches 
  thick, 
  of 
  fine, 
  dark 
  limestone 
  ; 
  

   also, 
  at 
  the 
  Lehigh 
  shaft 
  in 
  a 
  limestone 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  character. 
  

  

  The 
  "needle 
  cavities," 
  mentioned 
  in 
  Yanuxem's 
  Eeport, 
  Third 
  

   Geol. 
  Dist. 
  N. 
  Y., 
  occurred 
  at 
  many 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  lime- 
  

   stone 
  group. 
  

  

  Cell-like 
  cavities 
  in 
  the 
  limestone 
  were 
  first 
  observed 
  at 
  the 
  

   shaft 
  in 
  the 
  dark 
  gray 
  stratum 
  at 
  1,302-1,305 
  feet. 
  They 
  were 
  

   irregular 
  in 
  shape, 
  with 
  jagged 
  edges, 
  and 
  averaged 
  about 
  half 
  

   an 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  beds 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  limestones, 
  

   though 
  heavy 
  and 
  apparently 
  compact 
  when 
  taken 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  shaft, 
  

   contained 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  salt, 
  and 
  when 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  stream 
  of 
  

   running 
  water 
  where 
  the 
  salt 
  was 
  dissolved 
  out, 
  the 
  rock 
  quickly 
  

   became 
  cellular 
  or 
  " 
  vermicular." 
  

  

  The 
  cells 
  were 
  cylindrical 
  in 
  shape 
  and 
  quite 
  uniform 
  in 
  size 
  in 
  

   the 
  same 
  stratum, 
  but 
  decreased 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  three- 
  sixteenths 
  of 
  

   an 
  inch 
  in 
  the 
  layers 
  at 
  1,356 
  feet 
  to 
  one-sixteenth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  

   the 
  layers 
  adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  salt 
  beds. 
  

  

  The 
  limestones 
  next 
  to 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  rock 
  salt 
  were 
  not 
  only 
  thor- 
  

   oughly 
  honey-combed 
  by 
  these 
  cells, 
  but 
  were 
  much 
  broken 
  and 
  

   displaced, 
  the 
  interstices 
  being 
  filled 
  with 
  pinkish 
  salt. 
  

  

  These 
  fractures 
  and 
  dislocations 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  

   in 
  the 
  rocks 
  underlying 
  the 
  salt 
  beds 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  shafts, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  "cavings" 
  and 
  accumulation 
  of 
  "sand," 
  

   which 
  sometimes 
  are 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  trouble 
  in 
  wells 
  from 
  which 
  

   brine 
  is 
  pumped, 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  salt 
  from 
  the 
  veins, 
  

   thereby 
  loosening 
  blocks 
  and 
  fragments 
  of 
  the 
  limestone 
  and 
  

   allowing 
  them 
  to 
  crumble. 
  

  

  The 
  shales 
  in 
  and 
  near 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  salt 
  were 
  soft 
  and 
  fragile 
  

   and 
  full 
  of 
  thin 
  seams 
  and 
  veins 
  of 
  salt. 
  Even 
  when 
  housed 
  and 
  

   protected 
  from 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  sun 
  and 
  rain, 
  a 
  large 
  slab 
  of 
  it 
  

   would 
  soon 
  crumble 
  to 
  a 
  heap 
  of 
  dust. 
  

  

  