

19. WATTS TOWNSHIP. F\ 379 



The Oriskany sandstone, No. (VII.) 



Immediately above the limestone which crops out on the 

 north line of the township comes a bold ridge of Oriskany 

 sandstone about 20 feet thick, or rather less. It forms an 

 almost complete dam across the Juniata, producing the 

 Half Falls, from which the mountain takes its name It 

 is hard and full of the small white quartz pebbles so char- 

 acteristic of it in other places. It does not form a distinct 

 ridge as in many parts of the county and is soon overlap- 

 ped by the lower shales and Hamilton sandstone. 



The Marcellus shale, limestone, and ore, (VIII) 

 The area in which the outcrop of these beds can be looked 

 for in this township is very small, and I know no place 

 where any of them can be found outside of the river bed. 



The Marcellus limestone is mentioned in the report of the 

 First survey (Vol. I, p. 138) as cropping out at Half Falls 

 mountain, but I have been unable to find it. It may be 

 visible in the river at very low water, but this is improbable. 



The Marcellus black shale and Hamilton lower shales, 



(VIII.) 

 These shales make no noticeable outcrop in this township. 

 The only place where they can be looked for is at and near 

 the Half Falls mountain, and here they are completely 

 covered and concealed by the wreckage of the Hamilton 

 sandstone. At low water they may be seen in some places 

 in the river bed, and are imperfectly shown in some holes 

 dug in search of the ore bed. 



The Hamilton sandstone, (VIII) 

 The northern portion of Watts township consists of a 

 mountainous district formed by the outcrop of the Hamil- 

 ton sandstone in a series of converging ridges, the geologi- 

 cal structure of which is somewhat complicated. The main 

 axis of the ridge, whose southeastern slope continues under 

 the whole of Watts township, passes along the dividing 

 line from the limestone quarries at Half Falls mountain to 

 Girty's Notch. But the southern side of this anticline is not 



