GEOLOGY OF THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACK REGION 427 



It is mot certain whether it has ceased or is yet in progress, 

 though the latter is very probable. The streams are working their 

 way down toward the new grade, but have made comparatively 

 slight progress in the task. 



Main axis of elevation 



The highest elevations in northern New York occur along a 

 line which, commencing at the national boundary on the north, 

 runs south along the line between Clinton and Franklin counties, 

 till it reaches the district of the high peaks in northwest Essex. 

 Here it offsets sharply to the west, into southern Franklin and 

 northern Hamilton counties, then turns again toward the south 

 and runs down through Hamilton, in this part of its course 

 trending about s. 20° w. instead of nearly due south, as at first. 1 

 In this change of trend a rude parallelism with the folded rocks 

 to the eastward is to be noted, these also swerving toward the 

 west in passing into New York from the Vermont side. This 

 probably implies an interrelationship between the two, at least 

 in so far as the original location of this main axis is concerned. 



Along the Hamilton county portion of this main axis are found 

 the greater number of, and the larger of, the monadnocks which 

 protrude above the Cretaceous base level south of the mid-region. 

 They are so numerous that, were this area alone concerned, the 

 Cretaceous base level would be difficult of recognition. Parallel 

 with the eastern edge of this uplift is a rather deep and wide 

 valley, eastward from which the region is much more dissected, 

 and with considerably lower hill altitudes. The features strongly 

 suggest that the eastern face here is along a line of fault. 



The abundance of monadnocks in this district would indicate 

 that, during the period of Cretaceous base leveling, the main 

 divide of the southern district must have been hereabout, just as 

 it is now, since the rocks are not more resistant here than else- 

 where. They must therefore owe their preservation to favorable 

 position. 



Among the high Adirondacks in Essex and Franklin counties 

 the country is still more rugged and uneven than in Hamilton, so 



*On a small scale these features are well shown on the " Map of New 

 York showing the Surface Configuration and Watersheds," recently pub- 

 lished by the State Museum. 



