REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 



p33 



river. An anticline whose axis is crossed by the river is partly 

 accountable for the exposures of the basal strata. Its axis 

 seems to lie along the brook which flows into the Mohawk from 

 the south, about a mile west of the Little Nose. The great fault, 

 which is called by Darton the " Noses fault," begins south of the 

 river and bears off to the northeast in a somewhat sinuous course, 

 finally terminating, so far as present knowledge goes, in the 

 Sacandaga valley, Hope town, Hamilton co. This fault and 

 its influence on the topography of the country early attracted 

 attention, and the subjoined references will prove of interest. 1 

 The escarpment of Calciferous rises abruptly from the plain of 

 Utica slate to the east and forms a very marked feature of the 

 topography. It is the anticline however w T hich specially brings 

 the ancient crystallines into view along the river. A cross- 

 section is given by Beecher and Hall, which is in part reprinted 

 in Darton's second paper. 



Our attention has been specially directed to the characters 

 presented by the old crystallines. Beecher and Hall describe 

 rheiu as follows in their detailed section (p. 10). The Calciferous, 

 1) rests on a breccia 2) containing Potsdam sandstone, crystal- 

 line limestone, quartzite, etc. Xext follows ferruginous and 

 chloride material 3), affording traces of gold and silver and 

 regarded as decomposition products from the gneiss, increased by 

 some sedimentation. Lenticular masses of clay and chloritic 

 matter, likewise containing traces of gold and silver, belong to 

 this layer. Then follows decomposed gneiss 4), and ferruginous 

 labradorite 5), and labradorite 6). 



Mr Hill has visited the locality twice and has gathered a com- 



'Vanuxem, Lardner. Geology of the third district of New York. 

 1842. p. 203. 



Beecher, C. E., & Hall, C. E. 5th an. rep't N. Y. state geologist. 

 1886-89. 



Darton, N. H. Geology of the Mohawk valley in Herkimer, Fulton, 

 Montgomery and Saratoga counties. 13th an. rep't N. Y. state geologist. 

 1893. p. 415, and pi. 8. 



Preliminary description of the faulted region of Herkimer, 



Fulton, Montgomery and Saratoga counties. 16th an. rep't N. Y. state 

 geologist. 1896. p. 43. 



