Repoet oe the State Geologist. 



15 



ward, and though quarried at several exposures for local use, it attains no 

 great thickness and bears but few fossils. The rocks of the Salina group are 

 shown to be of great importance. Their Lower layers, the "red shales," arc 

 extensively excavated on their exposures, for the manufacture of brick and 

 tile. This group is also the horizon of the salt brines of this region and of the 

 rock-salt beds so extensively exploited by the Solvay Process Company in the 

 vicinity of Tully. A recapitulation is here given of the history of the salt 

 industry and the mode of production under the control of the State, followed 

 by an account of the Solvay Company's soda-ash plant, and a statement 

 of their process furnished by the company for this report. The facts 

 brought forward show the enormous industrial importance of the enterprise. 

 The well records of the nearly forty borings put down by this company in 

 the vicinity of the Tully lakes are discussed and summarized. The impor- 

 tance of this industry is indicated by the statement that the Solvay Company 

 consumes 800,000 gallons of brine, 1,000 tons of coal and 1,200 tons of 

 limestone per day, and gives employment to 3,000 men. 



The gypsiferous beds of the Salina group, overlying those containing the 

 salt, vary somewhat in character, most of the output being from two shalv 

 layers near the bottom. The history and development of this large industry 

 is also concisely given, together with its mode of handling, list of producers, 

 their output and market. 



Under the Lower llelderberg group are considered the productive 

 water-lime beds. The lower courses of this formation are blue, comparatively 

 high-grade limestone, largely used for the production of (piicklime. The pro- 

 ductive hydraulic or cement rock lies in two beds, near the top of the group. 

 The mode of quarrying and treating this rock in the manufacture of hydraulic 

 cement is given at length ; account being taken of all the principal producers 

 and their output. Fossils of Lower Held erberg age are found both above and 

 below these cement beds. 



The Oriskany sandstone is shown to vary considerably in thickness, being 

 actually thicker at the western than at the eastern limit of the county ; in one 

 section within the county totally disappearing, so that the limestones below 

 come into actual contact with the Corniferous limestone above. It is fossil- 

 iferous, very interesting from a geologic standpoint, but is of little economic 

 importance. 



The grand exposures of the Onondaga and Corniferous limestones 

 render them of great importance to the community. Following an historical 

 account of the working, is given a description <>f the usual mode of exploit- 



