248 



Report of the State Geologist. 



this ridge is nowhere high enough t<> affect the drainage to any appreciable 

 extent, except as it forms the northern rim of a shallow basin from eight to 

 ten square miles in extent, known as the Cicero swamp. 



Diedrich's quarry, from which Niagara limestone has, for many years, 

 l>een taken for building purposes and for the manufacture <>f quicklime, is 

 located in the western part of the village of Lysander, a few rods south of the 

 crossing of the Main street and the little stream known as Ox creek, which 

 runs through a shallow north and south valley, about thirty-live rods wide at 

 this point. The rock is exposed or very thinly covered for the entire width of 

 the depression and on both banks for a short distance. A small quarry for- 

 merly existed on the east bank, a few rods north of the street, and another a 

 mile further north, near Baird's corners, from which a considerable amount of 

 building stone was taken. A kiln for making quicklime was located there. 



At Diedrich's quarry the stratum uncovered is about five feet thick and 

 consists of a number of Layers from two to six inches thick, of very hard, fine 

 grained, dark grey bituminous magnesian limestone. Some of the layers are 

 (juite even in thickness, while others are mere lenticular concretionary masses 

 and are very uneven. Thin scaly seams of black bituminous matter separate 

 the layers. Small irregular cavities, lined with crystals of calcite are common. 

 Fossils are very rare. The quarries mentioned have supplied the principal 

 part of the cellar and foundation stone used in the village of Lysander and 

 vicinity, and slabs of considerable size have been used for the covering of road 

 culverts and like purposes. A fair quality of quicklime was formerly made 

 here, and the ruins of the old kiln remain. The rock breaks easily across the 

 bedding with a straight smooth face and makes a handsome wall. Under the 

 chisel it has a slightly conchoidal or cuppy fracture. The thickness of the 

 Niagara limestone at this locality is unknow n. It was penetrated eleven feet 

 in a well dug near the residence of 0. 0. Brown, forty rods northeast of 

 Diedrich's quarry, and the bottom was not reached. 



On lands owned by Otis Bigelow, Esq*, two and one-half miles northwest 

 from Baldwinsville, the limestone is covered by three to four feet of drift over 

 several acres. Workings, known as Ham's quarry, were formerly operated at 

 this pi. tee. The stone used in building Houghtaling & Bigelow's large 

 flouring mill in Baldwinsville was quarried here, and it has been used exten- 

 sively for cellar and foundation stone, bridge abutments, culverts, and similar 

 wort in the vicinity. It was also used in the construction of the Delaware, 

 Lackawanna and Western railroad. The stratum of limestone is about four 

 feet thick in several layers, some of which are quite even in thickness. 



