272 



Report of the State Geologist. 



Split Rock, the water-lime layer is separated from the grey Onondaga lime- 

 stone by only two inches of coarse lumpy shales. 



At Walker's quarry, at Marcellus falls, five miles west from Split Rock, 

 eleven feet of line dark limestone intervenes, which at Corrigan's, at 

 Skaneateles falls, six miles further west, has increased to twenty-one feet, 

 nine inches, and the Stromatopora bed, two feet, six inches thick, appeals in 

 characteristic form. 



Economically considered, at least, all of the limestones lying between the 

 gypseous shales and the Oriskany sandstone belong together. A large 

 majority of all the quarries in the county are located in this horizon. From 

 the purer layers, especially the Stromatopora beds locally known as the 

 "diamond rock," is derived all of the quicklime produced in the county, and 

 the whole group furnishes an unlimited supply of easily worked, durable 

 building stone and road metal that is easy of access, and contributes very 

 largely to the prosperity of the county, and gives employment to a large 

 number of its citizens. The Lower Helderberg or "blue" limestone is used 

 principally as cellar or foundation stone, the Onondaga or grey limestone 

 being generally preferred for cut work and dimension stone. Grace church on 

 University avenue, Syracuse, and St. Mark's church, in the western part of 

 the city, both handsome edifices, are built of this rock in broken ashlar, 

 trimmed with hammer dressed Onondaga limestone. The large flouring mill 

 at Manlius, the Onondaga county almshouse at Onondaga Hill, and many 

 other buildings used for business purposes or as residences were constructed 

 of stone from these beds. It is much used also for road making, as it breaks 

 easily into sharp angular fragments, making excellent material for that pur- 

 pose, and for mixing with cement and sand to make concrete. A. E. Alvord 

 has a steam crusher at his quarry on the north side of Rock Cut, near the 

 Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad, which gives employment to 

 seventy-five men. The output from this plant last year was 27,000 cubic- 

 yards. Britton <fc Clark's annual output averages 5,000 cubic yards, and it 

 is produced in smaller quantities at several other quarries where it is broken 

 with hammers. 



The process of manufacturing quicklime from the "blue lime" layers is 

 the same as that employed in making cement from the water-lime layers, 

 except that it is not necessary to grind the calcined rock, as it slacks on 

 the application of a suitable quantity of water, and becomes a fine white 

 powder, and is then ready for use. Some of the principal producers of 

 quicklime are: 



