Bishop — Geology of Ekie County. 



325 



vicinity of Chaffee, Springville and along the slope of the Cattaraugus creek, 

 the deposits of glacial drift combine many elements of fertility and form a 

 rich and productive soil. As a whole, the agricultural interests of the county 

 are varied and include the principal branches suited to the climate of 

 this state. 



Springs. 



The hydraulic limestones at the foot of the Helderberg escarpment 

 furnish copious springs, often smelling strongly of sulphuretted hydrogen. 

 The largest within the county are located below the Fogelsonger quarry at 

 Williamsville. Within a quarter of an acre, sufficient water rises to run a 

 grist-mill. In searching for a source of water supply for Williamsville during 

 the past year the flow of water from these springs was measured by the 

 engineers and found to be one and one-half million gallons daily. 



In the bed of Murder creek at Akron, just below the dam, there are 

 several springs, one of which fills a five-inch pipe with cold, sweet water. 

 Another, twelve feet away, is strongly charged with sulphuretted hydrogen. 

 The gas-wells at Akron, Clarence and Williamsville have also tapped 

 sulphur water. 



Preglacial Erosion. 



The Niagara river, as it leaves Like Erie, breaks across the lower part of 

 the Corniferous limestone opposite Fort Porter. The river bank meets the 

 lake shore bluff near the New York Central railroad bridge over the canal, 

 forming an obtuse angle. About a hundred yards below this bridge, between 

 the railroad and the canal, is a small quarry from which stone has been taken 

 during the past season for canal repairs. The freshly stripped surface of the 

 rock I found to be smoothed and striated by glacial action down t<> within 

 two feet of the bottom of the quarry, or to about the level of the canal tow - 

 path. Below that were evidences of glaciation but partly hidden by earth so 

 as to render it doubtful whether or not the striae extended lower. From tin- 

 top of the bank to the lowest well-defined striae is thirty-seven feet, eighteen 

 feet of which is drift, leaving nineteen feet of glaciated limestone below the 

 surface of the rock escarpment. 



The layers next to the river were slightly terraced and the edges 

 afterward smoothed, showing that the rock was removed before glaciation 

 took place. The bed of the river opposite this place, as shown by the United 

 States Survey, is twenty-one feet below the surface of the river or approxi- 



