CORNIFEROUS LIMESTONE. 
143 
The quarry at the outlet shows from eight to nine layers of rock, the thickest three feet, 
the thinnest five inches ; joints in two directions, at nearly right angles to each other. The 
upper layer bends downwards, passing under the outlet, and forming its bed; occasioned, no 
doubt, by the removal of that part of its foundation. 
At the upper quarry the same layers appear, with those also of the lower part of the mass, 
which are better seen at the quarries beyond. At this quarry, the Onondaga limestone and 
the Oriskany sandstone are also exposed. 
The third quarry from the outlet, shows nine layers. The fourth ascending layer is pecu¬ 
liar : it is three feet thick, and presents numerous oblique divisions like laminations ; the angle 
of inclination being about 35°. The upper layer shows eight ranges of nodules of flint: 
they are here arranged in pairs, i. e. there is more space between every two ranges, than 
between each range. This fact may be general, but was only noticed at this quarry, from 
the unusual number of the ranges, and of the nodules of flint. 
There are three quarries still further east, all of which show lower layers than those already 
noticed, the last of which exhibits the upper ones also. The different quarries, as well as 
the outlet from the Prison to the lower side of the Factory, expose about eight feet of the 
upper part of the water-lime group, about one foot of the Oriskany sandstone, over eight feet 
of Onondaga limestone, and twenty-seven of the corniferous, exclusive of its upper member, 
the Seneca limestone. At the last quarry, the lower part of the corniferous presents nine 
feet of rock, in which, as in numerous other localities, shale predominates over the calca¬ 
reous material. This part is usually more fossiliferous than the calcareous portion. 
The last place in the district where the corniferous limestone is quarried, and where it 
ends, is at Springport, on the south side of the village. The lower layers are exposed at 
Mr. Ham’s quarry, and are but a few feet above the lake. Between the layers there is con¬ 
siderable shale, and the whole mass is of an exceedingly dark or black color; the layers are 
both thin and thick, and the former are used for flags. 
At a short distance to the south of Ham’s quarry, is the one which belongs to Howland, 
of which the following wood-cut is an excellent representation. It shows the upper part of 
the same limestone, with the parallel nodules of flint, upon which is the Seneca limestone. 
The layers of both are well defined, and show a dip wholly unusual as to angle, being about 
twenty degrees, the direction the usual one to the southwest. This quarry is of great interest, 
for the joints maintain their vertical character, those of the two rocks being coincident. 
From the fact that the joints in all the other rocks, as well as in the corniferous of every 
other locality, are perpendicular to the horizon, it follows either that they were produced sub¬ 
sequent to the change in the dip of the rocks, or that they are anomalous phenomena. The 
wood-cut shows the inclination of the layers, and the vertical joint. The upper part of the 
quarry is composed of the Seneca limestone, and the lower of the corniferous limestone. 
