250 
GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 
by the uplifted rocks. The first of these masses forms that fine section of country, in which 
Johnstown is placed near the centre ; the other, is the one through which Garoga creek flows 
from Ephratah to Palatine church. There are, besides these two large areas, on the north 
side of the Mohawk, a few insulated patches : One on Frenchman’s creek, in the town of 
Broadalbin; a second, back of St. Johnsville ; a third, on East-Canada creek, extending by 
Manheim bridge to the falls at the uplift; and a fourth, on Little Sprite creek. 
South of the Mohawk, the whole of that portion of the country, excepting a few strips by 
its border, is covered by the Utica slate and the Frankfort rocks; the latter occupying the 
whole southern half, and the former the space between those rocks and the river. 
These are the four important masses in the county as to the extent of surface covered, the 
others occupying very small areas. The Potsdam sandstone appears upon the primary at Klip 
hill, between the two roads which lead to Johnstown ; it is in small patches, of one or two 
layers, being all that remains of a once continuous mass. The same rock no doubt forms a 
part of the base of the calciferous, for the present united with it. 
The Birdseye limestone is quarried in the town of Mayfield, at Peter Fonda’s in Claus 
patent. It appears in two insulated hills to the west of Eva’s kill; in the small quarry on the 
west side of the dam ; back of Amsterdam village; and at the quarries of Tripes hill: the 
rock at these latter places is thin, and not suitable for heavy work. On the south side of the 
Mohawk, it first appears at Fort-Plain ; it is there in thick layers, and quarried for the canal; 
also on the opposite side of the river, between the turnpike and the railroad, forming the surface 
rock for many acres of area. A small quarry exists back of Palatine church, and the enclo¬ 
sures to the west of the village along the road are made of that rock. The two last places 
where it appears near the river, and is quarried, is at Smith’s on the south side of the river, 
and further west opposite to Lower St. Johnsville. North of the river, the Birdseye limestone 
is quarried near Crumb creek, on the farms of Helmick, Canada, and Klock. The last place 
where the rock was noticed, was in Garoga creek, near the village of Ephratah. 
The upper mass of the Black-river limestone, of which the birdseye forms the lower part, 
embraces the greater part of the grey limestone at Amsterdam village, the quarry at Schelpin- 
town, Stanton’s quarry at the east end of Port Jackson, Putnam’s quarry to the east of the 
village of Tripes hill, the west quarry near the river at the railroad depot, Sage & Reed’s on 
the opposite side of the river, and Humphrey’s quarry between Fultonville and the Noses. 
The Trenton limestone is but little quarried in any part of the county, its layers being 
generally too thin for building stone, and the birdseye and the intermediate mass being pre¬ 
ferred for making lime. Those layers which contain numerous shells, such as Orthis testudi- 
naria, are often used for fire-stone in asheries, the edge of the rock being exposed to the heat. 
The rock was seen in the town of Mayfield ; in two places in Broadalbin, to the east of the great 
VIie; at Amsterdam ; Tripes hill; Sage & Reed’s ; on the turnpike to the east of Caughna- 
waga ; along the south side of the uplift of the Nose, in the road to Root post-office, and in 
the creek to the south of Spraker’s basin ; at the dam in Canajoharie creek ; at Fort-Plain ; 
to the northeast of the quarry on the opposite side of the river, and to the west of the quarry ; 
