ONONDAGA COUNTY. 
281 
of that deposit. When too late for insertion in this report, the Geologist of Virginia, no 
doubt, will have removed all obscurity. The facts observed, in few words, were these: 
The valley is placed between two ridges, and is flat and covered with rich soil, in which 
are the salt wells, and from which gypsum and the calcareous greenish and variegated red 
marl were thrown out in their excavation. On the east side of the valley is Chesnut ridge, 
the layers of its rock dipping from the valley. It is composed of the limestone which extends 
from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, and is the equivalent of the calciferous sandrock of New- 
York. On the west side of the valley, rising also above its surface, are layers of limestone 
and shale, a part of the latter being slightly bituminous; these dip also from the valley, and 
at a higher angle : they contain the fossils of the carboniferous rocks. Between these depo¬ 
sits and the Holston river, are low hills of dark-colored encrinal limestone, in which no fossils 
were found as a guide to its position ; but a few loose stones with fossils were picked up, 
which were referable to the Trenton limestone. West of the river, and dipping in the same 
direction with the limestone, and therefore apparently under it, were slaty layers with vege¬ 
table impressions. Back of these were olive and other colored sandstones, very hard, form¬ 
ing Brushy mountain, having Flat-top mountain in its rear, and rising to a considerable height; 
the layers of which were horizontal and undistinguished, the upper ones of white sandstone 
withFucoides harlani; below, a red sandstone; under which were a series of layers, com¬ 
posed of limestone and fine-grained olive sandstone with shells, referable rather to the sand¬ 
stone shale of Pulaski than to any other known rock. 
These facts show that great derangement there exists, on no less than two or three paral¬ 
lels ; that nothing was discovered to show that the Saliferous deposit was more modern than 
the Coal era ; that from the existence on both sides of older New-York rocks, and from simi¬ 
larity of its own associates with those of New-York, there being no other deposit with like 
associates in the United States, the evidence is altogether favorable as to identity of age or 
era.* 
From the fact made known by the deep boring at Salina in 1838, as detailed in the report 
of the following year, it was evident to Judge Allen, the Inspector, that so long as there ap¬ 
peared to be connection with the ancient excavation, there was brine ; but towards the deepest 
part of the boring, (the whole being six hundred feet,) there was no reason to believe that 
any existed, mother than that of the reservoir. 
From the facts which repeated borings have made known, it is certain that the whole of 
the salt waters of Syracuse, Salina, Liverpool and Geddes, have a common reservoir; and 
the borings show that a deep excavation exists in Onondaga valley and its prolongation north, 
which has been filled up with sand and rolled stones chiefly, with the exception of the part 
occupied by the lake. So different is the nature of the mass in which the excavation was 
* Since this article was written, a conversation has been held with Prof. W. B. Rogers, the Geologist of Virginia; and from 
his statement, it appears that the opinion above maintained is incorrect; the evidence showing that the deposit in question belongs 
to a different age from either the New-York or the Cheshire deposits, being above the former and below the coal, and forming a 
part of the Old redsandstone or Catskill group ; thus adding another deposit, with respect to age or era, to those already known. 
Geol. 3d Dist. 36 
