454 
GEOLOGY OF THE FIRST DISTRICT. 
excavation is small, and apparently the opening of the quarry is but commenced. The refuse 
stones of the quarry are burnt into lime for manure, with dust anthracite coal, which can be 
purchased at the coal-yards in New-York for seventy-five cents per ton. 
The Eastchester marble quarry is near the road from Whiteplains to New-York, and near 
the left bank of the Bronx river. The marble is white and crystalline, and is distinctly stra¬ 
tified, though some of the strata are several feet thick. The dip is about 80° westwardly ; 
the strike N. 32° E. It is worked by Kane and Morgan, and there are few quarries in the 
country more extensively worked. They sell about sixty thousand to seventy thousand cubic 
feet of marble per annum, a large portion of which is in large blocks from two to twenty 
tons weight, for columns and cornices of large buildings. The heavy blocks wrought into 
the forms required sell for from four to five dollars per cubic foot; the smaller ones for one 
dollar per foot. This quarry affords great facilities for obtaining large masses. At the time 
of my visit, they were quarrying-a block one hundred and fifty feet long, eight feet thick and 
seven feet broad. This was then to be blocked up into such sized and shaped masses as 
might be desired, and which can be done with little waste. It was estimated that this mass, 
when blocked up and worked, would be worth twenty thousand dollars. This quarry was 
opened in 1822, and has been more or less extensively worked to the present time. The 
marble is transported five to six miles, and then shipped to New-York and other places. The 
New-York Custom House, the Brooklyn Exchange, and other buildings in those cities, are 
built of stone from this quarry. The heavy blocks are raised by a crane and screw, and 
swung under vehicles with four large wheels, by which they are transported by large teams 
of horses or mules to water transport, where they are put on board of vessels by means of a 
crane. They are landed in Brooklyn, New-York, &c. in the same way, and again swung 
under large heavy carriages, and hauled by teams to their destination. 
The limestone of Cross pond, in Westchester county, was also examined by Prof. Cassels. 
It alternates several times with gneiss in the breadth of one-fourth of a mile. He states the 
strike of the rock at N. 30° E., and the dip at eighty degrees westward. It may be seen at 
the south end of the pond near Mr. Knapp’s house, in the hill east of the house. 
Limestone interstratified with gneiss was also seen by Mr. C. on the banks of Long pond, 
and between Long and South ponds. It is supposed to range through both ponds. The 
strike of these beds is about N. 70° E., and the dip about sixty degrees to the south-south- 
east. Good lime was made from this limestone about twenty-five years ago, but the expense 
of the fuel necessary for burning it stopped the business. The gneiss (or micaceous gneiss?) 
bounds the limestone on both sides. 
Limestone occurs at Bedford village, opposite the boarding school, where it was examined 
by Prof. Cassels. But little of the rock was exposed to view, and he did not ascertain the 
strike and dip. 
About half a mile east of Bedford village, a bed of limestone was examined by Prof. Cas¬ 
sels. It forms a low ridge on the land of Mr. Frost, and was opened some years ago for the 
purpose of making lime. Good lime is said to have been obtained. The rock is granular. 
