PRIMARY ROCKS. 521 
structure. This occurs on the Fourth avenue, in the railroad cut at the south opening of the 
tunnel. 
“ As before stated, the gneiss on the western side of the island so abounds with veins 
of .granite parallel with the strata, that in many places they constitute the chief material of 
the rock; and will, I doubt not, at a future day, be wrought for useful purposes. This 
has indeed been the case to some extent. Many sloop-loads of stone cut for culverts and 
other faced work on the Croton aqueduct, have been prepared from the material furnished in 
opening the Tenth avenue, and delivered. It is a fair granite, specimens of which I have fur¬ 
nished and labelled ‘ Granite from Tenth avenue, near Fortyeighth-street.’ The granite pre¬ 
vails more or less from Thirtyfirst-street on the west side, and from Twentyfourth-street in 
the middle, to Sixtieth-street on the north, and most of it runs out southwest of Bloomingdale 
road. I am fully convinced that in cutting through the streets and levelling the lots, a large 
amount of excellent building material will be furnished, and will be a source of profit at a 
future day. 
“ The stone furnished for the aqueduct was delivered at the dock near the place of con¬ 
sumption, at one dollar or one dollar and twelve and a half cents per cubic foot, dressed for the 
work ; which, I was informed by one of the contractors, was about the same as it would cost 
to get them out and put them in shape, when equally good materials could be furnished on 
the spot. This circumstance is explained by the fact that those who furnish it were con¬ 
tractors with the corporation of the city for opening the avenues on the island, where they are 
paid a certain amount, not exceeding one dollar or one dollar and ten cents per cubic yard, for 
removing the stone out of the way, and are at liberty to make such use of it as they please. 
The cutting of the stone, therefore, after it is removed from the quarry, is the chief expense 
to the furnisher ; this shows why it can be furnished at so low a rate. The amount paid by 
the corporation for removing loose earth varies from twelve to thirty cents per cubic yard, 
according to the nature of the earth to be removed, and the distance to be carried to get it out 
of the way ; the most common price is eighteen cents, and the same price is paid for filling 
in valleys, whether with stone or earth; and if it is done by the load, as is frequently the 
case, nine cubic feet make a load for one horse. 
“ Where rough stone are furnished for basements and other rough work, they are delivered 
at one dollar a load, so that contractors sometimes get pay for excavating, and also for the 
material excavated, expense for carting excepted.” 
The anthophyllite rock of this section of the island has been described under the Metamor- 
phic rocks. 
The section of the island lying between the Harlem and Manhattanville valley and'the 
northern extremity of the island, commences on the east side, “ at the northern limits of Har¬ 
lem village, a few hundred yards northwest of Harlem bridge, and at about 134th-street; and 
on the west side of the island at the village of Manhattanville, at about 128th-street, and ex¬ 
tends in a northeasterly direction to Kingsbridge, a distance of not far from five miles. This 
section, though rough and broken, is less so than the northern part of the last described. 
Geol. 1st Dist. 66 
