388 
GEOLOGY OF THE SECOND DISTRICT. 
The thickness of the trenton limestone at Watertown, including the whole mass which 
extends south, and which is embraced in the section, is about three hundred feet. 
The natural joints as exposed on the northern outcrop, are N. 45° E. and S. 75° E. The 
former corresponds to the principal valleys of the county. 
Having given those details in relation to the position and general character of this rock 
which seemed necessary, I shall now proceed and describe its boundaries. I shall commence 
at Champion, near which place I suppose this rock to come up from Denmark in the county 
of Lewis. From Champion, the trenton forms a curve sw'eeping round to the northwest in 
the form of a high commanding bluff, till it reaches the Black river about four miles east of 
Watertown. It forms, for the most of this distance, the steep rocky banks on the south side 
of the river. At Watertown, a small broken bluff appears upon the north side, but extends 
scarcely more than half a mile. From the south side of the river, the broken edge of the 
trenton may be traced southwest twelve miles, to or near the lake shore, and about six miles 
north of Henderson. It forms a part of the rocks near the shore at Henderson. From this 
place it runs directly south to Ellisburgh, in which direction it continues till it passes into the 
county of Oswego. 
The southern boundary, or the line of junction between this rock and the utica slate or lo- 
raine shales, passes nearly northeast from Mannsville, in the direction of Adams, Whitesville 
and Tylerville. Between Adams and Tylerville, the utica slate crops out beneath the loraine 
shales, and forms a narrow curved belt, scarcely more than two miles in width. 
The geographical position of the trenton, then, is south of the Black river, between Cham¬ 
pion on the east and Hounsfield on the west, and Watertown on the north and Adams and 
Whitesville on the south. This forms the great body of the rock in Jefferson county. There 
are, however, several smaller patches which it is important to notice. Thus, after leaving 
the eminence upon which Watertown is built, and proceeding towards the west, we imme¬ 
diately pass from the trenton to the birdseye. This is, however, but a narrow belt, not over 
half a mile wide. After leaving the birdseye, we pass from it again to the trenton, about one 
mile below Watertown. The trenton at this point is merely a low narrow ridge, but it 
increases in width and height as it stretches away south ; and where the road to Brownville 
crosses it, it is equal in height to the hill upon which Watertown stands. From this ridge of 
trenton limestone we pass again to the birdseye, when about one mile east of Brownville, 
whence the latter rock continues to Dexter on Black river bay. The range of trenton, then, 
lying between Watertown and Brownville, stretches away to Sacket’s-Harbor, where it forms 
the shore of the lake. 
This mass of the trenton is therefore entirely insulated, or cut off from the great mass on 
the south side of the vein, and the cause of this separation has been detailed at some length. 
A mass just west of Watertown has been entirely cut out as far southwest as the lake, for the 
distance of ten miles, leaving on the west the ridge just described, which lies with its long 
axis to the northeast, coming to an apex about half a mile west of Watertown. 
