New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-06

the bed of that river In this alluvial tract,
wherever excavations have been made strata of
gravel, sand and clay have been discovered in
large quantities. An excellent quality Of white
pipe-clay containing large quantities of alumine
is found between Woodbridge and Amboy and,
in various parts of the district, number of ma
rine shells have also been found. There IS an
other strip of alluyal soil nearly twenty miles IN
length and about five in breadth, between the
secondary valley and the Bergen ridge, which
has been formed by the deposits oil the Passalc
and Hackensack Rivers. The basis OF this tract
is about fifteen feet below the surface, and is
composed of sand and Shells like the shore OF the
sen. From the vast quantities Of different kinds
of lumber found in this formation, buried at con-
siderable depths, it is not unreasonable to con
clude that the whole strata was once covered with
wood for when the New-Jersey Railroad was IN
course of construction, whole logs and trees, ex-
cavated from the soil, were used for Its tounda-
ton. There is an island which is sometimes
called ,Secancus situated between three and four
miles northeast of Jersey City, and which, like
the adjacent shores is chiefly composed OF red
and gray sandstone. At either end OF this hill IS
and elevated hight or promontory, when presents
a view of unsurpassed magnlhcence. The eeYa-
ton on the south end which is recognized by the
name of Snake HILL assumes a cOncal form,
and is composed of trap rock resting upon sand
stone, which rises into mural precIpces- with
masses of trap piled at its southern base III Gu
bcai forms
The lover of the romantic, as he stands upon
its verdure clad summit, can survey, almost at Its
base the sparkling waters of the Passaic and
Hackensack Rivers, as they drag their slow
length along through as it were, sea OF YER
dure He can also see on the western side beau
tiful ranges of mountains and populous towns
on the east the dingy, noisy and busting City OF
New York, and hear its bells tremble on the sur
rounding atmosphere, as their sounds reverberate
from hill to bill and mlnSle In the ar above On
the SOUTH the broad bosom OF the mighty ocean
stretches away in all its grandeur far as the eye
can reach.
The first range of mountains in this district be-
gins on the Hudson River and gradually rises
from Bergen Point, and is the boundary between
this State and the State of New-N0r for about
thirty miles when it debouches into the latter
State, and extends nearly the same distance iur
Their There is gradual descent from Its western
side to the Hackensack Valley but on its eastern
side it is rough broken and exceedingly preclplt
GUS Nearly four miles north Of Jersey City, at
point called Weehawk, this mountain assumes an
elevation of nearly $40 feet above tide water and
presents the appearance OF a perpendicular wall
On the eastern side of this mountain, where 1t
crosses the Hudson, it rises, in some places, al
most 600 feet in perpendicular bluff through
which large number OF assures vertically pass,
which have given to it the name OF Palisades. At
this point the ledge is almost entirely destitute OF
verdure but at times vegetation may be seen
shooting out from the creylces OF these basaltc
columns From the edge of the water to the base
of the hill there is steep declination covered with
stone, apparently fallen from the nights above
The greensboro of this mountain, resting on sand
stone, is OF higher shade than the New haven
sandstone, and is aggregated from hornblende,
feldspar and epidote, with which radlated and
compact prehnte is, at times, blended
At the commencement OF the Revolutionary
war metallic vein of ore was discovered, which
was subsequently worked under the supposltlon
that it contained gold. 1t is situate near the pre-
sent site of Fort Lee. Investigation, however,
has proved it to be nothing more than pyrlte and
green carbonate OF copper, with the matrlX quartz
dipping under the greensboro. There are two
other mountain ranges which intersect this coun-
try that assume quite important feature to this
part of my description. They take their rise about
two miles north from the town OF Pompton near
the primitive Highlands, running IN semtclrcu-
lar course distance OF some 10 or so miles. The
first ridge rises about % miles east from the Palt
sadcs; and south of Paterson, 1t IS not more than
twelve from the Hudson River The most eleya-
ted point OF these mountains IS northwest from
Pat oroon throo four miles, where 1t sud-
denly rises into a conica peak, resembling sugar
loaf and is called by the inhabitants Sugar Loaf
Peak" Its extreme elevation at this place IS
200 feet above the sea. The trap rock on this
peak is covered with q thin vegetable mold, on
which groves OF walnutg grow in rich and Iuxuriant
proiuson. From the summit of this elevated
knob little w est of North the green tops of the
Preakness ridges are plainly seen These ridges
extend for number Of miles iii length, and on
their SUBMITS are several natural ponds or lakes,
OF considerable depth and magnitude. Another
semi.cir ridge rises little north of this hill
and terminates near the Hudson 1t is detached
from all the other ridges, and presents maSnl-
lNyIT hll-
tween the Preakness ridge, the Highlands and
the Hudson.
There is another section Of this trap-rock called
the Totoway Mountain, which rises near the
Preakness ridge, not far from Paterson and at
the Great Falls it connects the Newark chain.
This ridge, in some places, is quite destitute oil
rock; but ON the east side there are number OF
steep lodges with dentiCuated mural faces, IN the
form of the basatic columns OF the Palisades. a
very interesting portion of this ridge is observed
in the shape OF q semicircular wall, composed OF
greensboro, with columns slightly projecting,
strongly resembling fertilization In ruins. Sand
stone of very fine and superior quality, OF the
red and gray classes, interspersed with mica, al
ternates with argillaceous strata, dipping under
the greensboro, with an inclination oil twelve de-
grees west, is found in this mountain and, IN
some places, layers Of bituminous coal, two inches
in thickness have frequently been discovered
No valuable beds of coal however have been
tOuHU Uulr IL IL huPPCStu 6idI IiiSSC 9N''t-4'
cate richer and more extensive deposits OF this
substance The whole surface Of this section is
abundantly covered with gneiss, granite, pudding
and sandstone, in masses, indicating that they
have been washed and rolled together. In the
greensboro Of this ridge there are sometimes
found chacedong, agate, prehnite, and mineral
somewhat analogous to, or resembling eachelong
Perpendicular mural precipices formed OF green
stone, with wide vertical fssures and amorphous
masses at their base are found at the Falls Of the
Passaic Much argillacaous matter is contained
in the lower strata of this rock, which, to great
extent, supplies the places occasioned by the al,
sence and deficiency of hornblende; The base OF
the ledge is a porous rock, posted in almost
horizontal line, and resembles the toadstone found
Attha Little Fall Of the Passaic there is found
fine grained isse sandstone, which rises up in
beautiful mural precpces, in which seams or YER
teal assures cross each other at various angles,