The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-13

a metallic vein of ore discovered, and it was,
subsequently, worked under the suppositlon that il
contained gold. This vein is located at Fort Lee
Investigation, however, has proved IL 20 b. nothing
more than pyrite and green carbonate of copper.
with the mairx quartz dipping under tho green
stone There are TWO other mountain ranges which
intersec this country, which assume quite an i'm
portant feature 10 this part of our description. They
take the ir rise about two miles north Of the town
of Pompion near the primitive Highlands rua-
ming In a semicirculdr course a distance OF
some 20 or 30 miles. The first ridge rises about
% miles east from the ilisades, add south of Pa
terson II is not more than IL miles from the Hudson
river. The most elevated point of these mountains
is northwest from Paterson some three or four
miles, where il suddenly rises into conica peak,
resembling sugar loaf, and is sometimes 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, covered with
a thin vegetable mould, on which groves Of
walnut grow In rch and luxuriant profision. From
the summit of this elevated knob, litlle west Of
north, the tops of the Preakness ridges seen.
These ridges extend for a number OF miles in ex-
TENT and on their SUBMITS are several ponds in
land lakes, Of considerable depth and magntui 10.
Another semicircular ridge rises a little north Of
this hill, and terminates near the Hudson Ii il
detached from all the other ridges, and presen ts
magnificent view Of the great secondary valley,
lying between 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 Paterson.
and at the Great Falls il connects the Newark
chain. This ridge, in some places, is quite desti-
tute of rock, but on the east side there are nun
Der OF steep Lodges, with denticulated mural faces
in the form of the basatic columns of the Palisades
very interesting portion q this ridge is observed
IN the shape Of semicrcular wall, composed Of
greensboro, with columns projecting, strongly re-
selnbllng foruficaton in runs Sandstone Of
very fine and superior quality OF the red aud gray
classes, intersprrsed wih mica, aternates with
argillaceous strata dipping under the greensboro,
with inclination Of twelve degrees west, is found
in this mountain and, in some places, layers IF BIZ
luminous coal, two inches IN thickness, have fire.
quently been discovered. No valuable beds Of this
COAL however, have been found, but 1t Is supposed
that these seams indicate richer and more extea-
sive deposits OF this substance. The whole surface
of this section is abundaniIy covered with gaess,
granite, pudding and sandstone, in masses indicat-
ing that they have been rolled In the greensboro
Of this ridge, there are sometimes found chalce-
dony, agate, prehRite, and mineral somew what re-
sembling cachelong.
Perpendicular mural precipices, formed of green.
stone, with WIDE vertical assures and amorhous
masses at their base, are found al the Passaie
Falls. Much argaceous matter il contained in
the lower strata of this rock which, 10 great ex-
tent, supplies the places occassned by the deicien
ey or absence OF hornblende: The base of tAs
ledge Is porous rock, posted in almost horizon.
tai line and resembles the t0adstone found at Der.
byshire. Embedded in it are frequently discovered
decomPosing minerals, with now and then small
quantities Of carbonate Of lime; and, in several
places, their decomposition gives cellular vol
canic appearance These cellular assures how
ever, have more probably been washed out by the
continual and steady falling sheet Of waters on the
rocks below. There 10 also frable amygdaloid.
with an argillaceous base, enclosing nodules q
carbonate of lime, of sphereidal, oval, or almond
shape, TO be found here, and these nodules, sepa-
rated from the base, present an exceedingly even
dark green surface of chlorte. Beaeath the
amygdaloid, the layers are red and gray con-
glomerate, united with red sandstone, and Of
TOO porous a nature to be Of any material service.
II abserbs SO much moisture that il breaks on be-
coming frozen. The bed of the Passaic is formed
by alayer of good freestone; and, in many places,
the greensboro occupies the summit, and is very
thin, presenting no basaltiform regularity Anal
cine, stilbite, calcareous spar and Carbonate Of
copper, zeolite, prehnitc and dathoie, are found
in considerable quantities here.
At the Little Falls Of the Passaic, there is found
q hne grained tssile Sandstone, which rises up in
beautiful mural precipices, in which vertical AS
sures, or seams, cross each other at various
angles, giving to detached pieces a regular
prismatc form, with three or four sides, often
tuncated on one more Of the lateral edges" In
other parts Of the Preakness ridge, similar rocks
have been found; and various marine organic re-
, mains OF the madiepores tubpores, pectnites,
erthacerites, have likewise been discovered These,
however, are generally found in argillaccous
base.
These trap ridges, between Springfield and Pa
terson, have been designated as the first and
second Newark Mountains, and Caldwell Moua-
tain. They extend, with great uniformity Of
height, in a southerly direction. The declivities
on the eastern side are quite precpitious, but their
western sides assume a more gradual SLOPE Mn
raj precipices are very scarce The only ones Of
and wherever there are lodges, the sides of the
mountains covered with small amorphous
stone. In the valley seen from the tops Of these
hills, fne red and grey freestone alternates with
shale Luminous coal In associated with argyll
laceous shae, in thin layers, and also in freestons
qusuies, in the vicinity Of the Passaic. At
Springfield, near the termination Of the Newark
Mountain, smoke and fame frequently issue out q
the trap rapges-csused, no doubt, from carbs-
mated hydrogen gas, and, in all probability, indi-
cate beds or seams Of coal below. There have
also been discovered, here, animal and vegetable
organic remains in the freestone; and, at or near
Belleville, tooth Of some marine animal, almost
two inches in length, was dug up, some years ago,
from depth OF fifteen feet below the surface.