New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-26
THE EMPIRE STATE.
Geological View of Newly Ork- The Trnnsl-
ton Formation.

Geological View of Newly Ork Ehe Ernnsl-
ton Formation.
The geological portion of this state which IS
properly denomin ated and known as the " rranSi-
ton Formation, is far less in lis sreal magnitude
than any Of the formations which we have men
toned or shall hereafter describe. ls begins at
the Northern boundary Of tho Stste trsverseS the
Eastern margin Of Lake Chsmplaln,ls then divert
ed in South western direction, and spreads itself
over great portion OF w sShington. Rensselaer,
Columbia, Duchess, Orange Sullivan, Ulster
Greene, Albany, Saratoga and Schenectady coun-
ties Should we, however, embrace in this clas
sifcation the lower secondary formation, the tran.
sition will then comprehend considerable central
portions Of the counties of Warren, Saratoga, Is
sex, Clinton Montgomery, Hamilton aud Frank
lin. We shall also fod that waving belt ex'
tending in a Northwest direction from Ulster
county, over Greene. Albany Schenectady and
Scboharie, nearly the whole Of Oneida, Lewis,
Oswego, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans and Niagara
1t also embraces part Of Montgomery and Her.
kimer Il runs into several other counties, and
as /. DIVORCES to the Westward boundary of the
State, il strikes Lakes Ontario and Erie. There
ia a considerable difference o. opinion among
biologists in reference 10 this; some calling IL
primitive and others transition.
This formation is based upon crooniierous
slate, upon which is poised sbusdance OF grau.
wacke and limestone much OF ,he limestone con
talns the varieties Of sparry, siceOus, netalli-
ferrous eeOdifer0us and cornerOus rock The only
distinction between the transition proper, and the
lower secondary depends Ia great measure upon
the inclination Of the rocks, and on the character
of their organic contents. In remarking upon
this part OF our subject il may not be unnecessary
10 state that the argillte base Of the transition
formation 10 more inclined tn that OF the seconda
~ In both, however, it is separated lntO clay
slate which Is nearly void OF sharp grit, and con
tains DO tale or mica. When IL IS Iound 70 DC
somewhat gritty it contains wAcke slate II IS
divisible into thin plates 10 is then used for root
ing slate when the natural cleavages are lined
with black glazing, il is called glazed sla'ei
when IL mbines with green flint II is known as
iasper slate; when indurst,d by alex Il 10 Sill
ceous state and. when il is found 10 be highly
charged with alum salt, it IS distinguished from
the others by the name of aluninoas slate. An
tbracite coal ferns, and a fe - animal remains are
now and then discovered in the glazed variety
Claw slate, belonging 70 the transition formation
ia found in the mountains of w llliams.own, and In
the banks and bed Of the Hudson river. WecEe
slate overlays the clay slate, most oil the way
from the line Of Massachusetts 20 Point aooa.
three miles west Of Cohoes Falls, and Is lnti-
matelv united with the former Rensselaer,, Chat
ham Columbs and Duchess counties abound
with roofing slate and, from Fort Miller 20 New
burgh Glazed slate is seen ia the bed and banks
of the Hudson river
Transition grauWacke, consisting OF Angular
ouartzose sand, united by an srglliacsous cement,
spaneled with glimmering scales, Is never ioand
above the calclferous sand rock, or netailiero0s
lime rock When the grains are so nae as 20
give Il homogeneous appearance, II 10 termed
erauwacke slate, and in This state u Is dlVlsloe
by natural cleavsges in thin and beantlt0i taoesi
when the grains are coarse and conglooera'ed' IL
is known as gray rubbe and mlii'tone BtELL
Chlorite sometimes gives green color 70 ootn
these subdivisions. The state OF tns formation
lies In nearly horizontal position, and predomi'
nate. on the inclined edges Of the ergllite, al the
way from Canada TO Georgia, wherever u 70 i0uno
In that range. The shswsngunk mountain II
covered with the gray rubole or mluhone gn.
20 -.Lsrever the wacke is discovered, IL is
for5d 20 contain milky quartz, calcsreous spar,
and de.sominated anthracite. In some localities
!, b. valuable building stone, bat in others i Is
uselegs in consequence OF being exceedingly Dit
lie. irregular and siliceous.
There 10 also q strip Of spsrry transition lime
rock. which consists Of carbonate OF line, inter
mediate in texture, and appears 70 be between
granular and compact. This strip IL sraTersed y
veins Of calcsreous spar, containing cnlorite sn2
calc spar. IL is frequently termed cnecqqereo
because /. il often CT. into small Irregular oiSo
by the spar. The compact is formed 500
New. Lebanon Springs the slaty aooa. .nnee
miles south Of the springs, on the nuasou ..
pike; the checquered near the sP'ln5s' 81 80
little Hoosic" The cslciferous sana rocA, COZ
stats Of ans grains Of qu.rtzOss sand, and csIDD;
nate of line united without cement, OF Wild smsh
ro-tions the reodnerous having numerous cur
Tilinesr cavities empty, or filed with Gale sPsr,
quartz crystals, bsryte', anthracite, or ., ososs
minerals different .. fC ~ The Vases the ootic in
n,-t oonposed Of oolise, Of dark color, near ga
rstogs Springs. This can be found At numoeriess
places. Agate Of a number Of different v.neses.
I. found in several places Il is found az Flint
Hill, opposite sprikers basin, on the honaws;