The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-07-29

iiietefid WHICH Dy COpilnS HAS SIfcii Ort3ti y
the trap which we here find. Now it is evi
dent that the quantity of molten material thai
would penetrate this or any similar fssure
depends upon the amount of pressure exertet
upon the encased fluid mass, and that as soor
as the pressure ceased to be applied the fluid
would cease to arise.
Now we consider the applied pressure to be
the weight of the fragments of that part OF
this region which we have under considera-
ton namely the northern part of this red
shale formation. And as plank or number
of planks forming raft sinks into the water
forcing its way into its cracks until they
reach that point at which they float, so these
several fragments of the crust of the earth
resting upon the fluid mass beneath sank into
the molten material, penetrating every ifs
sure until theyreached the point at which they
fioated. And in this case the floating point
was reached before the molten mass extended
through to the surface.
Thus was forced apart the two layers which
now form the walls of the dixie. And since
the trap did not extend to the surface, the
rear wall would necessarily project over be-
yond the mass of injected material, forming a
roof over an immense cave. This projecting
roof by its own weight would have a tendency
to fracture just where the underlying trap is
acting as fulcrum, and sooner or later would
actually fall into the gulf below, and thus
contribute largely filing it up, to while the
ever-active influences of transportation have
completed the'work until now it requires an
eye trained to the discrimination of such
objects to ascertain that any such process ever
took place. Thessoil within the walls Of this
dixie is generally good, and is much less
affected by the vicissitudes of our seasons
than that upon the rear wall above described.
In some places it is basin like; but for the
most part it is divided into farms of convenient
size well cultivated and yields in proportion to
the skill and industry of the several husband
men.
To the south of this belt, the surface slopes
off to the Redshale valley rather abruptly I;
yet it is well titled and productive. At its
foot, as we might well expect, we find stretch
ing from end to end line of permanent
springs--strong in flow of water, clear and
cool.
In a section of this line along the southern
foot of the hill and about the foot of Sandy
Ridge, which may be theoretically regarded
dependence upon the swamps, from the road
leading from Ringoes to Croton, to the Tan
merry w. of Sergeantsville, thence to Head
quarters, to Samuel Higgins and to Carrot
Vandolah's, the south side of Sandy Ridge, is
a system Of lasting springs, the general APP
pearance of the waters of which is quite SINH
lar, being always clear and having tempera-
ture of 52o Fab. SO constant are these springs
in their flow, SO regularly found at or near
the same level, so uniform in temperature,
aud so constantly Astounding in the same mi
croscopic forms of vegetable and animal life,
that aim led to believe that although scat
tered along line three miles in length, they
are all exits or drains of one common fountain.
In order that may be the better understood,
allow me to theorize a little. During the de-
position of this formationeof rock kind of
chemical action was gong on somewhat akin
to that which is seen in the process of plating
silverware, in which the particles of silver
held in solution are gathered from all parts Of
the bath and deposited ON the surface of the
material to be plated, while the particles of
alloy or other metals in the bath may form in
other places sediment containing very little
if any silver. BY this chemical action while
the sediment which was to form the LAYERS
of this part Of the deposition was slowly settl-
ing to the bottom, 1.-THE silica or quartz forming
this stratum was sorted out from the other
ingredients held in suspension by the water
conveyed to and deposited in the place whore
we now find this great sand layer--the south
ern limit of which is the southern slope of the
Sandy Ridge; while the aiuminous commands
were transported farther eastward there de-
posted. and formed the redsbale rock corres-
bonding to this LAYER of sand.
Nov t,,is aonosit;a 90
ena rads,,a,a s,,r;,,,r ,on,1n : .IsS Fu
heinz also overla;d ~ 10 ~, -
j, a,e forna;no +y,a s,,,a ,oo,, 80 az .su -, ;,
,.o,,,l IL 4, ? ,a;.;a r :,
~ ,,,,,v;a1 ,satar s,,sr,,.,sas -. az
,,re,oo t,,a ra,s;a ar ~. % -
and its borders northward To the swa,nn.-N
w. with IFS own slope-unt;l HAVING filed
every fissure, cavern, crack and crannev. and
being walled in on all sides by the more i'm
peryious redshale. It seeks exit IN the form of
springs along line Of level the most fayora-
bic to its escape--this line on which is found