New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-10
A CoroNIzIyC GHAProuTE.

Another OF these curious craptolites is well worth
notcing Il il named RetcogGpfS cchdrtS Hail. during
its existence the compound forms OF the ANIMALS were
grouped in colonies and probably formed free, floating
bodies This specimen was from the Utica slate at Lake
ST. Johns near Quebec. Canada The fcathcry species
Prot Dana, following Prof Hall, thinks grew III great
numbers Il mndly sea-bottom, and probably IN sui
water a. depth Of hundreds Of feet But IA we rso on
the geological ladder in the upper Siuan period We ma
the graptocs becoming fewer, till at las, they disappear
But IL We lngcr to look at the specimens we shall nave
no time 70 hear the history OF this marvellous COLLECTION
10 learn the by which these treasures were brought
together from wide 10 perceive the relations
OF these fossils 10 the entire geology OF the United States
a. an index TO many Of its most important periods AT
the time Prof. Hall began collecting the science OF
geology especially in This country, in very crude
condition; that of paHontoogy far regards the
relations OF fossils strata scarcely he said to have
existed. standard work on this subject, published IN
1882. was Prof. Amos Eatons theological TEXT
Book" II contains curious figures Of the carth with
a "printye" or Clover carboniferous formation as
the lowest OF series OF strata that surrounds
an "unc xplorcd" center like the layers OF an
onion This clover carbOnifcrous" is represented as
In flames in the interior OF tho prominent mountain
chains which tilt up tho other strata on thc Sides ana
were uplftcd by explosive forces from within These
eternal fires figured below the base OF the Rocky ana
the Green Mountains. Between those ranges there are
four five series OF strata. "Thc third and fourth
SERIES" We are told, "mdy he supposed to have been
mostly deposited after the great explosion Each OF
the strata Is subdiyded into three-a "Quartzose"a
"carbonterous." and "ealcareous' formations these
three subdivisions being repeated in this order onion
skin fashion, for each stratum. and constituting It, In
this book also several fossils figured 1t was not at
all suspected at that time that the geology OF NewIork
State and its ncshboghoOd to afford the key 10 that
OF the whole continent Tho notion that there were car
bonferous formations at regular depths III each Oh the
great strata doubtless encouraged many OF the
frutlcss mining spCculaions OF those years.
All along the Mohawk River ard in the
counties bordering the Hudson men spent tme money
and toll in boring for coal wherever black slate was
found OF the records OF these fruitcss enterprises
arc as utterly lost the money that Was put III them
but 1t is still recOllected that at Utica the coal
seekers sunk a shaft through the slate to
depth OF 400 feet: and lawsuit saved from oh
lvion the facts OF where the walls OF SILK
factory were undermined by similar search. and
Profs Hail. slinan. and Hitchcock were summoned as
expert witnesses testify concerning the likelihood OF
finding a carbOnferOus stratum In that locdlity
Throughout the OF NcwYOrh, for many years after
the discovery Of Pennsylvania mineral treasures
borings continually attempted aud not less than
100000 known to have been thus expended prior TO
the organization of the State Geological Survey in 1886
Prof Hall had begun making collection OF foSsis Ill
1882 on this survey he at first assistant To Dr
Emmons The following the organization OF the
first New-York Geological Survey;
First District, under Lieut. Mailer, u = A.; New
York island, Long Island Hudson River, including
Albany. -
In Williams College: Adirondack region. Including Lake
Champaign and ST. Lawrence and Jcilgrsn C%nni,"s
Third District. under T. A. Conrad OF IhilaJeipha
Counties along the Mohawk Valley AMI southwar 10 the
Fourth District.
Fourth District under IArdner vanuvcm. professor
from South Carolina had been previously engaged III
mining operations in Mexico: Southern tier OF counties
At the end Of Districts changed that tho
Third terminated at Cayuga Lake AMI extended from me
Fourth District made TO include everything in the
State west OF line drawn north and south through
Cayuga Lake.
Dr. Torrcy then in the fllness OF hls fame bot
mist to the Survey james f. DcKay zooiogis Dr.
Louis c. Beck was mincralOgist These appointments
came from Gov Marcy. lie was taken to task about
them by one of the leaders OF his party
Really. nOw." said tho Governor, forgot to ask
about cir politics. 1t didn't strike me at the time
was thinking only OF their fitness FOR the Geological Sur
vey."
In point OF fact Prof Emmcns the only man on the
Survey, appointed by the Governor, who agreed with
him in political faith.
The fourth or western district Of the survey was be-
eved TO be the most uninvitng to the geologis 1t was
fiat country; il contained evidences OF eruptions
and the geology OF the day OF the descriptive sort
Prot Vanuxcm saw little prospect in this western dis
Iict and gladly abandoned 1t for that OF Mr. Conrad the
latter gentleman being appointed paltontoloSlst OF tho
Survey. The dcSpsed fourth district was at
last thrown to Prof.. llal, VINO was thcn d
Young man. IL was thought that Mt wOrs.
he couldn't do much HARM the region OF little
geological Importance. Perhaps ii the very
sty Of studying his Hat district, that led Prof Hall to
doubt the prevalent theory which regarded ear's sur
broken up 10y eruptcns from below and left about
as ice that is lifted by the floods OF Spring AT all events
in 1887 Prof Hall propodcd statement as to how tho
beds OF rock in New York really lay. He and Prof
vanuxem worked out between Them III 1878. the true
order OF the succession Of strata. and for the first time
the geology OF the State became possible. TIL
1871 they were still busy enough with fcldwOrk and in
determining the aterarhca formation Of the State;
but during that year Prof Hall began to carry his studies
westward TO ascertain what became Of the New-York
ROCKS All through Ohio he walked. from Cleveland to
the Ohio River aud GLOWING that TO Cincinnati In one
place he with difficulty escaped rough handling from the
AbOltOnists of river town. who supposed that he had
come from the other side Of Mason and Dxons ne and
was searching for runaway Prof. Hail extended
his investigations westward far As Dubuque; obtain
ing among large variety of specimens very numerous
fossils OF the Carbonifcrous period from ONO, Illinois and
Iowa; he had previously QS333i obtained many coal
plant fossils during lis excursions in Pennsylvania
and Rhode Island
The biologists the survey ordered by the terms
OF their appointment to provide, first one set OF seci-
mems for the State Museum second eight sets for the
use O. COLLEGES At that time specimens were selected
chiefly show the rocks The sendcrncss OF the knowi-
edge Of day the subject OF fossils Il cuiiousy Illus
trated by circumstance that when Prof Conrad, the
Paeont0ogst Of the Survey, was asked to furnish his
portion Of the State Report he simply resigned In 1913
Prof Hall took charge of the palaontOIogy and Prof
EIuuOns OF the agricultural Department.; the latter
worked up series OF volumes on agricultural products,
Including many analyses careful drawings OF
fruit aud Of insects injurious To vegetation
lie afterward went to South Carolina and died
there during the war Lieut.. MAILER, who had the
First District OF the survey met nearly 20 years ago.
flfe careful study OF the min
eraI region in OniO he selected locality the most
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