The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-07-19
For TI'inE R'rl,ooRn7


FossrLs IN 4 QuARRr NEAR Woons VILE,
N. jim Mercer county, about two miles
southeast Of Woodsvillcs on lands owned by
James Hill, and his neighbor Burrows, Is 8
quarry Of fat stone, that is now successfully
worked, and supplies Trenton and other plac-
es with very choice flag stones. At this guar.
Fry, in size and smoothness we think the most
fastidious cannot fail to BE- suited. Flagg'ng
that ranges in width from one to four feet, is
as fine as can be found anywhere. Nor can
we give less favorable account Of the grade
Of curbstones that we here see ready for the
market.
Should sny one desire to have seamless
stone door In bis kitchen or cellar, we think
that at this quarry he can get the stone that
win supply his want. We took the liberty to
measure some Of the largest stones that SEEM
ed to be ready for the market. The largest
one accessible to us, had length of 16 f.,
width Of nine feet, and thickness ranging
from four to nine inches.
Although we recogniseaAhat In this quarry
there is vastdeal peculiar to the nsefularts,
yet this was not the element that most at
traeted our attention. A wealth peculiar to
sciences interested US more.
Upon the surface of one of these large
stones We counted eleven well-marked fossils.
They are all of vegetable origin. and the sur
face of some Of them Is so-highly carboniz-
cd, that it glisten's like stove coal. Upon
measurement, we found the width of one of
them--perhaps section ii 4 tree fern--to be
eight inches. We recognised several eaiamites
--ohe of them about two inches wide, and
some six feet long. We also noticed few
fossils of trailing plant--no doubt of aauat-
ic habits.
We carefully searched for fossiiized traces
or markings Of reptiles but we found none.
The evidences are that the materials enter
ing into the composition of these fine flag
stones were deposited in fresh water that was
very shallow. Perhaps the strata originally
was much more horizontal than they are at
present Yet to account for their present in
clnation toward the northwest, with dip
Of twenty degrees as we here find it, is not
within my ken.
If we mistake not, this quarry is part of
tuo eoutuotu liduk w COuCcditu DdodlttC
dixie and the firmness of this rock depends
upon its proximity to one molten mass of bas-
salt that now lies concealed in massive form
in the narrow valley that extends between
Burroughs hill and the sharp ridge just south
Of Woodsvile,
bikes of bassalt concealed from view chiefly
by the crumbling disintegration, and out
spreading of the decomposed rear walls there
of are of very frequent occurrence in the trias
of N. J. OF this character is the core of the
Swamp Ridge. But perhaps we could not
find near at homo better specimen Of geo.
logical structure than this one--extending
approximately northeast and southwest to
the north of the quarry which we have just
been describing. The abrupt, projecting
edges of he two ridges crossing the road be-
tween Woodsville and Burroughs. together
with the rich alluviai valley intervening, are
good types of the Rankings of concealed
dykes. &c. w. LARSON.
Ringoes, N j., July 12th, 1876. :