The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-10-13


small pebbles (diabose) and occasionally
fine refuse from the securing ofpebbles.
Its cementing material or paste is lime
often in crystals-fat fesh-co1ored plates
and white pearly faces mixed with parti-
colored, round, oval or angular frag-
ments similar to the pebbles mentioned
above These, with the fine curves of
the lemon-ye11ow colored pebbles make
rather pretty rock when polished.
From this upper line down to the base
and extending on into the low lands mot
the valley proper about one mile, this
material is found, with this difference.
At the southern line it is dug from
beneath the surface about twenty-five
feet. When dry it is hard, white, cellu-
lar, and fine grain. The material Is a
marlite. Dip to the west, gently rising
also with the hill to the north.
In little material of this formation
which was sent to the geological depart
ment, Washington, in reply say: 1.-THE
specimens of Older rocks contain moth.
ing recognizable excepting single small
Rhynchonella which does not give much
indication of age" ..-.
From the upper line of the Breccia to
the top of the hill no rock exposures are
visible. excepting, near the central upper
portion, slide has removed much mate
rial, and left exposed an upright shaft
with base of grey metamorphic rock.
On top of the hill which for considera-
bic distance is somewhat fat large
quantity of black crystallized igneous
rock lay in blocks or boulders. Beneath.
is good soil. Timber growing luxuri-
antly. Under the soil few feet Is found
a heavy body of iron-stained residual
clay. This latter also forms the breast
OF the hill down to the pudding stone or
Breccia. Under and back of this residu-
al clay is metamorphic pyroxene rock.
This residual clay is the, decomposed
pyroxene material. Below and to the
east of the breast much of the lower
front surface is composed of igneous
workings, producing basalts, amygdal-
oids, etc. This amigdaloidal rock is lilac
in color. After it is dug from its bed it
is friable. & The amygdules on top are
not very large, oblong, and of irregular
size and form. When broken contain
fine silken threads of white, yellow or
green, while the lining of the shell pre-
sents, as it were, soft, cottony bed Of
similar co1ors as above. 80 - jt--
RED ROCK ! al "SBi'..I -
About the center of this southern face
and about one hundred feet above the
road is somewhat bulky deposit stand
ing in front with almost vertical face ten
or twelve feet high, running back into
the hill, or rather, butting against igne.
Gus rock, for it has been cut in two with
this material. The deposit in color is
bright, light red-but close to the intru-
sive rock it is of darkish brown. It is
interspersed with numerous fine white
ines-lime-after the manner of marble.
Occasionally darkish purplish spot is
found here and there. The rock is some
what porous. stands exposure to the
weather, and if cut with knife leaves q
gloss much the same as in clay or soft
magnesian--rock.' There is no sign OF
stratifcation, though the rock will often
break: as if of bedded structure. This
rock seems as if it might have come from
spring. o ~re '..3s "'' 90 !is.ti.
RED cLAys OR PAINT. .1na-
Below the above deposit and running
down into the valley, north and south,
skirting the range for. several miles each
way, occurring in beds a few feet from
the surface or again Just below the soil
is found b1ood-red deposit. When low,
it assumes the character of a soft rock,
mott1ed with white spots about the size Of
a shot When near the surface it is of
deepest red, entirely free from sand, and
in washing little if any refuse is left It
is found as far north as Calloway's, north
of the college and at the. foot Of Card
we'll hill. ....tf A.. ;.:.,,.E 81,
Running from Vineyards sotth, three
or four miles, at or near the base of the
same range, red mari crops out in round
ish swellings right along the distance.
but it is all more or less indurated. The
color is less bright and darker. ,i i.'
-st. coNGLoadERATE. DHe =
About two miles south Of Vineyards.
on the Gibson farm, upon spur stretch
ing to the east, at about fifty feet above
the valley, a small bed of cong1omerate
is found attached to igneous rock below.
and, surrounded and somewhat mixed
with the amygdaloids of the Vineyard
place. The pebbles here run much
larger than those found in the, breccia
before mentioned and, among which are
pebbles of hematite. Color Of pebbles
IS drab of different shades Composition
precisely the same as from the aresiduary'
clay from above, but now of 6ne grain,
spots of red oxide of iron running through
the base, the greens mixing and shad-
ing strongly both in pebbles and paste.
The latter is now porphyritic, flesh
color, of jaspery character Also mixed
in the paste Is found small black CLASSY
crystals and small fragments of the r-5
b1es. Around most of the pebbles case
of shell or lime one-eighth of an inch
thick has been formed, much like fossil
shells. This casing is now very hard
for, during long exposure the pebbles
have wasted away, leaving the casing