The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-10-20
mo. 36.

concretionary bou1ders over the heavy
bedded sandstone. This formation is
placed as Eocene equivalent to the TETON
of the Chico-Tejon series of Northern
California. About seven miles north
and east of the Vineyard hill, the strata
is somewhat different as well change
in fossils. Fossils here are in heavy beds
in fragile sandstone, but, so much are
they broken land intermingled, it is diff
ficult to get good specimen. A Modi-
ola and Ostrea, with great variety of
other shells are found here. Near this
formation, about twenty feet below the
Surface, in blackened, hard sandstone,
the imprint of a leaf is obtained, resem-
bles sassafras. South of Corvallis. on the
Foster ranch, is an excellent point for
observation. There is a-steep and almost
dry creek, the strata bare for perhaps
500 feet. At the base of this lies up-
wards of 100 feet of black indurated clay.
In this clay nodules are found, COM
posed of grey clay, wood, and, in which,
Ieredos occupy most of the substance
of nodules. The strata above this, all
the way up the hill, is thin, and, with
the exception of two beds of sandstone
about eighteen inches, light in color of
two shades, all the rest were of black.
rusty or tawny color. The rock gener-
ally is hard and tough while igneous
rock is found not far away; none is seen in
this vicinity. In thin shale composed
n the outside of black clay, a wedge
of chalk in rounded forms appear.
but, since deposited, silica is mixed
in. Many very small fossil shells were
found, chiefly two or three forms of
Ostrea
On the south of this hill one or two
miles away from this point, about half
way down the hill, a bed of intrusive
igneous rock about two feet thick is
found. Sandstones generally lighter in
color; much sulphur appears in sand
stone below intrusive rock. Near the
sulphur bed of bituminous coal, about
eighteen inches thick; laying upon the
side of the hill and about one foot under
the soil, slide. Coal is much impreg-
mated with silica and is worthless Thin
veins. in place, of the same coal on the
other side of the hill, burned freely and
made good coke or cinder This location
furnishes fossils which have not yet been
found elsewhere in this county. The
strata is about level, while the Eocene
dips generally to the north. It is be-
1ieved to be lower in formation and may
be the equivalent of the Chico of Califor-
mia,
The Miocene hills, though of consid-
cradle height, are much erodsa by water
or by slides, but generally by quiet
methods. It is not uncommon to see one
of those hills present verticle wall 100
feet high or more. Its strata will con-
sists of two or three colors of clay, often
sour Or acid. There will also be a few
beds of sandstone thirty or forty feet
apart, or one heavy bedded layer, the
rest of clay. There is yellowness and
a freshness in the appearance of the
strata which hardly applies to the Eocene
and not at all to the lower portions of
the strata of this age. Its fossils, except
perhaps in few instances, show wide
departure from our lowest formation in
valley. But, if there is SO wide depar-
ture in the strata so nearly related, what
shall be said of the comparison between
the Miocene and the oldest formation3
It is true there are hills made up entirely
of bedded sandstone or shales, but they
are SO much alike, more need not be
said
[To BE CONTINUED.