The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
STORM KING THREATENED.
QUARRYMEN PLAN TO REGIN
OPERATIONS THERE.

liz 1bhbo DCkhciALuAO W PhONCA ACCA
Mountain have scarcely died away. and the
echoes Of blasting on that mountain con-
tinue undated in spite Of its promised
addition to the State Park, word comes
that Storm King is to be the next point Of
operation Of the scenery despoiers. Tha
is to say, one result Of the effort to preserve
the banks Of h river may be to transfer
the quarries to the heart Of the Highlands.
to what has been called the finest piece OF
scenery on the Hudson.
The spot TO be attacked on Storm King.
which with Breakneok across the river
forms the northern gate Of h highlands, Is
the great cliff on the southeast face Of the
mountain. one Of the striking features OF the
scenery Of the region.
About seventy-lve years ago there was a
tremendous rockslip at this point and
thousands OF tons Of granite were hurled
to the base Of the mountain. At that time
Storm King Glove, to the south, now 30 wild,
contained a bustling community, and plans
were made for a town thereA
Unapproachable from the east except
by water, a long and tortuous road, remains
Of which may still be seen in the forest,
led to the foot OF the Glove from the inland
settlement of Canterbury. An iron mine
was in fourishing operation, as reported
by the State g~eologist OF the time, and
"Old Man Cronk" ran a brickyard there.
He and many Of his family and employees
are at rest in a tiny cemetery which lies
forgotten on the lower slopes OF Gro Nest
| Mountain.
After the great rockslip OF Storm King
a quarry was started there and many of
the rocks were split up as quarry stones and
used in buildings in New York and in the
| public works at Fortress Monroe and at
the Delaware breakwater. The mountain
itself, however, was never touched by
! the quarrymen. This is the sole instance,
with one exception, Of any important quar-
rying among the highlands on the west
bank Of the river.
Two years ago a second great fall oc-
CURED at this spot, and as the West Shore
| Railroad had since been constructed be-
meath the mountain the rocks fell upon the
| tracks, pushing the inner one ten feet east
| and throwing the outer track into the river.
It was At night and the f1agman had five
minutes to warn two trains, one coming
each way.
On the east side of the Hudson the only
quarrying ever done was carried on at
| Breakneck Mountain. 1t must be confessed
that this mountains beauty has, on the
whole, been greatly spoiled, now that the
crushers and other buildings have been
removed; in fact, it is a question whether
the preoipicee there nave not been rendered
even holder and more imposing.
This was due, however, more to the chance
| conf glIration Of the mountain than to any
intention or care on the part of the quarry
men, and the case is hardly likely to be the
same at another locality. In addition, il is
TO be remembered that these Breakneck
ouarrymen committed an act OF vandalism
comparable to the blasting away Of Indian
Head and Washington's face in the Pail
sades.
Years ago there was a noble profile rock
on this mountain which was a famous
object among the Highlands scenery and
was known as the Turks face or st. An
thongs face. The latter title still causes
confusion among tourists as to which emf
nence is Carbohydrates Mountain, the peak
opposite Fort Montgomery.
The Turks ACE fell in a mass Of ruins
one day after a heavy blast, and a notable
feature of the Highlands disappeared for
ever. The public indignation which fol-
lowed apparently disturbed the quarrymen
no more in those days than it does now,
for thousands OF tons OF rock were re-
moved from the mountain, into whose
side a great hole has been eaten.
The quarry there has been closed for
some years, so that at present no stone is
being cut anywhere in this picturesque
region. No other extensive work of this
character has ever been done IN the High
lands on the east bank OF the river south
of B~reakneck.
The one other locality in the Highlands
which has been mentioned as a qusrrying
point is at Round Island, the curious knob
of rock which rises from the river and the
salt marshes Just south of Iona Island.
Actually one-half of this island has been
removed, from its top right down TO the
shore line, and it is the most ~disfiguring
eyesore in the region under discussion.
It has been supposed by many persons
that the recent cessation OF work at this
plant was due to the influence Of the authori-
ties of the nearby naval station on Iona
Island, because of danger from the con-
cussion OF the blasting operations at Round
Island. It is also stated that the Round
Island plant will eventually be started up
again.
Lovers Of scenery may learn something
from this Round Island quarry and from
the one which existed at Breakneck il they
will notice the fact that this hard granite
rock has been put through crushers n
shipped away for road bull ding purposes,
thus proving to be false the assertion Of
certain persons that the Highlands rocks
are untitled for such use n are in no
dangerf from extensive Quarrying.
Not only for repairing roads, but also for
baIlasting and in concrete work the stone
men consider this rock worth taking into
consideration. They may prefer trap, but
they will not look aska nee at granite or
gneiss rock along tidewater, as the Sto rm
King project proves.
Not only for road material but also as
building stone the quarrymen have their
eyes on the Highlands hills. While it is true
that the presence OF magnetic oxide OF
iron makes much Of the Highlands rock
unsuitable for building stone, there are
large tracts which are free from this iron
stain.
The present gymnasium building at West
Point is built Of native granite, taken from
a point less than half a mile away, and all
the buildings which are to be constructed