The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-04
HUDSON UNKNOWN
TO BIOLOGISTS.
Strange Facts That Have Been But
Recently Made Public.

Strange Facts That Have Been But
Recently Made Public.
From the Catskin On. ~ Examiner.
While a great deal OF work has been
done by the United States geological
survey and by the State OF New York,
both in conjunction and separately, to
determine the geological formation OF
different sections OF the State and secure
other interesting and important data,
geological surveys Of the Hudson River
have been strangely neglected.
This neglect has been brought strong
ly to the attention OF the press by its
logical formation OF the river and sound
ings for rs bed, in connection with state
ments recently made by William H.
Burhans. Of Kingston. in a letter TO the
New York World, to the effect that the
Hudson is bottomless. Mr.. Burhans letter
grew out OF the criticism by the World
Of the expenditure of Sls1,ooo,oOO by the
city Of New York on the Ashokan project.
and particularly the expenditure OF more
than $4,000 TO a contracting firm TO
make bor!ngs, which firm abandoned the
undertaking at Storm King because the
city would not pay for the work already
done.
The press expected that It would be
able to get definite information from
either the State or national government
in regard to the Hudson for the benefit
Of readers, but the river has not been
given the attention that the mountains
and level sections OF the State have re-
ceived.
DR.. John NJ. Clarke, State geologIst Of
New York. who is also director OF the
New York State Museum at Albany.
first quotes the result of the work done
by the New York City water supply en-
gineering force. He says:
The operations Of the engineering corps Of the
New YORK City board q water supply in seeking
The rock bottom Of the Hudson River az the High
lands have finally resulted according 10 latest &C
counts, in striking rock at a depth Of Sos feet BE-
low the river bed. Though the drill penetrated the
ward lost, II Is believed that the actual rock bot
tom was touched. and not some loose rocky mass.
This result, however. awaits corrob0raticn There
hare never been serious doubts IN the minds Of
biologists who have gFen the subject adequate col-
siceraticn that the course Of the Hudson River
through the Highlands outlined and directed
BY profound fault Displacement The steep bound
ms masses q the Highlands themselves in
dications Of this condition No efforts have ever
before called out the exact evidence Of the depth
q the rock bed q the original Hudson River. The
conclusions q the geologs; have bern largely baSed
on such evidences Of structure a. could be de-
rived fom surface observation. The lower Hud-
son is a submerged OF drowned river; Is rock bed.
now below the base level Of the river. mnst have
been once az IL. aud before that above IL
The presence Of fault line giving direction 10
the river does not imply b0ttoEnlesS chasm. The
blocks adjoining the fault mas have yRWned apart
az the top. but somewhere below they must aD-
pTuIimAts closely practically 10 unite II is
lnC0ncUiElbe that river should nOW lelgthWise
along bott0miess gorge. or that uch q gorge
could in any way become filed with silt owing It's
origin % deposition f7om the water.
II. c. Rizer. acting director OF the
United States geological survey. writes
No facts have been obtained b. this survey as
b the condition under the bottom q the Hudson
River. Some moderately deep borinsS west q Man
haitian Island have failed 70 reach bed rock but
they IAsSed through yery compact silt The tunnels
in process Of Construction under the Hudson
River mostly in this material. and there has
been great difficulty in making them strong and
water tight