New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-01
RICH MANHATTAN ROCK
Cluster of GarnetS Found IN
Uptown Excavation.
PRECIOUS FINDS RECORDED
John Coombs, Contractor, Has
Often Dug Up Veins OF
Quartz Bearing Rock.

The finding of a small cluster of garhets
I'm a stone I'm an excavation in Herald
SQUARE has recalled other finds Of the same
Kind that have been made in New YORK
and has led many persons TO wonder wha'
veins of precious metals or deposits OF gems
may be cut by the new deep lever water
tunnel that I'm some places VIII be u" lee.
below the surface OF the island. Much OF
the rock formation OF Manhattan Island Is
granite and syenite, a variety OF sranlte'
both of which are prolific of mineral de-
posts in other parts Of the country.
Some of the largest silver mines OF the
world have been found In syehlte loIi"
tions. Gold bearing quartz veins also occur
in syenite and granite, and particularly oi'
the contacts between granite and lime OF
porphvry. and sporadic clusters or the less
valuable precious stones are frequently
found I'm granite.
Twenty wears ago, when Jonn Coomos'
a Harlem contractor, was eXcavatlnS lor
stable or the lot which is now the eastern
most mart of Andrew Carnegie's property
AZ Goth street and Fifth avenue, his work
men broke omen rock which was filled
with earnets hardly larger than pinheads'
Mr.. Coombs had other pieces OF rock lloi''
the same hole broken open ana louhu sdi
nets I'm nearly all of them. The owner VI
the property took some OF the rock 10 "
Iapidary, who said that the gems were true
carnets. They were not large enough, no"
ever 70 be commercially valuable. and the
indications were that it would not pay
70 undertake extensive mining operations
in that locality I'm search of a garnet mine.
The store was piled up and sold for three
cents a cubic foot for foundation walls
which is thought TO have established ne"
low level In the price of garnets.
few years later Mr.. Coombs found de-
posits of garnets at 1Olst street and Lex
ington avenue, where he was eXcavating FOR
The foundation for "A row of tenement
horses The excavations extended from
iootb to 10lst street and cursory exafnl-
nation showed that garnets were to be
found I'm the rock over the whole tract AS
I'm the other case though, the stones were
not large enough TO be OF commercld'
value.
one discovery made at this point was not
followed up Mr.. coOmbs found not only
the garnet deposit, but vein OF gold pear
ing quartz containing free gold. Inc VEN
was about three inches wide, running III
lie north of east and with pitch OF forty
degrees TO the north. A blast showed up TWO
pieces Of the quartz showing free gold Mt.
Coombs took them TO a 1eweller ana mad
sticl;pins made Of them, but he was in
hurry to finish the excavation and made
no attempt to follow the vein, nor did he
have the rock assayed.
At 4th street and Madison avenue when
excavating for vault under the sidewalk
Mr.. Coombs came upon boulder Weighing
about twenty tons. Blasting opened up a
rock showing the sulphites of many metals
and a variety Of precious stones. Experts
from the Metropolitan Museum said that
the boulder was a meteor
In blasting for the foundations for the
22d Regiment Armory, at 9Th street and
Columbus avenue. n section OF petrliied tree
trunk about two feet In diameter and three
feet long was found Mr.. Coombs put this
aside TO give to the Metropolitan Museum,
but workmen, not knowing what II was
broke it up and sent it to the dump.