Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-11-02
UNEARTH Relics.
Subway Builders Find Well of
Colonial Times.
ALSO A FOSSIL SEASH0RE.

Evidence of Ancient Beach Dating
Back Hundreds of Thousands of
Years to Days When Most of coun-
try Was Covered With Enormous
Cap of Glacial Ice.
New York.-The work of excavating
for the new rapid transit lines in the
lower part of Manhattan Islasd has
revealed many interesting discoveries
from the historical standpoint in the
way of relics of colonial New York.
dating back in some instances to the
beginnings of the municipality, accord
ing to the Public Service Record. In
the excavation work on the Park place.
William and Clark street subway an
even more interesting and older relic
was brought to light in the shape of
fossilized wave ripples OF an ancient
beach, dating back possibly hundreds
Of thousands of years to the days when
most of the country hereabout was
covered with an enormous cap of gla-
cial ice.
This bit of ancient river shore lay
some twenty feet beneath the curb line
at the corner Of William and John
streets. Over it has passed for years
the heavy traffic of the city; all about
it and almost below it lie the founda-
tions of some of the tallest business
buildings In lower Manhattan. When
the picks Of the workmen struck into
the side walls of the excavation this
chunk Of clay. loosened from its set
ting, fell out. Workmen interested in
its appearance notified the engineers
OF the firm, and a photographer was
called in order that the form defined
might be preserved pictorially, for the
clay itself exposed to the air quickly
deteriorated and crumbled to dust.
In letter to James B. Walker, Sec
retary of the public service commission,
by Edmund A. Prentis, Jr., engineer
for the contractors, he said:
"The geological history of the ripples
is possibly as follows:
During or toward the end OF the
glacial period, While lower Manhattan
was submerged streams of water de-
posted strata of materials varying
from coarse sand to clay. This par
ticular stratum is a very fine grained
sand with large admixture, probably
so per cent of clay. The ripples were
made in shallow water, the agitation
keeping the lighter mica particles in
:4l~
quiet, We're deposited as a micaceous
dust on the ripples The next stratum
was then deposited, the mica giving
the two strata a perfect cleavage sur
face on which to break apart
Mr.. Prentis has also Informed the
Record that the relic was found in
what was termed in colonial days
Golden HILL" of which the name
alone now remains, preserved in the
Golden Hill building, at III William
street. At one time, Mr.. Prentis states.
stream ran down Maiden lane to the
East river from the vicinity Of Broad
way. On or about the line Of William
street another brook ran into it, which
latter had its rise at about Fulton
street and William street. This stream,
however, Mr.. Prentis adds, had moth
ing in common with that which pro
duced the 'fossilized wave ripples.
On the line of the old William street
brook, during recent excavations on the
Smith, Hauser & MacIsaac contract,
there was recently discovered the bot
tom of an old well in which were
found some bits Of crockery. This well
bottom was composed of half ships
water butt, which was in fairly good
state of preservation. According to in
formation furnished to Mr.. Prentis by
l. n. Phelps Stokes, the well was prob
ably dug within a few years of the
British occupation of New York city
namely. about 1919