Report Geology of Vermont
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REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY OF VERMONT: DESCRIPTIVE, THEORETICAL, ECONOMICAL, AND SCENOGRAPHICAL; BY EDWARD HITCHCOCK, LL.D., ALBERT D. HAGER, A.M., EDWARD HITCHCOCK, JR., M.D., CHARLES H. HITCHCOCK, A.M., PROFESSOR OF HYGIENE AND PHYSICAL CULTURE IN AMHERST COLLEGE. GEOLOGIST TO THE STATE OF MAINE. IN TWO VOLUMES. PUBLISHED UNDER VE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BY ALBERT D. HAGER, PROOTORSVILLE, VT. VOL. I. PRINTED BY THE CLAREMONT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, CLAREMONT, N. 11. 1861. NQTE. The Principal of the Survey desires to state, that the publication of this Report has been entirely under the direction of Mr. A. D. HAGER. In consequence of the great increase of the matter above the original estimate, the work has been a difficult one, and demanded not only much labor, but rigid economy, and great pecuniary responsibility and sacrifice. Yet, as the public will see, it has been carried through in excellent taste, and compares most favorably with the style of analogous Reports in other States. The citizens of Vermont are certainly much indebted to Mr. Hager for his faithful, judicious and persevering efforts - without which, these volumes never could have seen the light in a form so satisfactory. It is but justice, also, to say, that Mr. Hager was fortunate in securing the services of the Messrs. Goddard, of Claremont, for the printing. Had they not possessed unusual skill in deciphering illegible manuscripts and correcting proofs, in some cases where from distance or other causes they had not passed under the eye of the authors, errors would S have abounded where now we trust they are rare. And then the style of execution is highly creditable to the Claremont Company. Equally fortunate was the selection of Mr. H. F. Walling, of New York, to execute the Plates, and Mr. John Bruen the Wood Cuts. Higher wages would, indeed, have enabled them to give them a higher finish; but for the prices agreed 011 we think the execution highly satisfactory. pthth, LIST OF PLATES. PAGE PART III. Clay slate, . . . . . 489 PAGE Quartz rock, . . . . 498 Azoic rocks, . . . . 452 Talcose schist, . . . . . 503 Gneiss, . . . . . 453 Origin of gold, . . 530 Hornblende schist, . . . . 472 Steatite and serpentine, . . 533 Mica schist, . . . . . 475 Saccharoicl azoic limestone, . . 555 CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. PAGE PAGE Preliminary Report to Governors Hall and Deposit of frozen gravel and the frozen well, 192 . Erosions of the earth's surface, . . 208 Fairbanks, . . . . 9 LIST OF PLATES . . . 209 General principles of geology, . . 18 Gorge at Bellows Falls, 211 . . 18 At Brattleboro, . . . . Stratified and unstratified rocks, AT END OF VOLUME II. . . 211 Surface geology, . . . . . 20 Deserted river beds, . 216 Paheontology, . . . . 20 Pot-holes, . . . . . 217 Metamorphism of rocks, . . . 22 Purgatories and ancient gorges, . . . . 221 . . 23 Amount of erosion, Agents of metamorphism, I. Geological Map of Vermont. XIX. Lake Memphremagog, from Prospect . 222 . 26 Denuded strata, . . . . Former plastic condition of the rocks, II. Map of Surface Geology. (In front Vol. I.) Hill, Newport. . 224 . 28 Proof from the unstratified rocks, Conglomerates changed into schists, III. Terraces on Connecticut River. XX. Willoughby Lake. From the north. 226 . . 52 Tertiary strata, . . . . Classification of rocks, IV. Terraces at Bellows Falls and Windsor, XXI. The Chin and Summit House, Mans- . 228 Fossil fruits, . . . . . with a sketch of the former. field Mountain. Are these strata tertiary? . . 237 PART I. V. Terraces on Black River, the Winooski, XXII. Willoughby Lake. From the south. 240 Concretions, . . . . the La Moille, and at Newbury. XXIII. Sutherland Falls, Rutland. Alluvial and tertiary rocks: Alluvium, 55 Origin of the quartz fragments in the coal, 248 VI. Terraces on the Passumpsic and Winooski XXIV. Pico, Killington and Shrewsbury Drift, . 56 . 249 Simple minerals, . . . . Peaks. From Bald Mountain. Form and size of bowiders, 56 Rivers. VII. Terraces on Williams River, and at Brat- XXV. Cavendish Falls, on Black River. Trains of bowiders, . 64 II. PART XXVI. Lana Cascade, near Lake Dunmore. Striation, embossment, &c., 65 tleboro and Burlington. . VIII. Ancient Glacier Strife and the Geology of XXVII. Clay Point and Camel's Hump, Col- Table of d0ft and glacier strife, 66 Hypozoic and pala3ozoic rocks, . . 251 . Rutland County and Isle La Motte. chester. Predominant courses of the stria, 78 Laurentian and hypozoic gneiss, . 257 . 264 IX. Claystones. XXVIII. Deep Gorges on the Winooski, near Striation by ancient glaciers, 82 Potsdam sandstones, . . . . 266 X. Claystones. Burlington. Fractured and crushed ledges of rocks, 87 Calciferous sandrock, . . . . 272 XI. Claystones. XXIX. Moss Glen Falls, Stowe. Iceberg theory of drift, . 90 Chazy limestone, . . . . . XII. Fig. 1, Endoceros proteiforme; Figs. 2, 3 XXX. Middlesex Narrows, on the Winooski Phenomena of modified drift, 93 Birdseye limestone, . . . 279 . 280 and 4, Graptolithus Milesi; Fig. 5, River. Terraces and beaches, . 93 Black River limestone, . . . . 281 Isotelas gigas. XXXI. The Orvis Rocking Stone, Manchester. Details on the rivers of Vermont, 103 Trenton limestone, . . . . 301 XIII. Trilobites from Georgia: Fig. 1, Bar- XXXII. Manchester Village and Equinox Around the lakes, . 146 Utica slate, . . . . . . randia Thompsoni; Fig. 2, Barrandia Mountain. Moraine terraces, . 150 Hudson River group, . . . 308 . 326 Vermontana; Fig. 3, Bathynotus id- XXXIII. View north, from the observatory of Ancient sea beaches, . 152 Red sandstone series, . . . . 342 opyga; Fig. 4, Barrandia Vermon tan a; Equinox House, Manchester. Ancient sea bottoms, . 154 Quartz rock, . . . XXXIV. Equinox Trout Pond, Manchester. Fig. 5, Barrandia Vermontana. Champlain clays, . 156 Georgia group, ,. . 357 View from Brattleboro Common, in- . XIV. Prof. Thompson's Map of Dikes. XXXV. Fossil whale, &c., in Vermont, 162 Talcose conglomerates, . . . 386 XV. Sections in Massachusetts and Vermont. eluding Vt. Lunatic Asylum. Beds of Marl, 167 Eolian limestone, . . 394 424 XVI. Sections v, vi, vii, viii, and ix. XXXVI. Sheldons & Slason's Marble Quarry, Silicious infusoria, . 172 Talcoid schists, . . . XVII. Sections x, Xa, xi, xii, and XIII. \Vest Rutland. Fossil elephant, &c., . 176 The Taconic system, . . . 434 XVIII. Geological Map of Plymouth. XXXVII. Ascutney Mountain. From Reading. Theory of the origin of beaches, terraces, &c., 180 Upper Helderberg limestone, . 447 XXXVIII. Plymouth Ponds. From the south. Lake ramparts, . 191 LISP OF WOOD CUTS. vii PIG. PAGE FIG. PAGE 74 Saxicava rugosa, . . . . . 165 183 Section in Trenton limestone, Highgate, 285 75 Section in Champlain clays, St. Albans, 166 184 Section in Trenton limestone upon an 76 Section in Monkton Pond, . . 168 island, . 285 77 Marl bed in Derby, . . . . 171 185 Section in Trenton limestone, Panton, 285 78 Section in Alburgh, . . . . 171 186 Chretetes lycoperdon, 289 79, 801 84 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, Sketch- 187 Columnaria alveolata, . 290 LIST OF WOOD CUTS es of fossil animalcules in Vermont, 172 188 Escharopora recta, . 290 90, 911 92, 93, 94, Sketches of fossil animal- 189 Stictopora ramosa, . 290 IN VOLUME I. cules in Vermont, . . . 173 190 Stromatocerium rugosum, 291 95 Section in Dover, . . . 175 191 Streptelasma corniculum, 291 96 Ideal section, . . 183 192 Graptolithus, . 291 97, 98, 99, Figures illustrating the frozen.well, 193 193 Lingula quadrata, . 292 FIG. PAGE FIG. PAGE 100 Section illustrating the frozen well, . 202 194 Lingula elongata, 292 1 Ideal section of the earth's crust, . . 19 40 Section of a terrace, Bartonsville, . . 97 101 Old river bed, Caendish, . 212 195 Lingula obtusa, . 292 2 and 3 Sections to illustrate the permea- 41 Section of a terrace, Williarnsville, . 98 102 Old river bed on Poultney River, 214 196 Crania filosa, 292 tion of heat, . . . . . 25 42 Section of a terrace, Bethel, . . . 98 102 (bis) Old river bed on Quechee River, 215 197 Discina lamellosa, . 293 4 Plicated gneiss, . . . . . 27 43 Section of a terrace, Windsor, . . 98 103 Old river bed in Clarendon, . 215 198 Trematis terminalis, . 293 5 Folded layers of gneiss, . . . 28 44 Section of a terrace, Vernon, . . 99 104 Old river bed in Pittsford, . . 215 199 Strophomena alternata, 294 6 and 7 Indented pebbles, Newport, R. I., 30 45 Alluvial segregated veins, . . . 99 105 Old river bed in Newfane, . 216 200 Leptama seneca, . 294 8 Surface of conglomerate, Wallingford, . 32 46 Section in a terrace, Saxton's River, . 101 106 Old river bed in Plymouth, . 217 201 Orthis testudinaria, . 294 9 Section in conglomerate, &c., Wallirigford, 33 47 and 48 Section of terraces in Northfield, 107 Gorge at Mount Eolus, . 219 202 Orthis pectinella, . 295 10 Section in Mount 11oiiy, . . . 33 Mass., . . . . . . 106 108 and 109, Valleys excavated at Whitehall 203 Orthis lynx, . 295 11 Section at Plymouth Ponds, . . . 34 49 Section of terraces in Hinsdale, . . 107 and on Poultney River, . . 222 204 Tellinomya nasuta, 296 12 Elongated pebbles, Wallingford, . 34 50 Section of terraces in North Vernon, . 107 110 and 110 (bis) Erosions in Sections I and II, 223 205 Ambonychia undata, 296 13 Elongated pebbles, Wallingford, . . 35 51 and 52 Section of terraces in Brattleboro, 108 111 to 160 Sketches of fossil fruits in Brandon, 229, 206 Bellerophon bilobatus, . 297