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■J!'
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SCIENCE
A A
'"-AT
The Marcellu^dSr
PHILIP F. SCHNEIDER,
l
FOR
Onondaga Academy of Science.
SYRACUSE, N. Y.Recently Found and De-
scribed by Prof. Schneider.
SHARP FOLDS UNO FAULTS
At Maylie’s Quarry, Near Marcellus, and
Elsewhere-»“Formerly Believed They
Could Not Occur Here.
Some time ago while gathering data
for “Notes on the Geology of Ononda-
ga,” evidences of faulting were noticed
in the range of quarries extending south-4	THE MArCELLUS EAUTT.
east of the village of Marcellus. Subse-
quent examination revealed the thrust
plane of an overthrust fault in the quar-
ry belonging to William Maylie, situated
just east and north of the limekiln. The
fault was especially interesting at the
time for I was preparing an .account of
a somewhat similar occurrence in the
eastern part of the county. The interest
in these disturbances is general and lies
in the fact that they are found in the
midst of the heavy Helderberg series of
rocks which have been folded and frac-
tured to some extent and occur in the
very midst of the regular and horizontal
layers of paleozoic rocks in this their
typical horizon; and also in the fact
that the Salina formation, outcropping
to the north has been similarly disturbed
while eruptive rock from unknown
depths has been thrust up through sever-
al of the fractures
At the eastern end of Maylie’s quarry
the southern projection of the thrust
plane can be distinctly seen in the north
wall of the quarry. The hade of the
fault at this point is seventy-three de-
grees to the north. The plane of the
fault appears in a massive layer contain-
ing a somewhat persistent seam of flint.
This is fortunate as it gives us an easy
and accurate method of determining the
upward thrust which is three feet. Some
little care is necessary in making meas-
urements in this layer for the rock has
been badly fractured by the sliding
movement. It is of interest to note that
great masses of crystalline calcite have
been formed in this fractured layer, alsoTHE marcellus fault.	5
%
scaips and a few cavities containing
quartz crystals.
. By tracing the fault plane to the west-
ward its occurrence in some of the other
layers may be noted. A number of rods
to the west of the limekiln exposure is
a disused quarry where the thrust plane
and broken layer are clearly visible. The
angle of the hade at this point is seventy
and one-half degrees. About an eighth
of a mile farther west and on the south
side of the road the fault is plainly vis-
ible along the entire north wall of the
quarry and can be easily examined, be-
ing especially noticeable at the western
end. A very fine syncline occurs in the
south wall of this quarry, making a
marked depression on the surface of the
land to the southward, and leading to
another quarry in that direction where
the downward bend to the west may be
readily measured.
Mr. William Maylie, owner of the
quarry, takes an active interest in study-
ing out the problems connected with
quarrying in his interesting range of
quarries. He has traced the fault plane
through several disused quarries farther
west and has found the east and ^est
extension of the thrust plane actually
exposed for a distance of nearly half a
mile. He has also called my attorntion
to a curious formation occurring in the
lower part of the large quarry just
south of the road. It is a brittle shaly
mass of light color from three to six
inches in thickness and overlaid by a
thin sticky mass of white color. It bears
a close resemblance to putty. Specimens
of the shale and viscous substance have6
THE MARCELLUS FAULT.
been submitted' to Prof. Ernest N. Pat-
tee of Syracuse University for analysis
and the results of this examination will
be awaited with interest. Nothing of
a similar nature has been noticed in the
rocks of Central New York but it can-
not be positively affirmed to be a result
of the disturbance.
Mr. Maylie believes that the fault
could be traced still farther to the west-
ward, arid my observations would tend
to confirm this 'belief; it is also quite
probable that an examination of the
ledges and ravines to the east of the
lime kiln would show other traces of
the fault.
It was formerly believed that no flex-
ures or disturbances whatever existed
in the horizontally stratified deposits of
Central New York but recent investiga-
tion has shown the existence of nu-
merous sharp folds, and several small
faults and it is quite likely that faults
of larger throw occur although they can-
not be detected. Those known and de-
scribed include a displacement in the
Helderberg series at East Onondaga
best shown in the quarry of Mr. C. H.
Russell, where Luther makes the dis-
placement of the strata 42 feet and the
dip of the fracture plane twenty de-
grees toward the south. The Strom-
atopora and Waterlime layers of the
Lower Helderberg formation, together
With the Oriskany Sandstone have been
thrust upward so that they now overlie
the Corniferous limestone which should
properly overlie them. Other traces of
this same disturbance are seen in the
quai ries of Mr. Hibbard* east of Rus-THE MARCELLUS FAULT.	7
sell’s, and in the fields beyond. Al-
though this fault is upon practically the
same parallel as that at Fillmore’s Corn-
ers, east of Jamesville, it is improbable
that there is any connection between the
two. At the latter place the arched
strata Of (corniferous ^limestone have
been bent so that they now stand about
15 feet above their proper altitude al-
though the plane of the fault, which un-
doubtedly exists at this point cannot be
located.
The last described-locality is that at
Gifford’s Glen, west of Manlius, where
the limestones have been sharply folded
and fractured. An upward inclination
of the layers of more than fifty feet in
less than two hundred at this point
marks the sharpest fold in the heavy
limestones of this region as yet noted.
Disturbances of a similar nature un-
doubtedly lie hidden in the rocks of this
and adjoining counties, but even the
most careful investigation and the most
extensive excavation may fail to bring
them to light.OFFICERS.
1899.
PRESIDENT,
JOHN VAN DUYN.
VICE-PRESIDENT,
JOHN A. DAKIN.
SECRETARY,
PHILIP F. SCHNEIDER.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY,
HORACE W. BRIPCHER.
TREASURER,
MISS LOUISE W. ROBERTS.
LIBRARIAN,
MISS VIRGINIA L. JONES.
COUNSELORS,
JOHN D. WILSON,
MRS. L. L. GOODRICH,
EDMUND C. QUEREAU,
CHARLES W. HARGITT,
GAYLORD P. CLARK,
ERNEST N. PATTEE.