THE CONFIGURATION OF THE ROCK FLOOR OF GREATER NEW YORK

Bulletin No. 270

.

Series B, Descriptive Geology, 73

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES D. VVALCOTT, DIHECTOK

THE CONFIGURATION OF THE

ROCK FLOOR OF GREATER NEW YORK

BY WILLIAM HERBERT HOBBS

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT. PRINTING OFFICE

1905

CONTENTS.

Page.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL .................................................. 7 PART I. STRUCTURAL STUDIES ............................................. .9

Introduction......................................................... 9 Aids to geological studies on Manhattan Island..................... 9 Engineering enterprises that have pierced the rock floor............ 10 Keview of structural geological studies of the New York City area.... 12 Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx ........................ 12 Gale .................................................... 12 Mather.................................................. 12 Cozzens ................................................. 12 Stevens.................................................. 12 Credner................................................. 13 Newberry ............................................... 13 Dana.................................................... 14 Russell.................................................. 14 Kemp ................................................... 14 Merrill .................................................. 15 Eckel ................................................... 16 Gratacap ................................................ '16 Julien ..................... i.............................. 17 Peet..................................................... 19 Hobbs .................................................. 19 Area west of the Hudson...................................... 19 Comment.................................................... 20 Scope of the present study .................................... 20

Form of the rock pedestal of Manhattan ............................... 21 Exposed portion of the rock basement............................. 21 Covered portion of the basement .................................. 22 Transverse sections of the island....... -. ................ : .......... 25 Longitudinal sections of the island................................. 26 Along Broadway from the Battery to 33d street ................ 26 Along Lenox and Westchester avenues from 96th street to Melrose avenue................................................ 27 Along Broadway and Eleventh avenue between 72d and Dyckman streets ................................................ 29

PART II. BORINGS MADE IN NEW YORK AND VICINITY .................... 30 Borings beneath channels on water front............................... 30 East River front.................................................. 30 Dock and bulkhead lines......:.....,......................... 30 Miscellaneous......... ......................................i. 31.

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CONTENTS.

PART II. BOEINGS MADE IN NEW YORK AND VICINITY Continued.

Page-

Borings beneath channels on water front Continued.

East River sections............................................... 32

East River Gas Company's tunnel............................. 32

Bridges NOB. 2, 3, and 4 ...................................... 32

East River reefs.............................................. 34

Center line of 42d street (produced) ........................... 34

Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel................................. 34

New York-Brooklyn tunnel of rapid, transit commission ........ 35

Hudson River front.............................................. 36

Dock, bulkhead, and pier lines. ............................... 36

Miscellaneous. ................................................ 38

Hudson River sections..............................'.............. 40

Reef one-fourth mile from pier A.............................. 40

Bedloe Island................................................. 40

McAdoo tunnel .............................................". 40

Pennsylvania, New York and Long Island Railroad tunnel...... 40

Proposed bridge at 59th street................................. 41

Harlem River front and sections .................................. 41

Spuyten Duyvil Bridge ....................................... 41

Dock line.................................................... 41

Washington and High bridges ................................ 42

New aqueduct.................................................. 42

Macomb's dam, Central Bridge...............................'. 43

Line 400 feet east of Central Bridge. ............................ 43

New York Central and 145th street bridges .................... . 43

Rapid-transit tunnel......................'.................... 43

Madison, Park, Third, Second, and Willis avenue bridges....... 44

Borings in the Borough of Manhattan................................... 44

Line of subway .................................................. 44

On or near Broadway......................... '................ 44

On Lexington avenue, 110th street, and 34th street............. 45

Profile along Broadway............................................. 49

Foundations of tall buildings......................... ............ 51

Lines of 31st, 32d, 33d, and 34th streets............................ 55

Along Fourth avenue....................... 1 ..... ^..^............ 58

Riverside Park extension ......................................... 59

Riverside and Manhattan viaducts and Tenth avenue............... 66

Records from miscellaneous sources ............................... 67

Borings in the outlying boroughs arid in other localities near New York.. 83

Borough of Brooklyn............................................. 83

Borough of Queens.....'............:...........................-.. .86

Borough of the Bronx ............................................ 87

Adjacent points in New Jersey and elsewhere .....'................. -89

INDEX ....................'............................................... 95

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

PLATE. I. Map of the southern portion of Manhattan Island, with portions of the Long Island and New Jersey shores, showing the configuration of the rock floor............................................... 20

II. Map of northern and eastern portions of Manhattan Island, showing the configuration of the rock floor............................... 22

III. Sketch map of Manhattan Island, showing the location of some of the river sections .................................'................ 24

IV. Series of profiles across the Harlem River, showing the position and configuration of the rock surface ............................... 26

V. Section of the rock basement of Manhattan along the line of Broadway from the Battery to 33d street............................. 28

FIG. 1. Rock surface beneath the new Stock Exchange building, between New and Broad streets ............................................... 11

2. Sketch map of Manhattan Island (after Kerap)..................... 15 3. Sketch map of Manhattan Island, showing location of special transverse

and longitudinal sections ........................................ 24 4. Transverse sections across Manhattan Island between 31st and 34th

streets.. ....................................................... 25 5. Section along Lenox and AVestchester avenues from 96th street, Man-

hattan, to Melrose avenue, Bronx................................ 28 6. Section along Broadway and Eleventh avenue from 72d street to Dyck-

rnan street....................................................... 28

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