Box 2, Folder 7: Typewritten Letters, 1811-1828

1827.

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The second Rock is black bituminous slate. It overlies the lime rock above described, and forms the bank of the river as far down as I have been (ten miles); and is seen in the bottom and banks of numerous creeks, which enter the river from the north. This rock is said to be the same as that found at Pittsburgh overlaying the canal; It is therefore expected that coal may be found under it here. But boring has been tried near New Albany, 300 feet deep without finding either coal or salt. A spring that comes through this slate rock, near where the boring was made, contains a considerable quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen gas; and the gas is continually rising through the waters of the spring. The smell of the gas is perceived at some distance from the spring. I have seen no petrifactions in the slate rocks. It sometimes contains small masses of sulphuret or iron, disseminated through it. The lime rock above mentioned with occasional patches of this slate is the rock to be excavated in the construction of the canal.

The 3rd rock in order is the sand rock. It is of a yellowish and sometimes of a blue color. It has a compact texture, and a laminated structure. It forms the hilly country west of the rapids called the knobs; and from one of these hills the stone for the face of the lock walls is quarried. It contains but few petrifactions. The minerals are quartz crystals of a yellowish color, calcareous spar and a sulphate of magnesia, this salt may be seen coating some of the stones, brought here for the lock, in the state of a florescence. The same rock is in some of the highest knobs overlaid by another lime rock. At the quarry this lime rock is about 20 feet thick. And this makes the fourth rock which I have mentioned. The alluvium about the canal is chiefly blue and yellow clay, mixed with sand and gravel. It contains half decayed log

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1827.

logs, bones of quadrupeds, &c. and occasionally primitive masses all of which seem to indicate that the river had once run near where the canal now does.

Should you think any part of this communication, worthy of a place in the American Journal of Science, I hope you will not let anything incorrect pass.

I have drawn, beside the drawings I send you, a geological profile extending from Louisville to the Knobs, a profile of the canal and a plan of the locks; but I found that the postage would be more than I expected, therefore I did not send them.*** I have at last succeeded in finding one new subscriber to the Journal of Science, Mr. Mann Butler, the historian, of Louisville.*** He teaches a large school and is in high standing in Louisville.

Yours respectfully,

Increase A. Lapham.

Prof. B. Stillman,

New Haven.

[Asst. Eng. L & P Canal, Louisville, KY.]

Nov. 12 A little rain this morning, followed by dark gloomy weather, which Mr. Henry? said was a forerunner of an earthquake. (The earth did not quake however)***

Nov. 21*** Went up the canal to see some experiments with the machine invented by Mr. Oliver Phelps of the Welland canal, for drawing carts up a deep cutting.

Nov. 22. Staid in my room reading Titler's Elements of General History.*** Victor Audbon says, that "flies form a vacuum under their feet when they alight, for the purpose of keeping themselves to the surface on which they slight.". in the same manner as the limpets (Patella L.) attach themselves to the rock. He also says that some late writer has suggested the idea of a man's walking up a perpendicular wall by having proper apparatus for forming

*See notebook No. 1

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A vacuum under his hands and feet.***

Nov. [27?]*** In the afternoon went a hunting, killed a rabbit and two woodpeckers.

[Nov. 28?] Mr. George S. Rhines Eng. on the Chesapeke and Deleware canal, came to my room today to see Mr. [Henry?] Victor Audubon started for New Orleans on the tow boat Hercules.

Dec. 1 Finished reading Elements of History and commenced reading McKenzie's Voyages from Montreal to Frozen and Pacific Oceans. *** I expect to go to school as soon as Darius comes here.

Dec. 2. Mother being sick, father and I went into the woods in search of wild cherry bark, which we found to be very scarce.

Dec. 3, 4, 5, Rainy days. Spent my time reading McKenzie's Voyages. This book gives me an account of two voyages, both commencing at Fort Chippewayne on the west end of the Lake of the Hills. In 1789 he went down the McKenzie river to the Frozen Oceans. In 1793 he went up Peace river to the Rocky mountains--then following another river nearly south and then in a westwardly direction to the Pacific Ocean.

Dec. 7*** I have borrowed from Mr. N. Berthoud, Lee's Botany in reading which I shall now spend my leisure time. Coal is now 12 1/2 cents a bushel--a greate for burning $5.00.

Dec. 8. A rainy day, worked all day in my room on plan of the locks.

Dec. 10 River has risen about 30 ft. within a few days. Great quantities of flood wood is born along upon its surface and at Louisville this is compressed into a strip about 30 ft. wide and extends up the river as far as I can see. It all passes in front of village about 30 ft. from shore.***

Dec. 14. Rainy day-drew a plan of the locks for the directors. All my spare time is spent in reading some of Mr. Berthoud's books

X-See note book No. 1

Sketch Diagram of A Geological Profile Extending from Utica to Knob Creek.

Page 171827. No. 4

Sketch Diagram of Mr. Dibble's Machine for Raising Rocks from Deep Cuts.