AD'IRON'DACKS. The name of a group of • mountains in northeastern New York. They lie west of the main axis of the Appalachians, as represented in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and constitute quite an independent mountain system. The name Adirondack is applied in a wider sense to that area embracing about 12,500 square miles contained between the valley of Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence, and the Mohawk rivers. The counties of Essex, Clinton, Frank- ji lin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, Herkimer, Hamilton, and Warren lie partly or wholly within its lim its. The more mountainous portion is on the east, and the higher peaks are chiefly within Es sex County. From northeast to southwest the individual mountains become less pronounced, and the surface grades into a plateau of 1500 to 2000 feet altitude. Two peaks, Alount Marcy and Mount McIntyre, are above 5000 feet in al titude, while several others, Whiteface. Dix, Giant, Haystack, Skylight, :Ind the Gothies, closely approximate this height. The mountains are grouped in minor ranges, which run a little east of north, and which are separated Icy deep, often narrow, valleys, as the depressions of Lake George, of the Schroon-Boquet rivers, of the Boreas-Ausable, a WI other ricers. The ranges approach Lake Champlain, en (Thelon. and pro duce on the lake shore a succession of bold, rocky headlands, and open, rending bays and valleys. As a rule, the mountifins are dome-shaped in their outlines; but some sharp peaks, like Whiteface, exist. Precipitous escarpments over
500 feet high are common. Thus picturesque passes occur which are a delight to travelers. The best known are Wilmington Notch, Indian Pass, and Avalanche Pass. Deer's Leap and Roger's Rock on Lake George are similar.
Damx AGE. The mountains constitute the water-shed between the Hudson and the St. Law rence drainage systems, hut the actual divide is a very irregular line that is due to the glacial drift. Thus Lake Champlain and Lake George rise far to the south and discharge into the St. Lawrence; small ridges of drift alone separate them from the Hudson, which rises a hundred miles to the northwest of the heads of their basins, and flows around their southern ends. In the heart of the mountains rocky divides of older date separate the streams. The main tribu taries of the Hudson are the Sacondaga, Schroon, Borcas, and 'Indian Rivers. The Mohawk receives East and West Canada creeks. The Black River carries to Lake Ontario the contributions of the Noose, Beaver, and several minor streams. The Indian, Oswegatchie, Grass, Racquette, St. Regis, Salmon, and Chateaugay flow into the St. Law rence. The Chary, Saranac, Ausable, and Boquet discharge into Lake Champlain. .11 the eastern portion all these streams follow the northeast southwest structural lines until they can break the ridges to the great lines of drainage.