New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-25
Reported for The Tribune
PROCEEDINGS OF The SECTION OF NATURAL HISTORY, Sc
pnrr ABEL pHIA Saturday Morning Sept q.

PROcEFDINGs OF The SECTION OF NATURAL HISTORY, Sc
PHILADELPHIA Saturday Morning sept %.
At0o'cock this morning, the General Session
was called To order by Prot w. B. RoGEKs, and
aiterward the Chairman OF the day Tor the section
AZ f,g.rfi Phgsics was nominated. Lieut. MAURY was
90 spooped-snd the different Sections then separated
for their respective duties The doings OF the Fnys
cal section will recaptuate tonight
L. the .SecfiOn IF NatHrai History and Geol0gy,
Prof W B. ROGERS was chosen Chairman WIN me
same Secretaries yesterday The first business oil the
morning in this branch Of the Convention being
The Terraces and Aacieat Rirer B0rs, me DrUt
B0alders and Polished Sifaces " Lake Shperi0r-ProL
AGAsslz proceeded with the subject showing that the
remarks he was about to present on the Terraces
Bouders and Polished Surfaces Of the Lake were more
OF practical kind than made in reference 10 the theory
which he thought likely 20 explain those phenomena
he would insist upon the facts IN order II possible 70
arrive az lust conclusions His theory Of the origin OF
the Bouliers bad been derived from an nVesugt
ton of the Swiss Gacers-and the facts ne would al
llde 10 would give AN idea of those phenomena and
their correspondence with the appearances in those re-
giOns where the glaciers occur.
II was his conviction that there were two distinct
agencies on Lake superior there IS evidence OF he
action OF water but there are also other phenomena Tor
which he claimed agency. These phenomena are
the Terraces around the Lake, which be believed ndl
Gated the shores Of water basins a. they occur az al
feren svels-some Al the present margin others hsh'
or and haber-and he considered them evidences OF a
higher stage Of the of the Lake than IS now sp
parent He had little doubt that the relative level be
tween the dry land and the water had changed 70 the
amount now existing between the highest Terrace and
tho margin Of the Lake which ia 800 feet lie
illustrated By the blackboard The Terraces had pre-
sented evidences OF paroNysms Let me- sara ae, give
an Illustration He proceeded 70 represent oy dia,
grams successive gratatlOns OF ellis ahd oeaches utll
we came 10 the actual margin Of the Lake-shoWng
that the lower beach IS formed BY the action OF wafer
upon the earlier deposits
Now IL I. tl~ question said he whether this change
of level is produced by the sHbsdeHce ~ ne ~qt or
irtetisr fke land has been Hptdred Facts have oeen
brought forward prove that the water mas SUNK Out
IL wa, Prof A. = own opinion that the land mas rsen
caused By par0xysm or upheava- lie considered
,ais the ony manner in which these changes OF level
could have taken place-for he thought II would De
d cult to account for the elevation o. the Original
basin three hundred feet above the Level Oh the Lake
there had change In the land II me water ha9
free 0u as now, through the Saut ste Mare, ne uld
not see how possible that 10 shoud nave risen 80
high As the summit Of these highest beaches Hence ne
leaned toward the Geological theory Of the upnesS o
the land.
-Anotber thing he would call attention 10 the
muddy Drift and the Polished Surfaces Of the same re-
ZION lie could not see that the polishing was o~-
ing % the action 81 water cnafacIeIlsuc euec' VI
the action OF water upon great extent oi ano was 70
groove or channel OF the softer portions causing
tho harder 10 project But here Ia the case OF LAKE
Superior all the surface u ground down and poAshed
uniformly and there scratches everywhere apparent
indicating pressure from above
Hence be Judged that these phenomena Oh tne NORM
have been produced by Identical with those mat
nave caused the Glaciers. II we can nnd "nether he
glaciers move always in An inclined plane or Oy some
other motive power shall have settled great point
and perhaps have satisfactorily explained al these pne
nouruz-Prof AgassiZ went on % speak OF THIS more
AZ length he said that the external surface "here
,e observe 59ulfrs these scratched and posned sur
faces are found he then projected u speak OF tne
cDud lions In general Climatic Differences occur WIKI
,b Alternate changes Of freezing and meltngor larger
nd smaller masses Of water These ctaHgss ne thought
t b. sFeisaf 20 mOce any adssts n sH9n and zee Orer
o.. -.
,ai1s ~ tis ufss possessed 81 ncisHt n0rleHt4m
Vow where continued ne do We observe these
scratched and polished surfaces On tue tops Oi noun
,ains and the h chest hills blackboard illustrations -
"a thair very summlts He then attributed these
EJECT. 70 the agency Of ic although 70 great extent
(he observedj other phenomena which must
arse from the action Of the water
D- LycoyrE followed He resisted the suPpo
POSITION that the waters OF Lake Superior were once
al et higher than al present he d.screded II as IN
clinins % theory Of the general sgosidence OF ms
whole Continent 80 as " admit the e.eValoh VI 'ne
water % form these terraces he tnOuznt tne appear
snce OF the metamOrphic rocks around LAKE superior
AID not indicate any local elevation 70 the eXtent Vi
three hundred feet While stating ns ooJectlons ".
I dreT A diagram VI the Lake showing where the
numerous rivers from the Lakes above empty !hts
$1,000 The outlet of Lake superior, he remarked
must have orr snay been through the mario" Taey OF
Greeu Bay and be thought Il perfectly OBVIOUS tnat az
the region below must have been nled up bHt along
the = Marys River We DO not perceive any VI si'e'c
crstbed Appearances and be did NOT see any here
INV ,ndications OF the agency Of ice He would wish
n.Ttcu.r consideration however, Of the iact' OF the
od-inal outlet OF the Lake the great size oil the =
N.rv N former periods, and the immense quantity Of
49, forrnerly contained in Lake superior itselt
Mr.. REDFlELD followed. Dr. LEcON1E replied
poi HLL and others participated. All those gente.
men turned their observations on the pr0DaoAty Of
these changes OF level having been the result OF either
a-nipr o. OF the water or uplifting VI the land
but tney arrived a. 10 particular conclusion
Prof. HALL observed, In connection with this
subject that we have evidence that the Valley Of the
81 Lawrence, the Cnamp!ain &c nsa oeen- a. com
nsrstyely recent period and subsequent the Drit
covered by the ocean and went 90 10 demonstrate.
Prot. AGAssIZ made some observations on
maine shells found 10 Russia several hundred feet
above the level OF the ocean and also in th region OF
Inc Mediterranean OF such changes a. ;aose now
under discussion the Professor remarked IS standard