The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-25

the tropics mountains which above ths SNOW line
but there not SUFFICIENT viableness u climate 70
the 10 descend In the form Of glaciers. Heace, Ia
to their production but the relief and depression
Of the soil is wanting THE height Of land between
SUI error ana me Arctic ocean sccordng 70 SIR John
II we were to suppose that preceding the drii epoch
the country stood few thousand feet higher than
sent the submits Of the Adirondack and White mountains
would he brought within the limits OF perpetual
ing into the valleys, would groove and polish the
rocks and leave behind long ines Of rocky frag-
west-where, from the southern csnhnes OF the drift
in the Arctic ocean there no elevation 500 feet above
of the climate, glaciers would not be generated. I'm
mense accumuatons Of ice would be formed in the cir
cumpoar regions and sub arctic vegetation would
the plains and the slopes Of the hills where meet
with deciduous trees.
That the climate Of both continents was much colder
by variety of facts The varied timber as before re-
marked is almost exclusively Of sub arctic character
The mousces Of this period according TO Professor f.
Forbes although belonging mainly TO existing species,
Indicate by their assemblage the same thing The fossil
hs aSaped % Ss na
ern climate, and by the augmented completely and mum
Der OF the huratng plates OF his teeth compared with
The existing Species indicated according TO wen was
adapted to live mainly the woody fibre OF trees That
the habits OF the mas,odon similar proved from the
act that the contents Of his stomach several
have been found 10 be composed OF wgs and branches
OF conitercus trees which flourish in northern at-
tudes and are identical with the buried aborescent vege
| ,aton of the drift.
Assuming that the country was submerged--ani that
has been evidenced by the drift deposits 900 feet
above the leve-the vast Accommodations OF ice in
the crcumpoar region would be set adoat the form OF
Incorporated with them while attached TO the aud enter
the water their general direction would be
for the that the cold waters Of the North are con
/ stantly flowing towards the equatorial regions;
would their be modified TO any great extent by
winds about Of their surface
been submurged. As they melted away Ia their pro.
gress they would leave behind long trains OF boulders
which subsequently, when the bottom was elevated
would be found strewn unequal surface i'm
bedded detral materials OF variable hneness These
materials II thrown down In deep water, exposed to
the action of currents would be assorted and shaded
Whenever icebergs became stranded upon . reef
shoAl coast the rocks would be scratched aud grooved
and long lines Of pebble, and boulders would be thrown
up by process like this in orinion, that the
rccks have been grooved and the borldes distributed
II now the country to rise slowly With occasional
pauses IN the movements, submits after sEnms would
emerge; the would recede farther and farther,
leaving behind series Of coast lines and beaches iut
eating is former level esUaries would become
ed into lakes the superabundant waters would be
gathered into The Expressions, and the rivers woui dow
,a tn "a. we aeT
OF former sea bottom. terraces would be formed
along the margin of the valleys the country
the waters cut away the banners which imprisoned
them.
The lakes and pools thus formed might soon
become the habitats OF numerous fresh water
molusca, whose remains this day constitute beds
OF shell mari As the lakes shoaed either by success
sve dispositions Of dertal matter or by lowering OF
outlets aquatic plants such as the ales and the
PUSHES would take root in the bottom succeeded b. the
the lake beds furnished sufficient OF
ture While these changes taking place the land
Ear o y ns s ss sna s0a tue soas the
higher might be in full activity. Thus ma,y OF
the swsmps and peat marshes which have served the
sepuchres OF the mastodon may have originated at
remote epoch as com pared with the advent OF al
though the associated shells belong existing species
We have then, evidence OF augmentation OF cold
by which large icy barriers formed, Of tue depres
sion OF vast in the northern portion Of the cont
neni. of the dspers OF bouders o. subsequent ele
vaon OF the land OF the formation OF terraces and
beaches, AMI OF the deposition OF detral materials
veloping the remains OF terrestrial and mouscous All
ms theory for the drifs phenomena
than the glacial theory; but there are two objections
which fails satisfactorily to explain
l. The entire absence OF marine shells IN these dcpo
sits and
. II the continent were permanently submerged VIC
should expect humid and equaoe climate. and the to-
pica forms OF vegetable life within the limits Of the
Having thus enceavored to sketch the pecu'araes or
the driii deposits will nov proceed to notice their
connection With the remains OF the elephant
Tia: portion OF the sketch marked A Is occupied by
the coal measures. which rise IN bills zoe 800 feet 10
height and present rounded outline Ihe superaca!
tie subacent shales and sandsones, with admlx.ure
Of boulders or granite pebbles.
skrtng the TANKS and forming well defined terrace
sixty feet above the bed Murkngu found the val
ley drin. II CONSTITUTES for the most part the rim OF the
valley but n Few places the river has swept II away
and npipges the sandstones aud shaes OF the
coal measures. The driit reposcs immediately on the
erOted.
leaving az irrt gular surface Its maximum thickness .
sixty three feet
Tie intervening space, provinci,ly termed bottom
ar6s consists 0! Tine sands and cav. with entire
absence OF loose blocks bouldcrs pebbles aud
ta!ns maximum thickness Of 40 feet This Interval
hb.ts two well defined terraces aud slght ridge in the
nature Of an which not represented The pre-
cedirg sketch.
On the side OF the river the rubble seen reposnv
the tanks OF the hills which here rise very abru pity
while the immediate bank consists Of loan The west
ssnk also rises abruptly from the waters edge TO the
hV bgn< hxso farr Al
10 width, when there occurs terrace aoou, ave feet
height. Another bench aboct the width is seen
with terrace nine feet In height 10 which succeeds
another bench fourth OF mile In width terminating in
slight ridge, with slopes either side, beyond which
the dr terrace rises 70 the height OF 20 feet capped by
bed Of clay. Proceeding north along the len bank OF
tho river this terrace Is lost sight Of and the subse
hill Having rounded the point il reappears in the val.
ley OF the Pa,askas, forming an elevated patea1,
much priced of building sites Crossing the Paasxaa,
this terrace sharp and wen defined srtng the
valley Of the Nrskingurn for mile and half auf
moved from one fourth 10 one half Of mile from s
channel until 4 intersect the rocks Of the coal mea-
II rises 10 the heigh. o. twenty i've thirty
tee, above the bottom land and then stretches back
Crossing 70 the Evansville side Al The point r. Is seen
along The tanks Of tue hills: but short distance above
the river Itersects the coat bearing rocks Al slazos
Run the coarse gravel cemented INTO conromersie by
cacaTeous matter, s seen rcposng upon the limestone
iben succeeds an interval Of nearly hall mic, over
which il i oblcurey traced but above the town at
Coxs paper mill, II resppsars the river bank Ia the
form Of blu1 sixty three feet 10 height, and continues
lOf Nnfsc tvuItun " Nn'fe " Eralusly FeCe1cs
from the bank and assumes the form Of terrace I, IS
here that the observer has The best opportunity for
studying is structure. layers o. hne sand alternate
with layers OF coarse pebbles, often iatermxed with
minute particles Of vegeab matter. The materials
most thoroughly assorted, a process which must have
resulted from their prolonged suspension in the
The beds o. sand freed from al alumlnous matter
md often contain small pebbles Of the size q bullet ar
ragged along The lines Of bedding They exhibit many
q the most beautiful examples Of sraiihcAton,
winch would seem 70 indicate that the materials we're
pushed along The bottom Of the estuary and deposited
amid shining eddies. from the character OF some Of
these beds ev lent that the current BIZ which they
were deposited did not Cow ID the direction Of the pre-
sent stream.
The materials consist Of pebbles, rounded and
smoo,hed derived from far remote inermingl
with angular ami slightly rounded blocks from the i'm
mediate ghbof hood. Among the former recognized
granite sente quartz hornbletde, greensboro yellow
asper black ebert together with pebbles OF slurau
limestone mainly from the Nagars group. II is not
fnd IN these loose deposits, well preserved spec
o. the Niagara corss. saordng 10 this respect,