Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-15

Coast Mountains Changing thoir
Relative Level.

8au HiullGlhcN lulA1 arc lAab INV
exercised by an announcement in the
scientific Press that the coast noun
are changing their relative
level with the Sierra Nevada that
Is, that one or the other range is
or sinking-it does not APP
pear which. The writer in the
Scientific Press IL Mr.. +. A. Her
ring, who states that blocking vest
ward from his house in the Sierra
Nevada, near Forbestown, $500
feet above the level OF tho ocean,
lie can sec the Marysville buttes,
thirty.fve miles of. and the coast
range, 1870 or $50 miles distant that
seven years ago one peak OF the
buttcs appeared higher from his
house than the summit of the range;
that on the 4th OF September last
the same peak appeared to be just
as high as the ridge That he had to
20 scYeuiy.iive feet down the hill
to make the peak appear As high
above Tie ridge as It did before;
that on the S,h of November tho
peak appeared from his house low
or than the ridge; that when he
went scveuty-iiyc feet down the
hill, the peak octhe buttes appeared
10 be on o level with the ridge;
that the change OF level has been
the subject Of frequent observation
with him for months, and that his
brother observed It as we'll as him.
self.
The Scientific Press accepts these
statements as unquestiOnably cor
rect, and eays: "Relerence has fire.
quently been made 10 observed
changes of level that are going on
on this coast and elsewhere. An
inch of change in Il century is Il
mile in little more than fifty thOus-
and years-a brief day in geology.
While the eastern coasts of the
North American Continent are
known to be sinking, and the west.
ern ~osciilating or rising, from
Ohio to British Columbia, there
are 10 be noted with special care
and exactness local variations or
oscillations periodical and regular
or otherwise. The studentOf geo.
logical history Of California may
fluid something that is to the point
and suggestive in the following
communication, stating a few facts,
the purport Of which, IN regard to
our local geology, need not be en-
larged upon by us ut present" The
communication here referred to is
that Of Mr.. Herring's above mem
toned.
The editor of the Scientific Press
can hardly have given the subject
due consideration. The change of
elevation or depression indicated
by the facts-if facts they are-is
absolutely terrific. One Of these
things must be occurring Either
ForbGstown, on the Sierra Nevada,
is rising, or the Marysville Buttes
are sinking, or the Coast Noun
tains are rising at a rate altogether
unprecedented in the annals of ge-
OlOgy. None of the marvels record
ed by Sir Charles Lyell approach
it. Let any mathematician COM
pute the angle of the parallex from
the following premises given first
VI all the correct distances between
the objects, viz: 100 miles from
the Coast Range to the Sierra Ne
vada. A line drawn from Forbes
town 10 the summit of the Marys-
vile Bultcs, and being a tangent,
when prolonged TO The highest
point Of the Coast Mountains,
would be somewhat longer. The
height Of FOrbestown from the
level OF the sea is 1900 feet that
in the Marysville Buttes is 1000;
that Of the summit of the Coast
range is about 1890. When Mr..
Herring looked In this direction
seven years ago the Buttes appear
ed higher than the coast summit.
The latter, subsequently, lin Sep
tember last) rose to o level with
them, and in November it was nee
essary 10 descend Is feet at Forbes
town TO make the Coast Range ap-
pear tie same height as the Buttes.
MarysVille is 35miles from Forbes
town. The time is also given in
which the changes occurred. The
last one Is the most stupendous, for
II occupied only from the 4th Of
September to the 9Th of November,
q little more than two months.
Here are all the elements of the
problem. Calculating roughly, and
assuming that MaysVille Buttes
aud ForbestOWn have moved, the
prOp0rlionAte rise Of the coast range
would be two aud . half feet for
every one foot Of descentat Forbes.
town. Thus, ifAlF. Herring went
down SeVentysfVe feet the coast
rPlIEs mUst dhavesgOhe up 1917,
and that, too, IN the space Of two
months, being at the rate Of 1,l25
feet per annum, and more than q
miles In q century. It would be .
feasible theOry't0 suppose that the
harysville ButtcsI Nere sinking;
but q catastrophe Ike that could
not be going on at 80 rapid q rate
without affecting the surrounding
regions. To produce theresultd do.
scribed by Mr.. Herring they would
have 10 sink at the rate of about %
feet Q month, which rate would
enable them to "git out" of the
State in so years.