Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-10


the same strata Of different rocks in
its banks and bluffs. Again, the
wearing away of the bluff on the
south side, By water, is the same as
on the north side, which can be easi-
~ detected, and seen. Again, the
second bed or vein of coal can be
seen on the south side, at the same
altitude Of the one found in the bed
of the river.
Again, there is what is termed
first bottom, a second bottom, and a
third bottom. These bottoms have
all been made by the slow process Of
water, which is evident-one of them
having been made, by the action of
water on the bluff, within the mem
DRY of man. These bottoms OCCASION
ally overhow-as the old settlers say,
every seven years. When these
freshets and floods take place, they
make sad havoc, scattering drift
wood here and there for miles, and
even carrying powders Of various
sizes on the breakup ice and deposit
ing them a mile inland in some
places, close to the bluffs. New
channels are cut through here and
there, and massive rocks cut ont and
tumbled down the embankments,
taking with them vast bodies of
earth, which are washed out and
carried away by the next freshet.
And so the same process has been
going on from year to year, and from
age to age. The old landmarks have
been swept away. The Old Indian
hunter of two centuries ago, could he
rise from his ashes and put on NOR
tality once more, could tell us of the
ravages this wonderful stream has
made since he was on earth the first
time. He could undoubtedly tell us
that he padded his bark canoe down
a little narrow stream, with high,
commanding banks on either side,
with no bottom land on either side,
but towering cliffs and rugged rocks
projecting out of the banks, with
gigantic oaks and elms growing at
the top, with their broad branches
bending over the stream, beneath
the shade Of one Of which his bones
were buried, together with his toma-
hawk and bow and arrow, and upon
whose banks his dusky brothers set
up their wall at his demise, only two
centuries ago. He hunts for the tree
where his bones were laid, but it is
gone; he hunts for the banks, but
they are gone too, together with the
massive rocks where he had sat and
rested his limbs after the chase. All
are gone, having been carried away
by this little stream. lie looks in
vain for an old landmark; all are
gone, and he finally eXclaims, "Me
no know this place"
The little stream has performed its
mighty work Of devastation, and is
now river Of note, with its banks
over mile apart and in some places
nearly two miles. The slow action
of water, combined with storms and
the atmospheric elements, are the
great agents, together with fire,
which perform a work of havoc to
the earth's crust. There can be no
doubt but that few centuries ago at
the farthcst, where Des MOines river
now runs and has its bed, high table
land existed, being connected with
Accommodating banks on both sides.
Il requires no very great stretch OF
Imagination to conceive this fact.
The coal formation had been formed
from vegetation, long before the
river cut its course. This great chain
or belt Of bluffs on both sides is un-
derlaid with almost ineXhaustible
stores Of wealth, which Is within the
reach Of man, especially the belt for
fifty-one miles. This wealth con-
sists in heavy deposits Of coal, which
will make glad the hearts of millions
Of people both Of this generation and
of those which follow; also deposits
Of iron, mineral paint beds, or ochres,
magnesia, valuable rock Of different
varieties, fire clays, coppcras, and
other mineral deposits which future
development will prove. But the
vast deposits Of coal seem to be the
main characteristic feature Of this
grand chain. 1T Mckinny's bank,
on this same chain, little over the
line Of Warren County, the coal Is
worked, being six feet in thickness;
and number of other banks have
been worked all along in this viclni-
ty. for 3 or 10 miles, in various places,
into Warren County. Also, the coal