The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-01-10
Virginia.
ITs GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY-A Lee
TURE BY MAI. HoTCHKIss BEFORE THE

ITs GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY-A Lee
TURE BY MAI. HoTcHKIss BEFORE TIL
Y. NJ. G.. A.
One of The most instructive aud highly ell
tertaining lectures ever listened to in Sta'lh
ton was delivered before the Y. NJ. q. A..
last Thursday night. Thelecturer was Mag
Jed Hotchkiss, aud his subject was Virginia
In selecting theme so rieh.in tfadltloha
lore there must have been a great tempta-
ton to yield to the fascination OF the fo'
nance AM! half mythical legends that Gins
ter around the early days OF the old State,
but turning FROM a field so inviting tue
lecturer dwelt on the almost fabulous wealth
of Virginia as a great deposit OF minerals,
and the attractions of her climate and her
soil, blending with the development OF MS
subject stray snatches of history which serv-
ed to emphasize and impress much OF Tue
valuable information he impaired. In read
ing. or in listening to Il discourse, il now
and then some familiar line or sentence is
brought to our attention, it not only revlVes
interest, but lodges much that otherwise
would have escaped in like manner Maj.
Hotchkiss' historical illusions were so hap
PLY interviewer that by them the whole
lecture was made more entertaining and
impressive, and that which under other
treatment might have proven dry detail of
facts, was presented in such all attractive
dress as to seem almost the recital OF IL fairy
tale, and to leave an impress lasting and
definite.
Without the aid of chart or map it would
be impossible to follow the lecturer with ac-
curacy enough TO do justice to the two hours
OF instructive entertainment. Commencing
by roughly sletching on the black board the
outlines of the State, in shape not unlike a
shoe, and which he said, like Cinderella's
slipper was priceless in value, he next pio-
ceeded to trace the water courses, and des-
cribe the two systems by which the State is
drained, viz: The Atlantic and the Ohio or
Mississippi. The waters Of the State from
Underwater, Middle, Piedmont, the eastern
slope OF the Blue Ridge and the central part
OF the valley, flow southeast to Chesapeake
Bay and Albemarle Sound, following the in
clinatlon OF the 'sAtlantic slope" those from
tile northern portions of the Valley and APP
palachia follow the mountain ranges north
east of the Potomac, which river also follows
the southwesternly course. The waters from
the southwestern part OF the Blue Ridge, the
middle Of the southwestern half OF the VAL
ley and Appalachia, flow northwest and
north to the Ohio; those of the southeastern
portions of the Valley and Appalacha flow
southwest to the Tennes ee; so the waters of
the State flow in all directions. Each river
and stream was traced and described and
the derivation of many of the names ex-
planned, together with the historic incidents
and quaint stories connected with their
nomenclature.
Leaving the map, the lecturer drew YER
tical cross section of Virginia from the At
lantic to the Tennessee line. This he laid
off into the grand natural divisions of Tide
water. Middle, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, VAL
ley and Appalachia. These divisions not
only succeed each other geographically in
tue order named, but they occupy different
levels above the sea, rising to the West like
grand stairway. They differ geologically
also, and therefore have difference of eli.
mate, soil, productions, &c.
We live, said the lecturer, in the midst of
two seas,-one the sea of water and the
other the sea of air. The peaks, the ridges
and the lofty mountains, are but so many
cape, and promontories in the vast 1rial
sea, and we who inhabit +he earth are but
the fishes.
Maj. Hotchkiss then entered upon a des
cription of the grand natural divisions of the
State, in which he followed very closely the
order of his recent valuable work on Vir-
ginia, which was published under the SUPER
vision of the Board of Emigration, and up.
on which we have relied mainly for this re-
port.
The first Of these divisions, the Tide wa
ter. is divided by the waters OF the Chesa-
peake bay and the large tidal rivers that
flow into that great estuary, into nine prin-
cipal and large number of secondary Pc
ninsuars. This is mainly an alluvial coun-
try. and its surface, composed OF sands and
clays, is thrown into low fiat ridges form
ing the watershed of the peninsnlas, sue
ceeded by terraces and plains down to the
waters edge, where they meet the swamps
and salt marshes that always accompany
well developed, landlocked tidal waves.
But little OF this section is as much as 100
feet above the sea. This is the clay, mari
and sand region. Its area is about equal to
the State of Mary land or the Kingdom of
Belgium, and it's wealth of outline is not sur
passed by tile famous Morea Of Greece.
The Middle country is wide undulating
plain, crossed by many rivers that have cut
their channels to considerable depth, and
are bordcred by alluvial bottom lands.
Piedmont is diversified region, with
many broken ranges of hills and mountains,
enclosing valleys OF many forms, or with
streams borlered by narrow bottom lands
winding among them Its hills are general
ly rounded in outline. In many places the re
are extensive plains. This is a genuine
s'Peidmont'' country-one in which the
mountains present themselves in their grand
as well as their diminutive forms-gradually
sinking Down into the plains, giving great
diversity and pcturesqueness to the land
scape, with its wealth OF forms of relief as
varied as those of outline in Underwater.
Few countries surpass this in beauty OF
scenery ard choice OF prpspect,-even the
famous 'sPeidmont'' of the old world is not
superior.
The Blue Ridge is many-branched
mountain range, expanding into plateaus
or rising into domes, extending across the
whole length of the State, and forming one
of its most prominent features. This is RIB
bed with hard sandstone and soft cpidotic
rocks. The whole m ountain range may be
characterized as series of swelling domes,
connected by long ridges meeting between
the high points in gaps or notcies, and send
ing out long spurs in all directio MS from the
general range, but especially on the eastern
side, these ill turn sending out other spurs,
giving great development of surface and