The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-02-21
Letter from Sllure's Landing.

Mr.. EDITOR: Upon the plea of an "old sub
scrber," take the liberty of addressing you
letter through the columns of The 14ggiS, from
little nook, down by the margin of the Sus-
quehanna, point from which in the winter we
rarely advertise our existence, but when spring
time comes we emerge, as 1t were from state of
Information, somewhat relaxed, but quickly
warmed up by the expanding rays of the sun
into new life and energy, for another season of
mingled enjoyment, veXation and pleasure.
FISH AS BRAIN FOOD
We first enjoy in great variety the product of
the stream-ish, the great brain food of the
world, as our neighbors manifesty do in the
new born city further down the stream
Though not so carly in the "run," nor perhaps
to the extent they do, as exemplhcd in the
calibre of the new city organization, chosen
from among hundred intelligent aspirants of
equal merit and standing for city honors, n fact
redounding greatly to their credit. 1t would be
overtaxing, indeed, the the modesty of the wri.
ter to deny that the same slmulant had failed
to excite and deyelope an equal force of mind
without the "canvas back ducks" in some of the
brains of our people here. In lieu of the can
vas backs, We may Offset the duck by superad-
ding the advantage of the reading of the leading
daily papers of the cities of Baltimore, Phila-
delpha and New York; also weeklies of Har-
ford, York and Lancaster, besides other stand
ard literature, to say nothing of the works on
popular scientific subjects. From all of these
they claim to have stored away, little by little,
unIll lHclf ucuuS seem level upon many Ques-
tions of practical usefulness.
THE ICE ON THE sUsQUEHANNA.
The ice on the Susquehanna remains firm
and solid at this writing, and extends in an I'M
broken body ten miles up the river from Havre
de Grace. On the LIST instant 1t averaged Is
inches and II inches in thickness. Now it
stands reduced to ten inches and twelve inches
in thickness, thus showing a clear loss of SO
per cent. in fifteen days.
This fact in connection with the advanced
period of the season and the fast increasing
power of the sun, cannot fail to produce con.
so)ing impressions upon the minds of all per-
sons having valuable property disposed along
the shores and upon the banks of the river
THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE ICE.
This ice question has incidentally given rise
to new theory, as applied to the SusQuehanna,
thas no matter how thick the ice may form on
the river, however firm it may cling to and
around the rocks exposed above the waters sur
face, and to the islands, and along the shores, it
nevertheless is constantly descending, as If it
were forced along by thousand appliances
especially adapted for moving bodies of ponder
Gus weight. l am assured that within the last
two weeks this question has been demonstrate
ed by the most thorough and critical nyestiga-
ton, proving an absolute movement down
stream of four feet from the rocks and other
bench marks equally immovable, and yet to the
casual observer this movement was inapprecia-
Bile.
Men of scientific research have long since
proven by the expenditure of much time, labor
and means, that glaciers in the valleys of Swift.
zerland and Norway are descending in like
manner, regardless of the retarding force of
infringement on either side, to point where
the higher temperature dissipatcs the ice as
rapidly as it reaches that line, and thence flows
off into the sea-
TIDEwATER CANAL.
The canal is undergoing the usual winter re-
pairs, and the structures and appliances long
since devised for its greater safely from floods
and ice gorges are ready at all salient points on
the line With good and prompt management
In the working of this system of protection
much damage may be avoided when the break
up comes. 8.