Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-24

IL 10 fact probably not generally known
says that Portland Transcript, that the vboIe
surface OF the State Of Maine il stre,kad
with the beds of rivers which flowed tbropo,.
tne Ice during the glacial period. The river
ueqs or deposits now exist in the form ~
ridges, and are logically known as horse.
oacks or whalebacks. In some instance.
they form continuous embankment. with
level surfaces on which roads have been con-
structed. They are formed Of sand grave,
and pebbles brought down by the water or
embedded in the ice flow. We remember once
in stage ride from Brownville to OId,oxr
driving for miles on the top of one of these
horseback ridges. 1t was well defined. being
OF little more than sufficient width for the
road-bed. Our attention has been called to
this subject by pamphlet by Prof. George
H. Stone, formerly af Kents Hill Seminary.
now of Colorado College, Colorado Springs.
He has made study of those ancient river
beds, which are scientifically known as
kames, and in the paper before us shows as in
innate knowledge of the Topography of
Maine. He traces the kames from their
sources in the narrow gorges of the hills.
through long distances until thew spread out in
some instances, into gravelly plains He gives
amap Of the kames Of Main showing that the
surface Ofthe State is striated with surprising
number of these ridges which testify to the
ice sheet which once covered eastern North
America. As the ice melted rivers were
formed, flowing between walls Of ice and car
rying in their waters detritus which in its
gradual deposit formed these now elevated
river beds. One of these kames. traced by
Prof. Stone, and called BY him the Portland
system, begun with the waters of Lake We'll
okennebacOok, flowing through the narrow
pass of the Black brook, which we had occa-
sion to describe in our account of the excur-
sion of the Maine Press association last sum
mer, and on down the valley of the Ellis
river, through Rumford and Woodstock, to
Bryant's pond. Here it is known as the
whalesback, and is very distinctly marked.
1t continues on through Oxford, Poland, New
Gloucester and Gray, reaching, with
short interruptions, to Stevens Plains,
wi ere another gap occurs, and it then re-
appears in gravel bars on Bramhall's hill and
Munjoy's hill in Portland. 1t has an entire
length Of about los miles. Along this course
a great kane river once flowed, forming bars
here at its mouth in Portland Prof Stone
describes 81 of these kane systems in Maine,
of varying length. They frequently cross
low hills, showing that the kane rivers were
not DETECTED by hills less than POO feet high.
Flowing from north to south, their courses
are not DETECTED east or west by the hills
nearly so much as are the streams of to-day.
There are frequent gaps in them, but all lie
along continuous lines Of valleys or over
level ground. and all are practicable lines for
railroads. In many instances they cross the
beds of lakes, sometimes for many miles,
and can be traced under the water. 1t is
interesting TO consider that we have thus in
our State two river systems, the ancient and
the modern. that of the glacial period and
that of to-day; the one leaving beds elevated
above the general surface the other continuing
the work of erosion below the general level.
The one wore away the great ice sheet. the
other is wearing away the hills and bringing
the earth's surface to a uniform level.