New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-31
WHAT SALT MARSHES REVEAL

ISLAND COAST.
frRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE TnrBUSE.l
MONTREAL, Aug. 28.-Among the peculiarly IN
teres ing papers that have been read before the
American Association for the Advancement OF
Science was that of Professor George ii. Cook, OF
the New Jersey Geological Survey. on The Change
of Relative Level Of the Ocean and the Uplands on
the Eastern Coast of North America Much OF
Professor Cooks paper, which was read to-day In
the section Of Geography, related to interesting
discoveries in the marshes of New-Jersey and Long
Island. Professor Cook spoke as follows:
At former meeting Of this association in tbs place in
1857 read paper upon this subject Ny object in
again bringing forward Is 20 call further attention To
ito the kind Of evidence upon which 1t rests to the e
fccts OF this change and the OF controlling Its
injurious consequences.
l. Submerged forestsIurnish tie most common and
widespread evidence of this change. william Bariram
in his travels Through North and South Carolina
Georgia East ana West Florida etc. in 1873 says;
ut seems evident even demonstration. that those
salt marshes adjoining the coast Of the main and the
recdy and grassy Islands and marshes In the rivers
which are now overlooked at every TIDE, were
formerly high swamps OF firm land, al
fording forests OF cypress, tupelo, magnolia
grandora oak ash sweet bay and other timber trees
the growing on the river swamp'.
surface feet above the spring tides
that flow at this day and It Is plainly TO be seen by
every planter along the coast OF Carolina Georgia and
Florida to the Missssi pi when they bank in these
grassy tide marshes for cultivation, that they cannot
sink their drains above three feet below the surface
before they strata Of cypress stumps and other
trees as close together theynow grow the swamps"
Lye in his second visit the United States in 10,
writes OF the coast OF Georgia at the mouth OF the
Aamaha: AS approached the sea ana the brackish
water the bordering the river began first 10 grow
dwarsh, and then lowering suddenly, to give place en-
tirely to rceGs but sun SOW the b I'd stImps ana
stools of the cypress and pine continuing to show them
selves ln every ion Of the bank, maintaining the up
rgnt position IN which they originally grow. The oc-
currence of these In the salt marshes clearly demon
stIacs that ourishcd where they would now
be Immediately killed By the sat WAFER. There must
have cnange the relative level Of lana and sea,
to account for their growth since, even above the COM
mencoment Of the braclisn water, similar stumps are
visible at lover level than TIE present nigh iide, and
covered by layers Of scdimentary matter. on which tall
Expresses and other trees are now standing"
On the coast OF -Outh Carolina. Professor Tu0mey in
his Geology Of tuat state 1916. records similar facts re-
gardlH, submerged forests though he does not THINK
indicate any -uo-dcnce of the land lie
ackuOwlcdg ihit Mr. IyCl has examined the coast %
South Carolina and Georgia, and has come Z" the con
cluslon that these submerged eumps show vertical
depression Of the land TO the amount OF at least -FOUR
feet" In North Carolina Dr. nmons records the occur
renee OF submerged forests in Albemare Sound In VIZ
gnia along the shores Of Chesapeake BAY unDef Is
found IN the place Of it, growth bat several leet DeIo"
the level of tide water, am informed oy my friend
General r. D. Cults OF the United States Coast ana CT
odetic survey
TIE NLW-JERsEY, LONG ISLAND AND NEW-ENGLAND
COAST
Tie coast Of Newt r'ey is marked by the occurrence
of timber and stumps below the present tide level al tire
marshes which border no state for much OF the distance
from the head OF Delaware Bay to Cape May aud from
the last named place the mouth OF the Hudson. In
some OF these marshes the timber Is OF white ceDar and
has grown IN swamp. and soft elrth-notaoy So IN tie
cedar sw amps OF Donnisyilo Cape May Comfy and ia
the marsh along the Pennsylvania Railroad between
Newark and Jersey cry. But there are very many
places where oak maple gum, yellow pine aud other
trees OF upland growth found They are no. on the
parts OF the marsh which exposed to tie action oi
the sea, but are Still covered by the marsh
earth which must have quietly and gradually
advanced aud inclO3cd them, and their
stump, aud roots are sn SOUND and firm in the solid
earth m which they grew. Examples can be seen Ia the
meadows on Delaware Bay, b.ow Salcm-in many OF
the bitches in the marsh near the upland, which nave
been cut by farmers, overywh' re-and very marked
example is to De in tie yellow pine stumps, IN the
banks OF the canal which connects south River at Wash
Ing on win the Earitan ucports Cecil Sury " D., and
Amer. Jour. SCI. II ser. vol. -, b. BAD
On Long Island, IN New-York. submerged forests oe
cur under the same circu stances IN the marshes far
Their south Ia The POpuiar Science Nontig vol 10 l.
1874 T. rewis r records the occurrence Of tim3 ana
stunps in the salt marshes at Ilp rana Bay, Pccou
lie BAY, Montauk Point ana Fort hamilton.
IN iIas,Ichusetts Professor tcAc) X, ia the Geology
OF that state p. 307, uudor the head Of "'ubmarue
Forests SAY, they consist o. the remains of ancient
forest. suouer ;ed fe feet below the though
sometime, Laid bare 10 low water IN the
ilaroor oi NaatIcae., am inform "a by Lieutenant
Jonathan Prescott portions OK cedar mlpls, oak an
beech trees, some Or tlcm in an erect posi-
ton ana accompanied b. peat Of an imperfect
character, were found Al the wood EXCEPT
he CEDAR which was nearly sound as very
much declycI rhoy barrie by four feet OF sand.
aud were about eiylt foot below bw-water mark
Another submarine forest exists Holiness iIoe,o
Narthas Vineyard II on the west -de o. the harbor
and described by the plot a, having The appearance
OF "A ma sin at low stump, have been fouad there
in considerable quantity; OF me redr at Least Near
tuc southwest Extremity OF the Whey d, on TIE norm
hor. was informed mat auO,uer forest of similar
description may he seen ON thc north side OF cape
Cod. also, opposite Iarmoih, cedar s.nmps may be
found (a7 I Informed by the cap in OF the Fa
,,t Ma y; ~ tnI Ii,rv " der OF Igncasfrr who iT,I
directed my attention To thla subject says thai The same
pn.iir The village FdrtE,r inquiries viii bring
To light MANI &. Eer instances Of similar character; for
my opgorun.tc, OF observation on ths sGg'ct haYr
In the Cicology OF New-H npshire" by Professor
C. l. Jackson, p. $50 J. h. Hayes. of Portsmouth men
uons hat AT I'VE BrlcI" among the curious phenomena
which may b. witnessed, the remains OF sub
perscd forest The s;umps aud roots OF Trees o. large
sIz are Frequently daring very low water. tue
lower margin Of the beach They appear To have been
broken on near the ROOFS which remain in their original
positions. The trees were mostly Wlto cedar
Stnmps Of are round la most Of tie salt marshes
around Portsmouth,
In A parrr on the Geology OF Portland Ne, by
Iro,essor Edward Hitchcock and j. L. HAYES boston
Iourua NATURAL History, vol l. y. $751; similar crcuu
stances regard 10 suomerged forests are mentioned
DISCOVERIES ~ NOVA SCOTIA AND GREENLAND
In the Acadian Geology Of Principal Dawson, page -
il d.crb ii submcr gcd forest at tE0 head the BAY OF
Fundy near Fort Lawrence. lie says Al the distance
of 326 PAGES tho abrupt edge OF the marsh, and
about % feet below the level OF the highest tides which
here rise all about 10 feet the first OF the rooted
sumps which appear in bell OF sand, gravel aud stones
mixed with mud, which neryenes between the slope OF
mud already mentioned and the level OF low tide
Beyond the stump first seen, and extcnd.ng
denth OF NJ leasL thrtY thirty five foot below the