Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-08-02
TnN anonoar or rnILADELrrI !,
When Prehistoric Man Hunted and
Eisitcd on the Mighty River.

When Prehistoric Man Hunted and
Eished on the Mighty River.
The Scientific 1merican prints the fol-
lowing abstract of lecture recently de-
livered before the Franklin Institute by
Prof. II. Carvill Lewis
Recapitulatiug the various surface
formations here distinguished occurring
in Philadelphia We have, beginning with
the most recent : recent slluvium, Tren.
ton gravel, Philadelphia brick clay, red
gravel, yellow gravel, Bryn Mawr gravel.
In these six deposits is written the
ancient history OF the Delaware valley.
II we read the record Alright, they tell
us that, long ago, before man WAS created,
when strange mammals rosmed abroad
and when all southern New Jersey lay deep
beneath the Atlantic, the waves of the
ocean broke upon the hills of Bryn Mswr,
Chestnut Hill and Media. AT the same
time al inlet from the sea ex-
tended over greet part Of the
Montgomery county limestone val
ley, depositing CLAWS holding extensive
beds of iron ore, This region, then 45o
feet lower than nov, was afterwards
slowly upheaved and a. the waters re-
treated, the yellow gravel was probably
formed.
Afterwards, and perhaps in consequence
Of the rise, the climate grew colder, and
glaciers crept down from Greenland and
Labrador, forming huge mer-de giIct
thousands of feet in thickness, which
advanced 10 within 80 miles of Phila.
delphia.
Again the land des3endgd 175 feet
lower than it is now and again the waters
covered the city. This time it was fresh
water of icy GOODNESS, bearing great ice
bergs, which stranded on the shores
formed by the hill at Wayne Junction
Belmont, Georges Hill, Hestonyille
Haddington aud Swarthmore. At this
time the river Delaware was 10 miles OF
more In width, nearly 200 feet deep, and
AZ a roaring flood, deposited the red
gravel aud left in it ii the records Of its
waves, As the Hood became more quiet
though still filed with mud from the
base Of the glacier, the brick olsys were
laid down, the floating ice foes mean.
while dropping their far carried boulders
all over our city.
After many thousands of years the
great iie age" at length came to 8
close, the land rose to about its present
level or somewhat higher, the waters re-
treated, and, as autd5n elevations oil
temperature finally thawed the glaciers
still rem canning in tlle head waters OF thu
Delaware, there eams those last great
llj0a3 which depus.ted the "Ircuto,
gravel The Delaware, then 90 wide a.
to aubmargs moot Of Trenton, all o
Bristol, IND the river front OF Fhila
5+iphi& nearly up TO the State House, was
again filed with fl 1atiug icebergs. The
xalrla played in its waters, while the
reindeer and mssto ION rosnod Oh it.
banks, Man also then appeared. With
habits most probably like thoss OF III,
E-qnimaGN, living in most pritoitivt
wGys he hunted aud f7hed on the swollen
Delaware and occasionally dropped iutt
the water bis rua4 stont imV!ements, lonC
afterwards 70 l.. ftuai 20 tell til. story Of
tb-if mAkefs.
F.nt.l|y the land began the sinking
%hica is now u progress the climate
grew warner, the RID Indian was intro.
inuad and the modern era began.