The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-11-14

cluster OF rocks, lmltatlng the FORMS VI
columns. pinnacles and obclisks.
The Isle of Stenness," says DR.. Hih-
bert. ..presents- scene of unequaied
desolation. In stormy winter large
blocks of stone are overturned or are
removed from their native beds and
carried to distance almost incredible.
In the winter of 1872 q tabular mass
eight feet two inches by seven feet. and
five feet one inch thick, was dslodged
from its bed and carrie to distance
of from eighty to ninety feet. But the
most subj me scene is where mural
pile of porphyry escaring the process
of disintegratlon that is devastating the
coast, appears to have been left, as a
sort of of rampant against the inroads
of the ocean. The Allan ic, when pro-
voked hy wntry gales, batters aga INST
it with all the force of real artillery,
and the waves in their repeated as
saults have at len til forced for them
selves an entrance. This breach,
named the Grind of the Navir, is
widened every winter by the over
whelming surge, that, finding pas
sage through, it separates large stones
| from its sides and forces them no less
than one hundred aud eighty feet. In
two or three spots, the fragments
which nave been detached are brought
together in immense heaps, that appear
| as an accumulation of cubical masses,
the product of some quarry.
In Roeness, where the sea has found
less resistant material, an immense
cavern has been followed by the action
of the waves to depth of go feet.
The coast of Yorkshire furn shes evil
dence of the destructive action of the
water upon the land. many spots laid
down on the old maps as the sites OF
towns being now simply sand banks
Manv places once towns of note are
now only recorded in history, among
them kavensperg, which was al one
time a rival of Hull and of so much
Importance as port that from it Edward
Ballot and the confederated English
barons sailed in 1882 to invade Scot
land, and il was here that Henry IN.
landed in 1899 to depose kichard III.
This once fourlshing seaport now con-
sists mainly ef ..e >tensive sands. dry at
| low water"
Rapid decay has also taken place ON
the shores of Norfolk aud suffolk. a
certain inn was built at Slerington,
and 1t was calculated that evenly
years would pass be ore the sea would
reach the spot, the computations being
based upon previous occurrences which
demonstrated an average annual loss
of one yard of land But no allowance
having been made for the fact that the
land sloped from the sea, the devasta-
ton was more rapid than had been ex-
pected, the premises were swept away
| in ar less time than had been antici-
pated.
In another way, the action of wa er
tends 10 encr~ ach upon the land and car
~ it to sea. Une would hardly -lieve
that the rain falls in the interior had any
appreciable :ect in this direction. but
some eminent geologists assert that the
inbuence of inland rainfalls in this re-
spect is not inconsiderable in the course
| OF time. Instances, according to these
authorities, might be referred to, but
tie limit o: space prevents it. 1t may
be going too deeply into the subject to
consider that the more earth there is
washed into the sea the higher the sea
will rise, and the higher the sea rises
the larger evaporating surface is pre-
sented to the suns rays, thereby caus-
inc greater rainfall-more cumulative
power, by the way. But some writer's
have not thought this part of the
subject too absurd for investigation. 1t
is to be remembered that this little rain
drop and this big. billow are not going
| to do their work in year or century,
and it must be admitted that, without
recuperative power or restorative force,
the time would some time come when all
the land would be under water once
more. Water has . very leveling
tendency.
But the earth happily possesses re-
storative force. What is it,
Earth ,uaSes. Or. what amounts to
the same thing. the dynamite power
that demonstrates itself in earthquakes.
1t has already been suggested that u
depression of the earth's surface from
whatever cause creates an elevation
somewhere. Dig well. and the re-
moved earth makes the surface higher
around it.
1t has been ascertained by compare
son that, as general rule, upheavals
act most powerfully upon land, and es-
pecially near coast lines. while depres-
sions are most kelly to occur under the
oceans led. This provision of nature
is favorable to land in two ways The
upheaval strengthens the shore to resist
encrolchment, while the depression
lowers the sea level. according to ito
depth.
chilli was visited in November, 1922,
by an earthquake which was severe and
destructive. On the day following the
shock it was discovered that the sea had
receded from broad line Of coast more
than one hundred miles in length. Be-
tween the old and the new low water
marks fishermen gathered shellfsh that
they had been able 10 obtain previously
, only in the surf. Rocks which had
been covered ct low water were now
dry At half-tlde.
i A corresponding rise of the land was
apprec;able along the coast, but it was
grea.er . little way inland than near
the shore. A water-miil about q mile
from the beach had gained . fall Of
fourteen inches in one hundred feet
The rise was three and four feet at VAL
paraiso and CUNT 10 respectively.
l han 2 n.