The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-03
Isthc ONO valley sinking.

Ohio State Journal.
"John +. R,tclile propounds the start.
ling theory that the Ohio valley 10 sinking
and 100 years hence will be a vast lake.
He prophesiBes that tho child 10 living who
will see II 100 foot rise in the Ohio ut Gin.
cinnati." This paragraph which has been
going the rounds Of tue newspapers for
some time, was shown 10 Professor Lesley.
"Ratclile," he said, "is absolutely IN.
known 10 geologisls. II there DO such u
man at all he is humoriat or a crank, and
no geologist Is either. The theory mention
I'd in the paragraph Ia without any fouuda.
ton whatever. No fact to. suggest 1t has
ever been noted. The Ohio valley Is one
of the most solid pieces Of territory on
this globe, and North America, taken
as u whole, is peculiarly free from
changes OF elevation. At the came time
the whole surface oithe earth is undergoing
changes constantly, but they arc 80 slow
that what ecems to us an indefinite length
Of time ia required for an appreciabls
change Of level. We know that during the
tertiary period Of geology the western
part oil South America rose thousands Of
feet. The character and positions OF the
formations show this fact, but it puts ones
mind to q useless strain 10 try and conceive
how many millions and billions OF years
this lifting process was going on. The
Rocky mountains OF this country have
r,sen six thousand feet in the same way.
On tho other hand, in many regions
OF tho earth there has been r sinking since
the tertiary period began. on the coast OF
Florida the coast survey operations have
brought up from the bottom Of the deep
sea the remains OF aninals that lived ages
upon ages ago in the bottom OF rivers or
upon land. The evidence that they we're
not washed out to sea was abundant. In
the English channel, hundreds OF feet deep,
were found rich stores OF mammoth ivory.
The animals had died were the remaina
were found long before there was any
water there. Ofcourse there are changes,
but no human being need fear that he
ill sec them in operation
"lIave there not been sudden changes
in the Ohio valley"
Eyes. Not a great many years ago there
was a sudden sinking OF quite a large terri.
tory on both sides OF the Mississippi, be.
low the mouth OF the Ohio. Lakes were
formed in which trees are standing to this
day. But all such local Binkings are due
TO volcanic disturbances or the crushing in
Of the roofs Of caves. The whole blue gras,
region OF Kentucky rests upon a limestone
foundation that is honey.combed with caves
and caverns. These fall in every now and
then, just as coal mines cave in. In one case
the supports are torn away bymen and in
the other they are worn away by nature. In
the region OF the Mammoth cave in Ken
lucky sink.holes, or places where caves
have fallen in, are to be seen everywhere,
and underground streams are numerous.
In this State the Reading valley was formed
by the breaking down Of caves. The Nat.
ural bridge Of Virginia is part Of the roof
OF what was formerly a cave, and l have
seen streams in this State that run alter
nately above and below the ground. Now,
the blue grass region Of Kentucky crossca
the Ohio river at Cincinnati, aud-if there
were to be any sinking there it would
probably be the result Of cavipg in; but no
sinking has occurred"