The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-04-03
DYING CONTINENTS.

The influence on the climate and
physical condition OF many countries,
caused by the destruction Of forests, IL
discussed IN the North American Re-
view, by Dr., Felix Oswald, ASIA Minor,
he says, has become the epitOme of a
dying continent" In Spain the agri-
cultural value Of the lOWlands, which
once attracted the VIsigOths from their
DanublaR homes, has been reduced by
more than so per cent, The coast lands
Of the Mediterranean have wasted away
Ia decline, "whlch seems TO be- the III
innate fate Of all civilized countries"
"Planeta die by deslCCatlOn," and there
N no doubt that "the hectic glow Of that
malady begins to be felt In the lands Of
the Western Hemisphere" In two cen.
turtles the lumherman Of the United
States have "kllled ~ many trees ~ the
inhabitants Of Southern Europe felled
In two thousand years between the fOun-
datlOn Of Rome aud the conquest OF
Granada" The water'cOuraea of New
England have shrunk until mills that
once had ample water power are
compelled 10 resort 10 steam,
The deslccatlOn which has made
barren the vegas Of Southern
Spain has set IN along our Gulf States
In ilfty years, says DR., Oswald, II the
process continues, our cotton States will
be "reduCed 10 the necessity of raising
their crops by the aid Of irrigation The
locust viii raYage the plains Of the Gulf
coast. Agriculture will invade the high
land valleys Of the Alleghenies, The
soil Of the mountain slopes, stripped Of
their forests, VIII be washed away by
winter rains aud thawIng shows, Rivers
viii shrink 70 brooks In summer, but
ll0Od their valleys IN spring. Louisiana
and Southern Alknnags VIII he Inun'
dated as regularly ag Egypt and at the
mouth Of the Mississippi The deposits Of
river sediment viii Keep host Of
drpdgehOats busy" Even the "grauary
OF the West will be confined 10 the iTTi.
gable valleys Of the large streams" ,"
When The stress begins TO be felt the
people Will have 10 resort 10 tTee'plaut,
Ing 10 save themselves from starvation,
The writer leaving the subject Of the
genesis Of deserts, prOceeda 10 consider
The history Of great floods, ana attributes
them everywhere 10 the destruction Of
luINNlH' INV NN'l NnNN = W iNl NIllN Alll
Mississippi valleys result from the
Simultaneous swelling Of mountain
streams at the bead Of the tributaries OF
the great rivers, Already the c0ustruc,
ton Of artificial reservoirs is Rgitated
az n measure OF protection, Protection
by dlkes nnd lpyees tends tOinCrease the
danger by causing the beds TO rise until
the bursting Of their confines Involves
anational calamity The dams Of the
FefaIna had 10 be- raised above the city
walls, and at last even above The house
tops Of Trent, "till now the river seems
tOfun along the ridge Of u long stretch
ed chain Of artificial hills" The floods
that visited France and Germany last
year, says Dr., Oswald "CNused more per.
manenl danger than the Franc0.Prus
sian war" aud he predicts that the same
risk will soon be- Incurred In many val
ley regions Of our central States, "Be.
fore the end Of this century the increas.
ed frequency Of winter floods and the
augmented value Of lands In the valleys
of the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Sus.
Quehanna the Potomac, and the Della
,eare Will stimulate the demand for
leyees beyond the bOldest hopes Of our
present Congressional jObhers,"