The Republican journal., 1885-01-22

system Of hills which extend from Mount De-
sert northward to the lakes Of the Upper Saint
CroiX River. This last named system Profess
sor Stone calls the ''Mount Desert Highlands y
These consist in considerable part of granite,
which outcrops, with some interruptions, all
the way from Mount Desert to Chaeur Bay on
the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Much of this
granite is coarse and easily fractured, and
everywhere the line of outcrop is marked by Il
large number of granite powders. Besides
those named, there are numerous minor ranges,
trending eastward or northeastward, as well as
considerable number of isolated hills, not.
however, of great height.
(2.) THE SAINT John Stope.-Ths slope is
drained by the Saint John and its numerous
tributaries, the largest of which are the Ala
guash. flowing north, and the Aroostook, flow
ing east. The grand divide which separates
this from the southern slope is in general quite
fiat, and in many instances lakes and swamps
near the divide have outlets both ways. Over
this slope the average fall per mile toward the
north and east is from to feet. Most of the
region may be described as great monotonou>
plain. abounding in swamps and varied only by
few peaks and some low rolling highlands
The area of the slope is computed at 400
square miles, its length III miles, and its breadth
about 80 miles. ] he descent from the water
shed ridge on the south to the Saint John on
the north is not sufficient TO give more than a
slow movement to the streams, and the de-
preston of the whole basin to the eastward is
so slight that the current of the Saint John
itself is moderate. The Aroostook leaves the
State at an elevation of 345 feet, and the Saint
John of 4l9 feet above the tide. The rapids
and falls of the streams of this northern slope
are much less numerous and less strongly
marked than those of the southern or Atlantic
slope. The rivers and streams of the northern
slope have, therefore, less Importance as fur
nishing power than those of the southern slope.
A remarkable feature of the surface geology
"A
of kames or eskers, which have been studied
by Prof. George ii. Stone, now uf Colorado
College, the results of which have been pub
llshed. accompanied by map. Professor Stone
describes thirty-one different systems of these
kames, varying in length from l to $50 miles,
seventeen of which are 40 miles, or over, in
length. These formations are peculiar to the
State Of Maine, not being found elsewhere IN
such marked abundance throughout the entire
Atlantic slope.
The principal mountains in the State III
cIuded in district approximately triangular in
form. the vertlces of which fall respectively
near Fryeburg, the Bald Mountain ridge, and
Mars Hill, the sides being respectively 125, 135,
and 240 miles long, and the area OF the whole
about $500 square mles.* Our highest noun
tain. katahdin. is 5.24S feet high. standing in
the sixth rank on the scale OF elevation adopted
by the Coast Survey. The characteristics of
the mountains of Maine are that they do not
consist Of ridges the formation impressed
upon the Appalachian chain in the middle and
Southern States-but of peaks, more or less
conlca! IN form, standing sometimes in isola-
tion. sometimes in clusters, sometimes in short
ranges of greater or less continuity. Their
submits are generally bald rock, not immense
swellS of land and about their bases they are
quite invariably heavily wooded. In addition
10 Mount Katahdin, the chief mountains of
Maine are Mount Abraham. Mount Saddeback.
Mount Bgelow, Russell Mountains. and Mount
Haystack. These form group in the north
western part of the State, in Somerset and
Franklin Counties.
*The Water power of Maine. BY Walter Wells,
Augusta. 1863