The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-07-25
A TRAVELLING HILL.
A WAVE OF SAND SWEEPING
ACROSS CAPE HENLOPEN.
Neither Marshes Nor Forests Have
Been Able TO Obstruct Its
Course-It is Mile Long
and Fifty Feet High.


and Fifty Feet High.
Without doubt one of the most inter
esting features of the Atlantic coast of
the United States, and, in fact, one of
the most interesting phenomena of the
whole country, is the travelling hill OF
Cape Henlopen, says letter from Lewes,
Del, to the New York Sun. A ridge of
sand, more than a mile long, fifty feet
high and 200 yards wide in the base, is
rolling inland like mighty wave from
the sea, and with power that is irresisti-
BILE. Formed at the waters edge, no.
body knows certainly just when it began
to move inland Within the memory of
men barely past middle age it has tray-
ersed space worth describing IN de-
tail.
In 1916, when General Joe johnson,
as Government engineer, was engaged
in surveying this part of the coast, he
found on the north side OF Cape Henlo-
pen great ridge of sand. 1t was in APP
pearance like the ridges that divide the
Great South Bay of Long Island from the
sea, save that it lowered seventy-two feet
above high water mark. 1t was ragged
ridge, with coarse grass growing over a
few parts of its surface and few gnarled
and stunted pines on its southern OF land
side. Behind it was a salt marsh or val
ley, where the water was from an inch to
two or three feet deep at the lowest ebb
tide. Inland from the marsh, and in
deed on low ridges in this marsh was a
great grow of pine trees. Half mile
back from the beach trees were found
from two to three feet in diameter, and
tall in proportion.
Winding along through this forest was
road established in the old colonial
days, and having milestones by its side to
show the wayfarer how far he had tray-
eled from Lewes on his way to Henlopen
Lighthouse.
In making the survey, Engineer John
son noted that whenever the wind came
in from north'ard it picked up the sand
on the weather side of that great ridge in
such clouds that no one could travel
along the ridge except when the face was
covered with thick veil, and even then
only with great effort and much pain. It
was like facing blast from the desert Of
Sahara, and sometimes almost like facing
a charge of birdshot.
The sand thus picked up by the wind
was carried up over the brow Of the hill,
across the narrow plateau on the south
ern side, where the wind formed an eddy
that could not support the weight of the
sand. The wind was very thorough in
its work, for it gathered the sand from
the entire face of the ridge to carry over
TO the rear. Thus, with every northerly
gale, inch after inch was cut away in
front and carried back. Inch by inch
the face of the ridge receded; inch by
inch the rear face advanced. The gnarled
and twisted pines on the back surface dis
appeared under the wave of sand. The
edge of the marsh was reached and COW
cred. The little three-covered ridges
were next buried out of sight. Then the
great forest was reached. Where
the trees stood thick and formed a
solid wall of limbs and leaves
the sand wave rolled up into a perpen-
dicular wall before them, higher and
higher, until level with the tree tops,
and then curled over and broke on them
as wave OF water might have done.
Howed tho tHaes we're far apart the sand
one way and another it steadily adj
vanced, and the people saw with won
der the forest buried before their eyes.
The great trees, that seemed to be able
in their strength to defy all that nature
might bring against them, strove to put
forth new branches above the rising
tide, grew faint in the struggle, turned
their green leaves to yellow, t'leir yellow
cones to gray and black, and died of suf-
location.
As the years passed the receding wave
began to uncover the old surface of the
ground that had been buried Old land
marks along the edge of the marsh re-
appeared. Even the little ridges them
selves, with the old sod dead but easily
recognized, appeared, and finally the
wind scooped the sand out of the holIows
of the marsh, and to-day the tide Gibbs
and flows there, and at low tide the water
is about as deep as it used to be before
the sand wave swept across, the chief diff
ference between the marsh as it used to be
and as it is now being that there are now
no bitches in it.
Then, strange to tell, new growth
of pines sprang up on the little old
ridges and new ridge OF sand formed
alongshore where the old one had stood.
The new ridge alongshore is only a small
one-perhaps twelve or fifteen feet above
the water in places, but it is growing as
the new trees behind it grow, aud it
may possibly start inland as the big one
that preceded it did.
As the big sand wave continued its
way the old forest that had been buried
began to be uncovered again, so that now
the stranger that traverses the ridge sees
on one hand the living giants of the
forest gasping in the last throes of death,
and on the other the bleached and decay
ing skeletons of those that had to sue
cumb. It is picture that is at once
desolate and depressing.
Judging by what the people say here,
the wave travels not far from fifty feet
year where its course is not INSTRUCTED |
by the forest, but even there it travels
7overeG I'm 4 nr1Te N fJrry yree.tTs Ii A---