The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-09-26
LOSING INCH BY INCH.
THE MIGHTY ATLANTIC MD
BLING AT a CONTINENT.
yornciousiy Eating 1t, Way w'.twa-d ut
the Rate OF ~ I,od ~ Ye~r-Thj
Edge OF tn" Continent lar
Out La tho Ocean.

The Atlantic coast line from Cape
Cod to Cape Hatteras is retreating
with a steady and alarming rapidity
before the waves OF the ocean" said a
geologlst 10 Star writer. Each
average year the waters advance one
rod inland where no bluffs afford q
temporarily opposing barrier. Prop
erty owners at summer resorts all
along the shore view with dread the
encroachment OF the sea, trying their
best TO oppose its progress with break
waters and other feeble expedients.
Nevertheless, the eating away OF the
shore still proceeds, memorable Nep-
tune devouring 1t inch by inch. Ocean
avenue at Long Branch only few
years ago was broad road; now 1t Is
a narrow one comparatively its width
decreasing annually. At other points
the beaches OF generation back are
hundreds OF yards out at sea The
seaside cottage, with broad lawn be-
fore it. has an expectation OF life OF
a decade or so perhaps but 1t must 60.
Not long since huge hotel at a popu-
lar summar city had 10 be dragged by
n team Of locomotives a considerable
distance to escape the waters which
were undermining it.
"Along the Gulf coast from Mobile
bay to the mouth OF the Mississippi
the same direful process Is going on.
Villas and orange groves on the shore
are swept away and inundated by the
advancing waves. Thirty-four years
resort OF New Orleans, was swallowed
up by the storm waters. with most OF
its transient population. and only
tide washed bank remains to mark its
site. More than once since then
villages and settlements on the margin
Of the Gulf and upon the delta islands
OF the Mississippi have been wiped
from the face OF the land. All these
occurrences tell the same story OF en-
croachment by the ocean upon the
continent.
Comparison OF maps show that tho
Atlantic coast from Barnegat inlet
twelve miles southwark. known as
Long Beach. has in thirty-two years
retreated $40 feet-more than one
tenth OF q mile. Surveys OF Cape
May county demonstrate that within
the last century tho shore along it has
receded three quarters OF a mile. On
the Carolina coast the advance OF the
sea upon the rice plantations has been
going on steadily for three generations
The sea is devouring the land, says
Lafcadio Hearn. Many and many u
mile OF ground has yielded to the tire
less charging of oceans cavalry. Far
out you can see with good glass the
porpoises at play where OF old the
sugar cane shook out its million ban
nerets and shark fins are now seen in
water above q site where pigeons used
| to co.,
| .One curious feature of these al
terations Of the coast line by the en-
| croachment OF the seas Is found in the
exposure by the advancing waters OF
ancient meadows and forests long
buried. In this manner have been
disclosed to view old cedar swamps,
and thus singular industry-actual
mining for timber has been created
At several points in Eastern Now Jer-
sey enormous quantities OF white cedar
and mag nolia logs. sound and fit for
use. are found submerged In what
have now become salt marshes. Many
OF the trees thus exhumed were forest
giants. In the Great Cedar swamp
on the creek OF the same name, the
trunks reach diameter OF seven feet.
The cause Of all this Ia that the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts are actually
sinking. and the ratio at which they
are going down Is estimated by the
official geologist of New Jersey at two
feet per century. Now. the general
seaward slope of the edge OF the con-
tinent is about six feet to the mile, so
that the sinking OF each 100 years
gives third of mile OF lowland to
the ocean. This would seem to be
rather less than the rate OF encroach-
ment indicated by comparison OF maps
made at successive periods. Modern
geologic science has ascertained that
the entire crust OF the earth Is in
condition OF such sensitive equilibrium
that the taking OF weight from one
part OF it to another brings about ele-
walton OF the portion from whence the
weight is removed and produces cor
responding depression OF the portion
where 1t is added. The rivers which
empty into the Atlantic from Cape Cod
to Cape Hatteras and along the shore
OF the Gulf carry out into the ocean
each year billions OF tons OF material,
which is thus deposited outside the
oceans edge. The weight transferred
causes steadily progressive depres-
sion OF the coast line.
III all the water in the Atlantic
Ocean were dried up you would per-
haps be surprised to observe that the
eastern edge OF the great land mass
which we call the North American
continent Is not the present beach line
at all. You would see that the CONT
nent itself extends far out into the
ocean. distance varying from so to
$50 miles. Once upon time this ter
race was all above the water; the east
shore of the continent had very DIFF
ferent shape there was deep sea
close to the coast and the localities
where now are situated New York,