Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-01-06
Lecture On the Geography and Geology
of Augusta County.

On last Saturday night Major ed Hotchkiss
delivered in the Auditorium OF the Young
Mems Christian Associa ton building an inter-
esttn g lecture on the geography and geology Of
Augusta county. He prefaced his lecture by
the statement that TO knew all that should be
known of place 1t was.necessary to know its
position, its extent its streams. its geology its
climate. its animal and vegetable productions
and its human Inhabitants. Augusta county
is in longitude 70 and latitude IS degrees North
1t is central, being midway bet ween the capes
of Virginia and the mouth Of Big Sandy, and
between Portland. Maine, and New Orleans.
Louisiana. 1t is a portion of the great Appa-
lachian Valley extending from the mouth of
the st. Lawrence to Alabama.
When 1t was organized in 1913. its boundaries
extended from ocean to ocean and from the
| southern line Of Faixfax's grant-+he North
ern boundary of Rockingham-to the North
Carolina line, and 1t SO remained till 1890, after
which 1t was, time after time, subdivided till
1t was reduced to Its present limits, embracing
about 1000 square miles-the largest in the
State-about two-thirds being arabic and one
third mountain lands. In shape, 1t is a rude
rectangle. 81 miles across in one direction and
36 in another. The surface Is variable, but fer
tile and adapted to a variety OF productions.
II was called by the original settlers the "Tri-
pie Forks of the Shenandoah" the three prin-
cipsl streams being the North, Middle, and
South-rivers which form the Shenandoah,
which, in the Indian language, means the
daughter OF the Stars" The head of the
Shenandoah is a spring on MI. Rogers (Eliotts
Knob 1850 feet above the sea, Our Valley
averages about 1000 feet above the sea. He
drew the streams of the county on the black
board, and they presented, as he very appro-
priately said, very pretty Photographed
tree. The latitude of IS degrees is rather warm
where there is but little elevation above the
sea; but 1t is not SO here because we are 1450
feet above the sea, and as every 800 feet of ele-
walton Is equal to a degree of latitude we have
the temperature of latitude AZ degrees. The
top of Elioitts Knob has the temperature of
Labrador. and the orchid which grows at Lab
rador grows also on Ehott's Knob. Middle
River is SO tortuous that 1t has a developing
length ofS0 miles. whilst the distance from its
source to It's mouth is only 80 mics in
straight line.
This county Is rich in geology, because it
embraces SO many different formations of
strata. Major Hotchkiss had the names of all
the formations with their classification writ
ten on the black board that his auditors might
readily understand his description of them.
The great divisions were the Azoic, when there
was no life; the Paleozoic when life existed but
unlike any now existing; the Middle or Mes
ozoic, age of mammals, and the Cenazoic, when
life as the present existed. The .Mesozoic, or
Middle. comes between the Paleozcic and the
Jenazoic. but none oft strata OF that period
are found in Augusta county-having all been
washed away. The Archaic, or most ancient
rocks. contain large per cent of potash, and
hence the soil formed by their disintegration.
is fertile, as is shown at places on the top of
the Blue Ridge where those rocks are exposed
On the archaic is the Potsdam sandstone
formation. Then follows the lower limestone.
The limestone OF this Valley is No. 2, and the
states and shales No. g. in Rogers classifi ca
ton. The Devonian Is No. s. and No, 10 crowns
the top of Mt. Rogers.
The lecture next Saturday night will be on
the Shenandoah Valley.