Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-06
THE GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Some Interesting Talks Upon the Forma-
ton of the Atlantic Coast
BY Mr.. McGhee and Major POWELL
Superintendent Powell on the
Study of Geography.

The National Geographic Society held its
annual business meeting for the election of
officers last evening at the Builders EX-
change Hail, which was preceded by a
symposium" of short talks. Professor w.
B. Powell, the superintendent OF public
schools spoke for a short half hour on the
subject of the teaching Of geography. He
said that in estimating the value Of the
schools of a city. he would first look into
their capacity for giving children opportuni-
ties to obtain first ideas. These are first OBJ
tanned of numbers, plants and animals. and
other facts of the physical world, and far
Their up in the grades these initial thoughts
are secured in physiology. chemistry, BIZ
ology, &c. The three most important fea-
lures of the teaching system are: First the
opportunity to gain ideas; second the op-
portunity to apply them; third. the oppor-
tunity to continue this process to advanced
stages of knowledge. In the study of geog-
raphy 1T is not easy to give the children the
chance they should have to obtain the first
ideas that are so useful. 1t is possible to
get plants and even animals into the school
room, or to make experiments to show
many of the natural phenomena, and pupils
requires skill to bring to their attention the
elements that enable them to see the how
and the why of geography. They must be
taue o. that there is a reason for everything,
even in geography-reason for the location
OF cities, for the placing of first settle
ments. and for the great belts of human
life. There must be logical and sequential
teaching. SO that there VIII not be too
much strain on the memories OF the young
folks. There are few things to be remem-
bered arbitrarily, and this is demonstrated
by logical instruction.
Mr.. Powell gave a happy illustration of
some practical geographical lessons to be
obtained from the works of the rain i'm the
new ground out on the extension of Nassa-
chusetts avenue. where continents and val
leys and mountains are made by the tor
rents. There child might obtain his first
concept Of the whole idea of geography as
reasonable and logical study. he can
never get 1t from textbooks alone. 1t can
be done only by getting the start from the
things themselves. Things, things, things,
said Mr.. Powell in conclusion, things are
at the root Of the whole system.
Geological Formation.
Mr.. w. j. MCGEE was the next speaker.
He had to talk very rapidly to compress
into his half hour a vast fund of informa-
ton about how the Atlantic coast in this
immediate vicinity has changed back and
forth in the lapse Of geological eras. He
exhibited a number of interesting maps to
show the alterations that have taken place
in the shape Of the land. He first gave
brief definitions of running and still water
to show their functions in the great process
OF geography making, and asked his hear
ers to consider altitude as merely a relative
term. Then he asserted. backed by ample
science, that the present contour of the
coast and the relative positions OF the rivers
and the cities and the seas are merely an
accident of altitude, which brings about the
difference between the land and the sea
bottom"
In his first map. which showed the coast
as it exists today, he had drawn a line
marking the first decided bluff or ridge in
the land from the shore. 1t was at once ap-
parent that the cities of Philadelphia, Bal
timore, Washington and Richmond were al
most II not exactly In coincidence with that
line. This Mr.. MCGEE explained by showing
how the earliest explorers, entering the riv-
ers from their sea mouths. went as far UP as
they could in their boats, and at the head
OF navigation. where the abrupt bluff caus-
ed a sudden ceasing of the tides and where
the conditions for successful colonization
were the most abundant. Thus. at the Great
Falls. the falls in the James river and those
In the Schuylkill. and at Trenton were
started great centers of population. The
line Of the bluffs. therefore. marks one of
the most remarkable natural boundaries in
the world
In the second map had been shown what
existed when the land was $50 :eet lower,
In relation to the sea, than IT is now
Then all the region east Of Washington
was submerged, New Jersey was q howl
ing wilderness of salt water and the fishes
or the deep sea swan over the ampnithea-
ter where Washington now stands. This
map brought Mr.. MCGEE to speak of the
work that is now progressing on fine Jersey
shore in the disappearance of the coast
line. Every year thousands Of dollars
worth of property is destroyed. Villa sites
are washed away. and the sea keeps en-
creeping up on the land, to reclaim what
1t has lost in the past The waters of Del
aware river and bay are widening yearly
also. But these changes are going on 50
gradually and slowly that the geographers
hardly notice them.
The third map gave an entirely different
view of the situation. 1t showed the coast
as II existed in that merry day when the
land was from 800 to 400 feet higher than
now. Washington was very far inland
The shore line was about 100 miles east Of
the present coast The great bays that
indent the shore were not in existence and
in their place were large rivers, notably
the Susquehanna. with many streams as
tributaries.
To demonstrate that this process Is al
ternating, Prof. MCGEE had prepared still
another map. showing what existed even
before this state Of expansion. when the
shore line was far in and sadly indented
with bays and peninsulas. He said that
the land has risen and fallen more than
once. and 1t has all contributed 20 make it
the beautiful place IT now is.
Prof. POwelps Talk.
Prof. ]. B. Powell. the director of the
geographical survey. closed the talking
by a ten-minute chat in somewhat the
same line as that of Mr.. MCGEE He said
that when the land is rising in one Of these
undulations it will sometimes stop and
seem to hesitate for period. The Sus-
quehanna river is a remarkable instance
Of this. 1t is one Of the strangest rivers
in the world at the present time. From
Harrisburg to the sea 1t is an anomaly,
being shallow. wide, with many rocks tut
ting from its bed, and yet very swift. I'VE
caught that river" said Prof. Powell
Just at the very nick of time in one of it's
little geological oscillations. Only lay or
so ago, speaking geologically, II was tilted
up. and 1t has not had time to cut its way
out again. 1t has secured away The sand
from its valley and spread out over the
surface, and the rocks are coming up, but
1t has had no chance to wear them out
and We must give ii an opportunity to
make a decent well-regulated river Of it.
self"
Florida was considered for a few mo-
ments, geologtcally. and 1t was explained
how 1t is the result of an upheaval of a
ridge from the bottom Of the ocean. hear
ing on its back the very sand Of the bed