Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-10-09
ONTARIO'S PROTEAN HILLS.
Monster Shifting Sand Dunes on the Cana
dian Shore of Lake Erie.

dian Shore of Lake Erie.
An interesting and wonderful feature
of the natural scenery of Lake Erie's
shores are two immense conically shaped
sand formations in the township Of
Houghton, Norfolk county, Ontario,
just west of Long Point.
These hills are composed Of the light,
silvery sand peculiar to the shores OF
the lake, with the one dissimilarity that
it appears lighter in bulk than the shore
sand and drifts more readily with the
wind. They are situated about a mile
apart, the one to the east being the lar
ger. 1t measures about 200 feet in height
from the water level, 1000 feet in
length and 800 feet in width. When
viewed from the surrounding country, it
appears like vast symlnetrically form
ed giants grave, erected on the lofty
p1omontory which lies high above, and
whose precipitous cliffs wall in the lake
for miles. The perfect and clear cut out
lines and gracefully rounded summit
which towers nobly high excite in one
desire to ascend the steep activity,
uCUW LILO VI ts ClilllO
upon an incline of nearly so degrees
from the horizontal, made even more
1aborious by the looseness of the sand,
which the climber sinks into above his
shoe tops at every step. But he is right
generously rewar ded when the summit
is reached, for the prospect is beautiful.
Looking inland, the country unfolds
itself, with its delectable meadows and
fields Of grain, for miles and miles,
while in the opposite direction the mag
nifcent view of Erie's broad expanse
stretches to the horizon.
These hills, besides their present in
terest, have strange evolutionary his
tory ascribed to them, as recorded by
some of the early settlers i'll the vicinity.
At one time the summit of the large
hill presented circular plateau with a
crater opening into a vast funnel shaped
chasm, with sides nearly vertical, which
extended down to great depth. The
bottom of this great alnphitheater was
80 feet in diameter, and upon this nat
ural arena the pioneer youths Of many
years ago played the game Of baseball
with the advantage of requiring no field
ers, for no matter where the ball was
thrown or batted, upon striking the
sides it would fall to the feet of the
players. No trace whatever is now left
Of the crater. Many are the forms the
hill has assumed since then.
If it is the action Of the strong south
westerly gales, which for $50 miles have
an uninterrupted swoop down the lake
upon the loose sand Of the cliff, why are
other hills not thus formed by the same
force all along the shore in this locality,
where the sand appears the same as
here? There is q sand mound close to
the large hill nearly 40 feet high, which
has the appearance Of growing similar
to the others. Tt is inclosed on three
sides with a thick growth of large trees
which it is gradually covering up.
These hills slowly but really change
their positions, ever retaining some
graceful and strange shape. The old
trees that form o dense growth near, by
are gradually swept over and complete
ly buried in sand. In many places their
utmost branches only protrude above the
surface of the sides Of the ruthless sand
monster that smothered and settled upon
them. In time, as the hill moves on,
these trees are again revealed, broken
and dead, Of course, with whitened
trunks and manned limbs.
Some 20 years ago the summit of the
large hill was crowned by the observa-
forv Of tI,n T1nite5 States lake c17rvev
From this observatory, one in the high
lands Of Pennsylvania and another on
Long Point a triangle was formed, and
the most accurate chart Of the lake at
that time was issued. At present a
beacon is the only structure on the hill.
having been erected in connection with
the survey now being made of the lake
by the Canadian government. Buffalo
Express.