Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-10-18
GREAT RIFT IN THE EARTH
A Crack in the Face Of the Planet Four
Thousand Miles in Length,
GREATEST OF GEOLOGICAL CONCLUSIONS
Doctor Grcrory's Exploration I'm
Syria, Palestine nnd Africn-Be-
Iievcd TO Explain the Biblical
story of the Dclugc.


1t Is tale OF strange and often thrilling
interest which is told in the account just
made public OF the explorations OF the party
organized by Prof. ]. w. Gregory OF the
British museum in 1892 to penetrate into the
unknown regions OF British East Africa.
This region, which, by men Of science, had
been deemed OF as little interest as it was
little known, is revealed in the report OF
the expedition as one Of the most singular
portions OF the earth, the scene Of perhaps
the greatest geological CONFUSION OF which
any records now remain on the crust of the
globe. 1t, Furthermore, reveals a probable
historical basis for the story of the food,
which geology for the last half century has
been busy in describing as fantastical
myth.
The land which DR.. Gregory penetrated In
his expedition lies between the great lakes
OF Victoria Nyanza, Tanganyika, Albert Ny
ANA and the eastern portion OF Uganda, and
the Indian ocean, and extending on both
sides of the equator. That part of the re-
port. which is Of especial interest just now
is the description of the Great Rift valley
AS the readers OF this article are aware, by
earth's crust. as we now see It, has been
formed sculptured, as 1t were, by erosion
of rivers and glaciers, third shaping
agency has been volcanic eruption, and those
huge Catoclysms or cracks known as geologl-
cal faults" wherein the crust Of the earth
has been lifted up by pressure from beneath
to a height, where 1t has parted. and In the
drop back one portion has sunk much lower
than the other.
THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY.
Though these faults are to be found every
where yet they are not. as rule, OF great
extent That to which the formation OF the
Great Rift valley OF eastern Africa was due
appears to have been more than 1000 miles
in length. Whether this vast geological
catastrophe was simultaneous throughout
the entire length of the rift or occurFed AT
different times DR.. Gregory and those who
have studied the story OF its rocks are not
able TO determine. But what is clear is
that this monstrous trough extends In
practically unbroken line from northern syria
and Palestine through east Africa and al
most TO the Cape OF Good Hope, and from
one end to another Of its course 1t presents
many aspects different from anything else
upon TIE surface OF the earth. Not only
does IL seem to have different geographical
history, but scattered along its floor is n
series OF over thirty lakes, including the
high expanse of Victoria Nyanza only one
OF which has an outlet to the sea. More
than all this, although the plateau OF east
Africa is among the most ancient portions
OF our present land area, there being ev-
idence that never throughout geological eras
did 1t sink below the sea, there is ev-
idence on the other hand that the formation
OF this continental trough, and OF Rift val
ley in particular, was of comparatively re-
cent date. perhaps reaching down to within
the scope of human tradition.
All along the line the natives have tradi-
lions and legends of great changes in the
structure of the country. The Arabs tell
us that the Red sea Is simply water that
did not dry up after Noah's deluge. The
Somali. who live far to the south of the
Soudan, say that when their ancestors
crossed from Arabia to Africa there was n
land connection between the two across the
straight of Babel Mandeb. The natives of
Ujiji. 900 miles further to the SOUTH have
n folk lore that goes back to the time when
Lake Tanganyika formed by the food
Ing OF fertile plain, rich in cattle and
plantations. while at the extreme northern
end of the valley we have accounts of the
destruction OF the towns of Sodom and
Gomorrah, whose wickedness is reputed to
have invited the wrath of the subterranean
elements.
RECENT GEOGRAPHICAL CHANGES.
In support OF these traditions there is
geological evidence to show that great earth
movements have happened along this Rift
valley. as II may be termed, at so recent a
date that 1t is distinctly probable that the
traditions are recolections of geographical
changes. The structure of the Rift valley
has, therefore, a varied interest not alone
from its singular and unexampled physical
character but on account of its explanation
OF some OF what DIR. Gregory, with a COM
placent air, is pleased to call 1.-THE best
known stories in our folk lore" meaning
thereby some OF the variations OF the bible
But the valley seems of further interest to
science In yet another way. Astronomers
have long been puzzled as to the origin OF
series OF long, narrow clefts surrounding
the ring systems" of the moon. II, says
DR.. Gregory, all the air and water were re-
moved from the earth then the Rift valley
would present much OF the same aspect to
an inhabitant of the moon as some OF the
larger OF the lunar rills present to us.
me existence OF what might be called
mt valley proper, that Is to say, that
portion OF the great trough which lies be-
tween about two degrees north of the equa-
tor and five degrees south has been known
TO African travellers more or less by hearsay
Tor considerable time, and In 1888 the val
ley itself was reached by Fischer, to whom
belongs the honor of having first demon
strated the occurrence OF the valley In equa-
torial Africa. Subsequent to this time fugi-
tive expeditions have been made to this
strange region, but up to the Gregory explo-
ration no attempt had been made to study
the region exhaustively In all its features
Especially did there remain long gap
between the southern end OF the Red sea
and the northern end OF Basso Narak
LAKE Rudol) that had never been visited
Late in 1892 the expedition arrived at Nom
basa and began its march into almost the
last portion of the habltable earth which had
not been explored by white men. With
many vcissitudes and perilous adventures
a considerable portion OF the party being
Killed or sinking down under disease. II
made Its way from Mombasa the chief
port OF British East Africa, on the Indian
ocean, as far as Lake Bavingo.
PECULIAR FEATURES OF THE TROUGH
Early In the expedition the party divided.
and DR.. Gregory, with a small but well or
ganized force, was allowed to follow out
his original plans OF penetrating Rift val
ley. In vivid terms he described the long.
eNhaustlng march from Mombasa into the
interior. His route lay for thousand
miles to the northwest, about half way
between the great volcanic peaks of Killma
Marc and Mount Kenya Some 800 miles
beyond the outposts of the traders he
reached the summit of a ridge near the
headsprings OF the Tana, which he believed
was on the edge of the valley. For five
weeks" he says. II had been toiling for
ward to gain the view that had expected
to get from this point. My disappointment
may therefore be imagined when Just be.
fore we reached the summit OF the pass
dense cloud settled down upon US and
completely blotted out the view
I'VE descended few hundred feet and