New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
SAVING CAPE COD.
DRIFTING SANDS TRYING TO eOvER.
WHELM PROvINCETOwN.
WHAT THE HARBoR AND LAND COMMISSIONERS
ARE DOING-A NURSERY OF LIFE
SAVING PLANTS.
From The Boston Transcript.

Sn'a'p Lh.>iS'
From The Boston Transcript
One Of the most interesting Of the many inter:
esting problems awaiting solution the hands OF
the Harbor ard Land Commssioners is that OF the
goo 3 acres lying Ca. Sse norihsry pSn!
se
lands were originally purchased from the Indians
SS s c hs " po @ as
IN 1852 with the other lands Of the Plymouth colony
nee Became the The lands have
been held by the State ever since and are now
about 700 lying along Provncetown Harbor: on
holding their their" titles e only through the Harbor and
Land Commissioners. while on the Province iahus
''caisis title can be estIsd obtansd '''''
Province lands may be divided ID nt9 Two Wo"ed
land lying next to the harbor and the arrer %
an tae Of sand and
reaching from the edge Of the Wooden & Of sand is
Ing ont and covering in the yeseiao eae Of If the fail
and winter months and the prnc'pa pr stopping
this drifting rs there is question that lhe 70
sand allowed 10 advance In the t'TyS Sole S Of
aas e Moddsd n hs Pai Ss At nnS G@Ss ana
I'LL up the harbor The evidence eaS OF ,ns and indis-
paaSe ard .here little doub, thai the wn1ls ynnref or
ss part Of the cape "a % Is b eonnsni and
formed by Just this process
THE TowNsPEoPLE CAUSED THE EVIL
At the lime of the sinking OF the wells Tor the the
establishment Of water supply for the me uo,er soM
were found at depth OF twenty feet. showing
tha, the beach had one tine been at TINS po Cdg
of the Cape There Is also no question that the
whole section was originally wooded snt Jus, as Sov
The latter Is pure Sand In its main formation Just
Sat bs ie nner bet has on top Of the
three to four inches OF loain formed oy ,ny
which they can get a hold and defy the wind All
through the outer belt, where the sand mas peen
OF this loan and also trunks and branches Of
dead trees. showing tha: H. too was once coverea o t
FIRST start after the formation Of the land is
question which is hard TO answer but ,hare 6,,S y
be there still II II mad not been for the cuttlnS
down Of the trees and the remova rd Of tns Gsanes nSa
TO cut IN and sweep the sand back over IT.
To ons VIII n this par RI esbss Sf hs th
sand in place should be comparatively easy one,
Sk sgi shor or 5 a NAT any the o mind Mn Of h GSa
| In strong northeast sale. such as is common on
Province lands drifts Ike snow and is Infinitely
| more feared by those who have to be out In it..
I, is no uncommon thing for the men OF the life;
saving patrol to have their faces cut py IL untI!
| glass In the windows OF the stations has continu-
ally TO be replaced. as tho dying sand grinds II so
OF hours OF strong gale will completely wipe out
everything which resembles road In the section.
| and a crossing the sand dunes becomes lost
| In few minutes as the sand shuts out every,
ward
In place OF this kind It may easily be conceived
tha !, Is no easy matter 70 make vegela;! dor grow;
and Il j. by vegetation that the Harbor and Land
In pes 9nd m fae hey a already done so 10
limited extent. This Is tho immediate problem be-
beach grass and brous plants on the exposed slopes
OF the sand i1eieDy preaking ,ne nold o. the %lnd
Accomplished Il IS the Intention to supplement: the
work ny Planting trees OF a hardy, nature. and
s,-oas forest growth similar 10 that In the belt
next 10 ne tom u t1s can 6e done tand from VIVA:
thes. ianss will more than return n ,5e money wbIsa
| has beer laid OIL. them and In .tlula Vscome a
source OF considerable revenue 10 The Common
REMARKABLY FERTILE LAND
The sand /. o. the mos, wonderful fertility. a. I.
shown by ,he growth IN the inner belt, Here there /
Strong thick growth OF pltch-plne, black oak and
beech. urderneatn which the ear. Is covered ,hick
| with urd~rbrIsn. wild rose privei. hayberry and
thousands q Other plants many, Of Them OF great
| comm.ssoners contemplate nakin- llsi Of the
ha.' @ ot ns o 1c ;,on an1 !, is pro6ane that when i
or acconn, o. the immense variety whicif II VII
g especially beautiful the ground beng absolutely
carpei"d wi.H these flowers in the summer tim,
sea. and when this has been done I, VIII be possible
| 10 establish ROADS and open up the section beyond
49, ft'r ''if'' "dNt', anu 10 make use or II
In ne nrst place +, could 10 made to cons,.,u,.
fac. Of the earth and rights TO cottages or hote'.
& &m,sh' prove large ,ource o. income In me low
possible % grow aspararus is don. in o.he- land.
s,S M ,rs rse aso . IN nesrey scion,
| osicr willows which arc erc'edinrlv "alush- wher
be possible Tor the state 20 stock ne WOODED d-c'
and ei the shooting privileges 10 clubs as the sec
Ton would he ono of tn" most ea'lv protected possi
h i ss t.. q c, me ,rS % n rg r, wort OF
| tongue cf water whi~h r-at~s IN fror, pac. Pptnt
and runr abon. oast"rv for some tire -rIic@ r@r
irr rarr.w h~, ~ la"d on ~" erlv side
crv lnrdward side Of the run as tho sand cnn
not blow across II 10 env great "v'"nt. and {, ~v"
this roinf 'hc forra'ior ~ tho sard three VOL
defined hits or dunes runrirgg ahomt cast ar'
edge ~ he rrn and ne innercst AZ the edgc
nf w TScs cnrcT sDc t n %n' ~ kr pnc
wavos ard thc rnovcrent of to sard tNer 4
wato-. rHe wird cuts into 'Ae ror,herlv or VIVID
ward s'H. Of .ss hunr trcrng I 49, It h1re Of yercto
| haach rrns- THO dr''irp ~ tho sand ovcr n.
ON. dr-e Is con,inraiiv hci-r blown over onto th
Sesn es1 c"vereS aT" 80 %n @ v~eoor tH wind ~
can get no hold on fhr sand ara s drif.irg VII
70 n lerre .r,ent the fist dune. It's windwar'
side having bcen covered with beach grass for
|
| prising abou. fortv-hve acres.
NOT MUCH MONEY SPENT.
The bcach rrnss alone would bod the sand viii
careful watering hrt II is also being supnlementec
u,,,b a strong growth or Hbrous plants of a hard,
nature which vii IN time make sure and pcrma
| roc, FOR the trees which arc 10 cove
,n tho whole rcct.on IN the future. The ~or1ms
e,oners nave not vet sn"nt any large amount q
,nor,y m tho work II H. considered boSt 10 asl
ror snail approprlatio,s AZ first. With III" idea O
demors'ratnr that the work Is prnr'icab'e ant
,n.-.,irinc inst what the hest lines TO follow
he,.r. going rto any extensive onern'i An ap
~ t3O00 rrnrfed N IVA. ono ~
~ , , 500 and one Of - go In 1906 Win this sun
of so besides recaiIrr ths rortSnve NV ar1s
,,, r', ~ nursery In shctereh spot for startini
I,rts and trees for ultimate representation to m