The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-21

somewhat rugged rollinE luNdAcApe.
with lower hills, wider valleys ana
more sluggish streams than al present.
Tho evidence 10 sufficient to warrant US
IN drawing such a picture OF that land
scape. ages ago. and probably ages be-
fore the first aboriEne OF the Ameri-
can continent saw It. Not only do the
fragments OF the ancient Valley-bot-
toms now lying along the side OF the
hills tell as where the rivers once How
cd; and not only may we conclude that
we know nearly the shape and the
heights OF the hills In that age, but we
are given a trustworthy glimpse OF the
forests. which IN that remote time GOV.
cred the hills. Beneath the sand anu
clay which now cover the highest ter
race, logs Of wood have been found
much decOyed.
Leaves Burlsd Ia Clay.
Professor I. c. White, that competent
and painstaking geoloslst who has de-
voted much time to the study OF the
Monongahela terraces. found the leaves
Of our common forest trees burieo IN
the claYs which cover the highest ter
race, They were beautifully preserved.
From this, We know that the forests
which covered the country then were
practically the same as now. 50, aHain
the ''rolilng prairie" must be further
qualified. Il was probably covered with
forests, which may be a contradiction
OF terms. as n prairie is usually under
stood TO be open country.
That the majority OF the terraces are
remnants OF old river bottoms Is un-
questioned: but there "a reaSon 90 be-
iieve that some OF them have been un-
der water since the river ceased flowing
there. This Is accounted for on the
theory that during the Glacial Age the
vast felds OF tee which pushed south,
ward from Canada, crossed Ohio and
Indiana, into Kentucky. and formed
darn across the Ohio by fllliug the chan
mel FOR forty or fifty miles In the Vtcin-
It's OF Cincinnati. Il IS believed that
this tee dam was not less than five hun-
bred feet high, and that Il backed the
water more than three hundred ieet
deep over the site OF Pittsburgh. II 80,
the bnckwater would have assembled
the Valley River eight or nine miles
above Grafton, and would have stood
sixty feet deep on the site OF Weston.
The terraces along the Monongaheln
and its tributaries contain much mater
Ial which might have been deposited on
them by Ice floating IN u lake, such as
sand. clay and powders. These might
have been frozen in cakes OF ice, and
after floating about. might lodge on the
terraces and against the face OF the
hills. These deposits have been found
Ia large quantities along the Mononga-
hela near Morgantown, up TO an eleya-
lion OF two hundred and seventy-hve
feet above the river: they are abundant
at Fairmont, up 10 two hundred feet
above the river; al Clarksburg. on the
West Fork one hundred and thirty feet
aboye low water: and az Weston seven
ty feet above the river.
The question OF the ancient topo-
cranhy OF the country along the Alo-
nongahela is not affected by the Cincin-
natl Ice dam theory. That che land
was once worn down nearly to the base
level. and that the streams nave since
cut deep ravineS along the bottoms OF
their once broad valleys, - seit-eEi-
dent. ANY one can see It for himself.
why the streams again and again
made themselves valleys OF consider
able width. aud as often cut deeper, un-
III they have reached the bottoms OF
their present trough, Is a question not
so easily answered.
The tourney across the country from
MorgantoWn TO Weston Is pleasant
one. the distance being sixty.eight
miles. and the difference In altitude be-
tween the river there at the, lowest
places being about two hundred feet.
ADIRerOnt Topography.
A different topography Is observed as
Weston IS approached. The water
courses are no longer sharp Tavines.
but on the contrary the bottom lands
are OF considerable proportions The
streams arr moi deepening their chan
nels so rapidly as at Morganiown. FAIR
mont and Grafton. but have remained
a lonu time at practically the same
level and the valleys have had time to
widen. The washIrgs from the hills
hive spread out over the bottom lands
forming a deep soil OF great fertility.
The hills are not so nearly worn down
rs those In Monongalia county we're
while the river was flowing on the up
per terraces, but the bottom lands are
no doub, similar TO those OF the Monon.
gnhela. which were long ago washed
away The upper tributaries OF the
NonongaheIa are evidently passing
Though history similar to that through
which the lower river has already
passed-cuttlng down through bottom
lands and forming ravines. But TO
study this feature OF the question 10
better advantage Il is necessary 20
leave the valley and tributaries OF the
West Fork and pass over 10 the Buck
hannon and Tygart Valley rtVera.WheTe
a condition now may be seen which l
believe Is very much like that which ex-
listed about IOrsan;oTn thousands OF
years ago, when the Monongahela was
lowing In its wide valley, nearly level
with the SUBMITS OF the present hills
The valley OF the Buckhannon river, in
the vicinity OF the beautiful village OF
Buckhaunou, Is wide. open, level With
n deep soil, and Is bordered In most
places by hills which slope gently up
from the valley. and the tops OF the
hills are gracefully rounded. They
show the result OF long erosion; and the
broad valley indicates that the river has
not materially deepened its channel for
ages. The water moves sluggishly. II
has not force TO cut even the soft cInys
and sands OF It's bed. The process OF
leyelIng is going on. II Is such pro-
cess rs wore ancient Monongaiia coun-
ty down so nearly TO the level OF the
ancient Monongahela river. Give the
BuclthannOn river the pitch and cur
rent OF the MonOngahela above Fair
mont, and Il will speedily cut deep
gorge right down the middle OF It's wide,
level valley, and In course OF time the
level land will be washed away, leaving
perhaps a narrow strip OF II here and
there as has been LETT at Morgnntown.
Should further study OF the rVeS
history OF the MOnongnhela and It's tri-
butaries be desirable. II can be had By
passing from Buckhannon 10 the Ty-
CART valley al Beverly, In Randolph
county. Unless a better day FOR the
trip can be had than fell to my lot
! would not advise any one TO undertake
II on a bicycle The distance from
Buckhannon 20 Beverly. by the old
Stanton and Parkersburg pike. Is
thirty-one miles; but during the day,
counting all the side trips, aud the dis
lance j travelled beyond Beverly. !