Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-02-25
Notes on the Topography Of West
Virginia.
From the West Virginia School Journal

| From the West Virginia School journal.
The topography of West Virgini.
is complex; its features varied, anC
1T scenery of unrivaled beauty. /
has broad valleys on its eastern anC
western sides, which narrow into
steep ravineS and canonS as we ap
proach the upland region. Between
these deep stream channels stand il,
Sculptercd hills, which, east Of the
central part of the State, rise INTO
true mountains composed of folded
layers arranged in parallel ridges
ana separated from each other NV
both longitudinal and transverse
valleys.
The surface of the State slopes in
inree directions, to the East, to the
North and to the Southwest.
The topography Of West Virginia
has vertical range of 600 feet, he.
ing lowest 260 feet above the sen at
1arper'S Ferry, and highest, 4,S6O
1eet above the sea at the top of
Spruce Knob, i'm Pendleton county.
The average elevation Of West
Virginia is greater than that of any
other State east of the Mississippi
river. The average elevation of
the Appalachian States above the
sea level is as follows:
Now Hampshire, | 900 feet.
Vermont, 1000 feet.
New York. 900 feet.
Pennsylvania, 100 feet.
Ohio, $50 feet.
Virginia, $50 feet.
West Virginia, |, 900 feet.
From the top of Spruce Mountain
the tributaries of the Potomac de-
Scend rapidly to the eastward and
pass from the State at Harper's
Ferry; the waters of the Cheat flow
TO the northward and within sight
ot the Pennsylvania line empty into
the Monongahela the Grccnnrier
ana Elk flow to the southwest and
entering the Great Kanawha. soon
join the Ohio which leaves the State
at the mouth Of the Big Sandy. So
the lowest points of these three in
clined plains are at the mouth of the
shenandoah, 260 feet above the sea
the mouth of the Big Sandy, SOC
feet above the sea, and the mouth of
Cheat river, 77j feet above the sea.
Within these three points the sue.
ceSsive contour lines become smaller
and smaller, until when the 5000
foot level is reached, this contour
line Is no longer continuous, but is
broken into number of separate
circles and ellispes surrounding the
higher knobs and ridges.
AS 60 per cent. of the grain
OF the United States Is raised
below the 1000 foot level, and 9C
per cent. of the grain of the United
States is raised below the | 800 foo
level, 1T becomes matter Of YER,
great interest to know where these
lines run in our State, and to know
What counties are above and below
them. The 1000 foot level is fal
above the general surface of the
more southwestern counties an(
ONO river counties and extends III
the river valleys into the centra
counties. In Jefferson and Berkele,
counties 1t is almost even with tn,
mits of the Blue Ridge anC
ana North Mountain, so that the gen
eral surface Of these counties, a
well as that of Morgan and Hamp
shire, Is mucn below this level. -
This contour line creeps up the Bi.
SANDY to the mouth of Crane Creek
on Dry Fork, and to the mouth o
Dry Branch on Tug Fork, in Nc
D0~ell county. 1t extend up tn
Great kanawha to Sewell, in Fay
elite county; up the Gauley to Wood
Ferry, ,and up the Elk to the Braxton
Webster county line.
On the Little Kanawha the 90
foot contour line extends up tn
river to the mouth of Glade Creek
In the southern part of Lewis count,
thence ii skirts across the countr
with many irregular windings t
near the corner of the Pennsylvani
line. 1t extends northward throug
the counties Of Greene and WASH
ington, and, turning eastward an
southwark, again crosses these cour
ties and enters West Virginia i
Monongalia county, 225 feet abov
the river level. 1t creeps up tn
narrow canon of Cheat river to tn
mouth of Sandy in Preston county
and up the Tygart's Valley river I
SIX miles above Grafton, and up tn
,, West Fork river to Weston. Th
1000 foot level extends up the mort
branch of the Potomac above Pie,
mont to Bloomington, and up tt
south branch of the Potomac to Il
forks Of the river above Petersbur,
in Grant county.
The 800 foot contour line extent
l up the Big Sandy river to the mout
: Of cucumber Creek in McD0we
county, up the Greenbrier river {
Lowell Station, and up New riv,
beyond the Virginia line to IL
mouth of East river.
. extends up the Gauley to Hughe
Ferry; up the Elk to Addison, ar
p up the little Kanawha to the mou
o of Right Fork on the Upshur- We