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

written for the 1ntSIlIgsneer
The most of US would. think. be In
terpsted in the scene II We could. by
some process, place ourselves back In
time a few score thousand years and
Dc permitted TO look uponthe landscapes
which preceded those with which we
are now familiar. II our translation
into past time extended only into thou
sanAS OF yearu. perhaps our hrst and
greatest surprise would be IN noting
how little change has taken place from
thar period until the present: but there
would be some change. and In certain
localities Il Is possible TO determine,
nom present slope Of the surface. what
the appearance OF the former landscape
was. vas especially Impressed with
the truth OF this short time ago In the
course OF a trip extending across Tay-
lor. Monongalla, Marion, Harrison, Up
shur. Lewis aud Randolph counties. l
had heen over much OF the ground a
number of times before. but this time
went 6y bicycle, and by following the
ridge roads when possible. / had a
good opportunity OF observing and
studying the shapes Of the watercourseS
below me, and the character Of the ad-
iaeent hlllS. One Of the most noticeable
Gestures 10 Taylor, Marion and Monon-
gala g that there are no valleys, Gim-
ply steep and sharp rnyines, with little
Or 90 level land lying along the
dreams: while the hills all rise nearly
10 the same height. all have gently
rounding tops aud steep sides. a person
StAndlug on the summit OF one OF
the innumerable ridges, and looking
across the landscape ten or fifteen or
twenty miles, sees only the tops OF the
hills. one beyond another in almost
endless and monotonous succession. ana
the picture Is not unlike that OF a roll
Ing prairie Of Iowa or NebraStn. But
the traveller who crosses what seems
rolling country. hnds that II IS ira
VerSed and cut by deep and steep "a
vines In all directions. He must be
eontinually CLIMBING down one slope
and up the other. and II he Is taking
4 bicyeIs along with him. the process
soon becomes Wearisome, and he learns
10 inquire for the fridge roads which.
InrteSd OF clittInI straight across the
ravines as some Of the roads do, follow
TIRE tors OF the winding ridges and lot
that reason are more nearly level.
The interesting feature for eontem-
piatIon Is that the country which nov
appears a rolling prairie when seen
from such a distance that the network
OF raYines does not appear. was oncA
actually rolling prairie. At time IN
geological history. not very far back.
the raylneG had not been cut At Just
what time, or Just how long ago. this
state of affairs existed. Is not for me 10
say, since more competent observers do
not agree among themselves. But the
raylnes. as they exist now, are certain
IL the product OF erosion which began
Ions 4 fter the close OF the Coal Age. II
= new work. Il Is going on yet. The
streams are cutting trouGhS deeper and
sharper All the time.
Whsra Slrsauls Ones FIOwUd.
The conclusion is that there was a
time. and a comparatively recent one.
when The streams which now occupy
the bottoms Of their steep ravines, flow
cd along broad valleys high up toward
the SUBMITS of the hills. Every
stream, from the Monongahela. which
IS the largest. TO its smallest tributary.
very probably had much level land or
~ AlLAAA AAaAAa - NNtA~9H 49, 80
bordering hills rose from the margins
Of these valleys with gentle slopes. In
speaking OF the country at that time as
4 rolling prairie" the term should be
modified, for the evidence shows that
the bills rose with considerable eieva-
dion, but not 30 much, nor with such
abruptneSs, as at present Since that
time, the streams have cut deep into
the bedrock, In some places hundreds OF
feet below where they were once.
II asked what Is the evidence OF this,
the reply Is that the general appearance
Of the country shows II to have been 60;
and the specific proof consists OF frag-
ments OF the old valley bottoms far up
the sides OF the hills. Here and there
along the NIonongahela and Its tribu-
tary streams may be seen terraces,
Gkirtiug the sides OF the hills. These
vary IN width from few feet TO half o
mile. The streams, In cutting down
through these bottom lands, washed the
most OF them away; but in places por-
lions remain and tell US where the riv-
er once flowed. Il ID not my purpose
70 enter iato a discussion OF river ter
races in general in that part OF the
country, for there are many Of them.
ran1ine from near the river 10 far
above Il. and extending into Pennsyi-
vania. Skilled biologists have studied
them, and theories OF thelr cause have
been advanced. All OF the terraces
were probably not produced IN the same
manner. Some observers believe that
the glacial epoch. In one manner or an
other, In responsible for portion OF
them, either by backing the water from
an ice dam at Cincinnati, five hundred
feet high, or by blocking the streams
with gravel until the rivers made new
channels high among the hills. The
highest terrace ut MorEantown II two
hundred and seventy-ive feet above
the present river: another Is two hum
dred feet. another one hundred and
seventy and another seVenty-tivc. This
shOWB that the river has had several
valleys. one above the other. The high
est, OF which any portion remains, Is
that OF two hundred and seventy-flve
feet, When the MononRahelA flowed
there, the hills did not rise Tar nhovs It's
banks. OF course, oil the tributary
streams were a. comparatively the
came level. Had traveller crossed the
country then, he would have observed
broad. level lands near the streams.
With low and gently siOping hills and
ridges between. The country was worn
down nearly 10 the base level. When
that condition Is reached. the valleys
widen, the streams become sluggish,
ana the sand washed by rains from the
hills, inds Judgment In the valleys, be-
cause the rivers and creeks have not
enough current to carry u out u y