The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-15

BALTIMORE. Nd. Nov 15-The work
of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. several
field parties OF which during the past sum
mer and autumn have been concentrating
their energies in the effort to secure new
chart for the sailing craft Of the Chesapeake
Bay and its estusries, has progressed with
unusual facility. and the progress made by
the staff Of operators in the field has met
with keen approval by the Office
Now that the summers work nears its
completion and the field parties viii be
shortly called off for winter duty In the
South. a comprehensive idea Of the sur
vey's progress is feasible. and captains OF
the many bay craft who are dependant
upon the old charts for the safety of them
selves and vessels viii be glad to know
that the new chart is rapidly nearly COM
pletion.
Although by no means one OF the most
dangerous arms OF the Eastern seacoast,
( the discrepancies Of d chart edited fifty
years ago are naturally responsible for
many wrecks upon the constantly shifting
shoals of the Chesap eake. whose present
situation the new chart designates. The
constant action of the currents and ele-
ments upon the shores Of the bay during
the course Of fifty years has materially al
tered the shore lines, Is well as the chan
nels and many interesting changes viii
undoubtedly be apparent, Neither side OF
the bay seems to have escaped the shifting
bars and receding coast seems 10 be equal
II divided between the shores. The crea-
ton Of many new Islands and the 0biitera-
ticn Of others has opened up new channels
and rendered unuavigable many CT those
which years ago were open to traffic
Although great changes have occurred in
the upper bay, by far the most destructive
action of the waters is apparent along the
southern coasts. where great areas OF rich
farming and timbered land have been
! swept of into the water, forming shoals
! and fats of clay fer miles about the shores
The debris Of trees and stumps far out upon
the fats marks the effect of the terrible
erosion. and on many of the straight coast
lines the great trees may be seen as lar
as the eye can reach liSteTing the beach
| A material increase OF the area OF the
bay is noticeable in the work already ac-
compIished by the survey, although the
extent of navigable channels has probably
somewhat decreased, for as the debris from
the washing banks is carried by the cur
/ rents 10 the deeper waters a perceptible
reduction of depth takes place Not SO
much is this gradual decrease IN depth
noticeable il the lower bay as in the yicin-
ity Of the river mouths. where the
swift currents bringing the eroded material
from the rivers meet and converge into the
bay currents Although evidences CT these
new shoals are now noticeable, the present
knowledge Of their definite extent is largely
supposititious. and the actual position will
not be determined Until the soandings,
which constitute the last stages OF the
cEartmaking. are completed The eStusFies
Of the bay. especially the smaller ones are
greatly exempt both frcm the char ging
shore lines and new irregularities Of the
boetcm- Many Of the larger rivers how
ever, share the fate OF the bay, and their
banks are melting like snow before the
action Of the wares Strange 10 say. no
new shoals are evident in the majority OF
these rivers, and as depths seem to CORE
spond to those CT half century ago it is
a matter Of conjecture just where the bulk
OF material thrown in from the erosion of
thu banks has gone
Tit ChOptank. between Dorchester, Car
oliae, and Talbot counties, is practical
example Of this phenomenon, and the work
which has been and is yet rapidly pro-
crossing along its shores has developed
many interesting features. Upon enter
ing the river from the bay a discrepan-
cy is Immediately noticeable upon the
chart An island whose existence is not
recorded now occupies that which was
| fifty years ago an unbroken body of land
0nd is recorded as Nelson's Point Tong
Point the land was called by fishermen.
ana lie island which has suddenly come
into existence through the powerful ac-
tioa o. the current viii be recorded upon
the new chart as Tong Island 1t is the
/ purpose OF the survey TO conform as much
as possible to the local names applied to
| distinguishing features of the coast lines,
even to the exclusion OF the old names re-
corded upon the official charts. In the
contour Of Tilghman's Island, compared
10 its former features as they appear upon
the old maps are apparent. Several hun
dred yards have been shaved from its
western coast, and much Of the south end
has also been carried away
OF Sharp's Island, four miles south. but
one-sixth now remains Of its area at the
last charting, and its final extirpation viii
undoubtedly in the near future be con-
stlrnlnsted- This island, judging from d
dehnable submarine ledge connecting it
with Tilghman's was undoubtedly at one
time the lower end of Talbot county. and
the four miles of nayigable water which
now interyenas was once occupied by the
solid land. The island is now but a
ghost OF the beautiful plantation upon
which half century ago the ValliantS
prospered. Great fields of wheat could
then be seen from the mainland and focks
Of sheep grazed upon the spot where now
a mile from shore the waters of the ba,
For several miles after entering the
Choptank the shore lines have been found
TO recede materially, but near the head
waters and at many points along the river
not exposed to heavy storms OF strong cur
rents conditions are reversed and the
shores have been actually grow
ing out into the water This
rather unique feature of chang
ing shore lines is due to the presence of
salt marsh which is of a substance prac-
tically impervious to the action of the
waves. and fror lis constantly decaying
vegetation and the debris washed down
upon it by erosion Of adjacent land of great
er elevation it presents great facilities as a
land producer. Although the growth OF land
in this manner is necessarily very gradual
the changes that become apparent when
comparing the area Of a marsh with the
same of fifty years ago are il many cases
astonishing
notwithstanding the changing shores OF
the rivers, many OF the old landmarks re-
main the same, and woodlands that upon
the old charts are located still occupy the
same positions they did two generate
ago. Most Of the old houses also. despite
the dangers incident to a lapse of fifty
years, stu retain their old positions. and
the work upon the shore lines is facilitat-
, ed greatly by the unchanged positions of
these landmarks.
The seasons work upon tbs bav. and
rivers Will ne dfSaoTf+Tnr1csI cpraa ffy,o