The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-17
Columbia Wheels.

stranded over the outlying abandoned bed.
1t has not had time to get back into the
sea. 1t is probable, also, that the original
sadness had been much reduced by the
overflow into the Black Sea, which would
have continued for some time after the
original elevation of the region.
AS we have already said, the greatest
contributor of water to the Caspian Sea
is the Volga, which brings into II a large
part of the drainage of all Russia. But,
about 300 miles above its present mouth,
this river so nearly approaches the trough
of the Don, which empties into the Sea
of Azov, and is so nearly on a level with
it, that a canal fifty miles long is made
to connect the two. 1t is evident, there
fore, that slight physical changes might
divert the waters of the Volga into the
lower valley OF the Don, and so into the
Black Sea, thus robbing the Caspian of
its present main supply. The result OF
such a diversion would be a great con-
traction of its area and lowering of it's
surface. Curiously enough, such con-
traction and lowering of the surface even
since the Christian era is witnessed to by
historical evidence. The city OF Derbend
is situated on the west shore OF the Cas-
plan, where a spur of the Caucasus Noun
tains comes down to the waters edge.
This has always been fortified point
and is reported to have been strength
ened by Alexander the Great. But the
foundations of masonry are ascertained
to extend more than fifty feet below the
present level of the sea. Moreover, 1t is
reported that the natives proposed to con-
duct Alexander across dry-shod, which
could only. have been done If the shallow
ridge running across the sea from the
Caucasus Mountains, near Baku to the
Grand Balkan near Kransnovodsk, had
been laid bare by a general lowering OF
the water This condition of things Is
supposed to have continued down to about
the fifth century of the Christian era.
In view, also. of the historical references
to such fluctuation in the lower course
of the Volga, there would seem, therefore.
little doubt that far-reaching physical
changes have occurred in this region in
comparatively recent times. How pro-
foundly these have affected the complex
movement of population in Western Asia
and Eastern Europe is a question of the
greatest interest. 1t Is instructive to
find, also, how generally the study of the
physical conditions of the East is con-
firming the sources of ancient history.
and rendering easy of belief many state
ments which an incomplete knowledge
of the conditions had tended to discredit
And still the Caspian sea has a future far
greater than its past. Its fisheries, Its
petroleum products, and its commerce are
building up great and rich cities upon all
it's shores. A single company In Petrovsk
pays s2O0,OO0 for its fishing privileges at
the mouth of the Kura river. Astrakhan,
at the mouth of the Volga, is city OF no.
900 inhabitants, and the commerce passing
through it is comparable to that going
through the Sault Ste Marie. small
district near Baku produces more oil than
the entire United States, and the city al
ready has a population of nearly 100000;
while Krasnovodsk, the railroad terminus
from which l write. on the eastern shore.
though dependent on distilled water, and
water brought in on the cars, now COM
mands the commerce OF a large part of
Central Asia.