The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-07
"GYP-HILLS"
ALWAYS TO BE
THEIR NAME
Although the MARCY" Range
Is Suggested.
THE COURSE IN OKLAHOMA
And Why at One Point They
Are Known as Glass Mountain

! NOEmA0, -. L. AETu o.--l BC SabJcCL OF
the gypsum deposits of Kansas and Okla
homa have of late been attracting con-
I siderable attention both among scientific
/ men and those engaged in the manufac-
( ture of the product. The supply OF this
rock in Kansas and Oklahoma is in
+ exhaustible and only awaits proper devel-
i opment TO become one Of the important
sources Of income of these states. The
+ following article on the gypsum hills by
( Professor Charles Gould Of the Oklahoma
university at Norman, was recently pub
lished in the American Geologist:
From the time of the earliest explora-
tons of the great plains the gypsum hills
/ have been objects of particular interest
Long and Marcy. among early explorers,
and Hay, Prosser, Cummins. Cragin,
+ Grimsley and others among later geolo-
gists, have wxttten extensively concern
ing this very interesting formation. Con-
( spicuous on account of topography, color
and position these hills have ever excited
an interest botn popular and scientiic.a
Geologically the gypsum hills are a part
of the red-beds and are located near the
center Of that series of rocks. The red
beds consit of more than 200 feet of
prevailingIy red clays, shales and sand
stones. There rocks extend from tbs
great bend of the Arkansas river in
southern Kansas across Oklahoma and
far into Texas. Throughout this region
not only the rock but also the soil is
commonly a deep brick red. The streams
are red, too. The water in its course over
the red soil dtssolves large amounts Of
fine sediment. Throughout the entire
thickness of the red-beds the rock is
strongly impregnated with mineral salts.
In the lower part common salt prevails.
In Oklahoma there are no fewer than
four large salt plains and numerous
smaller ones. One Of these is on Salt
Fork in eastern Woods county, two are
in northern Woodward county on the
Cimarron, and the fourth is on salt creek.
a tributary OIL the Cimarron, in northern
Blaine county. In most parts of the red
beds area the water contains large
amount of gypsum, in places being unit
for use.
THE salt plains mentioned above are
confined TO a definite horizon. About 200
feet above the level of these plains are
thick lodges Of massive white gypsum
which lie level and extend for long dis
tances across the country, forming the
gypsum hills. Ordinarily there are two
Of these lodges, each from 10 to 80 feet
thick separated b va thickness Of from 10
to 20 feet of red clay shale. 1t frequently
happens. however, that this clay entirely
disappears, in which case the single gyp-
sum ledge is as much 80 feet thick. In
other localities there are three hedges of
gypsum, separated by lodges of Ted clay.
"The gypsum hills are hills Of erosion,
and have been formed entirely by the ac-
ton Of the water in eroding the rocks.
The soft clays below the massive lodges
are easily worn away. The lodges them
selves are relatively much harder and
consequently resist erosion. The slope Of
the country is To the east. while the
lodges lie comparatively level. This
causes the greater erosion 20 the east and
as the underlying strata are removed the
gypsum lodges remain as a cap. forming
the eschaDment Of the hills, which rise
ike wall from the level plains 70 the
east The slopes below the escrapment
are often as much as 200 or 80 feet high
and consist Of blood-red clays. sometimes
grass covered but more often barren Of
vegetation. These slopes are often COW
cred with crystals of a peculiar form OF
/ gypsum known as selenite on a clear
/ day these cry tals reflect myriads OF light
/ points and have given to one part of the
/ hills the characteristic name Glass noun
+ tains
Through the region Of the gypsum
/ hills there are numerous pronounced ero-
sion forms. Deep and narrow canons.
fiat topped mesas, pinuacles and turrets.
mansard mounds and buttes. and natural
/ bridges and caves may be found ia most
localities. these forms are due not only
{ to the solubnity Of the gypsum lodges
but also to the fact that the underlying
clays ara so easily eroded. The gypsum
+ caves are Of particular interest They
are Of al Isles from mere cracks 90 the
rock TO immense caverns q mile or more
in length, with sometimes dozens ~
chambers leading off IN oil directions. In
l. southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma
many fthesa caves are known locally IS
bat caves from the fact that they are
the nome Of multitudes 81 bats THESE
animals remain inside during the cag ann
an the evening poar out II 1hH u1ooth ~
the cave In a continuous stream. some
times for an hour ~ rime.
THE gypsum hills extend in a general
northeast ana southwest erection Tor a
distance OK nearly 80 miles. from solth-
ern Kansas 10 centras Texas. The north
ern lmlt 50 far as have been abba 10
observe rs in northwestern aBrber county.
Kansas on the north bank ~ tho Me5t-
cl1e river. rear sun Clsy. From thls
point me hnIs trend southeast and ap-
preach within SIX miles ~ Medicine
Lodge. where q bold o8tlier east ~ the
main Sire y hins over.eoka tbs valley
of TIE Medicine river. The liue ~ h
CROSSES the sa- Fork ~ the state Hna
and approaches tbs Ciuarrou 60 me
norfheastern part = woodward county.
Oklahoma throughout nearly .ls entire
course ir tnis cosnsy distaaea 81 COREY
miles fhe Clmarren foua in 9 naFraT
valley enclosed between the h3s u
places the valley s. lttle more than
ca7n eith preclpstegs walls ~ ieet or
uore 60 hsiEar Eae grm bills tre1a
eg ths sta z1e ~ ths Cmu1e GO
fsr tha Glass FnogntaIrs fa aatherr
WOODS county ard fhs1 gra8ss'IF rrtref
f-1m th.s r.vsr ard approach .he Nrh
/ Caa-dl8z- rsE r. Reaa m t
r1iat - waleh fht hlls eas -hsl- m
eastern .nsit tEg trer1 aosstu-es- aerasa
fhe Ews st3 cmaaehs
the R1 rrer - Texas ErF r
n ocr1r gear slaalah HARD
raa -7 4rd 81 sfo1eaal sr@
K-eE counties far wr
sae T ~
Tlgt fn k %
fa t