The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-04-25
AN UNCERTAIN TOWN.
Sinking to Destruction in
Chesapeake Bay.

On Holland island, in Chesapeake
bay, is the queerest town in the
United States.
The ocean tides regulate the whole
life of the place. At low tide the town
is in full activity. Business, society
functions and schools are then car
ried on. But when the flood tide sets
in all people and children scamper for
their homes, regardless of the time
of day or night, says the New York
World.
The cause of this peculiar arrange
ment is the fact that the town is grad
ually sinking under the waters of the
bay. Holland island, which used to be
body of land rising high above the
water, has sunk rapidly in the last few
years. It's principal streets are food
cd at high tide. Only the houses on
the high central ridge of the island are
above water.
When high tide occurs at four or
five o'clock in the morning the affairs
of this town go on much the same as
in any other town. By six or seven
o'clock the water has receded from
the streets and the merchants open
their stores. At nine o'clock the chill
dren go to school and the women go
shopping. All are happy in the
thought that they can stay away from
home till late in the afternoon, when
the returning tide is due.
But when high tide occurs at mid
day all this is changed. The children
must get up and go to school before
light in the morning. Men hustle down
town to their stores at three or four
o'clock in the morning, anxious to do
part of days business before the tide
comes in. Before noon they must close
shop and go home till evening, when
| they can open up again at low tide.
In spite of these inconvenience, 600
people live on Holland island. They
are mostly oystermen and their fam
lilies.
Much money and labor have been ex-
J pended by the property owners to COM
bat the terrible action of the swift
running tides, but now all seems
| doomed to destruction.
DR.. Amos Brown, head professor of
geology at the University of Pennsyl-
vania, has this to say about the island:
There may be two causes for this
very peculiar disappearance. The fact
that islands go out of sight, however,
is no new thing, but for one to be swal-
lowed so rapidly is certainly startling.
This disappearance may be due to the
weight of the island itself. Deep cur
| rents are often found in a bay which
eat and cut away from below, so that
the upper or exposed portion of the
| island gradually sinks. Especially is
this the case where the land is of allu-
vial formation, and, consequently, soft
and very yielding.
"a second consideration is that the
swift tides of the Chesapeake may be
rapidly cutting away the land from
the top and sides. and this is much
slower process. / think that the ra-
pidity of disappearance in the case of
| Holland island would point to the first
cause l mentioned, or, possibly, to a
doubt that this island is of alluvial
formation and was once Joined to the
other islands in the bay lying near it..
When the rich farms of Virginia and
Maryland were in their best condition
of cultivation before the war immense
quantities of deposit were carried
down the Potomac into the bay.
Most of the islands opposite the
mouth of the river were thus built
up and sustained against the action
of the sweeping in. Since the war
these farms have not been worked. the
land has become baked, and the debris
carried down by the river is thus
checked. The islands receive nothing.
therefore, to compensate for the ac-
ton OF the tides and underlying exca-
walton of deep counter currents, and
must in time entirely disappear. This
island is particularly well situated for
the best possible action of the tides.
AS the tide advances it cuts away on
the west, then travels up Holland
straits and eats away on the south and
east. Coupled with the causes already
mentioned, one must not forget that
the whole eastern coast line is SLOWLY
sinking. This has become already a
serious matter to real estate owners
on the New Jersey coast The Pacific
coast, on the contrary, is gradually
rising