The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-06-12

Where Business Stops and Schools
Close When the Water Rises.
Its site an Tsland That Is Raptd1y
sinkins in the Waters OF Ches-
apeake Bay-heeRimg Ita
People on the move.


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 fun activity. business. society
functions and schools are then car
ried on. But when the food tide sets
N all people and children seamper for
their homes, regardless Of the time
Of day q 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 ID be
a body Of land rising high above the
water has sunk rapidly in the last few
years. It's principal streets are flood
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 50 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 20 school and the women 20
shopping All are happy in the /
thought that they can stay away from |
home TIL late in the afternoon, when /
the returning tide is due.
But when high tide occurs AZ mid /
day al this is changed. The children |
must get up and 60 TO school before /
light in the morning Men hustle down /
town 10 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 TIL evening. when /
they can open up again at low tide.
III spite of these ineonvenienees COO
people live on Holland island. They
are mostly oystermen and their fam
lilies.
Much money and labor have been ex-
pended by the property owners to com
bat the terrible action Of the swift
running tides, but now all seems
doomed 20 destruction.
pr. Amos Brown. head professor Of
zoology at the University of pennsyl-
rauia, has this o say about the island.
There may be- two causes for this
'ery peculiar disappearance. The fact
hat islands 60 out of sight. however.
5 no new thing. but for one 10 De swal-
owed So rapidly IS certainly startling.
This disappearance may be due to the
weight 81 the island itself. Deep cur
ents are often found in a bay which
nt snd rut away from below, 50 that
he upper or exposed portion OF the
sland gradually sinks Especially Is {
his the ease where the land is of allu-
ial formation. and. consequently. soft
nd very yielding
"A second consideration Is that the
wifi tides of the Chesapeake may be
apidlY cutting away the land from
be top and sides, and this Is a much
lower process. I think that the ra- :
ldity 81 disappenrance in the case Of
Iolland island would point to the first
lnse } mentioned. or. possibly, to
Of each. There Is no
oubt that this island il of aliuvial
'rmation and was once joined to the
Iher islands in the bay lying near II.
hen the rich farms of Virginia and
aryland weie in their best condition
cultivation before the war immense
iantitiea of deposit were carried
'wu the Potomac into the bay.
Most Of the islands opposite the
onth Of the river were thus built
} and sustained against the action
the sweeping in. Since the war
ese farms have rot been worked, the
nd has become baked. and the debris
rried down By the river Is thus
ecked. The islands receive nothing.
erefore, 70 compensate for the ac.
IN Of the tides and underlying exca-
tion of deep counter currents. and
ast IN time entirely disappear. This
and is particularly well situated for
e best possible action OF the tides.
the tide advances ID cuts away on
west. then travels up Holland
ATS and eats away on the nouth and
=. Coupled with she causes already
ntioned. one must not forget that
whole eastern coast line is slowly ~
king. This has become already 1
'ious matter to real estate owners /
the New Jersey soast. Ths pacifc
.as. on the contrary. ia gradually
ing"