The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-10-23
MYSTERIES OF NATURE
By George Frederick Wright,
A. H., IL. d.
Continent Tilted Up and Down
A. H., IL. D.

period, which Is the most recent Of al
the geological epochs. these changes
of level are very evident, and connect
themselves with the early history Of
mankind. At the close of the tertiary
period, which eliminated In the
glacial era. the central and northern
part Of North America stood at =
level Of 1000 or 5000 feet above that
1t at present occupies. This is proved
by the existence of innumerable chan
nels now deeply buried by glacial de-
bris, or extending out into the ocean
across the shallow, submerged shelf
of the continent both upon the Allan
tic and Pacific coasts. In Illinois, In
Ohio and In central New York these
low sea level, showing that the land
must have been very much elevated
to allow the streams which creased
these rocky gorges to make their way
to the sea from these distant inland
points. The cities of Cleveland, o.,
and Syracuse, N. T., are built over
such buried gorges. The Delaware.
the Hudson and the St. Lawrence
rivers then emptied into the sea, run
ming through deep gorges or canyons.
which crossed a level coastal plain
The fiords of Greenland and Of Nor
way and of the Pacific coast Of North
America bear similar testimony, since
they probably. in most cases. mark
the lines of ancient rivers which
coursed through them to the sea when
the land vas so much elevated that
what are now the bottoms Of these
channels were occupied by rushing
mountain torrents. In short, these
fiords are drowned river valleys.
But at the close of the glacial period
the land levels in all this northern
region were much lower than at the
present time. On the southern coast
Of New England sea beaches were
thrown up about fifty feet higher than
those which are formed now. Along
the southern shore of Maine the hand
had sunk SO much that sea shells are
found in clay deposits $50 feet above
the present sea level The Champlain
and st. Lawrence valley was so much
depressed that whales sported in salt
water over the site of Middlebury col
lege, Vermont, and seals ventured into
an arm of the sea extending far up
into the Ottawa river. while at Mon
treal modern sea shells are found 500
feet above present tide water upon
| the top of the mountain which gives
the city its name. Going farther
north the indications are that upon
the shores of the Arctic sea post
glacial subsistence amounted to 1909
| feet. Everywhere across the continent
| there is cumulative evidence that this
| post glacial subsistence was as extern
sive as the glaciated region, and that
| II increased in amount from south to
north. This is q very important con
sideration to be kept in mind In work
ing out glacial and post-glacial prob
lens. This differential northerly de-
preston at the close of the glacial
period caused the great lakes to dow
| at first into the Ottawa river ACROSS
Lake Nippissing over the site Of
North bay into the hathaway river.
and so into the Ottawa along the hne
| through which the Canadian govern
ment is talking Of building q ship
canal, and which is already utilized BIZ
the Canadian Pacific railroad. This
pass il now less than 100 feet above
| the level of the lakes.
Copyright by Joseph B. Bowlss)