Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-07-13
THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1911.
"a KANSAS DROPPING DOWN?


Some years ago William Allen
White asked the question: whats
the matter with Kansas"
At last he has his answer Kansas
Is sinking. Slowly and gradually
the Sunflower state is settling down
to the low altitude 1t once had.
Professor L. L. Dyche said today
that years ago, probably 100000 OF
more, Kansas, the western part Of
Missouri and the eastern half OF
Colorado were thousands Of feet
lower than they are now. There was
q big salt lake all over this territory
Gradually internal disturbances
caused the land to rise slowly, while
the water settled down into the low
est places, ran into big basins or Off
to the ocean. This accounts for the
many salt basins under the surface
in Kansas. Most anywhere fresh
water can be gotten down to a hum
dred feet. But very often when a
well Is bored more than sixty or sew
enty feet, the water is salty. Pro-
lessor Dyche says these salt basins
come in spots and patches.
After the land had risen until the
water WAS all gone, It did not stop.
But like big animal arising from
It's sleep, with its back running north
and south in Colorado, 1t pulled a
large part of North America up with
It until 1t was thousands of feet
above sea level. Professor Dyche
said this was a modern event, only
about fifty thousand years ago.
Great glaciers were formed that
came down as far north as central
Missouri.
Gradually the land sank back until
the low altitdue melted the glaciers
and left great deposits of boulders
which are to be seen now in Kansas
and Colorado. But when Kansas got
back to normal 1t did not stop once
more. But gradually 1t is sinking I'M
til 1t may be again covered with a
lake.
Children some six or seven hundred
generations removed may be padding
around in boats from the ozarks to
the Rockies hunting a place to land.
''Furthermore," said the Kansas
scientist, 1T is my belief that this
condition is having noticeable eff
feet on the climate. The immediate
cause Of the drouth in Kansas is
the usual summer heat plus all that
comes after 1t, due to the absence
Of moisture"
Mr.. Dyche said that heat would
pile up Just like ice cream If there
was nothing to take 1t away, like
moisture. When opposing conditions
come the ice cream melts, and while
one can't say that heat melts its alb
sorptIon or evaporation is much the
same thing.
"If we had the normal amount OF
moisture this summer the heat would
have been modified" continued Prof.
Dyche. "As 1t is the air is dry and
clear and the heat goes right through
and is taken up. or reflected, as the
case may be, by the earth. However
nature always maintains a balance
and to certain extent we are selfish
to want rain now for somewhere
there are conditions that need 1t
worse than conditions here. 1t al
ways rains where It is prepared fol
rain and where It is needed most
The moisture is not ioafing, but will
get here when the conditions here
are ripper for rain than they are any
place else"
In conclusion the professor said
he believed that the sinking condi
tion Of the earth had its effect II
keeping up the temperature.
IF my theory Is correct the day
OF severe winters are coming to al
end and will venture to say tina
should Kansas ever be submerget
again, the water will not have ic'
on It. for II Is Just the opposite
condition to the one wherein We ar
buried under q glacier"
Professor Dyehe uses this sam
theory to explain the recent distur
Dances IN California. He said tn
land was sinking At the rate Of
foot every hundred years
n nichar5ronis book, beyond tn