Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-09-18
HISTORY OF POTOMAC RIVER.
Area Once Great Inland Sea-.Tops Of
Mountains Oceans Bottom.

river Valleys. Inc united States
Geological Survey has recently pub
lished a geologic folio describing
about AGO square miles, including a
portion of the Potomac Valley-the
areas known as the Pawpaw and
Hancock Quadrangles, in Pennsylva-
mia, Maryland and West Virginia.
This folio (No. 1879, which was
written by George w. Stose, contains
Il most interesting account of the
gradual cutting down by the river
or this deep gorge during thousands
OF years.
me area IS located In q part Of
the Potomac Valley where the river
Winds in great curves through a
deep gorge with densely wooded
slopes. AS the railroad traveller
swings around these sharp bends
which almost meet before thev re-
verse and realizes that it takes three
times as long to ride between two
points as 1t would to go in a straight
line, he may wonder how the river
acquired such a course.
In a view from the tops of the
ridges, 1t can be e that MANY NJ
the hilltops are fiat and of about the
sahle altitude, n that If the val
lcys we're filled up they would form
a nearly level plain. This feature Is
also excellently shown by the topo-
graphic map which forms a part Of
the folio. Mr.. Stose says that many
thousand years ago the Potomac
flowed toward the sea upon this
plain, which at that time was much
lower In a~ltitude--in fact, so near
the level Of the sea hat the stream
was very sluggish and wandered
about in its valley, as is the custom
of streams with low grade, such as
the Mississippi. Later, when the
interior OF the continent was some
what elevated, the streams became
'rejuvenated" and cut down their
channels, first into the soft detritus
which had accumulated in the fiat
valley and eventually into the hard
rocks beneath. AS the continent
rose still higher, they cut deeper into
the rocks. and, as a result, the Po-
tomac is now deeply i%ntrenched In
these winding gorges. One stream
IN the area, however, Is making q
change by cutting off a meander and
taxing a short cut through a hill,
producing a beautiful cataract. This
stream is shown in the Photographic
illustrations of the folio, as are also
the remnants of the elevated plain
on the hilltops, once the valley OF
the Potomac.
Rocks Folded and Crushed Under
Great Pressure.
Other marvellous features which
the traveller may observe from the
car window In passing through this
area are the great rock folds. One
arch OF rock that has been truncated
by the river and is visible from he
train and canal IS of such interest
TO biologists that 1t has attracted
visitors from all parts of the world
and Is illustrated in most text books
on geology. Other folds, not visi-
Die from the train, but readily Access
ible to those Interested, have the
ft.m of great saw teeth rising above
the crest Of a hill. All these folds
are well illustrated In tho folio.
These rock folds are the record of,
the great Notwithstanding forces
which crushed and folded the rocks
as they were raised out of the sea.
Many Of the rocks are full of
well-preserved fossil shells. Some
that have long, banded, nuted wings
are called butterflies by the natives.
How did they get into the rocks
and what do they mean?
Shells From An Ancient Sea-.
These fossils were shells of living
creatures that inhabited the. sands
and muds Of a sea that covered this
region long ages ago. All the rocks
now at the surface of this area are
hardened sediments that were de-
posted on the shore and on the
bottom OF the sea-, and the shells of
the animals hat lived in these wa
ters were buried in these sediments
and were hardened with them. Now
we find them beautifully preserved
in stone.
The beauties and wonders OF ma
ture are ~abundamtly displayed in this
region and no one should go on a
camping, fishing, or touring trip to
1T without a copy Of this folio in his
possession, the better to understand