Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-10-29
lIlstory Of the Potomac River.
AREA ONCE A GREAT INLAND SEA,
AND TOPS OF MOUNTAIN RIDGES
WE'RE OCEANS BorroM-FossIL SEA
SHELLS FOUND.

AREA ONCE GREAT INLAND sEAs
AND TOPS OF MOUNTAIN RIDGES
WE'RE OCEANS BorroM-FossIL SEA
SHELLS FOUND.
The great Potomac gorge was not ii.
ways, - Il IL to-day, ono of the most
beautiful and picturesque OF river val
legs. The United States Geological Sur.
vey has recently. published . geologic
folio describing about 400 square miles,
including portion of the Potomac Val
ley-the areas known ~ the Pswpaw
and Hancock quadrangles, in Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and West Virginia. This
folio (No. 119), which was written BY
George W. Stose. contains most inter-
esting account Of the gradual cutting
down By the river Of this deep gorge
during Thousands of years.
The AREA 10 located In Q part Of tho
Potomac Valley where the river winds
In great curves through . deep gorge
with densely wooded slopes. AZ the
railroad traveller swings around these
sharp bends which almost meet before
they reverse and realizes that 1t takes
three times as long to ride between two
points a. 1t would to 70 in Q straight
line, he may wonder how the river &C.
quired such course.
In view from the tops Of the ridges,
Il can be seen that many Of the hilltops
are fat and of about the same altitude,
and that II the valleys were filed up they
would form . nearly level plain. This
feature 10 also excellently shown by the
topographic map which forms part OF
the folio. Mr.. St0se says that many
thousand years ago the Potomac flowed
toward the sea upon this plain, which at
that time was much lower In altitude
In fact, 80 near the level Of the sea that
the stream Was very sluggish and wan
dered about In It's valley, a. Ia the custom
Of streams with low grade, such as the
Mississippi. Later, when the interior Of
the continent was somewhat elevated,
tho streams became "rejuvenated" and
cut down their channels, first into the
soft detritus which had accumulated In
the fat valley and eventually into the
hard rocks beneath. As the continent
rose still higher, they cut deeper into the
rocks, and, ~ . result, the Potomac u
now deeply intrenched in these winding
gorges. One stream In the area, how
ever, 10 making a change by cutting of Z
meander and taking short cut through
hill, producing beautiful cataract
This stream 10 shown in the Photographic
illustrations of the folio, as are also tbe
remnants Of the elevated plain on The
hilltops, once the valley Of the Potomac
ROCKS FOLDED AND CRUSHED UNDEF
GREAT PRESSURE.
Other marvellous features which tht
traveller may observe from the car win
dow in passing through this area are the
great rock folds. One arch OF rock thai
has been truncated by the river and II
visible from the train and canal Is Of
such interest TO geologists that 1t has At
tracted visitors from all parts OF thu
world and Is illustrated In most tex
books on geology. Other folds moi
visible from the train but readily accessi
bio to those interested, have the form o.
great saw teeth rising above the crest o.
. bill. All these folds are we'll illustrat
cd in the folio. These rock folds ART
the record of the great mountain making
forces which crushed and folded th'
rocks as they were raised ont of the sea
Many of the rocks are full OF well
preserved fossil shells. Some that have
long, banded, fiuted wings are called but
terflies by the natives. Bow did the!
get into the rocks and what do the!
mean?
SHELLS FROM AN ANCIENT SEA.
These fossils we're shells Of living
creatures that Inhabited the sands ant
muds OF . sea that covered this region
\ long ages ago. All the rocks now at tb'
surface of this area are hardened sedi
ments that were deposited on the shor'
and on the bottom of the sea, and th'
shells Of the animals that lived in thes
waters were buried In these sediment
and were hardened With them. Nov vi
find them BEAUTIFULLY preserved in stone
The beauties and wonders of patur
are abundsntly displayed in this regiol
and no one should 60 on Q camping, fish
ing, or touring trip to 1t without
copy of this folio In his possession, th,
better to understand what he sees.
copy of the Pawpaw-Hancock folio ma.
be obtained from the Director OF tn
United States Geological Survey a
Washington for Is cents, or in NOR
compact form, called the field edition
with folded topographic and geologic
maps in pocket, for 80 cents.