The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-19
VOLCANOES ONCE
 LINED MAINE COAST

The United States geological survey has been making an investigation to deter mine the easternmost point of land in the United States, says the New York Times. It is West Quoddy Head, already marked by a light house, a few miles south of Passport. The region is well known to host of summer visitors who are at traeted by the natural beauties of the country and the large stretches of pro tected water along the irregular coast. Some conception of the irregularity of the coast may be gained by the state ment that Passport may be reached from the town of Lubec by three-mle ferry, whereas the traveller following the shore would have to walk 100 rocky miles to get from one town to the other.
 The Passport region is one of the few places in the Atlantic states that still counts among its inhabitants the direct descendants of the native owners of the soil. These are the Passamaquoddy h. dians, who form small village at Pleas ant Point, where they live as temporal wards of the state and as spiritual wards of the Catholic church. Because they have adopted so freely the ways of the white man these Indians have ceased to
 
 ed in them, because of the really artistic baskets of sweet grass and dyed wood woven by the women
 Only once a year, on Corpus Christi day, do they deck themselves out in ceremonial robes and with songs and dances recall the savage glories of long ago. This feast day of course attracts spectators from all the neighboring towns. Though now very up-to-date the villake of these Indians as late as lSSS consisted mainly of tepees, and it was then common to see them clad in their native costumes. Their school, con- ducted by Sisters of Charity, and their church play an important part in their lives and have been source of great improvement to the tribe.
 After having fixed the easternmost part of the country, Edison S. Bastian and Henry $. Williams made a study for the geological atlas of the United states now in process of formation. They found that the eastport region years ago was the scene of violent volcanic eruption. It's rocks, which be- long to the period known as Silurian and Devonian, include thousands of feet of alternate lava flows beds of con solidated volcanic ash and consoli- dated muds All this tells the geo logical student that in ancient times the Passport region was a veritable fAiu6flCdH pay or NapleS, DOrdeTed by volcanoes that poured lava out upon the floor of the ocean and showered it with ashes.
 The scientists found that on many of the weather beaten surfaces of the rocks the lavalike structure appears as perfect as a modern piece of lava. The outward outlines of these Silurian volcanoes have been completely destroyed in the wearing down of teh land during millions of suc- cpe6inR and tbpir ci ita can only be roughly surmised. Only the lava flows and ash beds remain The fossil remains of the animal life of the sea in those early days can be found by any one who cares osearch the shale beds along the shore.
 Geologic studies around Eastport yield clear evidence that the land surface Is undergoing a slow movement of uplift This movement has lately been in prog reSs, and is one of the most recent events in the geologic story of that region. It is known that during and immediately after the invasion of that part of the country by the great ice sheet from the northwest in glacial times the land ctood as much as 200 feet lower than it does today. Even those who are unnitiated in geologic lore, the examining scientists say, can see in the clay deposits which cover the lowands and carry clam shells in the gravel beds that extend high up the h1llsldes, and in occasional rock cut cliffs far above the present sea cliffs, convincing evidence that the land once stood much lower than now.
 When the great covering of the glacial ice melted away or retreated northward land rose somewhat rapidly to about it's present position, and, the geologists point out, remarkable as 1t may seem, there is good ground for believing that it's pre- vious subsistence was due directly to the weight of the glacial ice The uplift oc- cured in response to decrease of weight as the ice melted.
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