Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-08-28
THE MENACINC SEA
u Threatens to Sons Day EnguIi
New York and Boston.
our EASTERN COAST SINKING.

IN TlHta. ThOuuaHds ~ Vosru, Per-
hapa. ne Aslhnsls oasaa, AesordIRs
20 esslSsla4e. Win FlS,s Over ths
cItfs That Now Toser Above lts
ehotsa 8rrl
Government gsologicRl axDoxts have
ealculatsd that New York, Boston.
Philadelphia and ali tho other cities
aloaa tii3 AtiAneie eoaee win eventual
" sink bensath the ocean. They have
observed that there has been a steady
sinking Of the whole cOast. and they
say that Il is going on at the present
moment
GeolOgists have long recognized the
fact that the Atlantic coast tne was
much farther out than It is now. There
Il 3 line from 100 to 300 miles or the
present coast at which the water sud.
denly gets deeper. Out to that distance
the water Is generally about 800 feet
deep. Then II plunges suddenly and
becomes ten times as far to the oceans
bottom. The men Of the coast survey
have traced this line throughout the
length Of our coast line and end It
similar all along. The geologists say
that the continent once reached out
that far and that there was the coast
liaA but a gradual decline thEOagh the
laeeS has caused that line TO retreat.
Until now It 70 where we know Il.
From a geological standpoint this
lfhaa honUonaN In NovnOo rottwoly v,,c,ut
5meA II has all been done since the
glacial period. This brings It into the
present period and makes the action
new. In fact It b positively known to
be going on now.
There ID an ancient aill in the Charles
town navy yard at Boston with re-
gard 10 which there Is definite infoTma.
ton as TO its elevation. IL was put
in place, seventy years ago: fits eleva-
tlOn was given with relation to mean.
high and low tide. and also with refer
ence TO surrounding landmarks. With
relation to the tide this sill has sunk
seven-tentbs4 s4Of a foot With relation
to the landmarks It has the same posi-.
ton. positive proof that Boston haF-
Dor and the city about II have sunk
seven-tenths Of a foot into the sea In
the last seventy years.
The original mouth OF the Hudson
river Is now 200 miles out to sea. The
ships follow its old channel in leaving
port even now. It Is not known how
long ago Il was when the mouth OF the
river was not far out in the ocean. But
II II almost a certainty that when a
similar time has elapsed the present
city win be an equal distance from the
then land.
Similarly win Boston be submerged.
Baltimore will disappear at about the
same time and great portions Of Wash
ington. The great Mississippi Is bring
ing down great depoaits to raise It's
delta and eounterbalance the decline.
30 low is New Orleans that II viii be
one Of the 1rst cides to sink below the
sea level and D0 q municipality high
walled against the enemy. the sea. Cal
weston has already felt the encFoach-
menk oR tho waters and has been forced
to build ITSELF . soa wall
The geological survey makes topo-
| graphical maps. On these lines are run
at given elevations. For instance, q
line may be run about Manhattan Is
land at a level twenty feet above the
water at the Battery. It would sub
merge thecustOms house and extend up
Broadway nearly to Wall street From
the east Il would invade the financial
district almost 70 Nassau street It
would overflow half the land between
the city hall and the East river. Far
ther up Il would BubmOrgs q narrower
strip ybot tts intrusion would create
great havoc. r
A afty foot rise OF water would wipe
Manhattan Island out entirely. OF
course II these depressions came on
very gradually the water fronts would
be diked against their intFusionA In
this way New York city might be saved
from destruction Tor a very long time
Et win inevitably become a city sur.
rounded by high levee, against which
the ocean will beat with an ever In
cRsaSing advantage. IL might peFpetu-
ate itself By artificial means. but In the
end II VIII be put in an impossible posi-
ton. The waters will follow over the
Oats Og New Jersey and Of Long Island
They will even beat back through
the Delaware and the Chesapeake and
set beyond the city and cut on com
munication with the main part OF the
land Finally. New York will tind II
self city down In a well far out from
the mainland. Gradually the people
who dwell in Il will desert Il and re-
pair to the then mainland. The waters
viii eventually lap away the great
walls that have been built 20 keep out
the sea and win tumble in among the
Skyscrapers.-W. A. Du Puy's Uncle
Sam. Wonder Worker"
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Great Idea.