The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-07-24
THE MENAC|NC SEA
II Threatens to Some Day Engulf
New York and Boston.
OUR EASTERN COAST SINKING.

haps. the Atlantic Ocean, According
to GsoIosists, VIII Flow Over the
Cities That Now Tower Above It's
Shores.
Government geological experts have
calculated that New York. Boston.
Philadelphia and all the other cities
along the Atlantic coast will eventual
ly sink beneath 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
Biologists have long recognized the
fact that the Atlantic coast line was
much farther out than IL Is now. There
IL line from 100 to 300 miles of 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 plnnges 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 lind Il
similar all along. The biologists say
that the continent once reached out
that far and that there was the coast
line. but II gradual decline through the
ages has caused that line to retreat.
until now II Is where we know 1t.
From a geological standpoint this
has happened In compa ratively recent
ffmnc hao oil .t,
glacial period. This brings 1t into the
present period and makes the action
new. In fact II Is positively known to
be going on now.
There Is an ancient sill In the Charles
town navy yard at Boston with re.
gard to which there in definite tnforma.
ton as to Its elevation. IL WAS put
IN place seventy years ago: its eleva.
ton was given with relation to mean.
high and low tide. and also with refer
rnce to surrounding landmarks. With
relation to the tide this sill has sunk
seven-tenths Of foot With relation
to the landmarks 1t has the same posi-
tion. a positive proof that Boston har-
Dor and the city about II have sunk
seven'tenths Of 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. Ii Is not known how
long ago II was when the mouth of the
river was not far out In the ocean. But
II Is almost certainty that when a
similar time has elapsed the present
city will be an equal distance from the
then land
Similarly will 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 deposits to raise its
delta and cOunterbalance the decline.
So low Is New Orleans that II will be
one Of the first cities TO sink below the
sea level and be municipality high
walled against the enemy. the sea. Gal.
weston has already felt the encroach.
ment Of the waters and has been forced
to build itself a sea wall. n
The geological survey makes topo-
maps. On these lines are run
ut given elevations. For instance, q
line may be run about Manhattan Is
land at q level twenty feet above the
water at the Battery. II would sub
merge the customs house and extend up
Broadway nearly to Wall street. From
the east II would invade the financial
almost to Nassau street. II
would overflow half the land between
the city hall and the East river. Far.
ther up It would submerge a narrower
strip. but its intrusion would create
great havoc.
dirty foot rise Of water would wipe
Manhattan Island out entirely. OF
n these depressions came, on
very gradually the water fronts would
be diked against their intrusions. In
this way New York city might he saved
from destruction for a very long time.
II will inevitably become a city sur
by a high levee. against which
the ocean will beat with an ever in
creasing advantage. 1t might perpetu.
ate itself by artificial means. but In the
end II will be put In an impossible posi-
ton. The waters will follow over the
fats Of New Jersey and Of Long Island.
They will even beat back through
the Delaware and the Chesapeake and
get beyond the city and cut of com
with the main part Of the
land. Finally. New York will find II
self city down In well far out from
. h.,
who dwell In II will desert It and re-
pair to the then mainland. The waters
will eventually lap away the great
walls that have been built to keep out !
the sea aud will tumble In among the |
A. Du Puy's Uncle
Sam Wander Worker"