Evening journal., 1915-08-31
maryland loses
EASTERN 'SHOISLANDS
Erosion Turning Former
Summer Resorts Into
Marsh Lands
TO MAKE NEW
STUDY AT BAY

the tue dionb iho '"''N'N
MARYLAND have shown the need of a
thorough topographic and hydrogra- !
phic study Of the bay. The United I
states government has undertaken
this.
Sharp's Island. at the mouth Of the
Choptank river. which a generation
ago was busy summer resort Is
now mere marsh, deserted and
worthless. James Island on a line
across the mouths of the Choptank
and Little Choptank rivers and 'front.'
ing on the bay, which had consld-
erable population half a century ago
Is deserted except for a few families.
rrilghman's Island. the largest OF the
xro,,p. mas lost nearly $50 acres in
sixty-three years. and its population
is greatly reduced.
Mainland Going, Too.
The mainland, too, has suffered by
the work of the erosion, and where
once corn grew in fertile fields along
the shore. water from two TO Ten
feet flows Oystermen and crabbers
now navigate their craft over farms
OF past generations.
Where the water mandates the
land and sends Il crumbling into the
bay. relics of former days are often
laid bare. Skulls and bones of the
Choptank and Nanticoke Indians, ar
row heads and stone hatchets fire.
Quently are picked up along the
beach 10 the farmer of imaginative
turn these relics of bygone times
might suggest romance. but to man
who has paid money for his property,
the melancholy fact that his estate
Is vanishing dissipatos all thoughts
of anything romantic.
The loss In realty by the encroach-
ment of the water of the bay cannot
be computed, but It. IS up in the mill
lions
This work of erosion does not APP
plv 10 all the water front property
here. but is confined chiefly to the
shores with north and west expo
sures. The south shores, where marsh
and sedge grasses grow abundantly
withstand the encroachment of the
water
Interesting Changes.
While the changing of the earth's
surface Is apparent in every part of
the globe. and the nature of these
parts. there has been little oppor-
tunity to collect quantative data, and
the data available Is largely conject-
ural. with the event of accurate top
oeraphic and photographic surveys
some interesting changes have been
observed. The resurveys by the
United States Coast and GeodeuC
Survey have shown some marked
changes in the shore line and sea
bottom at Cape Cod, Nantucket Is
land and Delaware Bay, but ADDITION.
al observations are necessary 10 at'
ford opportunities for comparisons.
Chesapeake Bay is favorable for
such investigation in that It has 2
drainage basin OF moderate size ant
retains large amount OF the sedi
ments brought in from that basin BY
its tributary rivers. This bay, too
since the memorable explorations o
Captain John Smith in 1908 has beer
OF much interest to map makers ant
explorers The classic maps made b.
Smith were followed by many others
such as Herman's MAP of Virgins
and Maryland 1670 and Griffith
MAP of Maryland 179N. both O
which were standard maps Of thei
time
With the economical develormen
of this region the need for accurat
data regarding the limits and char
scter of the Chesapeake Bay was fel
and in iS45 a topographic and hydro
graphic study of th2 bay was begu
by the United States Coast and Gee
detic Survey The entire bay wa
surveyed by 1S4S and accurate chart
prepared. In 1900 it was deeme
necessary TO make a new survey
connection with the work of IN
MARYLAND Shell Fish Commission, an
by 1903 a second set OF charts wa
completed These two surveys SHOW
ed important changes in the positio
Of the shore line and Of the botto
OF the bay.
Erosion and Sedimentation.
II was then that the study of err
sion, and sedimentation was begu
Owing to the great mechanical lab
and the long time necessary for SUE
an investigation a small test ar
was selected for the purpose. Th
area took in the eastern shore of q
bay around the mouth of the Cho
tank river. including Tilghmar
Sharps and James Islands and &
adjacent mainland This test area
situated about midway of the leng
Of the bay
James Island is south OF Shar
and Tilghman's Islands and is wed
shaped and cut in two by an In
that crosses II diagonally. Il is ne
TO Tilghmans island in size, bel
nearly two miles long and thr'
quarters of a mile wide. Its pres,
area is f90 acres
In 1S4S Sharps Island contain
ASS acers. In 1900 there were ol
81 acres or 2l per cent. The area
the island in 1910 was ffty-thI
acres. showing a loss of IS per ce
in sixty-two years.
Tilghman's Island is three and
half miles long and provides hon
for many farmers and fishermen
the north end are the towns OF Til
man and Avalon. The island is S
arated from the mainland by Kn;
Narrows. a narrow strait The
land suffered much less erosion
proportion TO its size than the OF
two. The eastern shore. as in
other islands. remains unchanged
tensive erosion has taken place al,
the western shore except in the 2
tected portion Of Pawpaw Cove.
From 1S4S to 1900 the area
Tilghman's Island decreased fr
2015 to 1886 acres, a total loss
329 acres. or more than 16 per c.
& tSince 1900 the work of erosion
4 going on at the rate of twer