Milford chronicle., 1916-09-08
A TRUCELESS WAR
The Unending Struggle Between
the Sea and the Shore.
VICTORIES ON BOTH SIDES.

Through Rocky Cliffs, and Some
times the Wind and Land combin,
to Beat the 5illows Back to Defeat.
1t is a truceless war that the waters
of the world are waging against it,
lands. John Oliver LaGorce, associate
editor of the National Geographic so
ciety, has prepared for that institu
ton study Of this striking struggle
between the earth and the sea with the
shores lines of the world as the far
flung theater of war.
After calling attention to the fact
that the processes which have trans
formed the polar regions from dense
jungles Of tropical growth into lands
Of perpetual ice and snow, which have
brought the tops of mountains to the
bottom Of the sea and the bottom of
the sea to the tops Of mountains, are
still going on. although the hands
upon the face Of the clock Of geology
move so slowly that we cannot perceive
their movement, Mr. LaGorce CON
tinues:
Along every coast line on the face
Of the earth there is perpetual warfare
/ between the land and the sea, with the
wind as the shifting line, now throw
ing its weight into the balance on the
one side and now on the other. Here
the land is taking the offensive, driving
the sea back foot by foot, always with
the aid Of the wind; there the sea mar
shals a great drive and eats its way
landward slowly and laboriously, but
none the less successfully.
''The varying fortunes Of this relent-
less and age long war which neither
truce nor treaty will ever bring to an
end can be read in the shifting sands
Of the seashore. at many points along
the coast Of the northeastern states are
found bold cliffs, and the charging sea
attacks them with the shot and shell
Of loose shingle. Some of them, how
ever, are adamant and impregnable in
their frontal Notifications and hold out
against the sorest siege, but between
them have occurred stretches Of softer
rock which have been literally pound
ed to dust by the oceans heavy artil-
lery, thus permitting flank attacks on
the hitherto unconquered defenses.
"AlOng the southeastern coast, how
ever, the rock bound cliff is the excep-
tion and the long stretches Of glittering
sand the rule. Here the sandy beach
reaches out farther and farther into
the sea, and the water is thus enabled
to penetrate farther and farther into
the land because the attack Of the sea
is usually a frontal movement and that
Of the land frequently a wedge attack.
Thus we can account for the long
straight shore on the one hand and the
split Gu the other.
"The formation of the beach immedi-
ately guarded by the Cape Henry light
is not changing so rapidly as is the
case only a few miles on either side be-
cause of its somewhat protected posi-
ton, due to the many sand bars or reefs
far out from shore which, acting as the
first trenches, serve to break the charge
of the white horses Of Father Neptune
as they dash in from the ocean, and,
because of this knowledge Of defense, /
It is plain to be seen that a good quar-
ter Of a mile Of beach has been added
by the defender since the old light was
erected.
"Rockaway beach, Long Island, !
grows westward at the rate Of nearly |
a mile. every twenty years. At Nag
Head, y. c., the land has extended /
into the sea at the rate Of thirty-fve /
feet year. In 1904 Dr. Nathaniel .
Bowditch prepared a chart of Salem
and Marblehead harbors, giving the
over various lodges of rock.
Ninety years later similar soundings
were taken, and in all cases the water
was found TO be considerably deeper,
once again telling the tale Of endless
ION the shore of Cape Cod. near
Chatham, the land is retreating at the
,ate of a foot a year, and on the south
,rn shore Of Marthas Vineyard it is
giving up the fight to the enemy at the
ate Of three feet every twelve months
while on the southern face of Nan
ucket the retreat has been as much as
iix feet year, the records tell US.
"In its incessant warfare against the
and the sea literally takes its cap
urcd hosts and makes them do battle
Inder its command. The bowlIers that
re shattered from the face of a cliff
re dashed up against it again and
gain, hammering others loose. the
While being worn round and smooth
S the projectile Of big guns must be.
is the process goes on these huge
hells are worn down and crumbled un-
il there remains nothing to tell. the
tory Of forced fighting against their
wn stronghold save grains Of sand on
ONE distant beach or the soft carpet :
pread upon the floor of the sea many
athoms deep.
"How rapidly this process goes on is
striSingly shown. A schoon-
r laden with bricks is beached on
ONE bare shore IN q storm. These
ricks are rolled and tumbled a dis
lnce of FIVE miles or so in the course
{ q year. and by that time attrition z
as usually completed its work Au.
lorities say that on the shores OF =