A BLAZING BEACH 557 



A BLAZING BEACH 



BY d. P. PENHALLOW, D.Sc, f.r.s.c. 



MACDONALD PROFESSOR OF BOTANY, MCGILL UNIVERSITY 



TN December, 1905, an account was given in Science 1 of a remark- 

 -*- able phenomenon which was described as ' A Blazing Beach ' as 

 observed at Kittery Point, Maine, and an attempt was then made to 

 bring forward an explanation which would satisfactorily account for 

 all the observed facts. During the past summer an opportunity was 

 offered for a reexamination of the locality, and it was then possible 

 to obtain some additional facts which tend to strengthen the conclu- 

 sions originally reached. It was also learned that a second but smaller 

 conflagration had occurred in the same place at a somewhat later date. 

 It is therefore felt that a further account of the facts will be of inter- 

 est at this time. 



The accompanying photograph, taken during the past summer, 

 shows the precise area within which the conflagration developed. The 

 beach at the point where the fire occurred is composed of a barrier 

 ridge at its upper margin, made up of pebbles of varying sizes. This 

 ridge is thrown up and maintained under the action of southeast 

 storms, at the angle of repose for the material of which it is composed, 

 and about half-way down its outer face, the high water mark of spring 

 tides is clearly indicated by patches of sea-weed. This high-water 

 mark corresponds approximately to the level of the interior area where 

 the trees are to be seen growing, and which is frequently flooded in 

 times of severe southeasterly storms. The base of the barrier ridge 

 is indicated by the line of sea-weed which defines the high-water mark 

 of the ordinary neap tides. From this point the beach, consisting of 

 pebbles, continues outward and downward at a somewhat sharp incline 

 for a distance of about seventy-five feet, when the pebbles are replaced 

 by sand, the first patch of which is seen just above the line of water. 

 The photograph shows half-tide. 



The sand formation extends from the edge of the water outward 

 with a very gentle slope, and thus makes shoal water for a considerable 

 distance beyond the mass of loose rock seen on the extreme left. With 

 the exception of the barrier ridge, the beach extends laterally for a 

 distance of one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred feet between 

 the solid ledges shown in the photograph. The general constitution 

 of the shore along the river front is solid ledge, and this particu- 

 lar locality may be described as a pocket which has become filled with 



*N. S., Vol. XXII., pp. 794-796. 1905. 



