DESTROYING MT. MITCHELL 



91 



Clingman's Peak on the Right. 



ON THE LEFT IS SEEN POTATO TOP WHILE IN THE CENTER IS THE LINE OF THE LOGGING RAILROAD RUNNING INTO THE 



HEART OF THE WOODS. 



With its assistance loose soils are piled 

 on slopes at angles fiilly double those 

 which they could maintain unaided. 

 The action of forests is great in another 

 way: Loose materials are washed down 

 hill during rainstorms by even the 

 tiniest rivulets. In open fields these 

 gather in a few minutes and form deeper 

 and deeper channels with each succeed- 

 ing storm, finally removing the loose 

 material down to bare rock. This 

 process is almost wholly prevented by 

 the network of roots and the cover of 

 leaves both living and dead, and the 

 water seeps through the soil so slowly 

 that it carries no sediment. 



"The value of forest cover is 

 illustrated better in the southern Appa- 

 lachian region than in almost any other 

 section. Streams which drain consider- 

 able areas of deforested land rise fast 

 and soon become turbid with mud. 

 Those which drain areas protected by 

 forests rise much more slowly and by 

 comparison the water could be called 

 clear, except in the most violent storms. 



In addition to the loss inflicted by forests 

 cutting upon the steep slopes themselves, 

 great damage also results to the lands 

 lying farther down the streams. The 

 deep clay soil and underlying rocks form 

 a sort of gigantic sponge which soaks 

 up water when it is abundant. When 

 the forests are stripped away the water 

 collects and runs off with vastly greater 

 speed and much evaporates, so that not 

 only is less soaked up, but the discharge 

 is very irregular and destructive, floods 

 result, and therefore are wider spread. 

 Thus, viewed from the standpoint either 

 of utility or beauty, these unrivaled 

 forests are the keystone of the arch." 



The value of this testimony of one 

 of the Government's trained geologists 

 is understood by all persons who have 

 ever visited the southern Appalachian 

 region. People knowing what will hap- 

 pen when the forests are cut off are 

 therefore getting almost solidly behind 

 the movement to do what is possible 

 not only to preserve the large area on 

 Mt. Mitchell as a park, but, if possible. 



