1SSG.] do J [Branner. 



with steep sides and abrupt faces, the latter being somewhat characteristic 

 of the south-west end of the basin, the former of the end north-east of 

 Wilkes-Barre. These irregularities diversify the interior of the basin, and 

 add beauty to its natural scenery, while, in some cases, they have pro- 

 duced marked effects in the glaciation and in the distribution of the drift 

 material. 



The Susquehanna river enters the basin at Pittston, passes out of it 

 again at Nanticoke, and, flowing thence, parallel to its bordering moun- 

 tains, to Shickshinny, it here cuts square across the end of the basin. The 

 north-eastern end of the basin is traversed by the Lackawanna from above 

 Forest City to Pittston, where it flows into the Susquehanna. In the end 

 of the valley north-east of Scranton there is a striking parallelism of the 

 larger streams that run into the Lackawanna, and, inasmuch as it has been 

 thought that this parallelism was due to drift deposits, I shall give here 

 what appears to be its explanation. The streams referred to run in one of 

 two general directions, which form an angle of about 77° with each 

 other. The first of these is followed by the upper part of Eddy creek, 

 Von Storch's creek, etc., and by the Lackawanna from where it bends, 

 below Archibald, to Olyphant. It should be noted that these streams are 

 parallel with the axes of the anticlinals in this part of the coaljbasin. The 

 second direction is followed by the Lackawanna from Jermyn to the bend 

 below Archbald, and by Fa'.l brook, Coal brook, Elk creek, etc. None 

 of these streams are in the drift, but in the solid rock, or rather, they 

 flow between well defined hills of solid rock, and their courses have been 

 determined largely, if not entirely, by the jointed structure of the locks, 

 possibly by faults in some instances. 



The south-western end of the basin is crossed by a water-shed that 

 drains it in two directions. The Nanticoke and Mocanaqua road crosses 

 this water-shed about two and a half miles above the latter place, and 

 about a quarter of a mile west of Uplinger's. On the northern side of the 

 road this water-shed reaches the top of the river mountain in a north-wes- 

 terly course. On the south side of the road it runs nearly half a mile 

 south, when it turns east, and keeps this general direction for nearly two 

 miles ; then turning south again, it crosses the Mountain Inn road, just 

 three-quarters of a mile above the Mountain Inn. Here it turns east, and 

 in this bearing reaches the top of the Little Wilkes-Barre mountain. The 

 lowest elevation, or gap, in this water-shed is on the south side of the 

 axis of the coal basin, and a little more than half a mile north of the old 

 Mountain Inn. According to Rothwell's map of this region, this gap is 

 about 375' above the Susquehanna at the Nanticoke dam. The lowest 

 point in the water-shed next after this one, is near where it is crossed by 

 the river mountain road at Uplinger's, and not far from the axis of the 

 basin. This gap, according to the same authority, is about 415' above the 

 water at the Nanticoke dam. To the south and west of this water-shed 

 the water reaches the Susquehanna just below Mocanaqua through Black 

 creek and Turtle run. To the north and east it drains into the Susque- 



