68 



The river from Salina pursues a very sinuous 

 course, running; due east, then south-east, south and 

 south-west : then south east again, on around Athens, 

 continuing in a generally south-easterly direction to the 

 Ohio river. At Salina we note the end of a ridge which 

 constitutes a divide between the present and an old 

 river valley. The latter, forms what is now known as 

 the ''Plains." and is frequently referred to as a 

 " terrace." This old river course was filled with glacial 

 drift, which subsequently has been covered with 

 aluvium. Some very large mounds and other earth- 

 works are found upon it. These valleys join some two 

 and one-half miles to the southeast. This divide has 

 been subjected to great erosion. The ridges bordering 

 the Plains are studded with some notably high peaks. 



For the greater part of the remaining distance to 

 Athens, the course of the present river follows the 

 valley, hugging the base of the southern hills. The 

 glacial drift gravels are jjlainly outlined through the 

 greater part of the valley. Tributary valleys along the 

 whole course are numerous. 



The great deepening effect of the glacial waters 

 was largely obliterated by the immense burden of 

 gravel which came down from the edge of the ice at the 

 time of its maximum advance, this drift being deposited 

 in the valleys hundreds of feet in depth, which subse- 

 quently were cut into terraces by the " flood waters " 

 from the retreating ice. Just above the town of Athens, 

 a gravel deposit of two hundred feet above the present 

 river level was noted, and a boring in the old river bed, 

 in the eastern part of the town, showed gravel at a depth 

 of sixty feet below the surface of the present river. 



Standing on North Hill, three hundred feet above 

 the river, we note the fact that certain tributary valleys 

 enter the Hocking valley against the current, one indi- 

 cation that the old pre-glacial stream flowed in another 

 direction, and, following along the top of the ridge 



