EROSION 



2074 



ESCANABA 



force than that falling upon slopes covered with 

 vegetation, because the foliage breaks the force 

 of the falling water. The sod formed by roots 

 of grass and the matting of decayed leaves in 

 the forest also absorbs a good portion of the 

 water and allows it to sink into the ground, 

 thus preventing floods. Moreover, a portion 

 of the water absorbed by the earth reappears 

 in springs and streams, feeding them slowly 

 and continuously. Thus forests are valuable 

 agencies in preventing the destruction of the 

 land by erosion, and they should be carefully 

 preserved. This action is shown in the illus- 

 tration. 



Atmosphere. The atmosphere is constantly 

 wearing away the surface of rocks in two ways 

 by decomposing them and by the action of 



MODEL ILLUSTRATING EROSION 



The effect of rainfall is shown upon two adja- 

 cent hills. One is covered with forest growth, 

 and erosion is slight ; the other cannot hold rain- 

 fall and deep gulleys result. A model similar to 

 the above can be made for any school. 



wind. The decomposition is so slight, however, 

 that it needs no attention here. Wind, espe- 

 cially in the arid regions, is constantly wearing 

 away the surface of the rocks, and in many 

 places wonderful figures are formed in this way. 

 The remarkable natural sculptures found in the 

 Garden of the Gods, Colorado, and in portions 

 of the Bad Lands in South Dakota were formed 

 by the action of wind. Sand dunes, wherever 

 they occur, are also good examples of changes 

 wrought by wind. 



Ice. We are familiar with banks of sand 

 and gravel thrown up by ice on the shores of 

 small lakes, but we do not see the actual wear- 

 ing away of rocks by ice, except in those regions 

 where glaciers are found, as in the Rocky 

 Mountains and the Alps. In the Glacial Period, 

 however, extensive erosion was caused by ice. 

 While erosion was more rapid and more exten- 

 sive in past geological ages than at present, all 

 forms of it are still active, and may be studied 

 on a small scale in almost every school yard 

 and on every farm. C.R.M. 



Related SubjeciM. The reader is referred to 

 the following articles in these volumes : 



Alluvium Glacial Period 



Canyon Grand Canyon of the 



Delta Colorado 



Dune River 



Geology Valley 



ERYSIPELAS , er i sip' e las, sometimes called 

 SAINT ANTHONY'S FIRE, is a very infectious dis- 

 ease. The name is derived from two Greek 

 words meaning red skin, extreme redness and 

 inflammation of the skin being the most notice- 

 able symptoms. The disease is caused by 

 germs which enter the skin through a scratch 

 or cut. It usually appears upon the head or 

 face, and begins with a chill, followed by head- 

 ache, loss of appetite and a general feeling of 

 illness. The disease does not usually prove 

 fatal. If the infected parts are treated with 

 antiseptic dressings, and the patient takes a 

 tonic, such as iron, strychnine and quinine, im- 

 provement will be seen in a few days. Some 

 physicians paint the edges of inflamed spots 

 with collodion, to prevent the spread of the 

 malady. W.A.E. 



ESAU, e' saw, the skilled hunter who sold his 

 birthright to his twin brother Jacob for a bowl 

 of red pottage, because he was hungry when 

 he returned from the chase (Genesis XXV, 

 27-34). Later Jacob, who was jealous of Esau 

 because their father, Isaac, favored him, suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining the parental blessing by 

 deceit, but left the country to escape his 

 brother's anger. Esau with his three wives 

 went to live on Mount Seir, where his descend- 

 ants formed the nation called the Edomites. 

 Twenty years later Jacob returned and ob- 

 tained forgiveness for his actions. The recon- 

 ciliation between the brothers was permanent. 



ESCANABA, es ka nah'bah, MICH., the 

 county seat of Delta County, on the eastern 

 shore of the upper peninsula, seventy-three 

 miles southeast of Marquette. It is on a 

 promontory at the mouth of Escanaba River, 

 on Little Bay de Noquette, an inlet of Green 

 Bay; the city has a fine harbor. It is on the 

 Escanaba & Lake Superior, the Minneapolis, 

 Saint Paul & Sault Sainte Marie and the Chi- 

 cago & North Western railroads. In 1910 the 

 population was 13,194; in 1916, 15,485. The 

 area is eight square miles. 



Escanaba was settled in 1863, and was in- 

 corporated as a village and chartered as a city 

 in 1883. Picturesque surroundings and excel- 

 lent fishing and boating have made it a popular 

 summer resort. It contains a courthouse, city 

 hall, public library and a hospital, and is one 



