244 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Elevations. 



casionally in the form of isolated table-topped mounds or precipitous peaks, 

 rising very high. 



At Dreshach the bluffs reach the hight of 1232 feet, the sandstone rising 

 430 feet above the railroad, and the limestone being 135 feet thick, including 

 the debris and slope above the brink which seems to contain both the Jor- 

 dan and Shakopee, though nothing can be seen in place, of either of them. 

 Here the valley of the Mississippi is very wide, and about here, or a little 

 further north, must be the axis of the broad anticlinal which comes into the 

 state from Wisconsin. It seems to be a broad bowl-like upward swell in the 

 rocks, which not only causes the limerock to break away extensively, leav- 

 ing the St. Croix to constitute the surface, but where the limerock is pre- 

 served, to make it rise higher in Wisconsin than in Minnesota. This all is 

 proven also by the irregularity of the contour of all the hills. They are 

 more shaped like the drift-hills and knolls of Dakota county, without benches 

 of ascent, though not having any true drift. This upward swell in Winona 

 county is only felt as an effect on the topography, producing wider and 

 more numerous valleys than further north, the grand dip being toward the 

 S. W. or W. S. W. If there be any axis to this upward swell it may be said 

 to occupy most of the interval between Richmond and Dresbach. 



The hills south of St. Charles rise nearly 200 feet above the depot, 

 or 1325 feet above the sea. The depot is about on the top of the Shakopee. 



The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway skirts along the eastern 

 border of the county, near the base of the river bluffs, and its engineers 

 have reported the following elevations oj points on the grade. 



Elevations on the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railway. 



Distances in miles Hights in feet 



from Saint Paul. above the sea. 



Mt. Vernon __ 89 667 



Minnesota City 97 669 



St. Peter Junction, crossing C. and N. W. railway 102 668 



Winona 103 654 



Homer 108 657 



Lamoille 112 652 



Eichmond 115 666 



Dakota 121 649 



Dresbach 122.5 668 



The list of hights on the Chicago and Northwestern railway in this 

 county, given upon the next page, are from Mr. John E. Blunt, engineer, 

 Winona. 



