324 THE GLACIAL LAKE AGASSIZ. 



sections 3 and 34, and nearly due north througli the east edge of sections 

 27, 22, and 15. The descent eastAvard is more gentk' than usual, falling 

 only 6 to 10 feet in a quarter of a mile, beyond which is a flat area of till. 

 On the west a depression 3 to 5 feet deep, partly occupied by a grassy 

 slough, inter\^enes Ijetween this beach ridge and the wave-cut escarpment. 

 On the north line of section 15 the crest of the ridge is at 1,092 feet; the 

 depression west, 1,088; the base of the escarpment, 1,092, and its top, 

 about 1,115 feet. 



Great Northern l\ailway from Ri])on to Portland, track at tanlc and 

 section house close south of Rush River, 1,094 feet; at Erie, 2 miles farther 

 north, 1,126 feet; summit about 1 mile north of Erie, 1,131 feet; South 

 Branch of the North Fork of Elm River, bridge, 1,081 feet; bed of creek, 

 1,062 feet; track at sununit 1 mile north, 1,089 feet; at Galesburg, 1,079 

 feet; North Branch of the North Fork of Elm River, bridge, 1,076 feet; 

 bed of creek, 1,063 feet; track at Clifford, 1,055 feet. At Erie and west- 

 ward the surface is prominently rolling till, which rises within 3 miles to a 

 height of 100 feet above the shore of Lake Agassiz. 



In sections 10 and 3, Erie, the Herman beach is again Avell exhibited 

 in its usual character. On the north line of section 10 it is a gently 

 rounded ridge of sand and gravel, with pebbles up to 2 inches and rarely 

 3 or 4 inches in diameter, half being limestone; its width is about 20 rods; 

 the elevation of its crest is 1,106 feet, and the slopes fall 10 feet on the east 

 and 3 feet on the west. For the next mile northward, through the west 

 part of section 3, this beach ridge has a width of 10 to 15 rods; its elevation 

 is mostly 1,105 to 1,108 feet, with a depression 5 to 7 feet deep along its 

 west side; but in a few places the ridge itself is depressed to 1,099 feet. 

 Passing- northward, this beach in the west half of section 34, Dows, is a 

 very smooth, gracefully rounded, wave-like swell, 30 to 40 rods wide, 

 1,108 to 1,112 feet in elevation, rising 15 feet above its east base and 

 ha\ang a depression of 3 to 5 feet on the west. A well in the northeast 

 quarter of the southwest quarter of section 34, on the top of this beach, 

 went through 12 feet of sand and gravel, going into till below. In the 

 southwest quarter of section 27 the beach continues with the same massive 

 development and nearly north course, its elevation being 1,111 to 1,115 



