260 GEOLOGY OF THE DENVER BASIN. 



the present stream, but its eastern rim is everywhere buried underthe loess 

 on the edges of the terrace known as Capitol Hill. Its extent is shown by 

 wells that have passed through the loess into the sandstone below without 

 finding it. It is probably safe to estimate the width of the ancient channel 

 at a mile or more, while that of Clear, Sand, and Cherry creeks may he 

 taken at half a mile, and a quarter of a mile may he allowed for the width 

 of such streams as Hear, Deer, and Turkey creeks. Wherever examined the 

 ancient stream lied was a giant as compared with its modern representative. 



Fossils. — The character of these deposits is not such as to preserve 

 remains of mollusks or plants, hut a few vertebrate remains have been 

 obtained from excavations for cellars of the larger buildings in the city of 

 Denver, such as molars of a species of elephant and a few isolated bison 

 bones. 1 



In Douglas County, sec, 36, T. G S., R. G7 W., a hone was discovered 

 by Mr. Charles A. ( 'oryell, in a tunnel driven in the ancient drift of Newlin 

 gulch, at 47 feet from its mouth and 25 feet below the surface, encased in 

 and partially replaced by arkose material. This was submitted to Prof. 

 ().('. Marsh for identification, and was pronounced by him to be portions 

 of the vertebra? of a cow bison, which had grown together as the result of 

 ■some injury to the back received just below the hump. Although the 

 bone is fossilized, it presents no anatomical features that distinguish it 

 from the modern bison. If. as seems possible, and even probable, the injury 

 to the vertebral column was caused by the weapon of a hunter, it would 

 give a very ancient date for buffalo hunting upon the plains. 



FLUVIAL LOESS. 



Along the western bank of the Platte near Denver the river drift passes 

 upward through layers of sand and gravel which frequently exhibit a 

 cross-bedded structure, into a silt from which the layers of sand have dis- 

 appeared, though the stratification still remains, and which closely resembles 

 the loos proper. It has, however, a larger proportion of argillaceous mate- 

 rial, and is distinguished from the latter by its considerable content of 



■From the cellar of the Power House, corner of Lawrence and Eighteenth streets, and of the 



McClintock Block, coiner of Larimer and Sixteenth streets. The latter are now in the collection of 

 the Mercantile Librarj . 



