OLD DRAINAGE FROM UPPER TO MIDDLE ALLEGHENY. 139 



Creek Valley at Saegerstown, which may, perhaps, be denominated the old 

 Woodcock Creek, since a stream by that name now drains the headwater 

 portion of the valley, entering French Creek at Saegerstown. French 

 Creek crosses another old divide in the extreme southwest corner of New 

 York. The drainage systems thus united may never have been entirely 

 distinct, but they certainly have been greatly modified in their courses and 

 connections. 



The old Woodcock Creek passed directly across French Creek through 

 a depression, now deeply filled with drift, which leads past Mosiertown to 

 Cussewago Creek, from which it apparently continued northwestward near 

 Crossingville and Pleasant Valley to the old Middle Allegheny or "Con- 

 neaut outlet" in the vicinity of Albion, Pa. At the point where the old 

 stream crosses French Creek the width is nearly one-half mile, or about 

 double that of the present valley of French Creek just above and below 

 the line of this old valley. Although this ancient line drained an area 

 much smaller than the present French Creek, its age was so many times 

 greater than that of these new portions of the creek that the amount of 

 excavation is greater. Wells at Saegerstown enter rock at only 30 feet 

 below French Creek, or about 1,070 feet above tide, but it is probable that 

 the deepest part of the old valley has not been struck by them. These 

 wells, however, stand in the iiiidst of French Creek Valley, and bear strong 

 testimony to the absence of a deep channel between Saegerstown and 

 Jleadville. The old divide crossed by French Creek on each side of the 

 old Woodcock Creek apparently stood but 50 to 60 feet above the present 

 creek ; at least the rock rises no higher than that on the immediate borders 

 of the stream. 



No difficulty was experienced by Carll in tracing the old upper part 

 of the Oil Creek di-aiuage northwestward to French Creek through the 

 broad lowland now occupied by Muddy Creek; but the line of discharge 

 from French Creek to the Lake Erie Basin was not so readily determined. 

 There appear to be rock barriers on the line of the two principal lowlands 

 leading from French Creek toward the basin, one of which is di-ained by 

 Le Boeuf Creek and the other by Conneautee Creek. On account of these 

 apparent barriers the old line of drainage was thought by Carll to have 

 followed down the present course of French Creek to the Conneaut outlet 

 near Meadville. In giving the stream this route he apparently overlooked 



