MUSKINGUM DRAINAGE SYSTEM. 157 



height of only 875 to 900 feet. Possibly the old divide was even lower. 

 In districts both to the east and west of the siipposed divide on the Muskin- 

 gum, cols are found at an altitude not far from 900 feet above tide, and 

 this also favors the view that the col crossed by the Muskingum stood 

 equally low. 



DEPOSITS ON THE LOWER COUESE OF THE MUSKINGUM. 



In the portion of the Muskingum Valley between Dresden and the 

 supposed divide, glacial deposits, probably of Wisconsin age, have been 

 built up to a level 750 to 800 feet or more above tide, or about lOO feet 

 above the present stream. They appear to be as high in Zanesville, at the 

 mouth of the Licking River, as in the portion of the valley above, between 

 Zanesville and Dresden. Below Zanesville the altitude apparently declines 

 about as rapidly as the descent of the present stream, being by Locke level 

 from the Government bench marks 85 feet above the river near Taylorsville, 

 90 feet at Eaglespprt, 110 feet near the mouth of Meigs Creek, 119 feet at 

 Beverly, and 105 feet at the mouth of the Muskingum. In the 75 miles 

 from Zanesville to the mouth of the Muskingum the present stream descends 

 from 683 to 570 feet above tide, while the gravel surface descends from 800 

 to 675 feet above tide. Before this graA^el was carried down the valley 

 there apparently had been an excavation at the supposed divide to a level 

 30 to 35 feet below the present stream or to less than 625 feet above tide. 



Deposits of waterworn material have been found in the lower part of 

 the Muskingum Valley at higher elevations than the glacial gravels. In 

 the south part of McCoimelsville a rock shelf standing about 776 feet above 

 tide, or 1 35 feet above the river carries a deposit of gravel several feet in 

 depth. No rocks of glacial derivation W3re observed in this gravel, while 

 in the gravel which appears at a lower elevation such rocks are abundant. 

 Dr. True, of McConnelsville, reports that at a point about 1 mile above 

 Stockport pebbles occur up to a level about 180 feet above the river, or 810 

 feet above tide. These include pieces of the Cambridge limestone, whose 

 outcrop is up the river from this point, showing clearly that the deposit was 

 made by a southward-flowing stream. Near this point a col was found at an 

 altitude of about 830 feet above tide, which appeared to True to show 

 evidence of excavation by a stream. At Luke Chute, True found pebbles 

 on the slope of the valley up to a height of 160 feet above the river, or 780 



