﻿r74 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  head, 
  and 
  the 
  valley 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  enclosed 
  is 
  somewhere 
  between 
  

   one 
  and 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  wide 
  in 
  the 
  divide 
  region. 
  As 
  one 
  

   journeys 
  northward 
  to 
  Pine 
  valley, 
  the 
  channel 
  becomes 
  narrower 
  

   and 
  less 
  pronounced 
  than 
  at 
  Horseheads, 
  and 
  from 
  this 
  point 
  north 
  

   to 
  Havana, 
  the 
  moraine 
  has 
  attained 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  development^ 
  

   and 
  is 
  even 
  more 
  strongly 
  pronounced 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  Caynga 
  basin. 
  

  

  Following 
  the 
  channel 
  southward 
  from 
  the 
  divide, 
  it 
  grows 
  wider 
  

   and 
  wider, 
  until 
  it 
  opens 
  out 
  into 
  one 
  immense 
  plain, 
  over 
  which 
  

   the 
  glacial 
  waters 
  were 
  conducted 
  into 
  the 
  Chemung 
  river. 
  For 
  

   most 
  of 
  the 
  distance, 
  the 
  flood-plain 
  terraces 
  have 
  assumed 
  remark- 
  

   able 
  proportions 
  and 
  are 
  quite 
  prominent 
  and 
  even 
  conspicuous 
  

   from 
  their 
  characteristic 
  development. 
  Their 
  surfaces 
  are 
  some 
  20 
  

   to 
  40 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  channel 
  bottom 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  sides. 
  The 
  North- 
  

   ern 
  Central 
  railroad 
  finds 
  an 
  easy 
  and 
  good 
  bed 
  along 
  the 
  channel 
  

   bottom 
  toward 
  Elmira. 
  The 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  channel 
  at 
  its 
  head 
  has^ 
  

   an 
  elevation 
  of 
  900 
  feet. 
  The 
  distance 
  into 
  Elmira 
  is 
  over 
  six 
  mile& 
  

   with 
  an 
  estimated 
  difference 
  in 
  elevation 
  of 
  40 
  feet, 
  giving, 
  there- 
  

   fore, 
  a 
  grade 
  of 
  about 
  seven 
  feet 
  per 
  mile. 
  Here 
  again, 
  I 
  give 
  a 
  

   part 
  of 
  Fairchild's 
  description 
  of 
  this 
  old 
  channel. 
  He 
  says 
  : 
  "' 
  

   " 
  The 
  parting 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  is 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Horseheads,. 
  

   where 
  Newtown 
  creek, 
  draining 
  the 
  eastern 
  highlands, 
  flows 
  south 
  

   past 
  the 
  village 
  to 
  Chemung 
  river, 
  and 
  Catherine 
  creek 
  heads 
  and 
  

   flows 
  north 
  to 
  Seneca 
  lake. 
  The 
  true 
  glacial 
  channel, 
  with 
  definite 
  

   banks 
  and 
  flood-plains, 
  begins 
  at 
  the 
  water-parting 
  some 
  three- 
  

   fourths 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Horseheads. 
  (Figures 
  

   8 
  and 
  9) 
  At 
  this 
  point 
  it 
  is 
  about 
  one 
  fourth 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  wide 
  

   with 
  bluffs 
  and 
  two 
  narrow 
  flood-plains 
  20 
  to 
  40 
  feet 
  in 
  height. 
  

   For 
  the 
  seven 
  miles 
  to 
  Chemung 
  river 
  the 
  channel 
  has 
  a 
  nearly 
  straight 
  

   course, 
  with 
  a 
  direction 
  east 
  of 
  south. 
  At 
  its 
  head 
  the 
  channel 
  lies 
  

   near 
  the 
  west 
  rock-wall 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  preglacial 
  valley. 
  From 
  Horse- 
  

   heads 
  to 
  Elmira 
  its 
  deepest 
  section 
  lies 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  wall." 
  This 
  

   channel 
  has 
  an 
  equally 
  slight 
  gradient 
  northward 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Pine 
  

   valley 
  where 
  the 
  glacial 
  lake 
  properly 
  began, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  into 
  

   Elmira. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  strikingly 
  noticeable 
  to 
  see 
  with 
  what 
  remarkable 
  regularity 
  

   the 
  flood-plains 
  skirting 
  the 
  respective 
  channels 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  

   valleys 
  have 
  been 
  constructed. 
  Also, 
  the 
  striking 
  sameness 
  in 
  each 
  ; 
  

  

  a 
  Bull. 
  geol. 
  soc. 
  Am., 
  1895, 
  6, 
  366-367. 
  

  

  