﻿HISTORY 
  OF 
  CAYUGA 
  LAKE 
  VALLEY 
  

  

  By 
  J. 
  I^ELSox 
  Keyics 
  

  

  Cayuga 
  lake, 
  in 
  the 
  central 
  part 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  state, 
  is 
  the 
  

   largest 
  of 
  the 
  well 
  known 
  " 
  Finger 
  lakes 
  " 
  — 
  so 
  named 
  from 
  their 
  

   long 
  slender 
  form 
  and 
  their 
  peculiar 
  radial 
  grouping." 
  

  

  Except 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  size, 
  these 
  lakes 
  bear 
  a 
  striking 
  resemblance 
  

   to 
  each 
  other; 
  thej 
  are 
  all 
  long 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  their 
  width, 
  

   very 
  deep, 
  have 
  similar 
  rock 
  walled 
  shores, 
  and 
  their 
  outlets 
  are 
  

   toward 
  the 
  north, 
  except 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  ones. 
  

  

  Cajuga 
  is 
  about 
  40 
  miles 
  long, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  2 
  miles, 
  

   the 
  maximum 
  being 
  '6^. 
  Its 
  depth 
  is 
  variable, 
  the 
  inaximum 
  being 
  

   435 
  feet 
  — 
  and 
  a 
  considerable 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  below 
  sea 
  

   level. 
  The 
  lower 
  half 
  extends 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  and 
  the 
  remainder 
  

   is 
  northwest 
  and 
  southeast, 
  giving 
  a 
  slight 
  curve 
  to 
  the 
  form 
  — 
  a 
  

   noteworthy 
  feature 
  being 
  that 
  the 
  portion 
  having 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  

   south 
  axis 
  averages 
  nearly 
  a 
  mile 
  wider 
  than 
  the 
  remainder. 
  

  

  Except 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  end, 
  the 
  shore 
  is 
  either 
  a 
  perpendicular 
  

   wall, 
  often 
  50 
  feet 
  in 
  height 
  where 
  the 
  bed 
  reck 
  reaches 
  down 
  to 
  

   the 
  beach, 
  or 
  a 
  more 
  gentle 
  slope 
  where 
  the 
  rock 
  has 
  been 
  removed, 
  

   and 
  the 
  shore 
  is 
  of 
  gravel 
  and 
  loose 
  material. 
  These 
  conditions 
  

   alternate 
  along 
  both 
  sides 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Union 
  Springs, 
  where 
  

   other 
  conditions 
  set 
  in, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  rule, 
  (though 
  there 
  are 
  excep- 
  

   tions) 
  that 
  where 
  a 
  rock 
  wall 
  appears 
  on 
  one 
  side, 
  directly 
  opposite 
  

   will 
  be 
  found 
  the 
  gradual 
  slope 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  non-appearance 
  of 
  the 
  

   rock. 
  From 
  the 
  shore-line 
  the 
  land 
  rises 
  steeply 
  at 
  hrst, 
  then 
  more 
  

   gently, 
  till 
  it 
  reaches 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  some 
  5U0 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  lake. 
  

  

  Where 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  cut 
  away 
  by 
  stream 
  erosion, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   deposit 
  of 
  glacial 
  drift 
  on 
  the 
  hills, 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  25 
  

   feet. 
  Every 
  few 
  hundred 
  yards, 
  streams 
  of 
  various 
  sizes 
  hav^e 
  cut 
  

   through 
  the 
  drift 
  and 
  into 
  the 
  rock, 
  the 
  depth 
  depending 
  upon 
  the 
  

   size 
  of 
  the 
  stream. 
  

  

  The 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  is 
  about 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  wide 
  

   and 
  is 
  cut 
  off 
  very 
  squarely 
  by 
  the 
  low 
  alluvial 
  deposit 
  upon 
  which 
  

   the 
  city 
  of 
  Ithaca 
  stands. 
  Tlirough 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  this 
  low 
  land, 
  

   flows 
  the 
  " 
  Inlet," 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  aggregate 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  streams 
  empty- 
  

   ing 
  into 
  the 
  valley 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Danby 
  divide, 
  and 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  a 
  For 
  map 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  see 
  map 
  no. 
  3, 
  appendix 
  B. 
  

  

  