284 
MISCELLANEA 
seems to be no satisfactory explanation of the fact that the powerful 
Ushant light was not visible at the time of the recent disaster. 
Henry Gannett, Chief Geographer of the Geological Survey, Geographer 
of two censuses. President of the Board of Geographic Names, and author 
of several standard works, is a leading geographer of America. Born 
August 24, 184(5, he this month rounds out a half-century of fruitful life. 
A recent brochure of the “ Bulletin, Department of Geology, University 
of California,” is a description of tlie Great Valley of California, with a 
criticism of the theory of isostasy, by F. Leslie Ransome. As indicated 
by the initial paragraph, the memoir is primarily a critical discussion of 
tlie well-known geologic doctrine enunciated by Dutton — the doctrine that 
the earth-crust is in a state analogous to that of hydrostatic equilibrium, 
and that it is warped or deformed by transfer of load through the action 
of streams, as, for example, from the Rocky mountains into the gulf of 
Mexico. The author opposes this doctrine and appeals to the facts of the 
Californian valley for support. The memoir is scholarly and the critical 
remarks are gratifyingly courteous, and it is notable as a careful review' 
of the literature pertaining to isostasy. No geographer concerned with 
the study of the greater terrestrial movements can fail to find it of use. 
The memoir forms pages 371-428 of volume I of a highly creditable 
series of publications emanating from the University of California “at 
irregular intervals in the form of separate papers * * * which embody 
the results of research by some competent investigator.” Several of these 
memoii's, especially those by Professor Andrew' C. Lawson, are note- 
worthy contributions to scientific geography. 
In his letter to the National Geographic Society on the occasion of its 
recent field meeting at Charlottesville, Va., Dr W. C. N. Randolph, of the 
University of Virginia, called attention to the extraordinary productive- 
ness of that region in resi)ect of illustrious men. “Across the river in 
front of us,” he said. “Jetterson was born ; around its turn is the birth- 
l)lace of General Rogers Clarke, who, through Virginia, gave to the Great 
Republic the Northwest. Over there, a short mile and a half away, 
lived Monroe; a mile west of the city lived William Wirt, the famous 
lawyer, oiator, and author, while seven miles further w'est Meriw'ether 
Lewis, of the Lewis and Clarke e.xpedition, was born. Down these “ little 
mountains,” as the old people love to call them, w’as born the game-cock 
of the Carolinas, General Sumter; further on dwelt James Madison and 
Zachary Taylor, the latter the hero of Ihiena Vista, and both of them 
Presidents of the United States. In the same county were born the Bar- 
bours, one of them one of the most honored of our representatives at the 
Court of St. James, the other a distinguished member of the Supreme 
Bench. FurtheH' on, in Fauquier county, was born John Marshall, the 
greatest of our Chief Justices. He took the frazelled threads of American 
jurisprudence and twisted them into a rope .so strong that it has never 
been broken, so flexible that it has never been oppressive, so sound that 
at the end of nearly a hundred years it shows no evidence of deca\'.” 
He thought he might be pardoned if he requested that, in making up 
the li.st of i)roducts of the beautiful Piedmont plateau, account might be 
taken of the many illustrious men to whom it has given birth. 
