500 J. D. Dana—The overflows of the flooded Connecticut. 
Connecticut valley and part of Southern New England is here 
exed. 
These trap barriers naturally determined to a large extent 
the drainage-lines of the area. Since the eastern section is 
three times the widest, and the freest from dikes of the fire- 
made rock (trap), it is not strange that it became the course 
of the Connecticut River. But south of Hartford, between 
that city and Meriden, a succession of trap ridges rises to the 
east of this range, which crowd toward the river; and, conse- 
quently, the Connecticut, after passing Hartford, loses its 
westing; and then, at Middletown, where the metamorphic 
rocks are near in high elevations, turns abruptly out of its old 
valley through an opening heading southeast that then offered 
no doubt an unobstructed way to the Sound. Thus the southern 
part of the valley lost the Connecticut River. This event im 
New England history occurred before the Cretaceous peri 
After this, geology has no special facts from the valley until the 
Glacial period. 3 
The western section of the sandstone area, shows that it was 
too contracted to become the course of the Connecticut by its 
subdivision into many river basins. The Northampton region 
is divided from the Westfield, and the Westfield from the Farm- 
south and then north (as the map on p. 499 shows), _ ee | 
prevent the river’s pushing southward instead of northwa 
oe he eee he 
end of the Farmington V, the Quinnipiac river becomes th 
river of the valle Be after flowing on for ten miles, er 
stream bends eastward out of it to the Meriden pcan 37 
then goes again southward, taking the way toward New : oak 
Bay that the Connecticut would have followed had 1 a 
diverted southeastward at Middletown. Finally sed of 
the Quinnipiac is deserting the valley, Mill River, the thire © 
the streams, commences within the low Quinnipiac plain; ® 2 
this stream holds its place in the valley to New Haven. | 
Th here stated should be reviewed on the i : 
der ee the remarks beyond, on the drainage 1n the time a 
reat flood, may be appreciated ‘ ae 
or The Glagial 2 i aaa one of extensive denudation through: : 
out the valley, the ice wor along with the sub ial w q sa oe 
_ and the waters had unwonted denuding power, i the lan oO 
es 
