during the melting of the Glacier. 427 
indicate that the waters were pouring into the central trunk 
in vast volumes from the regions either side, and also that the 
same flooded condition characterized all New England valleys. 
The depth of the flood-waters and their great width along 
the Connecticut valley cannot therefore be questioned. Now 
what does this great height of the upper terrace indicate with 
regard to the depression of the land when the deposits were 
made, or the elevation since that time? What arg the “ neces- 
sary deductions ?” 
. wo miles below Middletown, the Connecticut river passes 
between high and steep rocky slopes, and has a width of but 400 
yards; and when the old flood was at its height, the width 
was even then not over 500 or 550 yards, not a tenth of that at 
Middletown. These “ Straits” or Narrows extend for two-thirds 
ofa mile; there is then some widening on the east, and a mile 
below, as much on the west, giving room for the terraces of 
Middle Haddam and Maromas. Thence the valley continues 
southward with more or less room for a terrace on the west side 
and little or none on the east, the valley, reckoning to the 
ise of the terrace, seldom much exceeding half a mile in 
Width. 
The Narrows below Middletown, like the Narrows on the 
Housatonic below Derby, had evidently much to do with de- 
termining the great height of the flood-waters above. The 
waters could not pass off by the contracted outlet as fast as 
supplied by the melting glacier, although this outlet was over 
4 fourth of a mile wide; and hence the waters were pi 4 
creasing its average pitch thence to the Sound by five-sixths of 
a foot per mile.* 
There is evidence that a very large part of the 150 feet was 
actually due to the flood. This is found in the descending 
* The height of the floods at Hartford is 4 to 5 feet above that at Middletown. 
owe to Ge i 
i 
1801, Hartford, 27 ft. 6 in. Middletown, 23 ft. 8} in. 
1848, - “ “97% gs i eee 
“Apri 1852 te 93“ J4e “ 19% 5 
. mi 1853, “c 20 * “A “ wit 9 «& 
‘“ May, 1854, “ 299 “19 * “ 25 gy « 
“ Aug, 1856. © 93 ¢ 4% “ ig} « 
“March, 1859, * 6%: 5 * ” a 26 % 
ud April, 1862, ag on 78: ie 23.¢ . o4.% 
he March, 1865, “ 24 « ‘ “ 0“o0 « 
He remarks further that the average difference of the heights of the nine freshets 
aia leet 34 inches, and the slope of the surface would be 1°3 feet more than the 
difference of the heights, : 
