J. D. Dana—The Flood of the Connecticut River Valley. 179 
Art. XVII.—The Flood of the Connecticut River Valley from the 
melting of the Quaternary Glacier; by J. D. Dana, With 
Plate IT. 
[Continued from page 97.] 
4. Dimensions and velocity of the flooded Connecticut. 
IN the preceding pages it has been shown that during the 
era of the melting of the glacier the Connecticut River and its 
tributaries participated together in the rising flood and in the 
work of transportation and deposition; that the tributaries 
brought in the chief part of the materials for the terrace-forma- 
tion; and that the main stream left its best registerings of high- 
water mark in the deposits about or near their mouths. When 
the flood was at its height, the Connecticut was one continuous 
stream, hurrying seaward, as it is, though in a more moderate 
way, during a modern flood. 
e may now seek to determine approximately the dimen- 
sions and velocity of the river when at maximum flood, taking 
and velocity, or the height of the water surface with reference 
to sea-level, on which slope and velocity depended, the evi- 
dence is still more uncertain. 
i. MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF THE WATERS ALONG THE VALLEY.— 
Before the flood had made much progress, the level of the 
river may have been the same with the present low-water level, 
or below it. And, between this condition and the end of the 
rise in the waters, there were successive levels along the valleys 
and some perhaps of long duration. ere are no satisfactory 
means of determining the height either of the lowest or of any 
following stage, excepting the last—that of maximum flood. 
ith regard to the level of maximum flood we take the 
facts afforded by the heights of the normal upper terraces in 
the different parts of the valley. To show these heights at a 
glance and the continuous line of the water-surface I have 
Plotted them for the several points of observation, together 
with the levels of low water and mean tide, so as to make a 
Section of the flooded valley and stream; and this section is 
presented on Plate 2. 
The plate contains, above the section, in figure 1, a map of . 
