870 > ey Editors’ Table. [October, 
water and of navigation. It is here that the most important 
cities of our Atlantic States have been built. The presence of 
water-power or of tide-water, or the conjunction of both, has 
determined their location. Other conveniences make them desi- 
rable dwelling places. Such is the equal accessibility of the fruit 
and vegetable products of the plains with the grazing and dairy 
products of the hills. Such the equal accessibility of sea-shore 
and elevated places of summer resort. Professor Cope pointed 
out this interesting geological position of our Eastern cities sev- 
eral years ago. 
The position has, however, the disadvantage of being on the 
line of fracture of the border of the continent. This line is the 
hinge on which the flatter region of the coast has in past geologi- 
cal ages moved up and down. Many times this region has been 
= submerged, ard as many times it has been elevated above the 
~ sea-level. More than half of it in the latitude of New Jersey, 
that is, a width of one hundred miles, is submerged at the present 
time. Its sea-border from New Jersey to Florida has been slowly 
creeping westward, since observations began to be made on our 
coast. The most exact of these observations have been made by 
Professor Geo. H. Cook, on the coast of New Jersey. Geologists 
_ know that the present state of affairs is not a permanent one, 
_ There is no reason to doubt but that the line of fracture referred 
- the loss of life will be great. But it will probably be slow, we 
occasional slips of one side of the old faults on the other, whic 
there is no reason to suppose that our region can continue to be 
lternating with periods of disturbance. 
~ — It is of importance to science in this country that Oe xe 3 
furnished by the Government to its scientific bureaus shou kor 
continued. In the present humor of Congress there is some nse f, 
charges should be disposed of, or if true shoul 
ge of the persons implicated from the employ of gy 
\, 
