GLACIAL WATERS IN THE LAKE ERIE BASIN 



23 



From Forestville northeast to Smiths Mills station, nearly 4 miles, 

 the rock terraces cut by the glacial flow along the ice front are very 

 conspicuous and can be clearly seen from the Erie Railroad which 

 crosses them obliquely. 



In the region of Smiths Mills the irregular ground has been cut 

 into pronounced channels or gorges, and the detritus has been 

 swept into the delta fillings in the Walnut valley at Forestville and 

 northward. 



It will be understood that the broken appearance of the channels 

 on the maps, specially the higher ones, is partly due to want of com- 

 plete knowledge, as they are rarely denoted on the maps unless 

 actually seen, which is mostly on the highways. Interpolation of 

 hypothetic cutting is indicated by broken bands. However, the 

 channels are not usually continuous for long distances on irregular 

 slopes, or where the ice front was oblique to the slope. 



East of the Cattaraugus embayment. Gowanda to Hamburg 

 [pi. 4]. Over the territory thus far considered we have the help of the 

 topographic sheets. The remaining territory, about one half of 

 the whole area, has been studied at great disadvantage with the 

 aid only of county and road maps. The altitudes given are mostly 

 by aneroid and are only closely approximate. The channels are 

 indicated only where seen, mostly along the highways, and the 

 following descriptions are very general. 



In the southern half of this section the land slope faces west, 

 and the glacial stream flow was southward. Toward Hamburg the 

 slope faces northwest, while south of the village it faces north. 



The highest scourways in this section were determined by the 

 hight of the cols at the heads of Eighteenmile creek, leading 

 over into the Cattaraugus at Wyandale and eastward. These cols 

 have not been positively determined and no attempt has been 

 made to locate the very highest scourways. The important and 

 interesting fact is proven, that all the steep slopes north of Shirley 

 have been water-swept and cut into notches or terraces, and the 

 morainal drift removed. The stream cuttings are more commonly 

 shown as terraces than as double-walled channels, but this dis- 

 tinction is not always indicated on the map. 



From Gowanda north to Shirley, a distance of about 8 miles, the 

 slopes bear scattered morainal or kame knolls, which proves that 

 this slope has not been severely stream-swept. The reason for this 



'In the study of this section the writer has had the assistance of Mr B. W. 

 Law, whose summer home is near Collins. His observations are incorporated 

 in this writing without special designation, but with this grateful acknowledg- 

 ment. 



