J'hc Loess at St. Juscpli. — Ozven. 223 
THE LOESS AT ST. JOSEPH. 
By Miss Luklla A. Owkn, St.. Joseph, Mo. 
PLATES IX- X. 
[Read at the late meeting of the Atnerican Association ((jr the Advance- 
ment of Sciftnce, at St. Louis, Jan., 1904-.] 
The numerous cuts, at various elevations, in the loess at 
St. Joseph, Mo., offer unusual facilities for observations on 
that formation and study of the methods of its deposition. As 
is well knovvr! the river channel at that point is deep and nar- 
row, the valley correspondingly so as compared with its width 
at other places, and the loess mantle exceptionally thick. The 
underlying- rock ledges are not so pronounced and never so 
continuous as at many familiar portions of the bluffs ; and this 
condition, having encouraged much freedom in the establishing 
of street grades, has resulted in the exposure of numerous sur- 
faces whose undisturbed condition admits no doubt. Neither 
are they subject to discussion as to recent alteration by wash 
or slip for the reason that the most important cuts referred to 
are in the main mass of the bluff' and not at the edge of doubt- 
ful slopes nor in the fringe of disturbed borders. These expos- 
ures may therefore be accepted as typical and their testimony 
admitted in the effort to decide what "typical" loess is and by 
what agency it was deposited. 
In referring to exposures of special interest it seems advis- 
able to indicate the localities in order that those who wish to 
examine them hereafter may do so. 
In the bluff section overlooking the river at the northwest 
of the town the cuts at different elevations show little variation 
in composition, texture or general appearance, excepting in the 
one quality which might be termed cohesive density, and which 
in the original deposit invariably diminishes with increase of 
altitude. The old cut known as "dug hill" was made something 
like forty years ago, yet its walls maintain their perpendicular 
with but slight effects of weathering. No stratification lines 
have been observed there and the difficulty of finding snail 
shells suggests that if the deposit is of aqueous origin it was 
laid in water too deep for the development of snail colonies. 
It is not the intention to claim that no fossils are to be found 
at low levels, but if the fossil-bearing deposit of the summit 
