More Evidence That Platte River, Nebraska, Formerly Connected with Grand River, Missouri

Abstract

As it is uncertain whether this investigation may be carried further very soon, it seems well to place on record a report of progress to date. In preparing a paper on the Pleistocene history of the Missouri river (Science, n. s., vol. xxxix, p. 263 et seq.), in examining the topography of the country it was found that the steepest slope from a point near Nebraska City on the Missouri river was not along the course of the Missouri, but southeast to the vicinity of Stanberry, on Grand river, Missouri. Attention was called to the fact, and the theory was proposed that preceding the Kansan stage of the great glacier the drainage was southeastward rather than along the line of the present Missouri. Another fact was recalled that in the preparation of Bulletin 158 of the United States Geological Survey, reference had been made to the report of the United States engineers for 1890, which stated that a deep preglacial channel had been discovered near Nebraska City. As no other similar case was found at the time of publication of said Bulletin 158, it was judged more probable that some Pennsylvanian strata had been mistaken for till and glacial gravels. With a map of the region in hand, it will be noticed that there is a branch of the Grand river rising near Platte river, Missouri, and flowing southeast. 179