Identifier: introductiontoge00bake (find matches)
Title: An introduction to geology : intended to convey a practical knowledge of the science, and comprising the most important recent discoveries, with explanations of the facts and phenomena which serve to confirm or invalidate various geological theories
Year: 1833 (1830s)
Authors: Bakewell, Robert, 1768-1843 Silliman, Benjamin, 1779-1864 Merrill, George P. (George Perkins), 1854-1929, former owner. DSI Merritt, John C., former owner. DSI Walcott, Charles D. (Charles Doolittle), 1850-1927, former owner. DSI Pendleton's Lithography, lithographer Daggett & Ely, engraver N. & S.S. Jocelyn (Firm), engraver. DSI
Subjects: Geology
Publisher: New Haven : Hezekiah Howe & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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the vast ruinsin the plain below, offer a striking illustration of the causes which arein operation, to disintegrate the vast calcareous mountains of Savoy.The following; description, with the cut, is taken from the first vol-ume of my Travels:— A part of Mont Grenier fell down in theyear 1248, and entirely buried five parishes, and the town andchurch of St. Andre. The ruins spread over an extent of aboutnine square miles, and are called les Abymes de Myans. After alapse of so many centuries, they still present a singular scene of des-olation. The catastrophe must have been most awful when seenfrofci the vicinity; for Mont Grenier is almost isolated, advancinginto a broad plain, which extends to the valley of the Isere. It isseveral ^niles in length, and is connected with the mountains of theGrand Ci^artreux, but it is very narrow. Its longitudinal directionis from easito west: near the middle it makes a bend towards theaortb, forming a kind of bay or concavity on the southern side.
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318 FALL OF MONT GRENIER. Mont Grenier rises very abruptly upwards of 4000 feet abovethe plain. It is capped with an immense mass of limestone strata,not less than 600 feet in thickness, which presents on every side theappearance of a wall. The strata dip gently to the side which fellinto the plain. This mass of limestone, rests on a foundation of soft-er strata, probably molasse, under which are distinctly seen thin stra-ta, alternating with soft strata. The annexed cut represents the eastwing of the mountain, and a small part of the Abymes de Myans.There can be little doubt that the catastrophe was caused by thegradual erosion of the soft strata, which undermined the mass of lime-stone above, and projected it into the plain. It is also probable, thatthe part which fell, had for some time been nearly detached from themountain by a shrinking of the southern side, as there is at present arent at this end, upwards of 2000 feet deep, which seems to have cutoff a large section from the ea

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