152 PHYSIOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

of which preserve a remarkable straightness for great distances, while
others bend with a prolonged and regular sweep. In many instances
two narrow contiguous parallel mountain crests unite at their extremi-
ties and enclose a narrow oval valley, which, with its sharp mountain
sides, bears not infrequently a marked resemblance to a long, slender,
sharp-pointed canoe. "

Among the more important ridges in Maryland west of North
Mountain are Tonoloway Hill, Sideling Hill, Town Hill, Green Ridge,
Warrior Ridge and Martin's Ridge, the latter reaching 2000 feet and
upwards in elevation. They are arranged in groups of three parallel
and closely adjoining ridges on the eastern and western sides with
more distant ridges in the middle of the district. The drainage of
this area is altogether to the southward into the Potomac river. The
deeper valleys in the eastern portion of the region have an elevation
of about 500 feet in their lower portions near the Potomac river, but
they gradually become higher toward the west. Evitt's creek at its
mouth near Cumberland has an elevation of about 600 feet above sea-
level.

The western division, which comprises the Alleghany Mountains in
its eastern half, forms the extreme western portion of the state. This
region gradually merges into a high plateau in passing from its eastern
to its western border, with gently undulating mountains rising from
the surface, which continue beyond the western borders of the state.
The leading ranges of this district are Dan's Mountain, Savage Mount-
ain, Backbone Mountain, Meadow Mountain, Negro Mountain, Wind-
ing Ridge and Laurel Hill. Heights of 3000 feet and more are
reached in Savage, Backbone and Negro Mountains. The streams
flow in part to the southward into the Potomac river as in the central
and eastern districts, but throughout much of Garrett county the
greater number drain to the northward through the Youghiogheny
valley into the Monongahela. This division of the drainage has par-
ticular interest, since it marks the watershed between the streams
which flow into the Potomac river, reaching the sea by the eastern
slope of the Appalachian Mountains, and those which flow to the
Gulf by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.