Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-06-30

RISE or THE LAKEs.--If we recollect Alright,
we promised some time since to say something
upon subject, which has, since that time
drawn forth observations from almost oil quar-
ters; we allude to the rise Of water in the
Great Lakes the present season. And here
it may not be improper to remark that there is
nothing in the phenomena of the lakes that
cannot be satisfactorily accounted for by re-
ference to causes purely natural and continu-
ally in operation, neither will the investigation
in our opinion, develope any new laws Of at
mospheric or aqueous action, connected with
this subject. 1t is general rule, and appli-
cable to all cases of bodies of ater, whether
large or small that whenever quantity Of
wateris poured into basin within given time,
and the opening provided for the discharge
of the water from the basin is incapable of dis
emboguing the same amount IN the same time,
the level of the water in the basin will be ele-
vated. Nothing more than an application of
the foregoing proposition will be required to
account for the high water Of Lake Erie, dur
ing some seasons, when the magnitude of the
Apparatus employed in producing the effect, is
taken into consideration. The lakes Superior,
Huron and Michigan cover an aggregate area
of about one hundred thousand square miles,
and receive the waters of over one hundred
and twenty rivers, many of which are of con.
siderable magnitude. These immense inland
oceans, and their tributary streams stretch
through great extent Of country, being near
ly ten degrees Of latitude, from north to south
and as muny degrees of longitude from east
to west, and embracing great diversity of
seasons and climate. Hence it is easy to un-
derstand how these great pieces of water may
be acted upon by causes which from their
great distance are not appareAt to us, but
which creating moderate rise in the larger
lakes, tend to throw immense bodies of water
through the natural channels into the smaller
ones, raising them to an elevation higher in
proportion to the sinallness of the area which
they cover. Thus rise Of one inch in the
level of the lakes above Erie would create
difference of several inches in the waters ofthat
lake, and as the surplus waters Of the upper
lakes, on account Of the straitness Of their de-
bouchements would occupy some time in pas
sing in, SO, from like narrowness in the
outlet Of Erie, some time would be occupied in
their passing out, and the result would be an
elevation in the surface of duration long or
short, in proportion to the circumstances.
The natural causes that operate to produce
an accumulation of water in the Great Lakes
at certain seasons are easily explained. It is
well known, that in the lake country the winds
blow with degree of regularity seldom found
elsewhere, except between the tropics. The
prevailing currents of air come from the south
west in the direction of the Mexican gulf or
the Mississippi river, following mp the valley
of that river and its branches, and snrmount-
ing the summit level that divides the Mississippi
from the St. Lawrence valley; or they come
from the opposite direction and blow towards
the Mississippi valley. During the season in
which the southwest wind prevails, then, il
is evident, that the vapors arising from the
Gulf of Mexico, tho Mississippi river and its
tributary streams are driven over the wall Of
the great basin of the lakes, checking the pro-
gress ofevaporation there, as well as precipi-
tating themselves in rain, either into the lakes
themselves or upon the lands that arc drained
by the rivers that empty into them; and it is
equally evident, that if the prevailing winds
are in contrary direction, the process viii be
reversed, and the vapors arising from the
lakes will be driven into the valley Of the Mis-
sissippi. When it is recollected, that the a.
mount Of water ovaporated in the course Of
year is equal to about six feet in depth Of the
entire surface presented to the atmospheric
action, and that by simple change in the d.
rection Of the wind, the vapor arising from the
Great Lakes may either be driven out of their
valley, or retained with equal or even greater
amounts brought in from the ocean, the gulf
and the rivers, and condensed upon the sides of
the basi min rains, the cause seems adequate
to produce, not only the small elevation now
perceptible, but, (when the surplus waters
Of allthe upper lakes burst with an accumulat-
ed head into the valley Of Ere) an actual del
uge. y; bsass5s ss
We shall pursue this subject in our next.
BucK-ErE--NEwsPAPERs-NAMEs &c.-
Those who believe that; aArose, byany 9TH