Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-07-17
The Great Lakes,

writer in the Cincinnati Atlas furnishes some
interesting particulars Of nc vast extent OF our
Northern Lakes. 1t appears from narrative Of
Professor Drake who visited these lakes last SUMMER
that they extend nearly eight and half degrees
of latitude in BREADTH and sixteen degrees Of long
tude in length The of their surfaces est-
mated at 900 square miles and the Of country
drained by them is computed at 400 goo square miles.
Their relative sizes follows:
Ontnrio $500 50. miles
Erie $500
ST. Clair 800
Huron 10000 4"
Michigan "a 400
Superior $4,000
The average depth of water in the different Lakes
question upon which there is no certain informa-
ton. Authorities differ. DIR. Drake gives it
follows:
St Clair 20 feet.
Erie 81
Ontario 500
Superior goo
Huron and Michigan 1000
In standard works, Lake Erie is usually stated
to have a depth of 40 feet The deepest soundings
have been taken in Lake Huron Off Saginaw Bay,
$500 feet of line have been sent down without finding
bottom.
Ontario to Superior. Lake Ontario is 232 feet above
the tide water of the ST. Lawrence. Erie is 1913 feet
above Ontario and sos feet above Underwater Albany
ST. Clair Is six feet higher than Erie; Huron and
Michigan are thirteen 1eet ABOVE 81. Oldlr, ana Supe-
rior lies A feet above them.
This shows the curious fact that while the surface
Of Huron 6S4 feet above the level of the ocean, Its
bottom, at Saginaw Bay, more than 100 feet below
the same level.
The waters Of these lakes, with the exception of
Erie and ST. Clair, are remarkable for their transpa-
rency and delicious flavor OF Lake Huron, Professor
Drake ascertained that the water at the surface and
two hundred feet below at the same time place, indi
Gated precisely the temperature to w.t. ffty-six
degrees. His explanation of this fact is that the
waters so pure that the rays of the meet with
no solid matter in suspension and retain the
heat
4 The writer adds:
/ "There Is great curiosity connected with these
lakes about 30 miles from Kingston, near the outlet
of the bay of Quinte in Canada. The writer of this
visited it few years ago. In company with Professor
Lye of London he pronounced it of the greatest
curiosities of the kind he ever saw. 1t is what is
called in Scotland "a Tam mountain lake. 1t is
situated upon a concal hill about $50 feet high It
is circular-about half mile in diameter and occu-
pies nearly the whole surface Of the hill !;
1.-The lake is consequently entirely without inlet !;
yet small stream constantly escapes from one edge
Of it, down the side of the HILL turning the wheels of
Touring mill, which has been erected near the sum-
NIT. The level Of the water in the lake is supposed
be about $50 feet above that of the bay below As
there are no high lands within fifty or sixty miles, or
perhaps greater distance, the curious question arises
whence comes the supply for this mountain lake
Professor Lyel supposes it to occupy the crater
of an extinct volcano and to receive its waters through
hidden syphons, from great distances but did no;
coincide with the popular belief in the neghborhood
that the fountain head Lake Erie, although it is
|, supposed that they occupy the same level