The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-05-25
TIL. GREAT LANES.

The chain of .i'resh Water Alcdilcrra.
ncah," that o. so largely towards III, inn
the tcrrii"rv Of "tInclc SIM" from the do.
main 81 Mrs. We, are geographical Won.
der Extending from East To West, over
nearly fifteen aud half degrees of longi-
inde. they seem, rcgardiu. them uron /,
map. IN resi- like "a crown uf waters upon
the head Of the Union, their centre of gray
ny the Island oi aI..cknac. balancing upon
the meridian which separates indiana aud
Ohio, cqui-di,ilcs Kentucky AMI Tonnes
see, AMI passes between Georgia aud Ala.
haIna. ana East and West Florida into tho
Gultm Mexico. The difference in the lat.
,udc oi the northern and southern ex,.on:,.
points Of the Lakes is not Ear from eight :nd
\ hall degrees. Tho established area o..
country draining into tlrm is 100000
square ml'es--thc extent covered by the
waters OF tho whole, $4,000 square miles,
divided Us follows Ontario. 6,3a0; Erie,
$500; ~. Clair, 80; Huron, aO,fOO;
Michigan. including the Bay, $1,000; SD
pcrior. :i2.0Ga. The waters Of the Father
ii the Likes, Superior, arc G;.s feet above
the level OF the sea; which elevation is At
tanned by equal gradations, each lake rising
above the previous one, from Ontario to
Superior. The surface at the waters O.!
Ontario is 2:,2 feet above III. tide water of
the ~. Lawrence. Erie rises :s33 feet
above Ontaria-St. Clair [; feet above Erie
Huron and Michigan are IL fee, higher
than -. Clair, Superior ri.-s | / feet above
those
! The ~. Clnir is by far tho sla!lowcst OF
any of the i.akes--ihc average depth be-
ing about ~ icci--Erie average in depth
about s .cct-Onsnrio .lO0-.superior 500
Huron nn1 Michigan 900, us nearly as
can l'c arrived n. The icepns, soundings
are found in Lake Huron. or Saginaw
Day, NC nre told, leads have sunk TO SOC
feet below til level Of tic Atlantic, Ocean.
without reaching bottom.
| Great di;lifcncc ~ observable i'm the
transparency and purity Of tho waters OF
the several likes. Those II Ontario, Eric,
and the southern part Of Michigan have no
peculiar oacciicncc--whilc those of the
northern part Of Like Michigan and az
Lake Huron, surpnss in clcarncss and fla
vor any waters Of which VIC have ever
drank. thntai, n still greater purity and a
higher re'isi. il snid by these who have Wis.
tied tia, lake, ~ distinguish, tho waters oil
Superior.
- completely transparent nro the wa
tiers ii iinraii ihat the rnys If the sun nre
SAID T. pass through them IN through the
cluns!less atmosphere, without mcctin. with
solid matters Ia suspension IL elicit their
heat Thus Dr. Drake accounts for the
tact. which Ia himself aseerlnincd by OK.
pertinent, lila, the water ON The surface aud
tina: two lna.rcd feet below ON the same
spot, i Precisely the same temperament,
iill,-six degrees.
i Through tic Weiland Canal, the Bavi
CATION Vi tho lakes il uninterrupted for the
distance 81 sff miles from East 10 West
the distance North ani South H., Of course,
varip'is, ranging from 10 miles as the OK
irsme distance. The country To which
these waters arc the great ;,iri,way ofirnns-
port. has often been the theme 81 HIGH
wrought caln.iufn, iyr the variety aud rich
hess Of ils soil, and the extern, ofits resour.
ccs. A. well ns Tie business nfthcsc prais.
es rs the extent ID which this fertility i
bcin. subjected To the hand Of culture. and
the rapiJiiy With wl,ia.l, these resources are
developed, under the !ilc-lrnginy touch 81
the enterprise w!.cl, peculiarl, ciiaractcri-
zcs It's inhabitants, Is gathered from n bare
glance 1T the i.ct that the commerce Of the
four lakes, including oil the capital nii,ai
during tho year lsi:I, WIS cs,im,ied by
the Typographical Bureau III 81, OiO, 900.
The total amount expended by the zen.
cral government TN these Lakes for tie
Improvement necessary tnI convenience
a commerce. i stuffed By alr. whit,!cscy
Of Ohio at 8, i00,e9c.
When The pr iecieh ship cnnnl around
tho Falls Of II. Marie, shall he completed
the wide eSpa:ise OF Lake Superior will he
added 10 tic present extent Of the lake
navigation allowing Tic adventurous com
merel alst 10 crowd some III milcs still
father north, and several hundreds farther
west. The length 81 the route proposed Il
be cut BY this canal is said 10 be- but three.
lonrihs Of Il nile, and The Whole expense al
the i.npro. olnent is estimated, il we right,
remember, at about .3o,GOO. BY thi.
comparatively small outlay, less than the
cost q! three months congressional black
whole country tributary tn Lake Superb,
"a tract 80 rich in timber aud mineral
wealth. that |, has not been unap,ls term
cd the Denmark Of America. Ereian.e
A Western paper contains IN advertise.