New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-27

Yucaian pass 50 'hai The waters of tAe ,,is,.S.e -
should cease 70 fc~ into The Gulf MAal saoaS -
have
The Name BASIN. which holds he waters of a.
Gulf Is he 1rCpt>f ITS about thousand
The officers 81 The l. : snip AioAny have run -
81 detHsea soundlngs ron wrsi 10 east arrs>. a,
Gun 1he Eieaicsl eeP'A iAey ooiAlnei w4s :,
iataoms, l3,,tC Get
We should. therefore. have. o. s,oepin, %. ..
channels between isc Gull and i.c Atlsnf,r -,
sea-leVc m ihc Gut tui We >1o-.i have a..
level between C,arDTas on an psec.p .pliA,n,n Is.>
former wtT, lR tA e>s, tnt ',sel O lie Guil 49,.
Mould >'uk o00n Until tit suflI.e eXna,.sl IN -
would De- 1usi >u,c ent to return lO tie afnoS, a..
rs SaPcn u" smoua; Ci water cis Alrgtd ey IN,
rNtT>, 81, Ml>>iS, ppl .n4 other r>. .lio ,As GaY ~
the waters Htrc .oWtrD,, flg extent of eyan.,,,,-
surface wCr' STOW less aci 'cSs ulf rsf,rs 49,.
establish the proper r4'O between the A. i,i, nd -
ar 10 take up aut he capa.liy u. he ram N i.
down. thg>we misAt h.y, ID ssa ~no>, le,,I 80
be much further below re waierlegcl O. tie 49,
than : The Dead Sea.
There IS sill, another proce>s beside IN. -,
rta alluded i", oH which The drainage ol hsss =.
/ land basins may. ihsorgh thc agoncy of the 49,
have been cUt oa ;cOm ne Great Sal. Seas ,rs n,
Is by the elevation of continents Tum iAs A,t,,,, =
the sea ln distant e-lOu> OF the caTlh-aad 49,
Cuenlly. tnC ,uo>' tuition Oi lry lana or aaa,., y
face. aS M sources ~ sagog Su,p,y - ne Air -
/ blow over ihC place.
From Whs, part oi the ocean. + asNa ash. ooo.-
/ the vapor which forms ihe rams tha; la. On IN, :
morSe wa,cI-si Cd 10 whirh tAe Likes give drAzas.
a
come fom the trade " ud region ~ The South Par,
Ocean. Icita'n lt II tAai theN mus. come .rou u.
sea- and NOT q om tEC land ,OT IN this view 60 ~.
cou>ijcF ,ho ram that falls to.ay isAen up s,ru
WAY INTO Che clouds io ue puec'ptAtsd To moro.
bui conSceg the excess ~ the pTeci alton oyefA,
evaporation. which IN tbs ease - the volume y
water discharged by thc s. Lawrence rio h,sa
That Is the amount ~ water whlCh tS> 10 hc hkf,
up irom ga. scl again. earned oacN tarOuga ,hetf
10 the lake country and prcci1 1.iated upon 4 Al
therefore repeat the question where, rom " IA, xi
uon of be Ooe tni, lt taken uo INTO tlc ar Nmu1s
taken up nom some portion where t1e cNa9Ofasar
IS greater iaan the procQtlucn. an' lAai B, onh
the traje-w nC ftlfou Aud u must "a So 0c IANen !,
where The mean Temperature or A. any rae ga.
the mean ccv point i higher than p, IS in The il
country ior 'cr moisture gets ,n'O tac a'nls5lc.
/ u only hy lowering The Dc" point ihit ~ ca1Vs
II ont dgaln
Now suppose that continent saodd nsc gs
that part ot the ocean. wherever 70 may cc. iA.
supplies The clouds with i.e ,apor rhn InsNrsrs
ram for the lake watershed what would ne hcf..
sui Whv surely change of climate IN the ha
country An increase ui evaporation. because 40.
crease of precipitation and, cons, 4ucntN dunn.
iion OF cloudy screens 10 protect tlc matters of "A,
lakes from beng sucked up ~ me ravS OF the sun
and. consequently, too. there would follow oa
stage for watcr-coursts and 4 lowering oi ihs al,
level
so far have used the lakes only hypolhsucaur
that might tho better illustrate the bearings OF ~
question with which / sci oui. va Mhsrr have As
>uhSidenceS and the elevations taken place ihN have
made an inland BASIN here, and another there Il
the seat of tins acton near bs or lar od and sAn
have the winds had to do IN cutting on the seadIna.
age of inland watersheds
But m this hypothetical ease, W th rcgart iothe IA
SINS Of the Gulf and lakes. have confined mvssg
strictly 10 dnaloges Mountain range, have bec
upheaA ed across The c0ur,e IF the winds and conh
UcutS have been raised from the bottom ~ The sa
and no doubt The influence of such upheaing Ae
been felt IN remote regions by means Of the WINS
and the effects Which greater OT less amount \
tttrhf Nx flnf A fH.,
In thccasC of ltah We have an example uf dfan.
age that has been cut oa and an illustration of the
process by which Nature oquaiizcs the eysporsiioa
and precipitation To do his, IA this lnstsace she
IS saltng up the basin which reccn ed tie DRAINAGE
of tins inland water shed
Here We have the appearance, | am told. 0l an oA
channel by which the waters used to Cow iTom ths
basin To The sea
Suppo>ing there was such time and such water.
course the water returned through u 10 the ocem
was the amount by which the precipitation used 70
exceed the evaporation over the Whole extent u
country drained through this now Try bed OF anyef
The winds have had something probably Io %
with this. They are the agents which used TO bfns
more moisture 10 this watershed than they locs
away and they are the agents which noN cany q
from that valley more moisture than u brought iot
and which, therefore. are here maAlng a sat ssda
parcS that used To be covered by water
In like manner there IS evidence that the gta
American lakes formerly had a drainage wdbb
Gulf of Mexico. Steamers have hoen seisilv
known. IN former years and IN tunes OF lfcsAes,b
pass from the Mississippi over into the Lakes. Abs
water the dry bed OF usef can DC traced oclwec
them.
Now the salt Lake OF tah is t. the south ward Al
westward OF OUT northern lake BASIN Ihsi ~
quarter whence the ram winds have been supposdk
come May not the same cause which L. ssensd y
precipitation increased the evaporation "a the ~
Lake watershed. have done the same for lhe ~Ac'
shed OF the great American system oi lake,
II the mountains To ihc west. the Sierra NtyAi
stand higher nov than tley formerly dii' and "
winds which fed the salt Lake valley ~iih precF
taton had. a. | suppose tnty have, 10 pass The sua
mltS Of these mountains. if ~ cts} = lfWentsb
the winds should not convey a. much vap0r acroS
them now ~ ihey did when the summit VI ihef rama
was lower and not so cool
The Andes IN the iracr-Wind re- ON oi soaa
America stand up - h.rh that tho ~Ind, IN Orief X
them. has 10 part with al ~ moisture and coo
sequenty there u on the other siic q falness fe
glon.
Now. suppose a range of such mountains a. ihes
to be- elevated across The Track Of the Winds, whn
supply Tho Lake country with ruu, u ~ easy 70
perceive how the whole country watsfcd Jy the 70
por hlcb such winds bnng, would bc converted ino
a ranicss region.
! have used these hypothetical c,srs 10 ius,fsis
a position which any philosopher VINO considerlhs
geological agency OF the winds may ~dh pfopnev
consult when he o. told OF an inlaDd Dasin, he "a
ter level OF which II Is evident was once hgbef oan
L now Is and that position Is that though lhs e,,
dences Of higher water level be unmistaka able anl
conclusive. 4, does not follow flercfor, that ueis
has been a subsidencc OF the lake basin hs'h, ora
upheasal Of tie water shed drainei by ~
III. cause which Las produced THIS change
waier-leysl instead Of being local and no a. mny =
remote II may have rs seat ln The obf,ncuon
which have been nterposed Ia sorlc oihef quaneio
the world, which distractions MAJ pfesenl M
winds from taking up, or TOm bearing on, .'sl
wanted supplies of moisture for The region wh'~
Watcr-lcye has baen lowered
am not prepared 10 MAINTAIN that ,be waieflf.
81 our great system Of Lakes has been chHyr
BY any such process. though ! 10 not hins %
probable ,l
Nor am prepared 20 ascribe The change Of ~"
IN the tab Lake ukofiy 10 ODsfuctions, near 0f "
mote, which have prevented The wind from Nihs
ing A. many and ls cOplOus ram. clouds - ufl
some remote ponod were wont tO Drins a. ms -
ley though in lhis case, II appear obvious hai ~
precipitation has diminished, and ne evapofs"-
has mere ased and Il is not easliy perceived boz
mere subsldence Of the Lake basin would chang ~
rate 81 evaporation, OF alter The amount Of pf'p~
non there .
Having therefore. hope. made clear nc mt.n's
OF the question proposed, by showing me nrnhs' -
which winds may become import M geoos
agents, and having explained how me Hphe...ms -
a mountain range IA one part Of TIE "o'o n.y.