Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-07

The following letter from Major B. F. Sr1cKxEY an old
and respected resident OF the Lake country written
to WIN. H. NEWTON, Esq, Chief Engineer of the Toledo
and Cleveland Railroad in reply questions addressed
by him to Major s..
TOLEDO FEBRUARY 8, 1851.
DEAR SIR had the pleasure of receiving yours of the
29th ultimo yesterday, putting several nteroga-
tons in relation to the Miami rivers of Lake Erie at and
Toledo.
The Miami river at Toledo and indeed as far up as the
foot of the rapids is in effect arm of Lake Erie In
the greatest reshets in the river there but little rise
here or current on that There is lunar tide
here, as regular as the The sheet of Of
Lake Erie being SMALL the rise and fall is less in proper
on The form Of the lake, and the mouth of the MisnI
bay and river opening TO the east and being at the vest
ern extreme of the lake, make the tides apparent
than at any other point.
The winds produce irreguarity in the tides hee. as
the ocean The prevailing winds here are sou.iwest the
river being in that direction here in the of gales the
water is blown out quite low. To these wo causes are
attributable the rise and fall that tas place daily or
within short periods Of time There an annual rise and
fall in all the lakes in Lake Erie it's at its height about
the last Of July first of August and at the lowest about
the first of March. There is rise takes place from
greater fall of rain and snow and that takes place prn
cpay in the regions Of country drained by the rivers
falling into the Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan.
The lakes low when there is small quantity OF rain
and snow
1t requires about four months after great fall Of rain
the melting Of perceive the rise in Lake Erie
During observations of forty the in Lake
From its lowest point 1921 its highest point in 1884
thirteen feet The greatest rise from low to high
water in six hours about FIVE feet THAT appeared to
be entirely from tide The observation made the LIST
ofNovember 1921 The wind had been blowing three days
with nearly equal yeocity-as appeared from my wind
gauge-from the southwest The tide made out six hours
with the wind and returned in six hours against
the wind, averaging FIVE feet
at this time made observations upon the tides for two
weeks, four times in twentyfour hours 1t is not COM
that the water rises and falls than two or three
feet from wind only In instance recollect from
gale in winter from the east that the water rose
about twenty inches higher than the present wharves at
Toledo.
The ice does choke dam between Toledo and the
lake.
There has been no observable change in the channel
between what is called the mouth OF the river and Toledo
In the Miami bay there has been one great change The
lighthouse built Ut the northwest end OF Turtle island
Thirty years ago the island about three miles long,
from southeast to northwest and think as much as -
teen feet high in the highest part Of it, covered with
bushes and vines Now the island is swept away, and
steamboats, pass through where the island There is
no more land where the lighthouse is than what is pro-
tected by a sea- wall, and this is very small
The ice goes of the river here very quietly have
not known any injuries done by the ice in passing out
except once and that very trifng In 1888, when
we building the first wharf at Toledo, had laid
up timbers without securing them, and cake Of
ice swung round and knocked Of the tmbers out
Of place.
Thus sir have given you the general facts resulting
from my observations, far suppose is NECESSARY
for your purpose To give you the whole in minute de-
| tail would require volume.
| Respectfully, yours, 3. f. STlCkNEf.
w. H. Newton, Esq.
*Nors.-Mami river is now generally called Maumee