Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-11-01
.Isse aud Fall - water IN aHc
a,mnkes.

Inaverk lust published entitled "lhs
- f..s.or~ of Cleveland b. Colonel
ft.slca Nhi.llessy, We Dad ruHber OF
curious acis stated IL relation to that pof.
tien IL The lake coast on waAeh Cleveland
I. .itna.ed, MS well O. 10 relation to the
lskes themselves. The surface Of Lake Lis,
and We believe il spplics 20 oil the great
chain Of lakes which pour their water INTO
he Atlantic thorough the So. Lawrence, has
a fiuetuation OF level, which, during pc
Rod OF nineteen years, from 1919 TO 1893,
amounted 20 six feet nine inches. This
Z ,tustion is ascribed 10 the most simple
and natural causes. The lakes says Mr..
Whittlesey. "sre large ponds OF reservoirs,
through which the waters Of many united
rivers dow to the ocean. All rivers arc ai-
fected by the seasons. but il is more notice
able in largo ones like the Mississippi, the
Ganges end the Amazon A year or two
Of drought about their sources and main
branches always produces low water; and
when one or more rainy seasons follow
each other then high water Is the conse-
auence. The straits connecting the North
ern lakes are short rivers. and being narrow,
hsve not the capaeisy to discharge the sccu-
mu!ated waters Ct once. The chain oflakes
and their connecting outlets may be regard
ed - one great river. Like oil great
rivers, there is . sprins rise, and
winter fall, except Lake SUPERIOR
where there is rise in August. and the Ot-
tawa river aud lakes, where the water Is
highest 10 the latter part of June.
| Besides the annual rise and fall, there IS
a sudden i,ux and refux pf these lakes
which Is completed IN few minutes SOM
times due TO distan, storms, but Often these
oscillations cannot DO satisfactorily eA-
| p!sined. They cause rush INTO the
mouths OF the rivers, generally oil lew
| inches in height. but sometimes oil several
feet But besides the annual and sudden
fluctuations, there 10 another more import
ant. called the Secular Fiuetuation.' 1t
occupies cyel, Of years. The lowest
| known stage Of water occurred in February,
1912 From that time there was regular
rise until June, 1888, when numbers Of
warehouses were flooded in different cities
on the lakes, whose sites were but little
above the surface Of the water. The differ
ence ~ ABOVE stated WAS six feet nine
inches. From 1888 20 ie41 there was a
sligh. rise, and from 1912 to 1851 regular
| decline. Ia 1885, there WAS IN exceed
ingN high stage, fully up to the line o.
1888. There 10 slight lunar tide In ths
lakes OF about three and half inches, bn
no solar tide that csn be observed. W.
have often heard Il said that the lakes ris,
regularly every fourteen years, but We havt
never seen any authentic evidence Of thil
regularity. The cycles do nos appea, "a
DO Of any regular period, hence the grsa'
difficulty Of their explanatisn.
A 0e1lal0cence OF ~ American
EHlle.
Not long since an elderly man. bent al
most double With age and work, asd in gar
ments tattcred and torn, while passinl
through Rome, N. y, stopped st enc Of th,
stores and asked for bread or money. II,
volunteered the remark that be was ashamed
70 beg, but stated. - On explanation and 10
extcnuation, the following 20 the cause o
the necessity. His home WAS Saratoga
and he chanced TO be in Canads At tho tim,
Of che rebellion 10 that country 10 1887.
lie was charged With being sed in the
! outbreak, was tried and convicted for beint
n completely with the "Patrio.s," and sen
enca to Nan Deman'a Land for life. II.
says he WAS not guilty, bu. that the feeln,
vas 40 strong against the Yankees at tn
tlme OF his trial II required bu; slight evl
hcnce to convict
he was then some twenty one or twenty
NO years OF age; he was taken to that pc
al colony, and there subjected TO the Sc
res. drudgery and the most iuhunar
reatment lie and other conyicts wer,
comp e,ied to draw the pow a5d cart liz
pNen. AMI TO labor esrly and late and treat
ID not much better, il any, than the dumt
! beasts. Thus we're twenty-eight venss u
NE passed. never hearing from friends 0,
| nomv, nor allowed to communicate there
with. lie, with others, was finally pardon
I'd, and allowed TO reach home AS bcs. b,
might. lie left the country halo and
hearty youth, erect and full Of life and Wig
cr, he retuins to il after nearly thirty year
u absence decrepid old man. bent owe
| with age end work, and with broken heal.l
| and a shattete constitution. The narration
hs gave Of his life there, and the details o
his treatment, fully impressed his nearer
with the truth OF his statements, aud tina
he was no impostor. lie was on his wa
home, not knowing that he would find
being who knew him when he was boy. -
tUhcs Herald.