The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-03-30

Martin A. Howell, Jr, in Scribner's s
for April, propounds the query, 'Is
there a subterranean outlet to the Up
per Lake Region - ana brings forth evil
dence to show that there is. He sup
poses the outlet to be, specially, from
Lake Superior, a hundred miles in width
its track being through the center of
Wisconsin, down the Fox River Valley
and the Illinois River Valley. The edi-
tor of Scribner's in Introducing the az
tic!e, says: "Whether the great lakes
are the true reservoirs from which our
northern wells, springs, and subterrane-
an streams receive their constant sup
ply of waters, is a question Of sufficient
interest and significance to merit a
thoughtful consideration. The data up
on which the advocates of this theory
found their calculations are certainly
manifold and forcible, and though there
may be breaks i'll the line Of evidence,
the facts as now established would seem
to favor the views which the author of
this paper now proposes to define and
defend.
THE GREAT LAKES,
Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie
and Ontario, cover an area Of some co.
600 square miles of surface. Superior,
the largest body of fresh water on the
globe, with its area of 80, 900 square
miles Huron, with its 81, 600; Michi-
gan, with its $4,000 Erie, with its 5000;
and Ontario, with its $500, make very
formidable area of fresh water Irecepta-
ce5 for this chain alone while there yet
remain an innumerable multitude of
smaller but similar bodies dispersed
over the great Northwest territory of the
Hudson Bay country. Here is a vast
and comparatively unproductive region,
penetrated in every direction by streams
Of greater and less magnitude, inter-
spersed with lakes and bays, which in
many cases cast their broad mantle of
waters for hundreds of miles. Among
these many lakes there are to be found
some which cover an area of 10000
square miles of surface, and others which
stretch away for 800 miles in length and
spread out in their primitive grandeur
from SO to 100 miles in width. Here,
also, can be found long chains of
IMMATURE LAKES
of considerable dimensions, and many
which eclipse even Ontario itself, while
of the endless lines of rivers, there is one
at least which will bear quite favorable
comparison to the great Mississippi
and an area of some 100000 miles is
drained by the tributaries of Lake Win
nepeg alone. While much of the out
pouring of these waters is directed to-
ward the Polar Sea and through toe Val
ley of the Mississippi, yet there is vast
volume which, it is believed, is checked
in its course over the surface Of the
South and the East W the elevations be-
yond Lakes Superior and Huron, and
seeks an exit, as some think, by subter-
ranean channels through the earth's
crust. Ii is also possible that some Of
the water escapes by contact with the
deep recesses of Superior and Huron in
to their gigantic reservoirs, while other
channels, assures and crevices in the
earth's crust, probably carry away in
other directions, in their course, an un-
ceasing flow for mans ultimate benefit
and use. The depth of penetration of
some of this chain of great lakes into the
solid matter of the earth's surface, af-
fords good illustration of their adapta-
ton as recipients Of great influx from
subterranean sources. The surface of
LAKE SUPERIOR
is some 600 feet above the sea level, and
we find its bed descending 573 feet be-
low the level of the Atlantic while On
tario, with level of 235 feet above, de-
scends to an equal distance below the
level of the Atlantic. That there exist
channels of communication with some of
these lakes has long been believed and
admitted by many. And that great
subterranean influx into the upper lakes
exists there is little doubt, as compari-
son of the discharge through the mighty
ST. Lawrence with the limited supply
from the country bordering on the up
Per lakes clearly demonstrates, leaving
the problem to be settled in the mind as