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

from in its course to the ocean. Again,
the discharge through the st. Lawrence
is equal to double the volume poured
into Ontario through the niagara, or in
to Erie through the st. Clair; suggesting
that from the shallowness of Lake Erie,
and the great depth of Superior and
Huron.
SUDTERRANEAN CHANNEL
may connect Superior and Huron with
Ontario, giving to the latter, through
this source, to be discharged by the st.
Lawrence, greater volume than is given
through the st. Clair and Niagara. It
is also well-demonstrated fact that the
volume of water escaping from the lakes
through the mighty st. Lawrence, is far
greater than the amount discharged from
the upper lakes into Ontario by the pro-
per channels-the st. Clair and the Nj
agara and it is also well settled that the
supply to Lake Erie from the ST. Clair
is about equaled By its discharge through
from no subterrauean source any percep-
tible surplus of water. Anu this is gen.
orally attributed to its comparative shall
lowness as compared with the greater
depth of Superior. Huron and Ontario.
There are those, also, who entertain the
belief that while Lakes Superior and
Huron are supplied largely through such
subterranean channels on the one hand,
they suffer severely through losses by
similar channels at some point in their
vast expanse. Here, in the Illinois Val
ley, in the track of
THIS OLD SURFACE CURRENT.
which at no remote period poured its
transparent food through this valley,
reaching as it did from bluff to bluff and
carrying volume of 100 feet In depth,
coming down from this very territory
from these identical lakes of this wilder
ness above-the plainly marked traces
now lie above the drift, bearing striking
evidence of what it was then, when
intact and uninterrupted by chen
ges in the earth's surface. And if it can
be demonstrated as to what these sour
ces of supply could then muster up, and
that the same average discharge contin-
ues through other but unseen channels,
then is it not possible that the causes
which brought about this recession Of
the waters of the lakes, and finally clos
ed this old outlet, wrought other and
corresponding changes, ~ which new
passage was supplied for the escape of
of the out-pouring Of this region-in
al commissions which left the plateau at
the foot of Lake Michigan and shut off
the outflow into the valley below, have
opened up subterranean passages through
which these waters can find such easy
access in their course to the sea l.?
THE MICHIGAN eHoRE.
It requires but glance at the sur
roundings of the southeastern shore of
Lake Michigan and the level plateau
stretching far away into Northern Indi-
ana, to convince even the most sceptical
that at no distant day the waters of the
old Lake rolled before the angry blasts
from this vast region of ice and snow to
the northwest, lashing the southeastern
shore with terrific fury before gale of
prehistoric time, and piling up noun
tgins of scattered waste, which to-day
mark the track of its expended force.
And here, too, are found the imprints
of its track, as the waters sped on through
its channels, at the present foot of the
lake, and made their exit into the valley
below. A trip around the southeastern
shore of Lake Michigan over this plateau
in Indiana, following the track OF this
current still further down the valley it
self, cannot but bring the conviction that
here was beautiful river-that mighty
current which old Indian traditions have
handed down to us SO recently. And
there are other finger marks of human
tracing which go still further to prove
that these changes were wrought since
the advent of man. Some fifteen years
since an old Ottawa chief, Shabonna,
died on the banks of the Illinois River,
in Grundy County, at an advanced age.
The writer, among others, has often
heard him speak of a tradition that came
from his forefathers, that they formerly
pulled their canoes from bluff to bluff
and that the present valley was then the
bed of deep river of pure crystal water;
and according to that tradition, ostimat-
ing the height of the water as indicated
by the well-worn lines on the rocks, it
shows that the plateau and marsh at the
present foot of the lake
WE'RE THEN SUBMERGED.
There are further proofs that old
Shabonna was right. A trip over to the
southeastern corner of Lake Michigan,
near Michigan City, reveals to us huge
mountains of sand which have been
drifted about for years and much re-
duced in height This sand is from the
lake, and is cleanly washed and inter-
spersed with shells of the present
period. There they lie, some 500 feet
high, many far inland, and all in the
track of those fierce gales which swept
the lake from the northwest. These
are not mere heaps of loose sand, the
natural accumulation of successive
storms, but mountains. Far inland,
and directly in the track of those pre-