The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-04-24

Iulare lake, California, has reccded from /
three 70 five miles 10 the last few yeors, |
and the wide belt Of tules formerly known |
as the "tule swamps" is now about mile |
inland from the present level Of the lake. |
The heavy foods Of 1862 extended the
lake shore several miles back on to the
plains, and caused the debouchure Of Kings
River 10 assume the form Of delta, and
the river then having no regular bed the
deposit Of sand and vegetable matter along
its edges formed an artificial watershed on
IFS northern side, turning its waters into
Fulsre Lake and forming an impenetrable
barrier at the mouth Of the lake where it
formerly had an outlet in high water
North Of the lake there was an immense
accumulation Of peat, from two to fifteen
feet deep, over an area Of country several
miles 10 extent. The peat Is composed Of
an accumulation Of tules, rushes, swamp
grasses and other vegetable matter, and
preventing any water from escaping from
the lake, all the waters Of Kings River and
all the streams Of Tulare and Kern coun-
ties flowing unobstructed into it, caused IL
to spread over hundreds Of square miles Of
land on the level plains The rise in the
lake reached its maximum 10 1868, and
since then the volume has been slowly
decreasing by evaporation. In 1868 the
lake was iorty-two miles long by twenty
seven wide, covering an area Of 1l34
square miles. At present il is twenty six
in length by twenty in width, and covers
an area Of 500 square miles. Thus il will
be seen that by the recsding Of the water
GA square miles, or 392, $50 acres Of land
have been redeemed, aud Of this amount
over 10000 acres lie within the levees
spoken Of above. The original bank Of
the lake is about 100 yards from the pres
cnt water line, although the general sup.
position is that il was on the inland edge
of the tule belt, two or three miles from
where il now is. Several things prove
that the water has not yet subsidized TO lis
original limits. Near the sinks Of Deer
Creek at the head of the lake are exten.
siye Indian burying grounds, that were
quite a distance from the old shore, but
were submerged most Of the time from
1862 to 1876, aud are now high and dry
again. A long peninsula also ran into the
lake from the southern shore, the innel
portion Of which was higher than the mech
connecting ii with the main land. Herr
the Indians had another extensive burying
ground, and in many places the bones anc
the stone implements Of those buried arr
exposed. When the water rose, the lower
portion Of this peninsula was submerged
aud an island was formed in the lake.
steamer was afterward built to ply between
the shore and the island. Since the watel
has reeeded, the island again forms par
of the original peninsula, and wagons may
now pass from the old shore line to its ex
treme point, over the same route travenet
J few years ago by the steamer. Remain
Of corrals and sheds Of hog camps have
also been discovered in three differen
places near the old shore and still unde
water. In 1859 the lake was confneC
within this old shore or bank, aud in man,
places, short distance from il, were 6nt
groves Of large oak trees, that must hay.
been one or two hundred years old, tina
have all been submerged since and killed
leaving the land entirely denuded of tim
Der, aud only a few stumps of the larges
trees now remain.