The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-06-14
rHE MYSTERY OF THE GREAT LAKES

On Lake Superior, in 1879, when Alexan-
der Mackenzie was at the Grand Portage ON
the north shore opposite Isle Royal. There
was sudden. fall of the water, equal 10
four feet, which soon returned with rush,
and continued to vibrate several hours
Whitney and Foster in their geological re-
port of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan,
record that in the summer of 1874 the water
above the falls at the Sault St. Mary, in q
calm day, suddenly fell two and one-half
feet and in half an hour came surging back
with great velocity The same thing hap
pened at the same place in 1912, below the
falls; the current of the river rushing rapid
" up stream toward the cataract.
The most remarkable fall o. water was re-
corded by DIR. Foster to have been seen by
him IN August 1915. He says that on that
day, when he was coasting in an open boat
between Copper Harbor aud Eagle River, he
observed the water to rise up a fourth Of
mile to the northwest, to the height Of
twenty feet. 1t curled over like an immense
surge, erestad with foam. aud swept townra
the shore, diminishing as 1t advanced. The
voyageurs paused on their oars, having first
headed the boat SO as to cut the wave. II
passed without doing us any injury, sue
eeeded by two other swells, spent its force
on the shore, and the lake resumed its won't
ed tranquility" The lake was calm with
clouds at the northwest, indicating that diff
terent currents of air were moving in oppo-
site directions
In November, 1851, at Copper Harbor,
the water rose suddenly, in perfect calm,
one foot three inches, and at another time
two and one-half feet. At the Sault Canal
July l6, 1885, there were series of fiuctua-
tons during the day. until maximum fall
OF two feet ten inches was reached. Then
the upward movement was commenced until
the previous level was reached towards
evening. The wind changed during these
fluctuations from northwest to southeast
At Superior city, September II, 1866, the
water of the lake fell twenty-five inches
within an hour, and within fifteen minutes
rose twenty-five inches above the ordinary
level, making fifty inches change within
fifteen minutes. The wind was blowing
strong from the northwest
At Milwaukee, in April 1858, huge wave
rushed into the river from the lake. and re-
tired as suddenly. Twenty minutes later
the water returned in two waves, and in q
minutes returned to its old level The diff
ference in half or three-qtarters OF an hour
was full six feet
A number of sudden fluctuations of level
are recorded on Lake Erie. Mr.. Taylor, an
old settler of Rockport, is quoted by Col.
| Whittesey as stating that in 1911, about
three miles west of Rocky River, during
calm, hot summer day, he saw white
crested wave approach rapidly toward the
beach. II carried n barrel of salt several
rods, over what had been dry ground into a
ravine.
Col. Whittlesey says he has never seen an
instance of perfect quieseenee ON the waters
of North American lakes. On shelving
sandy beach there is always slight wave-
like ripple, even when the atmosphere seems
be thoroughly quiet at ;;t a.asEe Ausr .e,s
| large area of water Until better tiIeurSS
is found he adopts that of atmospheric
movement as the cause of the fluctuations
under consideration There is a source of
perpetual motion in the atmosphere in the
perpetual presence of unequally heated
areas. Water is SO sensitive to aerial cur.
rents that they cannot take place without
producing an effect upon the equilibrium Of
of the surface. He shows that all move
ments of flowing water are in o wave-like or
undulatory form, and deduces by analogy,
that movements of the atmosphere take the
same form, producing pulsations in the
water over which they move. On all shores
there is daily land and water breeze, aris-
ing from the unequal effect of solar heat for
that day, upon the land and the water As
these movements are almost incessant, and
the cause is ever present, II 1t is granted
that they follow the general law of undula-
ton of those low but regular pulsations,
which take place in the waters of all seas and
lakes
Taking the oscillations together, small and
great, Col Whittlesey says the cause cannot
be said to be demonstrated, but the best n.y.
pothesis is that of the unequal atmospheric or
barometric pressure, sometimes in storms of
wind and at others by unequal heat.
1t may add something TO the sum of infor-
nation to the general subject of barometric
connections with water levels to say that after
the foregoing was in type the London 1sle-
graph of January IS brought the intelli-
gence that on the 10th the mercury in the
barometer stood close upon thirty-one in
ches, the highest record in England since
l749 and that on the same day the tide in
the Thames rose foot less at high water,
as consequence of the unusual pressure Of
the atmosphere which forced up the mercury
one inch in the tube of the barometer. r.
Cacpelard HeraM.