Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-10-29
BY TELEGRAPH.
THE GREAT LAKES FILLING.
Natural Causes Which Threaten Their
Existence As Inland Seas.

OrrAvA. Oat, Oct. 20 -Ssfious com-
plaints are being made by Montreal shipp afs
that their boats are being DELAYED In transit
through the canals ovirg 10 the lovness OF
vsser, and that his iowness 10 owing 10 The
faliog OF the level Of the lakes. IL II said
that the water level in tbs lakes has suuk
gradually 10. many years. and fhss 1t mas
nov fesched . level when the government
mus. do something to remedy it or undar-
take such works q shall secure constant
and s:esdv supply Of water in the canals.
Ths changes in the lower lakes were mist
noticed in 1888. 81, ca then great charge
has been observed, snd the drsusht Of water
s,satiiy. though slosl y. decreasirs. Prof.
Ssiwyn being intsiv.ewei. said;
There il no d,nbt that the lakes are
filing up, very gradually psrhaps, and il
NAV be millions Of years before any serious
charge may take place in the larger lakes,
bat ia the shailowest, Lake Erie. which is
only 100 feet average depth, the eject
might be much more serious st an earlier
date. The reason 70. the lake filing up 10
cutie obvious. When l n.st went up INTO
the West. in 1873, found that the preeass
Of filing up had commenced. and in ms
report dew the attention OF the govern
ment to the matter. In my iutervisvs with
the Indians l found this. their legendary
lore eontained traces of their knowledge Of
the fact that the lakes were filing up, snd
not only 90, bus found, going b,ek into
their legend, 10 time immemorial, thai
some time or other, perhaps many genera
tons $50, some of our great valleys were
lakes, which have bsen filed up. In this
legendary story | have every reason to
believe, as my own geological reseArche.
tend to confirm ii, aud in my own personal
exeerience have IOWA macy large water
holes completely Fl led uo.
"On nv sons farm in the West there
vas pond with .tream running through
IL, of several acres, which, in 1881, wa'
some feet deep and of which this wear
he took msgri6aect crop Of hay. The
filing 10 is increasing rsp'dy ard while
much more rapid now than IN former year:
will ciatinue 10 increase more rapidly yet
Youssk the reason of this. Il is self
evident tbs. while the mass of the territory
drained by the myriad suesms OF thf
West, all running Into these ponds ant
lakes, was thictly wooded, the trees served
| not only TO no the water bat to prevent
| the washiag away Of the soii by means o.
| their numerous 70 to. As the country be
comes cleared, so these sat, guard, are re
| moved snd after heavy raius the waters
pour down unchecked of these land
and, peroolsting through then
SIS we'll as running through them
| carry with the streams immense and ever
| ircrr asif z volumes of sils or soil AS lopt
SIS this is borne alopg by the velocity OF tn
,tresms it has no chance to settle, bat wheI
the rivers fall into deep still lskes the Law
| Of gtayitstion makes the siit sink to III
| bottom ard gather there The same thini
has been seen in mary parts OF Europe
where rapid ard impetuous streams ruI
into the Sea, and thus come the curiou
rstursl pheDem ens which sre now sfectiei
our lakes When you take the Thousand
Of miles Of watershed d aimed By counties
streams, all coming into the great lakes
you can form some small idea of wba! tn
proportion of silt, increasing yearly wit
increased cultivation, being deposited il
these lakes must be-"