St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-06
WATER RUNNING UP HILL.
The Mouth of the Mississippi
Three Miles Higher Than Its
Source - How Grayitation Is

Source - How GraYlCatlOn Is
Overcome.
Youths Companion.
1t would he a legitimate answer to
this question, perhaps, to cite the flow
Of water through siphOn, its capillory
action, as in lamp wick, or its upward
course when drunk by an animal.
The inquiry should be made more eX-
plicit. Can river, in its natural
channel, open to the air, run up hill?
impossible as this seems, it is an es-
tablished fact. in truth, every river
flowing toward the equator for suffi-
cient distance runs up hill.
The mouth of the Mississippi IS three
miles higher than its source. That is,
Minnesota, where the Mississippi rises,
is three miles nearer the center of the
earth than is the GIlf of Mexico. In
the reason for such difference IN level
will be found the explanation of the
rivers up hill flow.
AS any schoolboy will tell us, the
earth is ball flatLened at the polls.
This flattening, while comparatively in
polar diameter twenty-eight miles
shorter than equatorial diameter. In
other words, the north and south poles
are fourteen miles nearer the earth'S
center than the equator.
Now, the distance from the north pole
to the equator, measured along the
earth'S surface, is 5000 miles, and the
distance FROM the source to the mouth
of the Mississippi is about ], 800 miles, or
one fourth of 5000. If. therefore, there
is difference in level between the
north pole and the equator, there
will be difference in level between the
nf fha cc;, nd /,
of One-fOurth of fourteen miles, or three
and one-half miles.
But the territory watered by the Mis-
sissippi has been elevated somewhat by
volcanic or similar forces, and the act
ual excess in height of the rivers mouth
is reduced to the three miles first men,
toned.
How is it possible for the river to run
up hill?
When. cons ago, the sun had thrown
the earth from Its surface like drop of
water from swiftly turning wheel, our
earth became huge ball OF molten
rock, itself swiftly revolving in space.
As it gradually cooled it Shrank; and Ey
shrinking its velocity increased. just as
a stone tied to a string and twlrled
about boys finger revOlyeS more rap
idly as the string winds about the
finger.
When the centrifugal force had so in
creased as to exceed gravItation huge
mass shot Off from the earth's equator
and became the moon. Still the centrif-
ugaI force retained ample power to ex-
pand the earth's equator and to retain
1t in this form until cold and rigid.
Nor has this force yet abated. As it
drew towards the equator of the earth's
material when plastic, it still continues
to attract in The same direction all the
fluids upon the ear:h's surface. In this
way grayitation is partially overcome,
and the Mississippi river flows steadily
up its three-mile hill to the Mexican
Gulf.
A second question is suggested.
What would enSue if the revolution of
the earth should be by some means
gradually retarded? The Mississippi
would become more and more sluggish;
the entire valley and the great lakes
would swell into all inland sea, and the
Gulf of Mexico would soak through
them its way to the North pole.
If the earth should cease to reyolye
altogether, the oceans of the equator
would forsake their beds and hasten
tow ard the poles. Probably the entire
globe north of the latitude of Boston
would be submerged.