The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-10-15
A MYSTERY OF TULXRE.'
a DIS covERY, UNDER THE Pa
NOUS CALIFORNIA Lane.
Not Long In Exstence-Preserved Trunks
Of AncIsht Trees -Evidsnce That
thcs Lake Is Hut Four Hun
dred Years Old.

Tho low stage In the water In LAX,
Tulare has brought TO the notice (,
fact which appears 70 have consider,
able value in pointing out an import.
ant. geographical change In Contra
California within comparatively recen
times. Where the waters have re.
coded grove OF stumps and broken
trees has been brought to view. partly
buried In the mud. They evidently
grew where they now are found.
Some OF the trees lie PROSTATE on the
bottom OF the lake. while fragments
OF others still stand Us stumps and
snags
But the roots OF oil aro yet fast in
the soil. where in somo past age they
flourlshcd rs members OF forest
Those that are now PROSTATE were
evidently torn up by the roots. and
the waters OF the lake have never
moved from whore they foil although
they have been under water centuries
upright although their branches have
disappeared and only tho broken
trunks remain like snags In tho
water
Lake Tulare has heen undergoing
q steady change sinco tho waters OF
tho rivers that feed it have been led
away for irrigation purposes. As is
generally known tho lake lies in the
southern end Of the San joaquin val
ley. and has no outlet. 1t is fed by
Kings river Tulare river Tule river
Kaweah river and other smaller
streams that come in from tho Sierra
Nevada mountains on the east.
When this lake first became kno wn
TO Americans it was more than tn irty
miles long and nearly the same
distance in width, and contained no
less than /. 900 square miles. In
seasons OF drought it was probably
somewhat smaller while in seasons of
much rain its size was very much
greater. The waters were diminished
by evaporation. except perhaps. in
times OF very great floods. when II
portion OF the surplus might have
overfowed the plains into the San
joaquin river. fifty miles distant.
Whom irrigation OF the plains of
Fresno and Tulare counties was com
menced the water was led away from
the river and was taken out upon the
H'ains. By this means the quantity
which tho lake annually received
grew less, and since evaporation went
on as usual tho natural conse luence
was that the lake began to iecede.,
1t never was deep not over forty
A g. AZ.
is only fraction Of its former, depth.
1t has shrunien away on account OF
the cutting off OF its supply al water
from the rivers until Luke Tulare OK
lists now practically in name It oc-
cupies the shallow depression in tho
lowest part OF the valley, while what
formerly was the bottom OF tho lake
is now wheat land aud orchard
just on the edge OF tho swater to
remnant OF the grove OF trees Is found.
Here is whore the great geographical
change is suggested Tho trees evil
IDENTITY grew on dry ground. They
could not have grown under water.
When they wero growing Lake Tularo
could not have been in existence. Tho
trees are older than the lake.
They are willowy. and some OF them
are two feet or more in d diameter. such
rs now grow in the bottom land along
Kings river. They grew where they
are now found. and then the waters
of the lake overwhelmed them and
being under water they have been
preserved from decay and. now are
brought to view by the recedng Of the
waters
From the coast MOUNTAINS on the
west flows Los tiatos craek. Opposite
on tho east from the Sierras. flows
Kings river 1t was the sediment
brought down from these two streams
that made the lake possible Each OF
the two streams deposited immen SO
quantities of gravel and soil whe 70
they emerged from the mountai ms
upon the plains Every Hood broug hit
down an increased quantity. The
sediment from Kings river approached
tho center OF the valley from tho east,
ridge. Los Gatos did lixo-
wise from the west Tho two en-
gradually approached each
Dthor till they met in the center OF
The valley, and the embankment was
from the foot OF the Sierras
10 the base OF the coast mountains.
and the waters OF the southern end OF
tho valley were thus shut in.
Undoubtedly this was the origin OF
Lake Tulare says the San Francisco
Chronicle. The waters could no
onger escape and collected in the
southern end OF the valley. The high
'idge crossing the valley from sido
10 side is there to speak for ieelf.
As stated In times OF great flood the
water still rises to height sufiicie mt
% flow over tho lowest part of tn
'idge and by this exit reaches the San
The ridge Is not narrow
,ne but Is many miles wide, sloping
gradually oil to the south and north
To Remove Rotting Tree stumps.
PAfttnx f,o at, ~