St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-12-17
Can Water Run Uphill?

Gan Water Kun Uphin1
It would be legitimate answer to
this question, perhaps, to cite the
flow Of water through siphon, its
capillary action, as in a lamp-wick, or
its upward course when druRk by an
animal. The inquiry should be made
more explicit. Can river, in its
natural channel, open to the air, run
uphill? Impossible as this seems, it
is an established fact. In fact every
river flowing toward the equator for
Sufficient distance runs uphill.
The mouth Of the Mississippi is
three miles higher than its source.
That is, Minnesota, where the Mis-
sissippi rises, is three miles nearer
the center Of the earth than is the
Gulf Of Mexico. In the reason for
such difference in level will be
found the explanation Of the rivers
uphill flow.
rs any schoolboy will tell Us, the
ca tn is ball fattened at the poles.
This Gattening, while comparatively
ms gn!Icant, is still sufficient to
make the polar diameter twenty-eight
miles shorter than the equatorial d.
ameter. In other words, the north
and the south pole are fourteen mics
nearer the earth's center than is the
equator.
Nov, the distance from the north
Fl to the equator, measured along
tie earth's surface, Is six thousand
miles; and the distance from the
source to the mouth of the Mississippi
Is about fifteen hundred miles, or one
fourth Of six thousand. II, therefore,
there is difference in level of four
ten miles between the north pole
AMI the equator, there will be diff
ference in level between the source Of
the Mississippi and its mouth, of one
fourth OF fourteen miles, or three and
onehalf miles.
But the territory watered by the
Mississippi has been elevated some
what by volcanic or similar forces,
and the actual excess in height OF
the rivers mouth isareduced to the
three miles first mentioned.
How is it possible for the river
thus to run uphill?
When, cons ago, the sun had
thrown the earth from It's surface
like drop Of water from a swiftly
turning wheel, our globe became
huge ball Of molten rock, itself swift
~ revolving in space. AS it gradually
cooled, it shrank; and by shrinking
its ycl1city increased, just as stone
tied TO "A string and twirled about
boys finger reyolves more rapidly as
the string winds about the finger.
When the centrifugal force had 50
increased as to exceed gravitation, a
huge mass shot off from the earth's
equator, and became the moon. Still,
the centrifugal force retained ample
power to expand the earth's equator,
and to retain it in this form until
cold AMI rigid.
Nor has this force yet abated. AS
1t drew toward the equator the
earth's material when plastic, it still
continues to attract in the same di-
rection all the fluids upon the earth's
surface. In this way gravitation is
partially overcome, and the Missis-
sippi River flows steadily up it's three
mile hill to the Mexican Gulf
A second question is suggested.
What would ensue if the revolution
of the earth should be b. some means
gradually retarded? The Mississippi
would become more and more slug
gish; the entire valley and the great
lakes would swell into an inland sea,
and the Gulf of Mexico would seek
through them its way to the North
Pole.
II the earth should cease to revolve
altogether, the oceans of the equator
would forsake their beds and hasten
toward the poles. Probably the en-.
tire globe north of the latitude OF
Boston would be submerged.