Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-09-02
CAN WATER RUN UPHILL?
Of Course it Can. for it Does in Many
Rivers.


Rivers.
1t would be legitimate answer TO
this question, perhaps. says the Youths
Companion, to cite the flow of water
through Siphon, its capillary action. as
IN q lamp-wick. or its upward course
when drunk by an animal The inquiry
should be made more explicit Can a
river, in its natural channel, open to
air. run uphill? Impossible as this
seems, it is an established fact. IL
truth. every river flowing toward the
equator for Il sufficient distance runs
uphill
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
earth than is the Gulf of Mexico In
the reason for such difference III level
will be found the explanation of Tie
rivers uphill flow
AS any school hoy will tell us. tho
earth is Il ball I1attnncd at the poles
This tiattening. W lille comparatively III
significant, is still sufficient to make the
polar diameter twenty-cight miles
shorter than the equatorial diameter.
In other words. the north and the
south poles are fourteen miles nearer
the earth,s center han is the equator.
Now the distance from the north pole
+, to the equator, measured alonG the
eartir's surface. is 5000 miles: and the
distance from the source to the mouth
- II,
dred miles, or onc-fourth Of GOOO. If
, therefore, there is i difference Ill level
Of fourteen miles between the north
/ pole and the equator. there will he :,
difference in level between the source
OF the Mississippi and its mouth of
one-fourth of fourteen miles, or three
and ono-half miles
Fut the territory Watered by the Mis-
SlSSippi has been elevated somewhat by
! volcanic CT similar forces, and the ar-
, tull excess i'll the height of the rivers
| mouth is reduced 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 its surface like a droo
, OF water from Il swiftly turnng wheel
oUr globe became 4 huge ball of molten
| rock, itself swiftly revolving in space
As it @ladIlallyc0oled. it shrank; and by
shrinking, its velocity Increased. just as
4 stone tied to string and twirled
, about 4 boys finger revolves more rap
, idly rs tho string winds about the fin
; ger.
! When the centrifugal force mad 81
increased as to exceed grayitItion. q
huge mass shot off from the earth :
equator. and became the moon. Still
the centrifugal force retained ample
power to expand the earth's equator.
aEd to retain it in this form until cole.
and rigid.
Nor Las this torcc yet abatcd. AS it
! drew toward the equator the earth'S
material when plastic, it still continues
| to attract in the same direction al the
| fluids upon the earth'S surface. In this
way @rav:tation 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 IN island sea and the
Gulf of Mexico would seek through
them its way to the north pole.
If the earth should cease to revolvp
altogether, the oceans Of the equator
would forsakc their beds and hasten
toward the poles. Probably the entire
globe north of the latitude of Boston
would be submerged.