The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-09

Tidal waves on the great lakes are
not OF uncommon occurrence" said an
old Lake Erie skipper. and although me-
te0rOlogical experts have for more than
a hundred years tried 10 study out their
cause. We don't know any more about Il
ROW than they did ~ the time the great
wave rose suddenly on Lake Erie. off
kOckpOrt. and destroyed Col. Bradstreet's
fleet In October. l,6i. That was the first
tidal wave on the lakes that We have any
record OF.
81 have seen many Of these swashes,
as We call them on the lakes, the last
one about ten years ago when my schOon-
or was swept high and dry at Port stan
ley by Il wave that seemed 10 rise on
the lake like some monster marine animal
coming from the depths 10 the surface.
We could see it rushing toward US d
away. IL came with boiling front ten
feet high. Kissing like loud escaping steam
as IL swept toward us. That Is Il peculiar
thing about the lake tidal waves. They
do not come with d roar, like the ocean
surf but with a loud, Kissing sound +,
and there IS only one instance on record
where they are either accompanied or fol-
lowed by strong winds.
"'rhat one instance was at Toledo, In
December. 1886. when the wind. which
had been blowing stiff off shore, sudden
" whirled into a bowling nor cas- ter, and
as quick as the change IN me WIND, thal
wave leaped out or the lake ana came
hurting uuOn the shore wild and angry
mass. eight feet high. In every other
recorded occurrence of these mysterious
freaks OF the lake waters the surface
of the lake has been perfectly calm ana
the air scarcely percepunle'
Hc"ch was the condition when that
bio- wave attacked us at Port Stanley.
SCANNING my schooner and drowning
one OF my men. The wave receded as
f,st as IL had rushed In ana the lake, IN
less than ten minutes, was as smooth as
within the next hour there were four
NOR. swashes. each one OF less force and
volumc. until the last was scarcely more
th IN. ,,, d the first thing I remember
for ,vas hut three years old at the time,
loi ons of these tidal waves. IL ap-
T w%n early in the spring o. the Canada
80 Of OTTER Creek There was a
shoIe % woOls there then with a long
crotch Of beach between II ana the lake
Nc father had "a thlftF-HNe ION schooner
LING on the shore hair mile or more
The water was "A dedu N"r.i "' it,, t,oi
earning of any kind wave Htted user
VA ,'' r. bosom OF the lake, probably
a mile and a half out ana swept sh9re-
,,.ard yyith its mighty mss MY notheF
and we're with iather on ms scno1he..
a. maj swash came LushhS upon u
~ H.nt 90 mo as II the leaping foam
IL semi ,.e crest WAS higher than the
eahooner's masts. but Know now that
schOon,l not more than twelve 1eet
thtE IT. vaVe was high enough and
hl5n. "not.gh though, 10 sweep the
scb S ashore, as II It nad been "a a
cookie she'll and across tnat stretch OF
SsssS into the r9'q sop Ssse rFec Sa' let
am1nb .n minutes the lake Was as calm
as ever but hour qssT , s%ar o
from otter Dreentb cra
OF lake c'd The greatest. tidal wave ever
fas any II p par 5As Of y %ss t4s
DR.. fostet ,"'n'.srior. between Copper Har-
on Lake 81 river. That was in August
Ra5 aP rms was o %os t. Khan Khan twsn5y
feet hlgh, ss, the lake at dead calm
suddenly iri, 0't OF a mile distant from
u was s boat. which. when the as
turbance pesaI II, was crested with foam
OF the wase yer like a mighty ocean
and curl Before Sy'' reaehing the boat, how
sve tn. tsGns eas e that distance