Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-31

Away but One Tw~o-Hundredth of This
A ROseatc View of the Disputed Matter
Weather Sharp Garrioft Gives Some In.
Supply-Its Hidder Springs.
CHICAGO, Aug. 3l.-Apropos of the dis
pute now raging at lake points as TO the
effect of the Chicago drainage channel on
the level Of the lakes Professor siarriott, CT
the weather bureau, has prepared a table
which shows that nearly a yard of water
Falls into the great lakes every year. The
total volume of water which falls into the
lakes from the clouds each year has been
calculated. tn amount that the drainage
canal o carry of annually at the rate
OF 100000 cubic feet per miEutc has also
C estimated. Comparison of the two
voluIncs proves that the canal could carry
AWAY about 1900 - the annual amoun of
water that falls into the lakes. These fig
ures do not take into consideration the i'm
mcIsc amounts of water that flow into
the lakes from thousands Of rivers and
similar streams.
Takes the Average OF Twsrty-Onc Years.
Neither are the unknown sources OF
water considered. Hidden springs are
supposed to furnish one of the main
sources of water supply for the great lakes.
But they are not considered at all. Pro-
fcsssr CARROTS table has been complied
from the statistics Gf the wcatA-r bureau
for the last tweINy-onc years. Il shows
the average Of the monthly and the an
nual precipitation at thirteen selected sta
t,a,- 49, ~. I-u.- C a.. .-..,, l,1,,-
These stations have been chosen with q
view to covering Il. completely as possible
nj! parts of the lakes. They are Osyyego,
Buffalo, Eric, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit.
Port Huron, AlpcHa. Marquette, Grand
Havcn, Milwaukee, Chicago and Duluth
This table shows that the average annual!
amount OF rain AMI saOw that has fallen
into the great lakes during the last
twenty-onc years has been ID. IL inches.
Station Having the biggest Fail.
The station having the biggest fall all
these years las been Er.c, WiVi IN annual
average of IA inches. The station havin.
the least has been toledo with'3.SS inches.
Chicago has stuck closely to the general
2vtSuge of 3.e0i inches. The wc:tcst
months in Chicago have proved to 's
June nnd,July, with az average rainfall
vi 900 lIltll'S uilIi.lS tiltSS tNtlty "oi!t
years. Junc has clHng close behind with
as inches in the average. Tie drycst
month"; in Chicago Id, been Janir,.,y which
has averaged only 2.20 inches. Daluth
holds the belt for the wCtt9st aud dry.st
months OF any of the lake ALTON Its
Janurrirs have averaged only les inches
downfall, while its Juncs have averaged
4.J2 inches OF rain.
Lake SuDcr,or's Hidden S~yrinr.,
Professor Garrett felt IA little ditidcnt
about discussing tbs probable result of
the drainage anal on the lG:cl Of the two
gtcat lakes when the biggest engineers in
the country arr puzzling their brains over
the question in vain. 1T seems to me-"
he finally said, that the source of supply
for the lakes will ultimately settle the
question. 1t is generally supposed that
the immense Inoun of water that annual
~ enters Lake Superior comes from an
enormous number of hidden springs con-
ccalcd under the surface of that lake. No
other theory Will FIJI the bill. The known
source of supply. rivcss and rain, are TO-
where near enough to furnish all the
water that flows out of Lake superior each
year. The same is thought to b. true IN
u similar degree of Lake Michigan
Have tho Springs u Reserve Power?
AS IDf LAKES huron, ETC, anu Ontiflo,
it is not known whether they are fed to
much extent by waters OF their own. OF
whether they only serve a. basins 70: the
outflow of the other two lakes. These
springs that probably supply most Of the
fresh water ia Lakes Superior and Michi-
gen ms be Of two kinds. Either they arc
working TO their full capacity already or
else thoy have y reserve power OF more or
la-s extent. Springs Sftrn have their
| sources FAR from their outlets. The multi.
tudc @; springs undcr Lakes Michigan and
Superior are quite likely to De equipped
with p-cssurc sufficient to force the water
to II certain level. but no higher.
Depends on the Subaqucous supply.
when the water in the lakes reaches
that level the rest of the water in these
springs has not power enough left to rise
any higher, but must remain in the state
of equilibrium. II that be the case, nc
matt~c hoy much water the canal might
draw from the lakes, as long as the ca
pacity of these springs holds out the pres
sure would keep the level of the lake at
the am height. The canal would then
really be drawing its water supplies from
these springs, which are apparently mex.