The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1895-05-04
OBSTINATE SENECA LAKE.
Frozen Over In Warm Weather and No
Ice Wien 1t Is Cold

Ice Wien 1t Is Cold.
Seneca differs from nearly all of
many sister lakes in this section of tho
state In the matter of it's seldom fresy-
ing over, says the Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle. This is due to the great
depth of the lake and the fact that it is
1ed largely by springs along its shores
and, as many believe, at its bottom.
Durlng the summer season the lake
aDsorbs a vast amount Of heat. but
owing to the non-conducting proper
ties of water it is slow in throwing if
OH IN the winter. For this reason, oil
many cold winter mornings the lakes
surface Is covered with yapor. which
indicates that the water is warmer
than the atmosphere. This yapor is
always densest over the deepest Dor
tons of the lake, showing that the
water along the shores in the shallower
parts has, to some extent, become
colder. AS the surface of the lake cools
the water gradually commingles with
that below, and finally the whole body
or the lake becomes cooled In addi-
ton, heavy body of snow melting in
the spring and flowing into the lake,
especially in case of a freshet, tends
to cool the water and render the lake
liable to freezing if the surface is not
too much disturbed by wind. For these
reasons the lake sometimes freezes
over very late in the spring, even when
the temperature is from Is degrees to
20 degrees above zero; as, for instance,
thin film of ice covered the lakes
surface on the mornings of May 5, 1861,
May 15, 1872, May s, 1873, and April 26,
1884. On many mornings during the
last month and half the mercury has
been down to zero or below, and at
Monterey one day last week the ther-
mometer registered 80 degrees below
zero, yet the lake has not sufficiently
cooled to freeze over, for no snow
a description of Seneca lake Apple
toms cyclopedia states that it was
never known to be frozen over until
March %, 1856, but, according to pub
lished statement of the late Hon. Will
liam G. Coon Burdett. he and a party
of about twenty skated across the lake
from Glen Eldridge to Watkins and
back on the morning of Feb %, 1856.
The ice was then five inches thick in
the middle of the lake and was clear
and solid. On March 3, 1868, the lake
again froZe over, and in 1875 for Pc
riod of four weeks and two days prior
to March Ia it was frozen over so that
"a tI1s, f,D,,
the head. On Feb. 81, 1885, it froze
over from shore to shore out as far as
the eye could reach and four days la
ter a grand carnival was held on the
Ice in the evening. About 1000 persons
assembled, coming from Elmira and
other places by train and from all the
surrounding country in sleighs. The
moon, nearly full, rode high in cloud
less sky and the scene was one of a
most inspiring nature, Chinese Ian
terms and torchlights lent their charm
to the surroundings, while the glare Of
rockets and bombs lighted up the sky.
Harding's Cornet band Of Havana was
present and dancing and skating were
among the sports enjoyed. Jan. 16,
1893, an unusually early date, the head
of the lake froze over from shore to
shore, out distance of about twenty
rods, but the ice lasted only few days.
By observation many people have come
to expect the lake to freeze over once
in every ten years, and, according to
such series, it should freeze this WIN
ter, for by reference to the dates men
toned above it will be seen that 1t
froze over in 1855, in 1868, in 1875 and
in 1885.