Evening capital., 1895-03-01
MYSTERIOUS TIDES.
THOSE or THE LAKES THAT THE
SHIPPERS CALL SwASHES-

meteorological experts have for more
than 100 years tried 70 study out their
cause we don't know any more about it
now than they did at the time the great
wave rose suddenly ON Lake Erie, of
Rockport, and destroyed Colonel Brad
streets fleet, in October. l764 That
was the first tidal wave ON the lakes
that we have any record Of
II have seen many of these swashes,
as we call them on the lakes, the last
one about ten years ago. when my
schooner was swept high and dry ct
Port Stanley by a wave that seemed 70
rise ON the lake like some monster ma
rine animal coming from the depths 10
the surface. We could see il rushing to-
ward us a mile away. Ii came with a
boiling front ten feet high kissing like
loud escaping steam as ii swept toward
us. That is peculiar thing about the
lake tidal waves. They do not come
with a roar, like the ocean surf, but
with loud, kissing sound, and there is
only one instance on record where they
are either accompanied or followed by
strong winds.
"That one instance was at Toledo, in
December, 1856, when the wind. which
had been blowing stiff offshore. sudden
ly whirled into a bowling nor easter,
and as quick as the change in the wind
that wave leaped out of the lake and
came hurling upon the shore, a wild and
angry mass, eight feet high. In every
other recorded occurrence of these mys-
terious freaks of the lake waters the sur
face of the lake has been perfectly calm
and the air scarcely perceptible.
such was the condition when that
big wave attacked us at Port Stanley,
swamping my schooner and drowning
one of my men. The wave receded as
fast as it had rushed in, and the lake,
in less than ten minutes, was as smooth
as mirror
"Within the next hour there were
four more swashes, each one of less
force and volume, until the last was
scarcely more than ripple.
Almost the first thing remember,
for l was but three years old at the
time, was one of these tidal waves 1t
appeared early in the spring ON the Can
ada shore, off Otter Creek. There was q
piece of woods there then, with long
stretch of beach between it and the
lake. My father had 80 ton schooner
lying off the shore half a mile or more.
The water was a dead calm, when,
without warning of any kind, a wave
lifted itself from the bosom of the lake,
probably = miles ont, and swept shore
ward with its mighty hiss. My mother
and were with father on his schooner.
As that swash came rushing upon us it
seemed to me as if the leaping foam Of
its white crest was higher than the
schooner's masts, but know now that
it was not more than 12 feet high.
The wave was high enough and strong
enough, though, to sweep the schooner
ashore as if it had been a cockleshell,
and across that stretch of beach into the
woods, where it was left among the
trees, hopeless wreck.
"In ten minutes the lake was as calm
as ever, but an hour later a similar
wave appeared at Kettle Creek, 20 miles
from Otter Creek, and tumbled all sorts
of lake craft ashore.
II guess the greatest tidal wave ever
seen ON any of the lakes was the one
DIR. Foster and his party of voyagers
saw on Lake Superior, between Copper
harbor and Eagle river. That was in
August, 1S45. This swash was more
than 90 feet high, and, like all of its
kind, sprung suddenly from the lake at
dead calm 1t was quarter of mile
distant from DR. Fosters boat, which,
when the disturbance began, was direct
ly in the path of the wave twas crest
ed with foam, and curled over like a
mighty ocean surge. Before reaching
the boat, however, the wave turned so
that its nearest extremity swept past it
at a distance of 90 feet the water be-
tween that extremity and the boat being
scarcely rufiled by the influence of the
rushing tide.
1.-The wave was only half mile from
shore, but Notwithstanding its great
size and velocity it never reached there.
The same mysterious caprice that caused
it to change its course and pass harm
Iessly by the vessel seemed to seize it
once more, and it sank rapidly from its
great height as it approached the shore
and struck the beach with no more force
or rise of water than might have come
from the wash of passing vessel.
'Iremember notable swash ON Lake
Michigan at the mouth of the Menomi-
nee That one appeared in April, 1858,
and rushed into the river with such
tremendous force and volume that it up
set the ferryboat on the Menominee.
The recurrent oscillations of these
swashes are usually of decreasing size
and force, but this one on the Menominee
wasn't that kind. The ebb Of this tide
was just as sudden as its flow, but in a
few minutes it was followed by another
wave much larger than the first one,
and the ebb of the second swash was
followed by wave still larger than the
second.
THAT seemed 70 satisfy the mood of
the lake at Menominee that day. and.
with the rece,iing of the third wave,
calmness even unwonted prevailed on
its bosom The time between the COM
ing of the first wave and the receding Of
the third was less than 20 minutes
THE curious thing about these lake
tidal waves is that they are entirely lo-
cal in their influence A swash. even
of the greatest force and height may
not affect more than a mile of lake
front. the water at either end Of them
being undisturbed beyond that distance.