Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-08-28
LAKs MlcHloAN's CURRENTS.


Lake Aichigln's cccenlricities, its high
Z tides and its lnw t,its. its wind currents
ard its wave REPLIES have leon tho source
OF good del 81 speculation among the
! scientists, ANA mary lgNe been puzzled to
{ know its vaguries Tho chilGrenHr' pleased
to hunt for round, shining stones on the
beach, without guessing WHY they are
found there ID Il rot d, Il mile north or
south, where Tie bsca IS sinil ly packed
wet s.lnd. Yet tie exp, rei ce If practical
men fer 30 years ,lar.t shore has been
that the pebbles are great tr., lers, at the
sport Of tine waves and tac wi.d.
Some facts On tho s.id lars ard Il
pebbles are given by II g.n,lcnmn who for
! 40 years has spCnt good deal OF time and
thought watching the movement Of bars
and sand in currents If the lake. His oh
servations have covered that portion of the
shore from Milwanl.o2 10 Michigan City
THE currents of tie lake, he said, "ure
, caused by the winds On tho west shore of
the lake we usually find traces Of three
sand bars The first Is on the average, 100
to ] 200 feet from tho shore The bar Is
about 200 feet wide, ard the depth of the
water on It varies from 2ls to feet Just
beyond is a second bar, from 1000 feet TO
one mile from the shore which Is 200 feet
wide, with depth Of water beginning at
feet on the land side ard running to II
feet on the outer edge. The third sand bar
Is outside Of tie second IL begins with a
depth Of 10 feet and gradually deopens of
These bars are deposited by currents run
ming parallel with the shore during the
time of storms, and the sand is constantly
coming from tie north and gradually
working south With northcasterly blow
it comes along the west bank CT Lake
Michigan, turns the lake at the southern |
end and is carried along on the east shore |
by the southwesterly gales The same !
grains Of said are travelling around the |
race track, slow but sure. will venture |
to say that there i.re pebbles on these |
beaches that have been around this lake |
good many times.
"The inner bar has a sand depth of /
about 10 feet. If the contour of the shore
IS changed by running out a pier, the lGca-
ton of the har is changed The bar will
form and 60 round that pier about the
Same distance away from it that it is from
the shore and t.cn gradually turn and
come in until it reaches the same distance
from the shore. The general line Of the
bar is southeast, parallel with the shore
1t is formed liy the current on both sides
of it. The waves break there. and the sand
]
on either side. NatuT l!y the water PUSHES
the fastest through tho two deepest chan
nels on each side Of the bar, producing
breakers which break into spray In calm
weather there is no current to the water.
1t has no perceptible movement except at
times when there might be IL heavy gale
down the lake sOmewhc and no wind
here. In that case there would still be
smooth water here but you would have a
current or rather movement of the water
rising and falling Ike tho tide This some
times results In a tidal wave six or eight
feet high.
IN calm weather the sand bar Is per
fcctly quiet, but during IL storm it Is con-
stantly moving In state Of solution for
two or three feet The water dashing and
the currents striking the shore cause ero-
sion. The sand of the lake. is being made
all the time and is oxhaustless, in my es-
timation. Where there is rocky bottom
tho rocks clash together As the powders
break off the slashing and clashing Of the
waves rub them together. Every time the
bow ldcr or rock strikes PARTICLES of the
corners are knocked of. and these the cur
rent gathers and carries along just like the
snow driving along fence milwaukee
Sentinel.