The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
THE CURRENTS IN LAKE MICHIGAN
And Their Effect i'm Making Sand Bars
How These Change.
Milwaukee Ovis.) Sentinel.

Milwaukee CWis.) Sentinel.
Lake Michigan's eccentricities, It's high
and its wave ripples, have been the source
or good deal OF speculation among the
scientists. and many have been puzzled
and fishermen have gained much informa-
ton about the formation Of the bottom of
the lake Ordinary people must of necessity
with white caps and brown rollers racing
for the shore and breaking on the sandbars
a few hundred feet out The children are
pleased TO hunt for round shining stones on
the beach without guessing why they are
found there, and not half a mile north or
south, where the beach Is simply packed
with wet sand. Yet the experience OF prac-
teal men for forty years along the shore
has been that the pebbles are great travels
ers, at the sport OF the waves and the wind.
bles are given by a gentleman. VINO for
forty years has spent a good deal of time
and thought watching the movement Of bars
and sand in currents of the lake. His OBJ
servations have covered that portion of the
shore from Milwaukee to Michigan City.
The currents Of the lake" he said, are
the lake we usually find traces OF three
sand bars. The first Is on the average, $50
about 200 feet wide and the depth of water
on II is from two and half to eight feet
Just beyond is second bar, from 1900 feet
to a mile from the shore, which is 1000 feet
wide, with a depth of water beginning at
six feet. on the land side and running to
twelve feet on the outer edge. The third
sand bar is outside OF the second. 1t be-
gins with depth of ten feet and gradually
deepens off. These bars are deposited by
currents running parallel with the shore dur
stantly coming from the north and gradually
working south. With a northeaSterly blow
it comes along the west bank of Lake Michi-
gan, turns the lake at the southern end, and
is carried along on the east shore by the
southwesterly gales. The same grains of
sand are travelling around the lake constant
ly. 1t is like trottar around the race track,
slow but sure / will venture to say that
there are pebbles on those beaches that have
been around this lake good many times.
1.-The inner bar has a sand depth of about
ten feet. If the contour OF the shore is
changed by running out pier the location
OF the bar Is changed The bar will form
distance away from 1T that II is from the
shore, and then gradually turn and come in
until it reaches the same distance from the
shore. The general line of the bar is south
east parallel with the shore. 1t is formed
by the currents in both sides of it. The
waves break there and the sand is held in
solution by the strong current on either
side The bars are constantly being formed.
carried away and replaced by the currents
on either side. Naturally, the water rushes
the fastest through the 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.
times when there might be a heavy gale
down the lakes somewhere and no wind here.
In snis case there would still be smooth
water here, but you would have current,
or gather a movefnept OF the water, rising
suits in a tidal wave six or eight feet high
I'm calm weather the sand bar is per-
fectly quiet, but during a storm it Is con-
stantly moving in state of solution for
two or three feet. The water washing and
the currents striking the shore cause ero-
sion. The sand OF the lake is being made all
the time, and is exhaustless, In my esti-
nation. Where there is rocky bottom,
the rocks clash together. As the powders
break off, the slashing and clasting of the
waves rub them together. Every time the
powders or rocks strike, particles OF the
corners are knocked Off. and these the cur
rent gathers and carries along just like the
snow drifting along a fence"