Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-05-20
FREAKISH STREAMS.
REMARKABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF
soMg LARGE RIVERS.

Writing F:uid-wondcrfui Channel Of
''Ch:na's Sorrow"
It is recognized fact in science that
! very few great rivers have been thor
oughly explored by going up stream
Fer nearly 2,COO years travellers and ex-
plorers crdeavorcd to discover the
sources Of the Nile by ascending that
wonderful river. But by the tiIne they
had reached the difficult part Ct tho
stream their supplies and energy were
exhausted, and they could so 10 farther.
1t is only by seeking the sources of
rivers by overland routes that explorers
meet with success 1t was in this man.
ner that Henry NJ. Stanley traced the
route Of tho Kongo in Africa. In this
way of procedure Frederick Schwatka
was enabled to float down to Yukon
and Speke found the secret Of the river
Nile
One of the most curious rivers that
has come to the knowledge Of men Is
the WebEe Shebeyli, of eastern Africa,
t,ccp and rapid stream. Astounding in
strange fish and ferocious crCcodiles.
Although it flows for hundreds of miles
through fertile lands the immense vol
u,nc of water never reaches the sea. A
short distance north of the equator the
river is lost i'll desert region 4 few
miles from the Indian ocean.
Some Of the mere recent explorers OF
Alaska and British America claim that
the Mississippi can 10 longer be regard
cd as tho largest river on the North
American continent. This distinction
is claimed for the great Yukon river.
According to Ivan Petroff, who spent
over two years in Alaska, collecting
materials for the last census, the Ynkcn
empties into Norton sound aboUt one
third more water than the Mississippi
pours into the gulf Of Mexico The Yu-
kon basin comprises the larger part Of
northern Alaska, and 600 miles from
its mouth the river is n mile III width.
Many centuries before it was discovered
by white Inen it very likely served IS
the water highway into tie interior,
for tribes that we believe TO have crossed
from Asia TO tEc American continent.
The Yukon river ia over 2,C00 miles III
length.
Travellers report that in Algeria there
exists Il SIti.ill WHICH
istry Of nature has turned into ink. 1t
is formed by the union of two rirulets,
orc of which is very strongly irnpreg-
mated with iron. while the other,
meandcring through peat marsh, im-
bibes large quantities CT Sallic Gc;d.
Letters have been written with the nat
ur.il compound Of iron ard gallic acid
which forms this email, yet wonderful,
stream.
Tho Rio &c Eipagre, il Colombia, is
stream Tie waters Of which, ly ad-
mixture with sGlphuric acid, become so
sour that the river has been aprr rri-
ateiy nared the Rio de Vinagrc, or
Vinegar river.
The Orange or Garieh river, in scu.h-
ern Africa, rises i'll the mountains which
separate Natal from the Orange River
Free State. The length Of this stream is
l,OO0 miles. Its banks abound i'll vGri-
ous valuable woods, AID around 1t arc
found rich copper ores. In this stream
are many varieties Cf fish, which are
found until the river passes through a
rocky region containing copper. below
which the water is said to be Poisonous,
almost instantly killing the fish that
venture near II.
"China's Sorrow" q curious name
for river, IS the title bestowed upon
tie great Hoane Ho, which rises il the
mountains of Tibet and follows won-
derfully circu;tous channel fer 2, 2,500
miles to tie yellow sea. The wayy;Srd-
ness CT tlii5 mighty vollmc Ct water
makes the river Il constant source Of aux-
iety and danger TO the 10, coo, 600 of
people inhaDiting the central plain
Asia. 1t is known 10 have suddenly
changed its course niuc times. 1t has
| moved its mouth four degrees Of latl-
| tude each time, emptying its vast floods
| i'll different directions. and finding a
| new channel for itself where scores of
| towns and villages have stood. The
river has greatly changed the physical
| character Of n wide area, converting fer
| tile regions into Il sandy desert or max
| ing shadows cf them. Whether it is
| within the power Of modern science tc
save this great plain from disastrous
overflow and changes of the rivers bee
is question which during late year.
has been widely discussed, especially II
the scientific circles Of Paris and Lon
don.
Another remarkable river is the In
dus, y great stream III Eirdustan. i
rises in Tibet, and its course is n wen
derful one. On reaching Sussi, Its mos
northern point, it turns southwark, lose
itself in the hills and reappears at Tako
in Kohistan The Indus is 1, 7O0 mile
in length. After receiving the waters G
many tributaries its channel grows mar
row, and here it is divided into man,
channels, some CT which never return t.
the parent stream. 1t abounds in fs!
and crccodiles.
That classical river. the Ganges, i
eTratic in its course, like the Hoang Ho
1t is prominent both in the religion ant
the geography of India. 1t varies 10
only from season to season, but from
year to year, and frequently exchange
old passages for new ones. 1t has bee,
said that the Ganges delivers into tn
sea every year 534, 600, 900 tons Of mud
sand ard other solid matter.-Philadel
Silia Press.
Self Defense.
| G. ;aI xx-ifn :,