Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-04-15
Written for the Northwest
WINTER ON THE BEACH.


readers of the NORTHWEST have had
the pleasure of spending summer
on the beach, and have doubtless
been so enraptured by reading de-
scriptions of the summer sea that
you could imagine yourselves bask-
ing on the sunny beach, or gently
tossed on the foam-erested billows.
So it would not be interesting to you
for me to attempt such a description.
But after the summer has gone and
winter with its chilling blasts reigns
instead you may have wondered what
sights those shores presented.
have always had desire to be on
the shore of one Of our Great Lakes
in winter, where the west wind had
full sway, and thus satisfy my desire
70 know what winter on the beach is
like-little expecting that the oppor-
tunity would ever be presented. But
as chance would have it last fall my
pedagogical duties led me to the viii
lage of Lakeside, summer resort on
the east shore of Lake Michigan.
My boarding place was but a five
minutes walk from the beach. 1t
was therefore an easy matter outside
of school hours for me to turn my
thoughts from the shooting of
minds" and the many phases of hu-
man nature to the more vivid,
though possibly less interesting,
things of the material universe.
By the middle of September the
last of the summer visitors have TAX
en- their departure. As the winter
months approach the lake is less
tranquil. Day after day the waves
roll high without cessation; and to
the majority the beach seems to have
lost all attraction. Ordinarily the ice
commences to form in the lake about
the middle of December. From then
until it disappears in the spring, each
day is like turn ofthe kaleidoscope,
as there is hardly a day that does
not bring a change in the appear
ance of the lake.
In order to see the most a person is
obliged to visit the beach at all times
of the day, and in all sorts of weather
sometimes before breakfast. and
sometimes by moonlight, sometimes
through rain and often through the
deepest snow. 1t is not necessary for
him to expose himself to any very
great danger, but he must get near
enough the edge Of the ice to let the
freezing spray dash over him in Or
der to fully appreciate the situation.
During STILL cold weather the ice
does not form along thelshore to any
great extent, but let a fierce, cold
snowstorm come from the west and
it freezes very rapidly. 1t does not
form an even surface like the freeZ-
ing of stream, but the snow gathers
in balls of all sizes up to the size of
the large powders which soon freeze
together in one rough, solid mass. 1t
takes but a few hours for the ice to
reach the outer bar, fifteen or twenty
rods from the shore, there it's progress
is checked by the action of the waves
in the deeper water, and it commenc-
es to pile up, and at the same time
sink gradually to the bottom. Final
ly making rude wall with many pro-
montories from fifteen to twenty feet
in height. During q severe winter
they are much higher; sometimes ev-
en- forty or fifty feet in height.
For some time after the first ice
banks had formed the weather was
mild; then came the blizzard of the
last of January. When the storm
had abated there was no water in
sight. Even the mighty waves which
tseemed irresistible had been overt
come -bysthe frost and the snow. eAs
III the sinks into the silvery horizon
there Eappears to be an open space
directly towards it; but as there is
not the usual glaring reflection, one
is led to believe that it is only a
smooth place on the surface. The
beach seems like different place.
Everything in sight is motionless;
and with the exception of the cav of
lonely crow among the pines, not q
sound is heard. Then one would
think that this vast expanse of snow
and ice would become monotonous,
and 80 it would if it remained like
this very long. The next day no
change can be seen; but far away,
out of sight, the waves can be heard
breaking on the ice. The next night
the wind changes to the south, and
the ice breaks off in strips miles and
miles in length, and slowly travels
towards the north, leaving open
spaces which from the shore appear
like great canals. AS the wind moves
around to the east the ice near the
shore breaks up in large bodies. In
few days all the ice is out of sight,
excepting that which lines the shore,
guarded by the banks on the outer
bar. But it will return as it always
travels with the wind one day it may
be going north and the next day
south, sometimes hugging the shore,
sometimes out of sight.
With few days of thawing wealth.
er the banks begin to wear away un.
der the constant splashing and dash
ing of the waves. Should the wind
be high, then is when one can get a
good idea of the force and power oil
waves. Then is when one can stand
for hours and gaze into the the seeth.
ing mass, not minding the cutting
wind which would be keenly felt with
different surroundings A few days
later the banks are worn away to q
considerable extent. Their tops are
covered over with sand thrown ur
by the waves. Their beauty is gone
never to return. But a few days lat
er a bitter cold spell sets in, accom-
panied by strong west wind. The
L L .ririf aoE