The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-06-24
WALLED LAKES.
Mysterious Constructions Supposed to BE
Due to the Action of Ices

Mysterious Constructions Supposed to BE
Due to the Action of lee
When the western country was
first settled, the newcomers, unac-
customed to the glacial lakes of the
west, were astonished to find many
of them walled along parts of the
shore and some completely about
their borders. These walls are con-
structed of the powders so common
everywhere, laid dry or bedded with
earth, of more or less regularity,
with no regard to the size or shape
of the stones, except that they fit
well and are so placed as to main
tain their equilibrium-thatis, stand
firm. Several lakes are known whose
shores are thus walled all around
with the mechanical perfection be-
longing to the cyclopean period. The
walls generally have a slope from
the lake, and are banked up with
earth on the land side. This bank
frequently has trees growing on it.
All this is very wonderful and ex-
cited the keenest curiosity among
the early travellers. This curiosity
is not yet dead. Only recently it has
questioned the walls along part of
Elkhart lake, and the subject has got
into the local papers with a brief
proper explanation.
In early university days, when
the boys went in swimming instead
of bathing in Lake Mendoza, there
were certain large powders from
which they were wont to spring in
to the water. Some of these were
of tons weight, some projected
above the water and some were I'M
der. The place of every one was
known to the swimmers. 1t was
found the next season that they had
to be located over again, having
changed position during the winter.
Weight made no difference. They
all had to move. 1t was plain to see
that the ice did it, crowding them
shoreward whenever it could reach
them. But as the bank there was
steep, at the foot Of the bluff, they
slid or worked back more or less.
In places, however, they were piled
on the shore, as where University
drive comes to the beach.
When the Milwaukee and Water
town plank road was made, it skirt
ed Oconomowoc lake near what is
now Gifford's There was a lake
wall there of modest pretensions,
and this was made part of tho bank
holding the roadbed. The next sea-
son it was found the wall had been
showed under the roadbed so as to
tilt the plank away from the lake.
To boy of an inquiring turn of
mind the whole operation was plain.
The expansion of the ice had done it.
The bank there was sloping, quite
So 1t was easy for this great force
to slide the wall along. At Madison,
however much it might slide the
powders against the bluff, they fell
back into the water.
e Now, suppose the slope to be just
the right angle between these two
so that the force would lift the
stones by siding one under the 9th
er and yet not let them fall back.
You will have the conditions for
lake wall. The stones in this process
not rightly balanced will fall one
side or the other. Those balanced
will retain their places. Those fall
ing into the water will have to try
again until they are rightly placed
and remain. Meanwhile the whole
structure has been pushed back TN
til the force and resistance are equal
lied, making the bank of earth be-
hind, which in turn helps sustain
the wall. The water should shoal
slowly, SO as to bring many rocks
within reach of tt ice. Time, then,
only is necessary to build the wall,
and the operation will cease when
all the rocks have been worked into
the wall and the increased shoaling
provides friction enough to check
the ice. The wall then becomes per-
manent, and the forest covers the
strange work with it's glory. Mil
waukee Journal