The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-15
WARNING TO CHICAGO.
When niagara Dries Up the Lake City
VIII Be Flooded.
London Standard.

London Standard
Prof. G.. K Gilbert who has for some
years maintained that the level of the great
lakes of America is slowly altering. has
just reverted to the subject in greater de-
tail. He states that the region is turn
ing upon axis. the land rising on one
side and sinking on the other; on the one
hand the shore. TO say, encroaches upon
the lake. on the other the water upon the
trated by filing saucer nearly full of water
and then giving Ii gentle tilt. The fluid
falls on one side and rises on the other.
until at last 1t overfiows This axis runs
dagorally across the region. On Lake On
tario the land about the village of that
name is sinking: at HAMILTON, on the west
ian bay. it is also rising. but in the south
western part of the lake and a the south
ern end of Michigan the contrary move
ent is IN 6d SSg ber sel S
il, in about five centuries, with the fate
which, according to Moore. has befallen the
subject has for several years engaged the
attention Of men of science In the United
States and Canada: there is. indeed. no
more interesting, chapter in geology than
America.
Professor Spencer. in paper read eight
years ago to the Geological Society of Lon
don. described the original condition of the
river basin of the st. Lawrence. Soundings
in Lake Michigan have proved that. were 1t
dry. il would be divided by a central ridge
into two valleys-the northern communicat-
ing with the basin of Huron along the line
still followed by the water; the southern
draining along, dried channel into Sagi-
nav bay. on the southwest side of Huron.
The two streams ultimately united on the
dry bed of that lake and then passed out
tS Lake Ontario @ M not sy Erie bs and and
through another buried channel which en-
tered the lake a little east of Toronto. In
those days, of course, the falls did not ex-
ist and even after the subsistence Of the
land about the upper waters of the st. Law
renee had formed the lakes. Erie did not a
first send its waters northward from its
eastern end to Ontario. but was drained by
a river flowing southwark to the Mssis-
sippi The formation of Niagara was the
result of later movements. as both Profess
sors Gilbert and Spencer have pointed out
which did not even then cease. At various
places around the shores of the lake lines
of terraces can still be recognized, which
were fretted on the slopes when the waters
stood at higher levels.
These terraces are not at uniform heights
above the present surface, and, therefore,
prove that process of "warping' has
been going on, or. in other words. that the
upward movement has been unequal. For
some little time ii has been known that
movement was still in progress, and we
now learn that in some places. roughly
speaking. toward the southwest part of the
area, it is in downward direction. This
also is not without precedent One of the
Baltic. The southern part of Sweden. the
district called Scania. is slowly sinking
the eAact rate. -periapS, Is not yet quite
certain, but about Malmo IL probably ex-
ceeds yard in century In the more
northern parts. however. the land has GER
tainly risen during very late geological
times, and is believed TO be still on the
move. OF course if this fitting in the lake
region continues, Erie will be once more cut
off from Ontario. If not from Huron: it
and Michigan will discharge their waters
southward to the basin of the Mississippi
The drying-up Of Niagara and the flooding
of Chicago will be serious matters, but we
may console ourselves with the reflection
that neither will happen for many a long
year. and that when the time comes.
American ingenuity will be equal to the
emergency.