The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-17
LAKE LEVELS
OF A CENTURY.
], 4sTAlr uPl1 pL-te
Z - nsso bs9na risgse onf
l.g.fufx@ N tAfal =. :.
Observations Made in III,
Waters of lake Michigan.
SOME PREDICTIONS ARE MADE.
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Differences tf About S.wn Feet Between
the Yeas 1893 and 1895. -Hsx
Rainfall May Effect.
SOME PREDICTIONS ARE MADE.

LAM oit1lilFdh flbrNN Anf ttHANIA WIN
it's water surface about i've feet below
highwater mark OF 1898. aud a foot higher
than low-watcr mark OF 1895
II the record OF the grades of water be-
tween 1890 and 1900 could be published
says the Milwaukee Sentinel. Il would
show a soven-foof range In Lake Michi-
gan between the extreme of high and low
water.
Experts are OF the opinion that the
high water Of lSSs viii never be seen
again; and perhaps not even the high
water of 1875. 1876. aud 1856.
They base their belief partly on the
amount OF water drawn of through tho
Chicago drainage canal. but principally
on the deepening of the rivers at Lime
nhn crossing n st. Clair river and St
Clair Lake, by the government in the In
terest OF better navigation.
The principal changes I'm the elevation
of the Lake surfaces are those due Co the
wind and TO rainfall The rise OF MJs
was the most remarkable In It's history.
the ordinary high stage In Lakes Michigan
and Huron anu eighteen inches In Erie
and Ontario.
csr,,,r, The loves. Es'er, known in n he e
Erie fell about three and ONE
halt feet below hs usual plane
u Is probable that Lake Michigan must
though there Is no record of IT,
WAS HIGHEST ON RECORD.
There Is no doubt that the water OF 1888
was the highest la modern times. Water
covered the Iaslian race track In the
Third ward aud tapped the blum at Fox
point. Three feet of water lay in the
spsnned by the bridge was an arm OF the
lake.
Forest trees OF century's s. growth
that hat Year Year. two Two Other Other eras g ff of high Water
are reported by tradition, the one In isi4-
-. the other I'm iTsS.
IL nearly certain that AT both these perl
ods the levels attained 10 somewhat near
the standard Of lsS s
In iSIi-i5 much land and many buildings
We're submerged on the Detroit and 81
Clair rivers.
Many statements Also bear upon the
fact of high-water. periods between, the
relates rs, on the authority of Col Henry
''As to low extremes IL seems well as
certained that the one of lsls-20 was the
lowest known prior 20 lsi1-the low de-
pression which exceeded the extreme ele-
yation OF 1888 Presumably II was the
old Frenchmen Of Detroit had no ira
qluon VI "A level below that OF 1919. State
inents regarding the stage OF the water
edged highest and lowest years
Inc water la 1895 was reported by lake
captains TO be universally low. and indi-
eatips level i've feet below the high ex-
treme of 1874 From that year they say,
y rose ,ss rapidly and continued to rise un-
Colonel CharIes whntlesey. in a Smith
sonian report. SAYS; lit was sscertained
generally that the water was low I'm 1890.
iissss iisasss iM' snd @ isl9 Between February;
rise, amoun,ing TO 6 feet $ inches.
SOME FEW PREnIcTIoN.
rold inhabitants agree that the
is,c ,I To lsoS. roads along the Detroit river fS
being completely Inundated and even rem
ssc tina, q ss i lSsl bsa the a.n river
the elevation Of 1Sl5, submerging wharVes
that had been built In the Interval. and
IL SO remained until 1880"
Oid settlers compare the low stage OF
lSt2 With that OF 1891 In 1896 n was re-
ported a. Cleveland lower than In fSel-2.
and de'lining regularly 10 is0s-lo
A. this date 1, was reported nearly as
low al Buffalo as in 1873. From 1928, IL
Nus failing and a. In 1898 was feet 10 inches
are depsndent upon the rainfall and
those changes IN their maxims and
ininima fail behind the rain extremes
that there will be high water In 1906 1915
ana 1877 or 1928. following wet periods in
lsea OF 1904, lslS-l4 and is4r5;
Low water is 10 he looked Tor in 1912 or
lsl2 and 1922, following dry periods OF
i9ta and 1880.
!, the lakes could he drained to the
sea level Lake Erie would disappear
Lake Huron wonld be reduced To quite
fnsignihcant dimensions, Lake Michigan
would be cut down 10 "A length OF obout
lO miles, with " width of 25 to 20 miles,
snd Chicago would be an inland town.
Lakes ontario and Superior although
with Diminished areas, would he the only
great lakes left.
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