Holbrook argus. (Holbrook, Ariz.) 1900-1913, 1901-10-05
is LAKE ERIE DRYING UPq
Startling Report Which Comes From a
Government Official.


Tradition has it that once upon a
ton obtained a footing on this CONT
nent, the bed of the Niagara River was
dry and the cliffs down which the
mighty waters have since plunged with
out cessation stood forth naked and
black and frowning and grim. The
phenomenon was explained on natural
grounds. The same thing may happen
again under similar circumstances,
though such an occurrence would at
tract more wondering visitors probably
than does the great cataract now as it
roars and surges and flashes in the sun
light from century to century. 1t must
suggest to most people a surprise of
hardly less degree to be informed that
Lake Erie is in danger of becoming so
shallow as to offer serious obstacles to
navigation. We can conceive of the
Niagara being damned at its source,
but few have ever dreamed that the
vast eXpanse of water which furnishes
1t its life current would ever perceptibly
shrink
That is the startling report, how
ever. that the chief engineer of the Ma
rine Department of Canada has just
made. He has returned to Ottawa from
tour of inspection of the upper lakes,
and states that Lake Erie is lower than
was ever known to be the case before.
This condition is due, he thinks, to a
series of dry seasons, to the drain
made by the power development works
at Niagara Falls and to the fact that
dredging the Tonawanda canal has
made it easier for water to escape from
the lake. He considers it imperative
that the United States government
| adopt remedial measures at an early
date, else navigation upon its present
basis will be seriously interfered with
He offers no suggestions as to what
remedies should be applied. The sea
sons are not likely to remain always
dry, thought when a body of water like
this great inland sea is appreciably af
| fected it is about the most startling
commentary yet noted upon the policy
Of stripping the country of it's rain
gatherers in the forests of the North
/ west. Lake Erie at best is one of the
shallowest of the great chain. There
are three divisions in its floor, increas
ing its depth toward its outlet. The
upper portion has a level floor witt
an average depth of about thirty feet
The middle portion, taking in the prin
cipal part of the lake, has a mean deptl
OF from sixty to seventy feet. Tht
lower portion varies from 60 to 240 feet
These measurements were taken
plicable to the reduced depth that ha.
been reported.
The area of the lake is $500 squar,
miles, or more by nearly fourth thai
that Of the State of Massachusetts,
But it drains only narrow margin O.
country around it and receives no riv
ers of Importance, the Maumee bein,
the largest ON the American side. 1t Il
more than 300 feet higher than LAX
Ontario. 1t is one of the most import
ant factors in our system of lake navi
cation, and furnishes business 70
many fiOurishing towns and cities TIL
present report concerning it may be
false alarm, a passing sensation
though we do not expect representa-
lions for the sake of sensation from
scientific gentlemen in government ser
vice. No harm can come from care
full investigation of the conditions, t
say the least--Boston Transcript