The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-03
A SINKING ISLAND.

Near the center of the South Manitou island is the bottomless lake. The in- habitants believe this lake is the crater of an extinct volcano, and from this therory has arisen the fear that the origin of the peculiar changes in the island was seismic. This lake is entire ly surrounded by dense woods and is almost two miles long. Like the harbor. its waters are as transparent as glass. It is mysterious body of water and resembles the one in the old crater of Mount Shasta, in California. It is not fed by streams or springs, al- though it's level has not lowered or risen perceptibly during the many long years the Hollander have lived on the island.
 No exact survey has ever been made by the government officials, but casual observation leads them to state that the level of the little body of water cor responds very closely to the level of Lake Michigan. From this 1t is infer red that there is subterrariean con- meeting channel. The Hollanders argue that this does not solve the problem re- garding the depth of the water. Sound ings have utterly tailed to determine it's depth. Even very close to the rim of the supposed crater the water is a great many fathorns deep. Again in the small lake there are species of fish not found in the big body of water The mysterious pool yields up black bass weighing as much as six and half pounds. On the other hand, few of the fish found in Lake Michigan are ever caught in the deep hole in the island.
 The first Indication that the island was in danger of disappearing appear ed a month ago. At that time 1t was discovered that the shoal sands extend- ing two miles out from the western point of the crescent were covered to a greater depth than formerly. Lines let down near some of the buoys showed a like change. This was not regarded as being unusual. for the waves are con- stantly shifting the sands deposits. About two weeks ago, however, the beach near the lighthouse appeared to be slightly changed. The water had crept further around the boathouse at the live-saving station. Lines let down from a tugboat showed the water to be nealy twenty feet deep. The following night the boat house was swallowed up With it long strip of the beach dis appeared.
 Next morning the water was still as clear as on the day before. Many said that the beach had slipped into the lake but others pointed out that had that been the case the clay and sand would be mixed with the water. A hurried trip was made to the lake. The investi- gators believed they would find the wa ter gone. and only an abyssmal pit re- maining The lake however, was as placid as ever and a number of Hol- flanders, who had been fishing since day. light, declared they had noiced no pe- culiar phenomenon. The entire popula ton of the island then fiocked to the beach. The members of the life saving crew and the lighthouse tender ex- pressed the belief that the entire point would soon be dispatched a boat to Sleeping Bear Point. on the mainland of the lower peninsula of Michigan, and asked Captain Lafberg to visit South Manitou.
 Captain I4afberg, who is we'll versed in nautical affairs, was greatly alarmed over the change he saw in the beach. He warned the people to leave the is-. land at moments notice. The Hol- anders laughed at him. They have al. ways lived on the island in perfect se- curity, and secuted the idea that the high sand hills would ever be sub merged. They were told that many oceanic islets had disappeared suddenly and in manner that defied explana- tion. As soon as he returned to Sleep ing Bear Point Captain Lafberg sent word to Washington that in his opinion a great disaster was in store for South Manitou Island. He said that the wa. ter at points about the land had in creased in depth from three to forty feet, and that the bed of the lake was greatly changed. .-C Chicago Inter-O Ocean.