Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-01-10
A SINKING ISLAND.
10 OF Considerable Size and Has an I'm
latham hla


fashionable Lake.
Near the centre of the South Manitou
Island Is the bottomless lake. The IN
habitants believe this lake Is the era.
ter Of mn extinct volcano, and from this
theory has arisen the fear that the orr.
gin of the peculiar changes in the isl.
and was seismic. This lake Is entirely
surrounded Ivy dense woods. and Is al.
most two miles long. Like the harbor,
its waters IRE as transparent as glass.
II is a mysterious body of water, and
resembles the one in the old crater of
Mt. Shasta. in California. 1t is not
fed by streams or springs, although its
level has not lowered or risen percep-
tibly during the many long years the
Hollanders have lived OH the island.
No exact survey has ever been made
Ivy the Government officials, but casual
observation leads them to state that
the level Of the little body of water
corresponds very closely to the level OF
Lake Michigan. From this it is in
ferred that there is a subterranean con.
h'NtihS ihc
que that this does not solve the prob
lem regarding the depth of the water.
Soundings have utterly failed to deter
mine its depths. Even very close to the
rim of the supposed crater the water
is great many fathoms 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 One-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 APP
peared month ago. At that time it
was discovered that the shOal sands eX-
tending two miles out from the west
ern point Of the crescent were covered
to n greater depth than formerly. Lines
let down near some of the buoys
showed like change. This was not
regarded as being unusual. for the
waves are constantly shifting the sand
deposits.
About two weeks ago, however, the
beach near the light house appeared to
be slightly changed. The water had
crept farther around the boat house ut
the life-saving station. Lines let down
from tugbOat showed the water to
be nearly twenty feet deep. The fol-
lowing night the boat house was swal-
lowed up. With it long strip Of the
beach disappeared.
Next morning the water was still as
clear rs OH 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 \
hurried trip was made to the lake
The investigators believed they would
find the water gone. and only an abyss
mai pit remaining. The lake, however.
was rs placid as ever. and Il number of
IIOllanders. who had been fishing since
daylight, declared they had noticed no
peculiar phenomenon.
III, entire population of the island
thea fGckcd TO the beach. The men,
hcrS Of the lifc-Saving crew and the
ligh, house tender expressed the belief
that the entire point would soon he
completely submerged. The islanders
dispatched Il boat to Sleeping Bear
Point on the mainland of the lower
peninsula of Michigan, and asked Cap
tain Lafberg to visit South Mantou.
CaDtain Infburg, 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 island ut moments notice. The
Hollanders laughed at him. They have
always lived on the island in perfect
security, and secuted the idea that the
high sand hills would ever be sub
merged. They were told that many
oceanic islets had disappeared sudden
ly and in Il manner that deficd cXplana-
ton.
AS soon as he returned to Sleeping
Bear Point Captain Lafburg sent word
TO Washington that in his opinion a
great disaster was in store for South
Manitou Island. He said that the
water at points about the land had in
creased IN depth from three to thirty
feet and that the bed Of the lake was
greatly changed. Chicago Inter-OcCaD.