The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1914-02-25
TheCreat Lakes.

So long as the Great Lakes exist, the
United States of America need not wor-
~ about its supply of drinking water.
No nation in the world is SO lavishly
supplied with pare, fresh water. And
yet, in every great city which borders
on these remarkable lakes, men can be
seen rushing by thousands to Stake their
thirst with something else.
The Great Lakes are five in number
and can be drunk with impuni y, with
out being boiled They form the larg
est connection of unsalted water in the
wo Id, and all of Eng land could DO put
10 soak in them. From the western end
of Lake Superior, adventures can sail
almost 800 miles before Lake Ontario
dwindles into the ST. Lawrence river.
Much caution must be observed in dc
| ing this, for three reasons. In the first
place. Lake Superior falls all over itself
getting into Lake Huron; in the second
| place, Lake Erie, after flowing gently
past Buffalo, suddenly drops 100 feet at
Niagara, with a tremendous conclusion.
/ In The third place, The Great Lakes,
when irritated, take great delight in pill
ing the most ponderous vessels bottom
up on top of eachother along its shores.
The Great Lakes would only make a lit
tie patch of weiness in the ocean, but
they have way OF standing ship on
its extreme end and of promoting sea-
sickness in all of its forms, which even
the oct an cannot surpass.
The Great Lakes form wide and
generally ample boundary between the
United States and Canada and the two
governments have improved the rough
spots in them with canals. Because Of
this, the Lakes now resemble a torch
light procession in the busy season, and
more vessels pass Detroit than will ever
go through the Panama Canal Owing
TO the low freight Iates, good fishing and
cool summer breezes, enormous cities
have grown up along the Great Lakes,
including Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit,
Milwaukee, Buffalo. Toledo, Toronto
and Duluth. TLese cities now haye al
most 5000 900 population, but 100 years
ago there weren't enough people in all
of them together 10 influence a ward
cauc US in The slightest degree.
Lake Superior is the largest Of the
Great Lakes. IL has 20. 90 square miles,
is 900 feet deep and is so cold that steam
heat is handy all summer around its
shore
Lake Michigan is a long, deep body of
water, which is being borrowed by Chr
cage Tor the purpose OF flushing Its sew
er system and now flows iuto the Gull of
Mexico as well as into the Gulf of ST.
Lawrence. Lake Michigan is almost en-
llrely surrounded with summer cottages
and Is the largest cath tub IN the world,
the oceans excepted.
Lake Huron is shaped like a puddle of
ink and serves 10 protect Mich gan $
peach orchards from The northeast
storms
Lake Erie Is AS shallow as a society
preacher, is lined with steel mills and
contains the largest fresh water steamer
in captivity.
Lake Ontario has a pronounced Can
adian accent along its northern shUr S
and is the only one OF the five not in
tested with ore buaIs.
| The Great Lakes freeze up in winter,
both III their native element and In the
plumbing OF a million homes, but In the
summer they are beautiful as they are
useful, and the North Central States
would be dull and undressing without
them Geo. Matthew Adams