The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-01-04
History Of Ages Read In Wa
tiers Of Dying Lake, Univer.
sity Of Montana Chancellor
Tells Scientists Assembled
at Spokane, WASH, For Con.
ventiOn

Spokane WaSn.s Jan. 4.-tHJ--lr
the waters Of q dying lake is read
the history Of ages, DR.. NJ. A.
BrannonS chancellor Of the Univers-
itA of Montana, told scientists at the
Northwest Scientific Association to.
day.
Going into some detail in explain.
alton of experiments at Devils Lake,
North Dakota. DR.. Brannon said, 1T
Is obvious to the plant and animal
Psychologists that biological studies
in the waters Of . dying lake afford
conditions not only for studying the
interesting adjustments within the
cells OF organism experimental with
but there also IL afforded Z remark
able opportunity for Investigation Of
all kinds Of cellular biology"
While DR.. Brannon reminded his
hearers that general conclusions can
not be drawn from Q few isolated ex-
periments, he is still convinced, he
said, "tha- the rich and rare oppor-
tunities for the study Of the physiol-
ogy Of multicellular organisms, q
study even Of such reconcile subjects
as ductless glands and internal Sc
cretions in multicellular organisms
are all Of them illustrated or may be
liz, minated by . study Of the unicel-
lLlar and muticellu1ar organisms
' Inch inhabit the waters Of . dying
lake, prior to the time when the
higher plant and animal life van.
ished, because OF over-concentrated
solutes in the vater."
Observers Differ
"The causal observer" DR.. Bran
non said, considers a lake, a river
and an ocean as definite and perma-
nent water exhibits. He recognizes
that ponds, that creeks, that sloughs
vary in their water content, and fire.
quently lose Ill Of their water and
only . dry basin or trough remains.
The reason hat the casual observer
thinks Of larger bodies Of water as
nermanent is due to the fact that
his own LIFE cycle is short compared
with the life cycle Of lakes and
rivers OF considerable magnitude,
and it is infin:tesimally small when
compared with the life cycle Of an
ocean.
"The scientific observer has m en-
tirely different appreciation Of wa
ter relations. He knows that every
body Of water on the surface Of the
earth will disappear and that life
itself will become extinct. A scien-
tific observer recognizes all salt de-
posts to be merely monuments,
deeply buried at times, it is true,
but monuments, nevertheless. Of
great bodies Of water which have
gradually evaporated and left their
saline content, largely sodium chlor-
de. for future use Of exploring man
kind"
Devils Lake, DR.. Brannon ex-
planned, is IN a glacial drift region.
Its water supply comes from IN in.
and drainage basin. It has no out
let other than that afforded BY evap-
grafton. which is very high in the
J MINER months. Its shore line shows
> steady recession for nearly 40
years, and its specific gravity has
now reached a point where the wa
Ter contains / 1-2 per cent Of the
salts Of lime and magnesium, chiefly
IN the form Of carbonates and sui.
ohates.
Lake Level Falls Is Feet
"Our 1922 records now show"
.aid DR.. Brannon, "that the level Of
The lake has fallen about 10 feet
since June, 1883, the reading at pres
mt being 1.421 feet above sea level.
It is not to be inferred that
the 19-foot lowering Of the surface
has been q constant progressing
progress. Some years the loss was
through the heated summer months
aid was restored by the melting
SHOWS and spring rains. In some
cases the low levels have been re-
placed by higher stages lasting for
Dne or more seasons. The phys
ical and chemical changes in Devils
Lake are apparently going forward
quite rapidly at this time."
Prior to 1889, the speaker lex.
planned, the waters Of the lake had
been populated with vast numbers
pf Great Northern pike. Authentic
reports state that these fish were
taken sout in carload lots by those
who speared them through the ice.
For some reasons unknown to the
layman, these food fishes which ap-
peared in actual shoals during the
years preceding 1889, suddenly van
lshed. The cause. DR.. Brannon said.
was the fact that the level of the
lake had fallen below tho level Of
the coulee connecting It with sweet