Year: 1871

From the Duluth Minnesotian.1


The ship canal which the city of
Duluth Is constructing across Minne-
sofa Point, to make a direct and safe
entrance from Lake Superior into the
inside or bay harbor, is likely by its
progressive exhibition of facts, to con-
found all the theories as to its effects on
currents and entries that have hereto
fore been laid down by both friends and
foes. For the last two weeks, what is
called the " Lttoral Current of the
Lake. or the shore wash from the
northeast down the north shore, has
under the continued prevalence of
winds from the northeast, rushed two
thirds of The time into the bay, through
this aperture as though that being
the first opening that presented itself in
this littoral' course, it made haste to
seize the opportunity to swell the
waters of the inside pond to its own
level; aud then, abradng the inside
shore hne of Minnesota Point, it has
gone to reinforce the currents Of the
st. Louis aud Left Hand rivers-the
practical effect on the entry being to
deepen It's channel two feet. with cor
responding increase Of depth on the bar
at the end Of the unfinished canal, as
actual soundings show. Under this
known condition Of things, as to effect
OF The canals construction thus far, it
is not surprising that even our friends
of Superior City are III state Of bewil-
derment whether the proposed dyke
across the bay will not be a dire injury,
aud whether the canal. by allowing the
" Littorai Lake Current TO make
circuit through the canal aud out at the
entry, is not to prove their greatest
blessing


This moraing another phenomena OF
currents through the canal was wit
uessed--oue that has astonished the
Oldest settlers aud the hundreds Of all
ranks who gathered down tbs point TO
view it, Between g and ] o'clock this
morning, sort Of tidal wave, more
than two feet high, suddenly broke in
from the Lake into the canal, sweeping
away the floating or scow bridge at
Lake Avenue, aud the north pier work
or approach thereto, breaking the unan-
chored cribs away from their moorings
at the bay entrance to the canal, and
scattering the floating timber RATS into
the bay in every direction. The cur
rent ran in at the rate Of twelve or if>
teen miles an hour, for over half an
hour; then it Turned aud ran out with
velocity for about twenty minutes,
carving timbers and cribs out to sea;
then it turned aud ran in again with
nearly as great impetus for another
half hour, bringing the debris i'll again;
and so it has oscillated all the morning
to and fro Communications between
the two ends Of The Point are practi-
calIy suspended. as no one can cross.
except only in the short passes where
the current is on the turn. The reason
why the tide seems to rnn in little
longer than out Of the canal, is conjec-
tured to be that portion of the volume
of water finds its outlet by St. Louis
entry.


This phenomena is variously theo>
rzed on as to its cause. Last night
there was tremendous rain storm, with
lightning fireworks, but little or no
thunder, the rain coming down in per-
pendicular torrents part of the time;
then wind from every poin; of the com
pass nature in sort of chaos. Under
the operation of these elements, and
probably of a tremendous north>easter
down the lake, pressing the volume of
the lakes waters to this end, the so,
called tidal-wave has occurred We
await, with some curiosity, to hear of
this storm from further East.