78 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



all comes from the Northern lakes. A hundred facts are at hand 

 which prove the contrary, even in the vicinity of the lakes. Among 

 these are the magnetic wells at Three Rivers and other places in 

 Michigan and other States. Certainly, Chautauqua, in New York, 

 which has been shown to be but a large overflowing spring, does not 

 draw its supply from these lakes, as its surface is many feet above 

 even that of Superior, the highest of the four Northern lakes. 



At different times irregular tidal influences have been observed on 

 these lakes, an example of which is given in this news-note printed in 

 the " Springfield Republican," June 26, 1876 : " The water in the 

 canal at Sault Ste. -Marie, Michigan, began rising about ten o'clock Fri- 

 day morning without any apparent cause, and reached a greater height 

 than has been known for many years. Its variation was four feet nine 

 inches in one hour and twenty minutes." All this without apparent 

 cause. Continuous western winds would have been an " apparent 

 cause," but this did not exist. This and other irregular tidal influ- 

 ences on these lakes are in harmony with the supposed internal force 

 for which we seek. 



The following is also well authenticated : " Silver Springs, one of 

 Florida's curiosities, is a subterranean river bubbling up into a basin 

 nearly 100 feet deep and an acre in extent, which sends out a stream 

 60 to 100 feet wide to the Ocklawaha River six miles distant. To this 

 natural inland port I'un three streams from St. John's, and in the basin 

 the fish and everything on the bottom can be seen through the crystal 

 waters." Here is a case for which no adequate cause recognized by 

 scientists can with certainty account. A singular case occurs on the 

 shore of the Gulf of Mexico, opposite the town of Alvarado. A ridge 

 of sand has formed on the beach by the action of the wind. It is 

 Avithin memory that, before this ridge formation, " a fresh-water spring- 

 was known to exist at its northern extremity, which was then but a 

 few feet in height. The spring is there still, though the ridge is 

 twenty feet in height, the water rising to the top of the ridge." 



But instances need not be multiplied. The ordinary observer will 

 recall the common fact that the highest land is universally best sup- 

 plied with flowing springs, and that these overflows can not be ac- 

 counted for on the supposition of the fall of waters from higher grounds, 

 since such higher grounds do not adequately exist. " The cataract issu- 

 ing from the Himalayas, or as it is sometimes called Roodroo, is the 

 source of the river Jumna — a rapid and lai-ge river ; and in fact, many 

 of the largest rivers of the world proceed immediately from moun- 

 tains and lakes that are formed from cataracts." Thus the Ganges, 

 Nile, Indus, Senegal, Rhine, Rhone, Vistula, Elbe, Loire, Guadiana, Po, 

 Adige, Swale, Tay, Severn, Don, Monongahela, Platte, Missouri, and 

 numerous others have their sources directly in mountains, and many 

 of these " receive no increase from tributary streams, but issue with 

 such astonishinir abundance from rocks as to overflow and fertilize the 



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