Haupt ] 1^^ [Jan. 18, 



bors are the months of rivers, and exhibit in a very strilsing manner many 

 of the characteristics which you have described." 



Mr. Wisner has subsequently prepared a paper on this subject for the 

 use of the profession, which paper is published in the "Proceedings of 

 the Engineers' Club of Philadelphia" (1888), giving the practical applica- 

 tions of these phenomena to several of the lake ports. 



The application of the observed principles to the lakes becomes very 

 simple. As a lake contracts at its head (as at the west ^d of Lake Supe- 

 rior, the south end of Lake Michigan, the west ends of Erie and Ontario) 

 it may be regarded as a large bay with converging shores. The oscilla- 

 tions in midlake are reflected along these shores and broken into waves of 

 translation rolling towards the bight. Here, if there is any land drainage 

 entering the lake, there is an opposition between the drifts in these direc- 

 tions, and a precipitation of materials usually from both shores ensues, 

 forming long spits, as at Minnesota and Wisconsin Points, on Superior 

 bay, and at Chequegomegon spit on the bay of the same name. Similar 

 formation takes place from the same causes at Maumee bay, at the head 

 of Lake Erie, and at the end of Lake Ontario. Like movements in Lake 

 Huron drive the sands into the St. Clair river and thence into the enlarge- 

 ment known as Lake St. Clair, which was so shallow before improve- 

 ment, as to have been the controlling feature on the lower lake naviga- 

 tion. 



The same action at the head of Lake Michigan has, I believe, closed 

 the ancient southern outlet, via the Kankakee river, to the Illinois and 

 Mississippi, and is still at work closing the mouths of the streams at that 

 and other points and creating extensive deposits of sands. The same 

 eS'ects are to be found generally at the indentations of the shore line of 

 sandy formations. 



Prof. Hiero B. Herr writes from Chicago, under date of March 30, 1888, 

 that "our sand propelling currents are southward on the south half of 

 the shore and northward on the north half. This seems clearly proven 

 by the rapid accumulation of sand deposit on the north side of projecting 

 piers in the former case, and on the south side in the latter." 



From these numerous instances, therefore, it is believed to be a fact that 

 this shore component of the lake oscillation and "seiches," be they pro- 

 duced as they may, by wind or barometric disturbance, is the principal 

 agency in producing the characteristic forms found there, as on the alluvial 

 coast line. 



This brings us to the second branch of the Report of the Board, in 

 which they comment upon my practical deductions. 



The Board say : 



"The practical deductions drawn by Prof. Haupt from his theory are 

 illustrated by proposed plans of improvement at the harbors of New York, 

 Charleston and Galveston. They are all similar in character, consisting 



