1893-94.] THE FLUCTUATIONS OF LAKE ONTARIO. 41 



tablishing a forestry branch, in connection with the Crown Lands De- 

 partment, to induce farmers to plant trees, partly to replace the whole- 

 sale destruction of the forests, which has been continued for over a 

 century, and the annual reports indicate that some progress has been 

 made in this most important and urgent matter, affecting as it does the 

 prosperity and welfare of the province. 



The establishment of the Algonquin Park by the Ontario Government 

 last year, the Banff Park by the Dominion Government, and the Adiron- 

 dack and Yellowstone Parks in the United States, are indications of the 

 interest that is now taken in this matter by the Ontario, Dominion, and 

 United States Governments. I am not aware that the United States 

 Government has taken any steps to second the efforts of the Ontario 

 Government to rectify the evil effects of the destruction of the forests, by 

 means of planting, etc. It would be interesting to know what the 

 average rain and snowfalls were in the beginning of the present century 

 as compared with the present average; the records would probably show 

 a difference of six inches. 



The diminution of the average mean water level of Lake Ontario, 

 three inches in 15 years, affects the shipping interests, as there is so 

 much less depth of water in the harbours round the lake, a constant 

 source of complaint. The chart prepared by Mr. Crosman, of Milwaukee, 

 shows the fluctuations of the great lakes from 1859 to 1887. The chart 

 showing the records of the rise and fall of Lake Ontario is copied from 

 the original in the Harbour Commissioner's office, Toronto; also the 

 annual and weekly records from 1854 to 1893. 



The records of extraordinary fluctuations are limited to four instances, 

 though several have been noticed, two of which were observed at 

 Oswego in 1872 and 1873, by officers in charge of the United States 

 survey of the lakes, and two at the Queen's wharf, Toronto, one on the 

 24th of April, 1878, and one on the 17th of April, 1880. The records are 

 as follows : — "On the 13th of June, 1872, at Oswego, between 2 and 3 

 p.m., the water suddenly rose one foot in ten minutes, and afterwards 

 continued to rise and fall until 7 o'clock, the barometer falling nearly all 

 the time. At ten minutes past 3 a white squall and water spout passed 

 about one and a half miles to the north-west and moving west. At 

 Olcott, 112 miles west of Oswego, the people reported having seen an 

 immense sea serpent lashing the waves, which was presumed to be the 

 water spout before noted." Again at Oswego on the 19th of July, 1873, 

 it was observed: — "At 3 o'clock the barometer had fallen .05, the water 

 to 2^*^ feet, and the thermometer was 76°; at 5 p.m. the water suddenly 

 rose to 3y%, it was found that the barometer had fallen .07, the wind had 



