1903-4. | THe FLuctuaTions OF LAKE ONTARIO. 3 
Mary’s River, 86,000 cubic feet per second ; Lakes Michigan and?Huron, 
at Saint Clair River, 225,000 cubic feet per second; LakegErie, at 
Niagara, 265,000 cubic feet per second; Lake Ontario, at Saint Law- 
rence River, 300,000 cubic feet per second. It is well understood that 
the principal factors on which the stage of water in the great lakes de- 
' pends, are the rain and snowfalls, the evaporation, and winter tempera- 
ture; the rain and snowfalls furnish the supply, the evaporation with- 
draws a part before it reaches the mouths of the streams and forms the 
surfaces of the lakes ; a severe and continued cold winter preventing the 
melting of the snow will raise the summer stage at the expense of the 
winter stage. 
The following is a detailed statement of the rain and snowfalls from 
1854 to 1903, and the highest and lowest water on Lake Ontario :— 
Rain and Snowfall 
Highest Water. Lowest Water. Remarks, 
—Inches. 
1854 32.715 June 21st..26% Dec. 29th. .6 Great fall. 
1855 41.550 Aug. 7th. .2934 April 2nd. .1 Water rising. 
1856 27.055 June 11th. .32% Dec. 15th..4% Water falling. 
1857 40.795 July 27th. .43% Jan. 20th..1% Great rise. 
1858 32.591 July 13th. .4q4 Nov. 3oth..17% Water Steady. 
1859 39.764 May 31st 43 Nov. 14th..12% Great fall. 
1860 29.994 July 8th. .24% Nov. 24th. .11 Rise and fall equal. 
1861 34-475 June 5th. .39 Jan. 30th..9 Great rise. 
1862 34.009 May 21st..43% Dec. 19th 8 Great fall. 
1863 32-775 May 16th..34% Dec. 15th..8 Great fall. 
1864 36.946 June 5th..35% Feb. 15th..4 Great rise. 
1865 32-929 May igth..30 Dec. 27th..zero Great fall. 
1866 39-429 June 18th. .20 Feb. 15th—7 ‘Water even. 
1867 30. 091 Juné 17th. .38 Dec. 26th—5 Great fall. 
1868 34.278 July 1st..17 Feb. 6th — 12 Low water. 
1869 39.642 July 28th. .27 Feb. 5th—2 Water rising. 
1870 46.188 May 6th. .47 Dec. 29th..12 Highest water. 
1871 32-731 May 4th. .26 Dec. z9th-6% Great fall. 
1872 25-338 June 22nd..34% March 19th-16% Lowest water. 
1873 31.612 May 26th. .23 Jan. oth—15 Great rise. 
1874 24.344. June 11th. .29 Dec. 3oth—5 Fall at end of year. 
1875 29.730 June 24th. 12 Feb. 17th—15 Very steady. 
1876 32.405 July 5th 41 Jan. roth —2 Great rise. 
1877 25.615 April 28th. .18% Nov. 18th—-1% Low water. 
1878 48.490 Dec. 14th. .25 Jan. 5th-1 High water. 
1879 29.365 Jan. ist..22 Oct. 3oth-6% Gradual fall. 
1880 35-322 June 4th..19 Dec. 30th — 7 Rise and fall equal. 
1881 26.858 July 8th..15 Dec. 7th—7 Rise and fall equal. 
1882 24.837 June zoth..29% Janwiardi 13 Rise and fall equal. 
1883 34-134 July 16th. .36 Jan. 21st—2 Rise and fall equal. 
1884 28.552 May 22nd..4o0 Nov. 24th..9 High water. 
1885 32-911 Aug. 3rd. .34 March roth. .4 High water. 
