Nelson W. Green

“ The intensity of the centrifugal force will increase with the distance from the center of the earth, while gravity will decrease; the resultant will also increase. Thus, we find the strongest and most abundant overflows at the tops of mountains or on high plateaus. But suppose it had been fully proved that a particular overflowing spring was caused by hydrostatic pressure, it would still remain to be accounted for how the water got to that higher point. ”

“ The resultant of the earth's centripetal and centrifugal forces acts impulsively upon the subterranean water-deposits, and tends to force them into and through the natural channels of the earth's crust. ”

“ SINCE water tends to find a level, we infer that flowing water is acting in harmony with this natural law, unless it be put in motion by some equivalent force. The overflowing of wells and springs has hitherto been accounted for by scientists only upon the supposed existence of hydrostatic pressure. ”

“ It certainly must be a matter of "surprise" to most people that, while the rain-water rarely sank deeper than three feet into the soil, it could yet influence the water-supply to be drawn from deep wells in the earth, so much as to draw upon the water-supply of the river Coin, which like that of all rivers is more or less dependent upon surface influences in addition to overflowing springs. ”

“ The ordinary observer will recall the common fact that the highest land is universally best supplied with flowing springs, and that these overflows can not be accounted for on the supposition of the fall of waters from higher grounds, since such higher grounds do not adequately exist. "The cataract issuing from the Himalayas, or as it is sometimes called Roodroo, is the source of the river Jumna—a rapid and large river; and in fact, many of the largest rivers of the world proceed immediately from mountains and lakes that are formed from cataracts." ”

“ Wells Slink to a greater depth through stratified rocks often afford large supplies, but rarely rise to the surface; and in cases where they do so they are called artesian wells, from the circumstance of such artificial flowing wells being common in Artois (France) . In all these cases [among which the Professor included the flowing wells at Grenelle, near Paris] the water was forced up by hydrostatic pressure to various distances from the surface. At Brentford, England, there were many wells that continually overflowed their orifice, which is a few feet only above the Thames. ”

“ Within sight of the main road which crosses the summit dividing the waters of the Alleghany River from those running into the Genesee is to be seen a cluster of abundant streams which unite and cross the highway—a noisy torrent—rejoicing in being among the head-waters of the latter river, and the brightest product of overflowing springs. ”

“ But, of course, it must be understood that this would not happen if the body of water supposed were an isolated one and completely unconnected with other bodies of water through channels and intercommunications known to exist in the various ramifications of the earth's surface. The subterranean water circulation which interpenetrates the crust of the earth is clearly caused by the centripetal and centrifugal forces of nature, reënforced no doubt often by differences in temperature and other minor causes. ”

“ The overflow will be continued and upward until the resultant is overcome by friction. The lengthening of the channel of overflow, as in the spring at Alvarado, furnishes a corroborating instance of how this law of overflow operates. The spring was originally on the level of the shore until the sand drifted by degrees and formed a ridge twenty feet high, but the water appeared at the top of the ridge. ”

“ But, while the volume of these great rivers is sensibly affected by the rain and the want of it, they continue to flow within their banks, subject to loss by absorption and evaporation—great and navigable rivers, throughout the longest dry season; and the Nile has no tributaries for five hundred miles of its course.
And, lastly, from the highest mountains in the world—the Himalayas—out of their highest points, great cataracts and streams have poured and still do pour, with an abundance that not only is astonishing, but that would exhaust any possible reservoirs at their extreme tops. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Whether the Great Lakes are the true reservoirs from which our Northern wells, springs, and subterranean streams receive their constant supply of water, is a question of sufficient interest and significance to merit a thoughtful consideration. ”

“ But the subterranean supply is known to be constant, and has always been so. But Mr. Howell supposes this vast surplus in Ontario to come through a subterranean channel, connecting it with Superior. And here, again, we must thank Mr. Howell for his facts. The surface of Superior is, he says, 600 feet above the sea, and Ontario but 235 above. Therefore, the difference of level between the two is 365 feet. If this channel exists as supposed, the surfaces of these lakes would find a common level, instead of a difference of 365 feet! ”

“ Carry this on until a flow is secured from the highest land on the earth, and then whence comes the flow to supply that? The mere statement of the case proves the existence of some force in nature other than hydrostatic pressure by which these vast bodies of water are driven to the surface. This hydrostatic pressure Professor Buckland thus illustrates and explains: "The portions of a water-logged, porous bed between two beds of clay may be illustrated by a tea-saucer placed within another tea-saucer, and having the narrow space between filled with sand and water. ”

“ Continuous western winds would have been an "apparent cause," but this did not exist. This and other irregular tidal influences on these lakes are in harmony with the supposed internal force for which we seek. ”

“ The data upon which the advocates of this theory found their conclusions are manifold and forcible, and, though there may be breaks in the line of evidence, the facts as now established would seem to favor the views which the author of this paper now proposes to define and defend." While Mr. Howell presents strong evidence of a possible underflow from Superior southward, he has hardly claimed that the general supply of the "Northern wells, springs, and subterranean streams," all comes from the Northern lakes. ”