Box 4, Folder 3: Typewritten Letters 1866-1870

1118 -1278-

1867.

Holland Akron Co. Michigan, March 25, 1867.

Dr. I.A. Lapham,

Respected Friend,--

*** I understand from Mr. J.C. Brayton that you had made out Isotherms of Wisconsin. I should feel much obliged if you would supply me with a copy in order to prosecute my studies for Michigan.***

Another thing I should like to have some information on is evaporation and precipitation, how do you conduct your experiments? Having seen in a report to the Legislature of our state that you had made such experiments I concluded to write you about it to gain some information.***

What was the lowest temperature of Dec. Jan. and Feb. last at Milwaukee?***

Respectfully yours, friend,

L.H. Streng.

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Notes. The following figures show how much the waters of Lake Michigan temper the cold westerly winds of winter while passing over its surface from Milwaukee to Holland, Mich, a point nearly opposite.

In December at 7 A.M. 20.64, Holland 23.80 2 P.M. 25.55, Holland 31.82 9 P.M. 23.39, Holland 25.84 Mean of month--23.19, Holland 27.01

1119 -1279-

1867.

Milwaukee:

In February at 7 A.M., 13.10, Holland 16.87 2 P.M, 21.23, Holland 28.16 9 P.M., 18.07, Holland 23.03 Mean of month, 17.50, Holland 22.68

In February 7 A.M., 23.61, Holland 28.14 2 P.M., 31.64, Holland 37.46 9 P.M., 26.96, Holland 29.85

Mean of the three months-22.70, Holland 31.82 Average difference between the two sides-4.53

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Milwaukee April 2nd, 1867.

Dear Sir,--

Referring to my former letter on the subject I now respectfully return the Commission that you by authority of the Legislature, did me the honor to send, as a Commissioner to represent the state of Wisconsin at the Universal Exposition to be held this year in Paris, France, with my sincere thanks for the honor and my regrets that circumstances prevent me from accepting the same and performing the duties contemplated.

Very respectfully,

I.A. Lapham.

To His Excellency Lucius Fairchild Gov. of Wis.

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1120 -1280-

1867.

Madison, April 3rd, 1867.

Hon. I.A. Lapham, Milwaukee, Wis.

Sir,-

I am directed by Governor Fairchild to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of April 2nd.***And to express to you his sincere regret that any circumstances should have made such action necessary, thereby depriving the State of a Representative in every way well calculated to render inestimable service on such an occasion.

I am, Sir, very respectfully,

Your obedient servt. John C. Spooner, Pr. Sec'y.

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Milwaukee, April 8th, 1867.

My dear Son,--

The "Mail man" brought us your letter from Sparta Wis. this morning and soon afterwards the express man brought the woods collected at that place.

The Cedar looks like a pine. Is it not a pine with long slender, threadlike leaves? White pine, or shorter leaved scrub pine.

The moss you send was not a moss but a lichen, called Usnea, it is quite common throughout the wooded districts of the country.***

Yours truly, I.A. Lapham.

Henry Lapham.

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-1281-/1121

1867.

July 23. Men at work rebuilding the east end of the dam that broke away April 19th. Water so low that it runs up stream through the break in the dam when the river is rising. Measured the flow of water at a point a little above the remains of the old saw mill dam of 1836.**** Milwaukee river is reduced to a small stream in this dry time.

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1122 -1262-

1867.

On the Supposed Subterranean Sources of the Waters of the Great Lakes. By I.A. Lapham L.L.D. of Milwaukee, Wis.

-o-

Many crude notions exist among ignorant and partially informed persons in regard to the nature, and extent of underground streams of water, some supposing the earth to be full of them; large rivers thus flowing into lakes beneath the surface or rising in the bottom of the sea.

That there are underground streams no one can deny, it is quite true that the upper crust of the earth is almost every where permeated with water, yet streams of any considerable magnitude "Falling away into great fissures or chasms" or flowing beneath the surface are a very rare occurrence.

The water encountered by the deepest mines can be managed by a few pumps and if collected from all the mines in the world, and if we add the water of all the Artesian wells, their united volume would not make a very large river.

Some time ago a writer in one of the Chicago newspapers endeavored to show that Lake Michigan was thus supplied, from subterranean sources and made use of arguments and deductions based upon erroneous information to sustain the theory. While this publication was confined to the newspapers, it was scarcely worth while to attempt to correct these errors and expose the fallacies, but since the article has been reproduced is a very respectable Journal of Science it is due to the cause of truth and seems a duty of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, to attempt such correction and exposition.

Lake Superior is said to have a mean depth of one thous