The River

LONDON has its Thames, Paris, the Seine, Rome, the Tiber, and New York, the Hudson; but in everything the Detroit excels them all. It is no wonder that the first visitors came by water when such a stream flowed by them and beckoned them along. All the early travelers bore testimony to the beauty of the river and the volume of its waters, which the population of a score of the largest cities cannot diminish or defile. Then as now islands, like emeralds, were strung along its way, and myriads of wild fowl then fed upon its shores; its waters did not "dash high on a stern and rock-bound coast," but were so still and calm and clear that the smoke of wigwams, nestled on their banks, was mirrored on their smooth surface. Scores of canoes were hauled up on the river-side, while others flashed along the current or plied to either shore. Later on, windmills stretched their broad arms to the breeze, and, with fish-nets hung on reels, formed the landmarks of their day.

The Detroit River is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable in the world. It forms a natural boundary between the United States and Upper Canada, separating the State of Michigan from the Province of Ontario; the boundary line opposite Detroit is about midway of the stream, and for most of the distance nearest the Canadian shore. The United States thus has jurisdiction over the larger portion. It was declared to be a public highway by Act of Congress on December 31, 1819. From Windmill Point Light, at the foot of Lake Ste. Claire, to Bar Point, where the river empties into Lake Erie, the distance is 27 miles, 1515 yards. The distances between other established points are as follows: From Windmill Point Light to foot of Isle La Peche, 1534 yards; from Isle La Peche to foot of Belle Isle, 3 miles, 254 yards; from Belle Isle to Woodward Avenue, 2 miles, 347 yards; from Woodward Avenue to head of Fighting Island, 7 miles, 780 yards ; from Fighting Island to Bois Blanc Lighthouse, 11 miles, 640 yards; from Bois Blanc Lighthouse to Bar Point, 2 miles, 1480 yards.

The greatest width of the river is three miles; in its narrowest point, opposite the city, it is a little over half a mile wide. Its average width is one mile. The depth varies from, ten to sixty feet, with an average of thirty-four feet. The river bottom, for the most part, is sandy or stony. It is navigable for vessels of the largest class, is almost entirely free from obstructions of any sort, and offers one of the largest and safest harbors in the world. London is the largest port, but more tonnage passes Detroit than ever enters the Thames.

The waters of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and St. Clair, of Green, Saginaw, and Georgian Bays, also of thousands of streams that enter them, flow into the Detroit. It is, in fact, the natural drain or channel for the passage of waters from eighty-two thousand square miles of lake surface, and one hundred and twenty-five thousand square miles of land, thus rivalling the Ohio, which is more than forty times as long.

The current is rapid and generally uniform; the maximum velocity is 2.44 miles per hour, the mean velocity, 1.79 miles. It is estimated that two hundred and twelve thousand cubic feet of water pass the city each second of time.

There are but few streams in the world that rival the Detroit in purity and in amount of water discharged. The incline amounts to one and one-half inches per mile, or three feet for its entire length. The elevation above sea-level, at a point opposite the Marine Hospital, is five hundred and seventy-seven feet. The river is not generally frozen over until the latter part of December or January; but in extreme cold weather the ice is from twelve to twenty inches thick.

Previous to 1854, persons and teams frequently crossed over on the ice ; and on February 10, 1855, the river was so completely frozen that a little shanty was erected in the middle, in which liquors were sold.

The breaking of the ice by the daily trips of the Railroad Ferry Boats, since 1854, has precluded any further crossing on foot in front of the city. Such is the rapidity of the current that the river is soon cleared of floating ice. The gathering of ice is an extensive business, and from 50,000 to 100,000 tons are annually stored for summer use. The water supplied to citizens amounts to 10,000,000,000 gallons yearly.

The river is usually tranquil and never dangerously rough. The water is of a bluish tinge, and in transparency and purity is unrivalled.

Like other bodies of water, the river rises and falls, but unlike other large rivers, the variations are never so sudden or extreme as to cause any inconvenience, and buildings are erected at the water's edge without fear of damage.

In the year 1800, again in 1814-1815, and also in 1827-1828, and in 1838, the river rose from three to six feet above its usual level, remaining so for two or three years, and then subsiding quite rapidly.

The mean annual rise is about sixteen inches during July or August. The low-water period is in February or March. The highest recorded level was on June 2, 1838, when the water was only two and eight tenths feet below the water table of the Water Works Engine House. One of the lowest levels recorded was in the winter of 1819, when the water was eight and five tenths feet lower than usual.

A succession of wet seasons, or winters of heavy snows, causes it to rise, and the reverse occurs in dry seasons. The most marked effect is produced by winds; the river is perceptibly lowered when a southwest wind strikes it, and the water is driven into Lake St. Clair and blown down into Lake Erie. In March, 1873, a strong wind of this kind lowered the river some five feet below its mean level. A northeast wind will reverse the above conditions and cause it to rise proportionately.

The temperature of the water varies from 33° Fahrenheit for the winter months to 73° for the summer season. The variation between the surface and the bottom is about 3°.

The breadth, general safety, and smoothness of the river make it specially inviting for boating and yachting, and in later years many persons have availed themselves of the facilities afforded. Several noteworthy regattas have been held here, and boatmen all concede that no finer location can be found for a trial of skill. During the summer season, excursions up and down the river, and to different islands, are of almost hourly occurrence.

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