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ONTARIO, LAKE

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 118 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ONTARIO, See also:LAKE , the smallest and most easterly of the See also:Great Lakes of See also:North .See also:America. It lies between 43° II' and 440 12' N. and 76° 12' and 79° 49' W., and is bounded on the N. by the See also:province of Ontario and on the S. by the See also:state of New See also:York. It is roughly elliptical, its See also:major See also:axis, 18o m. See also:long, lying nearly See also:east and See also:west, and its greatest breadth is 53 M. The See also:area of its See also:water See also:surface is 7260 sq. m. and the See also:total area of its See also:basin 32,980 sq. m. Its greatest See also:depth is 738 ft., its See also:average depth much in excess of that of Lake See also:Erie, and it is as a See also:general See also:rule See also:free from outlying shoals or dangers. On the north See also:side of the lake the See also:land rises gradually from the See also:shore, and spreads out into broad plains, which are thickly settled by farmers. A marked feature of the See also:topography of the See also:south shore is what is known as the Lake See also:ridge, or, as it approaches the See also:Niagara See also:river, the See also:Mountain ridge. This ridge extends, with breaks, from Sodus to the Niagara river, and is distant from the lake 3 to 8 m. The See also:low ground between it and the shore, and between the Niagara escarpment and the water on the See also:Canadian shore, is a celebrated See also:fruit growing See also:district, covered with See also:vine-yards, See also:peach, See also:apple and See also:pear orchards and fruit farms. The Niagara river is the See also:main feeder of the lake; the other largest See also:rivers emptying into the lake are the Genesee, See also:Oswego and See also:Black from the south side, and the See also:Trent, which discharges into the upper end of the See also:bay of Quinte, a picturesque inlet 70 M. long, on the north shore, between the See also:peninsula of See also:Prince See also:Edward, near the eastern extremity of the lake, and the mainland. The east end of the lake, where it is 30 M. wide, is crossed by a See also:chain of five islands, and the lake has its outlet near See also:Kingston, where it discharges into the See also:head of the St See also:Lawrence river between a See also:group of islands. Elsewhere the lake is practically free from islands.

There is a general surface current down the lake towards the eastward of about 8 m. a See also:

day, strongest along the south shore, but no noticeable return current. As a result of its relatively great depth there are seldom any great fluctuations of level in this lake due to See also:wind disturbance, but the lake follows the general rule of the Great Lakes (q.v.) of seasonal and See also:annual variation. See also:Standard high water (of 1870) is 2.77 ft. below the mean level, of 246.18 ft. above mean See also:sea-level, and standard low water 3'24 ft. below the same See also:plane. The lake never freezes over, and is less obstructed by See also:ice than the other lakes, but the harbours are closed by ice from about the See also:middle of See also:December to the middle of See also:April. The See also:commerce of Lake Ontario is limited in comparison with that of the lakes above Niagara Falls, and is restricted to vessels that can pass through the Welland See also:canal locks, which are 270 ft. long, 45 ft. wide and 14 ft. deep. See also:Freight consists principally of See also:coal shipped from See also:Charlotte, Great and Little Sodus bays and Oswego to Canadian ports in the lakes, and to ports on the St Lawrence river; of See also:grain shipped through the Welland canal to the St Lawrence; and of See also:lumber from Canadian ports. There is a large passenger See also:traffic, including See also:pleasure trips, principally radiating from See also:Toronto. Ports on the lake are limited in capacity to vessels See also:drawing not more than 14 ft. of water. The See also:principal Canadian ports are Kingston, at the head of the St Lawrence river; Toronto, where the See also:harbour is formed by an See also:island with improved entrance channels constructed both east and west of it; and See also:Hamilton, at the head of the lake, situated on a landlocked See also:lagoon, connected with the main lake by See also:Burlington channel, an artificial cut. The principal See also:United States See also:port is Oswego, where a See also:breakwater has been built, making an See also:outer harbour. The construction of a breakwater was undertaken in 1907 by the United States See also:government at Cape See also:Vincent to See also:form a harbour where westbound vessels can shelter from See also:storm before See also:crossing the lake. The difference of 327 ft. in level between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is overcome by the Welland canal, which leads southward from Port See also:Dalhousie.

It accommodates vessels 255 ft. in length, with a See also:

draught of 14 ft. The See also:Murray canal, opened for traffic on the 14th of April 1890, extends from Presqu'ile bay, on the north of the lake, to the head of the bay of Quinte, and enables vessels to avoid 70 M. of open See also:navigation. It is 11 ft. deep below the lowest lake level, and has no locks. It is proposed to have the eastern See also:terminus of the Trent canal See also:system (see GREAT LAKES) at the head of the bay of Quinte, entering through the Trent river. At Kingston the Rideau canal, extending 128 m. to See also:Ottawa, enters the St Lawrence river at the See also:foot of the lake. (W. P.

End of Article: ONTARIO, LAKE

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