American Lakes

Length
in
Miles.		 Depth
in
Feet.		 Area
in
sq. m.		 Volume in
million
cub. ft.
Max. Mean.
Superior 412 1008 475 31,200 413,000,000
Huron 263 730 250 23,800 166,000,000
Michigan 335 870 325 22,450 203,000,000
Erie 240 210 70 9,960 19,500,000
Ontario 190 738 300 7,240 61,000,000
Titicaca 120 924 347 3,200 30,900,000

New Zealand Lakes

Length
in
Miles.		 Depth
in
Feet.		 Area
in
sq. m.		 Volume in
million
cub. ft.
Max. Mean.
Taupo 25  534 367 238.0 2,435,000
Wakatipu 49  1242 707 112.3 2,205,000
Manapouri 19  1458 328 56.0 512,000
Rotorua 7.5  120 39 31.6 34,000
Waikarimoana 7.25 846 397 14.7 166,000
Wairaumoana 5.25 375 175 6.1 30,000
Rotoiti 10.7  230 69 14.2 27,000

Authorities.—F. A. Forel, “Handbuch der Seenkunde: allgemeine Limnologie,” Bibliothek geogr. Handbücher (Stuttgart, 1901), Le Léman, monographie limnologique (3 vols., Lausanne, 1892-1901); A. Delebecque, Les Lacs français, text and plates (Paris, 1898); H. R. Mill, “Bathymetrical Survey of the English Lakes,” Geogr. Journ. vol. vi. pp. 46 and 135 (1895); Jehu, “Bathymetrical and Geological Study of the Lakes of Snowdonia,” Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. vol. xl. p. 419 (1902); Sir John Murray and Laurence Pullar, “Bathymetrical Survey of the Freshwater Lochs of Scotland,” Geogr. Journ. (1900 to 1908, re-issued in six volumes, Edinburgh, 1910); W. Halbfass, “Die Morphometrie der europäischen Seen,” Zeitschr. Gesell. Erdkunde Berlin (Jahrg. 1903, p. 592; 1904, p. 204); I. C. Russell, Lakes of North America (Boston and London, 1895); O. Zacharias, “Forschungsberichte aus der biologischen Station zu Plön” (Stuttgart); F. E. Bourcart, Les Lacs alpins suisses: étude chimique et physique (Geneva, 1906); G. P. Magrini, Limnologia (Milan, 1907).

(J. Mu.)

[1] Divergence between certain of these figures and those quoted elsewhere in this work may be accounted for by the slightly different results arrived at by various authorities.

LAKE CHARLES, a city of Louisiana, U.S.A., capital of Calcasieu Parish, 30 m. from the Gulf of Mexico and about 218 m. (by rail) W. of New Orleans. Pop. (1889) 838, (1890) 3442, (1900) 6680 (2407 negroes); (1910) 11,449. It is served by the Louisiana & Texas (Southern Pacific System), the St Louis, Watkins & Gulf, the Louisiana & Pacific and the Kansas City Southern railways. The city is charmingly situated on the shore of Lake Charles, and on the Calcasieu river, which with some dredging can be made navigable for large vessels for 132 m. from the Gulf. It is a winter resort. Among the principal buildings are a Carnegie library, the city hall, the Government building, the court house, St Patrick’s sanatorium, the masonic temple and the Elks’ club. Lake Charles is in the prairie region of southern Louisiana, to the N. of which, covering a large part of the state, are magnificent forests of long-leaf pine, and lesser lowland growths of oak, ash, magnolia, cypress and other valuable timber. The Watkins railway extending to the N.E. and the Kansas City Southern extending to the N.W. have opened up the very best of the forest. The country to the S. and W. is largely given over to rice culture. Lake Charles is the chief centre of lumber manufacture in the state, and has rice mills, car shops and an important trade in wool. Ten miles W. are sulphur mines (product in 1907 about 362,000 tons), which with those of Sicily produce a large part of the total product of the world. Jennings, about 34 m. to the E., is the centre of oil fields, once very productive but now of diminishing importance. Welsh, 23 m. E., is the centre of a newer field; and others lie to the N. Lake Charles was settled about 1852, largely by people from Iowa and neighbouring states, was incorporated as a town in 1857 under the name of Charleston and again in 1867 under its present name, and was chartered as a city in 1886. The city suffered severely by fire in April 1910.