Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1843-05-26
NATURES SODA FOUNTAIN

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tofore noticed as being full OF lnIormo
ton and interest. While among the
mountain valleys on the Great Bear
! river and the eVicnily Of Great Salt lake
he.feI in with some remarkable springs,
called by the hunters and lrappers Beer
Springs" Of which he gives following
account:
"Thesimmediate neighborhOod OF our
encampmcotris one ol*the most remark
able in the Rocky Mountains. The facts
that the trail to Oregon and California
will forever OF necessity pass within
three hundred yards of'the place where
our camp fire is burning; that near this
spot musl beerected a resting place Tor
the long lines Of caravans between the
harbors Of the Pacific and the waters OF
the Missouri, would OF lhems elves in
terest all who are Witnessing the irress'
libe movements Of civilization upon the
American continent But this spot has
objects Of interest; its geology and min
sraIogy, and might we'll say the chem
stry Of it, for there are laboratories and
gases here in the greatest profusion, viii
hereafter occOpy the attention Of the
lovers Of the sciences.
"The Soda Springs, called by the fur
traders Beer Springs, are the most,re-
markable objects Of the kind within my
knowledge. They are situated on the
northwest side Of the river, few rods
below a grove ofsbrub cedars, and about
two hundred yards from the Shore
There are six groups Of them; or, in
other words, there are small holows
sunken about tO o feet below the ground
around, ofcircutar FORM seven or eight
feet IN diameter, in which there are
number Of fountains, sending up large
quantities Of gas and water, and emitting
a noise resembling the boiling OF i'm
mense cauldrons, These pools are usu
ally clear, with graveIIy bottoms. 10
some Of them, howeVer.grow bogs or
hossacks Of coarse grass, among which
are many little wells, where the water
bubbIed so merrIly lhalI was tempted 10
drink at ono Of them; but as 1 proceed.
ed to do-so the sufocating properties Of
the gass instantly drove eircm my
purpose.
after this rebuff, however,'l made
another attempt al more open fountain
and drank with little difficulty. The
waters appeared 10 be mere highly i'm,
pregnaled with soda and aciG, than those
o(Saraloga, were extremely pIeasantto
the TASTE, and lumed from the stomach
like the soda water from the shops -
SOme Of thom threw off at least four gal.
Ions oil gas a second; and although they
cast up large masses OF water continu-
ally, for which there appeared no out
let, yet at different times Of observation
could perceive no increase or diminu
tion Of theQuantity visible. There are
five or six other springsin in the bank Of
the river, just below whose waters re.
sembed those have described; one of
them discharges about forty gallons a
minute,
'One fourth Of mile down stream
from theSoda Springs is what is called
"tbe Steamboat Spring. The or6ce
from which il casts it's water is in the
face OF perpendicular rock, on the
brink Of the stream, which seems to have
been formed by the deposilions Of the
fountain. llis oightinches in diameter
Six feet from this, and on the horizon.
tai plane OF the rock, is another orfce
in the cavern below On approaching
the spring deep gurgIing sound is heard
under ground; it appears to be produced
by tho generating of gas in caVernous
receiver. This, when the chamber is
filled, bIrsts through another cavern f.
led with water, which itthrusts, froIhing
and (oaming, into the stream
In passing the smaller orfice the
pent gas escapes with very much 'he
same sound as steam makes in the escd pc
pipe Of steamboat. Hence the name
The periods Of discharge are very irrog
ular. A times they occur once in two
. at others once in three, four, or five
|, minutes, The force of It's action also is
, subject to great variation, Those who
have visited it often say that its noise
has been heard 10 echo far among The
hills. When ! visited it | could no
4 hear it at The distance Of two thoussnt
yards. There is also said TO be dif.
= ference at different times in the TEN,
!, peralurs of the water. When | exami
= ned it, it was little above blood heat
others have seen it much higher.
- "The most remarkable phenomenon
y connected with these Vprings remains
q yet TO be noticed. The whole river
4 from the Steamboat Springs to the Sod
q Springs, distance of more than ourll
!. of a mile is a sheet Of springs, thousand
= in number, which bursting through tw
a feet Of superintendent running water
y throw their ioamIng jets, some six inch
es and some less above the the surface
:, The water is much the same in ITS con