The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-07-31

communication in the San Francisco Piesyune. bear
ing The initials of Professor Forest Shepherd late OF
New Haven, gives the following account OF new order
OF California wonders
MEssRs EDITORS: In answer TO your inquiry respect
ing the geyser fountains on Pluton nye permit me 70
say that my attention FIRST arrested al Tue fenafka
bly, peaceful and quiet thermal springs IN Napa valley oy
the wonderful melamorphism OF the rocks IL occurred
to me that The springs, or The chemical ac,on
them might have been instrumental IN producing lhs
change, On dgen inquiry, learned that The Indians
knew OF place where the heat was much greater Tor
merry than now was LED 70 believe s from ar ,e ,hsr
temperature four five degrees In the space OF tfee OF
four weeks. Dsxt visited The place indicated by me
Indians and found perfectly tranquil externally ana
nothing the surface to attract special attention But
on digging down about two feet found the heat increase
rapidly so that could not bear my hand in the earth
inserted the bulb OF my thermometer, and The mercury
instantly rose to hundred and twenty degrees OF Fab
renheit. From observations already made in company
with Prof James Mooney. was led to believe there ex-
listed line of thermal action under the neRh6oring
mountain chains, and accordingly. 10 company with Mr.
p Cyrus. j. Cyrus and b. +. Briggs, (most excellent
companions and expert hunters,) travelled northwest
erly in the line OF thermal action, and after wandering
through almost nnumerable dense thckets the fourth
day after leaving the head of Rapa valley we arrived at
an immense chasm full thousand feet in depth, where
the had evidently been rent asunder by great vio-
lence Here in the bottom Of the valley, we found
clear and beautiful river and lis teraced banks covered
with most luxuriant vegetation and spring flowers on
WI, wss sa O. proceeding up the the
earth grew warm under our feet. and as we emerged
from thcket of evergeens bordering deep assure IN
the mountain side the secret workings OF the inner world
suddenly burst upon astonished senses You may
Judge OF my surprise when | found myself not on the
brink of volcanic crater safaaIa amid the salses
of Humboldt and yet the earth so hot as to burn my feet
through the soles Of my boots.
AT no place there any appearance of lava, but
powe III caaiyt'e action going on, ehecung the dissou
lion of every krd Of rock the evolution OF steam through
innameable ori6ces, and sometimes in columns rising
like that from steamer or two hundred fee
in height also the decomposition Of sulphure,ed hydro
gen gas, the sudden formation of boiling hot water the
deposition of beautiful crystals OF sulphur, and the for
nation Of less sulphuc acid and an astonishing
amount OF metallic oxides, mineral salts, and the cement
alton of brecciaed and congomerate rock The scene
leads the mind almost to bewdermen and you tremble
as you approach the geysers, lest like the lamenet
Pny, you become victim TO your curiosity. especall,
when you find yourself sinking, did the writer int
the abyss below, by breaking through the thin crus
under your feet The spouing geysers, boiling mael
stroms springs OF hot water, steam pipes, &c probabl,
exceed two hundred on a half mile square. The write
has commenced series of experiments and Improvement
at the place. and has made arrangements TO cut roat
and erect house the premises and in due time hope
communicate to the public the result OF his obserya
tons.