Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1851-05-31
MisrtIlamrOm 8.
The valley Of the GeYsorS.

Prof Forrest Shepard, in letter 20 the
Evening Picayune of San Francisco, givesShe
graphic description Of remarkable
valley discovered by him in the Coast Range,
north of the Napa Valley. Another account
says that Prof S. intends 90 claim part of the
valley, and plant tropical trees in the hot soil:
MEssRs. EDIToRs:-In answer 10 your in
quiry respecting the Geyser Fountains on Plu-
ton River, permit me 10 say that my attention
was first arrested at the rmarkabiy peaceful
and quiet thermal springs in Napa Valley, by
the wonderful mstamorphism of the roCks.--,
II occurred to me that the springs or the
chemical action causing them might have been
instrumental in producing this change. On
diligent inquiry l learned that the Indians
knew of a place where the heat was much great
er formerlyIhan now. was led to believe this
from the fact that the springs OF Messrs Richie
d Tucker varied their temperature four or FIVE
degrees IN the space Of three or four weeks
next visited the place indicated by the In
dians, and found itperfectly tranquil external
ly, and nothing on the surface TO attract spec
ial attention. But on digging down abouttwO
feet found the heat increase rapidly, so that
could not bear my hand in the earth. lin
serted the bulb of my thermometer, and the
mercury instantly rose to one hundred and
twenty degrees Fahrenheit o.
From observations already made in COM
pany with Prof James Nooney,I was led to
believe there existed a line of thermal action
under the neighboring mountain chains, and
accordingly in company with Messrs, P. Cyrus,
]. Cyrus and B. +. Briggs, (most excellent
\ LII
north westerly in the line of thermal action,
and after wandering through almost innumer-
able dense thickets, on the fourth day after
leaving the head of Napa Valley we arrived
at an immense chasm full 200 feet in depth,
where the rocks had evidently been rent as
sunder by great violence. Here in the bot
tom of the valley we found clear and beau
tiful river, It's terFaced banks covered with n
lhost luxuriant Vegetation and spring flowers
on the 9th of February. This extraordinary
appearance was soon explained, for on pro-
ceeding up the river, the earth grew warm
under our feet and as we emerged from u
thicket of evergreen bordering deep 6ssure
in the mountain side, the secret working of the
inner world suddenly burst upon our astonish-
ed senses. You may judge of my surprise,
when found mylelf not on the brink of a vol
canic crater or salafatara, nor amid the salses
of Humbolt, and yet the earth so hot as to
burn my feet through the soles of my boots.
At no place was there any appearance oi
lava, but powerful cdtolytic action going on
effecting the dissolution of every kind of rock,
the evolution of steam through innumerable
oriices, and sometimes in columns risiug like
that from an ocean steamer. one or two hun
dred feet in height,-also the decomposition
Of sulphurated hydrogen gas.tLe sudden form
alton of boiling hot water-the deposition Of
beautiful crystals Of sui phur and the forma-
ton of more or less sulphurc acid and an as
tonishing amount Of metallic oxids, mineral
salts, and the cementaiion of preociared and
conglomerate rock The scene leads the mind
almost TO bewilderment, and you tremble as
you approach the Geysers, lest, like the la.
mented Pliny you become victim to your
curiosity, especialli when you find yourself
sinking, as did the writer, into the abyss be-
low, by breaking through the thin crust un.
der your feet The spouting Geysers, boiling
maelstroms. springs of hot water, pipes. DC.
probably exceed two hundred on half a mil,
square. The writer has commenced serie,
of experiments at the place, and has made ar
rangements TO cut road and erect house OF
the premises, and in due time hopes to com
municate the public the result of his obserVa
tons 1 va eesa