Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-10-10

young men came up. one OF whom L
asked to stOop down and smell the gas,
desirous to satisfy myself further of its
effects. But his natural caution had
been awakened by the singular and supi-
cious features of the place, and he de-
clined my proposaly decided, and with
few indistinct remarks about the devil,
whom he seemed to consider the geratue
loci. The eeaseless motion and the play
of the fountain, the red rock and the
green trees near, makes this pictures
que spot.
A short distance above the spring, and
near the foot of the same spur, is very
remarkable yellow colored rock, soft and
friable, consisting principally of carbon
ate of lime and oxide of iron, of regular
structure, which is probably fossil coral.
The rocky bank along the shore between
the Steamboat springs and our encamp-
ment, aleng which is dispersed the water
from the hills, is composed entirely of
strata of calcareous hJa, with the re-
mains of moss and reed-like grasses,
which is probably the formation of
springs. The Beer or Soda springs,
which have given name to this locality,
are agreeable but less highly favored
than the Boiling springs at the foot of
Pixies peak. They are numerous and
half hidden by turfts of grass, which we
amused ourselves in removing and
searching about for more highly impreg-
mated springs. They are some of them
deep, and of various sizes-sometimes
several yards in diameter, and kept in
constant motion by columns of escaping
gas.
In the afternoon I wandered about a.
mong the cedars, which occupy the great
er part of the bottom towards the noun
tains. The soil here has dry and cal
cined appearance some places, the open
grounds are covered with saline efflore-
cences, and there are number of regu-
larly-shaped and very remarkable hHis
which are formed of succession of con.
vex strata that have been deposited by
the waters of extinct springs, the orifice;
of which are found on their SUBMITS
some of them having the form of funne
shaped cones. Others of these remark
ably shaped hills are of red eoloret
earth, entirely bare, and composed prin
cipally of carbonate of lime, with oxid
of iron, formed in the same Manner
Walking near one of them, on the sum
NIT of which the springs were dry, m,
j attention was attracted by an under
ground noise, around which I circled re
peatedly, until l found the spot from be
= meath which it came; and, removing tn
red earth, discovered hidden spring
which was boiling up from below, wit
the same disagreeable metallic taste a
- the Steamboat spring. Continuing u
the bottom, and crossing the little strear
~ which has been already mentioned, I VII
r tied several remarkably red and whit
hills which had attracted attention in th
morning. These are Immediately upo
the stream, and, like those already mel
4 toned, are formed by the deposition
NJ successive strata from the springs. Q
:. their SUBMITS, orifces through which Il
waters had been discharged were
- large, that they Fesembled miniatu
- craters, being some of them several fe
bo in diameter, circular, and regularly forr
ed as if by art. At a former time, wh'
these dried-up fountains were all in m
=; ton, they must have made beautif
display on grand scale; and nearly
lgh ~ 1ppe 0 - "a'e pe
formed under their action, and should
a. called the place Of fountain. At t
I'D foot of one of these hills, or rather en-
=; side near the base, are several of the
~, small limestones columns, about one e
IN diameter at the base, and tapering l
= ward to height of three or four fe'
- and on the summit the water is boili
40 up and bubbling over, constantly add
-, to the hight of the little obelisks.
lio some, the water only boils up, no lonl
n.y. overfowing, and has here the same ia
b as at the steamboat spring. The obser,
~ will remark gradual subsistence in
cen water, which formerly supplied the fo
NON tains as on all the SUBMITS Of the h
BY the springs are now dry, and are fol
yerv diminishing on their sides, Or the surf
oas Of the valley.
ed ----
Mr.. BOOK OF MORMON OR COL
erv- EN- BIBLE.