Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-09-25

thing remarkable and new. There is u confu
SION OF interesting objects gathered together in
small space Around the place of encamp-
mcnt the Beer springs were numerous but, as
FAR ms We could ascertain, confined entirely to
that locality in the bottom. In the bed of the
river, in front, for space of several hundred
yards, they were very abundant; the cfferves-
cling gas rising up and agitatins the water in
countless bubbling columns. In the vicinity
round about were numerous springs of an en-
tirey differant and equally marked mineral
character Ina rather picturesque spot, about
1900 yards below our encampment, and i'm
mcdiately on the river bank, is tho nlost relnark
'belsprinsa u the place In|an npsssiaa on
the rock, awhile column Of soattcrred water il
thrown up, in form like jet d'cnu, to vara
bic height OF about three feet, and, though it is
maintained in constant supply, its greatest
height is only attained ut regular intervals, ac-
cording to the action of the force below. 1t is
accompanied by II subterranean noise, which
together with the motion of the water, makes
very much the impression of steamboat in
motion and without knowing that it had been
already previously so called, we gave to it the
name Of Steamboat springs The rock through
which it is forced is slightly raised in csnvcx
manner, and gathered OF tho opening into an
urn-muutIIed form, and is evidently formed by
continued deposition from the water, and color,
ed bright red by oxide of iron.
/ 1t isa hot spring, and the water has pun
gent and disagrecabe metallic taste, leaving
burning eff fct on the tongue. Within perhaps
two yards of the jet-dt0u is ii small hole Of
about an inch in di4mcter, throngh which, at
regular intervals escapes Il blast of hot air,
with light wreath Of smoke, accompanied by
DR.. Wislizenus, gentleman who had several
years since passed by this Place, and who re-
marked. with very nice observation that smelling
the gas which issued from the oriEce produced
sensa,ien of giddincss and nausea Mr.. Pre-
uss and myself repeated the observation, and
were SO well satisfied with its correctness that
pertinent, as the sensating Of giJlness which it
produced was certainly strong and decided
huge cmisrant wagon, with Il large am diversi-
fed family had overtakcn us and halted to noon
at our cncampment and, while we were sitting
vt The springs band Of boys and girls, with
two or three young nen came up, one of whom
Iasked TO stoop down and smell the gis, d'sir
ons to satisfy myself futhcr of its effects But
his natural caution had been awakened iy the
sngs lar and snricious features OF the place, and
he declined my proposal decidedly, and witha
few indistinct remarks about the devil. whom
he seemed to consider the gcaiuc loci The
ccaselcss motion and the play of the fountain,
the red rock ard the green trees near, makes
this ii picturesque spot.
short distance above the spring, and near
the foot OF the same spur, is very remarkable
yellow colorcd rock soft and friabIc, consisting
principally of carbonate Of lime and oxide of
non, OF regular structure, which is probably a
fossil cural. The rocky bank along the shore
between the Steamboat springs and our encamr-
ment, alohg which is dispersed tn, water from
the hills, is composed entirely Of strata Of cal
cMeons fufa, with the remains of moss ana reed
like grasses, which is probably the formation of
springs. The Beer or Sod,r springs, which
have given name to this lorality, are agreeable
but less highly favored than the Boiling springs
at the foot Of Pixies peak They are numerou
and half hidden by tufts OF grass, which we
amused ourselves in remoying ard searching
about for more highly impregnated springs.
They are some of them deep and Of various
sizcs-sometimes several yards in diameter, and
kept in constant motion by columns of escaping
gas.
the cedars, which occupy the greater part o
tho buttom towards the mountains. The sol
here has a dry and calcined appearance ir
eome places, the open grounds are covered will
saline efrorcccnccs, and there are Il number O
regularly shaped and very remarkable hills
which are formed of succession Of conve,
strata that have been de'lositcd'hy the water
of extinct springs, the orifces of which ar,
found ON their submits, some of them havin,
the form Of funnel shaped cones. Others o
these remarkably shaped hills are of a red col
cred earth, entirely bare, and composed prnci
pally of carbonate Of limo, with oxide q
iron formed in the same manner. Wakin
near one Of them, on the summit of which th
springs were dry, my attention was attracted b
an underground noise around which circle
repeatedly, until found the spot from beneatl
) which it came and, removing the red earth
discovered hidden spring, which was boilin
! up from below, with the same disaglecablo nut
tal|ic taste as the Steamboat spring. Continuin
up the bottom, and crossing the little streal
: which has been already mentioned, yisitc
several remarkably red and white bills whic
had attracted attention in the morning. =
These are Immediately upon the stream, ant
, like those already mentioned, are formed by til
deposition Of successive strata from the springs
: On their submits, OFFICES through which tt
waters had been discharged were 80 large, thu
they rcscmbed miniature craters, being som
= of them several feel in diameter, circular, an
G regularly formed as if by art AT form,
= time. when these dricd-up fountains were all
5 motion, they must have made beautiful di
? play on grand scale and nearly all this basi
+, arnears to me to have been formed under the
. action, and should be called the place Of (ou,
: tain. at the foot of one Of these hills, or rath
on its side near the base, are several OF the
: small limestons columns, about one foot in dian
eter at the base, and tapering upward to o hegl
} of three or four feet and on the summit tho W
, ter is boiling up and bubbling over, constant