New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-02-05

WALLED LAKE IN lowA.-A correspondent Of the
Cincinnati Gazette gives account Of walled lake
in Wright county, Iowa. He says:,
To me it was one Of the greatest euriosities had
ever acknowledged as its history is with mantle
that will probably never be withdrawn. This lake
lies in the midst of vast plainthe rich gently un
dulatng prairie extending for many miles in every
direction. The lake covers an area OF about 1900
acres The water is clear and cold with hard
sandy bottom, from two to twenty-five feet deep.
There is strip OF timber about half way round H.
probably ten rods wide, being the only timber in
many miles. There is a tcGH Of hsary stone oil
round it,
1t is no accidental matter. 1t has been tailt with
human hands. In some places the land is higher than
the lake, in which case the wall only amounts TO
something ike rtp-rdp protection. This, believe,
IS what engineers call i. But in other places the
water is higher the lake than the prairie outside Of
the wall The wall in some places Is ten feet high
1t Is thirteen feet wide at the base, sloPng up both
sides to hive feet wide on the top. The wall Is built
entirely of boulders from three tuns in size down to
fifty pounds. They are all what called lost rock.
am no geol0gst, and consequently can give no
learned description of them They are not however.
natives, ITO the manor born.' Nor has the wall
been made by the washing away of the earth, and
leaving the rocks. There is native rock in this
region Besides, this is a continuous wall, two miles
of which at least, higher than the land. The top
of the wall is level, while the land is unduating-so
the wall is in places two feet and in others ten
feet high. These rocks, many of them at least must
have been brought long distance-probably five or
ten miles. In Wrght county the best rocks are scat
| tered pretty freely, but you approach this lake
| they disappear showing that they have been gath
cred by some ageney-when or by whom history will
unfold. Some of the largest oaks in the grove
are growing up through the wall pushing the rocks
in, in some cases, outside in others, accommodating
their shape to the rocks The lake abounds with
excellent fish. The land in that township yet be-
longs to the Government.
| When was there in the Spring of 1856 the wind
had blown large piece OF ice against the southwest
part of the wall and had knocked it down, SO that
the water was running out and flooding the farms Of
some OF the settlers, and they about to repair
the wall to protect Of their crops 1t is beau
| fu farm land nearly all around this lovely lake.
| The readers Of the Gazette should not imagine
that the wall around this lake is regular and as
nice as the wall around the fountain in front Of the
| City Hall in New York, nor need any entertain the
theory that il is natural wall but it has been built
and probably thousands of years. The anti
/ quarry may speculate by whom this mighty as wen
as ornamental work was done, but it viii only be
| speculation.
| Notwithstanding the water in the lake Is pure
and cool, there is visible feeder outlet. This is
about twelve miles north Of the located line Of the.
Dubuque and Pacific railroad and about one hun dred
and fifty miles west Of the former place. The time
is coming when the lake will be great place Of pub
1 lie resort.