Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-03-05
WALLED LAKE IN IOWA.

A correspondent of Cincinnati Ga
.stts, writing from Iowa, gives the fol-
lowing account of a wonderful relic of
antiquity existing in that State. We
presume that it is as new to most of our
readers as il is to US:
Il have intended for some time 10
give description of Walled Lake, which
j. situated in Wright County, Iowa. To
me it was one the greatest curiOsities l
had ever seen-enyeloped as it, history
/. with a mantle that wiil probably never
be Withdrawn. The lake lies in the
midst Of a large pIain-the rich, gently
undulatin- prairie extending for many
miles in every direction The lake COW
ers an area Of about nineteen hundred
acres. The water Is clear and Geld, with
q hard sandy bottom, from two 10 TWEEN
ty-ive feet deep. There Is strip OF
timber about half way round it, proba-
bIy ten rods wide, being the only timber
for many miles. There is G'hsary ''aA
Of stone al around i.
I, Is no accidental matter. Il has
been built with human hands. 10 some
places the land Is higher than the lake,
in which case the wall only amounts 10
something ike u Rip Rap proieciiOn.-
This, believe is what engineers call II.
Bot in other places the water Is higher
in the lake than the prairie outside the
wall. The wall in some places Is ten
feet high: il is thirteen feet wide at the
base. slopiug up both sides TO five feet
wide on tbc top. The wall is built en-
tirely Of boulders, from three tons in
SIZE down to fifty pounds. They are all
what are called lost rock. am no
geologist, and consequently can give no
learned description of them. They are
not, however, natives 10 the manor
born Nor has the wall been made by
the washing away Of the earth and leav-
iug the rocks. There : no native rock
in this region. Besides, this is a COLI
tinuous wall, Two miles Of which, at least,
is higher than the land. The top Of the
wall is level, while the land Is undua-
ting. 80 the wall is in some places two
feet. and in others ten feet high. The
rocks-many Of them, at least-must
have been brought long distance-prO'
badly five or ten miles. In Wright CO.
the best rocks are scattered pretty free
". bu, as you approach this lake they
disappear, showing tina: they have been
gathered By some agency. when or by
whom history will never unfold Some
OF the largest oaks in the grove are grow,
ing up through the wall pushing The
rocks in some cases, outside in others
accommodating their shapes to the rocks
The lake abounds with excellent fish,
The land in that township yet belong
10 the government
When was there in the spring o
1856, the wind had blown large piece
Of ice against the southwest part Of tn
wall. and had knocked it down, so tina
the water was running out and foodint
the farms Of some of the settlers, an
they we're about to repair the wall
protect their crops. 1t Is beautiful far.
land nearly all around this lovely lake.
The reader should not imagine th'
the wall around this lake Is as regula
and as nice as the wall around the four
tain in front Of the City Hall in Ne
York, nor need any entertain the tn
DRY that it is a natural wall; but it b;
been built hundreds. and probably tho
sands Of years. The antiquarian ms
speculate by whom this mighty as We
as ornamental work was done, but
will only be speculation.
Notwithstanding the water in the lal
is pure and cool, there is no visible fee
CT or outlet This lake is about twel
miles north Of the located line of t
Dubuque and Pacific Railroad, al
about one hundred and fifty miles VIZ
Of the former place. The time is conf
when the lake will be great place
public resort"