Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1858-02-10
walled lake in iowa.

"A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette
gives an account Of q walled lake in Wright
county, Iowa. He says:
To me it was one of the greatest Curl
osities | had ever seen-enveIoped as its
history is with a mantle that will probably
never be withdrawn. This lake lies in
the midst of a vast plain-the rich, gen.
tly undulating prairie extending for many
miles in every direction. The lake COW
ers an area of about 1900 acres. The
water is clear and cold, with a hard,
sandy bottom, from two TO twenty-five
feet deep. There is a strip of timber
about half way round it, probably ten
rods wide, being the only timber in many
miles. There is a wall of heavy stone
all round it.
1t is no accidental matter. 1t has been
built with human hands. In some places
the land is higher than the lake, in which
case the wall only amounts to something
like arip-rap protection. This, / believe,
is what engineers call it. But in other
places the water is higher in the lake than
the prairie outside of The wall. The wall
in some places is ten feet high, it is thir!!
teen feet wide at the base, sloping
mp both sides to FIVE feet wide on the top.
The wall is built entirely of boulders,
from three tons ia size down TO fifty
pounds. They are all what are called
lost rock. am 10 g~eologist, and conse-
quertly can give no learned description of
them. They are not, however, natives,
s'to the manor born" Nor has the wall
been made by the washing away of the
earth, and leaving the rocks. There is
no native rock in this region. Besides,
this is a continuous wall, two miles of
which, at least, is higher than the land.
The top Of the wall is level, while the
land is undulating-as the wall is in some
places I'VE feet, and in others ten feet
high. These rocks, many of them at
least, must have been brought a long dis
lance; probably FIVE OF ten miles In
Wright county the best rocks are scatter
ed pretty freely, but as you approach this
lake they disappear, showing that they
have been gathered by some agency
when or by whom history will never un-
fold. Some of the largest oaks in the
grove are growing up through the wall,
pushing the rocks ins in some cases, out
side in others, accommodating their shape
TO the rocks. The lake abounds with
excellent fish. EThe land intiiat township
yet belongs to the Government.
When ! was there in the Springof 1885,
the wind, had blown a large piece of ice
against the SOUTHWEST part Of tile wall
and had knocked it down, So that the
water was, running out aud flooding the
farms of some. of the settlers, and they
were about 10 repair the wall 10 protect
of their crops. 1t is beautiful farm
all around this lovely lake.
The readers Of the Gazette should not
imagine that the wall around this lake is
as nice as the wall around the fountain in
front of the City Hall in New York, nor
need any entertain the theory that it is a
natural wall; but it has been built hun
dreds and probably thousands of years.
The antiquary may speculate by whom
this mighty as well as ornamental work
was done, but it will only be speculation.
Notwithstanding the water in the lake
is pure and cool, there is no visible feeder
Or outlet. This is about twelve miles
north of the located line of The Dubuque
and Pacific railroad, and about one hun
bred and fifteen miles west of the former
place. The time is coming when the lake
will be a great place of public resort.
R-s&s-Asa- RRm-@