Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-09
THE RUTLAND HERALD
THURSDAY SEPT. Q, 1859.
Discoveries a star Spring, sarntox,

TheStar Spring Company commenced dig
pinx trenches for the foundation of a nev
bottling house, north of the present one
about three weeks since, and when doin.
30 the workmen struck upon the work
of former people. In the most eastern
trench they discovered the foundation
wall Of an old bath house and the trace
Of bathing tubs.
When digging the trench for tn
western wall, at the foot of the bank mad
by high ledge of rock, with slight GOV
ering of earth, they at first struck upon AZ
once used for boiling cap in sugar
lots in Vermont-a circular wall of stone
about two feet high, with an opening
upon one side.
The red color Of the rocks and the
stratum of ashes and coal in the bottom
suggested the use that had been made O
it.
It had evidently been a boiling place
not of maple ssp-but of spring water
The presumption is that the water WA,
bo,ed down, and Saratoga salts, or med
cinal salts bearins some other name, had
once been made here.
The top of this arch, or boiling place
was about three feet below tae surface OF
the ground. Being just at the foot Of a
high bank, a slide Of earth might hav,
covered up it up but it is more probable
that the owners of the land, at an early
day, In order las they thought) to improve
the lot. dumped In dirt at the base of the
ledge to I'M Doth it off.
This arch rested upon the edge Of q
solid ledge. ~ the workmcn removed
the arch and the dirt around it. they
discovered wide creyicc in the rock
upon which i had stood.
On removing the dir fTa,a the crevice,
1t was found to be an opening to aca.eTa.
Unfortunately, this cavern, at present, Is
go filled with water that its extent cannot
be determined.
The wFkmon, however, have tied
poles together aud trust them into it, to
the length of forty feet.
that per.on could enter, they sent in the
"dipper-boy to explore. He found that
he was not the frat visitor to that sub.
terre4n passage, for in the inches upon
the sides, he found specimens of minerals
that had evidently been placed there by
human hands.
Among the minerals, was Il detached
crystal of quartz, in which was what ap-
peared to be leaves of silver, but which
are probably scales of mica very rare
combination. By the side Of thIs. was a
nice specimen of massive quartz having
An opalescent hue, evidently rose quartz
There was al-o crystal of pyroxene o..
about three inches in length and An inch
in diameter also a nodule Of flint, in all
respects like that found in the chalk beds
of England.
We must confess that the occurrence
Of this staggered our crcdulity. and lead
us to think that the cave had been
"s,lted" with these specimens. These
"dippcr-boys" are sharp--so sharp that
they cannot see "a man III tts crown Whib-
ing for water half IA quick, if he has no
money in bis hand, as if he has a dime
but, ~ the lad could have no motive to
carry these specimens in with hin, it is
hardly reasonable to suspect that trick
wa- played by him.
But the most curious and convincing
relic that he brought out, was something
that looked like an oyster shell. 1t was
wet and muddy washing off the
mud and was found to be calcareous tufa
that evidently had formed coating over
some substance resembling in shape an
oyster shell.
Not content with the shnpe of the shell,
trial was made. by cutting through the
tufa to learn what the lining was.
A. anticipated, it was n veritable oyster
shell, covered with calcareous tufa from
to ! inch in thickness. This settled
the question as to the genuineness OF the
other relics, for an oyster sh ell OF existing
species could not have got into that cavern
without the aid Of man, and the calcar-
eous coating shows conclusively that the
carhonizsd water of that cavern was just
the thing to form the crust of tufa. The
water in the cavern is not medicinal, but is
strongly charged with lime aud magne-
sia, rs all water ia that runs underground
over magnetism limestone beds.
The opening of the cavern is just where
the corner of the building was to have
been placed. As the rocks have several
fssures near this, and it is not known
how far the cavern may extend under
where the building is to be located, the
proprietors of the establishment have
wisely determined to alter the shape of
the bottling house, making it shorter, but
wider, and thus not have it extend 20
lar back as to close the mouth Of the
cavern or render the foundation unsafe by
building It too near the precipice.
The size of the new bottling house was
to have been 40 by 100 feet.
As was before remarked, there is water
in the cavern, end it varies in height.
being to-day three feet higher than it
was yesterday. This rise is doubtless
owing to the heavy rain Of yesterday, al
though no running water entered it at
the opening.
The rocks in Saratoga vary much in
character upon the two sides of the val.
icy in which the springs occur, those on
.he east being geologically much higher
'nan those upon the west side. although