Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-05-01
Communications.
THAT NEW AfPSHIRE "VoLCA-
NO."


al other papers, has met my eye. Being
an old inhabitant of this place, am familiar
with its history, as ii was related some 60
wears ago, and (haviug visited 1t many
times since) also with its locality and sur
roundngs.
There Is a mountain in New Hampshire
which rises prccpilouslv on the east bank
of Connecticut river, just opposite Brattle-
boro, by the name Of West River Moun-
tain, or, as il is now called, Wanlasiiquet
uhe latter being the Indian name for West
river) running north and south about three
three miles, VIII use height, as measured ba-
rometrically Ivy DIR. c. T. Jackson and my
self some years since, is 1865 feet from the
bed of the river. The northern part of the
mountain is in the town OF Chesterfield,
and its southern in Hinsdale. Geological
ly the base is argillaceous slate, passing in
to mica-schist, ascending, and on its high
est part gneiss is often seen. 1t is steep
and rugged, and presents nothing very un-
usual from other elevations of this height
in Vermont. There is also, cast of this and
running at right angles to it, about one
mile distant, separated by gorge, and
Il
which is called the Mine mountain, from
the fact that near the top of its eastern nart
there is an excavation of some 80 feet where
Mr.. Philip Barrett generally known as
Tory Barrett, being Tory in the Revolu-
tom and two or three of his neighbors,
some 20 years ago, were induced 10 believe
by conjurer-important personages IN
those days-that in digging at the place of
the reported explosion, silver would be
found in great abundance. There they
built their log hut, (remnnnts of il are to be
seen at this day and worked at such times
as they could spare from their farms for
several successive years, and all without
any trace of mineral to reward them, save
something they found and burnt, yielding
4 yellow dust, or as supposed, yellow ochre,
with which one of them painted his house.
Whether ii was the baseness of the materi-
al OF the want of skill in its manufacture,
any soil of a sli2bt yellowish color would
seem to have answered the same purpose.
The man with his mystical stone and di-
vning rod appears again, and now they are
told 10 dig horizontally into the mountain
from the bottom of their first excavation so
sired treasure. This was accomplished,
but all in vain, when the work and the
mine we're abandoned and the hole, per-
pendicularly and horizontally, is a monu-
ment of their folly TO this day. This noun
tain, geologically, is very different from the
Wanastiqnet, and does indeed present I'M
u.ua features. 1t is well known to all
who have made the observation, that near
" all our elevations OF slate or micl-schist
formation have been cut of or crushed on
their sides by some powerful, almost per-
pendicular, force from points between
north and east, and precipitated into the
valleys below. Here is a remarkable in
stance, where nearly half of the highest
peak at its eastern summit seems to have
been operated upon by this force, and the
bruken rocks partly ill tie gorge below.
1t is peculiar, also, from its steep ascent,
Jagged sides and highly crystalline rocks,
differing in this respect from any other
rocks OF the surrounding elevations, and,
too, from the fact that decidedly sub-alpine
cryptogamic plants-a lichen aud u moss.
Umbilicaria erosa Hutfm, aud Audraea ru-
pestris Turn-are found in abundance on
its summit, and are not known to exist
nealer than Mansefild Mt. not ever found
either ON the Ascutney in Vermont or Mo-
nldnoc in New Hampshire, both of which
peaks are visible from this point. Besides
these, the rocks are densely covered with
vIro is Umbilicariac (U. pustulaa var. pa
pulosa, U. Pennsylvania, U. Muhlenber-
giD dark and smoky coorod lichen, when
dry, generally cOridceous, somewhat mon
ophyllous, affixed by a central point TO the
rock so rs not to be easily separated. Also
on the sides of this mountain are found,
now and then, beautiful specimens of He
matitic brown oxide of iron, or Brown
llematite, so notable that mention is made
Of il in Cleaveland's Mineralogy, and it
has been so much sought for and carried
away that new poor specimen can scarce
ly be found.
Now for the volcano. 1t was related that
about 100 years ago, early one evening, an
exI losion which terribly shook this noun
tain was heard by the people of Hinsdale,
and also by the inmates at old Fort Dunn
mer, which was this side of the river, near
the spot where Mr.. Simon Brooks now re-
sides. This spot Commanded view of the
tip Of the mountain, and by them great
light was seen, so astonishing and remark
all that it was resolved 10 visit the place
as soon as they thought safety would per-
nit, and the place where the explosion took
place was soon guessed al among the Jagged
rocks and assures, and from an eXamina'
lion of the surroundings they were thor
,ouguly convinced of the great event. And
TO prove to the wondering people below Of
ills reality they exhibited the "cinders" and
the "vitrihed ore" specimens of which
were preserved by some of the families as
If for proof TO future generations; the for
mer proving to be The Umbiicaria from
rocks, and the latter The Brown Hema
lite found on its sides. Examples of boil
are to be seen in my cabinet. One &C
quainted with this mineral can conjecture
how easily the unacquainted could mistake
it for "melted iron ore,' resembling thu
scoria OF a blacksmith's FORGE" &c. "Th'
loud noise rose mbling the sound of cannon
proceeding from the mountain was un
d,uhlcdly from the same cause as has hap
prued few times since, as testified by ih
inhabitants living rear its southern base
when they have been startled, especially
happening in the night, by larIe pieces q
rocks from above becoming lOosened ant
lalin, nearly 100 feet, as ihes have to, be
fore reaching the debris below, and thel
they have 10 tumble over other rocks as ia
before they can reach their resting place
Some lie there which will measure at leas
1000 cubic feet. After all these develop
ments 1t went down to the next generation
that the mountain was truly volcanic, an
it was made at that day ve'y notorious.
is patent that this Mr.. Barrett and his co
partners wore made duhes by these con