Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-09-22
Lake WillOughby.

'
| around Willoughbv lake, in northern Yer
mont. Where Il high mountain seems to
be rent ;isundcr from the very foundation
and the space between filled with water
50 cold that it must come from the inmost
depths, there are two gigantic mountains
with their faces scarcely 4 mile from each
| other. rising over 300 feet from t1e water
and nearly 1000 feet above the sea. The
highest one on the east is commonly known
| among the Nermonters rs Mt. Pi>Tah, the
west peak rs Mt IIor. \ celebrated tight
rope walker proposed to have a cable
stretched across from one of these peaks
| to the other. and to walk across it. This
| would have been a daring undertaking but
sad the gymnas', suppose fall, :shall
strike in the lake, which is without bottom.
and | can easily he rescued without severe
| injury. Had he fallen he would have
passed through space of 200 feet before
| striking the water. \ few years ago IN
immense rock. weighing over 800 tons, was
started from its foundation on the very
| crest of Mt. Pisg,h, which lcapcd down
the almost perpendicular face of the noun
| taln into the lake. tearing away the car
rla@e road and every thing that came in
it. was. 1t rumbled like IN earthquake
| long after reaching the water and it was
| estimated that it reached as Ear below the
waters surface rs the mountain reaches
| above. 1t shook the mountain, and the
roar and crash of it was heard distinctly
| in adjoining towns ten or fifteen miles
away.
Efforts have been made repeatedly to
| sound the lake but without success. 1t is
supposed that this immense crcvice con,in-
ne, till the mountains meet, ut the level of
| the SEA. There is Il carriage road >kirting
The Lake on the Pi>gah side, which was
built with great expense to connect the
towns in the east part of Orleans county
with Caledonia county, which is the only
pass. The drive through the pass is the
| most charming OF any in the State. You
| look straight down into the fathomlc>s lake
and nearly perpendicular to the top of the
mountain. This trownng, fierce ftce looks
| like life, impreS>in@ You with that awful
sensation of power and might, mingling
The siblimc with picturesque. The place
makes YOU think of the Yosemite Valley
and IN fact approaches nearer to that celc-
bratcd valley than any other spot in New
England. The lake is the highest sheet of
water between the Connecticut and st.
Lawrence rivers. and is entirely surround
| ed 10y 4 wall of mountains, with little
| opening at the north end, where flows out
a stream 50 large that the hackwoodsman
has built mills upon it within three miles
of its source. Here is Il remarkable ci'-
cumstance, Wis: that hardly brook flow :
| into the lake, but Il stream flows ont of II
large enough to carry quite extensive
mills This lake is the largest natural
| spring known.
The summit of Mt. Pisgah is reached
1
by Il winding toot-path through the forests,
| through which is sometimes caught u
| glimpse of the lake. Emerging from the
wilderness. You find yourself. after few
minutes climbing. on Il round come abrupt
ly cut off on the side next the lake You
feel rs if You would involuntarilv Jump in,
but you are finally satisfied to look in, and
II YOU have the nerve to stand on the very
| brink of the rock, and look down Il per
pendcular precipice of nearly 5000 feet.
You Will do what no one Vet has ever h l,l
the nerve to do. 1t has been repeatedly
tried, but when the distance of about six
feet remain the feet refuse to 90 forward.
and the visitor drops on al-fours and
crawls up to the brink and takes a look
over and bcholds the toy boats, with their
Elipulan occupants. The carriage road
resembles the track of an ant Talk about
| - 'pi SC 'tIt CtlIIt0t welt, llltu Is tnc
smallest specimen ever saw. My guide
sad to me, as took the aforesaid attitude
with him llanging to my feet. Gent, look
doWn inter the water" do so. AMI prob
ably could see more than 100 feet below
the surface. The water is perfectly trans
parent, and. with the sun shining in. an
immense depth can he seen, Satisfying
this frs interest, Il view ofthe surrounding
Country is taken.
Mt. IIor. on the opposite side of the lake,
seems SO near that YOU could step across
To the east is 4 tine view of the Connec
ticut valley The river winds round in sucl
a way that it can be seen almost from it,
source. eighty miles south; beyond is {;
magnificent view of the Franconia and
White Mountains. To the north is the
head of Monadnock, fifty miles away. Tt
the northwest the beautiful Memphremagos
lake is seen, its entire length The view
in this direction is the most extended
reaching over the Canadian plains lOl
miles. To the west is seen the western
range of the Green Mountains, from Mt
Oxford, Owls Head, Jay Peak along down
to Mansfield, reaching as far south Il:
Killngton, u distance from north to soutl
of over POO miles. There is a combination
of interest about this lake and these noun
tains which keeps the visitor at the heigh
of pleasing excitement and wonder all the
while land more interesting place to visi
by the pleasure seeker cannot be fOunt
than Willoughby lake and Mt. Pisgah-
Pelon, in Boston Journal.