Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-09-10
Lake Wllloughby.

Correspondence Of the Boston Journal.
Biologists have been thus far unable to
satisfactorily explain the freak of nature"
around Willoughby lake, in northern YER
mont. Where high mountain seems to be
rent asunder from the very foundation and
the space between filled with water so cold
that it must come from the inmost depths,
there are two gigantic mountains with their
faces scarcely a mile from each other, rising
over $500 feet from the water and nearly
1000 feet above the sea. The highest one on
the cas-; is commonly known among the
NermOnters as Mt. Pisgah. the west peak as
Mt. HOr. A celebrated tight-rOpe walker
proposed to have cable stretched across from
one of these peaks to the other and to walk
across it. This would have been daring
undertaking but. said the gymnast, sup
pose do fall, shall strike in the lake,
which is without bottom, and | can easily
be rescued without severe injury. Hal ne
fallen be would have passed through
space of $500 feet before striking the water.
ing cver 800 tons, was started from its
foundation on tho very crest of NJ Pis-
eah, which leaped down the almost perpen-
dicalar face of the mountain into the lake,
tearing away the carriage road and every
thing that came in its way. Ii rumbied
like an earthquake long after reaching the
water. and it was estimated that it reached |
A. far iel he ha
mountain reaches aboye. Ii shook the |
mountain. and the roar and crash uf it |
was heard distinctly in adjoining towns ten |
or fifteen miles away.
EtfJrts have been made repeatedly to |
sound the lake but without success IL is |
supposed that this immense creyiee contin-
ues till the mountains meet. at the level of |
the sea. There Is a carriage road ssirtIng |
the lake on the PiSgah side, which vas built |
with great expense to connect the towns in |
the east part OF Orleans county with Gale
dOnia county, which j. the only convenient |
pass. Toe drive through the pass Is the |
most charming Of any IN the State. You |
look straight down into the iatbOmic>s lake |
and nearly perpendicular to the top Of the |
mountain THIS irownIng. fierce face looks |
ike life, inprsssiEg you with that awful |
sensation of poker and might, Cling the /
You think Of the Yosemite Valley, and in
Tact approaches nearer to that celebrated |
valley than any other spot in New Eng
land. The lake Is the highest sheet of |
water between the Connecticut and st. |
Lawrence rivers, and Is entirely SurrounG-
e1 by wall OF mountains, with 4 little
opening at the north end whore flows out
stream 50 large that the hlckwoOdsman
has buiit mills upon 1t within three miles
of Its source. Here l. remarkable cir
cums.ance. VIZ. : tha, hardly brook flows
into the lake, but stream flows out OF it
large enough to carry quite extensive mills.
This lake : the largest natural spring /
known.
The summit of NJ. Pisgah is reached by 1
a winding foot path through the iUIests,
through which Is sometimes caught q
glimpse of the lake. Emerging from the
wilderness yOl ind yourself. alter few
minutes climbing .ou a round dome abrupt
ly cut of on the side next the lake. You
feel as il You would involuntariy jump in,
but you are finally satisfied 10 look IN. and
il YOU have the nerve to stand on the very
brink Of the rock, aad look down perpen-
dieular preciDice ot nearly 5000 feet, you
will do what np one yet has ever had
the nerve to DO. |. has been repeatedly
tried, but when the distance Of about six
feet remain the feet refuse to 20 forward.
and the visitor drops On all-i0urs and
crawls up 10 the brink and takes i look
over and heholds the toy boats, with their
liiiputial occupants. Ghe carriage road |
resembles the track of an ant. Talk about |
a horse and carriage well. that ls the 1
smallcs, specimen | ever SAW. Nv guide /
said 20 me a. | took the Aforesaid attitude /
with hun hanging to my ftet, Gent, look /
dorm inter the water | dld -. and prob |
ably could see more than 100 feet baluw the |
surface. The water Is perfectly transparent, /
and, with the sun shining 10, an in /
mensc depth can be seen. Satisfying this |
first Interest a view OF the surrounding .
country is taken.
NJ. Hor, on the opposite >iio Of the lake. /
seems 50 near that you could step across. |
To the east is line view Of the Connec- /
ticut valley. The RIVER winds round IN such /
q way that it can be seen almost from Its
source. eighty miles south beyond Is /
magnificent view 0ithe francJnla and " hite |
Mountains 10 the north Is the head of /
Monadnock. fifty miles away. To the north
west the beautiful Memphremasog lake Is /
seen, is entire length. The view in this |
direction Is the most extended. reaching |
over th5 Canadian plains 100 miles. To |
the west i seen the western range OF the |
Green Mountains, from Mt Oxford. Owls !
Head, Jay Peak. along down "a Mansfield, |
reaching as tar south as killinstou, dis |
tance from north to south Of over 200 miles. |
There is a combination Of interests about |
this lake and these mountains which keeps I
the visitor at the height OF pleasing excite
ment and wonder all the while; and more
interesting place to visit by the pleasure
seeker cannot be found than WIl!oughby
lake and Mt Pisgah. PELoS.