The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-09-28
THE MUD ISLANDS.

Some of the Strange Freaks of Nature II
fore the Mouths of the NEississippi-M
Jumps, Salt Wells, BottOmless Springs
[From the New Orleans Bulletin.l
Where the fresh waters of the Missi
sippi river meet the salt waves of II
Gulf of Mexico may be seen some
natures most wonderful working
These are the, celebrated mud Jumps
islands. They are situated out in Il
gulf, short distance from the ends
all the passes, or separate mouths OF IL
river. They vary in size from one
twenty square acres, and in heigl
above the level of the sea from one
ten feet. Some of them have evidentl
seen out of the water for hundreds {
years, while some of the largest of thes
singular islands have risen from the DO
tom of the gulf within the past two years
The causes for their formation have bee
accounted for In d variety of ways b
professors and savants of modern times
and it is likely that many more theorie
will be be started as to the forces whic
lifted them from the bottom of the ses
AS the delta strips at the mouth of tb
river slowly work seward, these littl
islands keep in advance of and at a reg1
lar distance from the main land. The
have thus been lifted up from the DO
tom where, in ancient times, deep waite
existed, and with them have been raise
old wrecks and hulks, and many othe
things. sunk down in the gulf, an
supposed to be lost forever more tina
100 years ago. On the crests of thes
mud Jumps may be seen small circuls
craters, where the gases that raised thel
escaped through the center; then tt
earth caving into the hole left hollo
basin at the top of each mud islant
which basin is surrounded by an en-
bankment like a circular levee, and
about twenty feet in diameter. Some
these islands are covered with sma
trees and rank saltwater weeds ar
grasses. Such are famous haunts f,
game during the hunting season. Othe
are bare, low flats, whose tops are viii
with salt left there by the evaporat
spray. In q single night these islam
have risen up from the bottom of the
in water several fathoms deep, and in
single night many of them have SUI
out of sight. Those that have sunk ha
generally receded only foot or two
low the surface of the water. Over
site of these sunken islands in the cal
est weather the spray is constan
shooting up several feet in the air, bel
forced upward by the constantly asce1
ing volumes of carbureted hydroe
released from the vast subterrane
depths beneath. Thus, sometim
when all the rest of the sea is smooth
glass, may be seen patch of foami1
tossing water, presenting very much
same appearance as If an immense f
were beneath boiling it up in satal
cauldron.
Where this apparent boiling is goi
on are many springs, which, thoue
they have been frequently sounded W.
the longest lines by ship captains a
others, have never shown any signs
having any bottoms. In some of the
springs the water that shoots up is 81
eral degrees colder than it is in the 81
rounding sea. This is particularly
case with one on Osgood's island, off
mouth of Pass-a-pOutre. The water
the spring or we'll of Osgood's island
much salter than that of the gulf, andL
a mineral flavor. 1t is thought by ma
to be specific against rheumatic co
plants, and is sold in some drug-sto1
in this city.
There is brick fort, which was &C
structed more than hundred years a
by the Spaniards, on one of the mi
islands off Southeast Pass. The fC
has nearly sunk into the ca, but t.
portions of its walls remaining out
still intact.
On Gordon's island, which is betwet
the mouth of South Pass and the end
the old Balize bayou, may be seen
grove of old fig trees Of enormous slz
and apparently over a century old. Ne
these fig trees is a cemetery or gray
yard for the fort. In this graveyard a.
many marble headstones bearing Spal
ish names, almost nodded away and oil
liberated, and dates of the past century