The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-09-08
THE MUD ISLANDS.
Some Of the Strange Freaks Of Nature Before
the Mouths Of the Mississlppi--Mud Lumps,
Salt Wells, and BOttOmIess Springs.
From the New Orleans RuIletin

Some of the Strange Freaks of Nature Before
the Mouths OF the Mississlppi--Mud Lumps
Salt Wells, and BOttOmIess Springs.
From the New Orleans Bulletin.
Where the fresh waters of the Missis-
sippi River meet the salt waves of the
Gulf of Mexico may be seen some ol
natures most wonderful workings.
These are the celebrated mud Jumps OIL
islands. They are situated out in the
Gulf, a short distance from the ends oil
all the passes, or separate mouths oil
the river.
They vary in size from one to twenty
square acres, and in height above the
level OF the sea from one to ten feet.
Some of them have evidently been out
of the water for hundreds Of years, while
some Of the largest of these singular
islands have risen from the bottom of
the Gulf within the past two years.
The causes for their formation have been
accounted for in variety of ways by
professors and savans Of modern times,
and it is likely that many more theories
will be started as to the forces which
lifted them from the bottom of the sea.
AS the delta strips at the mouth OF the
river slowly work seaward these little
islands keep in advance of anebat a reg
ular distance from the main land. They
have thus been lifted up from the bottom
where, in ancient times, deep water ex-
listed, and with them have been raised
old wrecks and huIks, and many other
things, sunk down in'the Gulf and sup
posed TO be lost forever more than one
hundred years ago.
On the crests OF these mud Jumps may
be seen small circular craters, where
the gases that raised them escaped
. fkA hA
ing into the hole left a hollow basin at
the top of each mud island, which basin
Is surrounded by an embankment like a
circular leVee, and Is about twenty feet
in diameter. Some of these islands are
covered with small trees and rank salt
water weeds and grasses. Such are
famous haunts for game during the hunt
ing season. Others are bare, low flats,
whose tops are white with salt lett there
by the evaporated spray.
In single night these Islands have
risen up from the bottom Of the sea in
water several fathoms deep, and in
single night many of them have sunk
out of sight. Those that have sunk
have generally receded only a foot OF
two below the surface Of the water.
Oyer the site OF these siluken islands in
the caifiest weather the Spray Is con.
stantly shooting up several feet in the
air, being forced upward by the con-
stantly ascending volumes of carbureted
hydrogen released from the vast subter-
ranean depths beneath. Thus, some.
times, when all the rest of the sea is
smooth as glass, may be seen patch
OF t0aming, tossing water presenting
very much the same appearance as If an
immense fire were beneath boiling it up
III satanic cauldron.
Where this apparent boiling is goin q
on ,afe many springs, which, though they
have been frequently sounded with the
longest lines BY ship captains and
others, have never shown any sign OF
having any bottoms. In some of these
springs the water that shoots up is sew
eral degrees colder than it is in the sur
rounding sea. This is particularly the
case with the one Oh Osgoed's Island, off
the mouth OF Pass-a-rOutrc. The water
in the spring or well OF Osgood's Island
is much saItier than that OF the Gulf and
has mineral flavor. 1t is thought by
many TO be specific against rheum attic
complaints, and is sold in some of the
drug stores of this city.
There is brick fort, which was con-
suucted more than d hundred years ago
by the Spanlards, on one OF the mud
islands off Southeast Pass. The fort
has nearly sunk into the sea, but the
portions OF it's walls remaining out are
still intact.
On dordon's Island, which is between
the mouth of South Pass and the end OF
the old Balize Bayou, may he seen
grove of old fig trees OF enormous size.
and apparently over century old. Near |
these fig trees is cemetery or grave |
yard for the fort, In this graveyard are |
many marble headstones bearing Span
Ish names, almost nodded away and OBJ |
liberated, and dates Of the past century.
Z 10 aas been tsDSrses ga Ihs Rsst authar-J