Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-20
G ' e
A Railroad Man Tells Some Iu'
teresting Facts Concern
ing Them.


St. Louis Republican. 1sth.l
r. L. Cobb, late engineer Of the
Texas g. st. Louis Narrow Gauge
Colonel Paramore's) railway, is al
the Planters, having made a trip over
the line as far as Clarendon, on the
White river.
Mr.. Cobb mentions, among the
numerous springs which bubble out
of the earth in the southern portions
of Missouri and in Northern Arkan.
saw, that the most remarkable that ne
is acquainted with is the famous Nam
moth spring, which is the fountain
head ofthe main fork of Spring river,
in the county Of Fulton, and which
covers over eleven acres of ground.
1t has been estimated that it boils up
at the rate of about 5000 barrels per
minute, and that the average constant
flow is sufficient to propel frem twelve
to fifteen run Of stones. Mr.. Cobb
attempted to sound it, and employed
a man in a boat, but the bubbling
water. like a boiling cauldron rendered
the experiment difficult. The depth
in the deepest place is about sixty
four feet, and the pool forms a respect
able lake about one-sixteenth ola mile
from north to south and one-6fth to
one sixth of mile from east to west.
Nj. David Dale Owen, who made the
geological survey of Arkansaw in 1851,
remarks that the water Of this re-
markable fountain remains at 4
nearly uniform temperature, never
freezing in the winter, and that the
extent of the range of extreme low
and high water is but three to four
inches, SO that the variation in the
supply ofwater is very slight. The
water is generally clear and limpid,
and only becomes slightly muddy af-
ter long continued rains. 1t is sup
posed that the original source of this
mammoth spring is in Howell's Val
ley, Oregon county, Mo, since the
waters of the valley, which is eight
miles wide and thirty miles long, are
not known to have any external out
let, losing themselves in sink holes,
subterranean passages and caverns.
Uniting, as supposed, near the south
ern boundary Of Missouri, they again
burst forth to the day through cav
erns and crevices in the rock, on the
extreme northern counties Of Arkan-
saw, and form this immense spring
which, according to Mr.. Owen,
CONSTITUTES THE HEAD
of the principal branch of Spring
river, watering the northeast corner
of Fulton county, and then entering
Laurence. it forms one of the main
streams of that county, flowing finally
into Black river, above Smithville.
In the early settlement of the coun
try herds Of herbiverous wild animals
travelled from great distances to this
fountain, as we'll as locks of wild fowl.
In June, 1862, General Curtis army,
after the battle of Pea Ridge, moved
west from Cassyille, along the southern
border OF Missouri to West Plains, in
Howell county, and then d~iverging
south through Salem to Batesyille,
Ark, several of the detachmenti
passed by the mammoth spring, drink.
ing and LAYING in its waters, and the
fame of the spring spread throughout
the whole arms. The Fort Smith.
Springfield 4 Memphis railroad, when
completed, viii probably pass through
the neighborhoOd of this great spring.
nov little known to the outside world
Talking about this great mammoth
spying in Arkansaw, it is proper Il
claim for Missouri something nearly il
not equally as wonderful-the famous
Meramec springs ia Phelps county
No. Meeting with Mr.. William
James, of st. james, No, last evening
at the Southern, he gave some inter.
esting facts regarding these springs
He says they afford 1910 cubic feet o
water per minute, at the lowest stage
The dam, built a distance of 100 yard
below the springs,
BACKS THE WATER
over the spring a depth of ten feet
making a 194 feet fall in q quarter o
a mile where it flows into the Mera
nee river. 1t is the largest spring il
the State of Missouri. 1t neveI
freezes over. The uniform tempsra
ture is 56o Fahrenheit. The waite
comes out from under a rock four fee
in hight and about seventeen feet il
length. The water is pure and soft
enough for washing purposes, and i
clear from all drift and debris 1t i
in fact an underground river an,
comes out from a spur Of the Ozarl
range. The spring belongs to tn.
heirs Of the Thomas James estat:
Mr.. Thomas James. the father o
William James, built the first irol
works in the State of Missouri i
1926. He learned Of the existence q
the iron ores and this spring fror
some of the Shawnee Indians of Mi,
souri, while he was living at chilli
cothe, Ohio. The ShaWnees then ha
a village a short distance below th
springs.
There was an cratic Jew once VIII