The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-08-06
FLOATING ISLAND
II Contains 100 Acres and the Soil Is
Tamallck GPoYe.
The Wonder 10 How the Roots OF
These Trees are N~ourished-
Anglers Fish Through Holes
In the Island.

The floating island in Sada wga lake, In
the own OF Nottingham. w., 10 one Of
the most remarkable freaks Of nature
and n Of the greatest ~curiosities In the
world, says the Boston GLOBE. The island
contains over 100 acres and Il actually
floats upon the top of the water. There
In no doubt about Il. II 10 not attached to
the mainland on any part Of the lake.
The fact that Il really floats on the
water was made evident last year. Al
that time n stone dam was built MT the out
let OF the lake over six feet high, which
raised h water a little more than six
feet. When the gates were shut and the
water for the first time began to rise in
thel lake there was great curiosity tn see
whether the island would he submerged
or rise with the water. II took about ~
hours for the water In the lake to rise TO
the top of tie dam, and II was hen dis
covered that the island presented exactly
the same appearance that II did when the
water was six feet lower. There is no
part of the island that has ever been more
than two or three feet above the surface
Of the water. Therefore, IL il did not
fioal when the lake was raised six feet
by the new dam II would have been en-
tirely submerged.
Since the water was raised this great
mass OF land has fioated about more
readily b IL previously did. Portions
of Il, containing from IN to three acres,
have been broken way from the main
island and GO swimming abou indepen-
IDENTIFY. There are -four such pieces.
Three OF them are close together and
already 40 tn 60 rods TO the northeast Of
the main island. Sometimes they are Ave
or six rods apart. Then again they will
all be in a cluster, the smaller ones float
ing around faster than the larger ones, AS
t1e wind carries them more easily.
Tho great main island. which contains
over 100 acres, moves about slowly. The
prevailing winds are from the south n
west, and after il has blown hard for a
day or two the main island Is found TO
have changed its position several rods.
Sometimes II will be near the east shore,
and then again il moves over towards the
west. IL never has come nearer than a
quarter Of a mile 10 the north shore.
There Is n small forest OF tamarack
land. Some OF them are more h %
feet high. They are In a thrifty condition,
and are Of large size at the butt. Smaller
trees of the same Kind are rapidly grow
ing up beside them. The wonder is
how the roots of these trees are
nourished. The lake is situated in
marshy~ surroundings on the southwest side
n IL is supposed that there is vegetable
matter enough In the water to keepthe
growth i'm a healthy condition. Cranberry
bushes grow I'm great luxuriance, In
some places they are so very thick that IL
is difficult TO pass through them. and the
berries, which are OF the wild sort, are
gathered In large quantities by the natives
that live about the island. Alder bushes
and n great variety Of native weeds grow
on all parts Of the island. The surface is
spongy, and i'm many places soft. but
there are other parts OF it where it is com
paratively solid.
There Is no difficulty In getting upon
the island, although in some places per.
sons n visit IL have TO be careful that
they do not sink through IL.
A Globe representative who recently
visited IL in company with Frank Crosier,
of Readsboro. had several interesting
interviews with some Of the older resi-.
dents of Nottingham, who have lived
near Sadawga lake all their lives. One
OF the first men interviewed was Judge
Hosea B. Ballou, n native Of the town.
and who was formerly n Judge OF the
Winiham county court. Judge Ballou
lives at the new village Of Sadawga, and
when he was asked about the floating
island he said:
"This floating island, as you call Il, Il
known to the people about here as the
swimming land. ! have known II for con.
siderably more than half a century, and
hoNG . " titfB " w titt
the dam raised last year l was curious "a
see whether IL would be submerged OF
would rise with the water. j thought per.
haps il had ecom ttached to the shore,
that the roots OF the tamarack trees
might have grown down into the mud aud
become SO firmly attached that IL would
not rise. Blu as the lake was raised the
island came mp with IL, aud has just the
same appearance now that IL had 1ft,
years ago. only IL is larger. 1 should sa,
IL then covered something like fifty acres
and the trees oil IL were small. The boys
used to go out on II aud gather cranber
ries and fish through IL for bullhcads."
"How many acres do you think II con
tains now, judge"
81 don't know that anybody has meas
ured IL lately, but i hould say IL contained
over 100 acres, and had about doubled In
size during the last fifty years. When
was u boy i used TO GO on the island In day,
time and catch what we call up here bull
pouts, known usually as bull-head,
through the island. You know, il Is ditfl
cult TO catch this kind of fish in the day
time. fislerinen say you can only catci
But you caught them in the daytime p
"Well, we would go out on the island
taking along with us a long, sharp scythe
When we came somewhere near the cen
ter Of the island we took the scythe ant
pierced il through the surface. which /,
tofnposcu Oh u SORT Oh teRetaDle mOlu
and cut a hole about two feet in diameter
Then we would drop a line through ant
catch bull-pouts at a pretty rapid rate"
"What is 70 ar theory about these lsl
biting down under the island, when the,
could not he caught in the clear water o
the lakep"
IL suppose the reason was that 40 or q
rods from the edge OF the island IL wa,
dark beneath, so that they would bite th,
same as they YOU in the night. w,
found they would bite better ON a cloud,
day than they would on a clear day."
"How deep was the water under tb,
slandw where you caught these fish p"
Before the dam was raised il was fiv.
or six feet. i suppose now IL must be 1,
or ~.