Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-07-04
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
4 VERMONT CURIOSITY.
Sadawga Lake and Its Floating Island
Furnishes Material fer m Article In
the ReaIon anndny GaIobe.


the Bssion sunday GIsbe.
The floating island in Sadawga lake, in
the town Of Nottingham, Vt, is one Of the
most remarkable freaks Of nature and one
Of the greatest curiosities in the world
The island contains over 100 acres, and act
ualy floats upon the top of the water
There is no doubt about t. 1t is not at
tached 10 the main land on any part Of the
lake One can pass entirely around 1t in
boat.
The fact that it really floats on the water
was made evident last year. At that time
a stone dam was built at the outlet Of the
lake over six feet high, which raised the
water little more than six feet. When
the gates were shut and the water for the
first time began to rise in the lake, there
was great curiosity 10 see whether the
island would be submerged or rise with the
water II took about 4S hours for the wa
ter in the lake 10 reach the top Of the dam,
when it was discovered that the island pre-
sented exactly the same appearance that it
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 if it did
not float when the lake was raised six feet
by this new dam it would have been ell.
tirely submerged
Since the water was raised this great
mass Of land has hoated about more readi
| ly than it previously did Portions of it,
containing from one to three acres, have
been broken away from the main island aud
20 swimming around independently. There
are four such pieces. Three of them are
close together, and already 80 or 80 rods 10
the northeast Of the main island Some
times they are five or six rods apart. Then
again they will all be in a cluster the small
er ones floating around faster than the
larger ones, as the wind carries them more
easily
The great main island, which contains
over 100 acres, moves about slowly The
prevailing winds are from the south and
west, and after it has blown hard for day
or two the main island is found to have
changed its position several rods Some
| times il will be near the east shore and
then again it moves over toward the west
1t never has come nearer than quarter Of
II mile Of the north shore.
There is a small forest Of tamarack trees
growing upon this remarkable island Some
Of them are more than % feet high They
are in a thrifty condition. and are Of large
size at the butt. Smaller trees Of the
same kind are rapidly growing up beside
] Lueul. Tue hOuueF Is now the TOOtA OF
these trees are nourshed The lake is sit
uated in marshy surroundings on the south.
west side and it is supposed that there is
vegetable matter enough in the water 10 keep
the trees in a healthy condition Cranber
ry bushes grow in great luIuriance. Al
der bushes and a great variety Of native
weeds grow on all parts Of the island. The
surface is sponey, and in many places soft,
but there are other parts Of it where it is
comparatively solid There is no difficulty
in getting upon the island although in
some places persons Who visit il have to be
careful that they do not sink through it,
The above is from an article in the Boston
Sunday Globe of last Sunday To this por
tion, descriptive of local curiosity, is add
ed an interview by Globe reporter with
Hon. II. b. Balou, who tells what he has
observed about the island during the last
30 years. Judge Ballou, the reporter says
is a native of Nottingham, lis now more
than 60 years of age, and is an exceedingly
intelligent and interesting man He is OF
large stature, his face somewhat resembling
that Of Daniel Webster The floating is
land Judge Ballou said, is known locally as
the swimming land He says the tree,
have grown up from small bushes since hi,
remembrance, and he thinks the island ha.
increased greatly in size, or from about II
acres 10 some 100 acres in extent. The
smaller islands have probably been broken of
by the action Of the wind upon the trees Tn,
soil of the island is composed Of a soft veg
etable mould, and it was through this crus
| H.N 81 -. IL
feet in diameter, 10 fish for horn pouts Tn,
depth Of water under the island used to b,
five or six feet, but it is probably 10 TO /,
feet since the dam was raised The size o
SadRwga lake is a mile or more in length b,
about three quarters Of mile ia width II
the widest place. OF the origin of the nam
of the lake aud village Judge Ballou said
1T was named after the Indian chic
Sada~ga, who made his summer camp ol
the hanks of this lake considerably mor
than hundred years ago. | have seen
man who remembers seeing this old lndial
chief II is said that when Sadawga an
his baud Of Indians fished in this lake, be
fore the country was settled, there was II
island in il, so that the land must have bee
formed within the last $50 years | ca
show you the spot where this Indian chic
used TO have his wigwam. There is pill
Of stone there, and many arrow heads hav
been found in that vicinity The traditio
is that the last ever seen Of SadawgA wa
when he went down the Deeriield river i
his canoe, as he went away from his sun
mer camping ground. Truman Dix say
that the last time Sadawga came here
had small number of Indians with him o
an expedition. Whether Sadawga wa
drowned in the Deerfeld river, or what b,
came of him, nobody knows but this lax,
about which he spent many years in fishin
and hunting, was named for him. and th
village of Sadawga received its name frol
the lake