The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-08

: stone dam was built at the outlet Of the
lake over six fest high, which raised the
water little more than aix feet. When
the gates were shut and the water for the
first time began to rise IN the lake, there
was great curiosity to see whether the IN
land would be submerged or rise with the
water. It took about forty-eight hours for
the water in the lake to rise to tho top of
the island presented exactly the same APP
pearance that it did when the water was six
feet lower. There 10 no part of the island
that has ever been more than two or three
feet above the surface of the water. There
fore. if it did not float when the lake was
raised six feet by this new dam it would
have been entirely submerged.
Since the water was raised this great mass
of land has foated more readily than it
previously did. Portions of it. containing
from one to three acres, have been broken
away from the main island and go swim
a4 snas ss IT nem ass.
together. and already fifty or sixty rods to
the northeast Of the main island. Some
times they are five or six rods apart. Then
again thoy will be all in a cluster, the
smaller ones floating around faster than
the larger ones, as the wind carsies 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 it's position several rods. Some
times it will be near the east shore, and
then again it moves over toward the west.
It never has come nearer than quarter of
a mile of the north shore.
There is a small forest of tamarack trees
growing upon this remarkable island.
Some of them are more than TWENTY-FIVE
feet high. They are in thrifty condition,
and are of large size at the butt. Smaller
trees Of the same kind are rapidly growing
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, and it is supposed that
there is vegetable matter enough in the
water to keep the trees in healthy
condition. Cranberry bushes grow, in
are go thick that it is difficult to pass
through them, and tine berries, which are of
the wild sort, are gathered in large quanti-
ties by the natives that live about the
island. Alder bushes and a great variety of
native weeds grow on all parts of the island.
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 it have to be careful that they do
not sink through it.
A Globe representative who recently Wis
tied it in company with Frank Crosier, of
Readsboro, had several interesting inter-
views with some of the older residents of
Nottingham. who have lived near Sadawga
lake all their lives. One of the first men
interviewed was Judge Hosea B. Ballou, q
native of the town, and who was formerly a
Judge of the Nottingham 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 it, ia
known to the people about here as the
swimming land. 1 have known it for con-
siderably more than half century, and !
have watched it with deep interest. When
the dam was raised last year was curious
to see whether it would be submerged or
would rise with the water. I thought per-
haps it had become attached to the shore.
and that the roots of the tamarack trees
might have grown down into the mud and
become SO firmly attached that it would
not rise. But as the lakeIwas raised the
island came up with it. and has just the
same appearance now that it had fifty
years ago, only it is larger. 1t is much
larger now than it was when was boy.
fifty acres. and the trees on it were small.
The boys used to 20 out on it and gather
cranberries and fish through it for bull
heads"
"How many acres do you think it con-
tains now, judge?" s..-
Il don't know that anybody has meas
ured it lately, but I should say that it con-
tanned over 100 acres, and had about dou.
bled its size during the last fifty years."