Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-07-14

A spring That Eshalss Gas which NON.
Can breathe aud Live

Can breathe and Live.
Talk about Death valley" said Gavin
McNab last night. "Tknow spot In thia
state where no lifting thing can exist 1--WE
seconds. and the place II within thirty feet
Of n Travelled country rondn
Tell us about H." said the gentlemen
clustered around the speaker.
well, said Mr.. McNah, II will. hut II
did not know there was asupenbundanco
of proof concerning the story I am about 10
relate to you, would hesitate 10 tell IL.
Along the foot Of the Mcndooine noun.
tains, In the county by that name. run, a
much travelled road which leads from the
town Of Hopland 10 Ukiah. The road a
on bench or shelf above a valley created
by the Russian river, which, like nearly alt
California streams, Is constantly changlnif
IT, channel. anil hence II IL somotimoi
within q hundred yards Of tho road at tn
nearest point aud again half mile away.
When the annual oyerflows ritspruads
over the whole valley aud Il a milo or NOR,
wide. ! mention this In order that you
may understand the nature Of the valley.
II Is dry river led, all sand and gravel.
with here and there bunch Of soruhhy
willows.
"in clump Of these siuuted trees, nj q
point about three miles from Hoplnnd aud
about thirty feet from the ruad have men.
toned, there bubbles aspiring Of tho clcarcst
sparkling wnter you ever saw. The only
thing peculiarly noticeable about the sprlnf
from distance u tho loud hissinr sound
u makes ~ u gushes mp ont of the gravelly
roll. 10 sounds more lilo boiling water
with occasional iu,s u steam escaping than
u does Ike the ordinary pufling u a
stram. Approach II and you will be
startled TO SO ling around tho spring the
skeletons % hundreds Of birds, scures Of
small animals such as ooons, foxes. aud the
like. and nearly always there will bc body
or two 81 hris or animals In u norc OF les
advanced stage Of decomposition near tho
edge u the spring II n man j. wise he will
he content with an Inspection o. the unat.
trnctiyc spot from distance, morn cspcci.
ally II thcn happens To be the car.,1s n a
steer lying bside u with the nose an inci
OF two from the water The fact T.. gentle.
men, that there rises constantly from tho
spring q gas 20 nnxious and 40 deadly that
ono Whit u IL 10 sufficient TO oxtingulsli
life.
"Thc terrible character Of the spring.r
continued Mr.. McNnb, "is well known 10
NIL who reside In the ncighborhood, and
they tell some horrible stories conccrnin:
H. Ono day the littlc ak ycar-old daugli.
ter Of farmer living near the spring wan.
dcrcd away from home. lts absence WIS
not noticed for m hour or two, and then
the parents went IA search Of their child
They found her lying dead beside the
spring, with little dead bird olutched ia
her hand. She had evidently seen the bird
lying hsrido the spring. and. being attract.
ed by tho bright color o. IT, plumage. bad
tried 10 pick IL up. and In 10 doing had In.
hailed the gas rising from the water and
died with the bird.
Another time" said the narrator Of
this strauR" story, "a squaw wandered
down by the springs She probably started
10 the river tn get n drink when she dis.
covered the spring aud knclt beside II, dy,
ing IN that position. Tho strangest thing
about II Il that, well known ~ il the dead
" character NJ the spring. there Il ALSO
lutely no warning posted, no fence around
II, nor protection against Il Of any Kind
other than few limbs u trccs aud hushoa
thrown over the place hy farmers 10 keop
their stock away from II, aud tho last tim,
saw the place even the brush had liecu
scattered until thu spring was uncovered.
A ycntgrc-ome mAn once held his brcAih
aud no,trils and leaned ever tho spring "a
hear the noise It made. which he described
~ something terrible
THE water IL thought 70 bc compara
lively wholesome. but nothing l. known
positively about II. as IL has never beer
analysed. There can 10 no doubt. how
ever, that the spring Il certain and instant
death 20 every living thing that approaehei
it"-San Francisco Chronicle.