The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-28

a Sparkling Spring That ESbsies Gas OF
Terrible Dsadliness.

Talk about Death Valley" said Gavin Nc
Nab last night. II know O spot in this state
where no living thing can exist five seconds.
and the place is within thirty feet Of q travel
ed country road"
Tell US about IT," said the gentlemen clus
tered around the speaker.
We'll" said Mr. McNab. II will. but II
did not know there was n superabnndance OF
proof concerning the story am about 70 re-
late 20 you would hesitate 10 tell II. Along
the foot of the Mendocino Mountains. IN the
county by that name runs q much travelled
road, which leads from the town on hoPihnu
10 Ukiah. The road is on bench, or shelf,
above a valley created by the Russian river
which, like nearly all California streams. IS
constantly changing It's channel. ana hence II
is sometimes within hundred yards Of the
road at the nearest point and again half mile
away. When the annual overhows occur Is
spreads over the whole valley, and is q mile or
moro wide. | mention this IN order that you
may understand the nature of the valley. II
is a dry river bed. all sand and gravel. with
here and there bunch of scrubby willows.
In clump of these stunted trees, at
point about three miles from IIopland and
about thirty feet from the road have men
toned, there bubbles spring OF the clearest
sparkling water you ever saw. The only
thing particularly noticeable about the spring
from a distance il the loud Kissing sound 1t
makes as it gushes up ont OF the grayeliy
soil. IL sounds more like boiling water, with
occasional Jets OF steam escaping, than 1t
does like the ordinary purllng OF stream
Approach It and You win lie startled 10 see
lying around the spring the skeletons OF nun
dreds OF birds, scores of small animals, such
as coOns. foxes and the like, and nearly al
WAYS there will be a body or two Of birds or
animals in a more or less advanced stage OF
decomposition near the edge OF the spring.
Z ,~,o xtFfll ha
inspection of the unRttractive spot from
distance. more especially if there happens to
be the CARCASS of a steer lying beside II with
the nose an inch or two from the water. Inc
fact is. gentlemen, that there rises constantly
from the spring Gas so noxlous aud so dead
ly that one Whit of It IS sufficient 10 extin-
guish life.
Tho terrible character Of the spring con-
tinued Mr.. McNab lis well known TO all who
reside in the neighborhood. and they toll
some horrible stories concerning 1t. one day
the little six-year-old daughter Of farmer
living near the spring wandered away from
home. Its absence was not noticed for an
hour or two, and then the parents went IN
search of their child. They found her lying
dead beside the spring with little dead bird
clutched in her hand She had evidently seen
the bird lying beside the spring. and being at
tracted by the bright colors OF It's .plumage;
had tried TO pick it up, aud IN SO dong had
lnudieu inc gas ItolHs iiOlA III" N"NNi "A-N' ~'O'
with the bird.
Another time" said the narrator of this
strange story, "a squaw who was supposed 10
be recovering from spree wandered down Dy
the spring. She probably started 70 the
river to get drink. when she discovered the
spring and knelt beside 1t, diving III that posi-
ton. The strangest thing about it Is that.
well known as is the deadly character Of the
spring. there is absolutely no warning posted,
no fence around il, nor protection against 10
of any kind other than a few limbs OF trees
and bushes thrown over the place by farmers
to keep their stock away from II. and the last
time saw the place even the brush had been
scattered until the spring was uncovered
venturesOme man once held his breath and
nostrils and leaned over the spring 10 hear the
noise it made. which he described as some
thing terrible.
The water is thought to be comparatively
wholesome but nothing IS known positively
about it, as it has never been Analysed There
can be no doubt. however that the spring Is
certain and instant death to every living
thing that approaches it."-San Francisco
Chronicle.