The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-11

we went the more pitch there WAS in the
soil: No one could visit that neighborhood
without being convinced that the pitch on
trickles slowly down the hin frcm the lake.
ground began to look like a rough asphalt
pavement with very scanty vegetation Inc
lake itself Is not visible until the summit
of the hill is reached. On the right. in a
slight depression, was a little forest OF
groo-groo palms. those curious members OF
the palm family that are very small at the
base, but increase in size all the way TO the
top. and wear a scarf of loosened fibre just
out most beautifully strong by this time:
but at length we reached the top, and the
great pitch lake lay before us.
but a great deal of surprise. 1t is certainly
a lake of coal-black pitch, covering ninety
and they must be honest. or they. would
have made 1T an even hundred. But it might
as well have been called a plain of pitch,
or a plateau of pitch, for il does not give
the impression of a lake at all. 1t looks
much larger than one hundred acres, gilt
tering in the sun. and the half-dozen wood
ed islands in its center probably increase
the idea of great size. 1t shows a fiat, black
surface of pitch and water, for 1t is not all
one solid mass, but an aSsemblage of cir
cular or eccentric-shaped bodies like great,
iatened out black umbrellas, with deep
bodies fit up very closely together, so that
the pools of water are narrow. Here and
or oref four fnf feet efu above oI 'O the S surface. With little
dabs of pitch hanging from their tops,
showing that they have come up, not gone
down.
These separate bodies of asphalt, of
every possible shape and of all sizes up to
happily described as giant mushrooms fiat
tened on top TO a common level, pressed
closely together, and water poured in to I'LL
the interstices. There is space enough be-
tween them to. look down into the water.
and as far as can be seen they do not merge
any point of contact; and whether they run
together deep down in the earth, or how
deep the pitch is, no man knows.
VIEWS OF SCIENTISTS.
Before beginning the account of my jour
ney across the lake. let me tell you how the
government scientists of Trinidad account
for the presence of this immense body of
~pitch-the greatest in the world. 1t was
long supposed that subterranean fires
melted some substance into pitch; but the
scientists scout this idea now. The pitch is
simply buried vegetable matter, they say,
which in the course of ages would, in a
temperate climate. have become first peat
and then coal, but which in the hot, tropical
soil is converted into asphalt. Under the
heavy pressure of the strata above 1t the
LIQUID asphalt beneath is forced to the sur
on. In support OF this they cite the facts
that nearly all asphalt deposits are found
quently taken from this lake with one end
still wood.
IF this is the true explanation the sepa-
ration of the mass into distinct 'mush-
room forms Is easily accounted for. 1t is
an oily substance as IL comes up first, and
each or these mushrooms having come UP
separately from the softer mass below their
oily sides would naturally refuse to unite.
Rains or course upply the water, which not
only fills the c~revices, but In some places
covers the surface TO a considerable depth.
That is as much science IS We can stand
in one lesson; suppose we rSurn TO facts
and pitch. There is a feebly marked path
across the lake which il is necessary to
follow, because in many places the seams
between the separate masses Cor bosses
as they are called widen out to several
feet, sometimes as much as eight or ten
feet, and across these places planks have
been laid.
1T was very much like walking across
an immense aspGalt-paved plaza. with a
plank bridge to cross here and there. anc
the sun shining hot enough upon il to make
il soft to the foot; just about as soft, tina
is, as one OF our asphalt streets on a verS
not day. Several times L tried the expert
ment or standing still In one spot TO see
ne standing in a big black bowl. but tn
only result was an uncomfortable holiness
in the feet, without any sinking that / cOult
see. or course our feet made an impression
OF q fraction OF an inch at every step. bu
that was the only sinking. My young guid
delighted IN jumping across most of m
broad chasms. while ], more sedate, crosse
them on the pianks.
Before we reached the little islands
which are said 20 vary in number at differ
noticed two curious things; or rather 1 NJ
iced one OF them, and my young guild
showed me the other. Everywhere the su,
lace, or the pitch was pockmarked with IL
ter there and /; had burst. These wer,
sometimes as large as a silver dollar, some