The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-06
OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
A Pond In New York State That
Has No Bottom
Many Efforts to Fsthon the Pool Hsss
Been Fruitle<s-It L. Thought 70
Have an Underground
Outlet

In the northern part Of the town q
Napoh, Cattaraugus county, there n
what Is known in that vicinity - .
"bcttomless pond" II is situated IN Q
tsuaarack swamp In that part OF the
town called Owlenburg, and for many
years it has created great local inter
est on account of its unknown depth
the popularity Of its location and the
character Of the land surrounding IL,
About midway between the village,
of Little Valley and Napoh on ths
Pigeon Valley road, high up on ridgs
several hundred feet above either VIII
lage, the pond is to be found. On THU
eminence n natural basin has beer
formed which comprises many hun
dred acres OF swamp and which u
grown up with spruce and tamaracA
trees, huckleberry bushes nnd like
vegetation; on the east, north and
west hills surround the swamp and but
for the fact that to the south the
swamp slopes gradually down TO a low
er level il would SEEM that this swamp
was at one time entirely covered by
large pond or lake.
About the center OF this swamp Is the
"bottomless pond" 1t is circular IN
shape aud about 500 feet across.
is probably fed by springs from below
and its outlet breaks forth from thu
earth some distance away and SowI
south, finally finding its way TO the
Allegheny river. The water which
flows from the pond is black in appear
ance from its contact with the root
of the swamp.
In approaching the pond one feeli
the ground springing beneath the feet
even at considerable distance away
snd when standing on its bank the
ground feels so unstable that persons
inclination Is to quickly turn back anc
seek more solid ground. IL is appar
emit that the pond was az ono time much
larger than at present and that IT hnI
been slowly growing over, in fact
perce-stible change can be seen in itI
size from year to year. II II certair
that the water extends n considerable
distance under the banks. but how fan
Is uncertain. Several rods back from
the pond pole can be easily run dowr
through the thin crust OF earth into
.he water beneath. Numerous efforts
have been sAade TO ascertain the depth
of the pond, but without success. Dona
lines with weights have been lowered,
but the bottom has never. been found,
and its depth remains unfathomed.
And from these unsuccessful efforts "a
find the bottom il has received the
name of the ''bottomless poud.' Beau
tiful pond lilies grow near its banks
but efforts to secure them are ATTENDED
with great difficulty and danger.
in the same swamp about a half mile
away is another pond, round like the
first, but smaller, being about $50 acres
across. The formation of the ground
around this pond is similar 10 that
around the larger one. Between the
two there is high ridge OF solid
ground which forms n divide 20 that
the water from the smaller pond flows
east, while that from the large one
flows south. Whether they are twa
parts OF what was once a large pond,
CT whether there Is now any subtrr
ranean connection between them can
only be conjectured.
The small pond is only ~ or so fee'
deep; in the middle OF IL, submerged,
there stands tall spruce tres, it's TOE
reaching 10 the surface OF the pond.
This would indicate that the land at the
bottom of the pond had from some
cause sunk from the level OF the sur.
rounding land some time during the
lifetime OF the tree and that this pond
was thus formed. The tree being under
water has been preserved, perhaps, for
ages to tell the story Of the eartht
chanCes.-Rocheste Democrat.