The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-01-18
ONE OF NATURES ODDITIES.
Phenomenon That Follows Digging
In Trinidad's Asphait Lake

Few people who travel over the as
phalted streets of New York are aware
of the origin of the black, ptchy mass
that goes to make up the basis of the
smooth roadway under their feet Eight
cen hundred miles. almost due south
from New York, lies the little tropical
island of Trinidad, a British possession
Oil the coast Of northern South America.
AT the southwestern extremity of this
colony the famous Pitch lake is located
on the summit of a small hill less than
2UO feet above the level of the sea. In
appearance there is nothing phenomenal
about this wonder of the tropics. hut n
visit To the lake, as it is Familiarity called.
reveals one of the most unaccounta bic
oddities of nature in the annals of travel.
Inc tourist may take passage to the
land Of the humming bird" as Trinidad
people like their community to be called,
anu after securing accommodation at the
only decent hotel in the colony proceed TO
the lake by one of the small government
steamers plying coaStwiSe three times
weekly, diSCmbark at the Brighton pier
and proceed to the scene of the dig
glng.' OF all the crude, rough and ready
means of extracting wealth from Mother
Earth the Trinidad lake asphalt opera
tons are the most striking. The visitor
arrives on fairly level plateau, spotted
here and there with tiny pools of water,
beneath which the soft, shiny substance
known as asphalt glitters in the rcflec-
tons of fierce tropical sun. Scattered
over the surface of the lake dozens of
swarthy negroes are plying pick and hoe,
extracting the tar coaly looking stuff
from the earth.
One may sit in the shade of nearby
shrub or under the protecting shade of an
umbrella and watch the negroes pile heap
after heap Of the asphalt into the endless
chain of tubs that hurry along to the pier
from which one has but recently landed
until yawning excavation of 30 or more
feet suggests to the supervising darby
that the time has come to move a bit far
Their on. In the course of few hours
the excavation resulting from the morn
ing's digging begins to look less deep, and
by eventidc the spot from which more
that five or ten tons have been dug is
again level with the surrounding earth
and ready to be dug over by the gang Of
noisy blacks. From the point of digging
to the pier is but a mile or less of endless
chain descent. Moored to the pier are
big sailing vessels and sometimes steam
ers, into whose capacious holds the tubs
discharge the pitch at the rate of POO or
300 tons per day.
On the voyage to Trinidad, West In
dies, and during the travellers stay there
many other objects of interest may be
taken in" Within a few miles of the
city of Port of Spain is the Blue basin,
a lofty waterfall eliminating in a valley
of gorgeous tropical verdure. Eight miles
in an opposite direction are the Maracas
falls, Of equal beauty and novelty, while
all around the city and suburbs are vii
lagos of Indians in their primitive gath
erings of tribes and castles, hut quite
alert in their readiness to make money
by the sale of queer relics of their craft.
There is but one direct line of steamers
to Trinidad and one to the neighboring
islands of the Antilles. The rates Of
passage are reasonable enough, although
the accommodation leaves something to
be desired. The voyage requires any
where from 9 to - days. according to the
point of discmbarking, and the cost of a
round trip Of five or six weeks may be
covered by the prudent tourist for an ex-
penditure of S300-New York Post.