The Springfield herald., 1902-06-13
COLORADO VOLCANOES
HUGE GRAND RIVER LAVA BED.
Seen From the Denver & Rio Grande
Rairoad-lmmense Crater One
Thousand Feet Deep-lndians
Have a Tradition Of an Eruption.

In view of the recent volcanic dis
turbances in Martinique, among the
sights of particular interest along the
Taylor state road between Glcnwood
Springs and Gypsum are the lava bed
and extinct volcanic crater ut the east
ern end of the canon of the Grand
says II correspondent of the Denver
News. No name has ever been given
to this formation.
The lava li& in n vast black bed
somewhat higher than the grade OF
the railroad which skirts il, extending
several miles up the valley and across
its entire breadth When it came
down from the crater in its molten
state it formed II dam which backed
the Grand river up and formed II lake,
traces of which are still in existence.
The sudden cooling caused by its con-
tact with the river shaped the molten
mass into all sorts of srotesquc figures
standing above the general level Of the
bed.
Some agency, probably the steam
arising from the water, formed i'll the
mass large Subtcrrancan chambers, moi
unlike great unbrokcn bubbles.
number OF these chambers are con
nccted by small natural passages. The
walls of chambers and passages are
eight and ten fee1 In length, but not
larger in circumference than an ordi-
nary lead pencil.
There are evidences that these cham
bers We're at one time used rs habitn-
tions probably by Indians, many abo-
riginal relies being found in them.
Skeletons of human beings have also
been found.
Portions of the beds have in the
early days been located by prospect
ors for gold and silver, and some
good assays have been obtained. Tie
ground has been found TO carry values
in spots only, however, and is not OF
sufficient average value 10 pay for
mining and smelling, and as !; mining
proposition has been abundantly
proven n delusion.
The theory was advanced Il few
years ago by some Leadville men that
since this mass no doubt had been
boiling for ages while III the crater
from which ii originated, the specific
gravity of the gold and silver had
caused these precious metals 10 settle
il the bottom of this vast cruciblc.
Tie top of the Stag having poured or
to foim this lava bed they argued thar
the immense button of precious metal
had settled ut the cotton of the crater
they would arrive at IL mine of fabu-
lous wealth. They spent thousands of
dollars sinking II shaft, but finally con
cluded that the possibility of having
TO dig to the center of the earth was
TOO appalling and operations ceased.
The lava bed is covered in spots
with sage brush, some deposit of earth
having formed on its top. The sur
rounding hills also show traces of the
lava black strenks appearing in their
otherwise red and yellow sides.
The crater is located one mile up
from the main thorouglfare through
the valley and can easily be reached IN
Il half hours climb. y good trail has
been built up its sides and down into
the crater itself, which is about 1000
feet deep and n half mile long by Il
quarter of ii mile in width. Three of
the sides are abrupt, but can be
climbed, while the side toward the
bed is II gentle slope.
Settlers III the valley tell stories of
the days when tlfc Rio Grandc road
was built through the valley. Slight
earthquakes are still not unusual III
the vicinity. one morning there was
II more than ordinarily severe shock
and every Italian on the grade left his
job. They thought of old Nesuvius at
home and were unwilling to trust
themselves TO the tender mercies Of
an unknown volcano.
The last eruption of the volcano
must have occurred only II few hun
drcd years ago. for when the first
white settlers came into the valley the
Utcs told them that their old men re
membercd the time when heap big
fire" came down the mountains.