Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-03-18

.itum-n. upon which they eouli walk,
Dot from which at times rose strong
.um-s, Will. the secumulating OIL on
.h- surface would hurst into hsne uH-
Ter the burning suni over the Whole eX-
tent Of about 1900 Acres,-WAs indeed
The abode of spirits, either TO fear or
worship Even We, ia possession Of
modern scientific knowledge, eau but
wonder at The strange processes and
causes which have produced here in this
wilderness, the largest known deposit Of
asphalt pitch in the NorlG. {. Is %
miles inland by an air line, aud COM
at sea level, like all the sur
rounding country. Heavy forest sur
rounds 1t, while upon its surface there is
a growth Of peat aud moss few inches
thick, and sometimes small low shrub
berry with vines; aud during the wet
season much OF it is under water. At
the time of our visit, very heavy aud
unusual rains had prevailed for some
days, and the swamPs were full of
water, and the surface OF the lake so
called, was covered with water from
one to two feet deep, while in the holes
and excavations the black men, (pickers,
| suppose they are so called because
they use picks in the digging) were
working in the water up to their waists
and even higher than that.
Over the section worked or to be
worked, narrow hand tram car line is
croOkedly laid on temporary or LOOSE
trestle Just above the high water mark,
and over this railway the asphalt is
carried in fitting iron boxes attached to
the small car which is pushed back and
forth over the line, the man walking on
hoard placed between the rails. These
cars will hold about 800 pounds. aud a
good, strong, active man will pick two
tons day. The daily output row is
about 1925 tons These men are in
coarse clothing working with pick and
especially made axe, cutting and break
ing out the irregularly shaped pieces of
asphalt, which they take in their arms
OF on their heads and carry to the tram
line aud dump into the car. They are
paid really by the number of loads they
bring to the checking station. These
men were of course all bare footed, and
wet as drowned rats all the time, yet
they were apparently happy singing
while at their hard labor
Formerly the company at great ex-
pense established refining works here,
but that process is now done at Perth
Amboy, New Jersey, and the great
building with its tanks, boilers, engines
etc, seems but a decaying, wasting relic
of other days, except as the workmen
use sections of it for barracks, and the
company use other parts for machine
shop and the like.
The center of the lake is very soft,
ard constantly gives evidence that deep
down forces are continually working up
ward, thus producing replenishment for
all that is taken out, or in fact extend
ing the surface as lowest level is
sought by the great, pliable movable
mass. Around the surface the layer OF
asphalt is from s to 10 feet thick, but
nearer the center, no soundiugs possible
to make, have found the bottom. II is
practically an inexhaustible mine, un-
derneath which, scientists suppose there
must be an immense reservoir of petro.
leum. The company intend to exploit
for the oil in the near future, aud are
planning to build dyke around the
lake to keep ont the outside surface
water, while with powerful pumping
apparatus, they can drain the surface of
the lake itself, and make less expensive
aud more healthy, the digging of the
asphalt. The product is taken from the
small tram car boxes into larger boxes,
which are then taken ON fiat cars on a
narrow gauge railroad six miles to the
boat landing on the Guanoco river
Here it is dumped into great basin
constructed by building dykes, and when
a ship arrives for loading it has to be
again dug out of solid mass and con.
veyed in cars to the hold Of the vessel
1t seems great and expensive under
taking, but | suppose it's almost untold
possibilities warrant all effort expended
The total product of these two com
panies operating in Trinidad and al
Guauoco, last year, was nearly 100000
tons of asphalt, mostly sent to the
United States for highway, street and
pavement building and for roofngs
Further details | cannot go into in thi,
letter.
After spending full day ut Guanoco
with the turn of the tide at 5 in thu
afternoon, we turn to retrace our course
down the rivers toward the gulf, ant
during four hours, We sit on the deck
and talk some, while we intenty watci
the interesting panorama of beauty al
it unrolls before our vision, and dream
dreams. 1t is beautiful and gorgeous