154 Eruption of Long Lake and Mud Lake, in Vermont 



Mud Lake had originally a narrow outlet, and rising grounds 

 of moderate height bounded it at the northern end. The accu- 

 mulated torrent, bearing along the gathered spoils of its own de- 

 solations, broke away this mound in a moment ; and following 

 the course of the river, rushed down the long and rapid descent 

 of five miles towards the flats in Barton. Through all this dis- 

 tance it tore up and carried away the forest trees, and hollowed 

 out to itself a path in the earth, varying from 20 to 40 rods in 

 width, and from 20 feet to 60 in depth, so that every trace of the 

 original bed of Barton River disappeared, and the river was left 

 to choose for itself a new bed, many feet below the old one in 

 the bottom of the gulley. In some instances the excavation was 

 narrower, in consequence of huge rocks on both sides, which the 

 torrent could not move ; but, in such cases, amends were made 

 in its greater depth. Where an immoveable rock was found on 

 one side only, it usually altered the course of the torrent, with- 

 out materially diminishing its breadth. Wherever any such ob- 

 struction made an eddy, by stopping momentarily the torrent's 

 progress, the effect was still observable in deposits of sand, im- 

 mediately above the obstructions, varying in depth and extent 

 with the time during which the water paused, and the surface 

 which it covered at the moment. Some of these are an acre or 

 more in extent, and 20 feet in depth. In these cases there was 

 usually a deposit of the floating forest trees. At Keene-Corner, 

 it not only swept away the grist-mill and saw-mill of Mr Wil- 

 son, with the mill-dams, but the mill-sites, with the ground be- 

 neath them for many feet, as well as the bed of the river by 

 which they had been imperfectly supplied. A man in one of 

 the mills, hearing the noise of the approaching flood, ran to save 

 himself; and had but just escaped from its path as it went by. 

 His horse, tied at a post near the mill, was swept away, and 

 was afterwards found a great distance below, literally torn to 

 pieces. 



About a mile below the mills the torrent entered a more level 

 country ; where the river had been wont to glide through a 

 broader valley, and was generally bordered with flats or inter- 

 vals of some rods in width, covered with forest trees. Here this 

 moving mass of trees, earth and water, expanded itself as the 

 t!Ountry opened, and with the velocity acquired in its long de- 



