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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 147
J. Lossing visited Sandusky on September 24, 1860, and thus describes
his visit to that city and Castalia:
'' It was a soft hazy half sunny day late in September Avhen I visited
the site of Fort Stephenson and the places of events that had made it
famous. I had come up'by Railway from pleasant Sandusky City Avhere
I had spent two or three days with friends, vainly endeavoring to visit
Put-in Bay Avhere Perry's fleet rendezvoused before the battle that gave
him victory and immortality. The excursion steamboat to that and
other places had been withdrawn for the season and the wind was too
high to make a voyage there in a sailboat either safe or pleasant. I Avas
less disappointed than I should have been by the discovery that an artist
(Miss C. L. Ransom) then in Sandusky City had made careful draAvings
of the historical points about Put-in Bay. I had the pleasure of meeting
her and availing myself of her courteous permission to copy such of her
draAvings as I desired. Of these more will be said when giving an
account of the naval battle near there. '
"In company with Mr. Barney, with whom I was staying, I visited
the famous Castalian Springs at the village of Castalia five or six miles
from Sandusky City. They flow up from subterranean fountains, almost
as limpid as air, and in volume so great that along the outlet that is
called Cold Creek, in its course of three miles through a beautiful prairie
of three thousand acres to Sandusky Bay no less than fourteen sets of
mill stones were kept in motion by it. In a rough scow we hovered over
the center of the spring and peering down into its clear mysterious
depths saw logs and plants and earth in grotto form made iridiscent by
the light in the aqueous prism. The Castalia Springs are great natural
curiosities and are much visited. There are two knoAvn as the upper and
loAA'er. They are about one quarter of a mile apart and are connected
by a race. At the lower one where Cochrane & Weston had a flouring
mill a dike had been raised to give more fall to the water. The two
springs are of about equal dimensions. That of the loAver one which I
visited is about sixty feet in depth. The„ water is so limpid that a white
object an inch in diameter can be seen lying on the bottom. The temperature
of the water is about forty degrees Fahrenheit and holds in
solution lime, soda, magnesia and iron. It "petrifies everything Avith which
it comes in contact. This process makes the mill wheels indestructible.
About a mile and a half from the Springs is a limestone ridge covered
Avith alluvium. From beneath this the Springs appear to How and are
doubtless the first appearanee on earth of a .little subterraneous river
like the Eutaw in South Carolina. , We intended to visit the someAvhat
marvelous cave about tAvo miles from the Springs but the day Avas too
far spent Avhen I completed my sketch of the fountains to alloAv me to
do so. We returned to the tOAvn by the Avay of Mr. Barney's fine vineyard
and arrived at Sunset. I spent the evening AA'ith General Leslie
Combs at the West House and in a public meeting. The next day Avas
the Sabbath and on Alonday morning I started by railway for LoAver
Sandusky Avith impressions that have crystallized into pleasant memories