Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-03-07

SOMETHING STRANGE IF NOT lNEXPLI-
CABLE.-A gentleman Of our acquaintance,
from out of town, called at our office the
other day and stated to lis fact of SO sim
guiar and remarkable nature, that we
give it for the benefit of the curious and
scientific among our readers and lest any
should be tempted to discredit the whole
thing, as quite too marvellous to believe,
we will say that the authority on which we
give the subjoined statement is that of an
eye witEess-a gentleman, too, every way
competent TO testify in the matter. The
facts, as nearly as we can recollcct them,
are as follows:
A few days since, while G,lett's grist
mil, in the neighboring town of Lebanon,
was running. the miller at once found his
mill standing STILL Thinking it might
have stopped from want of greater head
of water, he raised his gate higher and
increased the quantity. Still the mill re-
fused to go. This led to closer scrutiny
of the machinery, the result of which was
the discovery that the steel rod or spindle
which passed downward through the CEN
tire of the mill stone and rested on another
upright steel spindle, upon which it re-
volved, had become united with this up
right spindle in such a manner as to make
the two separate and distinct bars one SOL
id bar, SO perfectly joined together as to
make it nearly impossible for the eye to
discover the.point of junction. The spin
die passing perpendcularly through the
stone, and which bore up the weight of
the stone, revolved, it will be recollected,
at its lower extremity, upon fred, up
right spindle or pivot. The pivot and the
spindle were both of them round in shape,
of exactly the same size, and at the point
of contact was in a cast iron box of about
A inches square, which was always kept
filled with tallow, and of course the ends
of the two steel rods, at the point Of con-
tact, and at the moment when the junction
took place were imbedded in tallow.
AS we have already remarked, the mil
stopped simultaneously. OF course, the
union Of the two steel bars must have
been instantaneous. 1t was also perfect
so perfect that the blacksmith who sew.
cred them, was unable to detect the poin
of junction, except by minute seam OF
flaw on one side. To show that the unior
was complete and entire it need not be
stated that when the bar was attempted tc
be sundered with cold chisel, instead O
separating at the precise point of junction
it did in fact separate at point a little
one side of this-thus demonstrating tina
the bar was just as firm at the point O
junction as at any other. The damete
of the bar was little more than one incl
1t may be stated, still farther, that the ba
was not in the least discolored, nor did
present any other appearance of havin
been subjected TO the action of heat. TIL
weight of the milestone which was SUP
ported on the pivot, was judged TO b
about one ton.
Such are the facts of this singular cas-
"a case, SO far as we know or believe
without PARALLEL and we have been tn
more particular in detailing il. from III
hope that it may attract the attention an
inquiries of the scientific. We hand III
matter over for investigation and explana
ton to the chemistry department Of Yal
College, and we hope it may lead to III