The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-03-13
STARTLING PHENOMENON.
Discovery Ola SuDtcrnncnn
Lake OF Rolling NYntoz..

Ft"m the IaCro8s Democrat, FEBRUARY Is.
This afternoon about two O'Clock III,
resident. Of the eastern part Of the CITY
were startled by loud rcport, resembling
the discharge Of a park Of the heaviest ar
tiI'ery. Many supposed 1t tn be occason-
cd ny blasting operations Al the stone quar-
rlcS east Of the city, but the fact was soon
asccrtainod that the explosion ACQUIRED nj
til" artcsilu well llat has hccn sunk to the
depth of 2So feet, situated ahout midway
between the river and the bluffs.
The workmon aJ the we'll became sGnSi-
bic Of u remarkable change going on with
in the bore, the drill had hccn working
through Substratum Of dirk porous rock
for five hours, and had boon making rapid
progress, when suddenly the machinery
stopped, the rods became violently agitatoA
and doafening explosion onsUcd, followed
by a stream of boiling water, gushing with
mighty force through the tube from the
depths below. The startled workmen
were blinded by clouds Of steam, George
Hays, the workmon in charge Of the drill
at the time had very narrow escape. lie
received 4 jet of boiling water in his neck
and breast, but was partially protected by
heavy wooIcn clothing, William Marks, an
other operative, was BADLY sealdcd about
the feet and ankles. Patrick Cox, Andrew
Parhman and Karl Snyder, tho remaining
workman, were but slightly injured. The
horses became panic stricken, reared and
plunged violently, and extricating them
selves from the harness dashed madly over
the frozen prairie in the direction of the
bluffs.
The upward pressure of the water is very
great, certainly not less than two hundred
pounds to the square inch. The mean
temperature is about one hundred and thir-
ty-cight or Reumers' THERMOMETERS.
Of course all corjecturcs as to the ox-
tent of the submarine lake and the Tenth of
time which the boiling water will continue
to flow, must for tho present be purely
speculative. Dr.. Perciyal, late State Geo
Iogist, was Of the opinion that far beneath
the bed of the Mississippi, there existed
another stream flowing in the same dircc-
ton of much greater magnitude, and whose
waters were ola much higher temperature
than the waters Of the river.
The well has been visited this afternoon
by crowds OF citizens, and tie singular
phenomena has given rise to much SpeCula.
'icn and wonder. Many strange theories
have been advanced. One scientific gem
tleman who has had wide experience in
geology, as we'll as much practical krowl-
edge of mining operations, is Of the opinion
that the fraction of the drill has ignited
some hidden reservoir of highly iuaomma-
BILE oil Or gas, the intense heat Of which has
caused the water to boil and seek an out
let through the bore of the we'll Other
intelligent parties entertain widely differ
ent views, and the flowing well of boiling
water bids fair to furnish prolific theme
for scientific investigation.
The extensive vineyards of Hon. Edwin
Flint and George A, Metzgar are in immi-
ncnt danger Of being submerged by the
boiling food. The snow for space of
about six acres has entirely disappeared,
and the brown grass of the prairie swollen
by the heated element, has assumed wild
and fanciful shapes.