Omaha daily bee., 1874-07-07

already found thicker veins of coal
than the one we examined. And be.
fore another year rolls around, there
will be coal drifts by the dozen in
full operation.
The Dakota Southern is now
making arrangements with a view
to putting in a railroad ferry and
building a branch line from Elk
Point to the coal mines. This shows
cOmmendable enterprise on the part
Of this railroad, and suggests the
idea that Omaha capitalists should
at once make extra efforts to COM
plete the Northern Nebraska Road,
placing Omaha in direct communi.
cation with the coal fields, thereby
furnishing to her cheap fuel for
manufacturing and other purposes.
After dinner We started for the
IOnia eOtcdna, which is situated
half a mile above the pleasant little
village of IOnia.
Mr.. S. T. Hill. who is the general
business man of this portion of the
country, kindly volunteered to act
as guide. He took us in his skifi
and rowed up the river to a bank
towering up from the waters edge,
full two hundred feet. There, on a
narrow plateau, about half way up
the bluff, we saw and smelt the
sulphurOus vapOr which indicated
the spot we sought. On arriving at
the plateau we saw several assures
in the clay, from which issued vapor
so hot that the ground in the vicin-
ity was too warm to rest the hand
On comfortably. On listening, we
could hear strange sounds under our
feet, like the distant rOar of a blast
furnace.
Mr.. Hill said that it was consid-
erably hotter than when he was
there q few days before, and that
the heat has been continually in
creasing. Some time before this
''hOt-hole" was discovered q vast
land slide occurred, which is suppo-
Sod was caused by the internal fires
which have now found a breathing
place. After examining the embryo
Etna our attention was called to
the bluff, which is of slate and clay,
with occasional gypsum formation,
and is full of pe~trifaction of ali
kinds. Half way up the bluff We
dug out Of the slate apetrifed back
bone, showing every vertehral, and
not Scared or injured in the least,
and Immediately along side we
found iMbedded in soft rock a hand
full OF shell fish, and there is no
scarcity to these petrifactions, but
the bluffs is literally full of them.
1t was from one of these bluffs that
Mr.. Joseph Brewer dug out the
wonderful petrified monster, which
is now on its travels making q for
tune for some enterprising side
Snowman. Another item of inter-
est is that Mr. Newton Whitehorn,
who lives a few miles south of Ionia,
is now digging a well with strong
prospects Of striking oil instead Of
water. We did not visit the we'll,
but do not doubt it, for there are
springs here that are so permeated
with oil that a cloth after being dip
ed In them burns readily, showing
beyond a doubt that there Is oil
with the water. -
Messrs. Hill and Smith, while
prospecting for coal, discovered a
mine Of boot hacking, as they ia
cetiOusly call it. 1t Is some kind of
black, porous substance, which,
without any alteration from the
state In which it is found, makes a
very neat polish backing when APP
piled in the ordinary manner. Garry
the news to the bOot-blacks. Speci-
mems have been 70. warded to Prof.
Aughey, at Lincoln, who will, it is
hoped, properly christen tho found
ling,
When I find anything of interest
1 will write again, but, for the pres
ent, l will give my quill a rest.
RANGER.