Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-01-17
AN UNDOUBTED VOLCANO.
POnca. Nebraska. Furnishes q Cause
for the Late Earthquake.

:. Tor the Late Earthquake.
Professor Vance, of Ann Arbor. Mel
gan; j. Mvron Andrews. of Wabash. l
diana. and Professor Brown. of Swan
scot, Massachusetts,. recently visited Il
scenes of the earthquake and volcano
e Dixon county. and the following is po
/. ton of the report of their investigation
! rs reported in tie Ponca Journal:
Taking their hollow iron rods. they s
lected spot near to one of the largest .je
l of vapOr and were enabled to drill dow
+ ward very rapidly. In the course of tlIrt
hours they penetrated to Il depth of il
. feet. The drawing of the rods Occupie
some time, as they were quite hot. and
was near midnight when the last join
was taken out. Then a heavy eXplosio
took place, accompanied by Il tremendou
I discharge. not of luminous vapor alon,
but of what appeared to be a stream c
liquid fire. which. thrown to height c
IT least Is feet. tell like cataract Of flames
The display lasted Il little less than tiy
minutes. then ceased, and after this frs
grand exhibition Of eartls fireworks. .stll
eruptions were merely of luminous vapol
the same as was emitted by the thousan'
little volcanic mouths around them.
This wonderful discharge of fire was &C
companled by large quantities of red ho
stones; some of them. indeed, were melte(
by the violent heat.
1t was afterwards ascertained that thi
brilliant display was witnessed by severl
persons about ten miles distant in Dakot:
Territory, who supposed that an enOr
nous meteor was rising above the hori
ZOn.
Prof. Vance. by this experiment, was
more than ever convinced that this was :
veritable volcano. ard he assured his com.
paniOns tlrt the great source or fountain
of fire was but a little way beneath them
1t now being nearly morning. the party
went back TO the carriage and rested until
daylight. when they again returned to the
volcanic field. The display of the night
had passed away with the darkness. and
only few spindles Of vapor were visible,
and Il stranger might pass over without dis
corning anything unusual. lie would find
his mistake, however, if he attempted to
walk with bare feet. The most. .sedate per-
sonages in such prehcament, would I'M
doubtedly perform Il hornpip" in q very
undigniiied manner -
The morning light revealed several c+,.or
interesting facts which had hitherto escap-
ed notice. Though the weather was cold,
and as Il general thing vegetation had been
dead for two months past. it was noticed
that in several ravines adjacent to the vol
canic tielI the grass was green and luXuri-
ant. Some of it was six inches high. and
evidently growing in Il good. healthy con-
dition. Mr.. Andrews clipped some to take
East to show lis friends what Nebraska,
could do in the winter time. MIR. Green
also took occasion to cut Oil a quantity OF
it for llis stecds, to whom it was a luxl,ri-
Gus repast.
WHAT" said Mr. Brown to Prof. Vance,
lis in your Opin N the cause of the earth
quake: Has the volcano anything to do
With it p
The reply OF the Professor, disclosing Il
new and startling theory, we give rs near
AS possible us it was repeated to us.
Here" said lie, ..is IN undoubted volca-
no. Below the surface (nor is it far below.
as we saw last night is 4 reservoir of fire.
doubtless communicating with the internal
fire of the earth. Near by flows the Mis-
souri,. My opinion is that the earthquake
was occasioned by the river breaking
through into the fiery cauldron beneath us.
If. for example, you were to turn a stream
Of wafer into IA crucible Of melted iron. or
other mineral substance, violent commO-
ton would Immediately occur, and if the
stream was large IN explosion would take
place. The first will illustrate an earth
quake, the second volcano"
TO illustrate the truth of this theory.
Prof. Vance poured some water into the
hole that had been drilled the night before
Instantly they were s;.luted by an explo-
sion and shower of stones.
Had this" said lie, '.instead of quart
Of water, been one-tenth part of what
lows by this point. in an hour we would
have had an earthquake like the one oc-
:urring Il few weeks since. Finally. as the
river continues to cncrOach, great breach
will be made in the dividing walls and an
flood will rush in upon the melt
I'd mass below. Then the spot where we
stand, and perhaps some space around
will be tossed towards the clouds, and
stones and lava hurled out. and full
blown volcano inaugurated. When the
overflow OF lava into the river blocks up
he underground channel and thus shuts
,if the irritating cause of the cOmmOtion.
he volcano will die away to IA mere smoke
pot, as it is called. until other changes
.ause the river to break through again. II
ground channel, one might regulate the
and volcanic display at pleas
lre'
Such was Professor Vance's plausible
heory.
The party deemed it proper to further
investigate the bluffs in the neighborhood.
As they wandered along they noticed in
he ledges of rock many curious. fOrma-
ions and petrifications. The whole day
vas occupied in thus viewing these inter-
sting subjects of study.
Evening c;lme as they were resting at the
DOT of rocky eminence, preparatory to
'eturning to the volcano which was about
mile away.
Suddenly. to their unutterable amaze
nent, they distinctly heard a distant musi-
al sound. which continued long time.
hen died away, and then commenced
lgain. 1t was faint, and AS they heard it.
eenled weird and qnearthly, vet it was
lnmistakably military music, From
whence it came they had not the slightest
tie;s. but it seemel to issue from creyice
It the base of the rock.
This astounding phenomena was worthy
# immediate investigation, The crevice