The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-09-10

| Theg r>ppsa 80 DE.rsh for water aal
Dot Hosers Iastssd az . wen1-As srresi~ts
toie Co1amn ofWater. kixee~n Inc1ses IN
Diameter. Forming the source ~ Two
Nsw Hiver~-T The rown IN Danger.
CHICAGO, Sept IA dispatch was n.
esived II the CITY Hall yesterday after
noon from the mayor OF BELLE PLANE. Ia.
which states that an arteSian we'll. four
inches In diameter, burst when the depth
% $50 feet had been reached IN boring.
and ins tantly : volume OF water was
forced into the air 20 the distance u
several hundred feet. This gradually in.
creased In size and volume mill stream
Of water fully sixteen inches IN diameter
WAS formed, and the upward foce Of this
stream Il equal 10 the power Of powder
or dynamite. The water In huge volumes.
u spouting high IN the air. and the supply
seems inexha0stible- Two gigantic rivers
have been formed by this water burst.
which are running through the town at
the rate Of twelve miles an hour and car
rying every thing before them. Houses
and lives are threatened BY this peculiar
freak o. nature. and the citizens Of the
town are appalled, a. their impending
danger, which at present they are power
less to overcome. Finding II Impossible
TO divert this damaging food. an attempt
was made to insert sixteen inch boiler.
iron tubes In the we'll. hut these were in
stantlv blown out and forced hish In The
air. Finding this plan useless. the
terrified people tnen attempted
70 al up the huge aperture through
which this terrible seyser was spnuiing
its deugc. Fifteen car-load< Of stone
were empted into the well, hut these
were instantly blown out and forced
upward as though propelled by the force
Of a bursting magazine Of giant powder.
Bags Of sand were then hastily con-
stfucted and cast into the we'll. hut
these, too, were hurled into the air bv
the tremendous force Of the spouting
water. The Northwestern railr,ad was
then called upon for assistance. and in
s;antly sent large gang Of men 10 the
rescue. The bridge gang Of the county
was also called upon, but up TO last
evening no abatement 10 the fow Of
water was perceptiDle, and the
rushing rivers formed nv IL
were Washing the culnncl * nan mdue
deeper and wider, while the basin formed
by this immense Volume Of water was
spreading over the lovlands in the vicin.
ity. The mayor ri Belle Piaine. in his
last extremely, telegraphed 10 Chicago
for the best engineers that could be
secured 20 come Immediately 10 the spot
and use their skill and energy in attempt.
Ing 70 stop this perilous condition ~
affaiis. CITY Engineer Artin.stail. 10
whom the matter was referred. a; once
started out 10 find m en- ylneer WHO
would supply the demand. and SIC.
ceeded in inducing Engineer
Morgan TO undertake the mission.
Messrs. Artingstall and Nor
gan. are. however. both Of The
opinion that bot little can be done. II
any thing. 10 stop the 1nw Of wafer. but
that II may be possible 10 direct The riv-
ers into less dangerous directions and
confine them % their present channels.
Mr.. Morgan left for Belle PLANE last
night, and ifmore assistance H. necessary
Mr.. Artingstall will send al that Is nee
essary. This Is regarded az one OF the
most phenomenal freaks Of nature which
has yet been known. and the threatened
danger 10 the people and property 81
Belle Plaine demand instant and energet-
ic efforts to stop the rninous delugc o.
uater