The Portland daily press., 1888-03-16
THE DESCENT TO AvERNUS.
Remarkable Subterranean Lake In
an Indiana Town.

TRichmond, Qnd.) despatch TO Cincinnati Com
mercial Gazette.]
Hearing of the oft-time report of lake
under the little city of Morgantown, Ind,
and being repeatedly assured of the fact by
citizens of Morgantown, became interested
and mentioned the circumstances to noted
geologist of Washington, ID. G. During our
discussion Of the noted lake (only known to
be an under ground lake by the wells having
no bottom) he bantered me to make strict
examination of the doubtful existing lake.
Fearing ridicule of folly if, after going to
Morgantown to find all our hopes blasted, we
concluded to disguise ourselves and visit the
noted town for the truth of the matter by ac-
tual experience by examining the lake.
We two-the geologist and myself-yisited
this undermined town of eight hundred peo-
pie, whom we found pot the least afraid that
they might sink at any moment. We stopped
at the Salteorn Hotel, pretending other busi-
ness. Next day we sauntered Ous and made
some inquiry in roundabout way, and
learnt that the public well and Mr.. X. M.
Dill's mill well had no bottom, as they could HI
have long enough rope. They stated
that in digging these wells some of the tools
were lost by falling through into the lake be-
meath.
During the day we took particular note of
the fiOur-mill well, which Is at the north end
of the town.
Before supper time we had seen that Nor
gantowni is noted for freight depot for
Brown ou$nty's fruit and furniture" that
grow wild.
packed our grips ready for the midnight well
examination-night is as good for well explo-
ring as day, for it is dark anyway. At 11.30
y. IN. we went with rope, ladders, wire rope
and tools for the purpose to the well at the
mill. 1t was no time until We had our rope
ladders lowered to the bottom of the noted
well. Both Of us descending with tools and
lamps, used in such work, some difficulty was
encountered in getting everything at the bot
tom of the well in safety. We at first tried a
small pole, but found that it would not reach
any bottom. Next we attached our heavy
lead weight to the wire coil rope OF four hum
dred feet that we had purchased in :lndian-
apolis. We had some trouble in getting the
weight through the narrow hole that is at
the bottom of the WELL All at once the
weight was forced through and down, down,
down, down, it seemed that the end would
never come. Our coil of four hundred
feet ran out and no bottom. We were salts
fed that it was lake indeed, and drew the
rope out
ture but could not succeed. So at work we
went to make the small natural -gas-like"
hole larger. With what tools we had, we
worked diligently until a. m. We retired
to our hotel and slept till about 750 a. M,
spending all of the day in looking. over our
business (pretended). Next night we re-
sumed our work at the well. BY a. m we
were enabled to lower a net on the plan of q
funnel, mouth downward, string attached,
so as to close the mouth at pleasure. After
lowering it some fifty feet, we closed the
mouth and drew it up. In it we could dis
Germ animals Of various kinds. We emptied
it into another sack. Lowering it several
times. at different depths, we had as much as
we wanted to carry to the hotel. So we
withdrew everything from the well and went
to the hoteL Next day we examined our
spoils and found thirty different species Of
ANIMALS. Among them were blind fish, sim
liar to the ones in the noted cave of Southern
Indiana, excepting the fms were as long as
the body and were solid-means of defense I;
frogs of bright colors, numerous insects
small-like clammy animals like mussels or
oysters, but having fins. One creature the
shape of an eel and fins the shape of a bats
wings. The greatest curiosity was that OF a
fish that had lanterns or lights like the fish
of the ocean on its sides. After its death
the brightness of its sides were gone. All
of our curiosites were dead within ten hours
after being taken from the underground
lake.
We stored all the animals and weeds away
and made ready for our trip home in order to
make close examination with instruments
&c.
We were told by some of the citizens that
several years ago young lady at the High
School graduating class read an essay on this
subterranean lake, predicting the traversing
of boats in pleasure trips and hunting pearls
on the shores by electric light instead of the
sun. Hon. State Superintendent of Schools
Halcombe, of Indiana, was present at this
occasion. and made reply to the young la
dy's story, hoping it to come true, and leading
to great study for the scientist Another
fact proving the presence of large lake un-
der this town Is that southeast of the town
about three miles Is a constant flowing spring
which is on the same level as the surface OF
the lake. | have made thorough examina-
them to be entirely sightless excepting a
few. The artesian well at Martinsville, Ind.
is partly due to this lake under ground, or at
least suppositions lead us to think So