The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-19
An UNDERGROUND tAkE:

A ,Bottomiess Well at Morgantown
Ind EIplorcd-.water SAX en- frou
she Lake lieiiea!h f6una to contai
Various Living curiosities.
Hearing of the ofttime report Of
lake under the little city Of Morgan
town, Ind. and being repeatedly al
| sured OF the fact by the citizens 9
Morgantown. became interested an
mentioned the circumstances to q note
geulogst Of Washington. d. C. Dur
ing Dur discussion of the noted LAX
Ionlt known to be an undcrgroun,
lake B3 the wells having NO bottom
he bantered ME to make stfist exam
ination 6f the doubtfdl existing lake
Fearing rid;Sule 0f folly If; after goin.
to Morgantown. we found our hopes
blasted, we concluded TO disguise otir
selves aud visit the noted town for III,
truth of tho matter by actual expert
ence BY examining the lake.
We two-the geologst and myself
visited this undermined town of esh
hundred people. whom we found no
the least afraid that thcr m ght sink n
any moment We stopped at hotel
pretending other business. Next day
We satnterei out and made some in
qtify i'll roundabout WAY. and learn
ed that the public we'll and r. M. DHl''
flour-mill we'll had no bottom, as the y
could not find one. Probably they did
not have long enough rope. They stat
ed that in digging these wells some o.
the tools were lost by falling through
into the lake beneath.
During the day we took particular
note of the four-mill we'll. which is al
the north end OF the town.
After supper we went 10 DUR rooms
and unpacked our grips ready for the
midnight we'll examination-night is as
good for we'll exploration as day. for il
is dark, anyway. At 1880 P. M. we
went with rope. ladders, wire,rope.
aud tools for the purpose to tho well at
the mill. It 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 get
ting everything at the bottom OF the
we'll 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 col
rope Of four hundred feet that we had
purchased in Indianapolis. We had
had some trouble in gett ng the weight
through the narrow hole that is at the
bottom of the r.eil. All at once the
weight was forced through. and down.
down. down! it seemed as if the end
would never come. Our coil of four
hundred feet ran out and no bottom.
We were satisfied that it was lake in
deed. and drew the rope out.
We tried to get dip-net in the small
aperture, but could not succeed. So
at work we went to make the small. nat
ural-gas-l Ike hole larger. With what
tools we had we worked diligently until
4 A. NJ. We retired to our hotel and
slept till about 1850 A. NJ. spending all
of the day in looking after our bust
ness (pretendeG. Next night we
reached our work at the well. BY A.
M. we were enabled to lower net on
the plan of a funnel. mouth downward.
a string attached. so as to close the
mouth at pleasure. After lowering ii
some fifty feet VIC closed the mouth
and drew it up. In it we could dis
Germ animals of various kinds. We
1t into another sack. Lower
ing it several times at different depths.
we had as much us we wanted to carry
to the hotel So we Withdrew everv-
Thing from the we'll and went TO the
hotel. Next day we examined our
spoils and found thirty different spec.
linens of animals. Among them were
blind fish, similar to the ones in the
noted cave of southern Ind ana, ex-
cepting the fins were as long as the
body and were solid-means of defense;
frogs of bright colors. numerous in
,ects, sna like clamm: animals | Ike
or oysters, but having fins.
One creature the shape of an eel had
fms the shape of bats wings. The
greatest curiosity was that of a fish
hat had lanterns or lights like the fish
Of the ocean on its sides. After its
Heath the brightness of its sides were
gone. All of our curiosities were dead
within ten hours after being taken
rom the underground lake.
Another fact proving the presence of
/ large lake under this town Is that
southwest of the town about three
niles is constant-flowing spring,
which is on the same level as The sur
ace of the lake. / have made thor
,ugh examinations of the specimens
hat have, and ind them to be entire
y sightless, excepting few. The arte-
ian well at Martinsvlle. Ind, is partly
lue to this lake under ground, or u,
east suggestions lead us to think so. -
Z H. CGar, in Cincinnati Commercial
On effe