Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-08-24
A FARM DROPS INTO 4 HOLE.
Twelve to Fifteen Acres Suddenly Sink
From Three to Sixty Feet.

u WN1NC ~ LlAtCCh ACACS ouuuChAy SHIN
From Three to Sixty Feet.
Richmond Dispatch: To see twelve
or fifteen acres of dry land on the
hillside high above the water level
gradually sink until they go down
below the surrounding territory to
depth ranging from three to sixty
feet is an exceedingly remarkable
thing.
This is just what may now be seen
on Spring hill, W. B. Gatlin's farm
of 800 acres, which is located on the
west side of the Appomattox river, in
the county of Prince George, about
five miles below the city of Petersburg
According to Edward B. Calling,
jr., of this city, son of the owner of
the estate, who has just returned from
visit home, there was an ''eruption"
on this farm about month ago,
which had some semblance of a vol
cano, but after the upheaval there
was neither lava, smoke nor fire.
This was followed by a assure in the
ground, small at first, but which open
ed gradually until it was three feet
wide, and then came this depression,
which is somewhat alarming in its
character and extent.
On the sunken area were oaks 100
feet high, and numerous other trees
of gigantic proportions, which have
sunk as they grew, leaving only the
tops of the branches peering above
the walls.
The sinking of the earth carried
with it about twelve or fifteen acres
of land, leaving an ugly-looking wall
as solid as granite on either side, vary
ing from three to sixty feet, perfect
ly perpendicular.
The upheaval a few weeks ago oc-
CURED at the upper end of this hill
side, and following it appeared a
crack or fissure in the ground, which
was at first small, but which widened
gradually until 1t became three feet
or more wide and apparently without
bottom. One could drop rocks down
in there and hear them strike the
sides. but not the bottom The crevice
extended some 500 or 900 or perhaps
1000 yards, and went beyond the
farm and entered the Gillian estate,
adjoining.
The sunken place must be about
twelve or fifteen acres, perhaps not
quite so much. At the broadcast point
it is about one hundred yards and it
was 900 yards long. The earth that
has gone down is not broken up,
though the sinking has been very I'M
even. To look down on this area it
presents very picturesque panorama
The lower district is almost parallel
with the river and is in the form of
an irregular semi-circle. or, properly
speaking bow. A singular feature
of the whole thing is that there is an
upheaval in the river just in front of
this basin, and it seems as though
the earth had passed through an under
ground current to the river. This
bar made its appearance suddenly
during one night. 1t projects short
way out of the water, and would
doubtless grow higher but for the
earth being washed off By the current.
1 There is a bold flow of water from
one of the walls that is as clear as
Icrystal and tastes of iron and sulphur.
The water from this has covered
about two acres of the basin about
eight feet deep, and when the balance
of the sinking land shall have gone
down to the level of the lower part
the whole Of this territory will be-
come lake. The earth has not chang
ed its position at all except to drop
down. There has recently been land
slides in the country but they are en-
tirely different from this.
| SENATOR STEWARDS Committee