The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-01
WONDERFUL WATER.
A ponnsylvanta Spring That Turns Mos1
and Frogs Into Stone.

a PonnsylvantA Spring That Turns Hrosg
and Frogs Into Stone.
North Beaver Township. this county,
is tho posSessor Of wonderful phcnom-
Onon, which heretofore has nevor been
chroniclod in tho newspapers. This Is no
loss than vcritable growing rock. Not
boulder with roots doop in the ground
and branches u, at reach out into the air,
but ono which has in half century
sprung from diminutive lapideous sub
stance that patent buckets could cover
to ono that would weigh fifty tons or
moro. This remarkable curiosity is in 4
deep ravinc. through which q 'ippl ng
cascade known as Loonard's Run
gurglos its winding way through
a precipitous country to the Beaver
river. The rock is about ono
mile and quarter from the little ham
let of struggling houses known as West
Moravia, on the Eric s. Pittsburgh
railroad, about six miles south Of New
Castle, and is situated on tho farm OF
w. $. McGinnis. 1t presents TO tho
view of the curiosity-sccker strong
prccipice about ten feet in height and
some fifteen feet i'll circumference, crop
ping out of the high bank of tho ravinc.
Covered in places to Il depth of two or
three inches with II dcposit of dense moss
at this time of tho year, and dripping
wet from the contents Of spring at tho
summit which tricklcs down over it. At
tho first view no one would take it for
any thing but a formation which con-
tanned considerable limestone. but once
apply a chiscl to its gritty surface after
the moss Is removed and strange
rxr,ke <~r,tr
the outer layer which has boon harden.
cd by contact with tho air, it is dis
covered that the substance is honey.
combed like \ mammoth sponge; tho
cells being surrounded by stone as hard
as adamant, Dig further in, and this
cellular substance continues; but it
seems to have been calcined in trans.
lucent tint There arc tons upon tons
of this, and it is as heavy as granite, and
yet every ounce of it is undoubtedly
petrifled moss and other vegetable mat
ter. Tho explanation of this wonderful
petrification is found in the spring
which saturates it Tho spring which
at this season of tho year would be
drained dry if Il couple of pals of water
were taken from it, has tho singular
property of turning every vegetable
for all that is known to the contrary,
fish or animal-that it constantly acts
upon into stone. This labidesccnt
quality OF the water has year after year
'operated upon the layers OF
moss which have accumulated on
what was once a small boulder until the
present conglomeration of rock is the
result. The moss grows very rapidly
and profusely in the dark hollow whore
the curiosity is located, and tho rock has
added to itself, month after month and
year after year, like I rolling SNOWFALL,
until it is now one huge mass of pctri-
fled vegetation. The water which pro-
duced this has Il slightly acid taste, not
unlike that OF some of tho celebrated
medicinal springs. is action is remark
ably quick, considering what it accom-
plishcs. In but Il few days after tho
moss begins to grow it commences TO
solidify at tho roots and the pctrfac-
tions follow Immediately in the track OF
tho growth, changing the dark groon OF
tho herb in its progress TO 4 color T. :
scmbling brown sugar.--Ncw Caste
Pa.) Guardian.