The Portland daily press., 1890-07-28
A Wonderful Growing Plant.
CPlttsburg Dispatch

AZ ucep, udrk raYlne, III INOi yn oeft10h
township, Lawrence county, is phe-
po1nenon in the shape of growing rock.
Fifty years ago, when it was first noticed,
an inverted wooden pail would almost
cover it. Today 1t is great bowlder,
ten feet in height and fifteen feet or
more in circumference, and weighing
not less than fifty tons. During the sum-
mer months it is covered with dense,
rich moss two or three inches deep,
through which the water from spring
tricl1les continually.
The wonder maker is the little spring.
so small at this season that few nails Of
water dipped from it would drain it dry.
But it works in manner very different
from the dripping water in caves that
carries burden of limestone in solution
with it, and leaves its wonders in stall
agmites and stalactites.
The outer formation of this rock has a
limestone appearance, but once remove
the moss and chisel into the gritty sur
face, and the real beauty and popularity
Of the rock is seen. A cellular forma-
ton, like a mammoth sponge, is discov-
cred, and about the cells is stone as hard
as adamant On cutting further in, this
cel1-like substance is found to continue,
but it seems to have been transformed
into translucent flint
This remarkable petrifaction has been
wrought by the action of the water from
the spring upon the moss. The water
seems to have the singular property of
turning into stone everything that is
brought in contact with it for any
length of time. 1t has an acid taste,
and is doubtless heavily charged with
mineral substances, although thus far
it has never been analysed. The most
remarkable fact about It is that it ac-
composites SO much in so short time.
The moss grows luxuriantly in the dark
hollow, and the lap;lescent quality Of
the water has operated year after year
upon the layers Of moss, turning them
into a honeycomb Of stone, and adding
to what was at first a small rock, until
today there is this great bowlder Of petri-
fed vegetation. A short time after the
moss begins to grow in the spring it
commences to solidify at the roots and
the petrifaction follows closely on the
track of the growing moss like the
formation of coral on the work of the
coral insects. AS it progresses the dark
green of the vegetation becomes yellow
ish, then changes to brown, and darkens
as the rock grows older.
The moss is not all that is perpetuated
in stone by the action of the water.
Plants, leaves, twigs, every vegetable
substance that has fallen on the rock
and lain there has been impregnated
with it, and, as by the touch of an mex
orable fate, been turned into stone by it.
Stratum upon stratum of the moss stone
has grown over them, and many such
objects are now to be found Theoretically
sealed deep in the heart of the rock.
To the mineralogist the rock is mine
of treasure and delight No one ever
chisels into that flinty bowlder without
coming upon leaves and twigs petrifed
among the moss and securing many fine
speciments to rejoice his heart and make
envious less fortunate mortals. Those
who have visited it thus far say there is
not another such curiosity known in the
world.
The people in the neighborhood have
long known of the remarkable qualities
of this spring. Mrs. William Allsworth
first discovered it nearly fifty years ago.
Then the rock was ten feet or more be-
low the spring. Now it has climbed up
the side of the bank until it is partially
above the level of the spring, and has
turned the water of the little brook that
comes down the ravine somewhat out of
its course.
Mr.. Allsworth and some of his neigh
bors intend to try the experiment of fas-
tening frog or some other creature in
such way that the water will have
chance to act upon it, and see whether
it will fill up animal tissues with its
mineral burden as it has done the vege-
table ones that have come in continued
contact with it. They firmly believe it
will, and there seems little reason to
doubt.it.
Heretofore the spring and the wonder
full rock it has builded have been little
known outside the immediate neighbor-
hood. The little ravine where it is stu
ated puts down through rough and bro
Ken country near Une Beaver river, and
the wonder is difficult of access This
comparative inaccessibility has saved it
in large measure from the raids of relic
hunters, and prevented the accumula-
lions from being greatly disturbed.
Now and then the curious have visited
it, and of late few biologists have
studied it, and specimens of the strange
formation have been carried off, but the
bowlder shows no apparent diminution.
The water still works its miracle of pet
lifcation, and will doubtless continue to
do SO as long as it has chance to act
upon any living tissue