Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-12-12
HopAlasul4le Nentuthtaa.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER ~, 1890,
WONDERFUL WATER,

A rennSyKania Spring That Turns Noes
and Frogs into Stone.
North Beaver Township. this county,
Is the possossor of wonderful phcnom.
enon, which heretofore has navor been
chroniclcd in the newspapers This is no
loss than avoritablc gi owing rock. Not n
boulder with roots deep in the ground
and branches that roach out into tho air,
but one which has in half century
sprung from diminutivc lapideons sub
stance that patent bucket could cover
to ono that would weigh fifty tons or
moro. This remarkable curiosity is in n
deep ravinc, through which a iippllng
cascade known Us Leonards Run
gurgIcs its winding way through
prcoipitous country to the beaver
river. The rock is about ono
mile and quarter from the littlo ham
lot OF struggling houses known as West
Moravia on tho Eric & Pittsburgh
railroad, about six miles south of New
Castle, and is situated on tho farm of
W. 3 McGinnis. 1t presents to tho
view OF tho curiosity.seekor a strong
precipice about ten feet in height and
some fifteen feet in circum ference, crop-
ping ont OF the high bank of the ravine
covered in places to depth OF two or
three inches with deposit of dense moss
at this time OF tho year, and dripping
wet from tho contents of spring at tho
summit which tricklcs down over II. At
inc hrst view no one would take IL for
any thing but formation which con-
taincd considerable limestone; but onco
apply chisel to its gritty surface after
the moss is removed and a strange |
reveals itself. Under |
the outer layer which has boon harden-
ed by contact with tho air, it ia dis
covered that the substance is honey
like a mammoth sponge; the
cells boing surrounded by stone as hard
Us adamant Dig further in, and this
cellular substance continues; but IL
seems to have been calcined in trans
lucent tint There are tons upon tons
oil TINS and 1t is as heavy as granite and
yet every ounce of it is undoubtedly
petrihed moss and other vegetable mat
ter. Tho explanation of this wonderful
petriiication is found in the spring
which saturates 1t. The spring which
1t this season OF the year would DO
trained dry II a couple Of pals OF wator
Sere taken from 1t, has the singular
property Turning every vegetablo-and
or all that is known to tho contrary. ,,
ish or animal-that it constantly acts
pon into stone. This labidescent !,
uality OF the water has year after wear =
perated upon the layers OF !,
noss which have accumulated on !,
that was once small boulder until tho =
resent conglomeration OF rock is tho V
'suit The moss grows very rapidly J., !,
nd profusely in the dark hollow whero "
10 curiosity is located, and the rock has y
ided to itself, month after month and
car after year, like rolling SNOWFALL. a
ntll 1t is now one huge mass Of petri- ~
cd vegetation. The water which pro- g. $.
iced this has slightly acid taste, not -.
hike that OF some of tho celebrated
edicinal springs. Its action is remark
'iy quick, considering what 1t accom- 'e
ishes. In but few days after the 81 81
oss begins to grow it commences to :"
lidi1y at tho roots and tho pctrifac- po
ms follow Immediately in the track Of sr
growth changing the dark green ~
8 herb In its progress to color re- pc
nbling brown sugar.-New Castle or
a. Guardian. Gre