The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-07-24
A ROCK THAT GROWS.
Remarkable Petrifaction In a Penn
sylvania Ravine.
dripping Water That Carries . Burden
of Limestone In solution with 1t and
Leaves It's Wonders in stalag.
mites md Stalactttes.

In deep, dark ravine a few miles
from New Castle, Pa, in North Beaver
township, Lawrence County, is won
'derful natural phenomenon in the shape
of veritable growing rock. Fifty years
ago, when 1t was first noticed, an in
'verted wooden pail would almost cover
1t. To-day it is q great bowlder. ten
feet in height and fifteen feet or more
lin circumference. and weighing not less
than fifty tons. During the summer
months it is covered with dense rich
moss two or three inches deep, through
which the waters from little spring
trickle continually.
The outer formation of this rock has
10 limestone appearance, but once re-
move the moss and chisel in the gritty
surface and the real beauty and PEI
Iculiarity of the rock are seen. A cellu-
lar formation like mammoth sponge
is discovered, and about the cells is
stone as hard as adamant. On cutting
further in, this cell-like substance is
found to continue, but it seems to have
been transformed into translucent
flint. There are tons Of this flinty rock,
for it is as heavy as granite, and every
ounce of 1t Is undoubtedly moss and
other vegetable matter petrifled.
This remarkable petrifcation has
been wrought by the action of the water
from the spring upon the moss. The
water seems to have the singular prop
erty Of turning into stone every thing
that is brought in contact with it for
any length OF time. 1t has an acrid
taste, and is undoubtedly heavily
charged with mineral substances, al
though thus far 1t has never been an
alyzed.
The most remarkable fact about 1t is
that it accomplishes SO much in SO short
time. The moss grows luxuriantly in
the dark hollow, and the lapidescent
quality Of the water has operated year
after year upon the layers Of moss, turn
ing them into honeycomb Of stone,
and adding to what was first a small
rock, until to-day there Is this great
bowlder of petrified vegetation.
A short time after the moss begins to
grow in the spring, it commences to
solidify at the roots, and the petrifica-
tion 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
ldarkens as the rock grows old
ier. 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 have been i'm
pregnated with and, as by the touch Of
an inexorable 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 tho 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 petrifled
among the moss and securing many fine
specimens 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 neighbor-
hood have long known of the remark
able qualities of this spring. Mr.. Will
lam Allsworth first discovered it nearly
fifty years ago. Then the rock was ten
feet or more below the spring. Now it
has climbed up the side Of the bank un-
til it is partially above the level Of the
spring, and has turned the water Of the
little brook that comes down through
the ravine somewhat out of its course.
Mr.. Allsworth and some Of his neigh
tbors intend to try the experiment Of
fastening frog or some other creature
in such way that the water will have
a chance to act upon it, and see whether
1t will fill up animal tissue with its min
eral burden as it has done the vegetable
ones that have come in continued con-
tact with it They firmly believe it
will, and there seems little reason to
doubt 1t.