The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-19
THRILLING SPECTACLE
The M qFRBIE YING SIGHT

IN a ~ Fleeing From wha' 'ueS
Believe Curseu
Germs Deserted p,,b,,,
g, = md Dispatch in st. LOUIS hep"V 49,
hIta1o .. "a, have focked TO-DAY 70 .ro
lnousa 49, vonderful upheaval OF Monday
scene OF tne With awe and wonder
on Conu Shserved the terrible strength OF
they nave e. 80, ,rsqnitude and force OF the
natu,v ., i beyond the comprehension o' . .ne
u!'n eIa Great seams and gorges plo" ", Sno
peoIle: II directione Tne earth mas Oeen
eartn II - as if by an earthquake mus
rent ~ cast I'D to the hight OF twenty
have while the streams OF nre,
hFe -.,r,led the first TO arrive upon
~ s.ans have, 10 some extent, s .hn a;r
me W longer leap hlgh mo .n ;'h a., as
~ III till rage within tIe eai ~ ~ y;cin.
~, ferceness, ana tne netlU ~ oo,,arad
great ne.o1arsbIe. The entire area covered
lty Is o~TIosioa comprises about hiteen
by lne ~ If which is either depressed,
ecreS, or knocked open. IN places
thrown ~ srots scooped cut which nave
there orc ,arance of the work OF a steam
every aPRTTS~ IT, earth has been thrown out IN
shovel fearful has been the force as
cnuhhS' ~ terrible have been the results.
playeu' ON of fear has taken pos
A laiNof the minds of the peaceful
Session s who have lived IN the
Ial 1initv In tones of dismay they polnt ouc
" ~ crowds of curious onIooAsrS tne
t'iiior scenes and Landmarks, anu ciaItu
49, the earth is sinking. In 1heir IIiSu'
Ia oIarm many of them have Degun 10
move from their farm houses, anu ne.ol y. .
anofher day the country wltnln raui9' On
'o.oI miles will nave been deserted oy
s see farr,srs who have lived here IN peace
. .r9 The world for years. They look upon
w.. ~ I,rbeaval as a visitation from the hands
- COD and in their superstition and lgno-
rance are fleeing from the cursed spot ;,
4 y,Ia1V ~ the scene Is awe-insplrlng, and
10 bnt little wonder that it should have
ercb an effect upon the slmple-mlnoed coui-
~ foIk But the depression OF the eartn is
moro than mere delusion on their part. IL
Is a reality. The depression IS steadily IN
oraasi0ey IN its circumference, and at present
taEes in about thirty acres. The greatest
denth of this depression is in the center,
wbere il is now about eight feet, and 1t
gradually rises to the outer limits
Of the circle. Dead is the tonnage Oh
the trees within halt-mlle OF
natures upheayal. Fierce ls the
heat issuing from the livld chasms IN tne
earth. Great cracks seam the earth on all
sides ard from the crevices the fire issues,
hnt only TO the hight OF several inches. IL is
a vast internal confagration. Where once
the creek babbled merrily elong is deep
crevice filled with fame. Here has the bed
of the creek dropped out entirely for dis
lance of 200 yards. A well-kept turnpike
once passed close by, but now
il is distorted rent and torn.
The bottom of the creek was
formed OF soft blue shale, but the intense
heat from the fire has now made 1t hard
and solid. The water loses itself in the
crevices, and after flowing through an
underground channel, bubbles forth again
some distance down. A pond Of water near
by, twenty feet in depth, has disappeared.
Ashes thrown from the depths of the earth
cover the ground for hundreds of PAGES
about A little field of green corn close by
was burned to the ground. Vast forest
trees, toppled over by the force of the ex-
plosion, lay scattered about, some Of them
shattered into fragments.
The scene is one of great devastation. The
blackened stumps of trees, the fallen mon
archs of the woods, devoid of their foliage,
the vast chasms in the earth, the upheaved
mounds of earth all serve to form pictur g
Of ruin. TIE depths of the many chasms
which seam the earth for many yards about
cannot be estimated, for as yet no one has
been able to approach within considerable
distance Of the spot owing to the fire and
intense heat issuing from them. They are
wide and gaping, however, d two-horse
wagon could be easily driven into some of
them.
For an hour after the explosion, accord
ing to the accounts of the laborers on farms
near by, streams of water and mud were
spouted forth from the earth. This SUBJ
sided, however, within short time. The
streams OF fire burned brilliantly through
out the night, but with steadily decreas.
Ing light, and at day break but few Of the
flames were higher than ten feet. since
tnen they have slowly retreated within the
EARTH and through the chasms can be seen
the steady glare.
Whlle the explosion was undoubtedly
que To natural gas, the causes which led to
are involved IN mystery, and no reason
ape explanation has as yet been offered,
although theories of all kinds have been
discussed. Farmers who were near the
scene at the time like : the noise to the falling
q great trees in the forest The next in
s'sht the light of the scene was obscured by
aiaiiins cloud Of dirt, treetops, rock and
wafer. A vast fame burst forth, which for
ssinoment extended to the clouds above.
ms night was kept for but moment and
eue1 the flame began to fall steadily and
..apuly until 1t reached hight of between
twenty-five and thirty-fve feet. which il
maintained throughout the night.
although the upheaval was caused by
laura, gas 1t has thus far had no effect on
~ sue aidron gas wells. Their yield to-day
was undlminished.
40 aF as can be learned no person was in.
; ;S oy the explosion. This is due to the
ouauiy settled condition of this section of
soan.ry The country is broken and hilly
suu Tue SOIL is not fertile, and but few
b,neis I'VE IN the vicinity. Here thew
a'e exec out an existence from the soil for
! 5 his farming class are among the
b1 os! ignorant people in Indiana, typical
mr.. !, and the exaggerated view which
n i5 'ahe OF the wonderful upheaval is MOI
VIZ W wondered at. Persons of intelligence
hooo nave visited the scene to-day have
wo~doI. icAeh with awe and terror at the
III power Of nature.
ne evidence of volcanic eruntion is +h,
Gue Inlug which has almost startIed ~ ~
t''eAlsent onlooker. The ground is coverad
leptn OF several inches with ashes ~
in ti''pOaA ole subterranean origin. They arc
nnarta OF scales Of sizes varying from q
coor VI an inch to an inch and of gravish
s Sew. IN the band they crumble readily
upo g'a o. sclentlsts who have already arrived
the p.t sns scene with the intention of viewing
pror ,siiusr from scientific point of view
So.ouhce them to be of a volcanic nstnra
he ss .tn. have been gathered and sent r.
Tho eeologlst for examination.
with ee IN Ogden's Cemetery, which lie,
hesy,sIi several hundred yards of the M M
deep cbas g almost most lndescribable. Several
thedsa u1o n have rent it, and the collins Of