Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-01-03

WIFI ltSS anu itSo llll ptbuo Illill dI ldSU IL
disappears from view in the cavernous
depths Of the well, only to reappear and
form perfect fountain when the next
tide flows.
THE SIERRA BLANCA RoARER.
An American wonder, similar in many
respects to Johnny Bulls Yorkshire mar
vel, and which was fully described in
the columns of the old Republican some
three years ago, is the Sierra Blanca
magnetic well on the Texas and Pacific
railroad, in El Paso county, Texas. The
well was drilled on the arteSian plan in
the spring and summer of 1884. Some
little water was obtained and prospects
were bright until depth of over 600 feet
had been reached, when the tools sud-
denly dropped into a cavern; the bottom
had in reality fallen out, and they were
treated to a rush of cool-not water,
but air. Correspondents by twos, by
singles, by dozens and by scores visit
ed it and telegraphed the results of
their observations to the leading papers
of the land One of these, in speaking
of the similarity of the ebb and flow of
air to the same phenomena as exhibited
in ocean tides, says:
From 1915 a. m. to 1915 p. IN. cur
rent of air rushes out of the pipe with a
sound resembling the noise made by
locomotive blowing off steam, and so
loud that il can be heard for forty or
fifty yards. At 1915 p. m. the overflow
of air ceases and a strong suction sets in
which lasts for the next twelve hours,
this ebb and flow continuing day after
day, and it has been observed by horse
men that whenever they get in the neigh
borhood of this well strong magnetic
forces are felt and sparks given off if
the horses name is touched
THREW STONES.
Mr. Peter Taylor, of Sarnia, Ontario,
was more fortunate than the Texas Pa
ciiic in getting something tangible from
his roaring well, which was sunk some
years since in the suburbs Of the city
above mentioned The well, which had
been drilled to depth of about $50 feet
before it developed abnormal propensi-
ties, was situated some 300 yards south
of his house, which is one of the largest
and finest i'm Sarnia.
AS soon as the cavity had been pene-
tratcd the rush of air, which, by the
way, was expelled with much greater
force tl&ln that from the Sierra Blanca
well, was accompanied by millions of
pebbles and bushels of sticky yellow clay,
the pebbles varying in size from about
the bigness of hickory nut up to some
which were almost as large as a mans
head, the latter weighing from eight TO
fifteen pounds That these stones were
expelled with great force may be guessed
from the fact that they were thrown hun
dreds of feet high, many of them going
entirely over the Taylor residence, which,
as above mentioned, stood 300 yards
north of the well.
During the time of this remarkable
display there was constant, ever in
creasing roar issuing from the bowels of
TIE earth through the well, the small
ness Of which seemed slowly to check the
pent up forces in the subterranean boiler
and save the whole town from a coating
of clay and bombardnent of rocks. 1t
was about 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon
when the first premonition of coming
trouble was noticed in gurgling sounds
proceeding from the well, and for about
an hour and a half, or until 6 p. M,
Taylor's home made geyser was the won
der of all that part of Canada able to get
within hearing or to catch glimpse of
the cone shaped column of mud, stones
and water that were being shot into the
boreal atmosphere. w. Wright in
st. Louis Republic.
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