The Opelousas courier., 1890-09-20
A BOULDER THAT GROWS.
APAIL COULD COVER TT ONCE, BUT
new TT rs TEN FEET HIGH.
Odd Properties of a Spring Which
Trickles Over it and Petrifies Ev-
erything Touched by the Water.

Trickles Over il and PetrIf1es EV-
erything Touched by the Water.
In a deep, dark r%avine, a few miles
from New Castle, Penn, is aphenomenon
In the shape of d growing rock. Fifty
years ago, when it was first noticed, an
inverted wooden pail would almost 20
it. To-day it is a great boulder, ten feet
id height and fifteen feet or more in CIR
conference; 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
water from a spring trickles continually.
The wonder maker is the little spring,
so small at this season that a few pals of
water dipped from it would drain It dry.
But it works in g manner very ditferehe
from the dripping water IN caves that
carries d burden Of limestone IN solutio1
with it, and leaves its wonders IN stalag-
mites 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 peculiarly
of the rock is seen. A cellular forn1a-
ton. like a mammoth sponge, is diseov5
cred. and about the cellsfis stone as hard
as adamant. On cutting further in, this
cell-like substance is found to continue,
but il seems to have been transformer
into a translucent flint.
This remarkable petrifaction has been
wrought by the action of the water from
the spring unon 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, It has an acid taste, and Is
doubtless heavily charged with mineral
substances, although thus far it has nevef
been analvzed. The most remarkable
fact about it is that it aceomplishes SO
much in SO short a time. The moss grows
luxuriantly in the dark hollow, and the
lspidescent quality of the water has
operated year alter year upon the layers
| OF moss, turning them into a homegrown
| of stone, and adding to what was at hrs'
o small rock, until to-day there IS tins
great boulder of petrifed vegetation. a
short time after the moss begins to grow
in the spring it commences to solidify at
the roots, and the petrifactiou follows
closely on tfeAsrack 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
yelIowish, 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 thd water.
Plants, leaves, twigs, every Tgetabls
substance that has fallen or the rock and
lain there has been impregnated with 1t,
and, as by the touch of IN memorable
fate, been turned into stone by 1t.
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 a mine
of treasure and delight. No one evel
chisels into that finty boulder with
out coming upon leaves and tWlg'
netriied among the moss and securing
MANY fine specimens to rejoice his hear
and make envious less fortunate mortals,
Those who have visited it thus far say
there is not another such cus1osity known
in the world.
The people in the neighborhood have
long known of the remarkable qualities
of this spring. Mr.. William Ellsworth
first discovered it nearly fifty years age
Then the rock was ten feet or more be
low the spring. Now it has climbed VI
the side of the bank until it is partially
above the level of the spring, and ha
turned the water Of the little brook tina
comes down the ravine somewhat out O
its course.
Mr.. Ellsworth and some of his neigh
bors intend ito try the experiment o
fastening a frog or some other creature
in such a way that the water will have 1
chance to act upon it, and see whethe
it will fill up animal tissues with it
mineral burden as it has done the vege
tai se ones that have come IN continued
contact with it. They firmly believe
vilI. and, there seems little reason t
doubt it.
Heretofore the spring and the wonder
full rock 1t has builded have btcn littl
known outside the immediate neighbor
hood. The little ravine where it is stu
ated puts down through rough an,
broken country near the Beaver River
and the wonder is difficult of access
This comparative inaecessibility ha
.aved it in large measure from the raid
If relic hunters and prevented the &C
:umulations from being greatly dis
urbed.
Now and then the curious hav
Fisited it, and of late u few geologist
nave studied it, and specimens of tn
I strange formation have been carried Of
,ut the boulder shows no apparent dimi
aution. The watell works il
miracle Of petrifaction, and will doubt
less continue to do SO as long as it ha
/ i chance to act upon any living tissue
Pittabury Penn. Dispatch.
Whipping q Elephant.