The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-18
a FACTORY OF :u.,uRE.
Strange Chemical Pr"p~rtica of . no.
m tutic Irisii Lake.

m tntic Irlsh Lake.
| Few freaks OF p~turo arc more strange
than ono which is OF constant occurrence
in Tough Seagh. AS n matter of fact.
not one man in every thousand knows az
tho peculiar chemical proportios OF this
lnko. Tho natives nlUIy i:s borders arn
nwnro that from the lakes bOttorc .hey
ran collect stones of strange shapes
which bear tho resemblance Of trees and
branches. but tho poor people arc too
unoducatcd to realize that these curious
,t"nos IRE in reality prtriiicd branches.
and that the waters Of tho lake have tho
strange power OF petrifyiny my sub
stance that may 10 put into it In ton to
tmenty-ono days. according To the ma
trrial.
lcnrnod Of 1t in n curious manner.
happened TO he travelling in Conncmara,
nni met there All English gentleman
"ho informed mo that he wns going to
Lough Neagh ITO visit his mon and to
inspect his N'trifying beds" did not
understand this peculiar announcement,
md asked for IN explanation, which no
gave me most willingly. Ito told me
that he was ono OF tho owners OF q celc-
bratcd cutlery hOnse-not far from tho
Mansion House in London. Years be-
fore they had learned from mn cmplOyo
that potrfled trees had boon found in
Tough Nragh. anu from old Irish books
they discovered that tho waters had the
extraordinary property OF potrifying
wood within n month
Dusinesslikr. they ut onco sent man
over, lie selected several pieces OF hard
wood, and, having tied weights to them,
NIL t. Al, ~. =
their locality by small luoys md strips
attached To the test pieces.
In two weeks lie returned and took up
two pieces which no found to 10 partially
petriIicd. Two weeks aitcrward tho re-
maindcr wero brought to terra nrma,
and each rod OF hardwood was hard as
flint pc,rificd through. Then tho firm
tried experiments with the wood in the
different StnGos of rrtriIactiun and dis
covered thu: unusually excellent razor
hone could lie manufactured from It
md OF different dcnstics or hardness,
according to tho length OF submersion.
These homes arc new famous product
OF this cutlery firm. They have patented
them. and obtain high prices for them,
but the razor sharpening world littlo
knows that the st0no is wood pctrilicd in
few weeks in the largest OF the Irish
lakes.
accompanied tho gentleman TO the
lake, and myself witnessed tho process
OF turning wood to stone, and ] must
confess that it gave mo cause for reicc-
ton. Here was n valuable natural FAC
tory At tho very doors of tho people. the
natives. who were in scmi-starving
condition all around. And yet It's pro-
ducts were utilized only by an English
firm.
Possibly tho pctriflcd wood in some
ot its stages of stonc growing could he
put to many uses. and have no doubt
but that when tho fact is moro general
~ known some entcrprising lrislman
will utilize the factory nature has given
them for the matoria! benefit OF tho
country.
When ] returned to Dublin made in
qniricS about the curious phenomena
witncss sod at Tough Ncagh, and was re-
warIcd Ivy the courteous librarian OF
Trinity College. who placed in my hands
several volumes OF trnnSlati,nS OF an
cient Irish works, and marked for mo
tho parts referring to tho lake. Among
them found several references made to
the hard, woody stone" which was
taken from the bottom OF Tough Nragh
for spear and arrow heads by the early
Irish. So that although the Iii hmcn
OF to-day are % in 100 unaware OF tho
useful popularity Of their big Tough. p"
those Of 10 and Is centuries ago knew it
well and utilized Robert IT, Wulsh,
in ST Louis Republic.
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