The Portland daily press., 1892-09-15
GAS, OIL OR COAL.
The Odd Hill Owned by Mr.. e. G. Chase
A Rock with Great Heat Pro-
ducing Power.

A shaking hill, an imprisoned giant anxious
and even determined to come out from under
the rock, a strange fluid that comes out of the
Hill and kills all living trees in its track, aSmell
that resembles oil and nothing else, and a rock
that has apparently heat-producing power, is
an odd and very out of the way combination of
circumstances, but North Yarmouth boasts of it
ali.
For days past there have been rumors of a re-
markable hill in North Yarmouth and re-
markable discovery made there of rock that
would burn. Yesterday, of all the days in the
world, a reporter went out, got wet, saw the
place, sat by the fire and, for want of some
thing else to do, watched the flame for the bet
ter part of three hours. Walnut Hill is the
place, and Mr. E. G. Chase is the man who first
discovered that the rock had any heat produc-
ing or heatretaining power.
But first it should be said that it has been for
a long time observed that something of a ma
ture resembling oil was running out of the hill
at two or three points. At the foot OF the HILL
at the point nearest to the Maine Central line,
there is a long, low ravine, and there this oily
something gathers on the water after rain.
Then, at the foot of the hill, at point almost
opposite, and nearer to the Grand Trunk road,
this appearance of an oily substance is much
more marked, and there the fluid, whatever it
may be, has apparently power to kill trees, sew
eral having died, while more are on the road to
the final end of men and trees.
1t is at this point that Mr.. Chase long ago no.
ticed strong smell of oil, and others have
done the same. A visitor, who did not know
that anyone had ever noticed it before, called
the attention of Mr. Chase to the fact that
some oil had been spilled close by, and another
man, who had been much in the oil fields of
Pennsylvania, made the remark that it re-
minded him strongly of the oil wells Of that
state. MI Chase does not even pretend to
know what is under his hill at that point.
On The very top of the hill is seam in the
granite seven feet and two inches wide and of
unknown depth. This rock differs in color and
general appearance from the stone that sur
rounds it, and in the opinion of Mr.. Chase is of
volcanic origin, or originally gas. hardened by
contact with the air. A few weeks ago it struck
him that while at odd moments he had made a
number of experiments with this rock he had
never tried it as fuel, and he did so, using no.
tel furnace for that purpose. He lighted nre
with about half a hod OF ordinary coal. and then
after it was well on fire added four tunes me ne
the coal first put on. Then he watched for re-
Suits He followed, it will be seen, exactly the
same process chat he would under ordinary elE-
cumStances, except that instead OF coal he add
ed his crock" He was astonished to find that
the hottest sort of fire resulted. that. he was
able to keep his lire much longer tnan ne c0ulu
before, and that the gas instead OF burning OFF
when the coal was well advanced was In full
blast to the last moment. His first lot of rock
was burned twice, once ten, and the second
time eight hours, and even then the same bril-
liant yellowish flame Of gas would start up the
moment it was lighted. He says that the first
time after the fire had been on for eight hours,
with no additional coal, the furnace was used
for baking, and that the oven was if anything
too hot.
Mr. Chase is no miner and is far from being
judge of gas or oil wells. but he would be very
glad to have some one tell him what is under
his hill. Then there are the occasional mutter-
ings below, and the slight but still eaSy-to-be-
noticed shaking of the hill. For at least 90
years the shaking has been noticed. 1t is never
OF any special account, but there Is mutterlng
down below that suggests an imprisoned giant
anxious to be free, perhaps convinced that he
has been underground too long.
Yesterday Mr.. Chase had in the reporter VINO
visited him most unscentific individual. one
who was there to see what there was to be
seen. 81 guess I'll build a fire." observed Mr.
the thing. Mr.. Chase took few bits of char
coal, and then not having coal hod took q
small tin pan, filled it with ordinary COAL and
with it started the fire. He let the coal burn
until the fire was well made and the gas well
burned off, then he added four times the bulk
of rock that he did at first of coal, and to the
surprise of his visitor, in a few seconds the
crock" was red hot, and the points OF yellowish
gas were everywhere. And that time the gas
did not burn out, but kept sending out its flame.
More rock was added, with the same result,
and the heat became too great for comfort in
the immediate vicinity of the fire.