Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-04

A River shut Tn by Rocky Tunnel-u Hss
Existed for Long Ages.

Oxford. Ne. Cor. Boston Globe.
few wears ago q severe drought prevailed
throughout Paris The wells faued. the springs
and brooks became dry. so that the inhabitants
OF Paris Hill were compelled TO haul their water
Tor drinking and domestic purposes for dis
lance OF three miles
When the dry weather was q, its worst VIM.
Perkins. one Of the villagers. decided 20 dig Q
well His workmen dug through four feet Of
sou and came 10 ledge. into which they pene-
'raied with drill and dynamite twelve feet,
without finding any indications Of water.
MT. Perkins then became discouraged and
suspended operations HIS aged father. how
ever, who lived just across the street was more
sanguine. and he urged William 10 continue
work one more day, promising to pay the ex-
ingiy Mr.. Perkins resumed work on the well the
next morning.
As this was the last day the workmen pu, in
big charges and blasted their way several feet
further into the granite ledge. About O'Clock
In the afternoon tho workmen put in a rousiue
charge Of dynamite and retired TO a .afe dis
lance 20 await results
The explosion was ACCOMPANIED by n percent-
fble trembling Of the ground and tet or foun-
tain OF water shot into the air. The let Of
water continued but an instant and was suo-
ceeded bya strange kissing and gurslins sound.
as II large volumes OF water were being forced
at high pressure through q narrow orirce
The workmen ran to the SPOT and saw with
mazement that the well was already nearly
brim full OF water and without connection-
The water rose so swiftly that IL appeared TO
the excited workmen as IL river wa. pouring
out OF the middle OF the greet ledge
Meantime the water. oyerfouing the ton Of
the well. had flooded the slopiug field toward
the south like a spring freshet. William Per-
kins had struck water sure.
he action OF the % o,s
the loft coil AZ the top OF the well so rapidly
that II was necessary 20 line the interior with
stone in order 10 preserve II. All who could
find room TO work took hold. and with pals,
pumps and the like succeeded with difficufty in
bailing out the well rather in keeping the
water low enough that workmen could stone
up the sides above the ledge.
One of the workmen thus describes IL: "whfle
the water was thus bailed out descended TO
the bottom o; the well and found that the
last charge OF dynamite had opened a crack or
narrow fissurc IN the ledge. through which the
water was gushing with considerable force In
one place could thrust my hand through the
assure and feel a strong current of water fow-
Ing swiftly toward the south underneath
Il could not judge OF the depth or width Of
The underground stream, for I could touch
neither bottom nor sides. But IN nv opinion,
"nien may be wrong, there quite Q body OF
water noNing in u round channel through the
ledge; at least the top OF the channel is circular,
AScA ~ ONcr u lttlc Win NV
hnad. IL was worn smooth and slipperv A.
glass by the friction Of the water during count
less years
An aperture to drain Of the surplu. water WAS
left near the top OF the well and connected With
a channel. which conveyed II down throngb .he
fields toward the river far below Thi, ,nrnIns
or overflow is about what can be forced through
lour1nch pipe and forms quite Q little
brook, which at one time was damned 90 o. TO
form pond
The flow is steady and uniform. unchanged
BY severe drought or excessive rains which
shows its course to be other than local ard alb
solutely unconnected with surface drainage.
lhe temperature Is uniform at all seasons be-
ing 46 degrees Fahrenheit
Inc overflow is not, according to the best
eSioence, the entire amount Of the UNDERGROUND
river, but only very small portion Of IL.
As soon as the well was stoned IN and its
waters became clear the delighted villagers.
who considered the finding Of such an inex-
hausuble supply OF pure water Al such q time
as providential. began 10 lug and haul IL away
IN pals. barrels and even hogsheads. and 70
drive their thirsty cattle 20 the channel below.
During the remainder OF the drought the
well supplied nearly the whole Of q large vii.
lase, hundreds Of CATTLE horses and other do
nestle animals, and also enough TO run the
sled factory, one of the largest factories of the
kind in New England. without exhaussine the
overflow.
William Perkins son, IN intelligent young
man OF nineteen. said:
II possess the power Of tracing underground
veins OF water with witch hazel rod; IN fact,
located this we'll for my father, and IL was nv
grandfa:her's faith In my powers which caused
him 10 continue the work when my father be-
came discouraged.
~ have tried TO trace the underground cur
rent. can discover by means Of my rod NO
trace OF IL south OF the WELL but on the NORTH
side can follow IL for some distance, until n q
particular spot, near the highway. I lose il en-
tirely.
Il can give no idea Of the size of the UNDER
ground current. There is certainly such cur
rent there, but don't believe it il - large -
some persons think"
North Of the well there is no land much
higher than its top, and the hill soon begins to
slope downward; but toward the east lies Q
more elevated country. hill rising above hill O.
far the eve can reach
II is therefore probable that the underRround
river bends toward the east at the spot where
young Perkins can no longer trace e. and this
conjecture Is strengthened by the fact that Q
similar well Is found in that direction on the
premises OF Orlando Thaycr. This well also
flows unchanged by either drought or freshet
Mr.. $. l. Carter. the geologist. vouchsassd
the following information:
The scattered and wildly separated resi-
dences which form the village Of Paris Hill and
considerable contiguous territory il underlaied
by one immense ledge, which ID ct least two
miles square.
In some places this ledge rises to the sur
face, in others il is buried under twenty-five
feet OF earth; but the larger portion Of 10 Is
cred with from two to six feet OF soil.
The upper stratum of the ledge IL Q thin
mica schist, then comes q layer of coarse gray
granite. then another layer Of mica schist, and
finally the ledge proper, consisting OF q false
granite and extending 70 an unknown depth.
''Al over Pnris Hill wells have been sunk
into the strata Of mica schist. finding good
veins OF water. which, however, fail in dry sea-
sons. There Ii 70 water In the false granite 90
far as known. Your story of the underground
river is new idea to me. but recalls several
things which are favorable to Its existence"
William Perkins sunk his well through both
strata OF mica schist aud penetrated several
feet under ths false granite before he found
water; consequently the underground river
must flow through the interior OF the immense
ledge of false granite.
Ii is not uncommon TO find oaverns and I'M.
foreground rivers in the soft limestone lodges,
but this Is the only instance, SO far ~ We can
learn, of an underground river being discovered
amid the blue mass OF false granite.
False granite is a very hard, compact close
grained stone, S-d lie never found uppiled In
layers and pieces like the true or eruptive gram
lite, which has been az some past period thrown
up by volcanic action from greater depths.
The discovery of an underground stream In
eurh ledoe will Az thu aftansiop ~ srfen-