Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-09-08
ALL WAS NOT WE'LL THAT ENDED
WE'LL.
FROM tho Now York sun.

dicted the catastrophe fOr Wh0le re-
pions of this country. One writer told
in alarming detail recently how the
whole of this continent east Of the
Rocky Mountains would surely one
day be engulfcd and destroyed
through just such natural results of
unnatural draining of the earth's in
terror fluids as has brought catas-
trophe to Schnedemuhl. The case Of
the Prussian town has awakened
great interest among scientists ali
over Europe, many experts have visit
ed the scene and tried to stop the
progress Of the catastrophe, and pub
lie attention in large cities like Ber-
lin, Paris, and London has been
strongly attracted to the danger the
scientists tell OF.
Same four months ago the munich
pal authorities of Schnedcmuhl,
which is a manufacturing town of
some ten thousand inhabitants, order
ed the abandonment of town pump
because during the cholera epidemic
last summer the water fell under sus-
plcion, and authorized the boring of
an artesian well. A spring was struck
at depth of about $50 feet, but the
water was impure. The pipes were
rammed further through the hard
strata, aad Mt a depth Of 200 feet an
immense volume OF water gushed
from the pipe. A big underground
reservoir had been tapped, and the
water, pressed on by the superiucum-
bent soil, rushed throagh the artificial
vent with such force and in suchQuan-
tity as temporarily to lluodNhe town,
until it could be diverted into the
river Kuedow. Then the pipe became
cloggcd, the earth aronad il became
loosened, and the water began to ooze
out at the sides. The b0rers were
aware of the danger, and several cx-
Z psrts were summoned. Larger pipes
were ordered, to be driYen around the
Grst, but bylll lHck they did not ar
rive sog a week or more and by this
time the orllce around the pipe had
become of considerable width, and
the water bringing up great quaint
ties of sand, seemed, i. anything, to
flow in Increased volume.
On May 2G the pipe was drawn ont
and attempts to stop up the hole be-
gan. IN the mean time underground
rumblings, subdued grindlngs and eX-
plosicns, and all sorts Of Subteranean
noises were heard, aud cracks appear
led in the houses nearest the we'll.
/ Bags Of sand were thrown and forced
into the hole, and nnally sand and
stones were dumped in by carloads,
but all to no avail Experts ordered
casing of brcIwork to be made
round the hole, to go down rs far as
the bed Of clay This was attempted
but could not be done Herr Boyer,
! an eminent authority from Berlin,
started to case in the hole the first
week in June, but after few days
the whole casing sanl: into the hole,
1.-THE worISmen were at tea at the
time, or they would have gone into
the hole, too. Attempts were made
to drive still larger pipes, but they
5trGck stones, and still the water
flowed i,l,sa big river, bringing III
with it gTeDt quantities of sand, anC
even stones.
D By this time the Gov was 80 great
the artificial channel could noo carr
it Off, and the water began to ilooC
the cellars Of the houses. The cracks
in the houses had grown steadil.
wider, until house after house collap
scd. The last mail report of the pro
gress Of events in the unfortunate
town says:
"This morning at o'clock anothe
three-story house fell in, luckily nc
body being hurt. Up to now twenty
: three houses have sunk and eight.
families have been obliged to leay
. their dwellings. On Sunday morning
j. the back wing Of large house fell
and the next morning the front. Sew
eral streets look as If there had beel
an earthquake. The roads shoV
everywhere great cracks, and tn
= houses look as if they had been throw
up by volcanic force. The payemen
/ has here and there been torn up, ant
is covered with the debris of tn
houses. The buildings projec
threateningly forward or lean on on
side. Great cracks run through tn
gables and down the fronts Of tn
houses, and continue across tn
streets and yards. From time to tim
thunder,lik eEqR hhpgs are heard uu
derground. The ground tremble
and the windows and door arches fal
in. The houses have sunk three
quarters Of a yard"
The Suns cable dispatches sine
then have brought reports that th
Z subsistence contlues. The water OF
great lake near Ncustettln, ia tn
a saaie EGiHct aN sn.a uGny itOl