The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-15
AL WAS NOT WE'LL THAT ENDED WE'LL
The Cnian,ity Through which Prur.isn
Town Un,vittinriy Dog Its Own Grave.

/
The Calamity Through watch Frur.is
Town Cnwittinriy Dog Its Own Grave.
The town OF schneidemnhl. In the PROVING
Of Posen, Prussia, recently bored an artesia'
we'll. and has suffered extraordinary calnmit
in consequence. Some experts have long pre-
dicted the catastrophe for whole regions o
this country. One writer told in alarming de
tail recently how the whole OF this continen
east OF the Rocky Mountains would surely on
day he ergulfed and DESTROYED through Jus
such natural results Of unnatural draining o
tho enrth's interior fluids as has brought ca
tastrophe to Schnedemnhl The case OF the
Prussian town has awakened great Interest
among scientists all over Europe. many ex
perts have visited the scene and tried to stoI
tho progress OF tho catastrophe. and public
attention in large cities like Berlin. Paris. and
| London has been strongly attracted to the
danger the scientists tell or
Some four months ago the municipal author
tiles of Scnneldemnhl. which is manufactur-
| ing town OF some ten thousand inha bitants.
ordered the abandonment OF q town pump be-
cause during the cholera epidemic last sum-
| mer the water fell under suspicion. and au-
| thoriZed the boring OF an artesian we'll.
| spring was struck at q depth OF about 100
feet. but the water was impure The pipes
were rammed further through the hard strata,
and at depth Of 200 feet an immen volume
of water gushed from the pire. big under
ground reservoir had been tapped. and
the water. pressed on by the superin-
cumbent soil. rushed through the artificial
vent with such forco and in such quanti-
ty as temporarily to flood the town. until 1t
could be diverted into the river Kuedow. Then
the pipe became clogeed. the earth around 1t
became loosened. and the water began to ooze
out at the sides. The borers were aware OF
the danger. and several EXPERTS were sum-
moned. Larger pipes were ordered. to he
driven around the first. but by Ill luck they
did not arrive for week or more. and by this
time the oritlce around the pipe had become OF
considerable width. and the water. bringing
mp great quantities OF sand seemed, II any
thing. to flow In increased volume
On May % the pine was drawn out and at
tempts to stop up the hole began. In the
mean time underground rumblinRs. subdued
grindings and explosions. and all sorts OF SUBJ
terranean noises were heard. and cracks ap-
peared in the houses nearest the well. Bags
OF sand were thrown and forced into the hole.
and lin ally sand and stones were dumpe in by
carloads. but all to no avail. Experts ordered
casing OF brickwork to be made round the
This was attempted: but could not be done
Herr Beyer, an eminent authority from Ber
irst Wees in Juae but 'n after n0's
days the whole casing sank into the hole. The
wSud at sq Tho s e s
struck stones and still the water flowed like
OF sari and even stones.
By,thi, time the flow was SO great the arti-
water began to flood tile cellars Of the houses.
Th S cracks ;, IN P the houses had grown steadily
last mail report Of the progress OF events in
the unfortunate town SAYS.
"a nnEi u nnln DIV hai h,r
eiEhty. families have been obliged to leave |
wing Of large house fell and the next morn
ing the front. Several streets look as II there |
everywhere great iraets ana fG %s housss
look as il they had been thrown up BY
,HIsa force: The pavement has here and
the debris Of the houses The buildings.
IN spite Of being supported. project threaten:
cracks run through the gables and down the
fronts Of the houses and continue across the
like rumblings are heard underground. The
ground tEembles and the windows and door
" Of n Jhs houses have sunk three
THE SUNS gable dispatches SINCE then have
Experts from Berlin. Danzig. and .Koniesberg
nothing they can do avails to stop the flow of
water from the chasm.
.ohNAuto suS tueTe ~ lOtnlQR TomaTkaDl9 |
about the occurrence 1t is only that the
expected has happened. The pipe tapped
n immense nm. spSbterransan reservoir Of water.
water i formed . AN insompressible stratum.
s the simple law OF the hydraulic press. The
~ the weight q POO feet 81 solid, earth so
sian pipe afforded a vent aud as the water
,ashed out, the Welding soil 1t had upborne
ions may contribute to prevent the earth |
rom so subsidinG. Strata OF firm rock is one
for the asse 81 fSas ssss hqs
q which the danger Of subsistence. always
heorstiieay has been realized
esult at the unfortunate Posen town cannot
% In any degree foreseen. because the extent
upply OF water cannot be known. Already the
own is practically destroyed. for while the dis
he inhabitants naturally are in dread Of a
general collapse, either coming suddenly or by |
egrees, as the work of obstruction has 80 far
1t will be remembe red that o Oak otan town
ad a lew months ago an unpleasant expert
me OF water struck that for several weeks sI
etually washed away. But there was no sub. ,,
l hntaG o, the earth and In time the flow
Ths dan @as e OF so nnadeov DRAWING
een often described by scientists. and diated ted
10 beginning Of this article adduced several
olumns Of figures and seeming facts to show
nat the result Of emptying the gas and oil
eservoirs in Pennsylvania. Ohio. and
Their states Ia the central oil re- Y,
$ has. occurred at Schneidsmthl. but on an v
ppalllnE continental scale. Deprived 81 its d
ome day collapse. the banks OF the Sreat /
kes ,would be broken down. and the waters &
ould rush over the continent to the Gulf Of 0
exico. engulhng and destroying half Amer
a. However. this may or may not be posi-
10. the danger OF subidence from withdraw
e subterranean supplies Is a real one and
zen now great alarm is being evinced in Lon !,
On over the possible. though not probable. v
sr the British METROPOLIS " u