Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-08-12
GENERAL ITEMS.
A Subterranean Lake Rises

IOlu IN alarming detail recently now
the whole of this continent east OF the
Rocky Mountains would surely one
day be engulfed and destroyed through
just such natural results of unnatural
draining of the earth's interior fluids
as has brought catastrophe to Schncid
emuhl. 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 stop the progress of the catastrophe,
and public attention in large cities like
Berlin. Paris, and London has been
strongly attracted to the danger the
scientists tell of.
Some four months ago the municipal
authorities of Schneidemuhl. which is
manufacturing town OF some ten
thousand inhabitants, ordered the
abandonment of a town pump because
during the cholera epidemic last sum
mer the water fell under suspicion,
and authorized the boring of an
artesian we'll. A spring was struck
at a depth of about $50 feet, but the
water was impure. The pipes were
rammed further through the hard
strata, and at 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 superincumbcnt soil,
rushed through the artificial vent with
such force and in such quantity as
temporarily to food the town, until it
could be diverted into the river
Ruedow. Then the pipe became
clogged, the earth around it became
loosened, and the water began to ooze
out at the sides. The borers were
aware of the danger, and several eX-
perts were summoned. Larger pipes
were ordered, to be driven around the
first, but by i'll luck they did not ar
rive for week or more, and by this
time the orifce around the pipe had
become of considerable width, and the
water, bringing up great quantities of
sand, seemed, if anything, to flow in
increased volume.
On May 26 the pipe was drawn out
and attempts to stop up the hole be-
gan. In the meantime underground
rumblings, subdued grindings and ex-
blossoms, and all sorts of subterranean
noises were heard, and cracks appeared
in the houses nearest the well. Bags
| of sand were thrown and forced into
the hole, and finally sand and stones
were dumped in by carloads, but all to
no avail. Experts ordered a easing of
brickwork to be made round the hole,
to go down as far as the bed Of clay.
This was attempted, but could not be
done. Herr Boyer, an eminent author
ity from Berlin, started to case in the
hole the first week in June, but after
few days the whole casing sank into
the hole. The workmen 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 struck
stones, and still the water flowed like
big river, bringing up with it great
quantities of sand, and even stones.
By thus time the flow was so great
the artificial channel could not carry it
off, and the water began to food the
cellars of the houses. The cracks in
the houses had grown steadily wider,
until house after house collapsed. The
last mail report of the progress of
events in the unfortunate town says.
This morning at o'clock another three
story house fell in, no one luckily being hurt.
| Up to now twenty-three houses have sunk and
eighty families have been obliged to leave
their dwellings. On Sunday morning the
back wing of a large house fell, and the next
morning the front. Several streets look as if
there had been an earthquake. The roads
| show everywhere great cracks and the houses
look as if they had been thrown up by vol.
canc force The pavement has here and
there been torn up and is covered with Debris
of the houses The buildings, in spite of
being supported, project threateningy for
ward or lean on one side. Great cracks run
through the gables and down the fronts of
the houses and continue across the streets and
yards. From time to time thunderl like
| rumbiings are heard underground. The
ground trembles and the windows and door
| arches fall in. The houses have sunk three
quarters of yard.
The Suns cable dispatches since
then have brought reports that the
subsistence continues. The water of a
great lake near Neustettin, in the same
province has sunk many feet. Ex-
perts from Berlin, Danzig and konigs-
berg have been at the scene several
weeks, but nothing they can do ayails
to stop the flow of water from the
chasm.
Savants say there is nothing remark
able about the occurrence. 1t Is only
the expected has happened. The pipe
tapped an immense subterranean reser-
voir of water. AS long as there was
no escape for the water it formed an
incompresslble stratum, on which the
upper earth rested in safety. 1t is the
simple law of the hydraulic press.
The compressed water under Scheid-
emuhl bore up the weight of solid
earth so long as there was no outlet
for it, but the artesian pipe afforded Il
vent. and as the water rushed out, the
yielding soil it had upborne sank down.
OF course, innumerable conditions may
contribute to prevent the earth from
so subsiding. Strata of firm rock is
one obvious condition. Some causes
have interviewed, for the case of
Schneidenmuhl is the first in which
the danger of subsistence, always
theoretically recognized, has been
realized to any serious extent. What
will be the result at the unfortunate
Posen town cannot be IN any degree
foreseen, because the extent of the
undere round reservoir or source of the
supply of water cannot be known.
Already the town is practically destroy
ed, for while the disastrous results are
as yet confined to one area the inhab-
itants naturally are in dread of a gen
eral collapse, either coming suddenly
or by degrees, as the work of destruc-
ton has so far taken place.
1t will be remembered that a Dakota
town had few months ago an UNI
pleasant experience of something of
this nature. An arteslan well was