The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-23
BURIED RIVER.
Stream Flows From White
Mountains to Sea.
Crosses Bay State and Runs
Through Rhode Island.
Prof Denton Laughed at When He
Announced His Discovery.


Somerville, Mass, first declared that
there was an underground river of con-
siderable size flowing from the White
Mountains across and under the states of
Massac husetts and Rhode Island, says
the N. Y. Sun, people laughed at him.
He insisted that he was right and said
many times: al have discovered q sup
face. I am of the opinion that the supply
is adequate for all central New England
for all time. You may laugh, but sooner
or later some one will strike the rolling
torrent and find a never cessing supply
OF the purest water"
Professor Denton died In South America
o few years ago. We're he alive now he
would find that men of Massac achusetts
and Rhode Island had experienced a
change OF mind on the subject OF his
river. The. great underground current
has been tapped, and at several roints
along the course, as laid by the geo.
logist, large manufacturing concerns
are using the supply in the place Of the
local service. The water, reached by
driven wells, is better than any found
in the springs or lakes in tn ese parts.
Some years ago Professor Denton was
engaged to locate a pure water supply for
a straw hat manufacturer and during his
investigations he examined what Is
known as the Witches pond, near Fox
boro, Mass. He heard many stories about
tho pond and out of curiosity made an
Investigation into the cause of the great
boiling of the water which occurs at in
tervaIs. He tried TO take soundings, but
in several places he was unable to find
the ponds bottom. Gases were detected
rising from the pond. and he was led to
believe that they issued from some dis
tance below the surface. The waters re-
naming pure proved to him that the
pond had an outlet as well as a source,
and as it was not visible the investiga-
tion was all the more interesting.
Pipes were driven about the well, and
coal and blue clay were Brought 10 the
surface. Over 100 feet below the level
the pipe struck q ledge and after drilling
the ledge on the south aide OF the pond
water was found. That water, when ex-
amined, was found to be purer than any
other found in New England. Several
wells were driven. and Profess Dr Denton
came to the conclusion that witches
pond was anssoutlet for an underground
river. II was when he told of his dis
covery that people laughed at him. The
river located was 10 feet below the level.
Above II was a covering OF hare pan
and the bottom, twenty feot below the
covering, was OF rock. Professor Denton
was OF the opinion that there was no
Witches, pond until there was an up
beaval in the earth years ago, when the
shelving rocks under ana over the torrent
were torn away. Aided by gases from
the coal and other substances in the
earth, a rent was torn through which the
water made its way to the surface.
The streams in the vicinity OF Foxboro
are from different water shed. The
Underground river is believed to come
from a glacial spring In the White Noun
tains OF New Hampshire or beyond. 1t is
known that the city OF Lowell struck the
river ONLY a few years ago, and from that
day to this has had fine supply OF water.
At the time the Lowell wells were driven
no one had heard OF the river flowing
under New Englsnd from north to south
The underground current has been fol-
lowed by wells through Attleboro, Dodg-
willie, Hebrouville, to Lebanon, where IL
swcrvcs TO the west and passes under Paw
tucket fails, on blackstone river, th,nce
through Pnwtucket southwesterly and
under Providence, Cranston, Warwick,
East Greenwich, WEXFORD. into North
Kingstown, ana into the sea near Haz.
ards Ledge.
To the north tho course OF the river
was followed to the New Hampshire line.
Before Professor Denton found the scarce
OF the river he was called to Brazil to
locate water supply. lie was stricken
with the fever there and died. Within a
very short time manufacturing concerns
have driven wells and found immense sup