The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-20
OF THE FAKE
GEOLOGIST BLATCHLEY FINDS NO
CAUSE Fob NEWPORT MYSTERY.
Not Due to Phenomena-But Fred Kis-
sci Has an Electric Plant just
Across the Street.

w. -. bldIcnley, state 0eOlOSlSl, HAS DeSI
somewhat interested in the alleged phe-
nomenon at the Newport residence. He
has visited the place on different occasions
and has pretty thoroughly examined the
house and its surroundings, but is unable
to arrive at a satisfactory explanation.
II visited the house Friday" he said
last evening, "and waited around the place
a long while in the hope that L might ex-
p~erience one of the shocks which so many
people told me they had felt. 1 was dis
appointed and went again yesterday. Still
L was not able to strike the right time. 1
should like very much to be there at a
time when the manifestation is on. 1
might be able to solve the mystery then,
but am not able to at present. / have taken
the information I nave been able to gain
from the newspapers and from converse
ton with persons claiming to have expert
enced the shocks and nave tried to account
fer the strange disturbance on several the
cries, but none of the theories works out
the facts.
The claim that oil in the earth beneath
is causing the trouble is preposterous. 1
have tried to think natural gas was the
cause of it, but am unable to make the
facts conform to the theory. If it were
gas it must be caused by a fissure in the
Trenton rock through which the gas finds
it's way upward The gas of itself, how
ever, could not cause the shocks. 1t must
explode, and there are two elements lack
ing for an explosion. / don't know where
the fire would come from at the distance
in the earth where the explosion must oc-
cur; nor do l know how there could be an
explosion or fire to start it without oxygen.
If it is an explosion of gas it must be kept
in the earth or the top of the earth would
be broken.
Another theory which 1 tried to work
upon was that it was a local earthquake,
but there are two very cogent reasons
why this could not be. In the first place
the shocks last too long. Then they are
confined to too small an area. Any earth
quake which could be felt so plainly IL
one spot must nave been felt equally
throughout at least a small territory sur
rounding. Then there are the reports
sounding like a muffied gun, which could
not well be accounted for on the earthquake
theory. From what L hear, the noiso
heard is not unlike the report made from
shooting an oil we'll. I nave been through
the oil fields recently and nave been near
wells when they We're shot. Close to the
we'll the sound of the explosion could b.
distinctly heard and it resembIed a cannon
at a distance. And the shock could b,
a mile.
The report that cracks had been dis
covered in the earth under the houst
amounts to nothing. I was under the house
to-day and found a dry crack such as may
be found in any place where the earth has
crack and found that it extended abou1
twelve inches deep. The crack does MOI
been reported. I shall visit the place again
and hope to strike it at a time when }
can feel the shocks myself. I am unwilling
at present to believe they are produced b.
any natural cause"
CONNECTION WITH KISSEL'S.
Curious people have been trying to solve
the mystery ever since the shocks have
been occurring, and, like Mr.. Blatchford.
have come to the conclusion hat when the
mystery is solved the thing will appear
more simple than it now appears. That ii
is a fake of some sort is now. the genera
belief. Yesterday a close observer discov~
cred that Immediately opposite the New
port house is a building on Kissel's ground,
in the cellar of which Kissel has an cleo
trio light plant for supplying light to hts
garden and buildings. In the cellar is o
well which connects with the sewer on
Capitol avenue. The sewer runs in front
OF the Newport house and there Us a house
connection from the sewer extending part
of the way toward the house. The investi-
gator came TO the conclusion that 1t WAS
possible that this chain of circumstance
might be responsible for the strange noises
and shocks. Just how the electric light
plant was 10 accomplish the result the MAJ.
did not explain, but he suggested that cleo
tricity was a powerful thing and was every
day accomplishing greater wonders thar.
the electricity might be used to explode
something in the house connection, if Mr..
Kissel had an eye to drawing crowds out
that way.
Mr.. Kissel was asked last night what
he thought of the theory. He said 1t was
absurd and stated that the house connec-
ton to the sewer had been stopped up and
that one of the hardest shocks had &C.
Cured since then. He also stated that
since the shocks had become so common
at the Newport house other people living
in the neighborhood had fee
ing similar shocks.
A small knot of curious men intermingled
with a few boys stood watching the New
port house yesterday afternoon about 4
o'clock and discussing the probability of
the source of the disturbances.
GINGER BEARD MANS THEORY.
A man in a salt and pepper suit. who
possessed a luxuriant growth of tangled
red beard, had a deep seated idea, and, in
accordance with the custom now estab-
lished on the premises, the rest kept one
eye on the house that no shocks might
escape their notice and listened to his vo-
ciferous explanation with amazepent. 1t
was growing cold and a storm was ap-
preaching in the west.
Il tell you what this here rumbling pre-
sents itself to me as a fake" said the man
of beard. Talk about boring a gas well.
why that's all bosh. l haven't felt no
shocks and I'll bet a big tin that none OF
the rest Of you have either"
That's right was the asserting chorus.
It's all a fake, but it's a good one" as
serted the enlightened one as he leaned
against the rickety fence. It's this way.
There are some people at the bottom of
this and they have put an underground
electric wire under the ground when no.
body wasn't lookin'. and run it into the
house. Then they got a big piece of steel
and fastened it on the inside of that center
wall that bulges. Then they put a big
magnet near it and fastened it to the
'lectric wire. Now do you fellerS see how
it's done? Plain as day. Some one touches
the button or the other end of the wire,
the magnet gifts double charged and draws
the big piece of steel fastened to the wall
and the wall goes with 1t. If that amt
the case why don't they cut a big hole in
the wall instead of the little squint hole
that is bored into a rafter. Stands to rea-
son it's a fake"
That's what it is: can't be nothin' else
but a fake" was the consensus of the
crowds opinion.
Then there's another thing" but he
got no further. A peal of thunder rum
blingIy reverberated from the distant
storm. There she goes boys" yelled the
man of doubt and a picket was Jerked
from the fence by his e~ntangled coat as he
fed. That's a buster, git out o my way
yelled another doubling Thomas as a boy
shot between his legs in the scramble.