The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-04-10
STRANGE TIDES IN 4 POND.
Maine Boasts a Small Land-Locked
Body Of Water Possessing
Cur Gus Character.

A mile north of Bucksport, Me-, and
half mile east Of the Penobscot river.
lying in a socket Of rusty schist is a Ettle
platter shaped pond that has been Il
challenge to scientific men for the past
half century. For want Of a better name
it has been called Shows pond cr
Shows ocean" taking its title from an
aged hunter who years ago camp.d ON
its shores. and whose grave is on a suLny
hillside overlooking the water.
Though water, if left unconfuel, has
habit of running down hill. the wafer in
SHOWS pond dthes precedent and goes
up or down, as 1t chooses. ignoring 10th
gravity and the professors. On. calm
August days when there is not wind
enough to stir the aspen brches, ard
when there has been no rain for month,
the water will begin to rise. and within
four hours the sands Of the shor" will
be covered for rod Or more. Represent
Ing perpendicular upheaval Of nearly
four feet. Again in the spring. after big
floods into this pond from every hill. and
the waters are swollen SO that thy lap
among the alders on the bank. Shows
pond will take a notion to subside. First
it will show small depression near the
eastern end. This will grow deeper and
deeper, great waves will come crashing
Oh the shores and the waters will boil
turjously. A log thrown in at such times
will whiri in narrowing circles until it
reaches the cavity. when it will plunge
INTO the vortex. never 10 appear again.
For five or SIX hours the waters will hub
bic and roar, then suddenly the tumu,t
will cease, and those who care 10 Meas
nre can find that the pond has subsidized
four or five feet. Half the contents Of
hnx-n 1,,,:
of morning. During these paroaysms
not only logs and boats have been lost,
but whole RATS Of timber have gone
down to the mysterious depths No ner-
son has lost his life in the maelstrom, for
the good reason that nobody has dared to
20 out on the water when it has bee:
thus violent.
About twenty years ago John Ellridgc.
who lived near tn" pond, tied a long
painter 10 . small whtrrv and cast the
t'oat adrlf1. making III" linz. fast to
tree on the shore. 1t did the usual
amount of cirriin= and l.alan'ing. and
then dive1. The line. grew tant. strained
for moment and then lay slack ,i,r,Il
the wafer. Eldriig" pulled il, and found
a whole ring bolt and 4 shattered fray
ment of the sternpost attached: the rest
of the boat he never saw again. This
experiment can be repeated as often as
ANYBODY wishes to los" a boat.
The pond itself contains about 3ss,
acres. 1t is elliptical in sha pc. with its
longer dia meter running east and west.
1t is framed in low. steep hills and has no
visible outlet. Current report says th,.
surface rises and falls with thu, tides. and
the fluctuations are due t. the position
of the moon. This is rot fact. Tie
subsistence always takes place during OR
Immediately after the spring and autumn
freShcts. and if it happens l.ut once year
spring is the time to look for it, The.
upheavals. which are not marked and
very lnfreHuent. may he looked for dun
ing the drouth Of SIMMER when tht.
brooks which suppl, the pond ar. I'll
dry. In other words. Snow : ,ono is an
aquatic paradox. In dry times it j.
full to the bli.n. and during freShets i:
is comparatively empty. - New York