The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-05-20
a WONDERFUL HOLE.
rorrcnts of Sea Water Have Gone In
to 1t in Years Past

Torrents oil sea nItST ii"'S 0oH~ -,
to 1t in Years Past.
One is reminded of the pretty fable
about Arethusa and Alpheus by Gu
rious story in Casters Magazine. Bu'
in the ancient narrative 1t was fresh
water river into which the pursuing
lover was changed, and the fountain
which represents the metamorphosed
nymph has been identified; while in the
less romantic tale now told salt
water stream disappears into hole In
the ground and all the rest Is pro-
found mystery
On the coast of the Creek island of
Cephalonia, near the town of Argostoli,
there are two little fumes, or canals,
leading inland from the sea to the dis
lance of about one hundred feet, ana
then dscharging their contents into
rudely eXcavated pits, through whose
badly fssured, rocky bottoms the water
Immediately loses itself. AT least as
long ago as 1888 Il mill was run by
power from one of these fumes; and a
second mill was built beside and oper-
ated by the other little while after
ward. The mills themselves are now
in ruins, but the flow continues. This
remarkable state OF things has existed
for over sixty years, and very likely
for century.
One cannot help asking In amazement
where all that water goes to. The
Messrs. Crosby, who furnish the ac
count which Casters prints, estimate
that the flow in each channel amounts
to LOCO cubic feet per minute, or 3d.
OOO,OOO cubic feet per day in both. Two
smaller passages of Il similar character
have been observed in the same neigh.
borhood; and it is added that along
the shore, ut all points between the
two mills, and for an unknown distance
beyond each, the water is everywhere
percolating through cracks and assures
of the limestone and sinking into the
earth. The openings in the sea bottom
are, no doubt, mainly closed by weeds
and gravel; yet no inconsiderable
amount of water must find its way to
these mysterious depths through such
an extent of beach, lying on rock that
Is practically rs porous rs sieve.
1t is difficult to decide which is
the greater marvel, the Sea Mills them |
selves or the fact that they have re-
manned practically unknown to the
sclcntlhc world up to the present day.
although described by several authors.
mentioned in the guidebooks and Wis |
tied by 'admirals, generals, bishops and
distinguished civilians"
Almost the only explanation hitherto
offered assumes that evaporation goes
on rapidly in some subterranean cav
ern, and thus disposes of the wafer
But as it is admitted that the remain !
ing salt from the two mill streams
alone would amount to 1S.GOO cubic
lcet year, it is hard to understand |
why the subtcrianean cavern df there
De one) does not fill up. The Messrs
crosby offer different hypotbesis
lhey ask the reader to imagine two
great assures descending into the earth
ma meeting below, like the sides of n
etter or L. Then they suggest that
perhaps one arm is shorter than tbe
''her' ana That there is a long. very
gently rising passage leading from the
lo'om OF one to the bottom of the
'ther, so that the subterranean heat
an get good chance to act on onv
'tream passing through it. 1t then he
ONES easy to suppose that n cold CIR.
eht OF sea WAGER comes down tbrougb
lie branch of the system and is forced
hfough the ctaer by thermal infu-
noes.
The rocky island of Cephalonia like
ONE OF its neighbors, betrays the effect
earthquakes innumerable in times
asst aboundingin fractures and vaults
l|erhs and subterranean rivers. None
the springs ON Cephalonia contain
ny large quantity of salt. however
MI II Is diihcult TO regard any of them
the outflow of the flood which dison.
ears at Argostoll. But it is possible
nat as Alpheus is said to have dono
takes dive beneath the sea and
ONES up ON some far-off island