The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-03
A DAKOTA PHENOMENON
ExcITEs THE INDIANS TO THE
VERGE OF FRENZY

immense BOttOmless Pit Suddenly
Appears and Emits sulphurous
Odors-FrOzen Ground Bursts
With IL Report That Is Heard All
Over Sisseton Reservation.
Forman IN. d. Cor. Chicago Chronicle,
The Indians on the Sisseton reserva-
ton, near here, are in such a state of
terror that the utmost diplomacy has
to be used to keep them within bounds.
The older Indians are counseling the
younger men to prepare for a mighty
war, and are declaring that the time
is near at hand when the white men
are to be wiped off the earth and the
entire North American continent re-
vert to the Indians.
The cause Of the trouble is a huge
opening In the earth, about ten miles
north of the old government fort, from
winch have been issuing terrible noises
ing at the top of their voices-and
from which comes suffocating odor
or birthstone. This odor was not par
t1cularly noticeable until two days ago.
put 1t is now so strong that no one
dare venture near the mouth of the
pit, and several wild animals which
have gone too close have been isuffo-
Gated.
The crevice in the earth appeared
somewhat over a week ago, the fro
zen ground bursting asunder with a
report which was heard all over the
reservation and which ratified the
windows in every house for miles
around. The crack varies in width
from four to twenty feet, is about
three miles in length and Of unknown
depth. Investigation soon after the
crevice appeared showed that in many
places 1t was only about fifteen feet
deep, while in others the bottom could
not be found, although rope nearly
1000 feet long was used.
At Night a Blue Flame
can be seen issuing from the hole, and
at the distance of a mile the heat is
sufficient to scorch a piece Of white
paper. Crash after crash can be
heard in the bowels of the earth, and
in several places huge depressions
have appeared, as though the ground
were caving in. All the snow in the
vicinity of the crevice has disappeared,
and at distance where the heat is
not so intense as to wither everything
the grass is springing up.
James Patterson, who was lowered
into the subterranean pit, reports hav-
ing seen sticking from the sides of the
crack huge bones, the like Of which he
has never before seen, and from the
description given by him the scientists
Of these parts are inclined to believe
that the bones are those of long-for-
gotten mastodons. The shells of huge
turtles were also seen by Mr.. Patter-
son and he brought to the surface with
him curious objects believed to have
once been the shells Of gigantic oysters
or CLAIMS.
These things have strengthened the
theory that this whole Western country
was once a vast sea, in which swan
fish larger than those now found in the
Atlantic or the Pacific, and on the bot
tom Of which lay oysters of such for
midable size as to be beyond the mag
ination of the wise people Of the pres
ent day. The huge bones seen by Mr..
Patterson would, apparently, indicate
that their possessors in life.
Must Have Been Monsters
equally at home in the waters of the
sea or upon the land AS soon as posi-
BILE further investigations will be made,
after permission has ben secured from
the authorities at Washington, as white
men, outside Of the reservation officials,
are not allowed upon the reserve with
out special permit.
When the crack appeared in the earth
every Inoian upon the reservation has
tened to the spot. They were stricken
with awe at the sight which confronted
them and rushed with all speed back to
the ager cy. where they reported to the
agents representative. Mr.. Patterson.
The agent was absent at the time, so
Mr.. Patterson determined to make an
investigation upon his own account.
Calling to his assistance several of the
Indian policemen, he visited the chasm
and found that what the frightened
children of the plains had told him was
not exaggerated in the least.
The crack begins at a point a trif1e
over ten miles from the ruins of the
old fort and extends almost due west
for three miles, being widest and deep
est near the center. Far down in the
earth, faint and dim. comes the sound
Of rushing waters, mingled in mad con-
fusion with the pounding as Of gigantic
waves upon a rocky shore. Now and
then, sharp and clear, can be heard the
sound of an explosion, as Of a hundred
Big Guns Blended Into One.
The Indian police, each one victim
to the widest SuperStititfon, and firm
ly believing in the old tradition of the
tribe that deep in the earth dwells a
terrible demon, wanted to depart from
the place at once, but they were Or
dered by Mr.. Patterson to remain and
assist him in making an investigation.
One Of the Indians was sent to the
agency for all the rope to be had, and
when he returned with his pony
heavily ladeni was found that he had
brought back something like 1000 feet
of cord of sufficient strength to sus-
tain heavy weight.
When Mr. Patterson and the Indians
were rigging a windlass-for Mr. Par
terson had determined to descend into
the unknown depths-one of the In
dian dogs, in peering over the edge of
the awful hole, lost his balance and
fell, yelping and bowling in mortal ter
ror, into the yawning abyss. Fainter
and fainter grew the bowls, and,
though they listened intently and
could not hear sound Of the body
bottom must be many hundred feet
down. The body of the dog, crushed
and flattened as though passed under
a heavy steam roller, was found a day
or two later in a small spring less than
half a mile from the agency head
quarters, showing that the spring and
the chasm are connected by some sort
of an underground passageway.
Lowered Into the Abyss.
When the windlass was fully rugged
the rope was wound upon it and Mr..
Patterson, after forming a seat from
a short piece of board, had himself
lowered gently into the crevice. Down,
down he went, until all the rope, prac-
tically 1000 feet, had been paid out. He
remained in the dismal chasm for near
ly an hour, not even the light from the
lantern he carried being visible from
above. Then came the signal to pull
up, and, after half an hours hard work,
the adventurer was once more on terra
fiIma, where he told a remarkable
story.
As he DasSed down into tho chasn,