The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-03

yet along the edges crept a thin line
of pink fire, gradually expanding and
stretching out, until it seemed to en-
velope the entire surface of the pool.
The flame was also rapidly eating into
the walls. of the crevice, and the odor
of sulphur was thick and suffocating,
almost choking the investigator.
For a time he stood it, but when he
felt himself becoming faint and dizzy
he gave the signal to be hoisted, and
at once the Indian policemen at the
surface began to wind up the rope.
Nearly half an hour was consumed IN
drawing Patterson to the top, where
he was warmly greeted by the Indians,
who had feared, they said, that they
would
Never See Him Alive Again.
Another 100 feet down and Patterson
could plainly see a bubbling, seething
perpendicular walls of the crevice. By
means of a signal string Mr.. Patterson
was enabled to tell the Indians above
when to lower and when to raise him,
and he was thus enabled to observe
all about him as he slowly sank into
the pit.
AS he went lower and lower the light
from the mouth of the chasm became
DINNER and DINNER and finally faded
away altogether. The pit was in abso-
lutte Darkness except for the feeble
light shed by the lantern, and the man
suspended between the sky and he
knew not what dared not let himself
think of the fate that awaited him We're
the rope to break or the Indian police
men to become frightened and desert
the windlass.
For a moment his courage deserted
him as the terrible possibilities of his
trip flashed over his mind, and he al
most gave the signal for the men above
to hoist away Almost instantly, how
ever, his nerve returned, and he sig
nailed to be lowered still deeper into
the cavern. A moment later the rope
began to be paid out and once more
Patterson resumed his downward Jour-
ney. Almost below him
Appeared In u Pale Pink Glow,
as of fire shining through thin silken
screen, and almost Immediately Mr..
Patterson realized that breathing was
more difficult. The walls of the chasm
were of different material from that
which he had encountered at first, being
soft and crumbling to the touch.
1t was now late in the afternoon, and
the men began preparing meal before
their return to the agency. While thus
gagged smoke began arising from the
creVice, followed a short time later by
a burst of thin blue flame and a faint
smell of sulphur. The heat was intense
and soon drove the little party with
all speed to the reservation headquar=
tiers, where Mr.. Patterson made a re-
port of the whole affair.
Without doubt the split in the ground
was caused by an explosion of gas
which had accumulated in a cavity
in the earth in the immediate vicinity
of a large body of material resembling
sulphur to a certain extent. This ma
tt rial, whatever it may be, has I'M
doubtedly caught fire and is now burn
ing fiercely. Many people around this
section of North Dakota say the burn
ing substance is without doubt soft
coal, great beds of which have been
discovered in various portions of the
state at different times.
Deposits of sulphurlike substance
have been found in many of the can
yons along the Missouri river and in
the Black hills, and it Is the belief of
many cid residents that were the truth
known it would be found that
The Material Now Burning
and creating terror among the Indians
of the SissetOn reservation Is very SINH
lar. The only thing that cannot be
explained is the subterranean lake half
way down the crevice and how the dog
which fell into the chasm passed into
the spring near the agency headquar-
ters, which is, of course, fed by under
ground streams
Manv of the older Indians claim that