Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1899-12-15
singular Natural Curiosity in ,r.xus.

:, In the, Peach. Creek ueighborhood
the place is known rs the Hole in the
Ground and is tbs only place in
Texas, so far as known, where the
wind blows up and down in regular
Irish gale. The hole ls on the cattle
ranch belonging to Mr.. Claus Baum.
gartner, and close to tho creek be-
tween high wooded bluffs. Peach
creek Is really bayou, it's waters
level with the sea and running only
during freshet, caused by excessive
rains. High south or north winds
are the only ones that ruffle it's usual
placid surface.
But it does not matter how placid
the waters OF Peach creek may be,
how straight and unbendinR she trees
OH the high bluffs may stand or how
lazily the clouds drift through the
air, there is always a gale in this
Hole Ill the Ground. 1t blows and
roars and whistles and shrieks, rs on
ly hurricane can do In it's mad ca
reer.
The hole is a costly affair to the
man who OWLS it. Tho low ground
| on which it is situated is tho only
place where his stock can get water
on the creek. 1t would be alright il
a fence could - maintained around
the hole, but that cannot be done.
Whenever the wind veers to the east
everything above ground between the
bluffs is sucked into the hole, snap
ping the stoutest fence posts like pipe
stems, and snatchIng coils OF barbed
wire like they were but ilimsy gossa.
mcrB.
Ut such times, horses, cattle and
sheep, that happen to be on the fiat
are doomed. Strong horses caught
i'll the eddy OF the mysterious wind
are as helpless as flies caught in
gale of wind. They plunge and leap
and struggle for minute and then
they are pressed down, around
few times and go down never to be
seen again.
The hole is about 800 feet across
the top, with slanting sides. No one
has ever dared to go close enough to
be able to look down into it and SEQ
what the bottom is like. The sounds
OF the wind vary from hoarse roar
to keen whistling noise. The pre-
valing winds, except an east wind, do
not seem to affect it in any way, for
in calm and storm, rain or slime
night and day, winter OF summer, it
puirs and sucks and whirls and eddies
to suit itself.
Twice in the memory OF man Peach
creek has overflowod it's banks high
enough to run into the hole. The
last time was during the general ov-
erilow last summer. The water rose
to depth OF four feet on tho flat
where the hole is situated. For few
minutes the water would rush down
with gurgling sound, then tho earth
seemed to hump itself fer moment
and the next moment there was an
explosive sound and the water would
como up again in solid column 100
feet high. When the column broke
the waves rushed against the adja-
cent bluffs and wore whipped into n
foam. THIS was repeated ever min
ute or two until The water went back
into its banks.
MIR. Baumgartner has been trying to
devise some way to do away with tho
hole which is n constant menace TO
his stock, but so fas he has failed.
Some twenty ycars ago tho man who
then owned the land thought that the
wooded bluffs were tho cause, aud hc
denuded them OF all tho trees, but
that did not seem to have any effect.
Many OF the trees branches and all
we're tipped into the fiat below. The
first time tho wind veered to the cast
they wore sucked into the hole by tho
whistling cddics and IL they caused
any internal distress no sign Of il was
visible on the surface.-Ex.