The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-15

From the Archibald Cit;2cn.
In the golden summertime there is
no more popular place in this locality
than the glacial put-Eole at thc Ridge.
Scarcely "a day passes that does not
bring its quota Of visitors to the great
marvel of nature. Nor is this surpis-
ing in view of the fact that the AcCh-
bald pot-hole is the largest in the
world, surprising in size even the
more noted pot-holcs of Switzerland
and other parts of the world. It is 50
long since II was discovered and so few
know how geologists account for It's
formation that the brief sketch given
herewith will have at least an instruc-
tive value.
The pot-hole is located on the Hack
ley tract in this borough. 1t was dis
covered in April, 1888, by Patrick Ma
hady, miner employed by Jonds,
Simpson & company. The men were
opening a chamber in an airway and
they struck the pot hole after dis
charging blast. They Immediately
reported to the operators that they
had found an outcrop, but the latter
knew this could not be so and contin-
ued to prosecute work at that point.
to pour into the mine, and after re-
moving great quantities of this the
rim of the hole was found. The pot
hole was then bratticed and used as
an air shaft. Negotiations were begun
for the purchase of the ground sur
rounding the pct-hole. Colonel Hack
ley, the owner, declined to sell, but
he appropriated $500 for the preserva-
ton of tie pot-hole in the interests of
science. substantial stone wall was
built around the hole and the grounds
were otherwise improved under the di-
rection of the late Edward Jones, an
enthusiastic student of geology who
was particularly interested in this pot
hole because it was uncovered by some
of his employees.
OTHER HOLES FOUND.
Soon after the discovery of this an
other and larger pot-hole was found
about $50 feet to the northeast. This
has not been uncovered because of the
effect it would have on the mine which
is still in operation. There are other
but much smaller holes in other parts
of the borough, especially along White
Oak creek, but the one uncovered at
the Ridge is the most important of all.
The pot-hole is at the foot of a pre-
cipitous, wooded hill. The hole is not
round. The shape is rather more OBJ
long, and the walls are worn smooth.
The depth is about forty-five feet; it's
greatest diameter is twenty feet and
its least diameter is eighteen feet.
When it was discovered it was partial
ly filed with stones varying in weight
from a few grains to twenty pounds.
MI, N.Yf, tlxr
round.
In the winter of 1858 Jones, Simpson
e. company informed State Geologist
J. i. Lesley of the discovery Of the
pot-hole and in a letter in renly Mr..
Lesley said: The Archibald discovery
is a fine case of q well known phenom-
enon called a glacial pot-hole. There
is a public garden in the city of Lu-
cerne, Switzerland, where five or six
of these are kept open for the amuse-
ment and instruction of the public.
When they were cleaned out, a num-
Der of the rounded stones (some of
large size) were left in them so that
people could see how the holes are
made. The glaciers of the Jungfrau
Wetterhorn and other mountains once
flowed down over the city of Lucerne
and far out into the plain of Switzer-
land and even reached the Jura noun
tains. n hundred miles distant This
was in the cold age of the world, i'm
medately preceding the appearance Of
mankind. All the Alpine glaciers have
now shrunk back into the higher val
leys. leaving behind them millions Of
rocks of all kinds on the surface Of
Switzerland, and many thousands of
pot-holes bored into its surface, where
ever some of these stones were roll
ing round and round by the melting
waters.
GLACIAL EFFECT.
THE traveller on any of the Alpine
glaciers has an oportunity to see how
these holes We're made, because similar
ones are being made today. The sur
face ice Of a glacier mclts under the
hot sunshine, flows over the surface OF
the ice, and plunges into crevices to
the hot bed Of the valley down which
the glacier is moving. These water
falls make deep pot-hOles wherever