Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-09-05
BELIZE, A WASHOE CANARY.
BY JOHN HAROLD HAMLIN

Boys, this is wonderful, wonderful!
If DR.. Endlin were only here! Trum-
peting elements! I have it. I'll tele-
phone him. He can not afford to miss
the opportunity of beholding this odd
spectacle" Impulsive Professor Mel
Inns let his enthusiasm have full sway;
and with the final rumbling sound
echoing in his ears, he dased madly
down the hill to the hotel.
His impatience and anxiety caused
him to speak harshly to the hello
girls, and by the time he got San
Francisco his mind was turbulent.
Nevertheless telephone facilities in the
Far West eventually bring about the
desired connections, and Professor
Mellins's heart beat rapturously as he
recognized DR.. Endlin's voice over the
wire.
Yes. this is l, Mellins: am at Steam
boat Springs, New. Big earthquake
here last night. Springs went dry, but
cracked other big assures in earth's
surface SUbterranean rumblingS
plainly audible. Come up at once;
bring Professors Smith and Landers.
Wonderful, tell you-it's wonderful.
Hurry"
Dr. Endlin, the noted geologist,
placed a deal of confidence in Pro-
lessor Mellins, and as he had felt the
earthquake in San Francisco, he
thought the professor certainly had
due reason for his graphic phone mes
sage. "All righ,, Mellins, We'll be up
in the morning.
Greatest recent phenomenon, doc
tor, guarantee you"
Thank you. professor; will be glad
to investigate it. See you in the morn
ing. Goodby."
"Goodby."
Professor Mellins paced nervously
between the dry basin of the late
Queen of the Springs and that fresh
crevice at the tunnel. He heard with
satisfaction the irregularly repeated
rumbles, denoting unparalleled interior
disturbances.
Hours will slip by, no matter how
tedious the minutes hang. DR.. Endlin,
with Professors Smith and Landers
and couple of newspaper reporters,
alighted the following morning from
the bright yellow ~. & T." coaches.
Professor Mellins greeted them with
delight, his ruddy face beaming as only
mans can who has played the stellar
part in a commendable act.
Time was a valuable item to these
scientists, and. directly after a light
lunch, the party sailed forth to inves-
tigate the outbursts of Dame Nature.
Professor Mellins piloted them to the
gaping hole where the madly boiling
waters were so suddenly and complete
ly ingulfed This ostensibe fact duly
impressed the learned men, and they
examined everything in a practiced
and professional manner.
But we fail to hear the internal eX-
plosions. Professor Mellins.'
''Ah, that you soon will, Dr. Endlin;
pray accompany me up this hill. and l
will conduct you to the spot"
Now, various reports had spread
| rapidly and over wide field in regard
to this shaking up of the earth at
Steamboat Springs. accounts varied
from faint rumor describing dried
up spring to the disappearance of the
| whole Steamboat station. 1t depended
of course, on the number of times the
| tale had been repeated. Curiosity got
the better of a number OF these good
people, consequently the scientists be-
! held at least a score of men and
women persistently following in their
wake.
The fissure still zigzagged into the
| tunnel; hot, vapory clouds hung over
| the crevice; but the activity of the
! steam-jets could not be compared with
those of the preceding day. Professor
! Mellins looked slightly crestfallen. The
two prospectors, not having a reputa-
| tion at stake, took cheerier view of
| things. Besides, they were not eX-
! cruciatingly eager to have their bo-
nanza tunnel forever filled with steam
! and uncanny noises echoing through
| it. Therefore, after a few minutes
spent in silently and fruitlessly en-
deavoring to catch subterranean
Ceded with: well, Doc, this here phe-
nomenon kinder goes by fits and starts,
and it 'pars to be restin' betwit fit
and start right now; but just you
wait SPELL
And they awaited spell-nearly
half an hour; long enough to disgust
the simply curious, and several re-
traced their steps toward the hotel,
letting fall rather uncomplimentary re-
marks about pack of fools" Even
the patient Dr. Endlin strode back and
forth somewhat perturbed in thinking
about his fatiguing trip and the pre-
cious time wasted.
But the long-eXpected really hap
pened. A fierce column of steam
sethed up from the fissure, quickly
succeeded by two lesser upheavals;
then a rasping groan, drawn out in
jerky notes, each more weird and
penetrating than the foregoing 1t Gre
ated a big sensation - everybody
loked at everybody else; the incredu
lous ones trembled, and the prospector
who uttered the suggestion wait a