Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-11-14

FRESH WATER STREAMS THAT BURST
FROM TrlE OCEANS BED.

The Origin OF ihe Underground Riv-
ers Thnt Have m outlet Under the
Persian Gulf Has Never Been Salts
factoriIy Explained.
Along the shallow bottom OF the
ocean, not very far from the land, a
number Of openings have been discov-
cred In various parts Of the world
through which water as pure and fresh
rs that Of amy bubnltng spring miugles
with the Snlt v.f,. uI the sea. Anoth-
er remarkable class OF fresh water
springs is those that sink out of sight
or perhaps never come to the surface
but follow hidden channels under the
land and under the sea until they final
ly come to the open air on an island.
Both Of these types Of underground
rivers are perhaps most remarkably IL
lustrated near and on Bahrcin island,
IN the Persian gulf, place that is also
noted as one Of the chef sources OF
pearls.
Bahren island, the largest Of the
group of Islands bearing that name, is
y
Arabia in the Persian gulf As the is
land has almost no rainfall II Is
dead level of sandy desert relieved only
by palm groves and patches OF vegeta-
tlon where water springs To the sur
face from the mysterious underground
channels. In many places the water
does not reach the surface, but is found
l. H., ia-
ed 10 the surface by donkeys and bull
locks and poured into the channels
from which the date palms and other
crops are irrigated. These springs can
not possibly be derived from the island,
and ii is no more likely that they come
from the sandy wastes of neighboring
Arabia. The Arabian shore as far as
can be seen is low and devoid Of water
except at El-Katif where similar
springs are found.
Arabs say that these streams come
straight from the Euphrates river
through an underground channel by
which the great river, in part, flows be-
meath the Persian gulf. Biologists,
however. have dismissed this theory.
Though the origin of the springs has
not yet been satisfactorily explained,
the most favored theory IS that they
come from the well watered slopes Of
the Persian mountains far to the north.
If this theory is correct, il means that
the rainfall sinks into the earth's crust
until II reaches impermeable rock
strata along which il is carried for a
.ls- L.
the sea until the rock, sloping upward,
again brings the water near the sur
face on Bahrein island. Some OF the
wells that are thus supplied are cnor-
nous, and one Of them, the Adari,
serves for the irrigation of many miles
Of date palms through a canal OF an
cient construction. The Adari well is
one of the great sights Of Bahrcin, be
Ing a deep basin Of water - by 40
yards In size. The fact that it comes
from a far higher source is shown by
the force with which it enters the well.
Divers, driven back by the strong cur
rent, are unable to reach the bottom.
There being no wells within miles of
some of the coast towns Of Bahrcin,
they obtain water from springs that
issue from the bottom Of the gulf not
far from the shore. These springs of
course have the same origin as the
wells. Divers. with goatskins under
their arms, dive through the salt water
and fill the skins with the cold, fresh
liquid at the bottom. The water OBJ
tanned IN this way usually contains
Il slight admiXture of salt water, 50
that the mixture Is just a little brack-
ish. At some of these openings at the
sea bottom the head of water entering
the sea is so strong that when hollow
bamboos are pushed down into II the
water rises through the tubes, deliver
Ing the fresh water directly into YES
sells that are held by men and women
who are sitting in the boats that
brought them from the land. The
force Of some Of the streams as they
come from the earth is so considerable
that it pushes back the salt water. and
the spring is not mixed with the sea |
water for quite a space around the
place of entrance.
1t has been practically determined
within the past few years that the wa
ters OF a small river in West Africa
which disappeared In a fresh water
swamp that has no visible outlet find
their way by an underground channel
into the Atlantic and mingle with the
sea through an opening in the bottom
that has been discovered a few miles
from Cape Verde. \ channel has been
found on the sea floor which, appar
emily, was cut by some fresh water
stream. During some soundings that
were made In 1895 for the purpose Of
finding and raising a broken cable the
vessel engaged in the work was sur
rounded by swamp vegetation that waE
rising To the surface. IL
was evidently brought through the TN
derground channel from the. swamp.
The breaking Of u cable off the mouth
Of the Rovuma river in East Africa
has been attributed to the destructive
action Of a strOlg current Of sweet
water entering the sea level several
miles from the land Another remark
able example Of submarine river Is
found to the north OF the city Of africa
on the Pacific coast Of South America
A river from the Andes that Is grad.
ually swallowed up in the sand has
been found to make It's way invisibly
into the sea. with which ii unites some
miles from the land.-NeN York Sun.
Brain Weight.
1t Is stated by an authority that the
urninLLt - a ~ n. LIN IN In. nntLIr,r