The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-07-02
SINK-HOLES In KANSAS.
Hyste rious Depressions in the West.
ern Part of the State, and
How Accounted For.

| An interesting phenomenon in west
ern Kansas is described and pictured
in a recent report of the United States
geological survey. One of the natu-
rel curiosities Of the great plains re-
gion known as the Meade salt well,
in southwestern Kansas. 1t made It's
appearance very suddenly In 1889,
| states the New York Sun.
On March 3 in that year the famous
Jones and Plummer cattle trail ex-
tended right over the spot where this
depression was soon to appear. A
| wagon passed along the trail over the
level ground. It is not known that
! this spot was seen again until % days
later, when 1t was found that the
ground for a considerable area had
sunk into the earth and the hole was
partly filled with water from an un-
foreground source.
The cavity was circular, and the
tracks of wagons and cattle on the
trail were still plainly seen on either
side of the hole. A considerable area
around the hole had been depressed to
smaller extent.
The sink hole remains to-day, and
on either side of 1t are still to be seen
the road ruts and cattle trails along
which for years scores of thousands OF
ranch cattle were driven from north
ern Texas into Kansas. There were
very few routes of travel across this
wide plain. Bat the accident to the
surface occurred on the most impor-
tant Of them.
Those who studied this depression
were surprised to find that the water
in 1t was very salt, although the ground
water in the neighboring wells con-
tanned not trace of salt. 1t was also
found that this saline water had at
times a high temperature, closely ap-
preaching the boiling point.
The biologists as yet have not been
able to explain either the saltiness or
the high temperature of the water. 1t
was also found that there were two
distinct layers of water, the upper
layer, three feet thick, being much
less salt than the lower layer, which
was six feet in depth.
To-day the depression measures
200 feet across the top and 1876 feet
across the surface of the pond, which
is nine feet deep; the distance from
the bottom Of the water to the level of
the plain is 40 feet. A good-sized
house might be hid away In the depres-
sion.
The biologists say that the Meade
salt we'll is only the most striking OF
the Kansas sink holes, for there are
many other depressions Of similar ma
ture in the state. Large sections OF
the high plains which stretch across
the western part OF Kansas are fairly
pitted with large or small saucer
like depressions, sometimes SO near to-
gether that n stone may be thrown
from one to another.
Many Of these sinks are shallow, but
others are deep, like the salt well here
described. The depressions are 80
numerous that farmers are talking Of
utilizing them for the storage Of the
spring rains, and thus conserving the
water that falls into them for frriga-
ton purposes. 1t may be worth while
10 make them serviceable in this way.
for irrigation Is all that the great re-
zion needs to make 1t wonderfully fer
tile.
We have long known Of the countless
sink holes in the great cave regions OF
this country which are formed by wa
ter percolating through the limestone
| rocks, dissolving their mineral par
ticles and thus carrying the rock away
| In solution. No such explanation,
however, can be given of the sink holes
| Of western Kansas. They are still con-
stantly forming and are gradually low
ering the surface over large areas, but
how they are formed Is not yet fully
| determined.
The study that has recently been
made of them by the geological sur
vey seems to show that the settling Is
due in the smaller cases to the gradual
,ompacting of the soil particles by the
percolation of water which collects
from rain In particular spots and by,
| the chemical solution and washing
away Of the more soluble PARTICLES
/ which compose the ground.
In the larger sinks which appear
suddenly, like the Meade salt well,
there seems, however, to have been u
caving in Of the underlying rock bed,
which Is thin in places and has prob
ably been decomposed and carried
away by the underground waters.
| You have looked into q beautiful face,
seen the sweet smile, rosy cheeks,
| lopph avoo and wiahed nafura had