Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-12-10


Expected {" Transform Short Grass
Grazing Land Into Farms-Source
sEid 80 Re From Underground
Rocky Mountain shed
a wonderful geological event has re-
gently taken place about Longtime, IN
The sand hills OF Nebraska. A great
new river OF clear water. riyaline tho
Niobrara. the Elkb0rn and the Platte
rivers, has suddenly sprung into exist.
cnce and ia even now working It's way
SonthcaStWard Ia the Missouri river.
Says special dispatch from Longtime,
Neb., TO the st. Louis Post Dispatch.
Already the new river is more than 100
miles long. and its waters are slowly
going forward 10 an outlet To the guilt.
In some places New river, as it is call
ed. IS half mile wide, while in others
IL Is only 4 few rods. lis depth varies
iroE y few feet 10 fifty feet.
The "1tcr by which tile stream IS
fed IS supposed TO come from the great
underground low of water from the
Rocky mountains eastward to Tic Mis-.
souri,. 1hc phenomenon has attracted
great deal of attention from scientific
men III the stale, and the University OF
Nebraska is preparing To make a thor
ough and exhaustive search into the
reasons which led the underground
stream ID burst forth.
New river takes lis rise in the east
cFn part Of Cherry county and flows
toward thc southeast. passing through
Brown, Rock. Holt ana portions OF
Wheeler ana Antelope counties. At
present II has reached Il point in north
western Boonc county and Is slowly
creeping eastward toward the Missouri
river
Tile country New river travels IL
mostly sand hills"--a range of sand
dunes extending from South Daa ota
clear across Nebraska and covered with
scant vegetation in the shape of sage
brush and buffalo grass. There are no
springs OF streams in the sand hills. but
flowing artcsian wells OF first class
clear water can be secured mt any point
in the hills at depth OF from fifteen to
fifty feet.
Hc1loGically there is strong dip in
The strata from the Rockies TO the Mis-.
souri, river, and below this strata 1t has
long been known that there was a
strong and heavy flow of water. This
STRATA seems to have given way IN
many places, due TO some underground
CONFUSION, and the water beneath has
been permitted 10 gush ont.
Between the sand dunes there are
small valleys and down these the river
Is taking Its course. Each valley or Dc
preston must he filed to Overlooking
before the stream can 10 onward. And
once over the rim OF one OF these dc
prcSsiOns (Which are from ten to fifty
rect hecpi the next valley is attacked
and iillcd by the water before the
stream enters the next one. The front
OF the river is travelling ut rate of
three or fonr miles each day and was
recently 100 miles long and about forty
days old.
very little rain falls in the sacd hills
except during the spring. ana the cat.
tie which roam over The hills must no
driven far to water unless there han.
pens 10 be an artcSlan well near hv. II
is the great cattle range of Nebraska.
80 when James Wilson. one Of the
great cattle kings of Cherry county.
made the discovery last summer that
the spring rains had almost filed
uccp depression Oh the range whcr,
MS cattle roamcd lie saw prospects of
fresh water all the summer and fall. |
The depression was deeper than any
other Oh the range.
But the next week, when Wilson
again rode on TO the range, he noticed
tllat there was more water in The 200,
than had been there the week previous.
When next he saw the miniature lake
it had ovcrtlowed tile original depres.
sion and, in addition. had filed several
others. This was about the middle Of
September Of 1909.
From that start the stream has work. |
ed its way forward. 1t seemed that
the coming Of the water had some mys.
tcrious effect upon the undcrnow men
TONED, for each additional depression.
az soon as the river reached II. was i'm
mediatcly fed Ivy underground springs.
ana the entire surface of the river ii |
covered with bubbles. which break as |
tEcy reach the surface. The water Is |
clear and cool and not muddy.
All over the section traverscd by New |
river artcsian wells abound. The drill |
never fails 10 produce II flowing well |
in any of the counties of Boyd, Brown |
and Cherry. This only shows the ire
meidous flow Of water very near the |
surface in this territory. Should the
HOW OF water cease as quickly rs II he |
gun 1t would probably be years before
all The water In the course now would |
scep into the ground.
Just what effect this new stream will