Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-30
Good bye, Divinins Rod.

How are traditions shattered and
fond memories laid bare in grinning
| skeletons, by the hand of science!
! Now the relentless U. S. Bureau 9f
Geological Survey at Washington, robs
US Of our faith in water witches" and
| divining-rodsp at one fen swoop.
And how are we to go on telling to
our grand children (and planning to
| tell to our great grand children) the
eye witness stories of marvellous 10
cations" of famous living founts" by
the witch and crotch from the sweet
apple tree?
1t is a sad day for some of us when
prosy old science dumps our pet
superstitions and cherished beliefs
and leaves us nothing but-a few I'M
interesting facts. Just read this from
the latest government bulletin:
The United States Geological Sur
vey states in Water Supply Paper 255,
entitled Underground Waters for
Farm Use" just reissued, that no APP
has yet been devised that will detect
water in places where plain common
sense and close observation will not
show its presence just as well. Num-
erous mechanical devices have been
proposed for detecting the presence of
underground water, ranging in COM
piexity from the simple forked branch
of witch hazel, peach, or other tree to
more or less elaborate mechanical OF
electric contriXances. Many of the
operators of these devices, especially
those who use the home-cut forked
branch, are entirely honest in the be-
lief that the working of the rod Is
influenced by enthusiastically re-
garded as electric currents following
underground streams of water-that
are entirely Independent of their own
bodies, and many people have inn
plitic faith in their own and others
ability to locate underground water in
this way. In experiments with a rod
made from a forSed branch it seemed
to turn downward at certain points
independent of the operators will, but
more complete tests showed that this |
downturning resulted from slight and, |
until watched for. unconscious museu-
lar action. the effects of which were |
communicated through the arms and |
wrists to the rod. No movement of /
the rod from causes outside of the I
5pdy could be detected, and it soon |
became obvious that the view held |
byt other men of science is correct
that the operation of the "divining
rod"N is generally due to unconscious
of the body or of the
of the hand. The experiments
made Show that these movements oc-
eur moist frequently at places where /
the operators experience has led him |
to believe that water may be found.
The uslelessness of the divining rod |
is indicated by the facts that it may
be worked\ at will by the operator,
that he faiAs to detect strong water
currents in tunnels and other channels
that affprd HnoS surface indications of
water, and thatA his locations in lime
stone regions where water flows in
well-defined chanhels are no more sue
cessful than thoset dependent on mere
guess. In fact, its \operators are sue
eessful only in regions in which
ground water occNrs in a definite
sheet of porous material or in more
or less elayey matebial, such as peb-
bly, clay or till. In fuch regions few
failures can occur, f4r wells can get
water almost anywhere.
The only advantage of employing a
water WITCH as The operator of the
divining rod is sometimes called. 5
that crudely skilled Services are thus
occasionally obtained,l for the men SO
employed. if endowed with any nat
ural aptitude. becomd through their
experience in locating twells shrewd, if
sometimes unconscious observers of
the occurrence and movements OF
ground water
copy of the repo1rt may be OBJ
tanned free on application to the Di-
rector of the Geological Survey.
Washington. d. c.