Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-10-02
How DINnIzg R0dI5 II
by Qpekah0r

trail diaphragm of certain exceptionally dellcateIy
framed persons
About the middle of the nineteenth century
Professor Won Riechenbach, OF Germany, believed
he had found the source OF the power exerted
by any one using a divining rod in the radiation
of very fine gas given off by many bodies and
which he called .odyllic force" The Frenchman,
NJ E Chevreul on the other hand, explained the
whole phenomenon being sefdecepuon or
the persons holding the rods their arm muscles
becoming excessively irTitated by the peculiar
way of holding the rod and their nervous system
likewise by the straining desire of the diviner
to find something.
It was in the midst Of this somewhat general
skepticism concerning the actual power of the
OWNERS and rather Hstess search for some real
explanation of the phenomenon that Herr Won
Buelow became interested in search for sub
terranean water supply near the imperial wharf
at the harbor of Kiel. Won Uslar, who was called
upon to make the experiment. achieved such con-
elusive results, even actually piercing water
veins, that Won Buelow brought the matter to the
attention of the emperor, and it was then that
Won Uslar sent by the government to south
west Africa.
For two years and half" said Herr Fran
zius to the writer 'Von Usar tTaversed' that
country in the midst Of the hostile Hottentots in
order to find at once constant supply OF water
for the troops and for the farmers in that region,
where for the most part water was lacking.
when he returned, in the spring of 1908 he
had designated Subterranean waters courses in
500 places, and according to the official report up
to that time 1913 of those places had been investi-
gated by borings. Seventy-nine per cent of his
designations had proved to be correct. The Dor
ing continued, and up to June, 1911 according to
official government report which issued at
that time, total of 206 of the 500 places had
been investigated and in III of them, or about
SO per cent, water had been found.
I'm Germany many scientists became interest
ed in the art. Beyerhaus believed he had found
the explanation of the phenomenon in electricity.
Blom pinned his faith to radium. Professor w.
Kubler, in Dresden, found that confined steam
great masses Of ice had just the n1u-
ence on the diviner The physicist Dr. G. Rothe,
attributed the influence to Reichenbach's 'odyllic
force the physician, Dr. A. Vol, to electricity.
Dr. Aigner, in Munchen also a practicing physi-
clan, devoted himself closely to an investigation
of the question and is inclined to presume an
altogether unknown kind Of rays or terrestrial
currents as probable sources of the power
Meanwhile OWNERS in various parts of Ger
many devoted themselves to practicing the art
quite Independently of one another, and contin-
ued to meet with pronounced successes until in
1909 an effort was made to bring them and all
those interested in discovering the secret of the
power together in a sort of convention at Ores
den. There carefully recorded experiments were
made before a number Of professors of the tech
nical schools of Drnden and Munchen by the
OWNERS Won Buelow Uslar and DR.. Vol
Not only were the experiments conclusive. but
each of the three men named, working ndepen-
IDENTIFY Of one another, located in the same spot,
near Dresden, an extensive subterranean coal
field. After this the of the OWNERS by mine
owners rapidly increased, and in 1911 another
convention, lasting three days, and marked by
more startling successe, was held at Hanover.
Potash is very abundant in this region, and the
discoveries of deposits of it made by the eight
OWNERS appearing before the convention were so
astonishing that the formation of permanent
IN oil 1ohl fort
divining rods and, if possible discover the secret
OF their power was at once undertaken.
The society is seeking to gain the interest of
wider circles for the investigation Of the riddle
Of the rods, and Herr Uslar and myself have
met with fair success in our efforts arouse the
interest of scientists in this country"
Herr FranziuS was modest in his claims to
the accuracy with which the designations OF sub
terranean water and minerals could be made,
but declared in response to a question that this
accuracy was quite remarkable.
mot only" he says, "can the OWNER by walk
ing about in a circle, that if he crosses vein
once he must necessarily cross it at least sec
ond time, determine the location of a substratum
of mineral or water but he can also determine
in most cases the depth of the stratum below the
surface, even when it is several hundred feet
and also the direction in which the vein extends
Herr Won Uslar, speaking through his friend,
Herr Franzius, cited case after case where nine
owners had employed OWNERS to locate new
veins in Germany and railroad directorates had
employed them to find suitable water supply
at their various stations
The two visitors hope that on their return
after the Landrat's findings in Wisconsin and
Michigan have been investigated the results OF
their discoveries in this country Of new deposits
OF coal, iron and petroleum will rouse as much
interest in the mysterious power possessed by
Won Uslar as has already been manifested in
Germany It is. only by rousing such interest
among scientists everywhere the Landrat be-
Heves, that the answer can be found to the riddle
that veXes and tantalizes him day by day: What
is the true source of the OWNERS power?