The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1915-03-05
HOT '|| LAND MYSTERY
IS FINALLY SOLVED


: teryftof the hot lands on the Will
liam Caflisch farm twelve miles
southwest of Velva and on the bor-
der of Ward county, has finally
been solved.
On this farm there has been,
"since the memory of man run
meth not to the contrary" what
was considered one of the wonder
full phenomena in nature and one
that created no little conjecture as
to its cause.
Mr.. Caflisch is German farmer
and owns $50 acres of land. OF
this 100 acres there is about eighty
five acres, beneath the surface Of
which there has been unusual heat.
In fact the temperature is so great
that the surface is considerably
superheated and there has been a
continual seepage of gaseous and
sulphurous emations coming from
the soil that is decidedly disagree
able to persons and animals that
venture on this part of the farm
So great is this volume of gas that
at various times the bodies of rab-
bits, coyotes and grouse have been
found where they had dropped in
their tracks from asphyxiation. AS
far back as the oldest settler can
remember and further back into
Indian legendry grasses have not
grown on this superheated surface
of the soil Moisture, in the form
of rain or snow, falling from the
clouds is dried up in a very short
timgAnd in still weather, especially
when it is cold, a dense fog hangs
over the heated section Of the farm
like pail and those not knowing
the true cause consider it one of
the greatest natural phenomena.
There have been several solutions
advanced to explain the phenome-
ma that have ranged widely. Some
were of the belief that this section
Of the farm was probably nearer
the Internal regions than any 9TH
er place in North Dakota. Others
believed that there was a chemical
action on under the surface. pro-
ducing heat and gas and still oth-
ers were of the opinion that there
was below the surface a hot spring
the waters of which, never reached
the surface, y.
That the Indians long before
white men ever came to- the land;
knew of the hot land is evident.
The. section Of the farm &is$1 divided:
into two parts by a spring brook
which flows through. 4percitipious
hanks and it is along these banks
that many curios of Indian man
20 s,,l
ing that the spot was a~ favorite
rendezvous for the: red men. Ar
row, heads in great numbers, flint,
lock muskets, carved depressions in
boulders where Indians have ground
their maize meal, show plainly
that itaahas been a ravorite resting
place of the Indians.
John Mrainee OF this place, one
of the oldest settlers of this sec
as boy he travelled overland from
western Wisconsin to the Califor-
MIA g0N fields in 40. While on
this trip he and his father and fam
lily. camped near the spot, and he
we'll remembers what was to them
one of the great mysteries of the
mysterious west. ,..c 49,:
People in the vicinity. have be-
come used to the matter and little
has been said about. ii, of recent
years although once in a while
someone will make..a remark, about
it. y -.
However the matter is no longer
a mystery and the people who
thought the phenomena was caused
by chemical have been found to be
the nearest guessers as that is what
it IS although they would probably
call it fire now. ~ -
. It has been found that this por-
tion Of the county is richly under
laid with a bed OF ignite coal and
it is this coal slnoldering that
causes the surface heat and gases
and the fogs, which are in reality
smoke. ss'. =;
This was discovered by an @ex-5
pert who was called to make an in-y
vestigahion of the hot lands. He
has found that the middle portion
of the strata of Ignite, ranging
from eight to ten feet in thickness,
lis on fire and that for, years it has
been slowly but steadily eating its
way th through the vast coal bed, >,
This. expert says that: = Z is inn
possible to exiting guish the fire until.
lit burns. itself out, which may take
hundreds of years sSS That it; has
been burning for ma \ y, many years
& assured and there is no telling;
low It started. s ;s3: ss5 s5
iS Cne can ina agine# a bolt of liz ht-.
ming striking II n sSSs ucll q wa that
the fire was start ted d--a an indian, or.
q sti II more pre- historic man build;
u & o. fire on an exp ed wan IL
tho vein Of &c oals5 SSe1rs q gain the more
lrIsossaic cause Of spontane neou s COM
ustion caused bY; slakin g the
Tue ny of " these 81 us and:
years 80 and he grad ual but con,
ss tant eating Of the smo dering fire
iii heart of he vel
though the nystery come m ecte,d q
wit I'LL theS lot lands hasb been solved 4,
Sit will neverth elesss be one the
3Wonde ders8 of the st ate as lone
tinuesS hssIll m PEI