New-York tribune., 1915-03-27
IRON ROD FOUND
PORT JERVIS COAL
Despite Denial of EXplOra-
ton Manager Town Be
lieves Boom Is Near.
WIRES WAGEMANN
BOUGHT OPTION RIGHT
Report Also Comes of Big Ship.
ment Of Lumber to Build
WOrkmen's HutS.

Kurt Wagemann, manager Of the
Northern America Exploration Com
pany, Of Passaic, y. j.. was indignant
yesterday. He was wrathful over the
article in Thursdays Tribune. which
told how excited Port Jervis vas over
the reported discovery by the company
Of coal in the Shawaugunk Mountains
aud now last July the communities of
Passaic Nutley and Port Jervis were
h sterical in the belief that the com
pany was delvlng for radium IN their
midst
I'VE haven't begun to sink shafts at
Port JerviS and have made no state
meat about the discovery OF coal there" "
said the manager. I'VE did find some
coal near Port Jervis last October. and
| anno.nced Il at the time. but all this
other stuff isn't true. | haven't been
near Port Jervis for five months
But, Notwithstanding. 'ort Jervis
still believes that i is on the verge Of
gigantic boom and will be able 70
clip the wings OF the high cost Of liv-
ing in New Iorh City by supplying IL
all the coal II wants. Despite the fact
that geology seems to Ergue against
the finding OF coal IN any place nearer
than Scranton, Penn, Port Jervis be
lees il has found IT.
The Tribune asked for further facts
or the discovery last night and got this
telegraphic reply:
"Garvey Drilling Company, Platts-
burg, y. Y, been drilling for months
previous. Engineer Siogel, Of Lacka-
wanna road, came here on an iuspcc-
tion trip. Port Jervis Water Company
voted options on entire watersheds on
Shawangunk Mountains. and bonus was
paid by WGgemann for option rights
from here 70 Wurtsboro. Reported to-
night that ten carloads lumber reached
here for shacks for workmen.
As to the discovery itself, Port Jervis
still credits il TO the Northern Amer
ca Exploration Company Il was
made by an iron divining rod, accord
ing &c Mr.. WGgemann, manipulated by
Raphael Won Uslar, the company's Ger
man chemist.
The Tribune on Thursday secuted the
idea that coal could be found IN the
ShaWangunk Mountains Professor
James +. Kemp, Of Columbia jniver-
sity. one Of the leading GeoloGlStS OF
this country. who knows the coun-
try perfectly. said last night that the
mountains back Of Port Jervis were
composed Of hard bed Of gravel and
sand. known As a coEglomerate. Coal,
he thought. could never be found there.
Every little while" he said, coal
is discovered in New York. but II usu-
allv turns out TO be black shale. with
no carbonaceous matter IN It. As for
divining rods. l. is only safe 10 use
them in The attempt 10 hnd water.
Water. You know. is found everywhere.
Mr. Wagemann said last night that
what ne particularly disputed was me
statement made in The Tribune that
the coal lies 700 feet below the sur
face. He was told what Professors
kemp and Berkey had said about the
scarcity Of coal in the region. The
manager then remarked that he dldn Z
care what they said and that they mad
gone wrong before.
But the Northern America EXplora-
ton Company, according 10 Mr.. Wage
mann. Still believes in the rods mystic
power. Even now the corporation is
drilling at Calgary. Canada. where.
says the manager. great OIL well mas
been discovered b. the divinlng rods
in the hands Of the German chemist
Nrd Nj Nagcmahn loon '. 'V ",
crude oil from a shell, when NJ salH
had come from Canadian wells DIS
covered ny the rod
The offices Of the company are at 22j
Main Avenue Passaic, where Il took
= foul-r3or suite after Incorporation
a wear ago. The incorporators were
Hans + Stochr and Ferdinand Kuhn
Of the Botany Worsted Mills. Count
fran1ius, Of Berlin. Mr.. Wagemann.
the manager and the German chemist.
Sump'uous Offices they are, with vel
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