The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-16

Many Richmond autoists have Wis
tied the sinking ground" eight miles
north of Greenyille and near Ansonia
on the Fort Recovery road,
Nature Is in commissions here.
Where the Fort Recovery road used
to cross the New York Central railroad
tracks, assures have appeared, small
lakes arisen over night, and the en-
tire land for 500 feet has been disturb
ed by the hidden forces of nature.
Persons from Richmond who have
visited the spot say whole rows of
trees have disappeared under the
force of subterranean upheaval. In
habitants believe a subterranean lake
is located beneath this spot
Pling Disappears.
A piling so feet in length driven into
the Quagmire struck something hard.
Residents say it hit the rocks dump
ed into the hole years ago to obtain
firm foundation.
A newspaper man who visited the
spot has the following to say:
1t must be agreed. after pouring
5000 carloads of hard pan into hole
and they all disappear. there is some
unusual circumstance involved This
Is exactly what the New York Central
lines have done. and are still doing,
for that matter, because the railroad
as not inclined to give up so easily TO
nature. Mems brains are still battling
with the natural phenomenon in an
effort to overcome it. Three thous-
and railroad dump cars filled with
hard substance have not been able to
give the railroad substantial road
bed through Darke County, Ohio.
Car Tracks Sink.
II was not so very long ago that the
railroad tracks of this main line be-
tween Gallon. Ohio, and Indianapolis,
Ind, stood II feet above the surround
ing country. Today by subterranean
eruptions and commissions, the land
skirting the tracks is 22 feet above
the level OF the tracks. In compare
lively brief period, in other words.
the tracks and adjacent hill formed by
this phenomenon. have developed a
difference of "a feet.
Workmen one day appeared on the
scene with an idea of clearing up this
mystery and dumped in several car
loads of earth. This will fix it up
all right" engineers declared.
The next morning there wasn't
trace of this newly thrown-in earth.
And so dozen more loads of earth
We're dumped in. In a miraculously
short time this, too, had vanished.
Then hurry call was sent TO the
main headquarters of the New York
Central Lines in New York. Skilled
engineers were on the job. determined
to settle once and forever mans mas
terry over nature. and the word went
out TO dump earth into the assures
by the hundreds and thousands OF car
loads.
Tracks Still Crooked.
After 10 weeks of incessant toll
along these lines the railroad tracks
were still crooked and the roadbed
was wobbly, and. so far as observers
could see, not a single change had
been made in the situation. 1t is es-
timated 10000 persons from this and
neighboring states have visited the
scene of this phenomenon, including
5 biologists and men skilled and learn
ed in the matter of earth disturbances
and schooled in the matters of topo-
Graphy. They have come no closer
to q solution of the situation than the
men who toiled here years ago with
: less information and less ability at
their command.
II is one of Ohio's greatest myste-
ries. tand one which will engage the
attention of biologists for years to
come After heavy rains, in particu-
/. lar, railroad trains have to creep over
. the trackagr which runs over this
/, section But the outbursts of water
are not confined to the rainy seasons
by any means. You will find pools of
water resembling a lake or sunken
riven, most any day YOU travel this
way.
or passing interest is the fact that
Z in the development of the methods to
: overcome the mystery. parts of con-
: non, trappings and chains, believed to
have been a. one time a part of Gen
eral st. Clair's army Of invasion of the
. Indian lands, have been found.
Remember Tradition.
This has led many of the curious to
: give crodence to the tradition which
still exists here, and aided by the
scurious and unusual earth formation
iii is no beyond the realm Of possibility
sthat General st. Clair and his gallant
4httlo army might have become en-
Emcshod in the sunken lands during
Etheir march; the Garth mSht have
given away as the army marched drag