Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-17
BY {. MORAN.

~ IVIDINCi rods Forked twigs,
Witching sticks. Men, for
centuries. seeking quick
- wealth. have explored the
earth with these magic
wands. Sometimes they have found
wealth; more often they have not.
! But whereas, among Government
scientists, the witching stick of old
is in disrepute, modern ''divining
rods" have been developed recently
/ in which the scientists see possibilities
1 as aids in prospecting for metallic
ores. These rods" employ electricity
/ by means of which favorable spots for
drilling for metallic ores are quickly
! found.
There has been developed, also. by
| the Federal Bureau of Mines, porta-
| BILE device for discovering new oil or
| gas fields. This apparatus is used to
analyZe the constituents of water of
underground origin, to determine the
! presence of gas or petroleum vaporS.
II such water traVerses gas or oil
sands, it absorbs definite quantity
! of hydrocarbon vapors which are
| brought to the surface when tapped
| by a well. The apparatus makes it
possible to determine whether these
! vapors are mainly of natural gas com
! position or composed mostly of heavier
petroleum vapors.
Electrical 'divining rods have been
developed by the Arizona Bureau of
| Mines. These devices record the diff
! ference of potential set up by cleo
trical static or dynamic waves that
are either induced or pre-existing in
metallic ore bodies. BY observing
these varying differences of potential
! at number of points in the immedl-
ate vicinity of the supposed ore body,
an electrical field is plotted at the
center of which the ore body should
be found.
| This apparatus, says Washington
officials of the Bureau of Mines. will
save millions of dollars annually in
prospecting for metallic ores by elimi-
mating much of the expense of aim
less drilling. Used in conjunction with
knowledge of geological formations.
the apparatus provides prospectors
with more certain information of the
presence of ore bodies. Development
| of the new devices is still in an expert
mental stage, but they are being
brought rapidly to a point of greater
certainty.
A test was made in Washington
recently to determine the powers of a
self-styled water witch" The witch,
| a male, was transported blindfolded
, across bridges, but his tightly grasped
forked stick rarely dipped in the pres
ence of water. His explanation for
this was that the rubber tires of the
lautomobile in which he was carried
served as an insulator between the
twig and the water. He said he could
locate silver with his forked twig, but
the magic stick dipped as frequently
over places where there was no silver
as it did where silver dollars had been
planted.
Use of a forked twig. or so-called
Idivining rod, in locating minerals. find
| ing hidden treasure or detecting
criminals Is curious superstition
that has been a subject of controversy
since the middle of the sixteenth CEN
fury, say scientists of the United
States Geological Survey. The sub
ject still has strong hold on the
popular fancy, even in the United
States, as shown by the thousands
of inquiries received annually by the
Government departments here.
IT have been trying to find an in
strument that will locate hidden treas
ures of gold money that has been
buried in the ground" a resident of
Council Bluffs, Iowa, recently wrote
the Bureau of Mines. do you know
of any such instrument or do you
know where I can get hold of one?
Please let me know at once"
A correspondent from Alexandria,
La, wrote
~ want 20 know L there is suon It