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A Wonderful Phenomenon

A Wonderful Phenomenon image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
July
Year
1848
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A singular phenornenon was brought to liglit a week ago yestenlay, in the township o i' Greenfield, nbout eight miles from this city. THe fact's are very ncarly as follows: The Messrs. Grangers, in boring to find water to supply their saw tnül, sunk a four inch hole to the dept!) of seventy feet, vvhen they struck a vein or cavity. As they withdrew the auger from the hole, to their great surprise, it was followed by a violent current of air, that threw uj stones as larire as hen's eggs LO or 15 feet high. Fora few moments, when the hole was firsi opened, the air was accotnpanied by a stream of wa'er, which was tlirown ten or twelve feet high. The water, however, soon ceased coming, and the air gushed out witli such force that the róar could be distinctly heard filty or sixty rods. On (ouching fire to the air it caught, and the fiames flashed twenty feet high, and carne near burning the building, covering the machinery in which it is located. T'iey final ly succeeded wiih considerable diíficulty in stopping it, by forcing down blankets, and driving a spile into the hole, wiiich was their only tneans of stopping the air or gas, and extinguishing the flaines. For several moments aller the hole was stopped, the earth trembled and shook for some distance around, as though an eruption was about to take place. The people, who by this linie had gathered to the inimber of about a hundred, were greatly alarmed at these symptoms, and scattered with all possible rapidity supposing that JMilleristn was about coming lo a focus, or that they were about to be blown tip sky high by an eaithquake. From the time it was opened till it was closed, was about six hours, and the air gushed out all the i time with unabated force. ít has been opened several times since with the same effect. The power and force of the air does not seem to diminish in the least. The Messrs. Grangers are proposing to secure it with apparatus so as to shut it off and let it out at leisure, and test its real qualhies. The people in that vicinity are all confident now that it can be conveyed here in pipes, and successfully used for lighting the city with gas, from this great natural underground gasoineter. re learn lliat several scientific gentlemen of this city intend miting it soon. [Detroit Advertiser.] (C5 Fathef P. J. DeStnet, the pbtlsnthopic and devoted jesuit inissionary to the Snake, Flat Head, and Black Feet Indians beyond the Rocky Mountains, is on a visit to Albany, New York. This good man, who some. ten years ago went a!oi2 thousands of rniles beyond the frontier of civilization, has since supplied the wildest and most savagu tribes of Indians with seed, fanning iiupletnents, cows, oxen, sheep, &c. He has taught them to sovv, plant, and harvest. He has induced them to erect school houses and chapéis, and turned thousands from their wandering and wars to agricultura] and peaceful habils.