Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1901 — LOADSTONE IN RIVER BED. [ARTICLE]

LOADSTONE IN RIVER BED.

Xt Attracts Both Animate nnd In* animate Thing* to D atrnction. A deep hole of water in Nolynn Creek, ten miles south of Hodgenvllle, Ky„ has for some time been attracting Attention by reason of the fact that it has a very strong suction. For years it has been known as “the suck hole.” It is about ten feet deep and about fifty yards long. The water is clear and bottom can easily be seen. This hole has been watched by people in that section for a number of years and it has also to some extent been avoided. It now develops that it is no "suck hole,” but in the bottom of tbo river it is claimed that there Is a streak of powerful loadstone. 1 A man In that community recently constructed a large and substantial raft for the purpose of investigating th® causes of the suction in this particular part of the siver. It was discovered that the river bottom is solid rock and that through the center of the rock, running lengthwise, is a black streak. It is about five inches in width and runs the length of the hole. This streak was examined with a common fish gig and was found to be very hard. The gig ad lie red to the stone and it took no little pulling to extricate It. Further investigation was made and it is said that the streak following the bottom of the river is undoubtedly powerful loadstone. The hole was discovered over forty years ago by Enoch Atterbury, who came near losing his life In the water, having been rescued by two men, who pulled him out by means of a long pole. Lum Wess and Luther Trulock also came near losing their lives in the hole a short time ago while seining. They were rescued, half drowned, by other members of the party. The attraction was so powerful toward a chain on the bottom of the seine that the seiners had to abandon it. The hole is not in the main stream, but is an outlet.' A dog thrown into the water never comes out, but is quickly drawn to the bottom. When a trout line is stretched across the place the unseen energy attracts the kooks to the black streak and there holds them securely until they are drawn out. At times there is A strong undercurrent in the bayou, which is unaccounted for and which often sweeps the bottom clean, relieving the loadstone of its collection. The locality of the suck hole is getting to be a much dreaded one, especially by the superstitious. Many cattle and hogs have been lost.—Louisville Courier-Journal.