THE DIVIMNG ROD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1957, 14 January 1914, Page 4

THE DIVIMNG ROD.

:|SKsCIENTiriC''-SIDEsOF,T'HE' ; SS ■Ifcv&f v?:.H: Qu i^tion'!; :V ;;::u \^y r - scientists ,are v "revivi|ig.. the. .oft-argut'd .qutstion ..of-.rod,"-.which, was, threshed out in-Hawaii a foiv months , ago,.~Thc K0v.,11. , ..3!a550y. ■went there. ..from 'Australasia ..to., find water for..several .dry spots, one of which was " Lamii;-::- At -..last-., accounts,' .his discoveries had nor, , , been, marked, jwith permanent sneenss...... ''■ '. ;" ■/; Tho ieienlilic slide o! ,, this question has been agitating...a German, congress,; from a report■ of- which the. following points are taken:— > ;•;■ ■$. ■■' .;, . "Although :. tlio enlifc divining-rod, matter is generally, considered as being connected more or less with fraud and superstition, many scholars and learned men, geologists, -.ymineralogists, and miners were present , at tho congress.-

"A staggering array of statistics was produced, which tended to show that the divining-rod question has a scientific value and justifies scientific defence. It was said that, among others, ■ tlio Kaiser is a firm believer in the value of the divining-rod for locating Water. ■ ■ , "It was said that at the time tho city engineer at Kicr Harbour was. unable toUml a water supply for the city. Councillor Usiar, who had leanwd how to manipulate a willow twig iu Africa, was sent for at the request of. the Kaiser, and .'he-found an inexhaustible supply. :.' ' ' ; ■ _ . . "An affidavit was laid hefqro the congress from engineers'of the_ Munich municipal water department, in which it was affirmed that, after they had tried in vain to find r subterranean leak in a big pipe lino which made it impossible to iceep iip tho pressure, it was decided to semi for a diving-roil expert before resorting to the extrame measure of: tearing up the line to find the leak. A divining-rod was procured, and it quickly indicated tho spot, which proved to bo'where the leak was situated.

"Before th.-s assembling of.the congress several members decided to make seme practical tests with a diving-rod. ond so. in the presonce of ideologists and miiicralogists, Seharf, a mine inspector, with a liaxel stick, indicated a spot where water would be found in a "large crehard, ivliero repeated borings had failed to. strike water. Horings were made at the spot indicated by Seharf with his diving-iod. am! a plentiful supply of water was found."