WATER-DIVINING

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 April 1913, Page 2

WATER-DIVINING

A LOCAL EXPONENT

A FEW days ago in the vicinity of the Hot Springs at Parakai, a representative of this paper and a number of visitors and local people were privileged to witness a demonstration of water-divining by a young man named Russell Simcock, son of Mr John Simcock of this town. The.result of his " locations " have already proved of value in the district, and in the instance under notice should be of particular value to the Domain Board, as will be gathered from the appended details.

Not long ago Mr Simcock tested his "power" on Mr Nicholls' property adjoining the Domain. As the boring operations -subsequently proved, his announcement that there was a water supply at that particular spot, was correct. A bore was put put down to a depth of 89 feet, and a good supply of mineral water similar to that at the Hot Springs was tapped. Mr Nicholls generously placed "the find " at the disposal of the Domain Board, conditionally that the latter pay the cost of piping, to be refunded by Mr Nicholls if he requires the water for his own purposes in six months' time, and half the cost of the pipes if he wishes to cut off the supply in twelve months' time. The importance of Russell Simcock's " location." of a few days ago is obvious when it is mentioned that he outlined the hidden current which supplies the bore in Mr Nicholls' paddock to a point in the vicinity of the present bath-house on the Board's property, and in consequence it seems logical to assume that a bore put down thereabouts would tap the same source. Meanwhile the Board has an ample supply for all requirements, so that it is unlikely any more boringwill be taken in hand at present. It is about two years since Mr Simcock discovered he had the power of water-divination. He was then experimenting with other young fellows and using the customary divining twig. At a later date, when the faculty had undergone development,'he found that he could locate water successfully without carrying anything in his hands. He has since s indicated where water would be tapped on a number of occasions, but takes His success in this matter in a modest and unassuming manner. The young man walks about cautiously in the vicinity where he is searching for a water supply. Hir arms are hanging just in front of the body with each hand tightly clenched except for the little finger, which points downwards. Immediately he gets on the edge of a hidden stream the muscles of Ms hands and arms begin to twitch, and as he advances over the stream proper his entire body seems to be in the grip of an invisible electrical force, which bends him almost double by its intensity. It is clearly evident by the muscularcontraction he experiences and his actions, that he is in possession of the uncommon faculty known as the " sixth sense." -.' Mr Simcock also uses the wateT diviner's twig, with equally perceptible results. The piece of material "he demonstrated with was just an ordinary macrocarpa, but it bent over without hesitation as he crossed the hidden * water, and he experienced a muscular struggle of a pronounced order. If he continues to allow the mysterious force to play on his muscular system after having discovered a water supply Mr bimcock feels the effects afterwards by a kind of cramp about the hands ; otherwise he is prac- • tically unaffected by the exercising of his strange power.