WAIK.VTO PHENOMENON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 23, 19 November 1880, Page 3

WAIKATO PHENOMENON.

(Auckland Star.) For some years past various methods have been tried for the successful draining nnd utilising of the swamp lands at Waikato. By some it was at first contended that the too sudden liberation of the water mined the land, and they resorted to gradual drainage, cutting the watei channels a foot deep the first year, and deepening them in successive years. That theory whs tiied by several Of late years, however, MrE. B. Walker had resorted to deep drainage, with the most successful results. His last achievement has been the tapping of an underground lake or creek at a distance of ten feet from the suiface. His men were engaged cutting a large main drain in Rotorangi swamp (better known as Walker's). A stroke of the pick was followed by a terrific rush of water, which caused men to hurry up out of the drain. <A pole was obtained and thtust nine fecHn'a the aperature, through which the water lowed and (itill, contii.uea to flow in torrents, buXttie, bottom could not be felt. J?bi» discovery has caused much-dis-cussion MBong proprietors of ewamps,

and bears out the opinion iormed of > that part of the swatup near Ohmipo, which the contractors of the railroad •ried in vain for sr» many months to fill up. The opinion was ionned that there was a shell or upper crust of the Bw«n.p which oncealed a mine lake. This crust has been broken, and the eanh as fast as thrown in was absorbed by the wafer, and floated away Another argument held in favor of the > ouon that a large sheet of w-iter existed beneath the hard surface of the swamp was that the line in winter was more solid, and did not sink or open in huge cracks as it does in summer, (he supposition being that the accumulation of water actually sup. ports the ground. Mr Walker thinks it very probable that various swamps have been formed by Maoris stopping creeks for the purpose of catching eels. The creeks got overgrown with vegetation, and the accumulation of debris ultimately spreads an earth covering over.'