A MOVING BOG.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1020, 11 April 1883, Page 2

A MOVING BOG.

■; v .- 'VT-T--. An Extraordinary Phenomenon. A correspondent of ; the Dublin Daily Ex* press gives the following account of a'physical phenomenon at Castlerea, county Roscommon. He says Having heard many reports, about this moving bog, I resolved to visit the scene of devastation. Never have I witnessed as strange a phenomenon. About midway between Castlerea and Bellingare, a distance of sixmiles, there is a gently sloping vale abound- ■ ihg in rich meadow and pasture lands. ; The road at this point is somewhat higher than the adjacent fields. Along this valley the: bog has 'forced; its way. On 'reaching the road it was held in check for a considerable time, but eventually it burst across, and rushed with amazing rapidity, covering in its course upwards of 120 acres of: fine pasture lands. One farmhouse stands quite surrounded with the mud, ithe;. occupants having to r flee for their lives, leaving behind a cart, on which they were busily heaping some of their furniture.; All communication between Castlerea and |Bellinagare is cut off, huge masses of bog, coated with heather, remaining on, the road for nearly a quarter of a mile, fully 10ft deep. Being anxious to view the source from which it issued, I started up the field towards the bog. I found it commenced about half a mite from the road, having formed a large subsidence of amazing extent, from which a stream of mud was still irresistibly forcing its way. It has now forced its way into the river Suck, which flows through this town, and immense quantities are passing towards Ballinasloe. Some care and supervision will be required at the various bridges along the. Suck, to prevent their being filled up. Rain: still continues to fall rery heavily, and more! serious results are apprehended.