STRANGE POWERS ARE POSESSED BY WATER DIVINERS

Shannon News, 11 January 1929, Page 4

STRANGE POWERS ARE POSESSED BY WATER DIVINERS

MAGNETISM PLAYS BIG PABT. HOW THIRSTY ARMY WAS SAVED AT GALLIPOLI/ , The doubt that is still attached in ' many quarters regarding the special , gift that .water “diviners ” ; are said . to'possess is the subject of an article, by' a London", writer in the ‘Sunqay ■ News. 7 '-He says: -. One of the principal engineering bodies in 'Britain formed a committee ofinvestigation a few weeks ago tP test practically ari jsyho, holds the position ■ .of -water diviner to a municipal authority of a city overseas. Tests which were out near Londorf' h&Ve UOt conclusively satisfied the committee that the'official diviper •pOs- - -The reason given'was that flow and the direction had been mechanical; ly and artificially induced, thereby desessoa the powers he claims to have. In “this particular instance water was not * • divined * ’"jvhero it' was already known to exist... . . ... _ . stroying the senses of human agency. Th§''divining, of water and metals appeared to be a matter of luck rather than a special gift, for there was water practically everywhere. It might be , assumed that because testis were 'carKe'd'orit under the aegis of, a corporate engiribeting'body'there would be a certain amount of prejudice felt among members. 7‘‘. I am assured,' however, that such not the 'case. f On " the other hand, ' there are instances where discoveries and metals toye LePn made by' p’efsohs ’ having a special,gift of 1 ‘ divining.' r ;'Miss' Florence, M. ■ Turner, 'who lias been successful, as , a water t diviner,. states that it was by the merest chance ■ that she found that she could discover the whereabouts, of water arid' metals. Miss Turner’s Discovery. , “A friend, was staying with me,” - -said Mias' Turner, “who,' I learned, could find' waterj and’ I asked , her to , show me /whathappened when I got over'a spring;*and. when I saw, I said: 'wonder if I could feel anything? ’ I “took a-twig of* hazel. 1 It’felt alive (iff niy hands.' I "was'very-excited arid spent -i the-'whole of'that afternoon 'ex- . perimen'fing/ 1 after'which I felt very tired.' Of' couArse. I realised that I had- ! been living off something all the time. Smce then I have arrived at the 'conclusion that it - is magnetism, and'that some persons possess this power more 1 than others. ' “My; first" series' of tests were made in the vicinity of a large town, and my host risked'me if I could find water‘on i his iawhi’'*' " I replied' that .rip doubt I cduldAi i ’it was there. I Went out in the darkness and presently skid: 'There iV water here; arid in great volumes.’ He rcpEed':- ‘You are quite right. You are on the "main to the town.’ Since then I have found many ; wells for friends in various parts of the. country.- , ' ; ‘.‘Perhaps one of my most interesting experiences occurred when one day I was asked* to find a gold ringj set with diamonds, which bad been lost on. a hoskey : ground.’ Up to that time I * had’ -never experimented in divining for minerals; but although I felt little faith in my powers I consented to try, I went over the hockey ground cpre- ■ fully until I came to a place where I ‘felt’ something. Finding of the Bing.

“The girl who had lost her ring was' with me, and exclaimed: ‘‘lt cannot be here; I heve never been near this locality. So I passed on and continued trying the ground, but without result, until I arrived b'ack at the spot where I felt the presence, of something'strange again. I suggested thatt the grass should be dug up within the circle of a yard fro mthe spot where I stood. The first sod lifted, about Sin. from where my feet had been, Had the ring in it. ' ■

-As the-story spread I had offers from all sorts of people to divine for

- thorn; I have divined for veins of lend in Derbyshire. Divining for wathr and different minerals gives me differ-ent-sensations. Iron, for example, makes me feel bouyant. Lead, unless ' Ido it for a long, time, makes me feel very well. Water has the effect' on me of giving paiu. My head aches ’■ badly behindj the eyes. “I have now arrived at the conelu- . sion' that divining is a very valuable gift, especially Sb for water. Persons should ascertain whether water is bev neath the ground before attempting to build , property oh it. If this is done it would have expense and'disappointment.’”" ■"

A Dardanelles Wonder. The ’greatest and most • sensational ■' story of water divining happened with the Austtalians during the war.' It is on record " that Sapper Stephen Kelley of- the '3rd. 'Australiah Light during the: darkest days of the campaign in. Gallipoli, crawled out, woundhe 'was, and with" the’ aid of a steel rule found water at a time when men were‘falling hnd dying of thirst. Water- boats' bould not get near the ' landing during to the rain of shells the beach. Kelley, who wa*'’attached' to the wireless section, Jkne'w that 1 he possessed the power of b(*ing able to locate water. He found ' a : dozen ; places where "wells were sunkwithia; the lines.' 1 - • ■ when he recovered, the commanding officer requested Mm to y go to - Suvla' Bay. Disguised, ; he crawled through the Turkish 1 lines' and arrived - at village, he remain- - ect ,iß’hidm|'wbile; the place was being shelled" b¥ ’British’' warships. 1 Later he ; hick to M V i / i ' ) * T ' W"' * 1

his comrades and , was sent back to Mudros. 1 . General Hughes went to see him in hospital one day; and pointed out of ;the' window to a number of tanks surrounded by soldiers. “There is no water in them,' ’ said the general. “The water barges have not arrived, and the men will not go back in the lines, until they have filled their bottles.'’ . * '* A Big Watercourse. ■ The general was informed by Kelley .that if they would put him on a stretcher and carry him he would try to find water for them. At that time he discovered the water by using a copper band from a Turkish shell. It proved to be the best diviner he had ever used. Kolley was carried out in the presence of a, number of officers who plied him With questions. The ,sol.dier continually reassured them that he could find water if it was there. Kelley had hardly covered a hundred yards of ground when he announced that he. had struck a big watercourse. Drilling commenced, at once, and after boring six feet water was found in such abundance that within an hour the underground spring was delivering 2,000 gallons and 100,000 thirsty men filled their water bottles. Five other wells wore found bofore the wounded man was carried back to hospital. (

' Kelleys fame'for finding water spread so rap'dly that the French general specially begged that he - might be sept to the Asiatic side to find water for the troops. There he was again successful,