A FREAK OF NATURE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 378, 23 April 1881, Page 2

A FREAK OF NATURE.

A visitor from Westport informs the. Grey River Argus that a few days ago, while hewing coal, the miners came upon, a most singular natural formation known, in parlance as a “ gullet.” It presents the, appearance of an enormous shaft sotjjo: 1 wfeit irregular in outline, commencing at, the top of the scene, and piercing th it v and the hard underlying brecica to an, unknown deptli> The- width of the- “ gullet” is about 30ft t but has yet it been found impossible to make even approximate guess as to the depth. Lumps of coal of considerable size have been thrown down, but no rumble or sound of any kind came back that would give 'any idea as to the distance which na»tsgre ; has sunk this shaft into the bowels of theearth. At present the miners are working round the chasm, and until that is com-. pleted no attempt will be made to bridgethe opening. A useful feature connected, with this freak of nature is that it appears to afford a cheap and easy method of draining the mine, all the water previously running in the works having disap--.peared like magic thus making a substantial saving iff the weekly expenditure Ofthe company in the matter of draining, the men previously employed at that work have been able to turn their attention to. something else.