Feat of the Divining Rod.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 5 September 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

Feat of the Divining Rod.

The question as to the magioal or the scientific valao of the "divining rod" has juat been reopened by the success which has attended its use at the Fletton Waggon Work, of the Midland llsilway Company, England, with reference to tho discovery of a permanent supply of water. According to The Simitar y Woild (London), the company requires' to use about 500 or COO gallons of water every day, and the well on their premises yielded only one-half of that quantity. It was necessary, therefore, to supplement tho supply by tho sinking of other wells or by the construction of an expensive system of pipiug. The former plan was preferred, and two new wells were sunk to no purpose. The serviooa of a gentleman of the distrusts, who bore the reputation of being skilled in the art of discovering water by mpans of tho " divining rod," were then called in. This wizard or expert employed for his purpose a forked hazel twig, holding one prong of the fork in each hand, the points of the fork being directed to the sky. After wnlkiug about tho ipreruisea fpr BOine time, the point of the fork suddenly began to bend down, purely, as the best evidence goes, of its own accord, and to point to tho earth. The wielder of the wand declared that here would be found a plentiful supply of water. The same indications were repoated at another spot, where the twig snapped from tho* violence of its spontaneous and sympathetic motion, and the same confident assertions were made with reference to the occurrence of water — assertions which tho results obtained by actually sinking wells amply justified, the quantity of water to be obtained being apparently inexhaustible. Other persons essayed to use the wand, but it rebelled against the usujption of its owner's functions, and romained contumacious and irresponsive.