MYSTERIOUS RIVER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 July 1927, Page 9

MYSTERIOUS RIVER

'J'H E mystery of the River Manifold, in the southern extremity of Peakland and just over the .Staffordshire border, has at last been solved, says a correspondent of “The Times.” The river bed, excepting during particularly wet seasons, is dry for a distance of from four and a half to five miles, and there has been speculation as to what actually happens to the stream. The Manifold rises on Axe Edge, about 1000 ft. above sea level, and it pursues a serpentine course into the Dove between Ham and Thorpe. The river lias a strange habit of disappearing at more than one point. The Rev. G. H. Wilson, of the wellknown Derybshire acliaeologist, two years ago began definite investigations, and last summer and autumn made descents at several points, and in two places sighted the underground stream at depths of 45ft and 00ft. Since then he has had the help of a geologist, and facts as to the strataficiation of the valley have been studied. . The conclusion was reached that the river does not follow the same course below as above ground, and that it piobablv passes through a zig-zag course because of the distorted and ir- i regular geological formation. In somevj places the water probably rushes | through narrow fissures and divides into several streams which rejoin in great caverns or underground lakes. Interest has been added to a recent further stage of the investigations by the presence of an experienced and successful water diviner and the help of a practical water engineer, who specialises in hydrology and geology. 1

SOLUTION OF ITS SECRETS

The wafer disappears .down several sinks or swallets in the river bed, and the sudden emergence of water in the .'lam Hall grounds, between four and five miles farther on, has given some eiedenee to the belief that this is the self-same stream which disappears. The volume of water emerging at Ilain has often been noted to be greater than the amount entering the various swallets. The hydrologist who assisted Mr Wilson in his recent investigations estimated the volume at nearly six times g>eater, which means, of course, that besides the tributaries on the surface joining the Manifold there are other subterranean tributaries. Four of these, ii i least, have been traced by Mrs. jGieig, a Devonshire water diviner. A novel means has "been adopted of proving that the water which goes down the swallets and emerges in Ham Hall grounds is the same. This is the colour test. By this means it has been definitely proved that the stream which emerges at the ‘(‘boil hole” on the river bed at Tlam is the Manifold, and that the other uprising of water 15 yards away is not the Manifold. Whether it is the Hamps—which is also believed fa pursue an underground course remains to be proved. A considerable volume of water also emerges on the edge of the lawn at St. Bertram's Well. Where this comes from no one knows. Sixteen gallons of a specially-prepar-ed. dye solution were put into the river and the time the tinted water took to emerge—two and a half hours —proved that it had been greatly diffused in underground caverns.