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Story
November 14, 1848
Hillsdale Whig Standard
Hillsdale, Hillsdale County, Michigan
What is this article about?
Michigan Central Railway contractors west of Niles discover a hidden subterranean lake when their 15-foot embankment collapses into 79 feet of water on what appeared to be solid farmland, revealing a former lake covered by 10-15 feet of peat and moss.
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OCR Quality
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Excellent
Full Text
A Subterranean Lake.—
The Michigan Central Railway contractors west of Niles, lately met with a most singular casualty. It became necessary to carry a grading or embankment of fifteen feet high across a low piece of ground, containing about 100 acres, nearly dry enough for plow-land. When they had progressed with the grading for some distance it became too heavy for the soil to support, the crust of the earth broke in, and the embankment sunk down into seventy nine feet of water!
It appears that the piece of ground had been a lake, but had collected a soil of roots, peat, moss, &c., on its surface, apparently from ten to fifteen feet thick which had become hardened and dry enough for farm purposes. Mr. Brooks thought it would have supported an embankment of five feet thickness, and that if it had not been necessary for them to have one much heavier, it would have supported the road; and the fact might never have been discovered that it rested on the bosom of a lake.
-[Mil. Wis.
The Michigan Central Railway contractors west of Niles, lately met with a most singular casualty. It became necessary to carry a grading or embankment of fifteen feet high across a low piece of ground, containing about 100 acres, nearly dry enough for plow-land. When they had progressed with the grading for some distance it became too heavy for the soil to support, the crust of the earth broke in, and the embankment sunk down into seventy nine feet of water!
It appears that the piece of ground had been a lake, but had collected a soil of roots, peat, moss, &c., on its surface, apparently from ten to fifteen feet thick which had become hardened and dry enough for farm purposes. Mr. Brooks thought it would have supported an embankment of five feet thickness, and that if it had not been necessary for them to have one much heavier, it would have supported the road; and the fact might never have been discovered that it rested on the bosom of a lake.
-[Mil. Wis.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Extraordinary Event
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Nature
Exploration
What keywords are associated?
Subterranean Lake
Railway Embankment
Collapse
Peat Moss
Michigan Central
What entities or persons were involved?
Mr. Brooks
Where did it happen?
West Of Niles, Michigan
Story Details
Key Persons
Mr. Brooks
Location
West Of Niles, Michigan
Story Details
Railway contractors building an embankment across seemingly solid ground encounter a collapse into a hidden lake 79 feet deep, covered by 10-15 feet of peat and moss that had made it farmable.