804 /. F. NEWSOM 



limestone crops out near by (at L. S. Fig. i) and also ^ mile up 

 stream from the area of the main explosion. 



Later (1899), i n a report upon the Waldron shale, made to 

 the state geologist of Indiana, Mr. J. A. Price states briefly such 

 facts concerning the Shelby county explosion as could be gleaned 

 from statements of the citizens of the neighborhood at that 

 time. 



Except for the brief notices mentioned above no account of 

 this interesting explosion has appeared in any scientific publica- 

 tion, so far as the writer is aware, and it is with a desire to place 

 on record the salient facts concerning it that the following map, 

 figures, and paper are published at this time. 



The writer visited the locality on August 15, 1890, four days 

 after the explosion occurred, while its effects were still fresh, 

 and while the gas escaping from the crevices and craters still 

 burned intermittently when ignited. From notes taken at the 

 time, a map was prepared and a short account of the explosion 

 was written, and read on November 7, 1890, before the Indiana 

 University Scientific Society. The map and facts of the present 

 paper are taken from the paper read, but not published at that 

 time. 



The figures are reproduced from photographs obtained from 

 J. T. Schaub, Hope, Ind., and Everett Ayers, of Germantown, 

 Ind. 



Location. — The explosion occurred near the center of section 

 7, 1 1 north, 8 east ; the affected area is two and a half miles 

 south, slightly west of the village of Waldron, and two and a half 

 miles west, slightly south of the village of St. Paul. Gas wells were 

 reported to be producing at the time from both of these villages. 



Owing to the fact that the Ogden Cemetery was at the edge 

 of the disturbed area, the outburst of gas was known locally as 

 the Ogden Cemetery "earthquake," "gas explosion," and 

 " blow-out." 



A total area of about ten acres was affected. The most 

 violent explosion was limited, however, to a space of about two 

 acres at the east side of the locality affected, and is shown 

 approximately by the Nos. I, 3, 5, and 6, Fig. 1. The topog- 



