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From: palmer@oodis01.ARPA (Jim Palmer)
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Re: Holes in Granite
Message-ID: <53@oodis01.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 16-Oct-87 14:18:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: oodis01.53
Posted: Fri Oct 16 14:18:49 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Oct-87 13:11:37 EDT
References: <3013@whuts.UUCP>
Reply-To: palmer@oodis01.UUCP (Jim Palmer)
Followup-To: rec.misc as well since I don't get rec.*
Distribution: na
Organization: Home for the Terminally Ill
Lines: 37
Keywords: granite, lightning, mountain
Summary: 19th Century Quarrying Technique?

In article <3013@whuts.UUCP> fv@whuts.UUCP (FRANKLIN) writes:
>
>Does anyone know the explanation for the following phenomenon?
>While hiking up Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire this past weekend
>I noticed some odd holes in the granite on the top of the mountain.
>These holes were about 3-4 inches in diameter, about the same
>amount deep and were fairly circular in appearance.
>They appeared to be randomly placed (?) around one part of the 
>mountain.  There were no buildings or man made objects nearby
>that could explain their existence.  I thought they may
>have been either core sample or anchor holes for some structure
>but their shallowness disproved this.  One theory I was kicking
>around was that they may have been caused by lightning.
>Has anyone seen these elsewhere or know what may have caused
>them?
>				Thanks in advance
>-- 
>DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed       Scott R. Franklin

ME!  YES!  In the late 1800s the Mormons built their Salt Lake Temple of 
granite obtained from the local mountains.  The technique used to quarry it
was to spend all summer drilling vertical holes about a foot deep into
the rock, then fill the holes with water.  Over the long cold winter
the water would freeze, thus expanding and splitting the rock.  I have seen
many of these holes while treking through the Wasatch mountains.  They are
usually found in rows and in a well defined area.  Not all are vertical as
some of the rocks have rolled around a bit during the last century.  You say
you observed "randomly placed (?)" holes.  Since you mention they were mostly
in one area I'd say they were man made. The fact that the holes were found
on the top of the mountain is really weird.  Perhaps the split off boulders 
were designed to roll down the mountain, setting off snow avalanches so
that the area could be safely skied?  (Do I need a ;-) here?

Jim Palmer - Manufacturers And Gov't Interconnected by Computers (It's MAGIC!)
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