MIDLOTHIAN BEACH EXPLODES IN FLAME


Wapello: A small man-made lake which near Midlothian called Sauntry's Pocket is a popular summer diversion for local children and adults alike. Swimmers, however, were startled this summer when flames began rising from the sandy beach and the surface of the water. The conflagration began at 7:00 pm and lasted for forty-five minutes. The flames were over a foot tall and accompanied by a loud and persistent crackling noise as well as very b sulfurous fumes detectable more than a hundred yards away. None of the bathers were harmed, but attempts to gain samples of the burning sand resulted in some minor injuries.

     Local authorities suspect a buried layer of vegetation had fermented and ignited spontaneously. This explanation is so plausible that one wonders why such constructed beaches all over the world are not a far more common phenomenon.





Back to this Issue Contents

3sigil11.jpg