Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-01-02
From the Maine Farmer.
'CARBONIC ACID.


'cARBoNlC ACID.
A circumstance recently occurred IN
neishborng town, which came well n'sh
being u serious accident. A man descen.
ded into deep we'll for the puTposs OF
cleaning it. After being there short time,
he sieni6ed to those above that he tet SIN.
guIarIy, and that it was so dark that he
could accomplish nothing. An attempt
was made to let down 4 lighted candle, bur
it was extnguis!,cd before it came near h'm.
No one susi ectcd any danger, and lhe man
was suffered t. remain but beginning 10
feel still more unpleasanily, he refused TO
stav until The candle could be cl'shled, and
Insisted on being drawn up. This was I'M
mediut .ly doae, and no doubt was the means
Of saving his life.
This subject may appear ,Titc, but ie"
words will uot be amss, since there are a.,
. WAYS the young to learn, even if tn" OLD
are not ignorant it is the more important
that it BE- thoroughly understood, because
if one person is SO unfortunate as 10 be
struck EGeless at th" bottom ofthe well, be
rarely suffers alone. In the cxcl!cmen. OF
the moment, prompted by philanthropy or
friendship, and suspectins no danger Sc,
cond descends to render ASSISTANCE ana
falls thrG, sill more excited by tie mel
ancholv catastrophe, follows his example
ant meets the same fate, until perhaps two
or three lives ar. sacrificed.
1t is generally known that noxious gas
is generated, during the combustion OF char
coal: that the same substance cx!s's ID
certain mineral springs, and is often so
abundant as to lie upon the surf1ce OF The
waters, where it proves deadly to all AMI
mails that are let down within its influence;
and also tina, the same gas is occasionally
found in wells, particularly such as are very
deep and foul, and have been !ong dlsuseu.
This is known in common lie by the appel.
ation of "choke damp" lis origin we need
not stop to discuss. 1t is sufficient TOR our
pirposc 10 know, that it is heavier than
common air--;hat it will mot support
com u,tion, and is emncntly destructive TO
life. II is on the first named principle, that
) when i exists in wells, it is found near the
surface Of the water; and Oh the second,
that a GIFTED candle be lowered into 1t, Will
always be extin -uished and thus detect its
presence. No person, therefore, should ever
a far risk his life, as to descend into well
withou, having first made use Of this test.
If combustion cannot be supported, neither
can animal life.
But supposing it be discovered that there
is an atmosphere Of carbon'c acid on the
surface of the wafer, is the well hencetorlh
10 be abandoned because it cannot be
clcansed? Various cxpedicnts have been
proposed for the purpose Of removing the
d.lc,crious gas. One Of the best means
consiss in drawing t out by means o! buck,
cts. These arc 10 be let down, and filed
with water as usual TO dispossess them OF
common air-they are 10 be rased little
above the surface, and by means o. string
attached to the bottom arc to be overturned
the carbonic acid will take the pace OF
the water, and being heavier than common
air. it will remain, and may be drawn up
auj poured like water upon the grounu,'
care being taken that it does not flow back
, into the well. =,
, The following method, it is believed Will
prove equally successful. Every one con.
| versant with chemistry knows the power
possessed by recently burnt charcoal OF ao
, sorbiog almost any gas with which 1t Is
$ brought in contact. A piece ol the ocs
: kind the size of gill measure, absoros o. !,
II carbonic acid, about one gallon, or ny VOL
it umc, in the ratio o, TO 35, and OF othe'
- cnsses, some in less and some IN d great
: er proportion. On this principle, 'hen' II !,
v recommended to let down lnio the wei
y kettles of Iignited charcoal, OF the nafuts &c,
d and most compact kinds. On reaching N
d atmosphere of carbonic acid, it is extin
,r guished, and Immediately begins the w0i |:
ID Of removing it, which it accompIlsheS
is the course of a few hours.
e At first sight it may appear singular "''
T. ignited charcoal, which generates this sam
at gas, should the agent employed to IcmoV
,e it--but such at least is the theory tounde
IS. on the above reasoning. Itshows how ne'
tn together poison and its remedy may gro
70 - Neu london Ga..