Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-11-23
From Sears Magazine.
OF SPRINGS AND FOUNTAINS.


haustibe flux of fountains, and the course
of rivers, which roll in pomp and ma,
iesty along their beds for ages without
controls: so there is 10 effect, the cause
whereof nature seems to have concealed
Tor our eyes with greater precaution. In
what commodous places are those i'm
mense reservoirs lodged, which, from
their secret and inexhaustible stores,
supply Us with such profasion Of water
more than sufficient to answer all our
purposes, and yet are kept under such
cue restrictions, as not to overflow, but
70 render the countries fruitful through
which they pass?
Though the Almighty has been pleas
ed to cast Il veil over many things, yet,
we are not to imagine, that he has for.
that reason forbid our inquiries after
them; that veil is not always impene-
trabic; and as the handiworks Of our
great Creator are the just objects Of our
admiration, though we are perfect stran-
gers to their first principles, and most
secret causes, our wondor is still height
ened and increased, in proportion to the
discovery which we make Of the particu
lar structure, contrivance, and grandeur
OF them. The better we are acquainted
with phenomenon that is for ever sub
slsting, the more sensible we are of the
bounttul benefactions Of our Creator,
which are ever obvious to our eyes, the
stronger will our motives be to pay him
the tribute of gratitude.
Various have been the opinions Of phi
losophers concerning springs, but those
which deserve the most notice are the
three following:
|. That the sea-Water is conveyed
through subterraneous ducts or canals,
to the places where the springs flow out
ct the earth but as it IS impossible that
the waters should be thus conveyed to
the tops of mountains, since it cannot
rise higher than the surface, some have
had recourse to subterraneous heats, by
which, being rarefed, it is supposed to
ascend 10 vapors, through the interior
| parts of the mountains.
! IL. Others advance the capillary by
pothesis, Or suppose the water to rise
from the depths Of the sea through po-
rous parts Of the earth but they seem
to lose sight Of one principal property OF
this attraction for, though water rise to
the top CT the tube, it will rise no high
er, because it is only by the attraction
Of the parts above that the fluid rises
Therefore, though TIE waters Of the sea
may be drawn into the substances OF the
earth by attraction, yet it can not be
raised by this means into clstern OF
cavity, SO as to become the source OF
springs; the
III. Hypothesis is that Of DR.. HALEY
who supposes the true source Of springs
to be melted Sno1U, rain aUater, deaO. and
vapors condensed. The Doctor found,
that every ten square inches of the sur
face of the ocean, yield cubic inch o.
water in vapor every day; each square
mile 6,914 sons; and each square de
gree 100000 Of tons. Now, if we
suppose the Mediterranean to be forty
degrees long, and four broad, its surface
will be one hundred and sixty square
degrees, whence there will evaporate
1880, 100000 Of tons per day in the
summer time. The manner in which
these waters are collected, so as to form
reservoirs for the different kinds oil
springs, seems to be thus:
/ The tops Of mountains, in general,
abound with cavities and subterranean
caverns, formed By Nature to serve as
reservoirs; and their pointed SUBMITS,
rising into the clouds, attract the. yapors
of the atmosphere, winch are in conse,
quence precipitated in water, and by
their gravity easily penetrate through
bed. of sand and lighter earth, till they
are stopped in their descent by more
dense strata, or beds Of clay, stone, &C.,
where they form a basin or cavern, and
working passage horizontally, issue out
at the sides of the mountains.
/ Springs, which flow perpetually, and
without any perceptlble dlminution or
increase OF their water, are called pc
rennial springs: such as run onl y for a
time, and at certain seasons of the year,
are called periodical springs The lat
ter are very numerous in Switzerland,
and are supposed to be produced 10y par
! tial oYerhowngs of water from the caves,
or natural cisterns in the interior of the
mountains, which, when filled, throw off
the supertluous water. Some springs
are called inteimitting, because they
flow and stop alternately. Several springs
exist in Iceland, from which the water
flows only in sudden gushes, phenom-
enon probably caused by the action of
subterraneous vapors. There are also
reciprocating springs, whose waters rise
and fall, or flow and ebb. at regular in
tervals. The spring of Fonsanche, III
tanguedoc, flows every day for above
seven hours, and then stops for nearly
five hours, resting each day fifty minutes
later than the preceding day. The Bull
lerborn, a fresh water spring in West
] phalla, rises with great noise. There