Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-08
For the Green Mountain Freeman.
The Frozen Well.

PROF. HITCHCOCK My Dear Sir Agree
ably to request, | will give you my theory con-
corning the frozen well at Brandon. will first
enumerate a few facts concerning tho well, its
position, &C., the observance OF which induced
me to adopt the following conclusions
The frozen well is situated on the land of
Andrew Trowmby, about three iourtls Of ii
mile west Of the village Of brandon, in IL basin
between two 0utcrops Or spars OF Limestone,
that are about one fourth OF IA mile apart, and
run nearly parallel with each other. Ill d dlr,c-
ton nearly north and SOUTH. During the I'D.
est weather OF last winter, ice formed upon the
water IN the well to the thickness Vt two inches,
in one night: ami although the water this SUM
mer is not covered with Ice, still it indicates il
temperature only one degree above the lrtezlng
p0nt and yesterday | distinctly saw an III
crustation of Ice several inches IN t~ilcNlIuSs
upon the wall just above the water. North ot
the well, about ten rods distant, is II spring is
suing from the surface, and about Oh Il vtl
with the top of the well. Inc temperature of
this water Is not below that OF water III the
streams in the vicinity.
About lbs rods southwest Of the well, there
is another well about five feet deep, but the WA
ter is not unusually cold. This shahoO well is
nbout forty feet below tic tr0zen one, II IL YAK
ley, in the midst of Il stiff clay. The spring
north Of tie well is also found in a clayey soil
with a substratum of stiff clay, evidently I'M
~peryious TO water. The frozen well is 81 it. 3
In. in depth, and had yesterday % IN. of water.
In the immediate vicinity Of the well, the soil is
clayey, and in going in any direction, there APP
pear to be alterations vi clayey aud gravelly
soils. From the information OF those who saw
the well before it was stoned up, it appears that
it is in what you denominate : modified drift, ,
the lower part Of which was a very g coarse
gravel > closely resembling thaf found at ethe
gravel pit, 1870 PAGES northwest Of the WE'LL
AS this gravel PIT forms an important link in
the chain of evidence iayoring my theory, L
will describe it minutely The gravel pit is on
the south side Of the road leading from Bran
don to Sudbury, and is about.l2 rods long, and
in the widest place about 5 rods wide, and in
some places gravel has been removed to the
depth of twenty feet. Between the two extrem-
tiles OF the pit u portion OF bank has been left.
For the distance Of about three rods on the
southwest portion Of the eastern pit, there is Il
fine exposure Of the stratihed drift and materi-
al forming that part of the terrace. The lowest
point seen, shows d stratum Of clay, the thick
ness of which cannot be determined at this
place. Next in order isa stratum two feet thick
Of ordinary gravel, with large and small peb-
bes conlusedly thrown together then comes II
stratum eight inches thick Of fine gravel, with
occasional pebbles averaging about two inches
in diameter. Upon this there is a stratum
about six inches thick Of small pebbles destitute
Of gravel, with the cavities between them gen
orally open, and upon this there is a stratum OF
/, about the same thickness with the cavities be-
tween the pebbles usually filled with a coarse
r gravel. The next above is Il Coarse Sharp
sand with occasional pebbles ct larger size than
those in the strata ~below-upon which rests a
bed of very compact gravel, the pebbles being
quite small at the top, and rarely found larger
g than II robin egg. These strata are not hori-
%zontal, but have II very uniform dip of % de-
grces to the southeast in the direction of the
well. Now, if these strata are continuous, and
tic same dip continues, they must run but little
higher than the water OF the well.
By passing into the western portion of the
gravel pit, the edges of the highly inclined
G strata appear, but us the strike nearly cores
ponds with the face Of The excavation, they ap
pear to be nearly horizontal, but upon close ex
} animation, they are found to have the SAME diI
as the strata shown in the eastern pit. In thu
0 western pit, the lower strata are to be seen
and the calcareous clay stratum is fully shown
I and presents "a contorted appearance, in many
places closely resembling those unaccountabl'
0 plications or folds in the strata often seen ir
e Interchangeable rocks. Immediately under thu
! stratum Of compact clay, there is a mass o
; pebbles of very uniform size, and are free from
l dint as are the pebbles upon a sea beach. Til
pebbly mass is the same as the g coarse gravel, ,
. SO called, found in the bottom of the well-ant
J the same as that first met with after passing
9 through the frost. This is a remarkably porou
: mass of pebbles-so much so that it was 0bserv
| ed by those who ding the well and they, to as
l certain its extent in depth, sunk an iron bar IL
$ it to the depth of four feet, without meeting
9 with any more resistance than would be met il
I penetrating with u bar, a pile of grape shot o
equal extent. Now my theory pre- suppose
K that the gravel and clay strata extend to TIN
Q well, or beyond it. and that other strata below
those shown at the gravel pits exist, and tina
+ there are probably alterations of clay and po
= rous gravel or pebbles.
v II, in accordance with your theory-that ICE
must have existed since the glacial epoch, some
: surrounding influences must exist, and have ex
a listed ever since that time to efectually protec
d it, both from internal heat, and from the hea
derived from the sun.
:, take the ground that the highly inclined
porous strata, with alterations of clay strata
a which are not only nearly impervious to air Oh
c water, but very poor conductors of heat woult
+ taken togcther--form a barrier beyond whicl
l very little or no heat could pass. For instance
r if in a basin, shaped valley, formed of rock, a
this is, there be alternate strata OF pebbles an
clay, it will readily be seen that anything plaC
4 ed in that valley would be protected from il
ternal heat, for the porous nature Of the pebbl
mass renders it, at best, u poor conductor {
heat, and the air in the cavities becomes heated
and, hence, rarlted but in attempting t
rise meets with the stratum of compact claN
which conducts it off in IL diagonal course till
escapes at the top or edge Of the clay stratum
As an evidence of the truth Of this proposition
1t will be seen that snow or ice never renal
long in the gravel pit IN contact with the pei
bly, mass Immediately under the clay stratum
before alluded to, while IN the vicinity Of tt
well, and beyond the influence OF internal hea
they remain till melted by the heat Of the sui
10 prove that clay was a poor conductor, | tot
two basins of equal size, and in one put a Goa
ing of clay one-half inch thick, into which
put water of a temperature OF 81 degrees
Into the other dish, which was clean, | put W
ter of the same temperature, and subjected tt
two basins to the same heat, and in five mil
utes the water in the clean dish Indicated
temperature of 70 degrees, while that in the O,
coated with clay was raised only to Sc degree
But an experiment Of this kind is not SAT-
factory, for it is not parallel with the case II
der consideration, for the dish was fiat .bottome
and the clay came in contact with the basin
", while in the case of the well there are poroI
To strata for the escape of the heated air, and the
H.. inclined position facilitates its escape. If in
: potash kettle there were put alternate coatin
,er or strata of clay, and pebbles, and in the mid
ng Of them a piece Of ice or frozen earth w
in placed, and all sources of heat being cut 0
m except what was appliedst the bottom, ! thin
IL it would form II model or miniature represent
nc ton OF the valley In which the frozen well
us. found and, in my opinion, ice would long /
". main concealed in It, esneciallY il that he