The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-06-23
OF OCEAN STEAMERS
From the Springfield Republican, June 49,
THE EROZEN WELL


1t is not only by her gold diggings that Vermont
is just now attracting special attention from the
outside world. The frozen well at Brandon is a
great natural curiosity 1t is situated on gentle
slope of ground which rising on one side falls off on
the other, so moderately, it may be called tolerably
level The soil is of hard, compac ct gravelly nature
The region round about furnishes marble carbon
ate of lime) in abundance. Early in November last
Mr.. Alexander Twombley commenced digging a
well, and after going down about twenty five feet
without noticing anything unusual in the charac-
ter of the soil, he came upon frozen ground 1.-THE
surface earth at the time frozen but few in
chess. Continuing downward through this frozen
earth for fifteen feet, he came to water The SOIL
just at this point he describes as yellowish and
sticky. The water commenced freezing over soon
after it was exposed. The well stoned up three
feet In diameter at the BOTTOM diminishing two feet
at the top. Tn depth of water is five or six feet,
the surface of it ortyone feet from the top of the
ground. During the past winter the water froze
over 1t so that it had to be cut by a person going
down into the well every day, and some days the
descent had to be made several times. The ice in
the morning would often be three inches thick. In
addition, the sides of the well, for distance of f-
teen feet above the water, would be incased with
ice. The water ceased freezing over about the 18th
of Nav last
Such is Mr. Twombley's statement corroborated
by others in all essential particulars The condi-
tlon OF the well, on the 18th instant when visit
ed 1t, was this The water in the well is enclosed
In wall of ice six to eight inches thick inside
the stone WALL but not rising above the surface of
the water, and afording good foothold to per-
son once down there. For six or eight feet above
the surface of the water the stone wall is incrus
ed with layer of frost and ice, not thick. The
water is clear. cold, and tastes we it is not very
"hard."
The above facts proven how shall the phenome-
non be explained? The causes lie evidently in
some popularity of the soil in that locality Sup
pose we take into consideration several well known
facts. Chloride of calcium, with snow or ice forms
a powerful frigorifc mixture. This chloride is
formed by union of carbonate of lime (marbel
with muriatic acid, whichis made from common
salt Chloride of calcium exists in solution in ocean
waters, and also in certain spring waters, common
ly in union with salt and chloride of magnesium
As before stated the region about the we'll abounds
IN marble, or carbonate of lime, and quite likely
this water may be from one of the springs satura-
ted with chloride of calcium which snow or ice will
form one still more powerful, why may not the
chloride, supposng it to be present. with salt, per-
haps, suffice to freeze water, naturally cold by rea
son OF its depth from the surface? If it is claimed
that frigorihc mixtures do not soidfy, may not the
above ideas point the way in which to look for a
probable solution of the mystery? ....E.t. .-lE