The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-03-29
For the Jeffersonion Democrat
Ancient Wells,

thu TIMES. Ia the Construction Of their "wols.'
These we're frequently very deep. In Hin.
dostah, thoy vary from 80 to 400 feet. aud
in China, n few, according TO NJ Arago,
descent to tho depth of 1900 foo:.
Among those ancient wells, there is found
n vory great variety. Some wore of very
large, and somo OF vcry small diameter.
Some we're circular, others square, others
ublong, aud others still tunnelshnpcd. In
somo tho water was drawr up by various
coutrivauces in others, it was carried up
by hand, in small vcssos. practice that
continues to tho prosont day. 10 these
lat:cr wells. tho descent TO tho water, IN
some, was upon an inclined plane, in othcrs,
cithor upon n circular or spiral stair. case
tho lattor-spiral stair casc-for reasons
that will hereafter appear, was much tho
most common. Thoso stairs we're generally
upon the inside of tho we'll, hown, in mnst
instances, from the rock in which tho we'll
was cxcavate6 but, in ono case ut loast-
Joseph's Woll-they were upon tho outside
Of the we'll.
Wells with stairs wote common in tho
southern parts of both Europe and Asia. and
somo have beon found in various psrts of
Africa. There is ono at Hampstead, En-
gland, for tho protection Of which an act Of
EafIIuInont WAS phsScu w tlo IcIRu VI INJURY
the Eighth. BY Architects we nrq informed
that the name gvon to tho spiral stair case
usod in the towers, castles aud other build
ings of tho Middle Ages, was, uniformly.
"Tho Well Stnirs," showing plainly whcuco
the idea of such stairs originated.
Wolls with circular stairs were. Of course,
much tho largest iu diameter. Ono, a worry
ancient Brahmiu we'll of great reputo, near
tho vil;ngo Of Futahpore in Hindostan, ac-
oording TO Foster, is 90 feot in circumfo
romeo.
Among tho square wolls, tho celebrated
Fountain of Apollo was tho most noted.
This was near tho Tcmpio of Jupiter AN
mon, upon a small oasis in tho Sahara Dos
ert, 8 or 10 days journey from Egypt, and
had n diameter of 10 feet and a depth OF
go. The waters of this woll wero said TO DO
cold at midday and warm at midnight, and
wer0 held in so much voneration by the
nncients, that Alexander would not leave
Egypt to pursue Darius, till he had visited
that consecratod spot, and sacrificed to the
god whose priests drank daily Of its waters.
or circular wells, tho Zanzem, Jacobs
Well and tho Well of Tyro, wore tho most
no.od. This last was of largo diameter, and
2l6 foot in depth, and supplied tho inhabi.
tants Of that ancient city, whose 'mercbans
were princes, and whose traffickers wero the
honorable OF tho Earth" Jacobs Woll, al
tho eastern baso Of Mount Gerizm, famous
for tho last $500 years, has diameter oI
o feet and u depth excavated in tho rock,
of loo feet. This was named attor tho
Patriarch Jacob, who pitched his tent thore
on his return from Padanaram, and "drnni
thereof himself, his children and his cattle.
Here Christ talked with tho woman u
Sawaria. .-.....
The Zeuzem, or holy woll OF tho Arabian,
at Mecca, is worry ancient well, 10 feet il
diameter and 2l0 feet deep. This has
curb about foet high, Of finest murblo ant
of the choicest workmanship, on tho top o
which or 10 mon may bo seon, each will
hs cord and bucket, busi,y drawing for tn,
thirsty pilgrims who flock thither to take it
holy waters.
Josophs Well, noar Cairo in Egypt, is n,
instance of an oblong or parallelogram wei
This, tho Arabs insist, was dug by tho patri
arch whose name IL bears. 1t 10 "a feet b.
TO in diameter, from tho top down to tn
depth of l65 feet thon Is feot by 9 il
liamotor for tho remaining distance, 10
foct. This wns excavatod in the rock 70
tho entiro distance, POT foot. On tho out
sido of this woll, thore is a tunnel, cut in tn
rock, feet wide, "A high, which descend
in spiral form around it, to tho pcrpendic
ular depth of l65 feet, but with an molina
tion so gradual that oxen arc driven dow
through it, to an apartment at tho bottom
OF tho shaft, to turn tho machinery place
thcro for oleyating tho water. To affor
light to this tunnel small cresrnt-shapu
openings nro cut, Mt intervals. through In
thin. rocky partition that separates til
tunnel from the woll
Wells and fountains were held in so muc
veneration by tho ancients, that sacrifice
were offurei, Oaths administered, contrac
confirmed and kings crowned before then
David sont Solomon to tho Fountains
Gihon to DO crowned. At Romo, oatl
wero iaiIy administered at ono of the fou
tains.
Temples woro always erected noar ther
Tho Kaaba was built at tho Zemzom. u
Temple Of Jupiter Ammon at tho Woll
Apollo, and the Temple of Diana at Il
Fountains of Ephesus. Cities or tow
grew up near o. around them. Ninovah
Thisbes Woll; Mecca, at tho Zomzem; o
Troy. at tho Fountain of Bounarbashi; an
Shcchom at Jacobs Well.
Ancient wells outside of towns or cirie
usually had no curb about them, so tn;
they might DO moro easily concealed fro
an invading army, and thus kept from beir
fllcd up or poisoned. When Mardoni
stopped up tho Gargnphian Fountain tn
supplied the Grccian army, tho famo
battle Of Platea was tho consequence.
poisoning the wells from which tho poop
drank, Aquiius, tho Roman general, co
quered tho kingdom oil Pergamus.
Wolls arc among the most lasting mon
monts OF ancient times. Tho IL wells
Elm. where the Israelites drank in th