Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-02-03
The Frozen well at nrandon.

Tne FROZEN Well at BrAndOn.
While on a visit to Addison county,
Vermont, last August, we heard de.
scription of the wonderful frozen well a.
Brandon; aud in order to crafty curl
osity and confirm by the evidence oi
sight that of the testimony which we had
received, We made pilgrimage to the
spot Leaving the railroad depot at the
village, and walking about half mile to
the west, We came to the premises Of Mr..
David Trombly. The spot is about a
mile from Otter Creek, and is elevated
considerably above the bed of that
stream. Mr.. Tromoly dug the we'll in
the autumn Of 1858. In answer to ouI
inquiries he stated that he dug through
layers of gravel and clay for nearly
fifteen feet, when he came to the frozen
earth, through which be carried the ex-
csvation nearly twenty. three feet, when
he reached bed Of gravel in which
water was obtained. The well is nearly
forty-one feet deep, and about two feet in
diameter. The water was icy cold. By
the aid of an ordinary looking glass, cast
ing the suns rays down the well, we dis
tinctly saw the stones forming the wall OF
the we'll near the water, covered with ice.
Seeing is believing, and the partial in
credulity grounded upon our ignorance
of these phenomena vanished before the
sight of the ice and the taste Of the
water. The family told us that during
the last ten years ice had formed in the
well, so as to exclude them from the use
of the water from the latter part of No.
vembsr until the middle of April. For
some years they had boy who occa-
sionally descended the we'll and broke
the ice, but since his leaving, few years
ago, they have been unable 10 use the
well during the winter and early spring
This constant freezing shows the phe-
nomenon is not transient, but is pro-
duced by some permanent cause.
The Boston Natural History Society
having learned of the phenomena con-
nected with this well, began some explo-
rations to ascertain the extent of this
frozen stratum. In September, 1859,
they dug well seventy feet southeast of
the frozen one, passing through layers of
compact clay, fine sand, gravel, pebbles
and boulders. They found water at
depth of twenty-nine feet. They en-
countered no frozen earth in digging this
well, although the under side of some of
the boulders was incrusted with whitish
substance resembling frost. The tempe
rature of the water was forty-six degrees,
while that of the open air was ffiy-two
degrees. In the latter part of the same
month an excavation was commenced
seventy feet southwest of the frozen we'll,
and prosecuted their work until October
22, with some interruptions. At the
depth of twenty nine feet crust of
frozen gravel two inches thick was found.
At thirty-oHe feet in depth they dug
through stratum of frozen earth eight
inches thick. Two feet lower they found
ice mingled with the gravel, and the
whole frozen into solid mass difficult to
with the pick. The men were
only able to dig through foot of the
frozen mass duriHg the day, and the ex-
cavation was carried no further. While
the thermometer indicated temperature
Of fifty-two degrees in the open air, it de-
scended to thirty-eight degrees when
placed iu the bottom of this we'll. The
ice encountered in this excavation, was
owing to some cause in the interior of
the earth, and not to the cold upon the
surface because, although it had frozen
slightly at the surface, water remained
unfrozen in holes only eighteen inches
deep.
A we'll dug one hundred and twenty
yards northeast of the frozen one was
carried to depth of forty feet through
layers Of clay and sand, and only reached
a small quantity of water, which es-
capped after the clay bed, which held it,
was penetrated. This excavation was
close TO the high gravel ridge which lies
west of the frozen well.
From an examination Of these various
excavations Prot. Edward Hitchcock in
ferred that there was great irregulsrity
ia the position and thickness of the beds
Of clay and gravel, and that on thi; &C.
count water would occur at different
depths, and that if the FIRST experimental
we'll had been carried deeper ice would
have been reached. The regular depres-
zion of temperature favors this inference.
These frozen wells have been before
observed. The Rev. Mr.. Perkins, Of
Ware, Massschusetts, dug well in the
summer of 1858, thirty.five feet in depth.
Doe night the following winter the water !
was inerusted with q thiH layer of ice,
rot thicker than ordinary window glass.
The same thing was observed the second |
winter. This well was inside OF the
house, aud of course was 80 protected
hat this frost could not have been pro-
luced except by some internal cause,
iveu had the cold been sufficiently severe
o freeze water at that depth in wells
tanding in the open cir.
A we'll has been described in the Amer
can Journal Of Science, vol. S6, lst
cries, iu Osvego, N. Y. This well was
eveniy-seven feet deep, aud during four
r Eve months in the year was frozen 30
ard a. 10 become useless 10 the people.
a winter the sides Of the well became so
hickly coated with ice that only space
{ oue foot remsined between them, and
be sufacs kscsms 90 solidly frozen that
could not be broken By q heavy mon
eight attached to rope. The ice con-
med as late IS J1ly, bot disappeared
uring the latter part Of SIMMER.
This we'll is situated in the gravel bank
the susquebsnns river. sh0ut iaree-