The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-07-29

j rock, particularly the stratiiled variety, doe
. not hold its continuity for any great exten
a anywhere,--bu exists in blocks more or les
+ rectangular in form--divided by seams which
t are commonly filed with fine earth more o.
less compacted according to circumstances
This arrangement we may see in almost any
} quarry-in fact, anywhere whore the rock il
: laid bare.
, Now in by far the majority of these seams
| the impacted dirt is SO firm as not to allow 3
} flow of water but here and there we find one
perhaps a little larger than the rest, through
which small quantity of water is flowing
which among quarry-men and well-diggers il
called vein. If this vein is traced up, as Is
J frequently the case in large quarries--it proves
to be a little stream issuing from subter
ranean neutrality-suspicious. in the form Of a cave
empty Of everything but water--but more
likely the space is very irregular in outline and
filled in with stones and the like. As soon as
the vein is opened at its head, an increase OF
the flow of water takes place until the reser-
voir is exhausted.
Thus many a spring has been exhausted
and many a permanent one converted into one
of periodic character.
Now all this line of springs issue from the
the foot of this hill--not far below the line
shale In most cases aud perhaps in all--the
vein actually issues from the red shale rock
thus showing the influence the red-shale rock
has in walling in the waters of this region and
keeping them distinct from that Of the conti-
guous soils. To be sure in many places the
soil around the spring is sandy, but an exam
nation shows that the water actually oozes
from the red-shale rock. An explanation Of
this phenomenon win hereafter be given when
we account for the irregularity of the surface
of this section of country.
In this description, | have only mentioned
the largest, or the most noted springs along
this line, certainly not one tenth of the whole
number. Since the minor ones differ in no es-
sential particulars from those already describe
ed, have thought it useless to burden the
reader with details of this character.
Just here, allow me to show the consistency
of temperature, as well rs the low degree of
the same, of this system OF springs. The
temperature vi bucH ltlHt bpfiilS Ill JdCOD
Thatcher's woods near the eastern terminus
of this line, is So degrees ; the one at Jacob
Sutton's, is 81 degrees at Jacob Buchanan
So degrees in John Green's woods, 81 de-
grees; at Daniel Poulson's 5ia Degrees
These measurements were taken July 18th
; 1874, when the temperature of the surround
ing air was "a degrees by Fahrenheits scale
| II I,o 10 7 al,
few remarks relative to the temperature o
springs, thermomet ers-their trust worthines
, and the like. This is all important to q righ
appreciation of the subject.
First then as to the temperature of Springs
In order that we may ascertain the exact tenn
perature of q spring, the bulb of the Their
mometer must be inserted in the vein just as
it issues from the rock, or loose earth, and the
instrument must be read while there, as it is
an impossibility to remove it from this posit-
ion without subjecting it to other influences.
For instance, have often observed in springs
of IL and IS inches DEPTH that when the ther-
moneter, showing temperature of SO degrees
when read while the bulb of the instrument
was in the vein, when carefully lifted to with
in an inch of the surface of the water, the
reading was 80, sc, 81 or even 60, according to
the area of the little pool of water, which in
common parlance we enormously call the
Spring.
This may be readily accounted for in this
way. The temperature of the surface of
the ground is ever changing, as the sea-
sons grow warmer or cooler, and when the
water issuing from some recess deep down in
the bowels Of the earth, which is very little
influenced by the ever changing heat and cold
of the seasons collects in this little pool, whose
sides are the warm EARTH and whose surface
covering is the still warmer atmosphere, or
perhaps vice versa, we see it is subject to in
Auences that must modify its temperature in
proportion to the time that it remains here
SO small vein having a very low tempera-
ture may flow into a spring-pool of dspropor-
tomato size, and thus have its reputation
as cool and hcalthful spring entirely ruin
ed Such have seen.
j Again, all water that is not agitated by some
particular force, exists in layers, each Of
which has a temperature peculiar to ITSELF
This every lad who has INDUCED in the lux
ury of swimming, has had an opportunity to
learn. While the main portion Of the pond is
agreeably warm, suddenly the body is brought
into contact with layer SO cold as to bring on
a chill and make the young sportsman cry out
out, Oh
Now, in springs in which the vein is at the
bottom these layers generally arrange them