Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-10-23
DOWN BELOW.
Measurem 'nts Of Temperature Mt Various
Poinis beneath the Earth's Surface.

1t is sup osel that it is very hot in the
middle of the earth; and the Germans
like philosophical people, are now
going to some expense in order to find
out how hot it is. Not that we are
without some OF those clever guesses
called scientific inductions. The French
have their own views on the subject, SO
have the Austrians, so have we. But
in these cases the information obtained,
such as it is, has been arrived at in the
pursuit of something else. N 10 more
noble TO go to the cost OF obtaining
knowledge for its own account; and it
strikes us as almost unfair to the Ger
mans that the heat indicated by their
boring should be less than that cali
culated on any other data.
1t is generally held that at deptlr Of
fifty feet an underground zone is reached
in VIII Oh the temperature is the. same
all over the world and at all seasons of
The year. And this temperature is said
to be so Tor, TO be more accurate,
50.5) degrees OF the thermometer of
Fahrenheit. 1870 OF which degrees meas
ure the differences between the temper
ature OF boiling and of freezing water
under ordinary conditions.
A.well sunk to the depth OF |, 802 feet
ut Grcnelle, suburb Of Paris, took
seven years and two months OF difficult
lubor to complete; and when the water
bearing stratum was reached, the water
rushed up with such force rs to rise l20
feet above the surface. This water was
observed to have a uniform Temporal
ture of Sl.8 degrees Fahrenheit. show
Ting an increase Of temperature at the
ratio of one degree OF Fahrenheit" for
every fifty feet below the neutral zone
above mentioned. At Kissengen, in
Bavaria. a brine well has been bored to
Il depth of 2,000 feet But the wafer
has only a temperature Of sixty-six de-
grees. In Algeria the temperature OF
isventy-n;ne degrees Fahrenheit is
shown by water springing from borings
OF not more thah;230 feet. But this was
said to be a miracle. The artesian
wells in Chicago are 100 feet deep. and
have temperature Of only ffty-seven
| degrees Fahrenheit.
Measurements of temperature. not alb
solutely dependent on the flow Of water
are more consistent in their results thar
the above. In the Cornish mines thu
temperature increases one degree fol
every sixty feet. In the DukenfelC
lead-mine the increase is one for every
siyty-three feet At Rosebr,dge. nea
Wigau, a temperature OF 90 degree
Fahrenheit is found at depth of 2,37t
feet. At La. Mouille. borcs, near Creu
zot, at a depth of 3,0l7 feet. the temper
ature recorded is 1902 degrees Fahren
het. The neY German boring is mad,
near Schlade0aCh; the depth Is reached
1866 feet, and the temperature note il
10 degrees Fahrenheit. The respect
i've increase OF temperature in the Las
three cases is degree in 56, in $50 ant
in 50 feet; SO that either the earth i
much cooler near Schladebach than il
England and in France. or for SOM
other reason the result of tho Germal
boring indicates a slower rate OF in
crease OF temperature than either OF tn
above cases cited. '
At the Cornish rate OF increase, VIII cl
is pretty nearly mean of the variou
estimates, the temperature at which wa
ter b,;ls will be prevalent at depth o
tifty-four miles which is less than ono
sevcntieth part of the distance TO TIN
center OF the earth, the temperature o
the combustion OF ordinary coal mu.
prevail il the law of the increase of tenn
peratlire with depth remains constant
To go any further, to indicate in dc
gress of the thermometer the theoreti,
heat at the center or any other pint, il
nothing but scientific trilling. Nor i
any great practical good likely to rcsul
from experiments to show whether. il
any given spot, temperature increase
with every fifty three feet or with ever
sixty-five feet that We burrow in imag
ination below the sol.
There is, however, certain obiec
in attempting TO discover the approx
mate law OF increase of temperature
with depth. In 1871 report was pre-
sented to Parliament from the ''com
missioners appointed to inquire into til
several matters relating to coal in tn
United Kingdom" The comm ssion
er5 took the eminently practical v;ey
that "looking to possible expedient
which the future may elicit for re,lucin,
the temperature, they considers
that it might be fairly assumes
that a depth of at least 400
feet might be reached" At thi
depth the temperature probably exceed
l22 degrees Fahrenheit. As TO its IRE
duction," it is TO be remembered tina
the heat, whatever it be, is not that c
the air alone, but that of the earth o
and within which the miner has t
stand or to lie; and that, as to '.rt
ducing" it. it is fed from reservoirs c
the capacity of the globe. %
AT the temperature of the blood
which is SO degrees Fahrenheit. cor
tinuous exertion is impossible TO tn
European. This temperature is reachc
apparently at a depth OF about 2,69
feet; which is. 3l4 feet lower! than tn
deepest colliery in England But Ion
before the impossible is attained tn
costly and the difficult commence.
temperature OF so degrees Fahrenhe
is probable ut depth OF 1900 feet. Fa
within thislinht, in the Monkwcarmout
mines, at depth OF l,640 feet. shorte
hours are required for the miner, and tn
cost increases in proportion. The
considerations reduce the rationale
; probable contents OF our eoal-mcaIure
Chose known to exist in the Unite
Kinigdo,n) from the 10000. 0O0.OO0 {
, tons estimated by the commissioners I
5000 0oo. 0o0 Of tons extra ;table wit
our present means; and we are bringin
it 10 the surface at the annually in
creasing rato Of 10000 0O) OF tons pc
year. The supply willlast our time, n
doubt; but centuries are but sma
periods in the life OF Il people. And
is easy to see that on such inform;
ton as we have, it is not for centuries !
the plural that our coal-supply win hol
. out if we continue its evet-increasin
extraction James Gazette