Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-08-27
DOWN
Measurements OF Temperature at Va
rious Points Beneath the Earth's
surface.

1t IS supposed that it is very hot ! n
the middle of the earth; and the Ger
mans, like a philosophical people, are
now going 10 some expense ia 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 in.
formation obtained, such as it is, has
been arrived at in the pursuit of some
thing else. II is more noble to go TO
the cost of obtaining knowledge for
its own account; and it strikes us as
almost unfair to the Germans that the
heat indicated by their boring should
be less than that calculated on any
other data.
1t is generally held that at a depth
of fifty feet an underground zone is
reached in which the temperature is
the same all over the world and at all
seasons of the year. And this temper
ature is said TO be so Tor, to be more
accurate, so. 81 degrees of the ther-
mometer of Fahrenheit, $50 of which
degrees measure the difference be-
tween the temperature of boiling and
of freezing water under ordinary CON
ditions.
A well sunk TO the depth of 1902
feet at GreRelle, o suburb of Paris,
took seven years and two months of
difficult labor to complete; and wi EN-
the water-bearing stratum was reach
ed, the wafer rushed up with such
force as to rise 100 feet above the sur,
face. This water was observed to
have a uniform temperature of 81 s.
degrees Fahrenheit, showing an IN
crease OF temperature at the rate of /
degree of Fahrenheit for about every
If feet below the nautical zone above
mentioned. AT Kissingen, in Bavaria,
a brine we'll has been bored to a depth
OF 1000 feet. But the water has only
a temperature Of 66 degrees. In AL
gerla the temperature of 70 degrees
Fahrenheit is shown by water spring
jng from borings of not more than 200
feet. But this was said to be a MIR
acle. The artesian wells in Chicago
are zoo feet deep, and have a tempera>
ture Of only 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
Measurements of temperature not
absolutely dependent on the flow of
water are more consistent in their re
suits than the above, In the Cornish
mines the temperature increases one
degree for every 60 feet. In the
Dukinfeld lead mine the increase is.
one for every 90 feet. At R0senbridge
near Wiga1, a temperature OF % de-
grees Fahrenheit is found at a depth
Of 2,376 feet. AT La Mouille bores,
neal Cceuzot, at a depth Of 3,017 feet,
the temperature recorded is no. de-
grees Fahrenheit. The new German
boring is made near Schladebach the
depth reached is 4 566 feet, and the
temperature note 100 degrees Fahren-
heit. The respective increase of
Temperature in the last three cases is
a degree in So, in 80 8, and in 65 feet;
so that either the earth is much cooler
near S%chladebach than in England
and IN France, or for some other rea~
sop the result of the German boring
indicates q slower rate Of increase of
temperature than either of the above
cases cited.
AZ the Cornish rate Of increase.
which is pretty nearly q mean of the
various estimates, the temperature at
whIch water boils will be prevalent at
a depth Ct lees than two miles below
the surface, Az a depth of 81 miles,
which IS less than one SEVENTEEN part
OF the distance TO the center of the
earth, he temperature of the combus
ton of ordinary coal must prevail if
the law Of the Increase Of temperature
with depth remains constant. To go
any further, to indicate in degrees of
the thermometer the theoretic heat at
the center Of any point, is nothing but
scientific trihing. Nor is any great
practical good likely to result from
experiments TO show whether, in any
given spot, temperature increases
VITA every 50 feet or with every IS
iee' we burrOw IN Imagination below
the soil.
There is, However. a certain object
IN attempting TO discover the approxi~
mate Jaw Of increase of temperature
with depth. In 1871 report was pre-
scented to parliament from ''commis~
sioners appointed to inquire into the
several matters relating to coal in the
United Kingdom" The commission
ers took the cminently practical view
that, looking TO possible expedients
which the future may elicit for reduc~
ing the temperature, they considered
thati might BE- fairly assumed that 9
depth of at least 1000 feet might be
reached" At this depth the tempera-
ture probably exceeds 122 degrees
Fahrenheit. As to its reduction, y it
is 10 be remembered that the heat,
whatever it be, is not that of the air
alone, but tbat Of the earth SH and
within which the miner has to stand
or to lie; and that, as 20 reducing
1t, is fed from reservoirs Of the capa-
city Of the globe.
at the temperature Of the blood,
which IS 9S degrees Fahrenheit, con-
iiguouS exertion is impossible 10 the
European. This temperature is reach
Ell apparently at 8 depth os about 2
$50 feet; which is 314 feet lower than
he deepest colliery in England. But