Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-09-26
A BLOWING WELL.
A Natural Curiosity Developed 10.
Gently mt Mobile.

A Natural Curiosity Developed To.
Gently mt Mobile.
Something of curiosity in the shape
II a blowing well was discovered
yesterday on Conception street, between
Dauphin and Cont streets, says The
Mobile Register. Ayear or SO ago Mr..
J. I. Palmes, the plumber, put down a
lrive well on the sidewalk across the
street from Thorp's stable. When the
we'll was first put down it gave out to
he pump good stream of clear water.
It afterward fell into disuse, and yes
.erday Mr. Palmcs went to take up the
pipe. The drawing frame was rugged
up and the first section of the pipe was
aiken up. The well had been over
orty feet deep, but when all but twen-
y-six feet of the pipe had been taken
out Kissing sound was heard. follow
by a noise from the pipe which was like
The sound made by boiling water
An examination was at once made,
,ut an explanation of the noise was not
,asily obtained, From the end of the
pipe was pouring strong current of
lir. A negro man who Was helping to
false the pipe placed his hand over the
mouth of the pipe to ascertain the pres
Iure. When he removed his hand
here was sudden blast, rs of escape
If steam from pop valve, and a
column of water shot out of the pipe to
he height of ten feet.
This queer behavior of the contents
If drive well rather Disconnected the
,olored man.
A little later, however, this expert
nent was repeated, and the water shot
tut OF the pipe with the same violence
Is before.
Last night Mr.. Palmes escorted re-
porter to the spot where the curious
we'll is located. There the reporter
ound an inch pipe projecting about a
DOT above the sidewalk on the east side
If Conception street The cap on the
,ipe was rather hard to move. but Mr..
'almes, with the assistance of Maj. w.
i. Sheffield, succeeded in getting it of.
Is tho tap was unscrewed the sound of
escaping gas was heard, and when the
Jap was removed current of the gas
Was felt rushing from the pipe. The
sas made no noise in its exit from the
mouth of the pipe, but there was a
loise proceeding from the interior of
he pipe as if there was water down
here in state of cbuilition. Efforts
made to induce the water to spout were
unsuccessful, but by reducing the di-
lmeter of the pipe the gas was mado
o hiss like the escape of steam.
The CASTOR gas it seems to be, al
hough not possessing inilammable
acteristics-smells fiat, like the
aste of High rock water. 1t is evil
lently diluted carbonic acid gas.
lighted matches were applied to it, but
With no further result than to blow the
matches out.
1t is useless to try to explain the pre-
ence of this body of compressed gas.
t seems strong enough to boil water,
md yet not quite strong enough to
make flowing well, Tho gas was al.
owed to escape for several hours yes
erday. without there being any notice.
lble diminut.on in the pressure. If for
10 other reason than the mystery cons
lected with it, the well is great Curl
isity. 1t is very probable that when the
water is pumped out of the we'll the
low of gas will be greatly increased.
The water at present in the pipe acts
IS a heavy buffer upon the gas. Only
small quantity of the gas in the sub
erranean cavity is now escaping.