The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-08-15
SOIL FROZEN FOREVER.
THE MYSTERIES OF THIS WON
DERFUL EARTH.
Whore tho Ground 10 Perpctualiy Frozen
to Depth or 612 feet-Curious
Facts About tho Limits OF
Hcat and Cold.


Geographical Magazine, as every body
did In that far northern town, but he
would dig woll and have water at
his own door. So he set to work with
pick and shovel. After his men had
dug through the few feet OF earth that
had been thawed by the summer sun
they declared that they had struck
solid rock. Il was only frozen soil,
however. and the merchant kept them
at work all that summer. Next year
he courageously resumed work. ex-
pecting at every foot he dug to get
through the frozen earth; but after
penetrating 105 feet in solidly frozen
soil. he covered the big hole with
boards and decided that river water
was good enough for him.
The Imperial Academy of Sciences
at St Petersburg heard this remarkable
story. and they thought it good idea
to see how far frost extended toward
the center of the earth at Yakutsk.
They kept up the work for many
months. When they had reached
depth Of 1872 feet and were still in
solidly frozen ground. they gave up
the job. carefully covered the we'll to
exclude the external air, and finally
sent scientific man to take the tenn
perature throughout the well.
From these observations the conclu-
sion was reached that the ground on
which Yakutsk stands, excepting
few. feet ut the surface, which thaws
out in summer Is perpetually frozen
to depth Of 612 feet In that region
the greatest depth Of permanently
frozen soil In northern latitudes doubt
less exists, and the reason is that there
Is found the greatest cold that has
been experienced in northern ATTITUDES.
1t Is a mistake to suppose that the
weather Is colder the further north one
goes. The northern pole OF greatest
cold Is only about 800 miles northeast
of Yakutsk, where the mean annual
temperature is a little lower than in the
highest attitudes reached by Mares
and Greedy, 1000 miles further north.
The British Association has collected
a large amount OF data on the questio
of the depth and geographical limits
OF permanently frozen soil. They have
already told us some curious things,
such as the fact that excellent wheat
lands north of Manitoba overlie frozen
earth that never thaws. Sometimes
biologists find strata of rocks that they
are able to show must have been
buried at a remote age 20. 600 feet I'M
der the surface. These upturned edges
of rock. which some terrible convul-
sion lifted to the air. give US n glimpse
OF the condition of the interior some
ways below the greatest depth to
which we can attain.
But, after all. what we are able to OK
anime in the earth beneath our feet is
hardly more than what pin prick on
the skin of an apple shows of the fruit
within. The workmen in the deepest
mines OF Europe swelter in almost in
tolerable heat and yetthey have never
penetrated over one-seven thousandth
part from the surface to the center oil
the earth. In the lower levels OF
some of the Comstock mines the men
fought scalding water. and could labor
only three or four hours ut time
until the SutrO tunnel pierced the
mines and drew off some of the terri
BILE heat. which stood at 1909. The
deepest boring ever made, that at
Sperenberg. near Berlin. penetrates
only 4. 172 feet about 1000 feet deeper
than the famous aItesian well at St.
Louis.
Some eminent physicists. for in
stance. like Sir William Thomson,
have believed that the crust OF the
earth is at least 800 miles thick. The
majority adduce good reasons for be-
lieving that the crust is only twenty
five to fifty miles thick. All agree
that If the temperature within the
earth continues to increase as it does
near the surface-at the rate of one
degree Fahrenheit for about every
fifty-five feet al desoent-all igneous
rocks must be fused at no great depth.
In fact at this rate OF increase, the
temperature at 200 miles is 10. OOOe
Fahrenheit which Is Prof. Rosetti's
estimate OF the probable temperature
of the sun.
1t is improbable. however. that this
rate OF increase Is maintained for a
great distance, and many physicists
believe that ut some unknown. but not
very great depth, the increase in tenn
perature ceases
One OF the most wonderful things. in
the study OF sciences is the fact that
the mysteries OF one science are some
times completely or partly explained
by knowledge CLEANED in some other
department OF study. 1t is thus that
naturalists who have investigated the
fauna and flora Of scores OF Pacific
islands have learned how far south
Asiatic types prevail, and have added
great weight to the conclusions Of
geologists that these islands we're once
a part OF the big continent north OF
them. Now it is very likely that as
knowledge increases we shall be able
to learn some important facts about
the interior OF the earth through our
better acquaintance with the phenom-
ena occurring on its surface. All
people who use the magnetic compass
are aware that often the needle is sub
ject to great disturbances. The cause
of these magnetic variations is now a
mystery, but some physicists believe
they are produced by great movements