Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-02-05
WONDERFUL WISCONSIN WELLS
osrnsws Natural rhenomens That Es0pss
tho Great Geveerss

osrn~xs Natural rhenomens That Es11poa&l
thc Great Gevecrss
The great geysers of the West are
no more wonderful phenomena than
are the blowing or s'whistling"
wells in Wisconsin.
These wells, says the Chicago Times--(
Herald, have been developed in the
northern part of the town of Eureka
and in the southern part of the town
Of Sterling in Polk County. There are
ak OF these phenomenal wells, rang
ing in depth from 100 TO 100 feet
Most remarkable Of all is that owned
by James Collin in Eureka. This
well is 100 feet deep and was dug fif-
teen years ago. The first twenty feet !,
is hardpan and the balance gravel.
Before n storm the wind blows ont
OF this well with great force, making
roaring sound that can be heard a
long distance. This wind is SO hot
that water placed over the we'll will
boil. The current blows out only be-
fore n storm, aud the severity and du-
ration Of the storm Is always in exact
proportion 20 the force of this current
and its duration before the storm com
mences. l. Is therefore an accurate(
and absolutely reliable barometer, asy
il foretells . change from cold 20 hot,
or vice versa. with equal accuracy, but
remains quiet in settled weather, no
matter VIVA. the temperature. In win
ter current Of air Is drawn In before
change of weather, lust as forcibly
as IL blows out In hot weather. This .
current of air viii freeze the water 1901
/ feet from the surface of the earth more
! quickly than it would at the surface.
and though many attempts have been
made 20 use pump IN At. they have
all failed. and number Of pumps Of
/ different makes have been destroyed
by the water freezing and bursting the
cylinders and pipes.
Some years ago q house was built
over this well, aud a stove placed IN 1t
so that it could be heated intensely hot,
but strange rs It may seem, this did,
not preventive water from freezing and
bursting pipes 1i5 feet from the sur
face. and though there are but eighteen
or twenty inches OF water IN Che we'll
In winter, ice freezes, several inches
in thickness ia spite of all proven
tives. Windmills have been tried with
the same disastrous results. A wind
lass and buckets have also been tried,
but the water freezes over SO thick in
one night that heavy stone dropped
from the surface viii not break the ice.
The Temperature at the bottom Of this
we'll is SO much colder than il is at the
surface that in very cold weather it is
extremely dangerous for anyone to
venture into il. In winter the heavy
; downward current before a storm or
change OF weather viii cause the water
70 lover, while iIi-s n-ss-ses- ti.e--ii.us..=.l
current causes the wstor TO rise-some-
times fifteen or twenty feet. The curb
ing in this we'll is always dry and the
water OF good quality.
The other five wells referred 70.
which resemble this II almost every
particular, are oil located within the
2 / radius Of about one mile, and vary in
, / depth from 1870 70 $50 feet Some OF
. the characteristics are not SO pro-
, nounced as in the well described, while
, others are even more remarkable
|, Within half mile o. these wells water
r is obtained at depth of from ten &
thirty feet, and the wells exhibit none
a Of these unusual ar diabolical feat
T. ures.