The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-16
wIsCONsIN's MYSTERIOUS
WELLS.
Tfsy allow mp AIR Like So Many PumPs
- Glacier Bed the Cause.
tuhioAgo RscOrd.)

prairie there Is . curious phenomenon
known a. tine blowing wells" IRE
W ps are continually forcing great vol
umes Of air upward or. like some huge
monster, ara drawing Into the interior OF
tine earth no small amount Of the zephyrs
ms they come and go. The operators
who have sKcayatsd great holes into the
sand and 'avsl, as well as the husband
men up.n whose farms the wells are
founi seem to be mystihe1 rs to the
causes which surround this unusual freak
OF nature The blowing wells are 20
peculiar that sources Of water supply with
such unusual characteristics are not be-
lievsd 20 exist elsewhere on the oonti-
nent.
The matter has Great ID considerable
discussion IN the neighborhood Of the
wells, and City Engineer Kirchoffer OF
baraboo determined to investigate the
causes which produce the remarkable
effects.
The prairie Is just south OF the Baraboo
range CT quartziue bluffs aud Just west Of
the Wisconsin river as IL flows 70 the
southwest. From the river the level,
treeless tract Of land extends to the west
until its Identity is lost In the ascending
Mills alorg the Boney creek valley.
strange to say. the walls are located In
the san 1s OF the terminal moraine OF the
Green bay lobe Of the great glacier which
wrought havoc with the topography OF
the greater portion of Wisconsin some
10, COO years ago. The advance OF the Ice
was not beyond where the walls are locat-
ed. and when the frozen moraine melted
| and perhaps established itself farther TO
l the mort n fbera nrRRf nnAnflfX OF
sand left In the northeastern portion OF
the prairie. For miles beyond the NOR
aine there is carried with the flowing
water great amount OF line soil, on
which there are now many prosperous
farmers, for this has proved 70 De one OF
the garden spots During recent years IL
mas been found necessary to go deeper
into the earth for water on this terminal
moraine and this has brought about the
existence OF the blowing wells.
The pneromena exhibited at these yari-
GUS wells 10 quite unusual, On the farm
of Steubtr Bros. the water in the well
often looks as II greatly agitated, not I'M
like kettle OF the liquid when being
boiled. Often draft can be felt at the
| surface when the wind is being forced
outward, and when q lantern is lowered
1t tiickers as If in a strong breeze, and
sometimes Is extinguished.
One Of the interesting and natural
characteristics OF these wells is that dur
ing extreme cold weather 1t is almost i'm
possible to prevent the pipes from freez-
ing. At certain times the cold air rush
ing into the wells congeals the water on
the inside of the perpendicular pipe, be
1t iron or wood. In some instances the
pipes have been frozen solid for 60 feet
below the surface of the earth. In other
instances, when these wells were dug dur
ing severe cold weather, the earth would
be found frozen on the bottom and sides,
even at a depth Of 80 or more feet,
In some instances. In order to prevent
freezing, the pumps have been provided
with an iron pipe extending to the bot
tom, with earth thrown in until the
lower valve 10 reached, which Is only
lew feet below the surface, In other
cases during the winter IL is found neces-
sary to build q double platform about the
pump and then cover the boards with
sand or sawdust, Unless great care IL
exercised to close all openings, the sand
or bits OF wood Will be blown away in
short time.
One peculiar feature is that the snow
and Ice will sometimes adhere to the
material protecting the pump, and at
ether times will all melt away. The
formers have sometimes retired at night
when there was a thick coat OF Toe and
snow about the pump, and in the morn
ing when they arose 1t would be entire
ly melted away, when the snow few
l6tt away unulcitcA
Alter making series of Investigations
and examinations the conclusion has been
reached that about GO feet below the sur.
face OF the earth there ia field OF coarse
gravel, and that during glacial times this
was filled with water. Perhaps there was
an underground stream there which
carried away a portion of the vast volume
OF water which resulted from the MELT
ing OF the immense quantities Of Ice dur
ing the closing years of the reign OF the
licking. Alter the water disappeared the
small crevices or openings between the
stones and coarse particles OF sand be-
came filled with -air and this immense
region below Is not unlike the air cham
Der on force pump. As indicated by
barometer when the air becomes lighter
above the compressed air below Will ex-
land and being forced out produces a
current When the atmosphere above be-
comes heavier or when 1t exerts greater
downward pressure the air is crowded
into the little air spaces below to be re.
leased again when the pendulum swings
toward the other extreme. On account
of these constant changes above there is
either ascurrent downward or upward va
rying with the barometric pressure at the
surface of the earth.