The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-10
UNIQUE CREEK.
Water Never Freezes in the Coolest
Weather.


Every one does not know that there is
water that refuses To freeze. Take a
buckeuul and empty it into an ice cream
freezer. stir the required length Of time,
with the necessary amount of ice applied.
and it may be quickly converted into
solid cake Let the same water remain
where il is taken from and IL will elude
Jack Frosts most vigorous attempts TO
change its character. while the brook, for
brook it is, runs laugOingly on forever.
through binding snow and bleakeSt
weather.
There is a stream to be found in south
ern Oregon IN the wonderfully beautiful
country inhabited by the klamath and
Modoc Indians, and its Rmpid waters
were often stained blood red during the
sanguinary conflicts OF the Mcaoc war.
The stream. in fact. runs right through
the old klamath fort and the following
curious facts are veuched for oy no less
an authority than George II Wilson. local
forecast official of the United States
weather bureau in this city. VINO was Tor
some time stationed IN that district
Klamath Fort creek is not many miles
long. nor a stream OF any considerable
size. It's headwaters gush out Of the
hillside at the back Of the fort among
large powders, whence II begins itS
course through the valleys ana nnally
emDtieS its waters into other streams
In the winter, no matter how hard the
ground NAV be frozen. klamath Fort
creek continues its bubhling and gurg-
ling with never so much as d piece of ice
on its surface Not that the water is
not cold. for in the hottest DAYS of sum
mer a cup of il cannot be drunk without
stopping for breath. 50 cold Is IL, and
in the winter its tempera tUre Is Tar be
low freezing point Snow and ha1l seem
ingly have no effect and the cause IS as
unusual as its occurrence
d lis peculiarly limpid waters give one
the impression that they are too thin 10
freeze The medium through which one
views the sand and pebbles at its bot
tom so deceiVeS the unwaTy that, sup
posing he is stepping into water or a
foot'g depth or so. the careless one goes
in up to his waist.
The theory advanced by Mr. Wilson 10
account for this phenomenon Is pecuhar-
The soil of that section OF the country
is of volcanic origin. with a wonderful
| background. 1900 feet above sea leyeI.
| and an extinct crater rising out or TINS
| lake 10 the height of 600 feet. The Wh0le
| country is covered with ashes to the
| depth of several inches. POmice stone
! and other permeable matter compose the
/ upper strata and the water ci[cuIatSy ; ;
/ freely throughout it When the cold
weather comes on and the freezing pro
| cess begins the temperature of the water
/ al The Surface is quickly lowered and II
/ at once sinks to the bottom. and, not
/ stopping here. sinks through the peculiar
! soil below and withdrawS itself from the
mining Of the cold. Combined with the
| current oF the stream. which however. Is
> not alone sufficient 10 cOUnteraCt the nat
uraI law. this free circuls ton OF the water
/ through the top soil stops e4fectually Ine
! freezing of the water and makes tnls
/ stream one of the unique things IN the
! natural history of the Pacific coast