Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-13
Rrrs OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and incidents sketched
ON the SPOT.


on the spot.
Washington correspondents Of eastern
! newspapers refer in serio-comic tones to a
! recent paper published by the United States
geological survey on the wells and wind
mills of Nebraska. The impression sought
to be conveyed is that the activity Of the
so-called breathing wells and the wind
mills is campaign Characteristic No
doubt some resemblance might be found
without rupturlng the Imagination, but as
the wells and the windmills were found
In action when the political orifice was
dormant II is presumed there is no per-
manent subway between the two. Besides
popularity of1cially described admits
OF neither doubts or questionings.
The official paper says that the breathing
or blowing wells found in various parts
OF the state constitute an interesting phe-
nomena. These wells are of the driven
type, mostly in use upon the plains, but
are distinguished from those of ordinary
character by a remarkable and unexplained
egress and ingress of currents of air which
produce distinctly audible sounds and give
the names variousy applied to them Of
breathing signing, blowing or roaring
wells, according to their characters, In
different places.
Aho gil ichlh Itbuliy IeSteQ with
the flames Of candles or by dropping chaff
or feathers into the we'll tubes. There are
periods when these wells blow out for
several days. and equal periods when their
air currents are reversed 1t has been OBJ
served that the blowing occurs with
changes Of the barometer. Some wells are
found to be most audible when the wind
Is from the northwest, with a rise In the
water level; but with a change Of wind
air is drawn in and the water is observed
to sink.
During the progress of a low barometer
area over one Of these regions wind is
violently expelled from the wells, with a
noise distinctly audible for several rods
Prots. Loveland and Sweezy OF the Uni
versity of Nebraska have made observa-
tions on a we'll of this nature in Perkins
county, and found its breathing periods
were exactly coincident with the barome-
trio changes. No satisfactory explanation
Of this strange phenomenon is advanced.
The material through which the wells are
driven may throw some light on their pecu-
liarities. In southeastern Nebraska layer
of dense limestone about four inches thick
lies under fifty to 100 feet of subsoil Be-
low the limestone is found water bearing
"noh luo hul6SIOne covering Ile
terbearing beds is penetrated water
under slight pressure rises about one foot
The water-bearing layer is very porous and
must always contain more or less air. As
the air above and the air inclosed in the
gravels below are alike subject to the fuc-
tuations Of the barometer, it follows that IL
the surface air is rendered less dense the
air below will pass out through the we'll
openings until equilibrium between the
rarer air and denser air is established, and
the opposite effect will follow during a
period Of high pressure. Still this explana-
tion, plausible as 1t is, hardly accounts
for the force with which the air is expelled
from some of the wells, and a more COM
prehensive study OF the problem is needed
to satisfactorily explain all Of the phe-
nomena.
"People are now looking to the news
paper to the weekly and the monthly
periodical, for discussion OF political ques-
tions.' In a large measure 1 believe the
influence Of the platform speaker has dis
appeared"
This was the remark Of Mr.. Moody, Sec
retary OF the navy. who has just returned
to Washington after a speaking tour Of the
middle west, Connecticut and Rhode Island
and Massachusetts,. Notwithstanding Mr..
Moodys opinion that the public speaker is
not as powerful as he once was, the meet
ings at which the secretary OF the navy
spoke were mostly of the overflow charac-
ter, circumstance Moody himself a trib-
utes to the fact that he cast aside the usual
style OF the stump speaker and resolved his
address into what were practically lectures
on live topics.
People like to give plenty of time to the
consideration of public questions, and they
find them fully set forth in the press. Es-
pecially in the monthly periodicals partisan
questions are accorded especially thorough
consideration"
Shyster attorneys are having a hard time
OF 1t with Pension Commissioner Ware.
One of these gentry from Michigan got
into trouble and went to Washington in the
hope of "squaring" himself. Ware gave
him a private hearing and was heard to say
as his visitor was leaving: "No, you've
been robbing the soldiers. I've had all
want of you" but, Mr.. Ware" pleaded
the lawyer. II think" He got no further.
81 don't care what you think" said the
commissioner. 81 think you're a blank
thief and ought to be in Jail. Now go"
Another scamp OF the same kind was dis
missed in this way: "I'n think your case
over. You are one of those blankety- blank
reprobates who bring reproach on the good
name of the old soldier. don't know yet
Just what I'll do in your case. I'm not
quite sure whether I ought not to put you
into the penitentiary. AS It looks to me
now I'm inclined to think I will Yes, I'll
think II over"
Scientific circles in Washington are dis
cussing the wonderful mirage which ap-
peared In the sky to the south OF the city
one afternoon last week. Thousands of
residents OF Washington saw the mani
festation, but It is accounted particularly
fortunate that officials of the weather
bureau had their attention called to the
rare occurrence in time to view 1t and
accumulate scientific data.
The mirage was as clear and distinct as
n painted with gigantic brush on the sky,
and showed the dome of the capitol build
ing surmounted by the Goddess Of Liberty,
at a, point in the heavens opposite the side