The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-15
BREATHING WELLS.
CASES OF PHONOHENA SUP
POSED TO BE
Caused BY Changes In atmospheric
Changes.

Changes.
In a recent paper published by the
United States geological survey on
Wells and Windmills in Nebraska, -
mention is made of the interesting phe-
nomena of the breathing or blowing
wells which are found distributed
throughout a large portion of the
state. These wells are of the driven
types mostly in use from the plains,
but are distinguished from those of or
binary character by a remarkable and
unexplained egress and ingress of cur
rents of air which produce distinctly
audible sounds and give the names va
riously applies to them of breathing.
signing, blowing or roaring wells, ac-
cording to their characters in different
places. The air currents are readily
tested with the flames of candles, or by
dropping chaff or feathers into the well
tubes. There are periods when these
wells blow out for several days, and
equal periods when their air currents
are reversed.
1t has been observed that the blow
ing occurs with changes of the barom-
eter. Some wells are found to be most
audible when the wind is from the
northwest, with q rise in water Level,
but with change of wind air is drawn
in and the water is observed to sink.
During the progress of a low barom-
eter area over one of these regions
winds violently expelled from the wells
with noise distinctly audible for sew
eral rods. Professors LOveland and
SWezey of the University of Nebraska
have made observations on a we'll of
this nature in Perkins county and
found that it's breathing periods were
exactly coincident with barometric
changes.
The citizens of the region have at
tempted many explanations of the
wells. Some have reasoned that the
blowing is probably due to the liberia
ton of gas from petroleum, and that as
petroleum is a natural disttllation from
the great coal fields, there must be an
abundant supply of the latter mineral
beneath the surface. Fortunes have
been staked upon this deduction and
much time consumed in fruitless
search for coal. Others have noticed
the change of current which some wells
show every twelve hours, morning and
evening, and have thought that this
regular oscillation was due to tidal
action of the sheet water erroneoulsy
considering the latter as great sub
terranean lake. The phenomena are
most frequently attributed by scientific
observers to atmospheric pressure,
which, though probably exerting great
influence. is not necessarily the whole
cause.
The material through which the
wells are driven may throw some light
on their peculiarities. In Southeastern
Nebraska layer of, dense limestone,
about four inches thick, lies beneath 80
to 100 feet of suhsoiL Below the lime
stone is found water-b bearing gravel.
When the limstone covering the water
bearing 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 in
closed in the gravels below are alike
subject to the fluctuations of the
barometer, it follows that if the surface
air is rendered less dense the air below
will pass out through the we'll OPEN
ings until equilibrium between the
rarer air and denser air is established,
and the opposite effect will follow dur
ing a period of high pressure. Still,
this explanation, plausible as it is,
hardly accounts for the force with
which the air is expelled from some
of the wells, and a more comprehen-
sive study of the problem is needed to
| explain it satisfactorily.-Wa
Correspondent New York Sun.