The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-13
hot WATER FROM
EARIH'S CENTER
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
Colonel Demming was surprised and
greatly amused over the report Of verdure
in March In the streets Of Boise, one of
the coolest places on the weather map.
But he wasn't surprised to learn that
half OF the town, including the public
buildings, had been heated from holes
bored under it. @E7s
IT knew the crust was thin at Boise
he said, .and that the strata of soil would
permit borings to reach boiling water
within, say. $500 feet. That estimate was
conservative"
It was very conservative, for. they found
boiling water under Boise last winter at
a depth Of 1890 feet, and atz2.O00 feet they
found a temperature Of 220 degrees Fair
enheit, degrees above boiling.
No Longer an Experiment.
Some idea Of the thinness Of the earth's
crust in Idaho may be had from the fact
that to reach a temperature of only 16O
degrees Fahrenheit under New. York, Chi
Icago or Philadelphia It would. be necessary
to bore to- a depth OF $500 feet, If the
temperature at the surface were as high
as SO degrees above zero.
l.
4 ture Of 80 degrees below zero, they have
been obtaining a plentiful supply Of boil
! ing water from a depth Of $500 to 1000
! feet ~. RI ls}
| In the worlds modern scientific records
Of geological exploration there has not
| been any experiment as astonishing as
the project at Boise. s...5ast.!
Flying machines, balloons, electricity as
/ a substitute for steam in fast railway
transportation, wireless telegraphy, cleo
| tricity as substitute for fuel-aH these
things are yet really in the experimental
stage.
But getting cheat from the center of
| the earth to warm your house-a dream
| OF the forefathers-is no longer an expert
! ment. Away out in snowbound Idaho 1t
lis q, fact-so simple In application that
the community regards it: as comm on
/ place, as Pennsylvanians regard oil wells,
| or California gold mines.
Where the Hint Came From.
From the middle of September until
the first Of May Boise requires artificial
heat, and coal costs $40 a ton. For months
at time the city is snowbound, and
often coal cannot be had at any price.
4 By the tapping Of the earth and piping
hot water and steam thru the town last
| winter, the citizens saved thousands OF
dollars, and, besides, did not experience
the annoying necessity Of attending fur
naces. or CRATES or stoves. ~
Boise was kept so warm last winter by
hot water and steam from the "boWels OF
the earth that 600 families came to town
and lived in tents for several months
awaiting the resunptionsof building oper-
atoms. They were like boomers" squat
ting on claim In the days Of invasion
Of Oklahoma. And it was all on account
Of an assurance Of saving money for Goa
or wood, and Of being made comfortable
by using the 'direct pipe line from the
center of the earth.''
This economical godsend for Idaho
that's what they call it out in Boise
came about thru a. singular interest which
Colonel Demming hasaa1ways taken in the
welfare of men working in mines.
; About four years ago, on looking ove1
reports upon the famous Comstock silve
; mine in Nevada, he learned that tho thu
miners were working only at a depth O.
from 5000 to $500 feet, their suffering
Twas severe on account of the heat from
the earth. ,,.s,. 5sjFHs5F
degrees, and he men n WIRE Kept capable
only by having their Heads and shoulders
) drenched frequently by-cold water. 8
} About the same time. Professor William
FIallock Of Columbia college, whom Colone
/ Demming had not met, but in whose Worl
E he was greatly interested, had drawn tn
attention Of the German government t
the scientific value Of experimental Dor
ings.
| Researches by the German government
especially at Schadebach, showed that tn
average rise Of temperature was one de
gree Fahrenheit for every sixty-five feet.
One Degree for Each Sixty Feet.
Colonel Demming, hearing of the results
inquired as to experiments in England
a and learned that the deepest borings ther
showed an average of one degree for ever
81 feet. I'D:
t. Then he turned his attention to tn
it United States, and found that east of tn
id Rocky mountains the average was on
e. degree for every sixty feet and, somewha
re- to his establishment, one degree for ever
II fifty feet west Of the Rockies.
;. He investigated particularly the Tama
~ rack copper mine in northern Michigan
= The shaft, 20 by Z feet inside measure
:. ment, is now over S, 400 feet deep, an
- is to be sent to 5000, when it will b
~ the deepest hole in the world.
" To-day blasts of cold air are force
~ down upon the miners, and cakes Of ic
S, in barrels are lowered, and ice water
1e constantly thrown over the shoulders (
es the worknen. No man is permitted
IA remain below more than two hours at
es time. Even during that short period tt
n n miners must have thick-souled shoe
ii u especially made for them, and sometime
:" the heat Of the ground Is So intense thu
the men must stand on ice cakes.
'"The comparatively low temperature
the Michigan mine at such great depth
= said Colonel Dernming, puzzled me.
II set me thinking for while. But w;
\ certain from personal investigations tn
J the earth's crust in Michigan must be e:
! ceptionally thick. The Tamarack min
that a good test In itself, was not, to n
mind, Indicative I had made a go,
study Of the whole northwest and
southern Idaho, prospecting for metals,
came to be sure, thru small borings and
knowledge Of the soil, that hot wat