The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-02-01
FREEZING OF WELLS.
Preventive Advice from Government
Scientists,

Scientists.
Throughout many of the northern
States the freezing of wells ana
pumps causes much trouble, and the
greatest difficulty is experienced in
keeping some wells open for use dur
ing the winter Strangely enough.
the shallow open wells give less trou.
Bile than the deeper, drilled or double
tubed driven wells, in which the in
ner or pump tube Is carried below
| the outer casing. The determination
of the cause of the freezing and of
means for it's prevention is of so great
| practical Importance that a study OF
the subject has been made by one OF
| the biologists of the United States
! Geological Survey.
The freezing of wells is practically
confined to districts where the air
temperatures frequently go consider
ably below zero, and where the mate
rails penetrated are either porous or
contain actual openings and passages
through which the air can circulate.
A recent investigation of the wells OF
Maine, large number OF which are
In granite. slate and other compact,
close grained rock, discovered no in,
stances of deep freezing. In Mime
sofa, North Dakota and Nebraska, on
the other hand. large numbers OF
wells penetrating porous deposits or
cavernous limestones freeze every
winter. In Wisconsin and Michigan
freezing, though less common, occa-
sionally occurs, and also in Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Kentucky and Indiana.
Deep wells that freeze may also ex
hibit other peculiar phenomena such
as indraft AMI outdraft OF air, produc-
ing sucking and blowing, changes in
character of water. fluctuations OF
water level and, in flowing wells.
changes in discharge.
A study of the phenomena as
whole shows that they are connected
closely with barometric changes.
Freezing. indraft low water level,
small discharge and clear water are
all characteristic of clear weather and
and melting of the snow about the
mouth. strong discharge and discol-
ored waters always accompany low
barometer. The direct cause of the
freezing seems to be an indraft OF
of cold air at periods of high baro-
meter Change of weather, reversing
the direction of the air current, pro-
duces the thaw.
Many of the simpler devices adopt
ed to prevent freezing are complete
failures, while others are partly sue
cessful. The inherent difficulty lies
in the construction of the we'll. Inc
following suggestions are made by
the geologist:
In open wells. where air obtains
access through the soil and at the
junction of the curb and cover,
cement cover should be tightly fitted
to the curb, and the curb itself should
be coated with cement for some dis
lance below the surface.
In drilled or double tubed driven
wells the current of cold air drawn IA
at periods of high barometer between
the outer and inner casing near the
surface and passing out in porous
bed at the bottom above the water
level will cause freezing If the water
is pumped so that it stands in the
inner tube above the lower end OF
the outer casing, and long continued
current of such cold air may cause
freezing of the ground water ABOUT
and in the well tube. For this con-
dition it is suggested that the space
between the outer and inner tuba
near the surface be packed with some
impervious material. A filling OF &C.
ment resting on an improvised plug
is probably the most effective. Inc
home made rag packing sometimes
used is too porous to serve the pur'
pose.
The same treatment is suggested
for wells with leaky castings. for dri'-
en- wells passing through rocks porous
enough to permit the passage OF large
currents of chilled air during periods
Of high barometer and for wells III
which the outer casing ends in some
cavern or open passage-that is, the
space between the well tube and the
pump tube near the surface should
be plugged tightly with impervious
material. About some wells the
ground crevices through which the an
circuiates are so numerous that III
munity from freezing can be obtained
only by plugging the space about inc
pump tube from top to bottom wlta
cement.-New York Tribune.
An English View Of Lee.
IL thara is ANYTHING at all 10 pc