The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-01

rarely larger tnan rODln egg,
The well is over 25 feet deep, the
bottom being in a stratum of pebbles
so free from dirt or sediment that the
water was not riled by the dipping of
the windass bucket and the water is
so shallow that it struck the bottom.
ut is evident" says Hon George T.
Wardwell, one Of the last to investi-
gate it, that the material in which
the well is located occupies a basin
between walls OF limestone on the
east and west, some distances apart,
and unbroken beds OF the same rock
on the north At the south end Of
this rock basin run deep beds OF clay,
nearly or quite impervious to water"
The drift strata is toward the
southeast. At the time the frozen
well was dug considerable excitement
was caused and much discussion fol-
lowed the announcement that frozen
wells had been found at a depth OF
% feet from the surface.
Many experiments have been made
and new wells were dug and walled
up with the hope of finding a solution
of the interesting problem. II Ice
had not appeared In the we'll after Il
was dug and walled up the report
that frozen earth had been found
would doubtless have been believed
by few, except those who saw it.
During the winter following 1898,
and every winter since, ice has accum.
ulated in and around the well. The
frozen well was dug in Noyember
1858.
In September. 1869 a well was sunk
to the depth of % feet and water
reached, 10 feet southeast of thu fro
zen well, but no ice or frozen earth
was found. This well was dug under
the direction of the Boston natural
history society.
The society also ordered one dug 10
feet northwest OF the frozen well, to-
ward the gravel pit October p, al
depth of 80 feet, frozen earth was
found.
Other wells were dug by citizens in
the immediate vicinity for the pur
pose of getting water, but in no in
stance did they encounter frozen
earth.
In a slight depression about ten
rods north of the frozen well, and al
least 25 feet higher than the water In
| II, there was a spring that furnished
water except in very dry seasons
| This spring was located on a bed oil
compact clay. II has now disappear
ed. To make 1t larger a hole was dul
through the clay and the water evel
since has run into the gravel below.
Prof. Edward Hitchcock, state geol
ogist OF Massachusetts, with party
OF American scientists. visited thu
frozen well June %, 1853. A variety
OF opinions were expressed concern
ing the cause of the frost In th'
ground and the ice in the well. None
OF the party could indorse Prof Hitch
cocks theory. He suggested:
First-That these frozen deposits
may have been produced during Thu
glacial period that accompanied tn
formation of the drift, and continued
down into the subsequent epoch o
! modified drift.
Second-That in porus deposits. es
pecially when interstratihed witt
those nearly impervious to the air, ic
may be formed at any depth. and rC
main unmelted for a great length o
time.
Any one VINO has visited deep cav
ems in the earth need not be toll
that currents Of air as we'll as waite
ev,st there. when currents of waite
laden with internal heat brea
through the surface, the springs. col
as they seem in summer, never fresz
in winter
n one OF these currents Is tape
by digging a well. similar result
would follow. As soon as the wa ri
having n meher temperature than h
air. comes In contact with 1t the Wi
ter becomes Neated ana all at onc
rises up the wen. II meets the col
air. 70 which It impar.s so much hea
as to prevent It's further descen.
otherwise the cold air would desCou
and the water would freeze.
But the frozen we'll at Brandon
an exception to this theory.
Il Is In an violated basin OF dric
cut on from other deposits by III
limestone on three side. and by c'a
on the other II is evident that III
water m the basin is tupphed frol
the sur zee. No descendpg currer
OF warm air rises in that we'll TO Pr
vent the descent of COLD air Ia th
winter. but the temperature Is n
same az the bottom and top.
Tho onouina OF tho gravel bank a.
other exposure OF the edges Of lros
strata OF waterwashej pebbles, a
forls an opportunity for the cold a
to descend.
The air follows its natural cours
by sinking down through the port
stratum above the clay, and Il fro'
the earth tina, was found there by I'll
diggers OF the frozen well.
Since the frozen we'll was dug u
cold air hes settled into Il. and douh
less has passed out through the be
Of pebbles, freezing the ground abo'