294 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



The supposition that the current observed might come from air of 

 ordinary tension, cooled and stored in ice-caverns during the winter 

 months, and afterwards expelled by water filling up these reservoirs, 

 fails to meet the case. For if there were any accumulation of cold 

 air made during one winter sufficient to hold over till the next, we 

 might expect a gradual diminution of effect from spring till the middle 

 of the following winter, instead of an increase on the first approach of 

 cold weather in autumn. The same objection applies with equal force 

 to the conjecture that winds penetrate the earth through some dis- 

 tant lower inlet, and in winter refrigerate the mass of gravel to an 

 extraordinary degree. And it may be further said respecting the 

 latter idea, that in summer cold air could not rise through a great 

 body of gravel and flow out into the warmer and lighter superincum- 

 bent atmosphere, without some powerful vis a tergo to enable it to 

 overcome inertia, friction, and gravity, — a force which, being then 

 entirely unaided by any forward draught, must be far greater than 

 could be supplied by any ordinary winds, even under the most favor- 

 able circumstances. But even if we suppose Avinds could blow through 

 ice-caves underground, and permeate the earth above, we still have 

 the ice-caves themselves to account for, as well as the constant re- 

 newal of the ice. 



But not intending to lay too much stress on the water-trumpet 

 hypothesis, which, of course, is not entirely free from drawbacks, and 

 may or may not be the true explanation of the singular phenomena 

 under discussion, we wish more particularly to bring forward to the 

 notice of the Academy the fact of the continual rush of cold air out 

 of the well at Brandon, — a current probably having some connection 

 with the freezing below. And we may be allowed to remark that, 

 in the case of this particular well at least, any theory which fails to 

 assign a sufficient cause for the continued efflux leaves out of account 

 a matter hardly less wonderful than the perennial congelation itself. 



An incidental point worthy of attention is the asserted uniformity 

 in the depth of the water — or ice and water — at all times of the 

 year. Had there been an engineer's level at hand, enabling us to 

 ascertain the relation of the surface of the water in the well to the 

 level of brooks and low grounds not far distant, we might have gath- 

 ered some positive data having a bearing on the subject. But it 

 would be useless to reason on uncontrolled estimates ; and, without 

 dwelling on some other facts not sufficiently studied, we will simply 



