FROZEN WELL. 195 



On the 30th of August, 1859, the Boston Natural History Society, through the liberal- 

 ity of one of its members, commenced digging a well 70 feet southward of the frozen one, 

 which was finished Sept, 20th. It was dug under the direction of J. E. Higgins, Esq., of 

 Brandon, to whose kindness we are indebted for the following details: 



"August 30th, 1859. Began sinking a shaft 70 feet southeast of the so called frozen 

 well. First two feet, dark compact clay ; then three feet of very fine sand ; then, lower 

 down, gravel and water-worn stones from the size of an egg to that of a barrel ; chiefly 

 limestone ; after going three feet, crystallized limestone upon the cobble stones, which 

 would look like frost, and this substance upon the lower side of the stone. 



"At a depth of twelve feet, Sept. 4, found the temperature 50, being 60 at the surface. 

 Sept. 13th, at the depth of 20 feet, temperature 48, and at the surface 54 ; at the depth 

 of 26 feet, no apparent change of temperature, gravel and cobble stones quite loose. 

 Sept. 20th, reached 29 feet, and found water, the gravel and cobble stones having contin- 

 ued with little change till the last foot, in which was mingled some clay. Sunk the 

 thermometer in the water, and it showed 46, being 52 al the surface. A bucket of water 

 drawn from the so called frozen well, showed 40." 



Another shaft was commenced soon after with the following results : 



"Sept. 28th, 1859. Began a well 70 feet northwest of the frozen one ; found gravel and 

 cobble stones with some larger water-worn stones, which continued with little change till 

 completed ; depth 33 feet. The whole quite porous, and, as Twombley said, resembling 

 that from the first (frozen) well. 



" The temperature of the air at the surface and in the well grew colder, but no appear- 

 ance of frost, the thermometer showing about 46, till a depth of 20 feet had been reached. 

 Oct. 19, the work having been interrupted some days, was again resumed: On the 20th 

 of October, at the depth of 29 feet, found frozen gravel a seeming crust two inches thick. 

 Sept. 21st, depth 31 feet ; earth frozen about eight inches : during both these days, digging 

 no ice after going through the crust. On the morning of the 22d depth 33 feet found ice 

 mingled with the gravel and frozen solid. Was hard to pick ; at first supposed it like 

 that the day before, only a ci-ust, but the workmen say it continued solid during the 

 day, and they worked into it only one foot, and all below seemed solid could not drive 

 an iron bar into it. Sent men down in the afternoon, who after digging from apparently 

 solid materials, sent up gravel frozen hard, though the ice clearly showed itself and melted 

 in the hand. This was at a depth of 34 feet from the surface. A thermometer in the 

 well showed 38 and 52 at the surface. It had frozen slightly two nights before (at the 

 surface), but water did not freeze in holes 18 inches deep." 



Another well was dug about the same time by one of the inhabitants, 22 rods northeast 

 of the frozen one, and close to the high ridge of gravel on the west. It was carried 40 feet, 

 a good part of the distance through marl or clay, mixed sometimes with sand. Only a little 

 water was found, which escaped when the gravel beneath the clay was reached. 



Comparing the different excavations, the inference is that there is great irregularity as 

 to thickness and position in the beds of clay and gravel, and as the former is an impervi- 

 ous and the latter a pervious stratum, it is not strange that water should occur at very 

 different depths in the various wells. We venture to suggest, that had the first well dug 

 bv the Boston Natural History Society been carried deeper, it would have reached ice ; 



