206 HAGEK'S THEORY. 



places fifteen feet deep. Upon the sides of this pit there are exhibited the edges of the strata of gravel, 

 sand, clay, &c., that make up the terrace in which the pit is situated. The lowest stratum seen in the 

 side of the gravel pit is composed of pebbles that are nearly free from dirt, and very closely resemble the 

 water-washed pebbles found upon a sea beach. Upon this there rests a stratum of very stiff compact clay ; 

 and next above is found a bed of common gravel two feet thick. Above this is another bed of pebbles, suc- 

 ceeded by a thin stratum of clay, above which is found a stratum of sharp sand. Upon this rests the soil 

 that forms the top of the terrace. These strata are not horizontal, but have a uniform dip of about 25 

 southeast, in the direction of the well. 



Now my theory presupposes that these strata are continuous, and extend with others of like nature to 

 the frozen well, and that the clean pebbles found in the bottom of the bank of the gravel pit may belong 

 to the same bed that those do, found in the bottom of the frozen well. The pebbles are so free from dirt 

 in the latter, that the water is never roiled by dropping the well bucket upon the bottom, even when the 

 water is shallow. This pebbly bed was noticed by those who dug the well, and found to be easily penetrated. 

 One of the workmen took an iron bar and ran it down into the pebbly mass, nearly its entire length, meet- 

 ing with no more resistance than would be met in thrusting a bar into a pile of large marbles. It was 

 immediately above this pebbly mass that the frozen earth was found by those who dug the well, and in it 

 was found the water. 



Now under ordinary circumstances ice will not form at great depths in the earth, and if placed there 

 will soon melt. This is caused by the internal heat that finds access to objects in the earth's crust in 

 various ways. It may be communicated to the objects through the conducting power of the materials that 

 form the crust of the earth. Air and water are also important auxiliaries employed in the work of dis- 

 pensing the pent up heat of the earth's center, to points at and near the surface. 



That air permeates the earth at great depths, is evident, from the fact, that a wholesome atmosphere 

 is usually found in deep, natural caverns, and it is not unfrcquently the case that strong currents exist in 

 them, and in some cases as that of the "Blowing Cave" of Virginia a current of air issues from the 

 ground continually. Air is known to ascend from wells and deep fissures in the earth, in cold weather, 

 from the fact that there is oftentimes found a thick coating of frost at their mouths, the result of the con- 

 gelation of vapor brought up by the ascending currents of air. Unless the unphilosophical ground is taken 

 that a vacuum is made, and continues to exist, at the starting point or source of these ascending currents, 

 there must be descending ones to fill the space thus vacated. If, then, it be admitted that descending 

 currents exist, they must, of necessity, be currents of cold air, for all understand full well the tendency of 

 heated air to rise, and cold air to sink. 



With the well-established facts before us, that oceanic currents exist, and not only exert an influence 

 on the surrounding sea, but also upon the adjacent countries, by the equalization of temperature, we can- 

 not well doubt the existence of running streams of water beneath the surface of the earth, and that they 

 help to equalize the temperature of the earth's crust. We cannot believe that stagnant water exists be- 

 neath the earth, any more than it does upon it, or in the ocean. Indeed we know that streams of consider- 

 able size are found running, far beneath the surface, in limestone regions, where "sink holes" and subterra- 

 nean caverns abound. The river Styx in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, furnishes an example. 



These deep seated streams often come to the surface, forming cold springs which have a uniform temper- 

 ature the entire year, usually several degrees above the freezing point. The water seems very cold in the 

 summer, but never is cold enough when it flows from the earth even in mid winter to freeze, hence the 

 remark is often made that the water of such springs is "cold in the summer and warm in the winter." 



Now if a frozen mass were placed in the earth and brought into contact with an ascending current of air 

 having a temperature above the freezing point, or with one of those subterranean currents of water, it 

 is evident that it would not long remain congealed. 



The question now arises, why it was that such a congealed mass of earth was found in Brandon, at the 

 time the frozen well wa's dug. 



My opinion is, that the bad conducting property of the solids surnninding it, the absence of ascending 

 currents of heated air, and of subterranean streams of water in this particular locality, favored such a 



