434 The National Geographic Magazine 



the rocks. There is a region of blowing 

 wells in southeastern Wisconsin, where 

 the Calciferous beds of the Silurian rest 

 on the coarse-grained St. Peter sand- 

 stone; another is reported in central 

 New York, where impervious strata 

 overlie the pervious Potsdam sandstone; 

 still another occurs in England, where 

 it received attention a few years ago in 

 connection with water-suppl}' inquiries; 

 while sporadic examples are by no means 

 uncommon elsewhere. 



Now it is evident that when the ba- 

 rometer is high in a region of caves or 

 breathing wells, the subterranean cham- 

 bers or pervious beds will gradually fill 

 with the slightly compressed air, and 

 that the process of filling will be accom- 

 panied by inspiration, or in-blowing, 

 through the open mouth ; it is equally 

 evident that with the subsequent fall of 

 the barometer the imprisoned air will 

 expand and force itself outward through 

 the mouth of the cavern until the press- 

 ure within and without is brought into 

 balance. Furthermore, it is evident that 

 the air expanding in the throat of the 

 orifice will abstract heat from surround- 

 ing substances, precisely as it does in the 

 expansion chamber of an atmospheric 

 ice machine, at a rate and to an amount 

 varying with the pressure-difference ; 



and hence that (provided other condi- 

 tions be favorable) the moisture on adja- 

 cent surfaces may be congealed. In 

 short, under favorable circumstances the 

 breathing well or blowing cave may be- 

 come a natural ice machine, clumsy and 

 inefficient, indeed, yet possibly making 

 up in magnitude for its simplicity and 

 the slightness of the pressure-differences 

 within its reach. Of course it would 

 seem at first sight that in each passage 

 from low pressure to high and back 

 again, as in the long run, the effects of 

 the natural mechanism would balance — 

 i. e. , that the heat given off in inspira- 

 tion would equal the chill of expiration, 

 so that no refrigeration could ensue ; yet 

 when the seasonal ranges of barometer 

 and thermometer are considered, it 

 would seem clear that the heating would 

 tend to culminate in autumn and the 

 chill in spring, in such wise as to sus- 

 tain the widespread popular opinion on 

 the subject — i. e., that the period of ice- 

 melting runs into winter and that of ice- 

 forming into late spring and summer. 

 In any event the discussion of glacieres 

 and freezing wells cannot be regarded 

 as closed until the related phenomena of 

 blowing caves and breathing wells re- 

 ceive exhaustive studv. 



W J McGee 



WESTERN PROGRESS IN CHINA 



MINISTER CONGER has for- 

 warded the State Department 

 a translation of the prelimi- 

 nary resolutions adopted by the recently 

 organized Board of National Administra- 

 tion of China. The purpose of the 

 Board is to institute reforms in China of 

 a more moderate nature than the sweep- 

 ing reforms proposed in 1898 which 

 brought on the Boxer troubles. 



' ' The things of the West are genu- 

 ine ; those of the Chinese, for the most 



part, are shams. The speech of Western 

 men is reliable ; that of the Chinese 

 largely false, ' ' say the Board, and in this 

 spirit of Chinese modesty and humilit}^ 

 the resolutions were written. The fol- 

 lowing extracts are taken from these' 

 curious resolutions to show the nature 

 of progress thus far made : * 



' ' The first thing necessary is to mani- 

 fest resolution like an upright pillar ; 



*The resolutions are published in full in the 

 Consular Reports for October 28 (no. 11 73). 



