Removal of Carbonic Acid Gas from Wells. 165 



Art, XIX. — On the Removal of Carbonic Acid Gas from 

 Wells, 6fc., and Spontaneous Combustion in Wood Ashes ; by 



Oliver P. Hubbard, M. D., Prof, of Chem., Min. and Geol. in 



Dartmouth College. 

 Combustibility of Wood Ashes; by Dr. John T. Plummer, of 



Richmond, Indiana. 



The following verbal statement I received from Dr. S. E. Hale, 

 a graduate of the Medical School of Dartmouth College. While a 

 student at Burlington, Yt., a deep well in the yard of the stable 

 connected with the hotel was to be cleaned. A man was about 

 to descend for this purpose, but, at the suggestion of Mr. Hale, 

 waited till he could test the well for carbonic acid gas. A light- 

 ed candle was adjusted, and on lowering it with a cord, it was 

 extinguished at the very mouth of the well. He then applied the 

 remedy, ignited charcoal, as recommended by me in this Journal, 

 (Vol. XX.XVIII, p. 206,) and entirely removed the gas, so that the 

 candle burned clearly in every part above the water, which was 

 some twenty or more feet from the surface of the ground ; and 

 the man descended with impunity and accomplished his object. 

 This well was situated at nearly the lowest part of the yard, and 

 in the vicinity of abundant sources of carbonic acid from the de- 

 composition of animal manures, and may be a constant reservoir 

 for the accumulation of the gas. Though this be a strong case, 

 yet in all cases the successful use of the charcoal once should 

 not prevent its repeated application, even at short intervals, if oc- 

 casion required. 



1. Spotitaneous Combustion in Wood Ashes. — In September, 

 1840, my attention was called by a soap-boiler, who was re- 

 moving ashes from a brick arch in my cellar, to a remarkable 

 phenomenon he had just observed in the ashes in his cart he 

 had last brought out. I applied my hand to a spot as directed, 

 and found the heat so great I could hold it there but a moment 

 at a time ; and on examination of the ashes in the arch from 

 which these last had been taken, I found the same heat limited 

 to a small area in the centre of the bottoni, which was now cov- 

 ered by a small quantity of ashes remaining, from twelve to four- 

 teen bushels. The ashes formed a heap two feet thick on an 

 area of about four feet by two feet. They were made of maple 

 wood alone, burned in close stoves, and were very heavy, and the 



