SCIENCE 



NEW YORK, DECEMBER 16, 1892. 



A BREATHING WELL IN LOGAN COUNTY, KANSAS.' 



BY J. T. WILLARD, MANHATTAN, KANSAS. 



For a number of ypars, Mr. R. L. Smith of Winona has noticed 

 that two wells there blow out air at times and draw it in at other 

 times. He has also noticed a close connection between their 

 action and the weather. One well he has noticed more especially, 

 and became so satisfied that the movement of air was connected 

 with the state of the atmosphere that he called it a natural 

 barometer. He was very anxious that the well should be ob- 

 served by some scientific man with the necessary instruments. 

 An aneroid barometer was sent him to make observations with, 

 at the same time recording the state of the well. His observations 

 indicated quite clearly that the movement of air in and out of the 

 well was dependent on the pressure of the atmosphere. As the 

 case seemed interesting, the writer visited the well, taking with 

 him an excellent mercurial barometer and such other apparatus 

 as seemed likely to be useful. 



The well was found to be a bored one, cased with lumber. It 

 was about eight inches in diameter. Water is reached in this 

 region at about 130 feet, but this particular well has been drilled 

 much deeper. This fact has no influence on the blowing of air, 

 however, as other wells in the vicinity not over 135 feet deep show 

 the same phenomenon. The well is abandoned now, on account 

 of machinery having been lost in it, which interferes with its 

 use. 



On reaching the well, the writer first sealed the top, by means 

 of mortar and plaster of Paris, air-tight, inserting a one-fourth- 

 inch brass tube to connect the well with a gauge. The gauge 

 consisted of a simple U-tube of glass, bent so that the two limbs 

 were side by side. The bend of the tube and for several inches 

 up was filled with water, and a scale behind the glass tubes 

 measured any dillerence in height between the two columns of 

 water. On connecting this gauge with the well, if air had been 

 blowing out, its tension was measured by the height to which the 

 water in the outer limb rose above that in the inner. If, on the 

 contrary, air was being drawn into the well, on attaching the gauge, 

 the water would stand higher in the inner limb. The following 

 abstract from the observations made during four days will serve 

 to show the connection between the movement of air to and from 

 the well, and the fluctuations of the barometer : — 



The observations made showedieonclusively that, the air of the 

 well being stationary, if the barometer fell, the air of the well at 

 once exerted a pressure outward, as shown by the water-gauge. 

 Should the barometer then remain stationary, the tension of the 

 air of the well became gradually less until equilibrium was again 

 established. As this well was closed by the gauge, the evidence 

 was conclusive that the tension was relieved by the escape of air 

 from other openings, probably neighboring wells. Equilibrium 

 being established, should the barometer rise, the gauge showed 

 that the tension of the air of the well was less than that of the 

 atmosphere, and this inequality was corrected by an inflow of 

 air. If, after a fall of the barometer, a rise should ensue before 

 equilibrium was established, the gauge would still show a greater 

 internal tension. The well was therefore less delicate than the 

 barometer, because of the interval of time required for the neces- 

 sary movement of the air. After a sudden and considerable 

 change of the barometer a strong movement of air to or from the 

 well would be caused, and this movement would continue for some 

 hours, even though the barometer might be returning to its orig- 

 inal height. 



These wells doubtless tap a subterranean reservoir of air, proba- 

 bly filling the interstices of sand or gravel beds. When the 

 pressure of the external air is diminished, some of this imprisoned 

 air escapes, and the greater the fall of the barometer, the greater 

 the force with which the air is expelled. My friend Mr. Smith 

 utilized this air-current to blow a whistle which could be heard 

 all over the town, warning the inhabitants of a possible storm. 

 With a rising barometer, caused by an increase in the pressure of 

 the air, air would be forced back into the subterranean reservoir. 

 Mr. Smith tells me that when the air is going into the well, the 

 water recedes a certain amount, and that when the air is blowing 

 out, it can be heard bubbling through the water. 



' Read before the Kansas Academy of Science, Oct. 13, 1892. 

 2 The minus sign Indicates a drawlng-ln of air, the water standing higher 

 In the Inner limb ol the gauge. 



SOME ENTOMOLOGICAL FACTORS IN THE PROBLEM OF 

 COUNTRY FENCES.' 



BT F. 11. WEBSTER, OHIO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 

 WOOSTER, O. 



The subject of country fences has been frequently considered, 

 both as to matters of device and material, by bodies both scientific 

 and otherwise, and from almost every conceivable standpoint, 

 except from that of an entomologist. As a rule, man will utilize 

 for the purpose of constructing fences whatever available mate- 

 rial may be the most abundant in his locality. In New Euf^land, 

 where rocks are nearly everywhere over-abundant, the stone-waU 

 will probably predominate in future. On the prairies of the west, 

 where rock is a valuable material and timber equally so, a fence 

 of living trees or shrubs, which can be planted, or one composed 

 largely of iron, will occupy a position similar to the stone-wall of 

 the eastern States. In the south, where timber is abundant, we 

 may still look for its extravagant use, iu the old Virginia worm 

 fence composed of rails. To this, however, there are some ex- 

 ceptions. In Louisiana and portions of the south, barbed wire is 

 largely used, for the reason given me by a Louisiana planter, 

 viz., that the improvident negro cannot carry it away for fuel. 



There is no denying the fact, that some of these forms offences 

 are harborers of a vast number of insects. In this respect the 

 old worm-rail fence, with its wide margin of neglected ground 

 on each side, stands probably at the head, followed closely by the 

 stone-wall and hedge. A fence that has been very popular over 

 a large portion of the country lying between the Alleghenies and 

 longitude 97° west, is composed of posts and boards, the former 

 set at distances of from six to eight feet apart, the latter, from, 



' Read before the Biological Society of Washington, Nov. 19. 



