. Letters from high latitudes : being some account of a voyage in 1856 in the schonner yacht "Foam" to Iceland . whose lower orifice, instead of being in theroof, is at the side of the cavern, and below the surface ofthe subterranean pond. The water kept by the surroundingfurnaces at boiling point, generates of course a continuoussupply of steam, for which some vent must be obtained; asit cannot escape by the funnel,—the lower mouth of whichis under water,—it squeezes itself up within the arching roof,until at last, compressed beyond all endurance, it strainsagainst the rock, and pushing down
. Letters from high latitudes : being some account of a voyage in 1856 in the schonner yacht "Foam" to Iceland . whose lower orifice, instead of being in theroof, is at the side of the cavern, and below the surface ofthe subterranean pond. The water kept by the surroundingfurnaces at boiling point, generates of course a continuoussupply of steam, for which some vent must be obtained; asit cannot escape by the funnel,—the lower mouth of whichis under water,—it squeezes itself up within the arching roof,until at last, compressed beyond all endurance, it strainsagainst the rock, and pushing down the intervening waterswith its broad, strong back, forces them below the level ofthe funnel, and dispersing part, and driving part before it,rushes forth in triumph to the upper air. The fountains,therefore, that we see mounting to the sky during an eruption,are nothing but the superincumbent mass of waters in the VII.] THE BOUQUET OF WATERWORKS. 79 pipe driven up in confusion before the steam at the momentit obtains its The accompanying sketch may perhaps help you to under-stand my The last gulp of water had disappeared down the were standing at the bottom of the now empty basin,gazing into each others faces with joyous astonishment,when suddenly we perceived a horseman come franticallygalloping round the base of the neighbouring hill towards state of the case was only too evident. He had seen Professor Bunsen has lately announced a chemical theory, which Ibelieve has been received wath favour by the scientific world. He pointsto the fact that water, after being long subjected to heat, loses much ofthe air contained in it, has the cohesion of its molecules much increased,and requires a higher temperature to bring it to boil; at which momentthe production of vapour becomes so great, and so instantaneous, as tocause explosion. The bursting of furnace boilers is often attributableto this cause. Now, the water at the bottom of the well of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidlettersfromh, bookyear1879
