Deepest Wells in the World

Deepest Wells in the World.

The deepest well drilled in the United States is that of George Westinghouse, at Homewood, near the city of Pittsburgh, Pa., which on Dec. 1, 1886, had reached a depth of 4,618 feet, when the tools were lost and drilling ceased. The Buchanan farm well of the Niagara Oil Company, drilled by Frederick Crocker, in Hopewell township, Washington, Co., Pa., is 4,303 feet deep. The Rush well of the Niagara Oil Company, in Washington, Co., Pa., was abandoned at 3,330 feet. The deep well of Jonathan Watson, near Titusville, Pa., was drilled about 3,500 ft. J.M. Guffey & Co.'s well on the Walz farm at West Newton, Westmoreland Co., Pa., was drilled to a depth of 3,500 ft. The well of Isaac Willets at Sargent's Mills, near Sycamore, in Greene County, Pa., was abandoned at 3,008 feet.

The deepest bore hole in Europe is at Schladebach, near Kotschan station, on the railway between Corbetha and Leipzig, and was untertaken by the Prussian Government in search for coal. The apparatus used is a diamond drill, down the hollow shaft of which water is forced, raising again to the surface outside the shaft of the drill and inside the tube in which the drill works. By this method cores of about fifty feet in length have been obtained. The average length bored in twenty-four hours is twenty to thirty-three feet, but under favorable circumstances as much as 180 feet has been bored in that time. Other deep holes are as follows:

Domnitz, near Wetting . . . 3,287 ft
Probat-Jesar, Mecklenburg . . . 3,957 ft
Sperenberg, near Zossen . . . 4,173 ft
Unseburg, near Strassfurt. . . .4,242 ft
Leith-Elmshorn, Holstein . . . 4,390 ft
Schladebach. . . 4,515 ft

Stonehenge 1899

There are as many theories about Stonehenge as their are large stones there. This post is simply one of a curious fact. On Dec 31, 1899, yup the last day of the 19th century, a large stone falls at Stonehenge.

Comments at the time revolved around preserving the other stones from falling and resetting the stone that had fallen. In either event, what I find surprising is the lack of overplaying this historical event.

Popular Names

Hi all,

Here's a great little site I found for popular names during different time periods.

Popular Names

Naming our characters is always a challenge but it is also very important when it comes to historical fiction, imho.

Another tidbit with regard to naming your characters comes from the meaning of the names. I love having fun with those. Also, it's interesting to figure out the back story of how and why your character was given that name by his or her parents. Was it a family name? Was it a combination of two names, reduced, edited to become his or her own unique name. Were there reasons why your character wasn't named after his grandfathers? Was he or she given a name that was never used except when they were in trouble? Explore the possibilities, you'll be surprised just how much you can learn about your character by simply researching his or her names.

Years of Age for Animals from Houghtalings Handbook

The below entry is taken from Houghtaling's Handbook ©1887. Please note, these are the years that were written in the book, I find it odd that they thought whales lived to be a thousand years old.

Years of Ave which various Animals attain.
Whale, is said to live 1000
Elephant . . . 400
Swan . . .300
Tortoise . . . 100
Eagle . . . 100
Raven . . .100
Camel . . .100
Lion . . . 70
Porpoise . . . 30
Horse . . .25 to 30
Bear . . . 20
Cow . . .20
Deer . . . 20
Pigs . . . 20
Cat . . . 15
Fox . . .15
Dog . . . 20
Sheep . . . 10
Rabbit . . . 7
Squirrel . . . 8

A Delaware Indian Description from 1847

Continuing with the Oregon Trail by Parkman you'll find a description of an older Delaware Indian, his horse and his saddle. I hope you enjoy this vivid description.

Encamping near a spring, by the side of a hill, we resumed our journey in the morning, and early in the afternoon had arrived within a few miles of Fort Leavenworth. The road crossed a stream densely bordered with trees, and running in the bottom of a deep woody hollow. We were about to descend into it when a wild and confused procession appeared, passing through the water below, and coming up the steep ascent toward us. We stopped to let them pass. They were Delawares, just returned from a hunting expedition. Ah, both men and women, were mounted on horseback, and drove along with them a considerable number of packmules, laden with the furs they had taken, together with the buffalo-robes, kettles, and other articles of their travelling equipment, which, as well as their clothing and their weapons, had a worn and dingy aspect, as if they had seen hard service of late. At the rear of the party was an old man, who, as he came up, stopped his horse to speak to us. He rode a little tough, shaggy pony, with mane and tail well-knotted with burs, and a rusty Spanish bit in its mouth, to which, by way of reins, was attached a string of raw hide. His saddle, robbed probably from a Mexican, had no covering, being merely a tree of the Spanish form, with a piece of grizzly bear's skin laid over it, a pair of rude wooden stirrups attached, and in the absence of girth, a thong of hide passing around the horse's belly. The rider's dark features and keen snaky eyes were unequivocally Indian. He wore a buckskin frock, which, like his fringed leggings, was well polished and blackened by grease and long service; and an old handkerchief was tied around his head. Resting on the saddle before him lay his rifle, a weapon in the use of which the Delawares are skilful, though, from its weight, the distant prairie Indians are too lazy to carry it.

"Who's your chief?" he immediately inquired.

Henry Chatillon pointed to us. The old Delaware fixed his eyes intently upon us for a moment, and then sententiously remarked:

"No good! Too young!" With this flattering comment he left us, and rode after his people.

Catfish

Hi all,

I stumbled on this interesting tidbit and thought I'd share it with all of you. June 23, 1859 a hundred and sixty pound catfish was caught in the Kansas River in Topeka.

This tiny bit of information is recored in the Collections of Kansas State Historical Society, Vol. 12. ©1912 I'm thinking this record may have gotten lost over the years. Current largest catfish records are much lower in weight.

Another citation is from The Topeka Tribune, June 23, 1859.

BIG FISH.-Two large catfish were captured in the Kaw this morning. The largest one weighing, net, 160 pounds. The smaller one 110 pounds. The mouth of the larger one measured, on the inside, eight by twelve inches. That fellow could carry a pretty good lunch in his head.

FYI Kansas and Kaw River are the same.

Something Old, Something New

In yesterday's post there was a gift item that really caught my attention. "hanging baskets of wire lined with moss, and filled -with growing vines," And we've had the impression in recent years that this was a new modern item, well, at least I have. As I research more and more historical tidbits of the 19th century I find items like the hanging baskets, in use today and yet giving the appearance of being something new., in our mind's eye.

The same is true when I was researching the ice box and refrigeration. Here is a link to an article written by Barbara Krasner-Khaiton refrigeration and the invention of the refrigerated railroad cars.

Strength of Ice

This is an interesting tidbit when writing our historical novels.

From Houghtalings Handbook ©1889

Strength of Ice of Different Thickness
Two inches thick--Will support a man
Four inches thick--Will support a man on horseback
Five inches thick--Will support an eighty-pounder cannon
Eight inches thick--Will support a battery of artillery, with carriages and horses
Ten inches thick--Will support an army; an innumerable multitude

Burr & Hamilton Duel

July 11, 1804

In the early morning hours, Burr & Hamilton sat down in separate boats in Manhattan and rowed across the Hudson river to Heights of Weehawken, NJ. This location had long been a popular dueling ground. Both men agreed on the location because dueling had been outlawed in NY.

Burr reached the site first with his second, William P. Van Ness. Ness started clearing the underbrush for the duel. The weapons arrived separately to prevent them being used on the river. Burr & Ness arrived at 6:30 AM, Hamiliton, his second, Judge Nathaniel Pendleton and Dr. David Hosack arrived a few minutes before seven.

Lots were cast to choose position. Two shots was the preferred arrangement. Hamilton fired first into the air. Burr fired back and hit Hamiliton in the lower abdomen. Hamilton died the following day.

Burr fled to South Carolina but soon returned to Washington. His political career apparently over he went out west and became involved with a filibuster to establish the Louisiana territory as it's own empire. Burr was charged with treason and later acquitted. Years later he returned to NY was tried and acquitted for his role in the duel. He died in NY and never apologized to the Hamilton family.

Facts About the Sea

From Houghtalings Handbook ©1887

The sea cocupies three-fifths of the surface of the earth. AT the depth of about 3,500 feet waves are not felt. The temperature is the same, varying only a trifle from the ice of the pole to the burning of the sun of the equator. A mile down the water has a pressure of over a ton to a square inch. If a box six feet deep were filled with sea water and allowed to evaporate under the sun, there would be two inches of salt left on the bottom. The water is colder at the bottom than at the surface.

A Woman's Column from The Railroad Trainman 1890

Below is a copy of the "Women's Department" in an 1890 Railroad Trainman journal. Please note this was a two column article, which will make sense of the order and wording of some of the text below.

In the recent election of School Board in Boston, over six thousand ladies cast ballots.
The veil is said to have originated with the Hebrews, and was made of silk instead of lace.
The color of the Eiffel tower will have its influence in the world of fashion. Its brownish red will be conspicuous in French novelties this season.'

Mes. Ellen M. Giffoed, of New Haven, has given over 1116,000 to institutions and societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals. $30,000 of it was donated to a home for suffering animals in Boston.
We desire to again call attention to the necessity of sending all contributions for the Woman's Department directly to this office. They must reach Galesburg early in the month to appear in the following issue.

Conteirutions of several pages must possess unusual merit to be accepted. Observe that no long articles now appear in the Journal. We prefer those which make less than a page in print, and which never exceed two pages.

The Trainmen's Journal has undertaken to present each month the portrait of a remarkable woman. It is not possible, of course, to always give our readers the likeness and sketch of a woman conspicuous in labor circles. Such an undertaking would not only be impossible, but would confine us to a circle too limited to be thoroughly interesting. The intention is to have the range of subjects such as will give the life and variety that is pleasing.

Advice For American Women.
"I say to American girls who want to marry English dukes and marquises, earls and barons, lords and honorables and sirs, preserve your beauty; wear your veils and broad brimmed hats; keep out of the sun and wind: dread tan and freckles as you would the bite of a rattlesnake; retain your peach-like skins and your fragile figures. English dukes and marquises, earls and barons, lords, and honorables, and sirs, have enough bronze, leather-faced young women to choose from in Engiand without wanting any more from America. Give up tennis, unless beneath a wideawake, and even then just think of your poor hands! A backhander, which skims the net may cause you a thrill of delight, but it adds to the circumference of your wrist every time.
*****
"It is my belief that in their endeavor to be rough and mannish, brawny and brown-skinned, the American girls are overdoing it. It is a fad that will soon fade. It is too hot to last. There is really no stay in it. Unaccustomed to exercise, as exercise and for exercise's sake, these American girls will presently tire of their muscle and brown skins. Muscle and brown skins will then cease to be the fashion, and the pale faces and pink-and-white complexions will 'come in' again. In England, however,there will be no change."—[A London Press Correspondent.

It is fortunate for American women that the writer of the above advice lived to get across the Atlantic. Had anything prevented him studying the tastes of English noblemen American girls might have gone on indefinitely taking a little exercise, venturing out into the open air,and occasionally allowing a stray sunbeam to peep into their windows. It is quite unfortnnate this information didn't come months ago. The young women have been encouraged to ride and row and tramp through the woods, and even to play tennis, never dreaming, poor things, that it is dreadfully coarse and vulgar to increase the strength and circumference of their white wrists. They have even ventured to become florists and cultivate roses in the greenhouse without suspecting that it was foolish to bring the roses of health to their cheeks. And more; they have even dared to be gardeners and actually take right hold of a common hoe and massacre the -weeds in an onion bed. Ugh! The horrid creatures! And all this time they were unconscious of the fact that this was all wrong—that it is not what English nobility wants them to do, at all. This is a truly dreadful state of affairs and must be stopped instanter. The Journal hastens to assure tha London correspondent that the advice is fully appreciated on this side of the pond, and that it will leave nothing undone to hasten the "pink-and-white" millennium. And venturing to speak for the ladies, we further assure him that their only desire is to please Englishmen, and that the ambition of their lives is to lessen the frowns of English disapproval. In fact they don't give any other excuse for being in existence at all.

The correspondent may rest assured that all these awful practices will be promptly stopped. He did the proper thing by springing right into the gap. These relics of barbarism must be stamped out. Tennis must be tabooed. The sidesaddle must go. The hoe must be everlastingly banished. It may be a little unpleasant for the girls to stay out of the open air all the time, but they will have it to do. It may seriously injure their health, but that is a small matter if they can win an English smile. It may kill half of them off. What of it? The survivors will be sure of "pale faces and pink-and-white complexions," and it shall be done. Just let the nobility have a little patience and feminine barbarism over here will get a black eye.

A Woman with a record is Mrs. Emma Bull, of Maple, Maine, now ninety years old. She was one of the first settlers on the Aroostook river, and during the first three months did not see even an Indian woman.

ELIZABETH BISLAND.

On the opposite page we present the portrait (recently published by Leslies') of a young woman who has performed a remarkable feat. Without employing any unusual mode of conveyance—without chartering any fast special trains or using any other than the ordinary mode of transportation at the command of every traveler, and being subjected to the same delays as the regular tourist, she circumnavigated the globe in seventy-five days — the best record ever made without employing special facilities. In this remarkable trip the courageous young woman traveled entirely alone, and whiled away her time by preparing a description of what she saw and learned, for publication in the Cosmopolitan upon her return.
Miss Bisland is a native of the South, and made her first appearance as a writer by occasional sketches in the New Orleans newspapers. After attracting some attention by literary ability she went to New York city about three years ago and became a contributor to a number of excellent publications. About three months ago the Cosmopolitan made an arrangement whereby her entire time is to be devoted to that rising star in the literary firmament, and her first work written while circumnavigating the globe, will be eagerly awaited by everybody who longs to see the strange sights of foreign countries as pictured by her pen.

Odd and Various Tidbits

Here are a bunch of odd but useful tidbits we can use with our historical characters.

Substitute for a Corkscrew.
A convenient substitute for a corkscrew, when the latter is not at hand, may be found in the use of a common screw, with an attached string to pull the cork.
Another. — Stick two forks vertically into the cork on opposite sides, not too near the edge. Run the blade of a knife through the two, and give a twist.
Another.—Fill the hollow at the bottom of the bottle with a handkerchief or towel; grasp the neck with one hand, and strike firmly and steadily with the other upon the handkerchief.

To send Messages in Cypher.
Any document written in cypher, by which signs are substituted for letters, or even for words, is liable to be decyphered. The following plans are free from such objection: The correspondents select two copies of the same edition of a book, the word to be used is designated by figures referring to the page, line, and number of the word in the line; or the message may be written on a slip of paper wound spirally around a rod of wood ; these can only be decyphered by bringing them into their original position, by wrapping around a second rod of the same size.

Castor Oil as a Dressing for Leather.
Castor oil, besides being an excellent dressing for leathor, renders it vermin-proof; it should be mixed, say half and half, with tallow or other oil. Neither rats, roaches, nor other vermin will attack leather so prepared.

To Prevent Haystacks from Taking Fire.
When there is nny reason to fear that the bay which is intended to be boused or stacked is not sufficiently dry, let a few nandfuls of common salt be scattered between each Inyer. This, by absorbing the humidity of the hay, not only prevents the fermentation, and consequent inflammation of it, but adds a taste to it, which stimulate? the appetites of cattle and preserves them from many diseases.

To Prevent Cold Feet at Night.
Draw off the stocking, just before undressing, and rub the ankles and feet with the hand as hard as can be borne for 5 or 10 minutes. This will diffuse a pleasurable glow, and those who do so will never have to complain of cold feet in bed. Frequent washing and rubbing them thoroughly dry with a linen cloth or flannel, is useful for the same purpose.

To Bring Horses out of a Stable on Fire.
Throw the harness or saddles to which they may have been accustomed, over the backs of the horses in this predicament, and they will come out of the stable as tractably as usual.

Horses Pulling at the Halter.
Many remedies have been proposed for curing this bad habit, but a simple and effective one is to discard the common halter, and get a brotid, strung lenther strap to buckle around the neck fur a few inches below the oars. A horse may pull at this, but wilt soon give it up.

Florida Lynx

As an author of historical fiction, I come across information that is not commonly known. The Florida Lynx is such a tidbit. While working on a proposal someone questioned about a Lynx being in Florida. Their understanding was they were more common in northern states. Now, had I put the term "Florida Lynx" how the animal is actually referred to, perhaps I wouldn't have had the question asked of me.

I share this because, one, my manuscript will include the term Florida Lynx and not simply a Lynx. Two, because I think it is something for all historical authors as well as other writers, to keep in mind what the reader may or may not assume when reading our work.

Below is an excerpt from “The Land Mammals of Pennisular Florida and the Coast Region of Georgia” ©1898 concerning the Florida Lynx.
Lynx (cervaria) Ruffus Floridanus (Raf.).
Lynx floridanus Raf., Amer. mon. mag., 1817, vol. 2, p. 46 (based on the Lynx or wild cat of Bartram).
Lynx rufus var. floridanus Baird, Mam. N. Amer., 1857, p. 91, in text. Allen, Bull. Amer. mus. nat. hist., 1893, vol. 5, p. 32, in text.
Lynx ruffus floridanus Rhoads, Proc. Acad. nat. sci. Phila., 1897, p. 32, foot-note.
Type locality. Florida.
The Florida lynx is a common animal all over Florida and extends west to Louisiana and most probably north throughout eastern Georgia. It is a matter of great regret to me that Mr. Brown failed to secure specimens of lynx in Georgia, but undoubtedly L. floridanus is the form found there.

And this tidbit comes from "Birda & Nature" ©1899
Different writers have classified several species of the American lynx, including the Texas lynx, which is found in Texas, and southern California; the Oregon lynx, which inhabits northern Oregon and Washington. There is also a Florida lynx. It is believed there is not much justification for these divisions, which Brehm says are based principally upon the different markings of the fur, and that in a general way it may be said that the specimens obtained from southern climates have shorter fur, which is more brightly colored and more distinctly spotted than-those from the northern regions; but otherwise these animals do not differ in their habits and characteristics, which are those of the lynx group in general.

And finally this description of the Florida Lynx from "Encyclopedia Metropolitana ©1845
F. Floridana, Rafin.; Florida Lynx. Smaller than the Bay Lynx; ears not tufted; coat greyish, the sides varied with yellowish brown spots, and waving black rays. Native of Florida.

A list of Interesting Household Tidbits

Below are all sorts of tidbits to help one around the home. These items came from Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book ©1871 but might be found in some of her earlier volumes of this book. There are several of these I'll be using in my novels. I believe if you read the entire list you'll get excited about one or two for your novels as well.

Items of Advice.
If you keep an account of your stores, and the dates when they are bought, you can know exactly how fast they are used, and when they are wasted, or stolen.

Stale bread is improved by steaming it half an hour or more.

Grate up dry cheese, and cheese crusts, moisten it with wine or brandy, and keep it in a jar for use. It is better than at first.

Boil old earthen soaked with grease in hot lye, and I will cleanse it.

Wheat should always be washed before grinding.

When you clean house, begin with the highest room first, so that clean rooms be not soiled when done.

Repair house linen, turn sheets, and wash bedclothes in summer.

Clean house in the fall instead of spring, and you get rid of all the filth made by flies. But when you burn coal, spring is the proper time for house cleaning.

Keep coarse mats on the kitchen table for keeping it clean.

Use a coarse apron and gloves for cleaning grates. Have coal cinders sifted, and save the coarse part to burn again.

Buy your wood in August and September, when it usually is cheapest and plenty.

Have the backs of your chimneys kept clean by sweeping.

Never try a new dish for company.

To purify water, put common charcoal pounded in a common flower-pot, and fine sand over it, and let the water trickle through. Or, take an old sieve, and fill it with sand and pounded charcoal, and strain the water, and then cool it with ice.

Keep a receipt book for yourself, and write in it the improvements of your own experience.

Keep bits of potter's clay in the house, to use for a paste to extract grease from carpets, floors, and broadcloths.

Dry bran around grapes and other fruit preserves it.

All fat should be tried up once a week, for cooking, or soap grease. Good fat saves butter.

When a stove-pipe or other iron is cracked, make a cement with ashes, salt, and water, and it will stop the opening.

Faded colors often are improved by strong salt and water.

Hal volatile, or spirits of hartshorn, will restore colore taken out by acids.

Eggs are preserved longer by packing them close, 'standing on their small ends. Another way is to pack them in fine salt, small end down. Another way is to pack them, small end down, and then pour on them a mixture of four quarts of cold water, four quarts of unpacked lime, two ounces of salt, and two ounces of cream-tartar. This will serve for nine dozen eggs. Try all these ways.

Rancid butter is said, by good judges, to be restored thus :—Put fifteen drops of chloride of lime to a: pint of water, and work the butter in it till every particle has come in contact with the water. Then work it over in fair cold water.

Indelible Ink is thus prepared :—Buy three drachms of nitrate of silver, and put it in a vial with two spoonfuls of water. Let it stand a few days, then color it with a little ink, and add a tablespoonful of brandy. The preparation is made of strong pearlash water, stiffened with gum-arabic, and colored with red wafers.

Buy cheap red wafers, and scatter them about, and cockroaches will eat them and be destroyed. The roots of black hellebore scattered in their haunts is an infallible remedy.

Cold cream for sore lips, is made by mixing two ounces of oil of almonds, one ounce of spermaceti, one drachm of white wax, and melting them together, adding rose water to perfume them.

Jelly-bags should be made of flannel, and pudding cloths of thick linen, with strings sewed on to them.

Rose leaves should be gathered and preserved by crowding them into a jar with brandy, to use for cooking.

Potato starch is made by grating peeled potatoes, and rubbing them in water. Then pour off the water, after stirring it, and dry what sinks to the bottom.

Orange and lemon peel can be saved thus :—Dry it in an oven, pound it, and then bottle it close.

Orange or lemon water is prepared thus :—Pound the fresh skins in a mortar, pour in boiling water, cover close, and when cold bottle close. Or use wine or brandy.

Cologne water is made thus :—Buy at the apothecary's one drachm each of oil of lavender, oil of lemon, oil of rosemary, and oil cf cinnamon. Add two drachms of oil of bergamot. Mix in a vial, and add a pint of alcohol.

When Pearlash or Saleratus becomes damp, dissolve it in as much water as will just entirely dissolve it . and no more. A tablespoonful of this equals a teaspoon ful of the solid. Keep it corked in a junk bottle.

The following is a very useful receipt for children who go to school where blackboards are used. To make nice Crayons for Blackboards.
These directions are given by Prof. Turner, of the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb, as follows:
"Take 5 pounds of Paris white, 1 pound of Wheat flour, wet with water, and knead it well; make it so stiff that it will not stick to the table, but not so stiff as to crumble and fall to pieces when it is rolled under the hand.
"To roll out the crayons to the proper size, two boards are needed, one to roll them on; the other to roll them with. The first should be a smooth pine board three feet long and nine inches wide. The other should also be pine, a foot long and nine inches wide, having nailed on the under side near each edge a slip of wood onethird of an inch thick, in order to raise it so much above the under board as that the crayon, when brought to its proper size, may lie between them without being flattened.
"The mass is rolled into a ball, and slices are cut from one side of it about one-third of an inch thick: these slices are again cut into strips about four inches long and one-third of an inch wide, and rolled separately between these boards until smooth and round.
"Near at hand should be another board 3 feet long and 4 inches wide, across which each crayon, as it is made, should be laid, so that the ends may project on each side—the crayons should be laid in close contact, and straight. When the board is filled, the ends should all be trimmed off so as to make the crayons as long as the width of the board. It is then laid in the sun, if in hot weather, or if in winter, near a stove or fireplace, where the crayons may dry gradually, which will require twelve hours. When thoroughly dry they are fit for use.
"An experienced hand will make 150 in an hour. Young boys can make them and sell to their companions.