Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-10-18
For the Southern Standard.
The Artesian Well.

rt with the citizens of Columbus, than the
oool;no stream gushing out from the artesion WELL
:, no;n street For several days past, crowds
bavo been standing around the hydra with pitch
ers, dippers, and tumblers quenching thelr thirs'
with beverage that flows freely from the laoora-
tory of nature, which Gin the beginning oou
not only pronounced "good, " but every good.
As artesian wells are becoming common IN TINS
section of country, brief sketch OF their origin
would be interesting to at least, some OF your hu
merous readers, who have not had an opportunity
of investigating the subject.
The name /" Artesiqn WeH' is applied to arti-
fetal fountains, made, by boring through strata
that are destitute of water, into lower stratum
HIGHLY charged with this important fluid, the 'out
cron' of which stratum is in more elevated por-
ton of the country consequently, there Is no
mystery whatever in the rise OF water IN an arte-
sian we'll 1t is by hydraulic pressure through the
the bore or tube of the well, to level with that
norton of the earths surface where the stratum
crops out, and receives the water by ram, and
otherwise. The 'out crops of the various strata
from which our artesian wells are supplied with
water, is North east of this place, in the elevated
ridges of Fayette and Marion counties, Ala.-the
ssdip' is consequently Southwes and from rella-
BILE information obtained from those who have had
experience in boring wells in the rotton limestone,
or indurated mari of the praires, we learn that,
that rock increases in thickness twenty-five feet
per mile in a Southwest direction from this fact
we may infer that the ''Green Sand -" through
which we have to bore for water on the east
side of the Tombigbee, is governed by the same
rule; for the indurated mari rests above the green
sand The most of the water in the prairies, west
of this is obtained in thin stratum intervening be
tween the green sand, and mdurated mari, composed
of calcarious sand stone, conglomerate, loose wa
ter-worn pebes whitish coored silicious rock,
and Ignite This then, will account for the fact
of the water not rising above the ground in the
lime formation, where that rock is only perforated
The name ArteSian agelE is derived from Art0is,
(the ancient Artesium) where the practice of ma
king such wells first had its origin. Fountains o.
this kind are known by the name of Biog acells on
the Eastern coast of Lincolnshire, near Louth and
the sea shore. This portion of England was des
titute of springs of any kind until it discov
cred that by bearing through the clay to the sub
jacent chalk, fountain might be obtained, which
would flow necessarily to the height of severa
feet above the surface. Wells of this kind, since
that time have become common in other parts o
England, and especially in the vicinity of London
g There they bore through what is denomnated b.
Lyle and other biologists, London clay into porou
/ beds of plastic clay or even still deeper to til
S chalk
1t was in 1894 that the first artesian well wa
! boared near London, description of which wa
given in 1897, in the Phil. Trans. London. Tn
0 water of this well was derived from sandy STRAIT
e of the plastic clay formation; this sandy forma
, ton however, obstrueted the free flow of the wa
! ter, to avoid which they tube their wells ant
continue their bearing until they reach the chalk
d In the Tertiary bason of Perpignan, and th
chalk formation of Tours in France it is said tina
a there are subterranean streams comparable t
rivers in size, and of wonderful upward pressure
> Mr.. Arago states that at the above mentione
{ places, the water rushes up with such violence
that common ball dropped into the tube of a
artesian well, will be Immediately elected with con
siderable force by the ascending stream of water
: and also at Raussillon, that the water rises fit
= feet above the surface, when a tube is extende,
= that high from an artesian we'll
In the American Journal of Science, and Art
New Series, vol. l. p. 264, tits stated that the Ar
teslan well at Grenella, near Paris, is 1894 fee
deep, traversing chalk in the greater part Of il
d course. The water of this well rises fifty fec
above the surface, and is discharged at the rate
. QUO gallons per minute, Temperature $50 F.
the same journal, vol. III. p 142, it is stated tina
the arteslan well in the Duchy of Luxembourg, i
+ l847 was 984 feet deeper than the one at Gren
+ ella, which would make the Luxembourg well Q.
a 100 feet deep. This well, at the depth of 900
If feet discharged water at the temperature of $50
Artesian wells have long been in use in italy
IN the Dutchy of Modenia, in Holland, and eve
o in far off China.
s IL is SAID that an easy method of boring arte
: sian wells has recently been practised near Saal
oruck' by NJ SeIow. Instead of the tardy an
; costly progress of boring with number of iro,
rods screwed to each other, one heavy barr of ca,
lron' about six feet long and four inches in dian
eter, armed at its lower end with cutting ebise
e and surrounded by hollow chamber. to recev
through valves, and bring up the detritus of II
perforated stratum, is suspended at the end of
e strong rope, which passes over pully. fixed ove
r the spot IN which the well is to be bored Az n
rope Is raised up and down over the puy its torto
gives 10 the instrument circular motion suffice,