The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-08-05
NEW SERIES, VOL NO. 49,
Artesian Wells in Dallas County, Alabama

We alluded sometime since, says the Mo
bile Register, to the remarkable Artesian
Well, which was being bored on the premi-
ses of Mr.. Joel e. Matthews, at Cahawba,
for the purpose of supplying the necessary
water for the steam engine of Cotton Mill,
which that gentleman was erecting. This
well is 1876 feet deep, and discharges, 1900
gallons per minute. The Dallas Gazette
says: It is curiosity, and worthy a long
ride to have view Of it. The water boils
up roaring like cataract, forming branch
Of considerable size, and the low grounds
some two hundred yards distant, require
ditching, to carry off the immense quantity
of water collected upon its surface.
A correspondent gives a pretty full ac-
count of the process of boring this well, with
other particulars relating to it. First well
was dug in the ordinary way, 80 feet through
the red clay and gravel lying upon the rot
ten limestone. A large pine log was then
procured, and hole 81 inches in diameter
bored through it. After sharpening the end
and putting an iron band around it, the log
was put down and firmly driven into the
rock. The well was then filed up-the up
per end Of the log appearing foot above
the surface. The boring then commenced,
and with the various tools and contrivances
of the art, the earth was rapidly penetrated,
A regular succession of strata of rotten
| limestone, sandstone, blue, gray, green and
red sand were passed through, and three
sheets or grand division Of water lying un-
der one another, and each separated from the
al o. bv, vzboK IL, hOrar oo1loI
rock, i" very hard concrete of sand and
she'll.
As each lower sheet of water was reached
by the tools, the water was thrown up the
hole in greater quantities and with more VIC
lence. When the "frst water" that is, the
water just below the first sandstone wa;
reached, the upward flow of water, which
does not exceed seven gallons per minute
rushed up through the orifce, seemingly
impatient of its limits.
Thinking that the quantity of water would
be increased by charging the hole, the.
trimmed it out st inches in diameter, anC
238 feet deep, to the sandstone, lying abov'
this bed of water, and inserted tube from
the first, and resting upon the third sand
stone. They were not disappointed. TIL
water from small stream, became larg
: column, rushing upwards with violence, a
the rate of 1900 gallons per minute, an
running off in considerable rivulet. 1t ha
been said that the Artesian we'll at Grenoblt
, near Paris, is the largest in the world; bu
+ + the water thrown out there does not excee
800 gallons per minute. Mr.. Matthew
we'll throws out more than double that quar-
= tity.
0 Mr.. Reid, the successful borer of tn
well, has commenced boring another, son
y sixty yards distant, for Mr.. Matthews, whiC
u will be some 1900 or 1000 feet deep. !
prevent injury to che first, il is necessary
7 make the second one much deeper so as
/ reached a different stream of water. II
If first well is tubed, as the second will be.
2. Mr. Ried is also boring a well for D
d English, two hundred yards distant from N
: Matthews It is now $50 feet deep, al
discharges 200 gallons of water per minut