The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-16
Artesian Well In Dallas, Alabama.

We alluded some time since to the remarkable
Artesan Well, which was being bored on the
premises of Mr. Joel Mathews at Cahawba,
for the purpose Of supplying the necessary
water for the steam engines Of cotton mill,
which that gentleman was erecting This we'll
has now been completed. 1t is 735 feet deep,
and discharges 1900 gallons of water per min
ute. The Dallas Gazette says: IL is curiosity
and is worth a long ride to have view of it,
The water boils up roaring like cataract, form.
ing branch of considerable size, and the low
grounds, some two hundred yards distant re-
quire dilching to carry oft the immense quantity
OF water collected upon its surface
correspondent gives pretty full account
of the process of boring this well, with other
particulars relating to it, A well was dug in the
ordinary way, 80 feet, through the red clay and
gravel lying upon the rotten limestone. A large
pine log was then procured and hole 81 inches
in diameter, bored throughit. Ate1s sharpening
the end and putting an iron band around it, the
log was put down and firmly driven and forced
into the rock. The well was then filled up
the upper end OF the log appearing about a foot
above the surface. The boring then commenced,
and with the various tools and contri ances of
the art, the earth was rapidly penetrated.
A regular succession of strata Of rotten lime
stone, sandstone, blue, gray, green and red sand
were passed through, and three sheets, or grand
divisions of water lying under one another, and
each separated from the other by what the well
borer called sand rock" very hard concerto
Of sand shells,
AS each lower sheet Of water was reached by
the tools, It's water was thrown up through the
hole in greater quantities, and with more vo-
Ience When the "frst water'-that is the wa
ter just below the first sand stone--was reached,
the upward flow of the wafer did not exceed
seven gallons per minute. 1t was increased to
one hundred gallons, when the second sand
stone was perforated, and on reaching the third
sheet of water, upwards of three hundred gal
Ions per minute rushed up through the orifice,
seemingly impatient of its limits
Thinking that the quantity of water would
be increased by enlarging the hole they trimmed
it out 81 inches in diameter, and 238 feet deep,
to tn, sand stone lying above this third bed of
water and inserted tube from the first and
resting upon the third sand stone. They were
not disappointed The water, from small
stream became large column, rushing up.
wards with violence, at the rate Of 1900 gallons
per minute, and running off in a considerable
rivulet. 1t has been said the Artesan at Gren
oble, near Parish is the largest in the world
but the water thrown out there does not ex
coed 600 gallons, per minute Mr. Mathews
well throws out more than double that guam
tty
Mr.. Reid, the successful borer of this well,
has commenced boring another, some sixty
yards distant (for Mr. Mathews) which will be
some 1900, or 2,O0O feet deep. To prevent in
jury to the first, it is necessary to make The
second one much deeper, so rs to reach differ
ent stream of water. The first we'll is tubed as
the second will be.
Mr.. Reid is also boring well for Or. Eng
lish, two hundred yards distant from Mr.. Ma
thews Isnow $50 feet deep, and discharges 200
gallons of water per minute.-Mobiie Reg.