Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-08-22
From the Charleston COarier-
r.. a.s..i.. xx.u A. shts ritx

held at Cleveland Ohio
This well, commenced in ls4s. BY Sr. Andrew G. Wei
ton under the authority Of the City Council b the hh
effort In Charleston TO procure good water 10y means OF
Artesian Well
In 1894 one undertaken under the authority,
and sunk the depth of sS5 feet when the iron rods
twisted Of in the well, and could be extracted. In
1926, second effort made by private enterprise and
soon abandoned for want Of In lsa6, Captain
Bowman undertook Fort Sumpter, in the har,or,
under the authority of the General Government The APP
preparation giving out this work suspended aer attain
ing the depth of $50 feet In lsi7 another one
commenced in this city, and sunk 2Ss feet The fol
lowing wear, the City Council engaged the services of
Mr.. Welton, who had bored many wells in Alabama and
other South Western States, with great success. He
preferred to commence From that time the work
has been perseveringly followed up with only such delays
for obtaining tubes and the well has
tanned depth of HAS feet.
Few wells have presented many difficulties called
for greater courage skill in the engineer.
The superficial soil of Charleston is loose auval sand
about twenty feet thick lower half Of which
rated with Beneath this lies stin compact clay,
post peoceuel gradually passing into sand, likewise
water bearing and about 40 feet thick At 90 feet below
the surface the firm mari is concentrated the
rous strata of which in the aggregate $50 feet thick
Beneath these and differing bu, little from them in mine
rAogcal character lie the cretaceous strata Of
known thickness Both the eocene and the crctaceous
consist of alternating layers Of hard limestone
firm mari sandstone and loose sands seldom containing
less than 20 per of carbonate of lime Mr. Weon
has had to chisc his way through not less than fifty four
rocks varying from TO two feet in thickness and
amounting in the aggregate about $50 feet Cast iron
tubes internal diameter, first sunk So feet.
of feet exclude the superficial and the post
pleoccne sands But these succeeded in gradually
working their doWnwards passing under the mouth
of the tube and into the we'll the tubes sunk deeper
at various times, until finally they rested firmly thick
rock $50 feet deep.
Below this point the continued and gene
rally underneath large and hard rock bed of loose
sand found, which poured into the veil Such bed
the engineer first strove TO exhaust that is draw out
with the bucket all the sand that would in and impede
the work BY this operation repeated various points
the well finally consisted of series of chambers,
perhaps Of several feet in diameter below the other
and all connected together by the neck like pas
sage OF the WELL IL inches diameter through the inter
mediate rocks At zoo feet the sands in fast
and in such quantities. that progress could be made
The engineer generally found the well 50 or lOO some
times l+O feet less keep in the morning than he had left
it in the preceding evening. After toilng in vain for
long time to exhaust the streams it determined to shut
them out by system OF tubing. To do this the passages
through all the rocks had TO be opened from TO fully
inches in diameter
This was done At the depth Of 40 feet there was a
rock which the tools had generally been employed and
which caught the tubes. Withdrawing these that pas-
sage worked again. Ii appeared that a nodule
in the rock projected into the passage and had always
driven the tube in an obhque direction. IL at eag
broken OF. Below this rock large chamber, and
the tools entering it without losing their perpendicu
arity struck the bottom little one side Of the bore
previously made, and which they could be induced
afterwards to enter. From this point down the whole
work had TO De done again.
This finally Affected aud sheet iron tubes
down to shut out the sands The well then continued
down 10 o20 feet. But again the sands came in and
filed the well for hundred feet The tubing seve-
raj hundred feet which had been sent down. vas found
TOO light and uHmanageab.e. The engineer resolved TO
withdraw it, snd insert instead wrought iron tubes
external and inches internal diameter screwed together
form continuous tube from the OF the
well to the surface Of the earth This the largest size
which the somewhat warped iron tubing the ton
you'd allow TO pass through.
Tucutyfour feet Of the light tubing obstinately refused
10 be extracted snd remained fixed in the we'll than
zoo feet below the surface. Nothing dauuted the engi-
neeE thrust portion Of aside into the chambers, aud
his WAY through the rest and has hUay succeeded in
sinking the wrought iron tubes TO the depth Of lU2 feet
Sni has bored - feet lover still.
In sinking these tubes, which generally followed
feet behind the auger chisel itlc difficulty met
from the r1cSs. When one % these encountered
the tube arrested if possible foot chieeu inches
above IT, surface, and tool invented 10y Nr. Weon
sent down, which could be o1eaci when the bottom /
to cut hole i've inches in diameter and which could
be closed pleasure 70 o, withdrawn again through
the narrow passage Of tae tube At tine the tubs
would rest Immediately on tIe rock vou!! he caught
case the tool just referred 10, sufficient for il .
could open only certain distance below the mouth OF
the tube, which it wslll therefore leave standing on a
ledge. Here the engineer having first drilled - inch
hole entirely through the rock ani into the sulratum
below IT, send down another tool closed during IT, descent
and made 20 open ont below the rock aud a pas
rage through IT, OF the requisite size from the bottom NJ
wards TO the mouth Of the tube This doue the tool could
be closed and ~ithd!En. None Il those tools caused
embarrassment i.iie % effect their purpose although
worked with ahandIe more than thousand feet long.
Notwithstanding the Of tho perfect tubes that
could be procured the sand t continued to give
AZ the rods were Withdrawn, they would rush 10
from below with tie water f the vacant space some
ues filing tine well 90 bc depth ai o1 feet almost insian.
tsneol-i- 4.- Teuctel by building reservoir AZ
sufficient height, ICON -L.-h. the rods with.
drlsn the water was let into the well, produce
d5ruvari current through the pipes Such Wa
Lke-, made OF al times 10 loosen AMI the saud-
packed about youth Of the tube and ALLOW it pro.
coed.
The lateral pressure on the tubes has api!y INCREASED
a. they descend, requiring powerful Leverage aud heavy
blow, Of a % force them down. When started
however they frequently descend rapidly until arre
TED by rock. The present system scarcely be- sum.
G1y lover for although tue bottom is free, great te
lateral pressure that Tubs started by a pow
under which hc lius show signs Of giving way. Other
tubing Of such size let down inside J re present
system will bee speedily procured, when &c is hoped tlc
wrES viii again be prosecuted
brief notice Of the principal tpo'- not DE ont Of
place The EL, used are o. pine about . If inches ir
diameter, aud N feet LONG, tspcHug their extrcmte.
where they are armed v.;a iron heads bearing
The too. 10 Doe used is screwed rol and both are et
dom into the well until oul end Of the rol, beung
male screw. project above Je mouth OF 'hc well sher-
i' i firmly held by an iron catch yoke. beneath suta
tr iron baud che second roll j. then a.rcr!
td - screwed 90 Che second aud un, until tine bottom
Is reached. The upper I'D r held suspended either whoI
y OF 300 part. tue Engineer desiro- by uDyr1h' pui
ley and bears cro bar Oh tie handle ly means Of which
tue woTSmeu may Ira the rod. and tool they pelse
The chief tool j. the Agqer useI n boring clly. mari
or any Consistent layer not u stony hardness Il b. cr
'I- -i''I" A.A y SIOUX bIt'ie iI men
and half inch igk, slightly tlp..iu- Ioslwlrds su
extremity b. siei he EUgrr, aud terminates two
cutting edges like tlO-o Ola iE for b,.nug IRON About
Ir inches above the point two bite, Ike chose ola plane
are securely fastened, each side oI .e central bite
and are inclined a. angle oi o., go foo 90 exactly
~ augef, like the twist Of tho blade; The upper csfrem
ties Of those bitt- extended backward horizontally
A. % give support 'o tHs lead vh.u packed above
the auger The upper portion OF he central iiIl. fr.u
mates boz strong tub. with scfrF. The lugcr 'u. mlr
b. screwed t0 metal tlIs ls ~ leel long l. ..la
l1lin is screwed % he rvet fr-troI. Tie csf'H ru
and BE- gradually packed around tie stem. lI tenacious
.i such "fI soon become 4fr auI water light pie
.1u 100 ilc v.N. Which cannot Do eEfir'.I from great
depth wI.HIt great ril Ul breaking nD and lIr' i.sry
d. hr ".nr anger fpHantri Dow .ilI i.i ''r Cooper
DOS Duu-' Ff,tI d. l.llut. '.ts ..r'H admirably
o'T.1'a'. The atr'., Wsr .pe above Oh. a1grr h.s
rree o. four sHIt'''. "ru..s uea. b. M. A- te load
raised. 'he @li'r .'..e enters these posse IYEr anH
H.- through ia' s..I.lr.. beneath iYs It. bite iU.D