New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-04
The Artesian Well.
LOUISIANA

We have been kindly furnished by Mr.. Reed,
the contractor for constructing the Artesian
Well In Canal street, with the following in
teresting article upon the subject:
The subscriber, who has been engaged for
many weeks past in making an Artesian Well
in Canal street., being compelled to suspend the
work for a short time, begs leave to make the
following statement.
Under q contract with the Joint Committee
of the Common Council, the work was COM
menced on the 10th of February last and has
proceeded without interruption to the present
time. In the expectation of having to pene-
trate an alluvial deposit of extraordinary
depth, the diameter determined upon is greater
than was ever before adopted, either in this
country or in Europe being such as to receive
tubing Of cast-iron whose outside diameter is
IA inches The bottom piece of tubing is a
little larger than any other portion, and is 81
feet in length. All the others are 10 feet in
length. The particles of the tubing are three
fourths of an inch thick, leaving an inside dia-
meter of 12a inches which (allowing for ine-
qualities Of the inner surfaee) permits the in
PRODUCTION of tools of the size of III inches,
On the end of every piece of tubing is form
ed an outside-screw for the distance of %
inches. Atevery junction a band is made Of
wrought-iron, 5 inches wide, on the inner sur
ihCe VI NnlGH Ia GuU d SCFeW. 10 receive the
screws on the ends of the lengths of tubing.
By continued additions of lengths of tubing at
the top, and excavations from the bottom inside,
the whole tubing has been forced down to the
depth of 1913 feet and inches The boring has
been extended to d much greater depth, merely
to explore and ascertain the strata which have
to be passed through. These have been emu
merated with sufficient accuracy in an article
prepared by another person, which appeared in
I" The Semi Weekly Creole of this city, for
Wednesday, April 10, 1854. The pressure upon
the outside of the tubing is now SO great that
the means hitherto employed are insufficient to
of preparation, and no difficulty is apprehended
when all shall be ready.
In regard to the prospect of success in pro-
curing plentiful supply of water, not the
slightest doubt exists. A practical experience
Of nine years, in various portions Of Alabama,
during which the subscriber has made over one
hundred wells, Of depths varying from 40 to 800
feet, and without failure in one single instance,
enables him to speak with the utmost confidence.
In the earliest stage of his proceedings, he ex-
pressed doubts which were then real; but they
have been completely removed by the develop
ments of the last few weeks. He finds the
strata totally different from what he had been
led to expect They are such as are never de-
posted in any but lake or gulf basins, and in
all respects identical with those which oharac-
terize the region referred to in Alabama. He
has no doubt Of being obliged to penetrate to a
great depth probably not less than ten or
twelve hundred feet; but mere depth is no OBJ
stacle whatever, only requiring little more
time, patience and perseverance,
He is forced to procure complete set Of new
tools; those which he is now using being lite
rally worn out. Before this can be accom-
r1Iic nod hos mill L. \
he does not expect to proceed further with the
work until his return. This will take place. if
no epidemic occurs, early in September; from
and after which time, with every requisite
means In perfect order, he promises to continue
the work, without interruption, till complete
success shall crown the enterprise.
N B. REED.
Some very interesting features have. attended
the progress Of this work, though the various
state of clay, sand shells, etc, have presented,
with one or two exceptions, nothing very extra
ordinary or other than what might have been
anticipated. At depth of rs feet, among a
large quantity Of shells of various descriptions.
was found q perfect clam of the species album
dant al the present time in the waters of various
portions of this continent These shells were so
firmly imbedded and compressed together as to
form solid mass of several feet in depth, which
offered great resistance to the augur. Twenty
two feet below this fine sand of remarkable
description was reached It proved to be iden-
tical in every respect with costly material
used the purpose of grinding and polishing
glass, gems, ETC., and had the appearance in
mass Of fine, blue, plastic clay.
= af I
solid ceder log, Of such extreme tenacity that
the progress Of the work was arrested for %
days, since which time up to the present no OBJ
staole of the sort has been encountered and the
boring has proceeded without interruption.