The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-11-04
ARTESiAN WELLS,

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ARTESIAN WELLS.
For some years past we have occasionally
seen paragraphs in the papers about boring
for water in Charleston, South Carolina,
which is still pursued with great pcrscvcr-
ancc under many difficulties. We UNDER
stand that over 1900 feet of tubing have al
ready been let down, and the boring is still
being conducted, although with great difficult
ty, through very hard sand stone, twenty
four feet of which have already been pcnetra-
tod.
AnartcSian well is now being bored at the
sugar refinery of Messrs. Bclchcr, st. Louis,
and has attained the great depth of 2200 feet
without reaching the pure element.
Deep wells Of small diameter made by Dor.
ing for water have received the general name
of Artcsan wells, name derived from Artois
in France, where the first one III that country
was constructed. Some general account of
these wells, ancient and modern may he in
tcrcsting to our readers.
The following account of Artesian wells in
Amsterdam was given in 1916 by NJ. do Thu
ry. Inspector General of Mines, in France:
Amsterdam on the Amstcl, at the cxtrcmi-
ty of the Iuydcrzce, is situated upon modern
alluvia deposits of marine argilaccors sand =,
alternate, Of unknown thickness, but which
cannot be loss than from thirty to forty me-
trcs-and this has rendered necessary for the
foundation of its churches palaces and pub
lie monuments, piles driven very deep and
solid. The city required good water. The
first attempt 10 attain it by boring was in
1908, when they reached the depth of 252
feet. The second attempt was made in ITO
how deep they went we are not informed
but some old men say thirty to forty metres
\ metre is little less than thirty-nine and
half inches The third attempt was made
in 1887 to 1912, when they attained a depth
Of Ia metres The Director of the Obscrva-
tory Of Utrecht, says, that after having pier
ccd through bed of sea shells, they entered
bed ofvcry hard black fossil wood, which
some compared to the ancient piles of old
London bridge,-othcrs compared them to
Ignite. Below this bed they found sand al
ternating with beds of shells, turfs, numerous
remains of marine animals, but they do not
say at what depth they found these bones of
animals, or buried forests.
Moro Crave, an Engineer desired my opin-
ion in 1915, as to the depth at which we
could attain good water, which would rise to
the surface or above it, FronSmy observa-
tons and theories, said that probably, at
the depth Of at least 200 metres, water would
be found good and come to the surface, but
that it might require depth of 800 Or 400
metres.
The art of boring for water asccnds to the
most remote antiquity. 1t was practiscd
with great success in Egypt, Arabia, Persia,
China, India, Armenia, Greece, Italy. and f.
nally in France. Such Artcsan wells have
been called Chinese wells, Egyptian wells,
Greek wells, Lombard wells. Modenese wells
a great number of such wels-among others
those in the Gases of the Deserts of Africa
are merely Artesian wells like our own.
They went down to what the Arabs styled
the "Subtarranean Sea-" In many Of these,
the waters rise still above the surface of the
ground, forming fountains of more or less ele-
Walton. The stations of the Caravans are fix
cd about these fountains. The pclpondicu-
lar direction and small diameter ofthcsc wells
decide the question. They wero bored me-
Chemically, as we now do; but we canot say
at what period they were bored, or to what
people they are due.
The modern Artcsian we'll in Paris at the
Grcncc, was bored by Mulot to the depth of
SIS metres, and the water rises in it SO me-
tres above the surface Of the earth.
We are indebted to Judge Meigs of the
American Institute, for the following addi-
tional facts:
"Olympiodorus, who fourished in Alex
andra, about the middle of the sixth century
states that when wells are dug in the Gases of
Africa to the depth of two hundred, three
hundred, and sometimes fue hundred cards.
rivers of water gush out from the oriticcs, and
agricultursts use the waters to irrigate their
fields.
The oldest Artesian we'll, known in France,
is in the ancient convent of the Chartreux,-
celebrated monastery, the capital of one of
the converts of the Carthusian Monks, at Lii
lcrs in Artois, (whcncc the name Artesian,)
seven miles from Grccnoblc, in old Dauphiny.
The old Chartreux is in one of the most adj
mir,d and romantic situations in the whole