The Nevada journal., 1856-02-01
Artesian Wells.


There is no place in the world where
water is SO valuable and necessary, as in
the mines of California. Every blow of
the miners pick is waste labor without it,
and the earth scarcely fails tc yield wealth
wherever it can be obtained. 1t is the
sine qua non, the absolute necessity, with
out which these hills would be a desert
again as they were once, and the vast
riches which they have given forth, and
the far vastcr riches which still lie hid be-
meath their surface, unrevealed and unre-
vealable. Whatever methods can be dis
covered or invented to increase the supply
of water to the mines, or to introduce wa
ter in places where it cannot now be OBJ
tanned, will meet with its reward, and do
the state some service.
We certainly have no reason, in this
county at least, to complain of any lack
Of energy or enterprise among our citi-
Iens in this regard. We have already a
vast amount of ditch property, and other
bitches are now in contemplation, that
will open to us mines of wealth of which
we now know nothing. So far as the wa
tcrs of our rivers and creeks can be con-
vcrted to use, by mean s of bitches and ca
nails, we shall be furnished with this use
ful clement.
But vastly more water is already called
for, and for many years will be called for
by our miners than these means can pos
sibly afford While the streams which
flow upon the surface of the earth are be-
ing gradually exhausted by use, is it not
practicable to turn to our advantage the
exhaustless and invisible currents that
flow beneath the ground'
Artesian wells have been tried in the
agricultural portions of our state, and the
experiments thus far, have in every in
stance met with the greatest success
Abundance of water is raised through
them for the irrigation of large tracts of
land. and for all the purposes which the
agriculturalist requires. Can they not be
used with equal success and advantage in
the mountains, and for mining purposes
The experiment has never yet been tried,
and we know nothing of the matter by the
certain proof of experience. Is there
anything in the known theory of these
wells, which would lead us to the infer
ence that they are impracticable here'
The generally received, and most plaus-
ible theory of these wells is simple" and
can be stated in a few words. The water
which is condensed upon the surface of the
earth, in rain, dew, snow &c, percolates
downwards through the assures and pores
of The different strata, and unites below,
In an infinite net work of subterranean
veins and streams.
When once this water in its downward
progress passes into beds Of gravel or sand,
easily permeable to water, but separated
by strata of clay or other substance i'm
pervious to it, vast reservoirs are formed
from which water in vast quantities can
be raised at will, if they can only once be
penetrated. The constant pressure of
the streams which feed these reservoirs
will force the water to point as high as
the source upon the surface, from which
it first came. The success of an artesiap
we'll, then, depends solely upon the ques-
tion whether subterranean body ofwater
can be reached by the augur, whose source
is higher than the surface of the earth at
the place where the fountain is required
to flow. Is there anything in the nature
of the country to forbid the supposition
that these wells arc as practicable here as
in any place else ? But short distance
from US are ranges of mountains SO lofty
that their SUBMITS are burdened forever
with snow. The waters of heaven are
continually soaking into them and feeding
the veins, which fill the great lakes, SWELL
ing perhaps beneath our very feet, pent
Mp and confined and only waiting the COM
mand of enterprise, directed by science.
to burst forth and turn to gold the very
soil over which they might flow.
VIII not some of our energetic citizens
see that the experiment is tried +?
SEVERE 1NJuRY-A miner named An