The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-03-19
ARTEsIAN WELLS FOR ALL SITUATIONS,

ment at the surface, or well dug in the
ordinary manner to Il considerable depth
and then continued by small boring until
the water is struck and rises. Slender bor-
ings have been made for water from q very
early period, but the success of this practice
in that locality has given the name of " Ar
tcsian" to all deeply bored wells of modern
date. Generally such efforts are conducted
in valleys where dense stratum ovcrlays
springs which, once penetrated, would rise
and flow over freely at the top. In some
cases considerable rivulets still continue to
flow from the mouths Of abandoned wells
of this character.
Sometimes these wells have been driven
to almost incredible depths, passing springs
OF trlflng power at various points on the
way. The Artesian well completed few
years since at Grenelle, near Paris, is 1900
feet deep, and the imprisoned water, on be-
ing tapped, rose with prodigous force, and
overilowed the surface in immense ouanti-
ties. The Chinese have many wells only
five or six inches in diameter, and from
l,5oo TO 1900 feet deep. According to
Able Imbert, "A French missionary, some of
them must he 5000 feet deep. Some wells
in our own country have been driven to
great depths with every variety Of success.
~ hole two or three inches in diameter WAS
bored many years ago 20 the depth of about
G5o feet, on or very near the site of the
United States Hotel, in this city, and then
abandoned as failure. Dorings at and
near New Brunswick, N. j., have been
sunk to depths of from $50 to 500 feet, and
obtained, on the contrary, liberal ovcrfows
of pure water. Probably the deepest well
in our country is boring at Bclcher g.
Brothers, in st. Louis, Mo-, which in 1854
had been carried to depth of 1850 feet,
or nearly half mile, without any salts
factory result.
BoriLgs Of less than about four inches in
diameter are now considered inexpetlient,
as they afford so much less room for the
tools. Rock is preferred to loose earth,
but tile latter is readily worked by cnclos-
ing the bore i'll a cast iron pipe with flush
joints, which is crowded down as the work
progresses. Thus whatever the springs Oil
the intermediate levels, the water is all
drawn from tile bottom alone. Such iron
lined wells are usually about twenty inches,
or from that to six fee. in diameter, and as
the metal does not scnsibIy corrodc, such
tubes may be considered perforations des.
tined to supply for all coming time con-
slant stream Of pure spring water of the
greatest GOODNESS, gushing freely from,
depths too great to he affected by droughls.
The above is doubtless familiar to most
Of our readers, but it may not he so gener-
ally known that precisely similar borings
are practicable, and are employed with
great advantage in connection with pumps,
at localities where the water will not rise to
the surface. The well water of this CITY.
for example, is decidedly bad, we mean
that from common wells; but borings sunk
to the rock in any Of the lower wards eives
water at uniform temperature of 500
Fah., and so far preferable to Croton for
drinking purposes, that one has been sunk
to supply the International Hotel and
Saloon. this city, an establishment which
under the more familiar name of.tTaylor.
is known as the most cxpcnsively furnished
in America.
Our metropolis, like the house in the
parable. stands on rock, great forma-
ton, which appears in lodges at uurl Gate
and Diamond Reef, and crops out plcnti-
fully in the upper part of the city, but is
in most of the settled portions covered with
loose earth. The thickness of these latter
deposits is from 70 to $50 feet, and in the
grave'ty beds Immediately overieing this
rock, water is sometimes not only excellent
but plentiful.
Some sugar refaeries and breweries in
this city are supplied from Artesian wells
with quantities OF water which would cost.
if drawn from the Croton pipes, nearly
$4,000 each per year, or twice the cost OF
a single well, if the Croton were capable OF
furnishing them, which it is not without
robbing the citizens. The boring and
tubing complete is contracted for at about
$so per foot, making the cost OF we'll 80
feet deep $2,4o0.
IT should be remarked tltat tue water,
although received from a gravelIy bed at a
great depth, does not necessarily have to
be elevated the whole distance therefrom
by punpfng. On. the contrary, K may, as
we have seen, rise and flow over, and al,
sMays rises greaasE or less distance toward
the surface :seeosding To- the elevation, OF
the place, dip Of the strata, etc.
A..Messrs. Harris y coons sugar ref.
nary. Leona,d street ibis e;tv tha,a' a., :.