The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-02
CITY ELLIGEN NOE.
ARTESIAN WELLS.

The Experiments In PhIIadeIphIa-Yhe Earliest
and Latest Attempts Mt this Means Of sup
ling Water.
The question OF supplying water by the means OF
artesian wells has been agtated for years past by
the larger portion of our manufacturers who are
anxious to have the supply OF the AQUEOUS element
necessary for their purposes under their own CON
uOl. AS yet, there have been less than dozen of
these we-commenced in this city, but the success
attendant in the case Of majority of them serves
as incentive to the owners of other large esta-
bllshments to start their construction.
The first attempt to obtain supply OF water by
this means was in 1890, when the idea was con-
ceived that the old district OF Northern Liberties
could be relieved Of the unsightly pumps and in
addition the citizens be placed in security against
the occasion Of the drying up of Pegg's Run, which
cOursed through the district. The site OF the
well was on the southern side OF "Old Comms-
soners Hall, which stood on Third street, near But
tOnwood. The bore was sunk TO the depth OF $500
feet and proved decided failure. But in veridca-
ton OF the adage, There's great evil but brings
a little GOOD" the well was discovered to be very
gQod receptacle for sewage matter, and to the sur
pfise Of many 1t never lled up; and the story was
quite common among the youth of the Northern
Liberties that the well had no bottom, but had been
bored right through to China.
The latest attempt, and it is still in operation, is
the well which is being bored at the SAMSON street
front Of the Continental Hotel IT has reached the
depth Of 1853 feet 10 feet of which is through the
gravel and clay superstratum and the balance
through black mica or gneiss rock, with assures of
from nix to eight Inches. On the 18th OF October the
well was tubed and tested, when at a depth OF 145
feet it yielded from 25 to 40 gallons of water per
minute The water is about % degrees colder than
nvdrant water and is slightly tinged with sulphur
The well is eight inches in diameter, and will ue
tuoed with pipe four inches inside diameter 1t is
the intention to proceed to depth OF 200 feet, in
hopes of improving the quantity and quality OF the
water
The history of the other artesan wells in this city
is as toows:-
Several years ago Messrs. Ficken & Williams at
their sugar refinery on Crown street, near York
avenue, commenced to sink well with diameter
O{ four inches After reaching depth OF eighty
feet water struck, but account of its chemt-
cal qualities, being quite strongly impregnated with
iron, work was stopped. he water is used only in
cases OF emergency. It's temperature in midsummer
is between 81 and IS degrees. Early last summer
the hrm commenced to sink another well on more
extensive scale. Ia about sixty days water was
struck at depth OF two hundred feet The last
test made of this well gave ii capacity OF one hun
dTed and fifty gallons per minute. The bore is now
being cleared OF sand and stones, AID as soon as
tins debris is removed another test wiz be made
which Will, 1t is thought, show greater capacity
The water is exceedingly SOFT is slightly chalybeate
in character, which the contractor attributes the
new iron pipe which has been put down the well.
For the first hundred feet the well has a diameter
OF twelve inches. The balance of the depth is eight
inches. Stone was struck at a depth of fifty feet.
Various strata of rock some OF exceeding hardness.
were drilled. The last twenty feet were worked
through porous stone.
At the sugar refinery of GILLESPIE & Co., St. John
street. below CallOwhil, there is artesan well 62
feet in depth. The bore is 12 inches, and capacity
lt5 gallons per minute. No rock drilled through
the bore striking bed of gravel where water was
found. There are slight traces of iron and sulphur
in the water and this account it is solely used
cOndensing purposes Its temperature is 62 degrees
At Harris Heyl CO.'S sugar re1nery, Beacf,
above Noble there are two wells of the same pro-
portions within four feet OF each other. The depth
Is 49h feet, diameter 10 inches, and capacity from
$50 TO 100 gallons per minute. The water here is
slightly impregnated with iron, and is used for con-
densiDg purposes
At Jayne & Co.'S drug establishment well was
sunk TO the depth of lO5 feet, at the time nf the
finishing Of the Post Onlce building on Dock street.
Its diameter is 13 inches all the way down. At the
depth mentioned hard rock was encountered, and
the undertaking was then abandoned, after a con-
siderable amount Of money had been sunk with it.
The water from IL supplies the boilers but it is not
used for drinking purposes. The capacity OF the
well is not known.