The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-21
THE INSANE WELL.
History Of the Boring of the Deepest Hole In
Lhe WorId-The Final Report of the SUPER

History Of the Boring of the Deepest Hole In
Lhe World-The Final Report of the SUPER
intendent.
The St. Louis Republican, March 15 says:-
It is well known that the feature in eonnec-
tion with the design of the new County Insane
Asylum was that the water supply was to be
derived from an artesian well. The boring was
commenced almost at the same time with the
erection Ct the building, and was continued
without intermission until within few months
ago when it was abandoned. The boring was
carried to a depth greater, we believe, than
any similar well in the world; but the sub
terranean water was not reached, at least where
it had sufficient strength aud volume TO rise
above the surface of the ground. There was
something evidently wrong in the geologi-
cal and other forecastings, and, after a large
expenditure of money, somewhere about
100000, the work was thrown up in despair by
the County Court. Yesterday, Mr.. G. w. Atllin-
son, superintendent of the undertaking, sub.
mitted lengthy report embodying history of
the work, from which we make the following
ABSTRACT
The work of boring was commenced on the
grounds at the south side of the Insane Asylum,
in a well which had been dug to the depth of
seventy-one and a half feet. The tubing having
been placed in position a Al 15-inch drill was put
down on the afternoon of the 31st of March,
1866, and the boring commenced, and was con-
tinued day and night, with only the necessary
stoppages, until the 9th of August, 1869, when
it was stopped finally; at which time the well
entire depth 90 feet of clay has been passed
through, 6 feet of coal, $50 feet of shale, 2725
feet of limestone, and $50 feet of sandstone. A
number of specimens have been saved from
each formation. At depth of 1922 feet the
water was a little saltish At depth
of 2140 feet finty opening was
struck, which made the drill deviate from
straight course, and the spot was passed with
difficulty. This opening contained sulphur
water. At 2513 feet the rock was found flinty,
with small openings, and the hardest yet met
with. On the 14th of November, 1867, the poles
parted 900 feet from the top of the well, and
also parted near the top, allowing twenty-seven
poles to pass down by the side of the lower
poles. At the beginning of the boring the drill
fell on the bottom 4S to so times per minute.
At the depth of 5000 feet, 2S to 30 times; and at
the depth of 3S49 feet, "a to rs times per minute.
At the depth of 1929 feet the temperature is l07
degrees Fahrenheit; at 1927 feet it is 106 de-
grees Fahrenheit at3264 ft. it is LOG degrees also
At 1898 feet the water was degrees salt. The
rature were trifling. At3543 feet a soft, whtish
sandstone was struck. The borlpgs change by
exposure to grayish red some places brown,
other places yellowish, but the red predomi-
mates. The water from this rock showed
from seven to eight degrees salt. In
many places this formation is exceedingly
hard. At 1897 feet the temperature is
105 Fahrenheit The tests of temperature were
made with registering thermometer of Fahren-
heit scale. Another test was made. The white
of an egg was tightly inclosed in a short tube,
with plug screwed in each end, and let down
1895 feet, and let remain one and half hours,
after which it was taken up. 1t had undergone
no apparent change. In boring to O depth of
933 feet the drill was often observed to be highly
magnetized; after passing this point there ap-
peared to be no such influence. The loss of
time, from various accidents and causes, is
stated to have been less than 10 per cent. of the
whole period occupied in boring. The well was
left in good condition for resuming boring at
any future time. Mr.. Atkinson remarks that
here is a good opportunity of exploring at a
cheap cost hitherto unknown region of the
earth.