The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-08-27


very great depths, wherever The surface
Is lower than the country around, there
Is q strong probability Of striking water
that has It's source at q higher level. I'm.
foreground currents are met with fire..
quenuy at different depths, confined be.
tween different strata Of rock, having no
connection with each other. II the first
supplies struck do not rise TO the reouir.
ed height, the boring Is continued in
search OF others below that will, II IA
sometimes the case that the head Of wa
ter Is at 90 high an elevation that the
column bursts forth from the ground as a
fountain, throwing up
A CONTINUAL JET D'RAU,
The principle is precisely that of our
artificial fountains, BY raising the water
above the surface in pipe and letting 1t
flow over q convenient water power Is
obtained. Baltimore is built upon a
sand bank, at least this is the experience
OF well-diggers and Others who have had
occasion 70 investigate the geological
formation Of the earth where the city
stands. In this regard the earth is not
fitted for artesian wells, but those who
have heretofore made investigations have
seldom penetrated to depth of more
than fifty feet. They have found layers
Of clay, mari and gravel where water is
found, generally at the above distance.
Save on the outskirts Of the city they
have seldom come in contact with stone
or rock. OF course, to obtain pure water,
free from the DRAWINGS or drippings
which are said to taint the well supplies
at present in use, the boring must either
be carried to great depth or strata of
rock must be met and penetrated. The
site OF the city being a sand hill does not
negative the conclusion that rock FORM
alton may rest below this sand at COM
paratiyely short distance from the sur
face ol the earth. On the contrary, the
fact that Immediately beyond the city
limits great bouldes crop up above the
ground in all directions, and that regular
layers or strata Of rock declining toward
the city are traceable from the hills in
the distance, and that below the city at
certain points on the river aud bay rock
formations with precisely the same gener.
al characteristics can be seen, Is very
strong evidence that the basis OF the sand
hill upon which Baltimore has arisen is
solid rock. That this rock is merely a
continuation Of the strata which come
down from the hills and mountains in
the rear OF the city, and that inclining at
or near Baltimore, the pass under the
city and continue their course on the
other side, is a perfectly plausible and
consistent theory aud the most probable
that suggests itself. From their proximi-
ty to the snrlace on either side of the city
it may justly be inferred that they
will be reached by boring at very short
distance from the gravel, which Is the
usual location for surface water In this
vicinity. OF course artesian wells can be
bored through sand and clay and gravel,
and with greater ease than through rock,
and this has been done in many instances
with the very best results, but, as was
said before, the porous land about Balti-
more is too apt to become impregnated
with the impurities which flow from the
city, and the probability OF striking rock
at very short distance below the sur
lace is matter upon which the inhabi-
tants may congratulate themselve. The
hills above and beyond Baltimore are
both lofty and numerous. There is
therefore likelihood Of striking
NUMEROUS STREAMS
OF great power at q moderate depth.
There are some classes oi rock that can
neither be dissolved or worn away BY
the passage OF water, and OF course water
thus passing between different layers
must be as pure as possible for that ele.
ment 70 be. Artesian wells are by no
means as common in this country as in
Europe, Asia and some portions of Alri.
ca. There are few in the larger cities
and one or two in Baltimore. In Chica.
60, st. Louis and Charleston they have
been bored with great benefit to the cit.
liens. In St. Louis there was bored in
1854 probably the deepest artesian well
in the world, it having penetrated to the
depth of z, ,l90 feet. Seventy,tive gallons
Of water are discharged every minute,
but tits so thoroughly impregnated with
sulphurretted hydrogen as to be unfit Tor
any except medicinal purposes. OF
course, obtaining water in Baltimore at
such depth Is not TO be thought of save
in the last resort, but the difference in
location Of the two cities Is very great,
and while the rocks about St. Louis'are
unstratifed and lie in irregular positions,
just the opposite is supposed TO be the
case in the neighborhoOd ofBaltimore.
THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES.
Artesian wells are very extensively
used in China, one writer going 30 far as
to say that portions Of the Empire are
honeycombed by countless thousands Of
them. There arc numbers OF them in
London, and the daily supply ot waiter
from this source is estimated at IL 100000
gallons, In France there are great
numbers OF them, and latterly several ar
tesian wells have been successfully bored
in the desert OF Sahara. Doubtless the
success OF this latter experiment will
before long make that great trackless
ocean of sand perfectly navigable in all
directions.
REMARKABLE FEATURE.
a remarkable feature about the boring
OF artesian wellsis that the further the
surface OF the earth is left behind the
warmer the water becomes, until some.
times when the bore has penetrated TO o
very great depth boiling water Is thrown
to the surface. In many instances bor-
ing for water led 10 the discovery of the
most wonderful medicinal springs or
fountains. :.
THE COST.
The cost OF sinking an artesian well,
owing to modern improvements in ma.
chinery, is exceedingly small. Statistics
cannot readily be obtained as to their cost
in America; as but little attention has
been given to the subject by the general
public, but in France years ago they were
sunk at the rate OF ffty-one cents per