The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-23

IRRIGATION OF THE PLAlSSTHE ARTISAN
WELL SYsrTa. efforts Of the delegates
from Wyoming Territory to secure. an alh
rropriatiDn for IN artcSian wei at Fort D.
4. Russell. recall The attention. given to tlll'
subject before Inc war. In 1850 ii was de
tcrmiurCl to sink artc>hn wells I'D the lla!n
of Llano EStac;,do, lying between Missouri
and Arkansas on tNc EAST and Mexico on the
west, the object being TO secure il direct
route 20 the far southwest, several hundred
miles shorter than any then open. Captain
Pope was appointed leadcro the enterprise.
lie sunk two wells near the Pccos river; at
the thirty-sccond parallel, to the depth of GIL
aud 500 feet RESPECTIVELY. The result was
satsthctorr, il bcin" evident that water could
be supplied in abundance for purposes OF
cultivation. The work was rclinquished for
want Of means. and further appropriations
10y Congress were expected, when the war
broke ont,
The effort to make the desert bloom by
means of these wells has been followed by
some success in Sahara, in some parts Of
which the natives, originally and afterwards
the French, produced artificial GASES as fire..
quent reStinS-raccs for travellers. Tedious
IL. cultivation under artificial irrigation seems
to the American. the results attained in Eu-
rope and Asia are such Us 70 warrant our pco-
pie in making considerable expenditures for
the SAKE Of recovering the far-weStern plains
from the tough wild grasses which now mo-
nopolize them. Palestine furnishes the most
encouraging examples, perhaps, where Oh a
side hill 4 narrow irrigatiDg ditch separates
barren sands from the luXuriance of Oriental
gardens. There arc many thousands Of
square miles in our western Terrific
rics where such a result can be OBJ
tanned only by artesian wells. Wyoming
is not within the belt Of country where
the experiments referred to were made,
being far to the north of that line, most of
it north of the Union Pacific railroad line.
Though there is considerable mountainous
country in the Territory, there are many
miles of plain covered, as we understand it,
with hardy grass useful to cattle, and CIV
ing promise Of great fertility i'll the soil.
The delegate, Mr.. Jones, claims that the
needs a well to furnish water
for the garrison Of Fort Russell, and that If
it is proved that the underlying rock of the
Territory is favorable to artesian wells pri-
vute persons would gladly sink them. At
present the experiment is very doubtful. An
appropriation Of $4,000 is requested. OF
course private enterprise will do the work
IS soon as its SUCCESS is assured.
The amount of water furnished by artesian
wells is sometimes enormous, one well giving
sufficient to irrigatc the country for miles
ro,,,,, though it is yet doubtful whether or
,ot these yer, prolific wells could be secured
where they are mos needed. The Grenelle
we'll at Paris flows ut the rate Of 100000 gal
ons in twenty-four hours, the diameter Of
the shaft varying from = to - inches. 1t is
/ 800 feet in depth. The Kissmgen well,
ISIS feet deep, 4 inches in diameter, dis
charges more than 100000 gallons in day.
The well at st. Louis, 2,199 feet in depth, the
deepest in the world, furnishes about 5000
gallons per day. Its cost was somewhat
more than S20,OO0.-Ne,n York Post.