The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-06-25
ARTESIAN WELLS.

A RTESIAN wells take their name from
IA province anciently called Artesium,
more recently Artois, in the Northern part
of France, where they have been long used.
But those deep borings were by no means
first introduced there. They were long
before made in Italy, and there is at least
probable evidence that many centuries
earlier still they were in use in Egypt. Yet
earlier, there is hardly doubt, they were
known in China, where, to this day, they
are more numerous and deeper than any
where else in the world. A missionary
speaks of one small province where "they
may be counted by the tens of thousands,
many of them sunk in remote ages"
The principle depended on for their sue
cess is simple. Probably two-thirds of the
earth rests on "stratifed rocks" which
are every where arranged in the same order.
The convulsions of other ages have, in
certain places, lifted these up, and broken
through them in the mountain ranges; as
if pressure from beneath should break
through several sheets of paper, and leave
the folds tilted up at various inclinations
Some of these strata are nearly impervious
to water, while others allow it to pass quite
freely through them. The consequence is,
that much of the rain which falls upon the
hills and mountains instead of running off
in the surface streams, passes between
these different strata, and followes them
down into the distant valleys. Often it
will thus happen that some OF these sub
terranean streams, when at the lower points
of the far off basin, are several thousand
feet below the surface, while others, which
had run between different strata ON the
mountains, are found at a less depth below
the surface when arrived in the valley.
A little reflection upon the upheaval
of the mountains will show how those
strata found out-cropping near its top
should be lowest beneath the surface at
fined by them would have the greatest pres
sure, and arise highest if the stream were
tapped. On this account it is that in
boring artesian wells, if the first water
found does not rise to the top of the well,
the boring is continued; and often 1t has to
be carried down past several streams or
subterranean lakes, until one is found upon
which there is sufficient pressure to bring
the water to the surface. A good illustra-
tion of this diffusion of water between the
different layers of rock was found in one
locality in the North of France, where in
digging in search of COAL seoen distinct
sheets of water were passed; the first at
seventy-six feet below the surface, the
second at three hundred and seven; the
third at five hundred and thirty-seyen; the
fourth at six hundred and forty-five; the
fifth at seven hundred and sixty-eight; the
sixth at eight hundred and eighty, and the
seventh at one thousand and thirty.
In boring artesian wells, it is necessary
to keep out water from reservoirs, which,
for any reason, are not satisfactory. This
is done by driving down tube, as the
boring proceeds, that fits tightly into the
perforation. If the we'll were twelve inches
in diameter, for example, as far as the first
watcr, which would rise to the top, (but
which, from inadequate supply, or any
other cause, was not satisfactory, and then
were reduced to nine inches from thence to
the second supply reached, it is easy TO see
that tubes might be arranged, one within
the other, which would bring up the
product of the two reservoirs separately. A
farther reduction Of the bore might carry
the well down TO third reservoir and
another TO fourth, and SO on. Then by
fitting tubes from each TO the top, we
might have several distinct streams pour
ing out Of the same well, the central one
being under the greatest pressure, and the
water rising higher than the others, This
is in fact done, the water from the different
spouts differing sometimes not little in