, 1873-09-13
Low Their Water-Supply is Falling
Away, aud Why.
Opinion Of the City Engineer, Mr.
E. S. 0hosbrough.
Report of the President Of tho West Park
Commissioners.
An Interesting Experiment to Bc
Made OH Sunday.

Thu subject Of artenan wells Is which poAsesHoa
ronai1cralo ioroat for tho czons Of Chicago inas-
much nrge part Of tho lcanty Of o,ir parks de-
pcds upon these for tha supply OF water for
irrigation and lako purposes. Indeed, 1t Inns somo-
n1ea been proposed to nurrly this md othcr clticH
with their wntcr for manufacturing and cleansing by
ucnns Of nrtcs!an wells leaving The prcr wator fronl
Lake Michigan, Cochttuate, Croton, and Farnount 10
DO uAed solcly for drinking and cooking. When the
first ,vola wcro stink In this vicinity the wan
gratifying that they BECAME quito fashionable, and
tho rrutcnttous little suburb of Riverside provided
herself with for tho express bcne1t Of The cizets
OF that hgl-tonod summer resort. It muat hayo bncn
Tho fanro Of this wol to keep TO Its carly profiao
that told 10 fatally the prosperity OF TINT ntlc gilt
edged, Nrsssocrat!c suburb. -....
Various oter objects layo been suggested for which
arscsian wol1s could bc employed. Tho following cx-
tracts orc from report nado by MI. Chcsbrough 10
the Doard Of Public Works. scps 8. 1872 {nos hercto-
ppblisbcd). on proposition to clcanao the North
Brunch by nrtcE1nn wo1ls
tons 10 reyiug upon artcsian wells Layo boen A.
roay mentioned nro purely imaginary lot US inquire
from each we'll aTornRc discharge Of $780, 900 gallons
In twcn.yfuur hours. since tho Ate Of tho report Of
there Las been additional experience with reference
boh to md 10 old wells, aud this experience con-
0 u axsst s
caton Of nrtcsan wells =, IN chfcago thHn has losn
realized cltewlloro While iustaneea ot siaglo vols
for cenurics can DO mentioned no case eau be point
Cd out wl,erc q largo number Of now wells could be
annk near oil ouea withont dininislng tl!eir dis
charge. The Mosars. Wall, Bros, who havo had two
as successful wells ns my III tho city do not hcsato
to say That they hopo no moro will bo sunk, because
they aataaed that tho now ones Will n1uro tho old
ones: Tue Onion stockyard wells have fallen or go
t they m r' t OBLIGED to fnn use apnG
al aid e eef' oass ~ss .ss e''ss ss h,ss ns
diminished moro or lcsH in their supply. Tho arto
aim we'll Of tho Stato Prison n Joliet fell Off consider
ably nter other wells were sunk In tho vicinity Il
this ground that tho Paris Commission OF 1861
rcportel ngalnat rcfytng wholly Or mainly upon arle-
sian wells for the sippy of that city, saying at Tho
any time, eiuk other wca TINT would ruin the ,'sctu
Of i1oro Of tho city. mr. IIawks,Aw, tho dis
tnguisns EnYl!sa gngiaesr says IN rs1tion to The
'Mntor cannot be pumped from wells sunk into tho
chalk or nuy other water-bnaring stratum beyond \
efrn Ct o,e q1s Wet r1es, at 'ss Il tS fi s
onincn,,, which WAS dono before tho Institute
OF Civil Engineering In 1859, there Ind boon large
An.l other wells III London and It's vicinity. :.
Thero ii no experience on largo scale out Of
Chicago which shows that artestan wells can DO relied
upon 10 discharge continuously given amount Of
water where there Ia freedom to sink other wells Iii tho
diar,ct TAo o1nerience OK Chicago Is nlreaay
Indicating tho samc probable result"
III February, 1871, tho Council Committee on Fire
md Wator made report, which included SOME yalua-
bic Information rclaivo TO tho nrtosian wells III opera
tiou Ut shat ume There wcro then fourteen such
Svells of depth varying from 700 to 1910 feet, and
hna ahovo Taa Michigan satBy frou "a tn LOT turt.
Thu greatest quantity discharged frnm my single wei
in twcntsfour hours was from the Lincoln Park wnll-
100 900 gallons. The accompanying liable gives cloar
idea Of the condition Of the wells ut tho umo Of tho
report: