Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-17
ARTEsIAN WELLS.
history of Those at Charleston.

Charleston, S. c., needed only to sink
well u to 10 feet deep into the sand any
where to have at hand an uniailing sup
ply of water of the very best quality. But
as habitatiOns were gradually built up and
the population increased, it was noticed
that the water in the wells, especially in
the more populOus portions, was rapidly
losing its pristine purity, and was becom-
ing bad, importable and injurious to
health. AS the evil increased the people
began to consider various plans for OBJ
tanning a full supply of pure water.
CIsterns were finally adopted and became
so common that they were considered
necessary adjunct TO a dive ling of any
kind in Charleston. In 1920 Mr.. Long
street sank a yell 81 feet deep and put in
it an iron pipe. The result was that wa
ter came up freely through this pipe,
filling the we'll above and rising in it to
within six feet Of the surface. While this
question of water supply was engaging
the attention of the CharlestOnians, &C
counts came from London of an artesian
well lately bored there, some 400 feet deep,
and yielding an ample supply of good
water. Descriptions of the tools used and
Of the whole mode OF pr0ceedure-all
illustrated by drawings-were sent here
from London by some CharlestOnians then
visiting that city, and were placed on
exhibition. This aroused so much
enthusiasm that the City Council at once
ordered work begun on a similar well in
Charleston. The first attempt to bore the
we'll was a failure. In 1925 a second effort
was made. This also failed. A third
attempt was then made by private citi-
zen. This effort was successful, and at
100 feet water was struck and flowed over
the surface Of the well. 1t still continues
to flow, and gives an undiminished stream
of water. Some time elapsed before the
city undertook the work again, but final
ly, stimulated by encouraging reports and
successes elsewhere, the work was
renewed in 1915, and at the same time
work was begun on q similar well at Fort
Sumter. AT the depth of 347 feet the iron
rods in the Fort Sumter well twisted off,
and the work was given up. A few
months later a similar accident befell the
city WELL at about 300 feet, and that work
also was suspended. In 1916 work was
again resumed by the city. This time the
work was continued through months and
years, in spite of many difficulties, until,
at the depth of l ,260 feet, water was found
that rose in the pipes to a level of "a feet
10 inches above the surface of the earth,
but to the great disappointment of the
projectors it was found that the well only
supplied thirty gallons of water minute,
and it had cost years of labor and $50, 600
in money. 1t was proven, however, that
the small quantity of water delivered was
due to the smalmess of the well, it being
only three inches in diameter at the bot
tom. The engineer was ordered by the
Council to begin work ON another we'll
Immediately. He succeeded admirably
until depth of 1920 feet was reached,
when portion of the rods and bucket
were lost and before they could be eXtri-
Gated circumstances arose that prevented
a further prosecution of the work. This
was in 1862 and nothing more was done
until 1867, when work was resumed by
the same engineer, but after several fail
| ures the well was abandoned and stands
! to-day as he left it.
In 1876 the city contracted with another
| engineer to bore we'll to a depth of 1000
or $500 feet. At 1870 feet water was
found and the supply is now abundant.
/ 1t is delivered at the surface at the rate
| of $50 gallons per minute, or 100000 gall
| Ions in twenty-four hours. The commit
| tee say, with pardonable pride: "Perser-
| Verance is a trait so seldom attributed to
! our people, that so signal an instance OF it
| as this may well be noted" This well
now supplies the city with an abundance
| of water for domestic purposes but is not
rs ed q drink in pVVafpr