Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-03

deep enough to make thorough test OF
me matter. We are already in cores
DOndence with parties in Atlanta, Albany
and Brunswick in regard 10 the contract,
and shall enter upon the undertaking with
4 full appreciation Of the difficulties to be
encountered. The cost will not discOur-
age us from making a thorough test, and
il flow Of water is obtained at the depth
at which ID is believed it will be the prob
lem Of pure water will be solved
Mr.. DOrsett said the reason tor the
move was the reluctance or Inability o.
the city to furnish a water supply in the
vicinity in which i. is proposed that the
well shall be located.
The attention Of the City Council was
first called to the artesian well as means
Of obtaining a pure water supply over
wear ago in a correspondence addressed
10 the Mayor by Mr.. L. b. Clay, con-
tractor who was at that time boring a
well at Midwife. Mr.. Clay offered to sink
a well in Savannah il the city would grant
him site and the privilege of the water,
or he would put down the well by
contract. The correspondence was re-
ferred to the Committee on Pumps, CON-
posed Of Aldermen Hanley, Derst and
Wells The committee IN Its report
recommended that Mr.. Clay be invited TO
sink the we'll on his own terms, and that
ha be Granted a site and the use and Oene-
fit Of the water, the city to be at no eX-
pense in the undertaking. The report
was received and a further cor
respOndence was had, from which
il was estimated that the
well would cost. if sunk at the city's ex-
pense, from 81, 900 to $500, according to
its depth. The space required would be
about five feet square. Mr.. Clay Of
fered 10 do the work by contract for 8, 800,
or would sink the we'll at his own expense,
and sell the privilege of the water, if the
city would grant him the right to lay
piping.
THE DEFEATED PROJECT.
The matter was brought before the
Council, and an effort made to carry it
through, but failed, the majority Of the
Council being opposed to the undertaking.
There was no further move until the re-
cent Investigations and analysis of well
water throughout the city showed the ne
cessitv for a pure water supply. AT
last meeting Of Council in July, Alder
man Nell. as a means Of ascertaining at
what depth below the surface supply OF
pure water. free from surface drainage.
could be obtained, moved the expenditure
of $3.50 in sinking a driven we'll for that
purpose 200 feet or less, If satisfactory re-
suits could be obtained. The matter was
discussed bv the Council, and was finally
4
instructions to ascertain the cost OF sink
ing an artesian well.
At the next meeting Of the Council Al
derman Derst, in the absence OF Alder
man HaEley, Chairman of the committee,
reported that its Investigations were in
complete. Nothing further has been heard
Of the matter officially, NO report being
made at the last meeting.
IN FAVOR OF THE SYSTEM.
A News reporter called upon Alderman
Hanlev yesterday to learn what steps, if
any, had been taken towards carrying out
the recommendation Of the Council. Mr..
Hanley said that owing to his absence
from the city during the time the matter
had been referred to the committee he
was unadvised of whatever action had
been taken by the other members.
lie had read in the MORNING News that
the subject had been brought before the
Council. He was strongly in favor of an
artpsian well, and had urged the ac-
ceptance OF the proposition made by Mr..
Clay a wear ago. He believed it to be the
only means OF obtaining pure supply Of
water.
Alderman Nell said that the committee
lad been actively at work, and was in
correspondence with various parties with
a view to sscertaining as early as posi-
ble the cost of a we'll and its advantages.
\
a driven well owing to a delay in 0Dtain-
Ing the right kind of piping. The result
Of the committee's investigations will
probably be reported 20 the Council at its
next meeting.
THE COST OF DRILLING.
The cost Of boring, so far as can be estI-
mated from correspondence with cOntrac-
tors. would be from $1,000 to $4,000, depen-
ding altogether upon the depth. IL is be-
lieYed that flow could be obtained at 600
feet. a moderate estimate of the cost of
pinch piping sunk 10 that depth would
be 81. 500, or So per foot. The committee
has consIdered various locations for a
well, but has not fully determined its re-
port. Among the most available locations
is the Park extension, where the work
could be done without obstruction, and
pfDing could be laid in any direction with
out difficulty ana 81 a less cost than from
probably any other place az the city. The
well at the same time, Unsuccessful, would
supply a drinking fountain in one of the
most available locations.
The first artesian well ever drilled in
the South is located in Charleston, ;. c.,
and reaches a very great depth. When
Charleston was but little more than a
village. good water could be obtained in
an ordinary we'll at a depth of from four
teen TO sixteen feet. AS the place grew
To be larger. and the population increas- |
ed. the ordinary well water IN the more
pOpuloUs portions of the city was found |
to be losing rapidly its purity.
THE FIRST WELL IN THE SOUTH.
The evil increased and the people began |
to adopt cisterns as n means of supplying |
pure water for drinking purposes, until |
mon that they were considered a neces- /
sary adjunct 10 dwelling of any kind in |
Charleston. In 1920 a Mr.. LOngstreet |
sank we'll 81 feet deep and put in an /
iron pipe. The result was that water /
came up freely through this pipe, filling /
the vel above and rising it in it to /
within siE feet of the surface. |
While this question of water sup /
ply was engaging the attention of the /
CharlestOnians. accounts came from Lon
don Of an artesian well lately bored there !
some 400 feet deep, and yielding an ample
supply Of good water. Descriptions of /
the tools 1sel and Of the whole mode of /
Illustrated by drawings -
were sent there from London by some /
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 at
tempt to bore the we'll was a failure. In |
1926 q second effort was made. This also
failed, third attempt was then made /
bg a private citizen. This effort was sue
cessfui. and at 100 feet water was struck j
and flowed over the surface of the well.
AN UNDIIINIsaED SUPPLY.
II still continues TO flow, and gives an
stream Of water. Some time
ELAPSED before the city undertook the
work again. but finally, stimulated by
reports and successes
elsewhere, the work was renewed in
1915, and at the same time work was
begun on a similar well at Fort Sumter.
It the depth. OF 341 feet the iron rods in
the Fort sumter well twisted OFF, and the
work was given uD. \ few months later
a similar accident hefell the city well, at
about go feet, and that work also was
suspeDded. In 1916 work was again re-
sumed by the city. This time the work 1
vgss continued through months and years,
IN spjte OF many difficulties, until, at the
5anth OF $50 feet. water was found that
-Ose in the pipes to q level OF q feet 10
inches above the surface Of tn6 earth, but
Ia the GREAT disappointment Of the project
rs Il was tound that the well only sup
nIied 50 gallons of water minute, and it
6ad cost vears Of labor and $4,000 in
money. Ii was proven, however, that the
small quantity of water aeIiTered was
due TO the smallness Of the well. II being
only inches in diameter at the bottom.
900 GALLONS A MINUTE.
The engineer was ordered by the City
Council to begin work on another well i'm
nediately. He succeeded admirably until