The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-27
DRAISISG sWAnP LANDS.
A Successful Experiment In Southwest.
ern GeOrglR-The Method and tho

a ouCCshsANA experiment HI sSuutAUcn&s
ern GeorgIh-Tho Method aud tho
Prunt No .+
Atlanta Correspondence ". Y. Sun.
The great draw back Of Florida, Louis-
lana, the rice sections Of South Carolina
and Georgia has been the fact that white
men could not live there on accoun. CT
b,ackish drinking water and malaria, in.
separable from floods and swamps. Several
years Col. Fort, who owns much property
Of this description, conceived the idea Of
sinking artesian wells, holding that when a
certain stratum was reached pure water
could be obtained in abundance. His ef.
forts were crowned with such success that
every town in southern Georgia is sinking
artesisn wells. The water is perfectly clear
sweet, and pure as the best to be found in
the highlands. This success led Col. Fort
10 try the experiment. OF draining atagnant
ponds by running them of through sub.
terrsnean passages that are known TO exist
Mt distance Of from 70 to 100 feet below
the service. .E
Col. Forts pertinent was madc on his
hickory level plantation, Dougherty coun-
~, and the pond upon which he expert
mented is situated about 200 yards from
his pioneer artesian well. The. pond cover
ed an area Of about two acres, with depth
OF 10 feet in the center. To drain it
thoroughly an outlet must DO made in, tho
deepest part. To accomplish this, Col,
Fort bound four substantial pieces Of tim.
Der together, hoated them over the conte.
| Of the pond, and upon this foundation built
his raft or pen, which aank as it was added
to. When the raft had been built, the
foundation resting on the bottom Of the
pond, the platform was placed across the
top, and on this platform derrick vas get
up. 10 this derrick boring apparatus was
attached. At first pile driver was ussd,
but when the pipe had been driven down
through the bottom OF the pond to depth
OF 80 feet, it rested on cold rock, and then
the work Of drilling and boring was begun.
At depth OF fifty feet below the bottom
OF the pond the drill struck an opening,
and at once the water commenced to sink
with roar through .ths big pipe, the top
Of which Tas only a few inches under
water. The drill pipe was drawn out, and
the pond commenced 10 empty itself as
'uas 90 tA4C OAlAIC kIAt l4C VIII
Though the rocks would permit the water
to flow. When the water in the pond was
level with the top Of the pipe, reamer
was attached to the drill pipe and cent
down to open the way for the big pipe to
bs sunk deeper. In this way the pipe was
sunk until joint Of two sections was
almost level with the bottom Of the pond !,
and there it was unjointed.
Colonel Ford will have equare pit dug
around the pipe, and the pipe will then
be driven down TO level with the bottom
Of this pit. The top OF the pipe will be
covered with wire to keep trash out, and
the pit will be filled with rocks, and thus
the drain will be kept open. This strange
scene Of emptying tho pond into subter-
ranean channels has been Witnessed by
hundreds OF people, who see in it the re-.
clamation OF the millions OF acres Of
swamp lands in the South. Thus, within
200 feet OF each other were two pipes-that
Of the artesian well throwing up the purest
OF drinking water, and that in the middle
OF the pond sucking stagnant water into
the bowels Of the earth and carrying it
away. The experiment cost only SIS, while
there was gained from it over 1000 tons Of
composed soil. H.t - Z, ~ I, 4 .4ai-f5