The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-13

Agricultural Engineer, in Country Gentleman.
During the past year, | have taken pains to
note the situation of more than a hundred farm
wells and cisterns. and more than half of them
are in dangerous proximity to cesspools some Of
which have been III use for scores of years; most
Of them, however, have been emptied every
spring for the manure in them; but this. even
has little effect in preventing the inevitable pol
luton of the water supply A large proportion
of the farms have wells quite close to the ma
nure yards and stables. In one of these home
steads, of family of seven, but one survived to
thirty years of age, and the survivor came very
near dying of an abscess of the liver, no doubt
superinduced by the unwhoeso,ne water supply.
1t IS to be hoped that these facts will give rise
to investigation in such cases asNmay present
suspicious circumstances, and i'll all cases com
parison with the following points and the condi-
ton of the water supply may be useful:
l. There is no well safe that is not perfectly
well protected from surface water and the en-
trance of worms. frogs toads and small insects
and vermin. The well should be curved up
above the surface with brick or stone, laid in
cement, well plastered outside with lime
mortar so that the ground slopes in all direc
lions, and prevents any pools of surface water
from remaining within twenty feet of the we'll
2. 1t is a common but mistaken belief that
well should be open to the air for ventilation
The reason given is that earbOnic acid or foul
air will gather in the well. No doubt at times
this gas gathers in wells, but in every case 1T IS
In wells that are open to the air, and are fouled
with decomposing organic matter The purest
water comes from drive wells and arteslan wells,
to which the outer air cannot gain access Car
bonic acid gas, TOO, is only dangerous when
breathed. It's presence in water greatly i'm
proves 1t. and person who drinks one glass OF
soda water, or seidlitz powder, takes more
carbonic acid gas than could be taken in ten
barrels of any we'll water
3. A well should therefore be tightly closed
in at the top and closely curbed to the bottom
and every possible entrance should be closed
in at aOdo ll oil
4. A well cannot be safe from underground
drainage unless it is dug down below a bed of
clay which slopes inclines from the well
toward any barnyard, cesspool or other source
OF pollution, irrespective of distance for when
a drainage flow occurs through the soil it is only
question of time when it will reach the well,
although it may be 100, 200 or more feet from
the source of the impurities, if the slope of the
subsoll gravel, hardPan or clay is from the
source of the drainage to the well. In porous
sandy soil or gravel, the deeper the well the
sooner it will become fouled by any drainage
5. A cesspool or barnyard should always be
located on lower ground than the house and the
well, or any spring from which the water is
drawn. If this is not possible: the cesspool
should be made with an impervlous bottom of
cement, saturated with gas tar or melted asphalt,
and drain made of glazed pipes, cemented at
the joints, to carry the liquid from it to distant
place where it may be used in making compost
6. A well should be carried down to a perma-
nens boiling spring winch enters the bottom, and
then lined with cement tiles, the JOINTS OF which
should be carefully closed; OF the lining should
be made of brick, laid in cement, or if of wood,
of hemloek plank, laid with close joints. No
other wood bat hemloek should be used for
well curb The common system of boring wells
by machinery is the best and safest and when
good supply of water is procured the bore should
be filled with cement pipe. Where wateris near
the surface, a drive well is the best and safest,
and although feel convinced that the patent on
this kind of well is a fraud upon the public
yet it would be better to pay the license fee or
royalty claimed by the man who did not invent
it, but who has at present legal right to claim
it, rather than do without it, 1t is now about
thirty years ago since | bored, and piped, and
used precisely such well as is now covered by
this patent. getting the directions for doing it
from a well known book then and now in ex-
istence.
In conclusion, would remark that the best
time to dig we'll is in the driest part of the
season, and when an existing well is dry in
dry time it would pay to take that opportunity
to deepen the well down to permanent water
even if pressing work is put aside until this has
been done. And lastly, considering the serious
consequences of any lapse in securing purity in
the water supply, it would be better to spend
5000 or $500 over it, and do without parlor
organ or piano, costly furnishing for par
Tor OF a fancy road wagon, if both cannot be
afforded; but great deal of the cost may be
saved by going the right way to work about it