The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-01-10
AN ARTESIAN WELL IN NEVADA

A very deep well is being sunk at
White Plains, Nevada, on what they
call the 4o-mile desert, in the neigh
borhood of the sink of the Humboldt.
The we'll is being put down by the
Central Pacific Railroad Company as a
test well, not alone for the satisfaction
of obtaining water for their own use,
but to determine the feasibility of get
ting it elsewhere on the line of their
railroad, as well as in other parts of the
state. The only good supply of water
for the desert is brought from the
Truckee river, IS miles west of the new
we'll on White Plains, and is hauled in
tark cars for the supply of engines and
domestic purposes, showing the neces-
sity of testing thoroughly by artesian
wells to get water. The desert con-
tains many specimens of Indian curl
osities-arrow heads, Indian mortars,
etc-being formerly very fine hunting
grounds.
A record Of the progress Of this well
will be of interest to many persons.
They have found salt water, hot water,
and finally at depth of 1850 feet,
they came across wood. Mr. w. c.
Chaplin, who has charge of the drilling
of the well, sent to the Academy Of
Science samples of the wood brought
up by the drills, and gave brief rec
ord of the material passed through in
boring.
From the surface to 20 feet they
passed through clay with four inch
stratum of fine decomposed quartz
then tc sc feet it was tufa and cement;
then two feet of cobbles, sand and hard
shells. At 50 feet they struck strong
stream of salt water IN gravel; from 40
to 10 feet there was sand, cement with
seams of rock and cobbles. This kept
on until they reached la feet, when
they met cement clay, with sand and
gravel, which continued to 2o5 feet,
when they met fine brown sand then
down to 800 feet there was cement,
gravel, sand and shell conglomerate.
From 800 to $40 feet, compact sand
or sand rock to 367 feet, various kinds
of cobbles ); then followed white tufa,
fine sand, cement, sand and gravel to
| 400 feet. A stratum of conglomerate
was then found, which passed into
cement at 42o feet, where cobbles and
| gravel were met with, and then fine
sand at 4S6 feet bedrock was found.
Eight inch driving pipe was driven to
the depth of 4S6 feet, the part above
this being all surface wash. From 4So
to $40 feet was black rock, when red
volcanic rock was met, continuing with
slight change to SIS feet, where black
basalt was found. At sos feet there
was red rock and red mud then came
black rock with seams of clay. From
625 to 635 feet there was reddish
gray rock with cement, which mixes up
with the water-red rock probably
from above. Gray muddy rock then
came in, and from o55 to Cos feet a
reddish brown sand rock :; then soft
green rock. Between 600 and 6S5
feet there was very compact black sand,
and then hot water was struck.
Between tnat point and 697 feet was
reddish black sand, changing to coar
ser below, when at 7o5 they found red
rock again, which continued to 745
feet. From there to $50 feet was
black, red, and gray rock, in strata.
| fIOtl luCIC W ,OOO lCCt, dull W ,O1O
feet was red rock, fine and very hard.
From 1910 to 1850 the rock was
slate-colored. From that to LAO
black (basalt,) and then a red slaty
clay, followed by blue clay (slate) and
volcanic ash. The volcanic ash con-
tinued to 1900 feet, when conglomer-
ates and rock were met, lasting to
1,55o feet, when a soft, muddy, white
rock came in, continuing to I,6Io
feet.
From ,6Io to 1,615 feet was fine
gray sand, and from 1910 to 1924
was a stratum of wood. This wood is
not silicifed, but is black and hard,
though it breaks readily when handled.
Some large pieces were found. 1t is
rather remarkable to find wood at such
a depth, and SO thick. Iron pyrites
: were found near by. Below this again
is conglomerate, with some fine sand
At 1925 feet very muddy rock came
| in, and also more sulphurets, followed
by soft, dark rock, very loose, ant
,, falling in on the drills, From 500 Il