Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-01-03
ARTEsiAN WELLS.


The Result Of the Eforts to supply wat&
to the Forty-Nils Desert In Nesada.
A very deep wen is being sunk al
White Plains, Nevada, on what they
call the forty-mile desert. The well il
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 deter
mine the feasibility of getting it else
where on the line of their railroad, as
well as in other parts of the State. The
only good supply of water for the des-
ert is brought from the Truckee River.
thirty five miles west of the new we'll
on White Plains, and is hauled in tank
cars for the supply of engines and do
nestle purposes, showing the necessity
of testing thoroughly by artesian wells
to get water. The desert contains
many specimens of Indian curiosities-
arrow-heads, Indian mortars, etc.-be-
ing formerly 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 a depth of sixteen hum
bred and fifty feet, they came across
wood. From the surface to twenty
feet they passed through clay with q
four-inch stratum of fine decomposed
quartz; then to thirty-six feet it was
tufa and cement: then two feet Of
cobbles, sand and hard shells. At
thirty-eight feet they struck strong
stream of salt water in gravel;
from forty to seventy feet there was
sand, cement, with seams of rock and
cobbles. This kept on until they
reached IA feet, when they met cement
clay, with sand and gravel, which con-
tinued to POS 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 APO feet, where cobbles and gravel
were met with, and then fine sand; at
1856 feet bedrock was found. Eight
inch driving-pipe was driven to the
depth of 1856 feet, the part above this
being all surface wash. From 480 to
500 feet was black rock, when red vol
canic 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 655 to 665 feet reddish
brown sand rock; then soft, green
rock. Between 666 and 6S5 feet there
was very compact black sand, and then
hot water was struck,
Between that point and 697 feet was
a reddish-black sand, changing to
coarser below, when at 703 they found
red rock again, which continued to 745
feet. From there to 950feet was black,
red and gray rock in strata. From
there to 1000 feet and to 1,040 feet was
red rock, fine and very hard. From
1,040 to 1,050 the rock was slate
colored. From that to LAO black
| (basalt, and then red, slaty clay,
followed by blue clay (slate) and vol
canic ash. The volcanic ash continued
to 1900 feet, when conglomerates and
rock were met, lasting to 1850 feet,
when a soft, muddy, white rock came
in, continuing to 1910 feet. From l.
610 to 1,615 feet was a fine, gray sand,
and from 1,615 to 1924 was a stratum
of wood. This wood is not silicified,
but is black and hard, though it breaks
readily when handled. Some large
pieces were found 1t is rather re-
markable to find wood at such depth.
and SO thick. Iron pyrites were found
near by. Below this, again, is con-
glomerate, with some fine sand. At
1926 feet very muddy rock came in,
and more sulphurets, followed by a
soft, dark rock, very loose, and falling
in on the drills. From 1890 feet to
2,088 feet very hard, black rock was
met. The well isnow down over2, 100
feet, but no water has yet been found,
aside from that which is hot or salt, as
mentioned. The work of sinking is.
however, being continued, with the
hope of eventually striking flow OF
water.-Midland Industrial Gazette.