Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-06-12

BOWEN & KtNGSBURY, Prop ts.
The success of the authorities oi
Yankton city in their effort to
secure an improved flow oi
artesian water is so conclusive that
there can NO longer be any doubt re-
garding the existence of an inexhausti.
bls artesian basin underneath this sec
ton OF the country. A few years ago d
private corporation of individuals, eti-
zens OF Yankton, contributed the money
to make the first artes;an test
in this portion of the west.
Their efforts were rewarded with
what was at that time considered
an excellent result, Flowing water was
obtained at q depth of about 400 feet.
While the quantity was not large it was
sufficient for immediate uses and the
city purchased the we'll from the enter
prising individuals who made the test
and 1t mas since supplied the water works
OF Yankton with q limited quantity OF
water. Following the experiment came
numerous artesian enterprises of pri-
vats nature and about dozen welIs
have been made in and about the city
which yield flowing water from depths
varying from 500 to 400 feet. The flow
is not largo in any of these wells, but ia
sufficient for the uses to which they are
applied.
Last spring it became evident that
the original well, owned by tho city, did
not turnish water in sufficient quantity
to meet the growing demand for public
and private uses. In the
face of considerable captious
opposition, the water works COM
mittse of the old council decided to
sink new well and carry it down until
it reached the generous supply which
vas believed by few to exist beneath
the artesian stratum tapped ia the
shallow wells already made, The pro-
lect was carried out and the result
proves that the advocates of the move.
ment were correct in their reasoning and
their conjectures. Ysnkton now pos
aesses the most powerful and productive
artesian well in the world. 1t exceeds
in force and flow the famous wells
of Aberdeen and Columbia and also
that of Fort Randall in quantity, be-
cause of the larger diameter of the bore
This well yields water enough to
supply ten cities the size of Yankton
But it has value beyond this. 1t is
available as power for moving ma
chinery. This means a great deal in
our prairie region where fuel is expen.
siye and is brought to us from q long
distance. 1t is probable that the new
well affords water pressure of not lesa
than two hundred ponnds per
square inch. Confined within turbine
wheel oven ak inch flow will give
power enough to turn the machinery OF
a large manufacturing establishment.
The same flow which furnishes this
power can be reached with larger wells
and 1t is possible to secure volume OF
water of equal pressure foot or foot
and half in diameter. There is hardly
any limit to possibilities in this direc-
tion should the artesian sup
ply be utilized for manufactur.
ing purposes. No scientific test
of the power OF the flow from the well
can yet be made, but the Judgment Of
the men who made it is tslsrably
accurate. because they have had previous
experience and draw their conclusions
from com mparsion with other wells, the
force Of which has been measured. The
Aberdeen we'll possesses pressure oi
100 pounds to the square inch and the
Columbia we'll a pressure OF 1856 pounds
to the square inch. The force of the
water from the Yankton well il
greater than in these wells. The
we'll at Fort Randall gives 2l(
pounds pressure ana it is estimated
that She Yankton well is aae1t. the same
in force as the Randall WELL Tbs stten
tion of our manufacturers will be i'm
msdiately drawn to this cheap and effsc
tive source of power and the discovery
just made Oh artssian hill will undcubt
edly reyolutionize the manufacturing
business OF our city.