St. Paul daily globe., 1886-04-04
SPARKLING WATERS.
Thew Gush From the Artesian Wells
That are Bored in West st.
Paul.
An Analysis of the Water Being Made
By the State Board of
Health.
Where the Water Comes From
and How the Boring Process
Originated.
The Artesian Wells.


If n II. Murphy was seen
A-Nk carrying a mysterious
I1.,----s looking jug away from
~ IhlN the West Side. OF course
IL QhVE>- everybody who saw him
-. :-=4s<.SSA ~ - smiled, and it was gener-
- @@-$S@-1N1illy surmised that the jug
was full. 1t was full, and it contained
water from the recently-bored artesian well
at the corner of Dakota and Fairfield ave-
nues. The jug was consigned to Mr..
Hewitt president of the state board Of
health, who instituted the process of find
ing out whether it actually contained water,
and, if SO, what kind of water The well
in question is 255 feet deep and sends
forth constant stream of water to the de-
light of those owning buildings in that
vicinity, as there was previously no water
for fire purposes nearer than the river.
Another well is now being sunk at No. 6
engine house, corner of DeloS and Clinton
streets, this being about the highest point
of the plateau between the bluffs and the
river. Two more wells are to be sunk on
the fat and these four will furnish at least
a part Of the Sixth ward with a supply Of
water for file purposes. In the Northwest
this plan of obtaining water has become
very popular, probably because of the sue
cess with which well-drilling has met
Through the courtesy of DIR. Talbot Jones,
city health officer, and Prof. George Welt
brecht partial analysis of the artesian we'll
water was secured yesterday. The analy-
sis was qualitative only, and Prof. Welt
brecht says that the quality of the well
should not be wholly judged from the water
taken
AT THE PRESENT DEPTH,
as further boring NAV show a differ ent
quality. The color was found to be muddy,
but filtered clear. No ammonia or albumi-
noidS were found. Chlorine was found in
the proportion of 1.2S grains to the gallon,
and there were traces of lime, though
whether or not this would be in quantities
large enough to naturally effect it for drink
ing purposes, the professor said, could not
yet be determined. A larger proportion of
chlorine is in this than in the water of
Phalen or VadnaiS the latter having but
little over 2 grains per gallon and the for
mer .657. The water from the lakes also
has perceptible quantity of albumlnoids.
The idea of obtaining water by boring far
into the earth originated nearly thousand
years ago in Artois, France, (hence the
name) and there is one well there that has
flowed constantly for about 500 years, and
1t has come TO be generally believed that
once supply of water is obtained from
this source it is permanent, although it is
not always the case. The boring of large
number of wells of about the same depth
and in the same locality has caused the ruin
of many or all of them, while had only a
few been in use each would yield bounti-
full supply of water. The water flows to
the surface, under the old philosophic law.
that it will seek its level, and head of
greater hight than the well is as necessary
as is a head over water-wheel. and
the fact that one well affects the flow of
another in the vicinity simply goes to show
that the supply of water is limited. Although
all artesian wells do not flow, many being
pumped but yielding an inexhaustible sup
ply of water. yet all through the Northwest
are found numerous and valuable flowing
wells. Scarcely stock farm but has one,
and along the railroad lines can be seen the
tanks supplied from this source without
any expense of pumping, and in turn sup