The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-10
A sPoUTER.
An A~tesian Well at Belle Plaine, Iowa.
Throws Up Immense Volumes of Water,
threatening to Destroy the Town.

threatening to Destroy the Town.
Belle Plaine, Iowa, August 81. An
a~rtesian we'll four inches in diameter burst
when the depth of 1876 feet had been
reached in boring, and instantly q volume
Of water was forced into the air to the
height OF several hundred feet. This
gradually increased in size and volume
until a stream OF water fully sixteen inches
in diameter was formed, and the up
ward force Of the stream is equal to
the power OF powder or dynamite. The
water, in huge volumes, is ~spouting in the
air, and the supply seems inexhaustibla.
Two gigantic rivers have been formed by
his phenomenal water-burst, which are
running through the town at the rate OF
twelve miles an hour, and is carrying every.
thing before them. Lives and property
are in danger, and the citizens are greatly
alarmed. Finding it impossible to divert
this damaging food, an attempt was made
to insert sixteen-inch boiler iron
we're instantly blown out and forced
high III the air. Finding this plan useless,
the terrified people then attempted to fill
up the huge aperture. FIFTEEN car loads OF
stone were emptied into the well, but these
were instantly blown out aud forced up
ward as though propelled by the force OF a
bursting magazine Of giant powder. Bags
Of sam were then hastily constructed and
asst into the well, but these, too, were
hurled into the air by the tremendous
force Of the spouting water.
The history of the overflow is as follows:
On Monday, Aug. %, William Weir & Sons
began boring an a~rtesian well at the inter-
section OF Beech and Washington streets in
Belle Plaine. This is en- the fiat about
four blocks south Of the barley house.
The contract called for q we'll with a three.
inch casing, and q flow was guaranteed.
They bored a two-inch hole n theorized
that the flow oil throughit woul work
it outso they could sink a three-inch casing.
Thursday they struck water at a depth OF
1876 feet. At this time they had about sixty
feet OF three-inch casing down, and the
water rose with strong force twelve feet
above the surface in a solid three-inch
stream, plainly showing the strongest flow
yet struck. Friday morning the flow was
under control, but during the forenoon in
the attempt to force a three-inch tube into
q two-inch-hole, it broke loose and wore
away sufficient space outside the tubing to
allow the water to boil out around the
tubing at the surface. At shutdown
Friday a stream OF water a foot
in diameter was pouring out. At
$50 the city authorities were appeal
ed to to take control and seek relief from
the impending danger. Already many lots
and houses were more or less flooded At
8 p. m. a gang OF men were set at work,
the mayor and council personally superin.
tending them until nearly morning. All ex-
pedients that could be put in practice
were tried, but the water could not be con-
trolled. Saturday morning Eugene Palmer
proposed that a fifteen inch tube could be
driven down to the blue clay, believed to
be about fifty feet, and by thus combining
the force to a common center the outside
flow could be stopped and then the one in
the tubing controlled. 1t is impossible at
this time to estimate thedamage. Thesouth
part OF the towns more or less flooded and
cellars filled with water. To-day at least
two thousand people visited the place, and
no relief has yet been found. The hele has
increased to the size of a barrel, and the
water is bubbling up some four feet above
the surface, throwing out immense guam
titles OF sand. At least FIVE hundred car
loads have been emptied by the flow, and
a gang OF men are kept constantly at work,
day and night, shoveling it away. Achan-
mel has been dug for an outlet to the Iowa
river, and this channel has double the vol
ume of the river at that point. There are
seven other wells at Belle PLANE, but they
nave all ceased flowing since the outburst
OF the last one. The citizens have grave
apprehensions OF the outcome.