New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-09
BROOKLYN'S GREAT WELL.
ONE OF PROSPECT PARKS ATTRACTIONS.
FEATURES OF THE HUGE sTRuCTURE-LoSd
ISLANDS INEXHAUsTIBLE WATER SUPPLY

FEATURES OF THE HUGE sTRUCTURE-LoyG
ISLANDS INEXHAUsTIBLE WATER SUPPLY.
What IS asserted to be the largest well in the world
IS in the southern part Of Prospect Park The lake
which Is supplied by It with water to make mp the los,
by evaporation from sixty acres Of surface. The
great well Is annually visited by many thousands OF
persons who find In It's never falling fountain source
Ut inexhaustble Interest. Although Long Island +,
surrounded by salt water, with the Atlantic on tho
east and south, and Ncw-York Pay, the East River
and Long Island Sound on the west and north, there
IS lack Of fresh water in ifs sandy soil There
arc few places where II Is not found BY digging 10
moderate depth, and at many polnts springs gush
forth
Whence comes this underground supply Of fresh
water which, the sea. IS brackisb,
puzzle to every who has investigated Tho SUBJ
jcct. Many theories have been advanced, but
have satisfactorily solved the problem Tho most prob
able one that the rain water which falls upon tn,
surface sinks into the sandy soil until lmpervious
stratum is reached, at varying depths from the top
and there It remains until it rises to sufficient height
to flow of by natural outlets, or Is drawn OF by ar
fetal means.
Another theory IS that the water from tho
hill regions OF eastern New York and Connecticut and
IS carried by porous strata under the sound TO tho
places where It IS found As Long Island IS destitute
Of mountains, and has only low range Of hills, u
seems improbable that the water supply is wholly SELF
derived.
The great amount of water, aggregatng upward %
twenty billions OF gallons yearly, used in Brooklyn,
all comes from the surface and underground
Ohe latter reached by driven wells on Long Island,
eastward Of the city. The great well In Prospects
Park, which supplies that pleasure ground, taps the
same source, and the supply seems to be llntess.
When the park being completed, twenty years ago,
the engineers planned the digging OF huge well 10
get the needed supply. The cost was expected
he c. L.
glneer and superintendent Of the Bridge, and then en-.
ployed in the park proposed plan for building no
well from the top downward
To carry. this out wooden curb was CONSTRUCTED,
ffty-four feet in diameter, with band Of wrought
iron about it, The surface soil thrown out 10 ths
depth of few feet and this curb was placed wliAn
and carefully leyeed Then the brick wall, vhlel
was TO form the interior of the WELL built top
of the curb and the earth eycavated from with
in and under the wall the later gradually sank, aad
layer after layer Of brick was put on the top Tho
structure went down TO depth OF thirty ioet before
the water supply was reached. owing to inequalNes
of descent, the wall a little out Of pespendcuar,
and IL as decided let IL remain where u was ana
10 build a new curb inside 10 the necessary depth og
securing the water needed. This interior one was
thirtyAye feet in diameter and was sunk ten icei Be-
low the outer one. The water rises foot above rs
walls, and ills the whole interior Of the outer curb
unless drawn down by pumping As the supply Is
pumped away II i constantly icltMcu ~ tLy streams,
which appear to pcIcolae through the clear sand ~
though the lake is only stones throw from the well,
the supply does not appear TO be drawn from In ihe
least but a perpetual fountain seems to have been
reached in The sand.
The water Is pump daily 10 a large reservoir on
the top Of Lookout LII. the chest point ia The par,
which hai capacity Of 100000 gallons. Ihs res
cNOir Is undo ground, the tOp being covered VITA
brick arch, and visitor, To tie para 10 not discover l
From the reservoir pipes had 10 various parts OF the
park, and considerable stream j. supplied TO now
down the north side OF Lockout I'm ana through mo
Gorge. under tie 1hrcc-Arch BHdgc ana past hc music
stand until it joins the laAc near The boat hou.e row
people fancy that this murmlliny stream, Ike tho
lake IS wholly artificial The bottom and sides OF
the latter pudded with clay that the water VIII
soak away in the sand, ana the sole loss IS by
evaporation, that only small supply Is needed.
The is raised from the wei 20 the rescrHO!r ~
engine capable OF pumping million gallons day,
bu IL Is only run portion O.. the time Inc Naicf -
raised lI6 Icct. through pipe foot IN diameter.
The estimated capacity vi the well Is 10000 gallons
in twenty -four hours.
The top OF the well Is covered with wooden roof,
and opening twenty feet square IN the centre IS
covered with netting In suIlmcr and win glass
winter, and surrounded by railing. TIC water
can be distinctly seen from above. When one stands
within the huge cylinder OF twenty-five feet radius,
the seems far more like building Tor some
public than well Tor supplying wafer But IL
IS only a ma-nicd fO4m Of the hole In the ground
" hich with the old-ia-h.Oncd wtli-sWcep supplied
farm houses with The sparkling liquid