The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-16
THE WELL GETTING DEEPER.
Coal and Shining Particles Like Gold
in the New Artesian Well

in the New ArteSian Well
The greater part Of the flow in the new
artesian well on the Springfield plantation
has been obtained again since the we'll was
cleaned ont. Contractor Joyce. who has
charge Of the work, reamed the clay that
had filed in the casing TO within tnres feet
of the greatest deDth # the boring when
the flow, interrupted by the Gazing OF last
week, was renewed and the volume IS fully
! twO-thirds of that which was flowing pre-
/ viOus to the accident W hen the rest OF the
! clay is reamed out the contractor thinks
that the flow will be equal TO that Of last
week. The work Of drilling will be resumed
today.
| Mr.. Joyce thinks that he has the casing on
a solid foundation of the hard clay which
| ne prefers to the pOrus water-bearing rock
! He tested 1t day before yesterday by twenty
/ i've blows from the pOnderOus live oak nam
mer with a drop Of five feet, and the casing
| under the heavy test went down only one
| quarter of an inch, which indicates a safe
/ and permanent foundation, So chat no more
casing will have to he put down,
The heavy engine and boilers have
not reached here YET, although
they were shipped several days ago. How
| ever, the well can be driven some 500 or 600
| feet deeper with the lighter tools, which
| weigh about 600 pounds, but when the well
/ is driven down to depth Of nearly 1000
feet the heavier TOOLS weighing u ton, will
have to be brought into requisltiOu, necessi-
tating the use of the large engine and boil
ers, which are somewhere on the way.
A record is being kept OF the geolo ical
formation through which the drill passes,
and some interesting specimens have been
brought to the surface probably the most
remarkable of which is the dark brown
clay just over the lime rock known as the
''l94 foot rock, rock of only six inches in
depth. This stratum of clay is rich in
shining particles resembling gold, and an
analysis of it will, doubtless, be made. Mr.
Joyce has turned over samples of it to the
mayor and Supt Manning Of the water
works
In discussing the geology of the borings
yesterday, Mr.. Joyce said that Saturday he
got out two or three pieces of clean, bright
soft coal, and a good-sized piece of burned
coal or coke, which specimens were found
just above the water-bearing rock in which
the drill is now working.
An approximate record of the well was
obtained by a MORNING News reporter
yesterday, in which it appears that for the
first seven or eight feet below the surface
muck ana sand were passed through, and
the next 1876 feet, or thereabouts, the
reamer passed through black mari
with occasional traces of sand. A
clay resembling slate IN color was next en-
countered and then green clay about 10 feet
deep. The latter clay turns 70 a light color
when exposed to the air. After the green
clay comes the rick dark brown clay, in
which the shining particles resembling gold
are found. This stratum Is about 20 feet
deep. After this was gone through the lime
rock was struck, and here Mr. Joyce
thought no would find a firm foundation
for the casing but the casing drove through
the 6-inch stratum much easier than the
casing was driven in the yellow clay, in
which it now is, one day a progress of only
10 feet being made.
After the lime rock was passed through
the reamer next struck white clay, the
! stratum being from 20 to % feet in depth
when the hard yellow clay was encountered,
which was reamed through for about 90
feet, and the casing driven down within
| about ID feet of the water-bearing rock
which underlies the yellow clay, and from
thence The drill has been driven into the
water-bearing rock distance # 10 TO Is
feet, making total depth of 325 feet.
1t is expected that the progress viii now
be much more rapid, as the geology of the
well from the present water bearing rock
to the hard rock, which overliRs the much
more prolific water bearing rock from
which the heavy flow is expected, is prin
cipally Of soft nature, and tue drill will
pass through strata of shells and other soft
formation, Offering but little resistance to
the drills.