Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-01-03
SOME WONDERFUL WELLS.
A TRIO THAT PRESENTS EXTRA
ORDINARY FEATURES.

face OF lEe CG1ttl, III ! QeSCrfptlOu OF Tie
location and character OF wonderful
wells:;'
The old time well, with its long
''sweep" and single rope and bucket at
tached, or the more modern windlass,
with its labor saving device of two buck
cts attached to a single rope, wound
around cylinder in such manner as
- let one bucket down while ske other
one is coming up, the same that was
known to and so graphically described
by theauthor of the "Old Calen Bucket, +"
or even the present wooden or iron pump
with its manifold attachments, are COM
mon objects in every small city and in
the rural districts. It is not these, but
others dug on similar plans, which it is
proposed TO describe under the above
caption.
a BRITISH FREAK.
: One of the most remarkable OF Tie
many wells. which tie reader viii be
willing to duo as wonderful before he
has finished this dissertation, IS on the
edge Of the Burlington harbor, in York
shire, England This well was dug in
the early part Of the present century and
WAS FIRST described in 4 paper read by
DR.. Storer to the Royal society. The bot
tolu of the Bgidlington harbor is COM
posed OF . grayelly, porous clay. IN bor-
ing the well this stratum was penetrated
and bored through its entire depth and
into bed of other and more solid clay
below. y copper lining was provided
and the sides OF the we'll properly Sc
cured. When tie first tide arose after
the well was Gnishe;! il flowed to within
fifty inches Of the mouth Of the boring.
This was nothing singula. within itself,
it having regularly so flowed during the
four weeks chat work on the we'll was
progressing: the well itself furnished the
free show. Before the tide lad reached
within thirty yards Of the well the water
began flowing from the mouth and by
the time il had reached its maximum
height, was gushing out in torrents.
The water from the well was perfectly
fresh. although the sea water flowed 10
within less than five feet of its mouth
IS the tide recedeS the fountain gIlShes
with less and less impetus until at last it
disappears from view in the cavernouS
depths Of the well, only to reappear and
form perfect fountain when the next
tide flows.
TEE sIERRA BLANCA EoARER.
IN American wonder, similar in many
respects TO Johnny. Bulls Yorkshire mar
vel, and which was fully described in
the columns Of the cid Republican some
three years $50, IS The Sierra Blanca
magnetic we: OF the Texas and Pacific
railroad, il Il I'1so county, Texas, The
we'll was drilled on thecrtesian plan in
the spring and summer Of 1884. Some
little water WAS obtained and prospects
were bright untA depth Of over GOO feet
had been reached, VIXEN the tools sud
teuly dropped into 4 cavern; the bottom
HAD in reality fallen out" and they were
treated to = rush of cool-not water,
but ar. Correspondents by twos, by
singles, ty dozens and by scores visit
Cd it and telegrayhcd the results Of
thair observations 10 the leading papers
Of the land. One Of these, in speaking
OF the similarity Of the eb5 and flow of
air to the same phenomena as exhibited
in ocean tides. says:
From 1915 4. N. TO 1915 p. n. o cur
rent of air r1shes out of the pipe with 4
sornd resembling the noise made by q
locomotive blowing off steam, and SO
loud that it can be heard for forty or
fifty yards. st 1915 p. II. the overflow
Of air ceases and Z strong suction sets IN
which lasts for tie next twelve hours,
this ebb and flow. continuing day after
day, and it has been observed by horse
men thatwhenever they get in the neigh
borhood of this well strong magnetic
forces are felt and sparks given off if
the horses name is touched
THREW STONES.
NJ. Peter TAYLOR, of Sarnia, Ontario,
was more fortunate than the Texas Pa
cifc in getting something tangible from
his roaring We'll, which WIS sunk some
years since in tie suburbs OF the city
above mentioned. The well, which had
been drilled to depth Of about $50 feet
before it developed abnormal propensi-
ties, was situated some 300 yards south
Of his house, which is one OF the largest
and finest in Salnia.
As soon as the cavity had been pene-
trated the rush of air, which, by the
way, was expelled with much greater
force than that from the Sierra Blanca
well, was accompanied by millions of
pebbles and bushels Of sticky yellow clay,
the pebbles varying in size from about
the bigness of a hickory nat up TO some
which We're almost as large as mans
head, the latter weighing from eight to
fifteen pounds. That these stones were
expelled with great force may be guessed
from the fact that they We're thrown hun
dreds of feet high, many of them going |
entirely over the Taylor residence, which,
as above mentioned, stood 800 yards |
north Of the well.
During the time Of this remarkable
display there was q constant, ever in
creasing roar issuing from the bowels OF
the earth through the well, the small |
ness of which seemed slowly to check the |
pent up forces in the subterranean boiler
and save tie whole town from coating |
of clay and a commandment Of rocks. 1t
was about $50 o'clock in the afternoon
when the first premonition Of coming |!
trouble was noticed in gurgling sounds
Gee,ling from the well, and for about |
Ssnc.aad a half, or until 6 p. NJ,
SS, aome made geyser was thewon-