The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-13

| not conclusive in their results, well warrant
I q further investigation into the matter,
/ @ peClally under more normal conditions as
those 10 which Mr.. Heerdegen aud his ap-
paratus have been submitted were of an IN
natural kind, and such as he had never
attempted before. The preliminary investi-
| CATION was witnessed by members of the
editorial stats Of the Engineering and
Mining Journal aud of the Engineering
Nelcs, as well as by Charles Z. Gowen,
division engineer OF the new aqueducL
| through whose aid and the courtesy OF
Alphonse Feeley, chief engineer of the
aqueduct commission, the tests were
arranged.
The dav was unfavorable for'the work in
hand, the ground being covered with several
inches OF wet snow, the very presence of
which, however, assisted in making the
tests more complete, because it more effect
uaily concealed from the water searcher the
! locality of the aqueduct. The snow was
productive of two laughable incidents.
Shortly after commencing work Mr.. Heer-
degen, proceeding very slowly in the snowy
road, with his eyes apparently fixed upoI
the ground, in reality watching the pendu
lum, so to speak, of his apparatus. which
he carried near the ground, and all of the
party intently watching him and his in
strument, along came an old farmer with
his empty milk cans from Sing Sing ami
saluted the party with "Be you looking
for rabbit tracksin
Just as the party reached the poipt 1T
which the aqueduct crossed beneath tle
road at depth of more than 800 feet water
was located, somewhat TO the surprise of
the gentlemen, the width of the stretm
being defined as twelve feet, which is about
the width Of the water flowing in tie aqHe-
duct Out came another farmer from lis
house near the road with the offer of as
assistance. II can help We; | was here when
they drew it in" and straightway be
began scraping in the snow few feet from
the road, and presently he succeeded in uu-
covering an iron bolt, which had been
driven into the rock by the surveyors to
mark the center line of the aqueduct.
The second test 0gave results nearly IS
startling as the first, but on the third there
was distinct failure to recognize any suct
body OF water es was known to be fOwing
$50 feet beneath. The operator claimed that
the day was unfavorable, being heavy and
foggy and that the conditions were new
to him and abnormal, as he had never be-
fore attempted to find water inclosed arti-
ficially, the impression being given that he
had expected that he would be taken to
places where springs were known to exist.
On a subsequent day other tests were made
on the line of the old aqueduct, where, near
the upper end of the city, it is conveyed in
tunnel under Tenth avenue, and here the
results were similar to those obtained
the first day, satisfactory to the water
searcher in one case and unsatisfactory in
another.
The general result thus far may be stated
as non-conclusive as to the infalibility of
the apparatus, but sufficient apparent power
of locating water has been displayed to
warrant patient and exhaustive researchg
This will probably be prosecuted in the di-
rection OF known artesian water, and the
final report of those engaged in the in
vestigation will be looked forward to with
great interest.
method is now being carried out in this city
at the brewery of Mr.. Hupfel, where a dry
well has been sunk to depth Of more than
1000 feet. Within short distance of this
unsuccessful well the borers are again at
work on the assurance of Mr. Heerdegen
that water will be met with at a less depth
than 100 feet.
The apparatus is not patented, and, ac-
cordtng to the inventor, will work in the
hands of any one with a little practice. In
appearance it is most simple, any complex
lty of arrangement being concealed in the
vulcanite or hard rubber case, about six
inches long, shaped something like a bottle
without a neck, which acts as a sort of
pendulum, and oscillates more or less vio-
lentlY when above water, according to the
volumne and rapidity of the stream. This
is suspended from a leather-covered disk
held in the hand by a thin, insulated brass or
copper wire which enters the top of the
vulcanite case