Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-27
oueENsLANp's WONDERFUL WELL.
It Throws n Fountain of Water Hundred
Feet In the Air.

IL Throws Fountain of Water Hundred
Feet In the Air.
The artesian well at CharleviIIe, on
the Warrega river, Queensland, is the
newest and most remarkable instance Of
the natural resources of marvellous Au-
stralia. The well is situated quite near
the railway station, but in one of the
most unlikely places that could have
been imagined. Who on earth would
have expected that this artesian well,
which is the best in the world, or at all
events yields the largest amount of water,
was sunk on the top of a sandy hum
mock? Yet 80 it Is. The site was chosen
by the hydraulic engineer, j. B. Hender-
son, for reasons only known to himself,
but which have been amply justified.
Crossing the swampy fiat leading to
this hummock, attention is drawn to a
wide channel cut through the drift sand,
and it is explained that the overflow of
water had done this ere the apparatus
for controlling il had been obtained. The
bore itself looked a harmless enough kind
ofthings Il might have been taken for
rather high standpipe placed in an idi-
otic position in the bottom of hole sixty
or seventy yards long, thirty broad and
ten feet deep. But moments observa-
ton showed that the harmless looking
standpipe had made the hole. As a mat
ter of fact, the water when it was tapped
rushed upin such volume that it washed
away the sand around the Bore in q few
minutes and cleaned out the foundations
of the derrick and, threatened to wreck
the whole contrivance. If they had not
got plug in it pretty soon it would have
washed Charleville into tho Warrega
On top of the pipe there has been fixed a
right angle bend, so that the water can
be turned in any direction. - I ~
When the visitors arrived at the bore
it was seen that the water was trickling
in tiny stream from this bend into the
thirsty sand below, but in few minutes
the scene was changed. Mr.. Woodley,
of the Queensland Boring company,
which sunk the well, opened the valve,
and with every turn of the wheel the
thin stream thickened and detected
from its former perpendicular course.
Gradually the volume of water increased
and began to roar through the pipe al
most like steam blowing from safety
valve. Every moment the sight became
more interesting, and when the valve
was fully opened it was spectacle to
wonder at. Rushing from the bore by
its own force, ejecting itself for dis
tance of thirty feet in horizontal di-
rection, came a column of water white
as milk in appearance. In second or
two it churned up the sand before it into
coffee colored mud. 81 a.,
This was the first singular thing no
ticed, for the falling white torrent, driv-
ing before it, as it seemed, the brown
mud, produced a whimsical effect, like
the pouring of milk and coffee into the
same cup at the same time. But this
did not last long. In few moments a
little pond was formed, which filed up
until the level Of the surrounding ground
was reached, and then there was seen at
first rivulet and then stream rushing
down the hillside. When it is said that
this well fills 400 gallon tank in thir-
teen seconds it can readily be understood
that all this did net take long. The
valve was next closed and the right an
gle bend removed. On the second open
| ing of the valve there was witnessed q
spectacle at once beautiful and majestic,
and which was well worth the long Jour
ney from Brisbane to see. The water
rose in snowy column, like stalagmite
of wool, to height of thirty feet and
descended in Kissing torrent 80 heavy
and close as to quite obscure the pipe it.
self. 1t was a marvel of beauty and a
picture that will never be effaced from
the memories of those who witnessed it.
Subsequently a nozzle one inch in di-
ameter was attached to the pipe, and,
when the water was turned on, it as
cended to height of nearly 100 feet, re.
turning to earth in a heavy shower OF
dissipating in mist clouds, through which
the rainbows played with an effect that
was beautiful as it was wonderful. II
seemed that the visitors would never tire
Of looking at it. They simply stood and
gazed, hardly saying a word, for in the
presence of this marvellous phenomenon
speech seemed poor and commonplace
and the mind simply gave itself up tc
childlike wonderment.- nt.-Queenslander.