Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-16
DAKOTA,s ARTEsIAN WELLS.
Their Value in Manufacturing.

Their Value in Manufacturing.
Many of the arterian wells of the James
river valley, in South Dakota, that have
diameter of from three and one-half to six
inches, discharge from one to four thou
sand gallons per minute, with an upward
pressure of from fifty to one hundred and
sixty-fve pounds to the square inch.
A six inch we'll at Yankton, with only
ffty-six pounds pressure to the square
inch has been measured by experts as well
as they were able, and it was calculated by
them that it threw up about sixty barrels
a minute and had about thirty three horse
power for running machinery. 1t has for
several years been doing the work which
formerly required a thirty horse power
engine There has not been an intermis-
sion nor an interruption of the power and
practically no expense for repairs from
the day it was put into operation. The
wells of the same size higher up the val
ley at Woonsocket, Redfield, Mellette.
Aberdeen and other places have, in many
instances, three times the pressure, and,
of course, are correspondingly more pow
erful, while further north the power de-
creases.
The power of some of these wells is al
most inconceivable. An iron bar eight
feet long and two inches in diameter was
accidentally dropped into the tubing of
one of them, decreasing the flow for a
short time, but it was soon elected by the
water with such force as to break the ell
bow of q very strong iron pipe. When
the we'll was first put down at Huron no
make of water mains was strong enough
to withstand the full pressure of the wa
ter The same may be said of nearly all
the wells put down. The fact is that the
| artesian wells of this valley furnish the
ideal mechanical power, a power requiring
no fuel, no engineer, no repairs, no extra
| insurance. 1t never freezes up, nor blows
up, nor dries up. There is scarcely an
Objectionable feature about it. Two thou.
sand dollars invested in well will fur.
nish everlasting fifty-horse power. 1t is g
Niagara Falls already harnessed for use
Factories of various kinds are utilizing it
| The manufacture of textile fabrics, and
all materials requiring power without
great heat, can be carried on here at ,
minimum of expense, as also the grinding
of grain. Wool and fax are very profita
BILE products in this valley, and the manu-
facture of woolen goods and linseed oil
and the rougher products of fax straw
are promising industries.
At the town of Hitchcock, in Spinl
county, there is well with a three ant
one-half inch bore, and only a portion o
the same is used to drive a mill whicl
turns out sixty barrels of -four per day
and the water having expended its force i
running the mill is afterwards used to il
rigate several hundred acres Of land
The well did not cost more than a stea1
engine that would do the same worl
There is no fuel to buy, scarcely any rt
pairs to make, and is always ready. II
value for irrigating alone is many times il
cost. The land which was irrigated wa
increased in value from four dollars De
!: acre to at least twenty-five dollars, and til
cost of putting in the bitches with plo
did not exceed one dollar per acre.
Farmers in this new country, who ow
farms of from eighty to one hundred an
J sixty acres, generally cannot afford to p1
: down these wells for irrigating, but as OF
well will irrigate from six to fifteen HUI
l dred acres, large tracts of land can be il
creased as much in value as the abo,
tract in the space of one year at an expe,
diture of from two to four dollars p,
. acre by those able to furnish the capita
: and the profits on irrigated lands the pa
a year, after deducting all expenses of ploy
ing, harvesting, ETC., was more than Il
4 original cost or value of the lands. tt
( portion of the water from the well
l.; Hitchcock that is not used for runniI
!, the mill and irrigating land supplies wat
>. to all the inhabitants of the adjace
4 town, and the surplus is the only source
d supply for large and beautiful lake.
Upon the discovery of these strong 9
tesian wells at Yankton immediate st,
was put to the use of steam by this nov
. power. Engines were laid away to rust