Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-04
DRILLING FOR WATER
THE RESULT OF SINKING WELLS IN
THE VICINITY or RICHMOND.
Further Details Regarding the SHERWOOD
Experiment--Can n Genuine Artesian
BE Gotten Here?

The DESPATCH has always shown deep
interest in and kept the public advised re-
gardIng ell efforts to secure supplies OF
artessn water in this vicinity. 1t kept up
with the progress Of the Richmond Paper
Mil and AlbemaIle Paper-Mill wells, gave
a full description of Major Ginter's west
brook we'll when that was completed. and
recently described briefly the results OF
the boring on the property Of the SIer-
wood Land Company. The Westbrook
well is 306 feet deep, the water reaches 10
within 65 feet OF the surface, and the sup
ply is 80 600 gallons per day.
The Sherwood experiment, however
which is on the same plateau with West
brook, promises still more important re-
suits. Indeed, IL has reached depth OF 800
feet, and the water touches within twelve
feet Of the surface. In view of this some
further details regarding It may not be out
of place.
THE START.
All the wells referred to have been sunk
either by Mr.. J.. ". Shepard. OF by the
firm of Sydn1r & Shepard. his partner be-
ing Mir. thomas G.. Sydnor. Mr.. SydnOr. II
speaking 10 q DI-PATcH reporter yesterday
touching the Sherwood bore, said: " start
ing in a craw-fsh clay soil we reached at a
depth Of 20 feet q layer Of gravel and
sand. At this point we began TO put down
an S-inch extra heavy casing Of wrought
iron pipe. Passing through this stratum
we penetrated blue mud to the depth OF
" feet. Here we struck green mari. sanG,
she'll &c, then n soft sandstone or To'te3l
rock. At g5 feet we encountered 6oliu
grhnite. and TO this distance the s-ineh
casing was driven. thus completely smut
ting out any surface water. From tle
bottom Of this section to depth OF ~
feet there was no perceptible break in the
granite, though 1t varied as to hardness.
LITTLE OR no WATER.
From l37 feet to a depth OF $40 feet
various strata OF rock with many crevices
were bored through, though little or NJ
water was met with. Indeed, at 24O feut
there was only about 80 feet of water m
the hole. and this was easily exhausted
with the sand-pump. Five feet further
down a disintegrated rock was struck,
which gave a great deal OF trouble by tall
ing in and boring had TO be abandoned
until special easing could he made 10
put inside the S-inch pipe. rms easing
was driven down 250 feet and from that
point to a depth Of 1892 teet the course was
through a flnty green stone and water was
reached which rose TO within l2j feet or
the surface but could be exhausted with
pump raising thirty gallons per minute
SOLID GRANITE AGAIN.
"A red stone. very much resembling Al
dersOn brownstone, was next encoun-
tered" Mr.. Sydnor continued. "and then
solid granite again, and then at $50 feet
disntegrated flint rock, which came nefr
wrecking the machinery and caused a vast
deal of trouble by caying on top OF the
tools and threatening to cut the cable.
The greatest care had to be exercised when
these soft places were struck. From 99D
feet TO the present depth teet-vsrious
strata. hard and soft. have been passed
through, but no real granite has been en-
countcred. The rock is of 6 reddish
brown color, and does not dull tho BITS
much.
TIE WATER ROSE STEADILY.
"While drilling from 800 feet to sos feet
the water rose steadily until 1t reached lts
present helght-12 teet from the surface.
Messrs. Sydnor & Shepard are drilling q
well at Clayville. near Dorsett station, on
the Richmond and Danville railroad, where
Mr. Pope and others have large brick and
tileworks. At a hundred feet they have
gotten a supply of twenty-five gallons per
minute, and are still boring. They have
also been directed bv MIR. Ginter, as was
stated IN this paper yesterday, to SINK q
well for The Jefferson. the fine hotel 10 b
built on the Anderson property, at FRANK
lin and Jefferson streets.
Mr.. Sydnor IS confident that g Genuine
artesiaD. that Is a flowing well. can be Fot-
ten in Richmond. and thinSs th3 Ivy
Spring lot would be an admirable place tor
one. One of his arguments Is that they
have water within twelve feet OF the sur
face at Sherwood, which must be fifteen
feet higher than the west end OF the city.