The morning call., 1892-04-06

No 90 Killing Time an attempt was made
10 drive the casing
down. But the tough sand settled. the hole
shrunk and the casing refused to sink.
They damned it from the top with a heavy
wooden beam until the casing buckled.
Then they went to work to repair the dam
age. All the forenoon was devoted TO driy-
ing down wooden plugs to straighten the
buekled casing and boring out the mangled
sections from the bottom.
Ii took till Eoon TO clear the hole and the
borerS are now at work lowering a 6-inch
casing. section by section, into the old pipe.
A 20-foOt column of the new casing was
first rlYeted together. lowered down and
held in position while other sections were
riyeled on, one at time. At the rate they
are working it will take nearly two DAYS to
complete the job and set the Sand-pump to
work again. When the boring is finished
the test-h0le will be fitted with a double
casing. II the Government retains the site
these will be left in; otherwise Contractor
Healy VIII have to haul them out.
Dull and embarrassing as the riyeting
process Is, the work attracts the usual
crowd of spectators. Since last Tuesday
Agent Gibson has had Policeman No. 90 on
duty to keep the crowd at bay. The officer
evidently likes the place, as all he has to do
Is TO lean against the fence, white pine
sliverS and look as forbiddiIg as possible
HIS presence has stopped the r5ald tests of
the facetoGs, and the agents can now pur-
-
or make them afraid.
There was no one abOu. yesterday bat the
government agents, Engineer Tyler and
Professor Davidson, who makes two visits
daily Tor the purpose OF securing samples.
Gibson busted himself sorting over his little
boxes of mud and packing them away for
shipment. Once while the workmen were
clearing out the bottom of the hole for the
reception OF the new pipe Gibson thought
he had made an important discovery, but it
did not pan out.
Several days ago the experts were of the
opinion, judging from the fumes arising
from the hole, that they had pierced a vein
OF natural gas. They are now Of the opin-
ION, however, that the bore purrowed
through the yitals Of widows COW which
sank IN the swamp in the spring of 1850.
This theory was further strengthened
yesterday by some PARTICLES of fat, supposed
10 be tallow, floating on the surface of a pail
OF water taken from the 109-foot sounding.
One OF the most notable features of the
investigation thus far Is the opportunity
offered the prominent probers for getting
their pictures IN the papers in all sorts Of
shapes and attitudes. They have all been
sketched several times over, and while they
regularly object to the undue prominence
given them. IL is painfully apparent that the
gentlemen have unconsclously acquired the
habit OF falling into a picturesque pose
against the derrick or some other piece of
probing machinery whenever they see a
dreamy-eyed youth bearing down on the
works armed with a sketchbook and a fist
full of FaberS.
All concerned have been sketche6 except
the humble 81 per day diggerS. and they
evidently feel the slight put upon them
One OF the derrick-hands has apparently
attributed this slight to the fact that he
wasn't well enough dressed, for during the
past few days he has appeared regularly on
the job rugged out in 4 decollete vest, white
Shlrt checked trousers and his best Sunday
hat. He represents neither the Govern
ment nor the vendors of the site, but he
doubtless feels that he has as good right to
be sketched AS any one else on the works.
In regard to probing in other portions of
the lot, Agent Gibson said that il would
hardly be necessary in view of the samples
brought up from the present test-hole
There are no signs of bedrock. nothing but
SAND mixed with particles of mud. 1t is the
intention to sink the hole at least 300 feet
IN search Of rock, and IL none is found at
that depth the probing will be stopped.