The Bottineau pioneer., 1893-05-20
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
INTERESTING READING FOR THE
CURIOUS.
Mistakes About Artesian Weiis--
The Largest Metal Lathe In
the World--Smo Coal i,
Dust tFirlng--Odors as Mo-
tors.--Paper Barrels:
Mistakes About Artesian Wells.
The laws Of the distribution and util-

m1et0kee ADO0t Arteo1An "eAASs
The laws Of the distribution. and util-
kation Of underground water are as
simple as those controlling the surface
supply, but the popular fallacies con-
cerning them are appalling. The most
prevalent Of these is that the waters
originate at some remote point from
their outlet, and floW in Subterranean
streams like the ''blood in the human
body" as farmer once said, and that
these streams must be tapped by the
well borer or digger before water can
be obtained. In nearly every commu-
nifty is some person supposed to possess
the art OF locating the exact spot above
these currents by means Of switch
called the divining rod. It is also cur
rent fallacious belief that all under
ground water is due to rain which falls
on the more or less distant mountains,
and especially is this true in the region
between the Rocky mountains and the
Mississippi, where every spring and
well, even on the Texas coastal plain a
thousand miles distant, is commonly
explained upon the hypothesis that the
water comes from this lofty range. 81.
The prevalent impressions in the
minds of those unframed in geology are
more excusable than the widely prev
hlent idea conveyed by cuts in geolog-
tcal text books that the usual and Or
dinary conditions for artesian wells are
In great synclinal areas in which the
strata can be seen markedly dipping
from two including mountain borders
against which their edges are upturned
as shown in the following figure.
While there lis no theoretical objec-
ton to this ideal conception, the con-
d1dons 1t represents seldom occur in
Nature; on the contrary, as will be
shown later, mountain rocks are not
the source Of great artesian wells;
neither dO they usually occur in syn
clinal valleys, but the most favorable
conditions are gently sloping monoclinal
plains IN which the receiving areas, in
stead OF being the upturned mountain
rocks, are, in fact, the escarpment val
leys Of the plains. the Popular
Science Monthly. -
The Beginning of Iron Casting.
Cast iron did not come INTO CONNER
cial use before 100, when, according
to the Manufacturer, Abraham Darby,
an intelligent mechanic, who had taken
some Dutch workmen to establish a
brass foundry in Bristol, England, con-
ceived the idea that iron might be sub
stituted for brass. This his workmen
did not succeed in doing, being probably
too much prejudiced in favor of the
metal with which they We're best ac-
quainted. A Welsh shepherd boy, John
Thomas, had some time previous to
that been received by Abraham Darby
into his workshop on the recommended
ton of a distant relative. While look
ing on during the experiments of the
Dutch workmen, he said to Darby that
he thought he saw where they had
missed it." He begged to be allowed to
try, and he and Darby remained alone
In the workshop all night, struggling
with the refractory metal and imper-
feet mOlds. The hours passed on and
daylight appeared, but neither would
leave his task. Just as the morning
dawned they succeeded in casting an
iron pot complete. The boy entered
into an agreement with Darby to serve
him and keep the secret Although
enticed by offers of higher wages to
leave his master, he continued faithful,
and from 17O9 to 1928 the family of
Thomas were the confidential and val
ued agents Of the descendants of Abra-
ham Darby. For more than a hundred
years after that night, in which Thom-.
as and his master succeeded in making
an iron casting in a mold of fine sand
contained in frames and with air holes.
the same process was practiced and
kept secret at Coalbrook Dale with
plugged keyholes and barred doors.