The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-04-19
GIVE us A FLOW
OF Artesian Water so Say the Council
and the Probability Is Strong that
We Will Get TIA New
Contract Let.

AS In yesterday . DAILx
LEADER, Mr.. A. j. Ross of Sioux Falls, q
well drlller OF long experience was in the
city to consult with our council in regard
to another attempt to secure an artesian
flow. The city dads met at the council
last evening with Mr.. Ross and
discussed the matter very fully and were
impressed with his business ability
and responsibility that they concluded
he was just the man they wanted to un-
dertake. the new experiment. Accord
ingly at their meeting this morning the
council decided to accept Mr.. Ross pro-
position to put down q AZ inch well
$500 feet, unless a flow is sooner struck,
paying $3.50 a foot il that depth 10
reached; il not, no pay. MIR. Ross furn-
ishes his own machine, piping, coal for
engine, everything and gets no pay until
the hole 10 completed.
Mr.. Ross is a well driller OF 18 years
standing, having received his early ex-
perience in boring the oil wells OF War
rem county, Penn, and OF late years has
been boring. wells largely in Wyoming
and Colorado, but more especially, late
", In Texas, where he has sunk a great
number of ~arteeian wells. He is also a
manufacturer Of artesian well machinery
and manufactures his own machines be-
ing a member OF the F..C. Austin Manu-
featuring Co. of Chicago. In these deep,
soft we'll borlngs of South Dakota he
uses a sort OF hydraulic machine which
washes the dirt out of the we'll by force
OF water, a continual flow being kept up
while a continual sinking OF the we'll
goes on, no lifting out of drill being
necessary in order to sink piping. That
falls by virtue OF it's own weight as the
boring goes down. Mr.. Ross has been at
work in Dakota for a couple OF years and
has studied the artesian basin thorough
ly, examining the borings Of all the
prominent wells in South Dakota and
taking careful observations which he
has reduced to mathematical precision
and figures very closely on strata, dip
and elevation. THE DAILY LEADER re-
porter had q very entertaining interview
with Mr.. Ross on this subject and 10
more than ever convinced OF the practi-
cability OF striking an artesian flow at
Madison, and il it can be secured with
in 1900 feet we believe Mr.. Ross can do
1t. This depth is as far as iron will hang
and carry by the ordinary piping pro-
cess. He has the means and facilities to
put it down. and we believe the council
has taken a wise step in giving him the
opportunity to sink the we'll.
Mr.. Ross family has been living in
Pennsylvania for some time back,
but as soon as he can secure a house
here to put his furniture into he will
move here permanently. He goes to
Sioux Falls to-day and then to Webster
to supervise the completion Of the well
there which was down 1850 feet when he
eft and going down at the rate of about
twenty feet a day. In ordinary, soft
boring he can go down nearly 30 feet,
but contingencies are always liable to
arise which may cause delay. His con.
tract at Webster will likely close at 150C
feet, and that being a deep well machine
he will remove it here to sink this well,
In q few days he will return to sign the
written contract when he will order sew.
eral carloads Of coal and piping and be.
gin operations at once.