The morning call., 1893-04-05
THE TEHAMA WELLS.
BY W. L. WATTS.

California State Mining Bureau has been
the Investigation Of the subterraDeau water
supply OF the central valley Of California.
In my researches with regard 10 this SUI
Ject find that some of the wells in Iebaira
County AMI the northern portion of Glenn
County exhibit curious phenomepoc.
In some wells in portions of Tehama
County, known as the Chaparral Hills and
the Adobe Hills what is believed to b. p
has been observed escaping with r.
sound from dry, porous clay, aud SO
from sand.
Water is often found few
the top of the air-yelding strait
the water is first struck it is
blown in bubbles through the CT
When a little water has accu
the well the air bubbles through
soon as the water becomes few
the ebulliii1l1s- Gases, ..f III
current OF air still issues or is drawn M
strata from above The water Level. IL Is 50
in well which is bored on the ranch ~
Z. Fish, about two miles west Of Red Bluu.
This well emits a current OF air previous U
rain and draws in the atmosphere as falr
weather approaches.
This current of air issues from or is
drawn into a bed of dry sand, at the depth
of 10 feet Tie top OF the well is c0veTec
with the exception of a small hole, W hIch
furnished with whistle; and it is said t!laS
be1ore storm the whistle can be sometimes
heard for half 4 mile.
The strongest flow of this "gas or air" has
been observed in the deepest wells. ami
Mhsu elluch at d Geptl OF l3O IeeI ]! escapes
under considerable pressure. producing a
MISSING muse az Htst me 1nHuN oil ar was
not observed, and the escaping air was SID
posed TO De gas.
Attempts were made to ignite il, but with
out success, and since it occasions 10 ineon-
venience to well-diggers it is believed to be
air. ...,-..,--
10y M u mt s'H'IIAr Phenomena haa neeh
ooseLEeu ~ S SGns Heiis IN me
POI 'Iol "a G.enm Huuuty. w men l s!s+ta,
IIe loe,,iltS W io1l Tue "sIls N "hich Y
cIIIth.Ss naE peeh observed had pNA..
III III lneIH mnlGn pLeiehleu tne s.9llity
"a ntat IHs pr IGtI' ny ny tusHiHk s.tu0 -
ulstluctly asu'o'e' 1ue wafer Ia lHe "eii'
IS iIesh. -.
Il Io"eIeu q ''EHttt cahu,e ihto tilJ S" asst,
U OIie u tue "Ntsa IN "H'ch Iut ~
inc LushinE sound DuI no eAp!OsIoh ~.
lowed "Iich sho"eu mat the gas was ~.
IhlIdilludoie' anu d5 the canule W. ~
eAtihSuISneui Ihe gas was nut cd4 DoHlO W
oAIqe'
Ny experiment tneIeIole C eotIooo 80
tue peAet OF tnG teualna Countf VIZ
DOfers, namely thag II was all NliItH IS
capped from ana was drawn INTO these WEI. :.
MI JACOBS on whose fahch one Oh L"eso
Wels IS situated, lhIoIIieu me tnnv VIZ"
| the easing was open cuNchJ ~ ar sumo
times Issued from the Welf.%lih suIlGlent
force 10 dow OH nat whlcls hau ueen
piaced on Inc top OF the easing.
nave recently Deen 10 eorrespon Gs7Ss5--
Win MT. jacobs, VINO llYes on MS ranch
near Germantown In Gienn county, WhrTe
theie are Two OF these ar wells, Since
my last VISIT to that part OF the country, he
mas pald more attention TO the phenomenon,
ana ne says tnat the current OF ar hoNS
OUT OF the well previous TO storm or ram,
ana That 1t is drawn into the well as fair
weather approaches.
ne states thAt IL pad weather Is 10 De Oh
long duration tie air may blow from the
well for week, but that when the diTec-
Llch OF the current OF ar changes ana IS
drawn into the well, It IS sure sign that
me storm % ABOUT TO cease.
In specializing on the cause or these SUB
terranean air currents II IS interesting to
review the geological features oil this por-
ton oil the Sacramento Valley.
we nave on the blackboard the represen-
Iati0n OF p section across the Sacramento
Eailey IN Iehama county winch nave
drawn from data furnished by Mt. GernOD,
the County Surveyor OF Iehama County.
In 1ehama county the more recent lorna.
tons OF clay, clay loan, gravel and sand
streteE out IN an easterly direction irom'the
coast mango ana overlap the volcano Tor
matonS OF IaVa ana tuIa when nave en-
tered me valley from the Sierras.
Inc sacramento hlYer runs along the
eastern contact oil the volcanic -ocks and
INC more recent IofmatIOhs, tlere ptin%
only TWO places where the YoTanlc rocks
eToop out on both banks OF the river.
Inc slope OF the volcanic rocks on Tie
eastern sac OF me river Is 10 tle west, at an .
angie Of ABOUT three degrees Ihe extreme
Gepth when the VoIcahlc ROCKS may attain
beneath the more recent ming OF the cen
lai portions o! the valley IS unknown.
MI vernon INFORMS me tnaV lhe volcanic
!oImaiioh teappeaIs on the western SlGe OF
the valley. where stratum OF tuIa aOrnt
sXy Ieet IN thlckhess rests upon the croded
edges OF strata OF slate ana sandstone. .-
OFerlylug the luIa is a llght-eoiored clay
when Is traYersed by Irregular strata ut
sanu' ABOVE the h@ht-eoIored clay Is "
formation OF reddish elays ana grayels,
Whlch constitute whaI are known as Tue
GhaparraI HIS and The lied Clay tIai2azf ~
1enama county
1heSe reddlsh clays and gravels, bell
not only skirt the western hills OF Irh1
county, where they are In contact with IT,.
western edge oil The volcanic formation, but
they stretch out into the valley III Hat-taEp
ridges, which ID some places reach as far as
the Sacramento River.
l b7dt. of these ridges IS called the Hooker