Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-03-11
Candidates for the Dead Letter {
Important Water News.

lol VI tHliSN ~ dllld,i duu Ollt vi
the most eminent authorities in that
line of research in this country:
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF PENNSYLVANIA,
zoos CLINTON STREET, PHILADELPHIA,
March l. 1893,
Mr.. &. q. TOWNSEND, c. f., Frostburg, Md,
Dear SH'-I acknowledge your interesting
favor and reply as follows:
Your cross section Of the Georges Creek
coal basin, between Dams mountain on the
east and Big Savage mountain on the west, is
u perfectly clear one and, think, quite suf-
ticient of itself to answer your questions. 1t
indicates that you have a fair chance to get a
considerable supply Of water for the town by
boring into the red shale. The numerous
large springs on the west slope of Big Savage
mountain, | should think, were fed by rain
water descending one or more water bearing
St'uta and then finding its way sideways
through cracks to the lower surface of the
mountain. The red shale is usually a good
water-bcaring rock, shooting the rain water
which gathers in the loose congomerate
sands down the dip.
/ should expect the water plain to be at the
top ofthc rcd $halc. But the red shale forna-
ton, as whole, is not homogeneous, and has
loose ond tight Strnta N alienation. Any of
these can suffer enough dissolution to become
very good water plains. But the cross
fracturing Of the red shale is very consider
able and allows any water plain to deliver
itself sideways to the surface.
am sorry cannot give you more precise
and definite information.
Rut tho mara fact of vb1r bayfutr 81, many,
tirm springs at the outcrop of the red shale
formation ought to inspire Il reason able trust
in the probability Of a bore hole inside the
basin affording water.
Yours respectfully,
J, 7. LESLEY.
Responding to the wishes of a num-
Der of citizens who united to defray
his expenses, Samuel MacEachen. of
Pennsylvania, came here Tuesday last
to investigate the question of securing
an increased water supply for the town
by means of an artesiar we'll.
The geological formation of Great
Savage Mountain and the position of
the springs on its west side were care
fully examined the location selected
for the proposed we'll on the East side
of the mountain noted, and the con-
clusion arrived at was that everything
indicated splendid chance to secure
water by well drilled to the red shale.
He said that the supply would not be
limited to what water was directly up
the pitch Of the measures from the
well but that it could come from
either side for long distances, as the
red shale is full of cracks and seams
in all directions, as noted in Il letter
of j. p. Lesley, State Geologist of
Pennsylvania.
The outcrop of the red shale, be-
tween this place and Cumberland, was
next carefully examined where it is
cut through by the Eckhart Branch of
the c. and p. R. r. The side next to
the mountain was found to be satur-
ated with water from top to bottom,
and several springs flowed from crew
ices of the rock, showing that notwith-
standing the fact that several would
be authorities of our town have de.
clded that there is no tcater in the red
shale, there is still plenty running om
of it wherever we find that measure
exposed SO that it can get out.
1t is claimed by some that the springs
on the west side Of Great Savage are
fed from the Cranberry swamp. AT
the same time it is PoSjtigely kn0cn that
the swamp is fed by springs at War.
ner's and Wolfe's achich come from The
rel Shale. Is it not, therefore, more
reasonable to admit that the springs
are fed from rain-water which falls on
the west side Of the mountain and soaks
into the shale, then down to the base
of the mountain and out at the springs
(See letter from Mr.. Lesley.)
If, then, we find water coming from
the shale at every place where the
measure is exposed, why should We
hesitate to tap it on this side of the
mountain and allow some of it to come
in our direction, instead of first letting
it run out the other side and then
forcing it back over the mountain with
pump liable to be out of order when
most needed, and SIRE to cost from s:
to S. per day whenever it is run, il
addition to certain cost for renewa
and repairs
The JOURNAL has also received the
following important announcement
from reliable gentleman, whose name
is available to the Water Committee
or Mayor and Council:
FRosTBuRG, Mn, March 9, 1898.
To tie MINING Journal.
There is responsible party standing read.
to guarantee water on this side of the noun
tam at any time our city fathers are ready t
enter INTO contract with him.
The JOURNAL understands that the
guarantee covers ample water from i
flowing well, or if pumping be peces
sary, an ample supply far below tn,
running expenses of the plan proposed
by the Water Committee.