The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-07
ARTEsIAN WELLS.
Some Facts as to Chances of Strik ing
Water in Any Given Place.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
A subject on which there is still a large
amount of misconception IS that of aIte-
sian or self-fiowing wells. Usually, as
we perforate the crust of the earth, we
find water at no great depth. but gener-
ally the water will rise only to a certain
hight IN the well, which is known as the
water line This line may vary in wet
or dry weather, or on high or low ground,
and IN the same locality water is some
times found only at surprising depths,
while near by it may be found much
nearer the surface. But there are local.
Ties IN almost any country where a per-
foratiOn down into the rocks is followed
by an overlooking fountain of water,
sometimes, as in some portions of the
west with force enough to operate ma
chinery.
This outflow can only be accomplished
by some kind of pressure. There is gen.
orally higher "head, " that is, the source
of supply has some higher altitude, and
while this may be many miles away, the
water has found open material or favor
ing crevices under a more compact stra-
tum to serve as conduits, and, when this
compact cover is penetrated, the water
Will rise to hight corresponding to its
source, and with force. light or heavy,
corresponding with its pressure. Such is
the usual condition that sustains a well
OF this Kind, but there are also others. A
natural gas pressure may at some point
be eXerted against a column of water,
which, when exit is furnished, will then
gush forth. Then, again. there are evil
dences of sufficient surface pressure to
force the water to and over the surround
ings when vent is afforded
The phenomenon Of gushing forth is
sometimes encountered in unexpected
places. In the small town of North Lima,
ten miles south of Youngstown, O., an
ordinary well was dug some years ago,
and, at depth of less than thirty feet, a
stream was encountered that filed the
hole nearly as fast as the one digger
could be drawn up, the overflow issuing
in falr-SiZed brook. Alarm was taken,
the excavation was hurriedly filled with
stones and drift and the flow was
shut of. In the county of Williams,
In the northwestern corner of Ohio,
flowing wells can be secured in many
localities by simply driving pipe, often to
depth of only twenty feet. Hardin
county, in the same state, also has dis
tricts where the water will overflow, and
both the counties mentioned are rather
fiat A most remarkable geyser was
struck at Belle Plaine, in the southwest
corner of Benton county, Iowa, some
years ago, and such was the volume of
water Lnab SnOG 1OrJn ana I'm PEELED with
such terrific force that engineers from
Chicago were employed to devise method
to get it under control. All flowing oil
wells are such by reason of gas pressure,
and as the pressure diminishes the flow
abates.
While no one may know in advance
just where an artesian flow may be met
with, it is not so hard to determine
where such flow would be impossible
Probably twenty years ago the commits
sioners of Allen county, Ind, concluded
to have an artesian well in the court
house yard fn Fort Wayne. Pole tools
were secured for drilling, and by this
tedious method hole was made over
5000 feet deep. Water of a most villain
Gus smell was struck at depth Of forty
feet, and was there all through the prog
ress of the work, and is still there. The
remarkable feature of the case is that
the city mentioned is right on the di-
vide between the great lakes and the
Mississippi basin, and hence is often
called the Summit City. Yet here, with
nothing higher for thousands of miles in
any direction, perforation was made
5000 feet deep in the hopes of securing
an outflow against every law known to
hydraulics For years the water was
scorned, having favor as of decayed
eggs, but at length, when an analysis was
made, it was declared on high authority