The Indianapolis journal., 1894-04-24
ARTESIAN WELLS.
Some of the Pecuiiarities OF These
Natural Reservoirs.
Pittshurg Disnatch.

Pittsburg Dispatch
A subject on which there is still large
amount of msconception is that of arte-
sian. or self-fiowing. wells. Usually. as We
perforate the crust OF the earth, we ma
water at no great depth but generally the
water will rise only to a certain helght IN
the we'll, 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 sometimes found only at
surprising depths while near by IL may be
found much nearer the surface. But there
are localities in almost any country Where
perforation down into the rocks Is 1ol-
lowed by an overfiowing fountain OF water,
sometimes, as in some portions of the West,
with force enough 10 operate machinery.
This outflow can only be accomplished by
some kind Of pressure There is generally
q higher ''head''-that is, the source OF sup
ply has some higher altitude, and. While
this may be many miles away, the water
has found open material or favorfng crew
ices under a more compact stratum TO serve
as conduits. and, when this compact cover
is penetrated, the water will rise 10 height
corresponding to its source, and with a
force, light or heavy, corresponding with
its pressure. Such is the usual condition
that sustains a we'll of this kind, but there
are also others. A natural-gas pressure may
at some point be eXerted against column
of water. which. when exit is furnished, will
then guSh forth. Then again there are evil
dences of a sufficient surface pressure 10
force the water to and over the surround
ings when vent is afforded.
The phenomenon of gushing forth is some
times encountered in unexpected places. In
the small town of North Lima, ten miles
south of Youngstown, o., an ordinary we'll
was dug some years ago, and. at a depth
of less than thirty feet. a stream was en-
countered that filed the hole nearly as
fast as the one digger could be drawn up.
the overflow issuing forth in a fair-siZed
brook. Alarm was taken, the excavation
was hurriedly filled with stones and dirt
and the flow was shut off. In the county or
Williams, in the northwestern corner of
Ohio, flowing wells can be secured in many
localities by simply driving pipe, often to a
II h Of nValrr n~Nfr
in the same State. also has districts where
the water will overflow, and both the coun-
ties mentioned are rather fiat. A most re-
markable geyser was struck at Belle Plaine,
in the southwest corner of Benton county,
Iowa, some years ago, and such was the
volume of water that shot forth and i'm
PEELED with such terrific force that engineers
from Chicago were employed to devise a
method to get il 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,
II is not SO hard to determine where such
a flow would be impossible. Probably twen-
ty years ago the Commissioners of Allen
county, Indiana concluded TO have an ar
tesian well In the courthouse yard in Fort
Wayne. Pole tools were secured for drill
ing. and by this most tedious method hole
was made over three thousand feet deep.
Water of a most villainous smell was struck
at depth of forty feet, and was there all
through the progress of the work, and is
sun tnere. Inc remarkable feature or the
case is that the city mentioned is right on
the divide 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 direc-
ton, a perforation was made three thou
sand feet deep in the hope of securing an
outflow against every law known TO hy-
draulics. For years the water was scorned
having flavor of decayed eggs, but al
length, when an analysis was made IL was
declared on high authority to possess eX-
traOrdinary medicinal virtues. and such was
the pressure for the once despised fluid
that a fountain operated by steam power
was established to accommodate the pub
lie. No artesian we'll can be possible in such
localities