Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-07-04
OUR ARTESIAN WELL!
It is a Regular Bonanza
for the Valley.
NONE BETTER IN
THE STATE.
Discharges 81 Gallons
per Minute of the Pur-
est and Best of
Water.
AN IMMENSE FOUNTAIN
Rises 100 Feet Above the Surface,
Making . Magnificent Water
mower.

power.
Last Friday tho Rocky Ford artesian
well was completed. For the last so OF
/ the 100 feet the drill went through tho
Dakota sandstone, that ever reliable
source of artesiau water. The flow from
the top of the casing continued to in
crease during Thursday and Friday un-
til it reached the point Mt which it has
stood ever since-s1 gallons per minute.
The water has a very slight mineral taste
but is perfectly soft-delightful for the
bath.
Saturday afternoon Contractor McVay
made a test to see to what height the
water would fiow. The hose belonging
to the fire company was attached to the
casing and fastened to the top Of the der
rick. Although the connection with tho
casing WINS very poor, allowing perhaps
half of the water to escape, the water
rose to the top Of the derrick and poured
over, being fountain rs feet in the air.
Mr.. MoVay says that the source of the
water supply is the foothills Of tho noun
tains and that the water will rise to a
height OF ], 900 feet above tho town as
readily as it does IS. With such an out
flow, under such pressure, we have a wa
ter power, the value of which we do not
comprehend. With suitable reservoirs
to hold the water, and it used by the lat
est and best water motors, power is ut
hand which can be utilized to very great
profit.
This experiment will prove great
blessing to the valley outside of Rocky
Ford. It has demonstrated that this sec-
ton is in an artesian belt, and that the
supply is sufficient for the purposes of ir-
rigation. There are many thousands Of
acres Of rich land on both sides Of the
river which are above all present or pos
sible future bitches. The Rocky Ford
well proves that these arid lands may be
irrigated by artesian wells, and thus a
new era opened up in the development OF
the Arkansas valley.
Various methods OF utilizing the mag
nificent fow are suggested. The water
might be run directly into the mains OF
the towns present gravity water works.
The connection could be made at the
well and when the pipes throughout the
town were filed the excess would be
forced up into the present reservoir by
the natural pressure of the artesinn well.
The use OF the power to run an electric
light plant is talked of. The scheme is
feasible and would give Rocky Ford tho
benefit Of electric lighting at minimum
of expense.
Monday morning the drill was again
put in operation to ascertain if any cav
ing OF the wall had occurred since Fri
day. II was found that the walls had
not stood 80 firm as to make casing un-
necessary. No serious inconvenience
might result, but to be on the safe side
and permanently secure the flow of water
beyond all question, it was decided by the
committee to case the we'll for the full
depth OF 100 feet. The we'll will be fin
ished with the most approved appliances
for securing an uninterrupted flow of the
water now being discharged, and thus
completed will continue to send forth
for many years the present bountlful sup
ply.
The Dakota sandstone, in which arte-
sian water is always found in this por-
tion OF the west crops out in the foot
hills all along the eastern slope OF the
Rocky Mountains. AL of the rivers
which flow eastward from the mountains
cut through this Dakota sandstone. The
rivers in running through the canons
have this formation on either side Of
the Of their banks and on their bottoms.
The Dakota Sandstone is very porous,
absorbing water like sponge. From
this explanation Of the source of tho sup
ply OF artesian water it will be seen that
the flow may be expected as long as the
rivers run down the eastern slope OF the
Rocky Mountains.
At a meeting of the committee on Sat-
urday Senator Swink, Meesrs. II. F. Ha-
gen, G. M. Hall and H. 1. Maxwell were
appointed committee to interview the
town council in regard TO the utilization
of the water in connection with the pres
ent system of water works. It is the al
most unanimous opinion that individu-
ais having borne all the hazard Of the ex-
pertinent and secured the water, that the
town authorities should step in and lib
orally aid in the expense OF casing and
the cost Of the appliances needed to get
the most possible good out OF the liquid
bonanza.
At the same meeting Of the committee
Senator Swink was appointed to confer
with the officers of the Santa -Fe in re-
gard to the use of the water for their en-
gines. The water which the Santa Fe is
using in this part Of the state is detri-
mental to the boilers. and the artesian
we'll sunk at La Junta has not solved
the problem as the supply therei is totally
inadequate to the demands, and second
well is in progress.
That the water contains iron is proven
by the discoloration Of the earth over
which it flows in the street. The other
properties it possesses are only conject-
ural, but an analysis will soon be made