The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
A TRICKY WELL DIGGER
DEVICE BY WHICH HE SS,-
600 FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
He First Diverted the Water from q
Stream Into a Hole in the Ground,
and Their He Pumped 1t Out.

tempts to defraud the national government
that has ever come to light. 1t is all in
correction with the plan to supply the
military post at Fort Myer with an album
dant and satisfactory water system. Fort
Myer is in Virginia, just across the river
from Washington.
Not long ago it was thought that the
problem had been solved and that hereafter
the fort would nave all the clear, pure
water that was needed from a never-failing
we'll. To-day the War Department officials
are up agains. the fact that the we'll in
which some of them placed such reliance
is as dry as a bone or as a campaign orator
after a long speech on a hot day. What is
more. there never was any water in the
we'll. or, at least, had IT not been for the
ingenuity of the human mind there never
would have been.
Several years ago when the need of a
better water supply for Fort Myer became
evident Congress appropriated 100000 for
the purpose. the plan being to tap the
source of the water supply of the city of
Washington. The scheme met with some
opposition. and there were those who
thought that all the water needed ought
to be obtained on the premises, and that
the nature of the ground was such that
WYNN NC iO Y III ilAitAAio GIL
abundant supply under ground.
Several propositions were made. all look
ing to the same end Among these, one
was adopted as the most feasible. 1t was
an offer from reputable parties to dig a
well which would furnish at least fifty
thousand gallons of pure water every
ss s'coo' Which h meant I q se eUh5eae Of P sss, GOO wt to
the government. and it was accepted. with
the understanding that if the flow was less
than the stipulated amount. or if the quail
itV WAS NOT satisfactory not a cent WAS 10
be paid.
The site for the first we'll was selected
by OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Batchelder. 1t
was near a little stream and convenient to
the post. The original understanding was
that a company was to be organized TO do
the work, and ex-Representative Maish, of
Pennsylvania, the counsel for the COM
pany, was to be it's president. but for some
reason the company did not materialize
with Colonel Maish himself as the chief
party to it.
FIRST WELL A FAILURE.
Work was at once started and the we'll
was sunk. 1t was not long, however. be-
fore the hole had gone Town far enough to
reach a stratum of granite, beyond which
there was no use in seeking for water.
| The we'll was thereupon abandoned. An eff
fort was made to see General Batchelder,
it is said, but the General was busy and
the chief clerk of the office told the con-
tractors that If they would dig another
well a short distance from the first site it
would be perfectly satisfactory.
The actual work of digging was sublet
to a professional well digger from Pennsyl-
vania, who agreed to secure the desired
amount of the proper quality for one-half
He was to pay all the expenses of the
work. and If the water was not forthcom-
ing neither was the money to be A second
to have found water at a much shorter
distance from the surface of the earth than
anyone had supposed was possible. Some
of the water was submitted to a chemist
OF the Department of Agriculture, who is
an expert in the analysis of aqua pura, and
his report was TO the effect that the water
was of the highest quality and far superior
TO the city water.
This was in the summer of 1894. The
month during June. July and August, but
before the second test was made the sub
contractor reported one day that the Well
had been filled up, presumably by some ma
licious person. with scrap iron. and it was
his opinion that a CANNON ball had been
dropped down the hole.
General Batchelder was not satisfied with
the second we'll. anyhow, and declined TO
accept IL, even IL ii could be reclaimed. He
himself named a third site. and the work
Again 1t was not long before the subcon-
tractor reported that he had found water
In plenty. The ACKNOWLEDGEMENT was
still suspicious. however, but the claim
was made that if 1000 gallons of water
was o~btainable every day. and il could
stand the chemical test. 1t made no differ
ence from what depth it came.
The water stood the test all right. and
the chemist reported it to be of superior
Ions a day, with the assistance Of an eight
horse power pump. The s~ubcontractor in
sisted that in a week or two. when he had
time TO go a little deeper and increase the
diameter OF the hole. it would be all right
and he could secure the extra 1000 gallons.
AT the end of the appointed time a
flowing at the rate of 60, 600 gallons. or an
excess of 10000 over the required amount.
Inc matter was left to Assistant Secre-
tary of War Doe when claim was made up
on the department for the money. and he
recommended that the sum be paid over.
although the Quarternaster-general was
still not satisfied. and insisted that the
water could not possibly be there.
Last November the $1,000 was'paid. and
the well was turned over to the Quarter
master-generaFS office for use. Up to re-
Gently, however. no attempt was made to
post. Several weeks ago General Batchel-
der sent to st. Louis for some expert well
diggers TO come on and Investigate the
whole matter. and an effort was made to
locate the second well. For some time this
was fruitless. until Colonel Maish came TO
their assistance. and the site was found.
with underbrush. For some reason. possi-
bly, to satisfy his own curiosity. General
Batchelder ordered an excavation.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
his Was Il lew Gays ago, ana the work
men had gone only about six feet when
they came upon a four-inch terra Gotta
pipe leading into the we'll. 1t was followed
along for some distance, and led to a point
in the stream itself.
About 100 feet from the mouth of the
we'll, down stream and around a bend, hid
den away in a clumD of bushes. was a
small dam. sufficient. however. TO turn half
or fwo-fhirdS nf tho Watar into The r;0o~
and so, with a slight downward drop, on
into the we'll itself.
The mystery was solved.
The water that was pumped from the
we'll was not diverted for any purpose. and
was set TO work $4,000 gallons q day ran
back into the little stream. down TO the
dam. back to the well. down Il wooden
trough, which had been constructed so
that not a drop of the precious fluid should
be lost into the stream. Like Tennyson's
so long as the government chose TO keen
the pump running. OF course. If any of
the water had been carried off TO the fort
TO be used for drinking or bathing pur-
poses. the supply in the stream would soon
have given out.
\ further investigation has since been
made. which shows that the third We'll was
supplied with water from the stream I'm
practically the same manner. The first
pipe line was not sufficient TO furnish 1000
gallons a Gay. but when a three-inch terra
Gotta pine was laid alongside of the first.
the volume was readily increased to $4,000
gallons. In point of fact. while the matter
has been kept as quiet as possible. il is
said that there was actually no water in
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