The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
WELLS SCOUTING WEALTH.
THE NILES ToNDERs TO BE Ex-
CELLED IN THE DAKOTAS.
Artcsian Wells That Draw Their SuPpiy
rromn Vast BODY or water Underground
and Are Expected to Give Prosperity by

ArteuIan Wells That Draw Their Suppiy
from Vast BODY or Water Underground
and Are Expected to Give Prosperity by
Irrigation TO Northwestern Farnsrs.
HURoN. s. D.. Dec. 2.-The agricultural mir
Rcles of the Nile will fade In comparison with
the crops that will be taken from the valley of
the James River in the Dagotas and the Snskat-
chewan In tho far North when the new system
OF artesian wells has reached It's full develop
ment. There are now about l,l00 wells In South
Dakota, and about half as many in North
Dakota. These are all the result OF experiments
covering three or four years in the one State
and half as long In the other. They are divided
into what are called shallow wells, varying in
depth from so to 900 feet, and taking moisture
from an upper stratum OF water, and deep wolls,
varying In depth from 900 to 1900 feet, and
taking water from the great Dakota sandstone
basin. Brule county alone has thirty of tho
latter class. with q flow on an average OF 1000
gallons u minute. Had IL not been for the diff
Guilty OF placing bonds under the new Artesian
Well Act during the past season there would
now be nearly 1000 wells In South Dakota, in
surfing magnificent crops over q wide area.
These great wells stand unrivalled In the
height OF their pressure and the copiousness OF
their flow. Their vast aow has already given
rise to fears that they might not last long, and
that by the time the farmer had dug his well
and constructed his farm for the use of irriga-
ton, they might fail him. There is power In
these underground waters to grind at the har-
vest fields every bushel Of v heat that is raised in
the fertile praries of the Dakotas.
The immediate sources of the waters are tho
sandstone layers In the so-called Dakota geoloR-
ness. The water comes uu often with immense
pressure. from lT5 to 200 pounds to the inch.
inch stream scores of fee. above the ground.
Why should 1t not ere this have burst forth and
spent it ELL Is sol 0iten ASKED sIs, Erom NJ too TO LOO
sandstone has. been sufficient TO. hold IL down
till tapped. This sandstone of the Dakota ba.
Sin extends Indefinitely north and south under
the great plans in q huge shallow trough. It's
western edge, Of very irregular form, lies ex-
Mountains. In ridges around the Black Hills.
and In other upheavals east of the Rockies.
These exposures lie at a height of from $500 to
$500 feet above the sea. It's eastern edge Trims
out to a narrow ledge and Is almost completely
lost sIsi, SSse Of the iroa a' 100 Of to i sieG5 ages iss,. Il +, lies Is sb at an
that II water is turned into the porous sand.
stone OF this Dakota and Jurassic formation at
brim, and then II the sandstone is tapped at a
level of about 1900 feet above the sea, the alii-
tude of the James River basin, water will burst
forth with immense force. The efficient head
may be more than 500 feet.
Because of the unavoidable leakage along its
eastern edge the presence Of water n the sand
stone grows less toward the east, till 1t barely
reaches the surface, This decline OF pressure
from Hivhmore to Huron, =. D., and q similar
grade appears to extend from Sheridan. wy,
Of the artesian wells of the basin. This leakage
and the opening Of wells. with their vast waste
OF water. must In time exhaust the supply II 1t
piled to the formation or reservoir in three
ways; First, .d BY the he. rainfall On its west,
twenty-four inches a year. As there are 5000
square miles OF this upturned edge. and half
this fall goes into the porous strata. there is the
enormous total Of almost 81. 1000 600, 900 cubic
feet q year, from this source alone, The second
from from ' sjSsr ,of flowing Goc o See od II Thu Mis-,
near Great Falls alone. and It is fair to reason
that the Yellowstone. Big Horn. North Platte,
and other streams that are moro closely allied
to the Dakota basin. add twice as much more,
making about ten billion cubic feet from this
second source. Then there are vast quantities
of water that come TO the spopge-like stone
from older formations below and from above.
The nrst two sources will supply more than ten
tesian wells combined. II Is calculated that the
stored supplies Of water in the sandstone repre-
900 600 square iane niles tee' u there Hse I, e enough SusS IL IL this tSi:
stored supply to cover the James River valley
and the seni-arid belt q foot deep with water
A frst- class well on any farm In the valley
VIII supply nearly loo gail01s = minute. and
. Si nd6 cost aooI NJ, g, 800; II VIII supply water to
has been fully demonstrated tho last two sea-
sons. and all who have had wells are enthusi-
astic. There has not been one failure in South
Dakota except through ignorance. Farms in
Dakota can be bought. wells amply to supply
them dug. reservoirs built.snd homes erected, at
about Sl3 an acre and these farms will return
their owners u profit on an investment of not
less than $50 an acre.
Scores Of cities and villages in the Dakotas
use direct pressure from wells for running their
electric light plents, their flour mills. water
works. and all small manufactures. They have
never needs coal or new machinery. and q tire
less servant demanding no wages.