The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-25
Popular Fiction With Basis
in Fact.
Interesting Information About
Views of Running Water.
What ArteSian Well Digging Shows
in Rhode Island.
q THE Enron or THE NEWS:

To THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS:
SIR-Your article entitled "Bnried
River" in Wednesday evenings NEWS
would tend to make most readers believe
that an actual river flowed under this
city on it's course from Lowell and the
North to the sea at Hazards Ledge. Since
there is absolutely no foundation for such
a supposition, / would like TO submit to
your readers the following explanation,
pointing out the real source OF this under
ground water.
The original source of all water supply
upon this earth is from the rain, a part
OF which when ii falls, flows away to the
sea alorg our many river beds, which are
to a great extent impervious to water,
but the far larger part does not reach the
river beds bat finds an easier course In
obeying its governing law OF gravity,
and follows the veins of sand. of fine
gravel and coarse gravel, the seams in the
underlying rocks which are everywhere
present in various forms, walled in at
times between other beds of lmpervious
material, clay, hard-pan, etc., through
which 1t cannot pass.
When rain falls and remains long upon
the surface in ponds, or pools in swamps
or In shallow dug wells, it is a positive
proof that an imperv ious stretum, prob.
ably of clay, has prevented its downward
| course, but when the rain is hardly over
or before the ground appears almost dry,
| then are we certain that veins exist be-
| low, which offer an excellent chance for
the water to sink anywhere we do
| not know.
IL these open strata can be pierced by
| wells, then we are able to pump the pure,
| clear, sparkling water, or If the well is
located far below the level of the first
source OF this water then the water may
rise until 1t flows over the top Of the well.
When Professor Denton told us large
| subterranean river ran under Providence
| he was partially right, but to describe
| the coarse of the river was impossible for
| him or for any one. Had he told Us a
perfect myriad of streams, large and
| small, ran under Providence he would
have been still nearer right and had he
told Us our whole great earth was as full
| of streams of variuos size as a mans hand
| is of veins; that these streams ran in all
directions, while following possibly soms
| general course, and that those streams
existed at practically all depths, from the
ground surface to great depth as yet
underlined, he would have told only part
| OF the truth.
The underground river is not a reality;
no man can define its limits, its direc-
! ton, its extent or its character.
Because driven wells have pierced apun-
dant streams of water flowing through
excellently located gravel beds, and be-
cause the amount of water thus obtained
has surprised those to whom the subject
was new, many have believed a river had
actually been located by these wells, and
| from their location the very course of
| tho river has been defined.
That these wells are sometimes found at
depth of<rom 90 TO n feet, sometimes
| at from 40 TO 175 feet, and sometimes in
seams of the solid rock at still lower
Grafton. That the quality and nature OF
this we'll water often varies to some ex-
tent at different locations has not been
noted, for II would not help the interest
ing story OF the great buried river.
Now the truth OF the matter is that
underlying US here and everywhere are
bountiiul veins of water, and the course
simply follows the best natural water
course In gravel beds, which are found
10 be underlying the Lonsoale, Sayles-
Vile and Silver Springs bleacheries, Low
ell, Fcxboro, Pawtucket, Providence, etc.
But a better vein than any Of the others
Is found at Lonsdale, and the large
quantity OF water being obtained there
from the system OF 40 wells is of better
quality than any natural or surface spring
water sold in this city. Over 1000, 900
gallons per day Is what Lonsdaie gets
and the gravel strata have hardly yet
been tested.
Proyiden ce IL wonderfully well located
for underground water supply, and the
individual wells already sunk compare
favorsbly with any other cities. To he
sure. we do not find here in the East
such bountiful flowing wells as South
Dakota has obtained; reither do we go
as deep for our supply. There IL Is often
necessary to 20 over 1000 feet, while here
Il is seldom necessary or advisable to GO
over 800 feet, in the opinion OF the :best
aud most responsible water expsrts.
Lowell. foxboro, Bridgewater, Win
chendon, Maiden, Newton and other
places are now supplied wholly by driven
ar artcsian wells, and our own city IL FAR