The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-17


speo aiists IS malaria germs.
TITO siJ1stit! IF ciStern water in
| These Easterl counties for drinking pur-
| poses is rrati cable only among the
! most intc!f cent class of people, for the
! reason that +. c cister require con-
| siderable aEioIat 81 careful, and lntelll-
gent supervision order TO prevent
| their Incoming even more serious sources
| of disease than the surface springs. In
view OF Il aee facts the survey has
undertaken The "xaminatio of the geo.
| logical formation of the eastern cOun-
| ties with a view Of determining the pos
| ,,ihility Of this region. Some years ago
| it was claimed, even by biologists that
artesian wafer supplies we e not possible
| n Eastern North Carolina; but the
present Geological Survey has taken a
| different view of the matter, and add
yiSed the boring Of an artesian well at
| Wilmington several years ago The
| flow Of water was successful from a
| DC of 800 ftet, but the water was
| salty in character, and owing to some
accidents to the machinery, the project
| was abandoned for the time. 1t has re-
Gently been taken mp again, however,
| and the Clarendon Water Works Com
pany is now sinking a 12-inch well, and
| has made contracts for carrying it to
depth of 1880 feet if necessary. There
| is every reason to believe, however, that
! good supplies Of wafer will be secured
| at a depth of certainly less than 1000
| feet, and probably nearer 1000 feet.
The first pronounced success in this
| direction was a we'll bored under the
| advice of this survey at Hope Mills, in
| Cumberland county. and this has been
| followed up by number of successful
| behring's in Cumberland, Robson, Blad-
en-. Columbus, Craven, Hyde, Ridge
combe, and some other counties, as at
| Wrightsville Beach, in New Hanover.
The water at all of these deep wells
| does not overflow at the surface, but in
such eases it comes sufficiently near
| so that it can be easily brought to the
eurface by the use OF ordinary pumps.
The quality of the water from the diff
ferent wells is now being investigated
by the survey. 1t OF course differs al
different places, as it may be favored
!, ith q if.Ient mineral substances, but il
II cases I appears TO be free from such
rganic germs as could produce malaris
nd OF or diseases.
Or course ii is Impossible TO predict
ne exact character OF the strata a
liffefent depths below the earth's sur
face. and inasmuch as the quantity Of
the underground water varies greatly
with the different kinds OF strata-being
more abundant in the loose. gravel)y
;trata--it is impossible to predict at amy
exact point whether or not the well al
that point at a given depth, would
be successful; and though in most cases
our predictions as to water supplies
have come true, yet in some cases the
parties boring have failed to reach under
ground water supplies. The failure
however, might have been due to either
of several causes. First, a water sup
ply may not exist ut that point; and in
the second place the well may not be
carried to a depth sufficient to reach the
water supply, and in the third place, in
boring the well the water bearing STRAIT
um may be passed through by a care
less operator without his knowing of the
fact. 1t is proposed to continue the in
yestigations in connection With this
work during the next year.
IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
This is another important subject for
the eastern counties which has re-
ceived attention from the survey during
the past year, and it is hoped to con-
tinue some Investigations along this
line during 1898. Our surveys have
demonstrated the fact that in quite a
number of cases the small lakes which
in many of our Eastern counties are
sufficiently elevated above considerable
tracts of land to permit the water being
drained off from these lakes and swamps
and being used for irrigation of crops
which may be grown upon the lands. In
connection with this investigation we
are also endeavoring to show that in
many cases there are swamp areas OF
land from which, by the combined use of
bitches and cheap wind mill pumps,
these lands may be relieved of their sur
plus of water during the wet seasons,
and by the use of the same wind mill
pumps and surface reservoirs, they may
be irrigated in especially dry seasons,
thus making it possible to use these
lands for trucking or other agricultural
purposes in such a way as to make them
independent Of the changing seasons.
Several prominent truckers have shown
their interest in this work. and will CO.
operate with the survey during 1898, in
carrying on experiments as to the best
methods of accomplishing these results.
WATER-POWER EXAMINATIONS.
During the past several years the in
quiries concerning our water-power
have been on the increase. Especially
beers has been true since the transmission
of power by electricity from inaccessi-
BILE points on rivers to existing manufac-
turing centers on lines of railway has
been demonstrated not only possible, but
J,r,,,Y wv exynr not Inn
of the water-powers of the State, which
was begun some three years ago, has
been nearly completed, and the report
embodying the results of this work will
be ready for distribution early i'm 1898.
The work now in progress on the Yad-
kin river, which is the making of topo-
graphic map of that part of the Yadkin
river from below the Narrows to point
some twenty miles above where It's most
important water-powers are SITUATED
hn Gntsha1 nv the