The record-union., 1899-08-12
THE WHTER
CONTROVERSY
CONTINUED.
True Story Of the Alleged
"Sand We11."'

ed to ascertain the truth, no matter
what it is; that the question of cost is
not insuperable as an objection.
If 1000 can be given freely from the
city treasury to put up small expert
mental patented mechanical filter, as
was done, surely thrice, or more than
thrice that sum would be we'll eXpend-
ed in making something of an investi-
cation Of the Subterranean sources of
supply.
But to indicate how, at least, inves-
tigation may begin, and some of the
lines upon which it might proceed in
addition to working tests, let us see
what unaided individuals have done, as
against the capacity of a city of 49, OO
population to perform.
THE STUDARUS WE'LL SLAM
DERED.
A statement having been made that
the Studarus we'll twelve (not six
miles as has been asserteD from the
city, is yielding only sand and that it
has pumped nothing but sand for all
time since May LIST, except for sixteen
days. That prior to that time from
its depths a crystalline stream arose
and flowed over all the Studarus lands,
and was the pride and joy of the neigh
borhood. That if Mr.. Studarus would
give his experience with it he would
not probably pronounce in favor OF
wells.
A representative of the Record
Union" Thursday, standing over the
Studarus well twelve miles northeast
from the city, asked him to give his
experience. And this was the result
of the inquiry made of Joseph Studarus:
IT have lived here these many years.
have not before been called upon
about the well by reporter. L heard
that one was out here to find out about
my we'll pumping sand If SO he did
not come near me. Why dolnot the
newspapers go to the parties who know
instead of taking secondhand stories
81 am satisfied that there is an in
exhaustible supply of clear, pure wat
er below this whole section. far be-
low the surface waters, and protected
from them by very thick casing Of
exceedingly compact hardpan or bed
rock and by hard clay. 1t is the water
city should have, sweet, soft enough
and free from any deleterious matter
so far as my experience with 1t goes.
have two wells here; one at the house
over yonder is small, but supplies my
household with pure, healthful water.
THE WE'LL THAT PUMPS SAND.
LAS to- this big well, this is its his
tory-and it is very different from the
false statements put into print about
it. Singular they could not come here
and get the truth. Two years ago l
sunk this we'll to irrigate my lands. 1t
is 145 feet deep. 1t is not cased. When
l first put it down it was a ten-inch
we'll We cased when we came to the
sand belt, that is always passed
through in this county.
Il resolved to enlarge it to twelve
inches, roaming it out we call it. To
do so 1 pulled out the casing at the
sand belt. Up to that time the flow
of water was steadily getting better
and greater in quantity. The idea
was, and it is borne out by experience
of my neighbors, to excavate by a
blast and make a chamber to reservoir
more water That has been done.
so I got a man to put in a blast in
the gravel at about 135 feet or so, to
chamber out. But in putting it in it
stuck at sixty feet depth and was set
chambered out in the sand strata, and
the sand ran in and choked the shaft
down to the gravel. That sand has to
be taken out; that is what we have
been doing. But all the time we have
had plenty Of water from that sand
strata, and I have irrigated my place
with it, until the fruit drying, curing
and packing season came on, and then
because was so busy, 1 had to stop.
THAT is all there is to that sand
story. 1t is untrue that the well ever
flowed over the lands. 1t rises in the
shaft or drilled hole we'll up to the
pump, which as you see is twenty feet
or so down in the large shaft made for
it. When we start the pump the
head as it Isl called, is taken off and
there is a fall of a few feet, and then
there it stands and with the power
have it cannot be lowered.
This sand belt is several feet thick,
and it was struck at sixty feet depth
1t would never have run into the we'll
If I had not taken out the casing.
How far was the first water from
the surface? Why about twenty five
feet.
why have 1 not cased the we'll?
Have not had time and it is not nee
essary to go to that cost for our use,
but 1 used it to irrigate just the same.
You see how moist my soil is"
How much hard pan did we pass
through? Over % feet, then came the
sand. Then came over 20 feet of tough
clay, and gravel was the last and we
stopped in it. See the pump brought
up cobbles like these'-handling
round two-pound stone-"and all this
coarse and fine washed gravel. There
is pressure under there. and without it
I doubt if the centrifugal would have
lifted so much"
THE SOIL CONDITION.
''Restate the soil conditions? Well
l would say we had first about "a feet
of surface SOIL then something over %
feet of hard pan. then 3 or feet of
sand, then compact clay on down to the
gravel, and our shaft stops in it at
145 feet with a fine supply of water"
What is my intention? When the
drying season for fruit is over to take
out the sand as Humphrey and Steph-
ems did, and have the water supply
from that source as. we'll as the gravel
supply to give me all the water L want
would not the gravel bed give
plenty? Undoubtedly if I should cham
Der out at that depth also and create
reservoir.
How far did we sink in gravel?
Probably 20 feet.
INExHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY.
mo, the supply of water has never
diminished. After pumping off the
head of few feet the supply stands,