Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-08-26
TOWN AND VICINITY.
The Water Question.

G. &. Townsend's letter last week,
supplemented by chalk diagram on
a blackboard in front of the Hitchins
Bros. building, raised quite IA stir.
Later another diagram, like the first,
representing the geological formation
of the Great Savage, appeared in
front of Meats Opera House.
To the latter correspondent, after
abiding to the first, objects as fol-
lows:
The first is based upon an examination of
the strata by government and Johns Hop
kins geOlOgist.
The latter is in some respects an imitation
of the first. Its variations are-some abso-
lutely false, and some give false impressions
1t has slOping line labeled Level Line of
the Red Shale" and this level line passes
several hundred feet above The Little Say
age and about 500 feet below the opening of
the proposed well. Instead of these points
being on a level, the one is about 900 feet
above the other Such blunder shows that
the true geological formation has never been
grasped by those who inspired the diagram
and we may, therefore, expect to find all de
auctions therefrom unreliable.
Next it is stated that the annual cost for the
right of boring near the Curry well would be
500 a year. This may be the price the Bor
den Mining company may ask. The town
need not pay it. The Mayor and Council can
proceed to condemnation no jury will fix
such a sum.
Much is made over the cost of laying the
pipe from the Curry well. But that need not
be over 80 cents foot in the ground. The
pipe would be under no pressure as there
would be free outlet at the lower end. 1t
could be of the thinnest cast or wrought iron
both very cheap. 3-inch pipe would dis
charge about 100000 gallons a day. 1t would
need only foot of cover, as flowing water
does not freeze.
No account is taken by those defending the
present site of the increased cost a foot over
the present contract price for boring after 600
feet is reached, and it will take about 400 feet
additional to satisfactorily reach the water
supply in the red .hale.
Much is also made over the fact that the
opening of the new well is % feet below that
of the Curry well, thus increasing the press
ure of the water i'll the red shale. This is fall
lacious. The additional head of % feet, in
practice, would make little appreciable differ
enCe. This and much more would be lost in
the resistance the water will encounter III
rising through a perpendicular about 400 feet
longer. Under such circumstances the well
might not yield flow, though nearly or quite
full of water.
Another erroneous impression is conveyed
i'll the two lines which state that the reser-
vOr well will draw from an enlarged area of
water. That might might mean something
if single well would exhaust the supply, but
wherever the well is bored 1t will draw only
molic"m of the water around it. Besides,
the red shale has below it an impervious
stratum, so that the enlarged area cannot ex-
tend to the depths below, but only III the
shale itself, and as the rise toward the west
and north is very rapid, that enlarged area
would not affect the supply at all.
But the most serious objection to the pres
ent site is found i'll the fact that the drill
must pass through so many hundred feet OF
the coal measures, where all the water is con
taminated by strong sulphurouS infusion.
The Curry well penetrates but small portion
of those measures, and the sulphur can be
easily excluded.
This leads me to the conclusion that we
would better spend five times probable cost
at the reservoir at higher point and get water
tit to use, rather than at possibly lower ex-
pense obtain water which will be hard,
sulphurOus, will rust mains, pipes and inside
fixtures; destroy boilers, and require many
OUTLAWS annually for repairs and renewals
pany at Its own figure.
j. ST it should be found necessary to
bore more than one well to obtain sufficient
quantity of water, (and ii will be as the town
growS,) the cost Of laying pipe to the Curry
well sinks into comparative insignificance.
The JOURNAL understands that Mr..
Townsend was mistaken III charging
the Water committee only with the
selection of the reservoir site that
one, Mr.. Schofeld, was and is opposed
to it, while Messrs. Nickel and Shuck-
hart favor it, and that the action taken
was not wholly in committee, but in
Council, where the location was de-
cided by vote of / to 3.
About 100 feet mas been bored. A
nice, vigorous flow follows, quality not
YET considered