The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-01
eEORGIA'S ARTESIAN WELLS.
, REPORT on THE SYSTEM BY THE
STATE GEOLOGIsT.

Deriments Were Made in Georgia
Before the Civil War But Were
UnsuccessfuI-TheF First Successful
Results Obtained at Savannah and
Albany in 1SS1-savannah Has the
largest Number of Wells and Is
the only City in the State With n
Complete Artesian Well supply.
The state geological department has re-
Gently issued bulletin No. of the geolog-
zeal survey of Georgia, giving "a Prelimi-
nary Report on the Artesian Well Sys-
rem of Georgia." The report is of inter-
est locally from the fact that it makes
extended reference TO the artesian well
system at Savannah and from the further
fact that il shows that Chatham county
has more artesian wells than any county
in the state.
Artesian wells, the report announces, are
q. very ancient date. The exact date of
the completion of the first wells Is not
known but it is believed to date from
the eleventh century, as well at Lillers,
France, has been in constant use since the
twelfth century. Artesian wells are so
called from the province Of Artois, France,
where the first successful effort to obtain
water by means of deep boring were made.
The report enters into a brief prelimi-
nary discussion of the conditions favorable
10 successful artesian wells, water bear
ing strata, the manner in which water is
confined in these strata and other matters
Of interest in this connection, chiefly from
a scientific standpoint. The porous lime
stone and sand formation of the kind
which exist in the neighborhood of Sa-
vannah are agreed to be the best water
bearing strata and the ones in which ar
tesian wells most frequently prove sue
cessful. Artesian waters are never chem
ically pure, but always contain in solution
numerous minerals, either in the forms Of
solids or gases. The most common gases
found in artesian waters are ammonia, by
drogen sulphide and carbon dioxlde. The
most common solids are the various car
Donates, sulphates and CELEBRATES, together
with silica, alumina and iron. These sew
eral compounds, when present in unusual
quantities. give rise to chalybeate
saline, magnetism and other min
eral waters, some of which possess min
era properties.
The artesian wells OF South Georgia are
confined to that portion of the state lying
south Of an irregular line connecting Co.
Iumbus, Macon and Augusta this area
embracing more than one-haIf the state.
il consists of a comparatively level coun-
try having a gradual slope toward the
sea. The elevation varies from go to 800
feet above tidewater in the northern por-
ton to few feet in the southern portion.
Efforts to obtain artesian water in South
fAsfa Hfria
1910 ana 1850 but these early attempts
We're unsuccessful and for some time il
was believed that it was impossible 10
obtain flowing water by deep borings in
this section.
1t was not until 1881 that Col John p.
Fort sank the first successful artesian
well in South Georgia on his plantatio
sixteen miles west of Albany. -Four years
after the completion of this well Capt.
ID. q. Purse began an artesian well in Sa-
Vannah in company with Col. J. H ESstill.
Inc well was bored upon lot near Lau-
rel Grove cemetery and water was OBJ
tanned al depth of $50 to 500 feet The
successful boring of these two wells great
~ stimulated artesian well boring in
South Georgia and it was only few years
before Savannah had complete water
works system supplied by artesian wells.
list of 14S artesian wells in South
Georgia is given. OF this number 26 are at
the Old Savannah water-works. and nine
az the new water works, giving Savannah
the credit for a total of "a wells As
mater OF fact there are now twelve or
thirteen wells at the new works besides
number of private wells at breweries,
factories and at suburban places.
Americas is credited with four wells and
Ihomasville with three while several
places are credited with two each Among
the earliest successful wells in Chatham
hn HNxrI,.a
Dored by Capt. d. G. Purse, then the own
er OF large part of the island.
III speaking of Savannah's water supply
the report has the following TO say: There
Is now probably no city in the South which
possesses more complete and wholesome
water supply system than the city of Sa-
Ednhah The water at present is obtained
from thirteen 12-inoh wells, varying from
80 10 100 feet in depth. These wells, which
supply TO the city 100000 gallons of pure
SiSsIal water daily, are located along an
irregular line about 100 yards apart. The
wafer from all the wells flows into a COM
mon aqOeduct, which has sufficient grade
10 carry the water with a considerable cur
tenl TO the pumping station, from whence
forced into the mains by powerful en-
enes, ana IS finally distributed through
'"' the city without the Intervention of
reservoirs or standpipes The old wafer
VOTES long since abandoned were sup
pn 1 win water from twenty-d wells"
o, me efforts to obtain artesian water in
Nor,h Georgia have been generally unsuc-
lS1,Lul' owing to the character of the crys-
.1'iHe formation underlying the surface,
anu many thousands of dollars have been
spent by the cities and towns Of that sec
0n II ruthless efforts, wells being sunk
g' Il aepth Of between 1900 and 1900 feet
"Tnout Obtaining the desired results.
lie conclusion of the geo,ogist Is that
SSllost the entire coastal area, embracing
tbosIA Georgia, is underlaid BY pervious
Tvs which win furnish large quantities
~ pure, wholesome water when pierced by
q, se Qllt' The average depth of these. wells
ooout 4oO feet, and the various strata
pItTated consists of soft limestone.
Cs SS and sand, which reduce the cost of
t'Suuctlon to minimum. Statistics as
No M Ae sanitary effects resulting from the
ef.. ol aItesian water are meager. but one
~ mas been to materially lessen the
tior 'Ie nee Of chilis and fever IN this sec
to a OF me state and in Albany there has
the DeoDle " N''ii