The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-08-04

JLE COyT N TY SOUT]
Handling Artesian Wells.
notwithstanding artesian wells IN
South Dakota have passed the ex-
1 lparimeutnl stage-and which is true Of
Brnle county more than any other given
locality much ignorance and miscGn-
cpption his to the nature ot thp wells
lstill exists. This ignorance is not con
fined to the layman, hui time has shown.
Ia prevalent among the scientists, sup
posed. as we'll. The geooeists who haya
made a superficial study Of the artesiln
hastIGf South Dakota mislnd onr prapla
into the belief that the asttsian water
was inexhaustihIe. This has prompted
The belief that when we'll ceased to flow
1t was due wholly 10 other causas than
shortage of the water supply. The
GRAPHIC. as is generally known, has for
some years I.rl,l to the contrary opinion,
and for this reason was all the time op-
posed to- sinking second artesian
we'll in Ktmball unless for the purpose
of proving the truth of its contentious.
| In Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.
in the great oil and gas regions Of this
country, 1t has been over and ever DEM
onstrated that oillles in pockets" and
gas generally in veins. In the great
majority OF flowing oil wells the fluid
Is forced to tho surface by pressure of
the gus beloW-if this ia not always the
case. These wells in time cease to flow;
then pumps are put in, and as the oil
gets farther and farther below The sur
face the cylinder is lowered, until 200,
1900, perhaps 1000 feet down. 1t is
simply a case Of taking out The oil
faster than nature can make it. The
same is true Of gas wells. The writer
has seen gas wells, which, when first
completed. had a pressure strong enough
for months to lift thousand pound
weight. gradually diminish to "a point
where all the gas coming from the we'll
would not illuminate an ordinary room.
In other cases where the supply Of gas
has been conserved and used with judge
ment the supply is as good today as when
the we'll was first put down.
We think the artesian wells of South
Dakota operate on practically the same
principle, and for this reason believe the
owner of 500 two inch we'll will do
the wise thing to conserve the supply,
rather than to let the water run to waste.
For the sake OF nothing better to call it.
this source of supply is called a basin"
but actually it is a water -bearing strata
Of stone. 1t is anything but a lake, in
to which it is but necessary 10 send a
drill to secure perpetual flowing well.
We're this tho case, the pressure as be-
tween ons we'll and another woGld be the
same; when one ceased to flow, all would.
People who have ever lived In country
where springs abound know that In dry
seasons some springs never fail while
others do; the same with wells. Artes-
ian wells may, and undoubtedly do, vary
for the same unknown reasons.
Oae we'll may tap a stronger vein than
another. and one back Of which there is
a more lasting supply Of water. 1t may
be set down as truth that 1t is useless
to sink we'll near one that has ceased
to flow from natural causes.
There have been quite n number Of
two.inch artesian wells put down in the
vicinity OF Kimhall within the past year
or so and the work is at this time being
pushed with even greater energy. 1t is
far from the idea to discourage the en-
terprise, but, instead, to point out the
experience Of the past with larger wells
which cost thousands of dollars, and
more particularly to suggest that the far
mer who keeps his we'll shut off tight
is far less liable to lose it by clogging
below than if allowed to run itself till it
ceased to flow. In the former case the
we'll could be opened at small expense;
in the other 1t is gone forever. And why
should a well clog ii shut tightY There
cannot be the slightest movement Of
water or sand attbe bottom Of the pipe
without an outlet at the top. The col
umn Of water is as rigid from bottom to
top as the iron pipe itself. We would
not advise, however, that well be par.
TALLY shut off; 1t is better that 1t be
4 given full head when opened at all.
4 1t has been demonstrated time and
again that a freq flowing well can run
itself out. It has yet to be- proven that
4 shutting a we'll off tight endangers its
usefulness and life.