The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-09-01
Artes1an Wells.

II. NJ. Miles once said to the GRAPHIC
that the more artesian wells he drilled
in and about BruIe county the less he
knew about it; that when he first started
in and drilled the first few wells, lie
thought he knew all about it, but the
more wells he finished up the less he
knew. Miles was IN old and exper-
fenced Pennsylvania we'll driller and
what he meant to convey was that the
conformation Of the ground and water
bearing rock vas such that conditions
were hardly alike in any two wells. The
result Of the operations in Chamberlain
for another city well bears out a great
deal Of what Miles said.
The success Of the effort to find a flow
beyond any level yet reached by a drill
in any part OF the county, as was the
case with the new we'll at Chamberlain,
has suggested the idea that by going
something like 1900 feet in KimbalI, a
good flow might be struck. Possibly so,
and possibly not. After this sam strata
of artesian water had been reached it
might not flow over the top Of the pipe,
80 great Is the difference in altitude be-
tween the Kimball wells and ever those
on top Of the hill at Chamberlain. Fur
thermorc, the result at Chamberlain.
does not as yet prove anything beyond
that immediate vicinity. The kiEball
wells are 240 feet higher altitude than
the city wells on top OF the bill, and
about 425 feet higher than the electric
light we'll.
Water was struck and the flow obtain
cd. in the old city we'll at Chamberlain at
a depth Of $50 feet and it was completed
at 1S5 and left. The we'll was put down
nine years ago. In 1895 the we'll wa
d%eepened to Sl5 feet, but did not improve
it materially. Tho new well is located
100 feet distant. No flow was struck at
the same depth of the old well, which is
still flowing, nor was any flow struck
until the present one was reached at a
depth of 960 feet, $50 feet lower than the
old one. Twenty feet more was drilled
in the new well, making 1t at present
$50 feet deep.
The last flow was struck IN both the
Kimball wells at 900 feet. Practically
this same flow was struck IN the Ochsner
we'll at $50 feet, though this we'll is but
a mile distance. As between attitudes
and water level there is n variation of
so feet between the kimball wells and
the Ochsner we'll and 60 feet between the
wells at chamberlain. This shows that
the artesian bearing strata does not con-
form to the contour Of the surface, but
rises and dips. passing from one locality
TO another.
In drilling the new we'll at Chamber
lain the flow was struck $50 feet below
the flow III the old well. while the Och
sner's went down 1876 feet after striking
their flow, but failed to find more water.
Despite n dozen years of experience
with arteslan wells in this county, the
work is stlll largely in tho experimental
stage. The result with the new we'll at
Chamberlain opens possibilities Of which
perhaps we have lover dreamed. It is
not unlikely that better and stronger
wells than any yet put down may be OBJ
tanned at still greater depths than vet
attempted, a possibility Of which is that
of the big county wells may DO
deepened with a small bore to great ad-
vantage. It is to lie hoped that before
Eustace Ward isthrough with it he may
find it practical to 90 down something
like 1900 or 1,4fa feet and learn whatia
there at this end OF the county.