The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-14
ON IRRIGATION
Investigation
Prof, Gould and Party Start
From Woodward
UP BEAVER AND CIMARR0N
Chas. Longs Explanation of
Deep Wells
UP BEAVER AND CIMARR0N


rnent Of Geology at the University Of
Oklahoma has started for this city on
q trip for the division of irrigation OF
the United States Geological Survey.
Mr.. Pierce Larkin- Chas. A. Long, Chee-
ter A. Reeds and Chas. Z. Kirk, students
at the university went along on the trip
They worked west carrying on two llnef
Of reconnaissance along Beaver Creek
and the Cimarron River as for as North
ern New Mexico then they viii cross to
the head waters of the South Canadian
and follow that stream down across the
Panhandle to Oklahoma, completing the
work about the middle Of September.
The investigation viii include study Of
The water problems OF the plains, streams,
springs, wells, reservoir sites, chances for
artesian water and the like.
MI. Charles A. Long has written
thesis entitled, Deep Wells in Oklahoma"
and his work proves his capacity TO aid
in the investigation. Mr. Longs treatise
IS as follows:
DEEP WELLS IN OKLAHOMA"
IN almost every county in Oklahoma
wells of over 200 feet have been drilled.
A few have been put down for prospec-
tive purposes, more, however, were drill
ed in search of water. In connection with
these wells 1 wish to consider two things:
First water supply; second, the nature OF
the Red0eds. In general no water OF
any practical value is found below a
depth Of four hundred feet. In many
places a strong flow is found at depth
of from two hundred to three hundred
feet As a rule water below this depth
is salty. Near the base of the Redbeds
sandstones are found Above the sand
stones there is a large mass Of clays and
shales. then the horizon of the gypsum
lodges comes in and above this horizon
is another sandstone member 1 shall
go by counties in the consideration of
the subject the basis of my information
being the records which have been sent
in TO Mr.. ~Chas. y. Gould, resident Hy-
drographer, L. S. G. s, Norman Okla.
in Cleveland county no prospectc wells
have been drilled, all of the deep wells
are water bearing. In this county the
surface water iS-oTten either poor or not
in sufficient quantities to supply the de-
nand. At about two hundred and seven
ty-five feet however, there is a strong
the rocks dip to the west and the sand
stone in which the water is found is from
two hundred and fifty to two hundred
and eighty feet deep. The well put down
by the university last winter reached this
stratum at two hundred and seventy
five feet and continued in it to total
depth of two hundred and eighty-two
and a half feet. This sandstone outcrops
along the banks Of Little River several
miles east of town. The strata consists
mainly Of clays. The water In this we'll
contains iron, chlorine, magnesium, cal
cium. sulfates, and perhaps oLner ele-
ments The flow is strong; I have seen
the pump run for twenty-four hours at
q time, pumping about ten to fifteen
gallons to the minute. without any no
ticeable change in the flow. The other
wells Of the county have gone through
the same formation with a variation of
ony "A few feet in the thickness Of the
strata
At TeCumseh in Pottawatomie county
q prospect well was drilled eight hundred
feet and abandoned because of the soft
ness OF the formation through which the
drill was passing This well is in the
section of the Redbeds which is thought
10 be Carboniferous ia age. The strata
consist chiefly of red shale. -Four thin
lodges Of sandand some gypsum were
struck.
From New6irk in Kay county We have
the records of two wells which have been
drilled in searcht of natural gas. These
wells are in the Wellington formation,
gray member in the base of the Red
beds. which are Permian in age. IN one
Of these wells layers Of red clay inter-
lock with the lime strata TO depth Of
265 feet, in the other 70 a depth of Gl7
feet In the first of these wells which is
over IFS feet deep. there are twenty
lime strata and three gas bearing strata.
The latter being at 235. 26o, and s3S feet;
all three being sandstone. HE structure
of the other wells is similar to this one.
There are only two gas bearing strata.
one a gas shale lS6 feet at coo feet, tho
other a gas sand Is feet at go feet.
In Payne county the Cleveland and
oklahoma oil anu Mining Company put
down a prospect well 504 feet deep. This
we'll was started in the Permian but it
seems from the nature Of the lower stra-
IA that it reaches the Carboniferous.
The strata consist Of red and blue clays,
lrme and lime crystals. sand. slate. and
magnetic iron ore The ore is reported
TO be nearly pure iron; it is eight feet
thick. In drilling the well the broken
condition OF the rocks gave considerable
trouble In the last lime Stratum the
toss dropped about thirty feet in a crew
ice the nature and direction Of which
was not determined. Pure water was
found .. s. Us. l65, and 2S6 feet; it rose
10 within eight feet Of the top Of the
well
The only deep we'll we have any record
Of from Canadian county is the one put
down by the United States Government
in order 10 obtain a water supply for the
Fort It was drilled IN 1898 to a depth Of
I445 feet without securing water or at
least a sufficient amount OF water. This
we'll is on the heart Of the Redbeds the
strata being 81 per cent dark, red shale-
Salt water was struck at eighty feet
and some good water in sandstone at 4l5
feet No water was found below this
sandstone.
IS another place where a worthless hole
has been drilled This Well reached a
depth of 600 feet where brine, rising TO
within eight feet Of the surface. was
Struck. It IS needless 10 say the well
was abandoned.
IN Woods county one well out OF three
IS IN use. It-is located at Plymouth and
IS 80 feet deep. The formation consists
OF clay p feet red kiel Is feet. The
water is alkaline or salty. At Alva a
well was put down near the station to
secure a water supply for boiler pur-