Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-01-11
A. & N. College
Experiments
PHENOMENON RESULTING FROM
SINKING OF WELL IN ALBu-
QuERQuE.

DuIiES the Hist ncNh Oh DectIhDeI,
1893, a we'll was suns fuf irrigation
purposes on the farm OF MI. Inas. Z.
CHECKER near Albuquerque, New Mex
leo. The we'll was put down after the
plan given in Bulletin No. As Of the
New Mexico Agricultural Experiment
Station.
An open well was dug to a little be-
low water level and curbed with two
inch pine. "A six-inch standard pipe,
which forms the well, was sunk in the
bottom OF the open pit. About 10 feet
of strainer was exposed below the
pipe. The total depth OF the well from
the surface Of the ground to the bot
tom Of the strainer is about A IL
feet.
Strainer.
The strainer was made from 16
guage galvanized iron and closed at
the bottom. The walls Of the strainer
were perforated by slots ! IL inch
long by about IA inch wide. These
slots we're placed very close together.
Placing the strainer.
In placing the s%trainer the pipe was
first sunk to the full depth Of the we'll
The strainer was lowered inside of the
pipe to the bottom. The pipe was then
lacked up until about Is feet of the
strainer was exposed below the pipe.
Theoretically the action Of this
sort Of a ~strainer Is as follows, and
the results seem to prove the theory
true: The slots in the strainer are
large enough to allow the sand mixed
with the gravel to enter the we'll and
be pumped out with the water, and
at the same time small enough to keep
the gravel from entering the well.
The gravel then ~accumulates around
the strainer thus forming a porous
water bearing stratum through which
water can pass rapidly into the vel
in order to take the place of that be
ing removed by the pump.
:. Gravel Strata.
a water bearing gravel stratum i
necessary for the success of his typt
Of a well, and therefore, Mr.. Checker
Z undertaking was an experiment.
! Gravel, mixed with sand, was strucl
at IL feet from the surface o. tn
. ground, and gravel, more or less plen
! Itiful continued to the bottom OF IN
well Az IL feet, From q careful e.
animation Of the strata passed throug
= in sinking this well; from informatio
gathered from parties who have sun
wells in the vicinity, and from the rae
that upon flushing the well the Wate
became clear after the sand was r
moved, the writer has been lead !
!; believe that there is a sufticier
amount of gravel to be found ~ th
vicinity of Albuquerque to practicail
insure the success Of this type Of vel
!. Cost.
d, The cost of a we'll Of this type
comparitiyely small. Wherever der
onstrated to be successful II will brln
!. the cost OF a pumping plant entire
!, within the means of most farmers.
The following statement Of the co
Of the pumping-plant was kindly fur
ished by Mr.. Gleckler:
Well, including materials
and labors .siSs.'
= Pump and engine Tin place. 49,
If, rota, $500.
al Cnshman 6 horse power gasolil
engine and a Van VIE centrifug
q pump were installed. The water pun
ed with the power by this small 6
~ CINE was sufficient 70 fill a hve-in
at discharge pipe. The writer Is infor'
n ed that Mr.. Glerkler will put in a la
er engine and then still better resu
are expected.