The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-04-13
WELL NO. a SCOUTING $4,000
GALLONS OF WATER EACH
"a HOURS.
Couneilmen, Private Citizens and En-.
sineer Thomson Visited Harbert
Ranch Yesterday.

DcNelOpIucIlI WOTk on the 1dTDerl
ranch has hardly been carried to a
point where it can be accurately de-
termined whether or not subterranean
water in sufficient quantities to fur
nish Walla Walla with an adequate
gravity system, lies beneath the sur
face at an accessible depth. Engi-
neer Thomson, accompanied by five
members of the council President H.
H. Turner of the Commercial club, A.
K. Dice and Water Registrar Mclean
visited the Harbert ranch yesterday
afternoon and inspected operations be-
ing carried on by Superintendent
Knight, under the supervision of En-
gineer Thomson
Work is being prosecuted at two
points on the ranch. Well No. 4,
located on the north side of Mill creek
nearly back of the Harbert barns,
showed depth of So feet yesterday
afternoon and flow estimated at 49,
900 gallons every "a hours has been
developed. Work was suspended on
the we'll while Engineer Thomson and
superintendent Knight were lowered
to the bottom in a bucket A perfect
of the we'll, and it was necessary for
the two to don waterproof clothing and
gum boots.
Upon emerging from the we'll Engi-
neer Thomson intimated that he was
hardly satisfied with the amount of
water developed. In prospecting for
subterranean water We are confronted
with a peculiar condition which pre-
walls throughout the valley through
which Mill creek flows Engineer
Thomson said. The soil is of a boul-
der clay formation, SO dense that there
is not a free flow of subterannean wa
ter. In ages past vast quantities of
boulders and debris was brought down
by glaciers, each individual strata be-
ing so closely cemented together with
sediment that the water flows in def
mite channels instead of spreading out.
If We were fortunate enough to strike
one of these definite channels there
would be no question of sufficient
flow for all purposes being obtained.
1t is a little too early to determine
whether or not a sufficient flow can be
developed"
The work of sinking the test wells
has been a stupendous job, requiring
a crew of nearly a dozen men and the
employment of a steam engine to work
greatest amount of work mas been done,
greatest amount of work has been done
is feet by feet, inside measure
ments The walls nave been strongly
men working below the surface. The
men at work in the we'll are compelled
to labor eight hours in a perfect del
uge of water and are wet to the skin
from the time they go to work until
their shift is up. Owing to the cramp-
ed quarters and the difficulties under
which the excavators work, progress
is necessarily slow, little over two
feet being excavated to shift.
Visited Drilling Plant.
After spending nearly an hour at
we'll No. 4, members of the party
wendell their way a half mile up
stream where the drilling outfit is en-
ployed on we'll No. 1. The 1900 pound
drill was down a depth of 100 feet yes
terday but was still working in a hard
strata of rock. Samples of the rock
formation were submitted to Engineer
Thomson.
The drilling of well by modern
methods was something new to several
members of the party and the opera
tons of the outfit were keenly watched.
The huge drill which is about eight
feet in length and weighs about 1900
pounds, is lifted and dropped alter
nately with a huge arm operated by
steam engine. The constant dropping
of the drill sends it through rock and
soil alike at a good rate of speed. A
strata of porus rock was encountered
| Tuesday and the drill was sent down
distance of 80 feet in II hours. In
outfit was only able OF gain about five