Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-03-29
watsr.works for walha'la.

water works for Walhalla, but it all
seems to have been an air castle,
which has vanished into thin air.
For number of years schemes have
been talked of and suggested for
bringing water from the high hill
country, west and northwest of Wal.
halla, distance of from five to
seven miles, by the use of iron pipes ;
surveys have been made, and esti-
mates as to cost, etc., showing, as the
writer is informed, would cost con-
siderable amount of money.
Now, it would perhaps be safe to
say that there is hardly citizen of
Walhalla but would hail with de-
light system of water-works in
operation in the town, even to say
nothing of electric lights, which
would be equally as acceptable.
Hence the question might be very
pertinently asked, "What would be
the best and cheapest mode of sup
plying the water? The answer
would be an artesian well-but some
body would say that would be too
costly. But not so fast. There are
good and sufficient reasons to be-
lieve that an artesian well would cost
much less than pipe system from
the mountains, as heretofore contem-
plated.
Now, it is well-known fact that
the large plateau lying west of Tnn-
nell Hill, extending several miles,
which is at least 800 feet higher than
Walhalla, contains an abundant
supply or fountain of water, which
has been thoroughly demonstrated
by digging wells and obtaining a
superabundant supply of water at
no great depth. Then it is nothing
more than reasonable to suppose that
said fountain is, by it's own weight,
seeking an outlet in some direction,
more naturally in an easterly direc-
tion than any other.
When the topography and general
contour of the country lying west of
Walhalla is taken into consideration,
and then the general trend of the
visible rock strata would seem to in
dicate the same thing then, that be.
ing true, it is not at all unreasonable
TO suppose that Walhalla and sur.
rounding country is underlaid by 6
fountain or water bearing strata
which if bored into would give al
abundant supply of the purest ano
best of water, free from any danger
of contamination, the hydrostatie
pressure of the uperincumbent stra-
tum on the water bearing strata ol
fountain would force the water to {
considerable height, with such force
as to render anything like a stand
pipe or reservoir unnecessary for the
distribution of water over the towr
by the natural pressure.
Turmey, in his Geology of South
Carolina, says that "the trend anC
dip of the everything strata is from
southwest to northeast" That being
80, it would naturally cause the pres
sure of the water from above to seel
an outlet in an easterly direction.
Therefore, it would not be unrea
sonable to assume that there is 6
vast reservoir of water underlying
Walhalla, under heavy pressure
which, being penetrated by boring
the water would be under such heavy
pressure as to cause it to rise to 8
considerable height above the highest
point in Walhalla.
Now, there are good reasons for
believingi that well bored to 6
depth of 1000 or 1900 feet would
reach this underlying lake or basir
of water,lnand thereby obtain ar
abundantssupply of water.
With the present improved ap.
pliances and machinery for boring ar
tesian wells, the boring would bt
comparatively an easy matter. Solit
rock can be bored with the improved
machinery with the greatest ease
| And it is said hy those who claim &c