Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-11-23
WATER IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

News.
WATER in SOUTH DAKOTA.
Rainfall Compared with Other Countries.
(From The Pierre Rustler)
Cyrenus Coles miller, S. d. letter to
the Cedar Rapids Iowa) Republican,:
A famous man once said that all Texas
lacked was water and good society.
South Dakota has good society. The
men and women here are the same as
those in Iowa and Illinois. In fact,
most of them came from those states.
They have not changed since coming
to this new country. And as for the
water, this part Of the state seems to
have that in abundance.
Since coming here have been giving
this question of water some study. The
American people have been so prone
to speak of their own west as arid that
q few comparisons with other and older
countries may be interesting. For in
stance, how many people know that
in the vicinity Of ST Petersburg, the
capital of Russia, the normal rainfall
is only II inches in year? Paris,
France, is credited with an annual rain
fall of only 10 orj20 inches. AT Prague,
Austria, the annual rainfall is only IA
inches; at Budapest 10 inches. The
rainfall through the great grain areas
of eastern Europe, including Austria
and Russia, varies from Z to 10 inches.
In spite of these meagre rainfalls, con
sidered from the viewpoint of the i'm.
mediate Mississippi valley, they raise
good crops in those countries and they
support cities that are large and pros.
porous.
And what do we find here in our
semi-arid west? At Pierre. on the
Missouri river and seventy miles west
| of this town of Miller, they have kept
an accurate account of the precipitation
flor many years, ..and the average rain
| fall is nearly 20 inches. In eastern
Europe such rainfall would be con
lsidered ample and part of the prodig-
Iality of benevolent providence. LII
Hand county this year the rainfall has
lbeen nearly that much during the sum
mer season alone and it is complained
of because it made much of the vegeta-
ltion too rank. Last year, with 6 inches
of rainfall during the immediate grow,
ling season, this land produced good
crops, wheat yields among the best
known had it not been for rust caused
Iby too heavy dews lat a critical time il
1.-THE maturing of the crop.
In addition to the rainfall they have
lin this part of South Dakota most won
|derful artesian wells. They bore holes
lin the ground from 700 to 1000 feel
ldeep and the water gushes out OF them
often with terrific force. These wells
are among the unexplained or unac
counted for phenomena of the country
There must be running rivers and vast
reservoirs under the ground. From
whence these rivers flow and these
RESERVOIRS are filled no one has told
lSome think the sources are The Devils
lake, y vast body of water to the NORTH
without surface outlet. Others think
i the water comes from the Missouri
river, up in the hills, where one-thirt
i of the flow is said to be lost in tn,
sands. Biologists are most inclined tt
an origin in the Black Hills country. y
But in any event the waters are un
Ider the ground and they come up whel
There is an opening made for them
The town we'll of Miller supplies tn
whole place with water and affords
fire protection that is in excess of tn
Hire pressure that is applied in cities i
case of FIRE. Two streams of waite
l have been thrown over the highest ele
vators. In some places these wells hav
lshown pressure Of LIS pounds, and i
one place a flour mills is run in day
4 time and1an electric plant at night b
1.-THE pressure of one OF these stream
], There are wells that yield !, 900 gallon
B q minute. 1T is estimated that an inc
and quarter pipe will supply wats
enongh for 5000 head Of cattle. 'rh
], water comes cut at temperature {
from so to 20 degrees, temperatul
!, which enables cattle to drink plenty 3
it even in the coolest weather, whic
1 means much to the welfare and growt
) OF the herds. The larger ranches al
!. lapt TO have artesian wells on then
there being now nearly 200 of them
this county
81 The extent of the artesian basin
very wide, although not yet we'll d
fined.
81 AS Pierre the flow Of artesian wat
!. is accomp anied with an abundance
natural gas, which, when separate
\; makes q splendid illuminant and is ia
i fused for fuel. This gas is used i
Z lighting the streets and homesof PIER
& tis believed that this natural gas i
dictates that there are vast oil fields
thaJ yiGiIlit j aud efforts are now beii
made 10 determine whether such D