The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-09-09

III tldll'l'l ~ h''f'i' i#' 49,
deep These wells uotr TUNED,
some % feet below he surface,
INTO round under ground cl>trrn
Of some - feet diameter At the
top This arrangement gave tin"
wells q water head Of some II
feet at the point of entering the
ciStcrn, which was calculated ~
being sufficient To cause the wells
to flow fast enough ia supply the
pumps. This plan was dt.ct'dli
cd at the time by this journal
In few weeks. rompalatlyeIy'
the plant had to aba idnu thc elS-
tern and rely upon The Bayou
Tcche for its entire NAtol supply
Last year auolnet effort was
made to pet better water. Some
5000 was expended ~ drilling
two wells 10 a depth OF about 900
feet, When first tested he re
suit was promising, but 10 about
SIX months the SuttlunS at the
great pumps were shifted back to
the bayou
The New Iberia lee Il EottIlng
works had had similar experiences.
After drilling four wells, all Of
which successfully closed, an alr.
lift was reSortcd to II was at
tached to one Of he abandoned
well, after it was cleaned out,
aud today that plant is getting
hight along more water ont Of his
once abandoned well than II has
need for. Mr.. Victor Erath was
the first to drill a deep well here,
and he has been first in dcmonstra
Ting how they may he kept open
and useful
In looking over the situation III
a practical manner there seems to
he but one avenue open, and that
is to go back to the original plan
and put IN a reservoir, or settling
basin. Add to that plan an air
lift outfit Of proper capacity. The
BASIN should hold at least one
million gallons of water. To do
this. it must be about 100 feet
wide by 200 feet long, by about =
feet deep These measurements
would give tank capacity of
200 600 gallons, but it will not
always be full.
TO build such basin. additional
site would have TO be acquired.
"A few OF The apparent adval,-
tages would be a large volume of
water on hand all the time, ample
for even emergency needs. Better
water, the water blown from the
wells would be thoroughly aerated,
free of its gases. and after expo
sure in the basin would be far
better fitted for domestic pur
poses. With the basin walls con,
structed D to / feet above the
surface, with the balance of their
depth carried below, there would
be no danger of seepage water
finding its way into the basin,
even should cracks develop.
The large pumps. drawing from
this reservoir, would be seIfprim-
ing. The danger of an air leak
in the suction pipe, while working
at a critical time, would be olivia
ted. BY dividing the BASIN into
four or more sections. anyone
section could be emptied and
clcansed without disturbing the
others.
The advantages of such an ar
rangeInent are many; possibly
more than we have binted. The
principal disadvantage will be IT'S
cost. There are now four useless
wells on the plants site and the
clstern-an airlift would bring
those wells into usefulness again.
10 employ the airlift You must
nave "a reservoir small one
would be a mistake. In all prob
no water supply better
shan that of the Teche will ever
De had at less cost than such an
outfit, To filter the water would
cost far more. More or deeper
wells might prove expensive ex
perlments. There are more wells
now than are needed.