Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-09-21
UNLIMITED WATER.
RECENT EXPERIMENTS SHOW
SURPRISING RESULTS.
Artesian Water at Moderate Depth In
the Arkansas Valley in Western
Kansas
MEANS MILLIONS TO THE STATE.

Syracuse, Kan, Sept. 15.-A we'll
drilled in by Edward Parsley, of
Syracuse, on his ranch, a mile
south of Coolidge, on the line
OF the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
re, In western Kansas, finds ar.
tesian water at a depth of 24O feet.
This is not new find, for an artesian
well has been flowing on E. P. Taylor's
adjoining quarter nearly 20 years.
But better than a new find, the Pars-
ley we'll, by its close proximity to the
other well and other evidences, fix
and make certain for all time that far
below the "underfow" of the Upper
Arkansas Valley, itself so valuable for
irrigation and domestic use, Is a veri-
table lake of water, which, If tapped,
comes to the surface by natural pres
sure, or which, if necessary, may be
pumped. More than this, 1t is soft
water, making II useful in locomotive
engines and other steam boilers.
Hard water will make steam, but 1t
corrodes the boilers, and so the rail-
way companies, especially, are always
on the lookout for soft water in semi
arid regions.
Indeed, 1t is the constant search for
soft water by the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe for use In its locomotives
and in its local shops along the line,
and to aid and encourage manufacture
ers and others who must have water
in their business, that has led to Mr..
Parsley's experiment south of Cool.
idge. By many experiments and much
expense the company proved to Ger.
tainty that the country along its line
In western Kansas overlies a reservoir
OF water. The underfow, at a shall.
lower depth, was certain and beyond
dispute, but the deep water was an un.
known quantity until the railway com.
pany demonstrated Its existence be.
yond doubt. Drill holes were put
down by the company along the line
at Intervals, and the deep water
tapped without exception. The latest
wells by the company were bored at
the foot of Main street, in Syracuse,
and water was found in Dakota sand.
stone at a depth Of 40 feet. One Of
these wells is to be bored deeper, but
Tor the present 1t supplies the needs
OF the company. It is not an artesian
well, but Is pumped. Between the
Dakota sandstone and the underhow
above 1t is a deposit of impervlous
soapstone, or shale, proving that there
Is no connection between the two.
The underAow Is the sunken waters
OF the Arkansas, and the other is car.
ried from the mountains in the porous
sandstone which underlies this region
at depth Of 1870 feet and lower.
In the Parsley we'll the water spout.
ed Is inches above the top of a three.
inch pipe from a depth of 100 feet,
and "a inches from 1876 feet From
24O feet the water spouted five feet
above the top, and when a section OF
10 feet OF pipe was added the water
noWed even out of that. Mr.. Parsley
will experiment with it more to see
exactly how far 1t will rise in the pine,
and later ne will substitute an eight.
inch pipe for the thSee-lnch, and the
how naturally will be increased by the
change. From three-inch pipe in the
we'll on the Taylor ranch adjoining
the flow Is about 40 gallons a minute
irrigating 50 acres Of orchard and gar.
den, in addition to supplying the fam.
lily and the livestock. Mr.. Parsley's
success has moved the neighbors TO
bore wells. ]. W. Egger, on Section
~, has water to the top of the plpe
at depth Of 200 feet, and Paul Rice
Section 20. E. P. Taylor (another
well), Section rs, and Edward Ross
Section 36, are drilling with a Ger.
tainty of finding flowing water. Over
the state line. in Colorado, Lewis
Mathews is drilling.
This flow Of water even come, 10
the surface In spots without drilling
for 1t. Strange to say, Hamilton conn.
ty, which lies in a region that is Ia.
beled "setni-arid" by geographers and
biologists, contains perennial springs.
This is not the statement Of a land
agent" or Of boomer" but of an I'm.
prejudiced observer who has seen the
springs and drunk of their waters
North OF the Arkansas river in thi,
vicinity, tributaries of that stream
are seven creeks-Horse and Big
Sandy in Colorado, and West Bridge
East Bridge, Plum, Syracuse and Sand
In Kansas Hamilton county,. These
are dry creeks" as the saving "a
serving only to carry of storm water,
but two miles from the river and for q
distance of three miles further mn.
merous springs break from the LITTLE
bluffs within four feet Of the grass.
roots, and If opened and properlv
cared for the supply from each is sum.
cient for family. And they are not
In the low-lying fat of the Arkansas
Valley, but in the upland. For in.
stance, 10 feet higher than the town.
site OF Syracuse. or a total altitude
OF $500 feet, is the Kitchener ranch
where the family has a spring house
for the preservation Of milk butter |
and vegetables. The bottom of tb,. |
spring is not to exceed five feet below |
the surface Of the ground. and the |
Dc hosA a.