Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-29
DEEP WELLS. q
NOT SA[|}'' ICI0RY
Next Legislature May Take Steps
to Supply Water at State
Institutions
THE TROUBLE AT CHEROKEE
Well Sunk 1000 Feet Brings Plenty Of
of Water, But 1t 1. Not Fit for Use
Water Question Gives Concern at
GIenwood - New Hospital May Be
Located at Fort Dodge.
Special to Times-R Republican.


Des Moines, Oct 29.-In all probable
ity the next legislature will pronounce
the deep well proposition at state insti-
tutions a failure. The board of control
has been ready to SO pronounce 1t for
some time AT Cherokee the state put
in a deep well, 500 feet deep. 1t work.
ed for little time and then silt came
in. The state then had a well sunk g.
900 feet deep. That was to be the SUI
preme test. 1t was to be an artesiar
we'll and everybody hoped and prayed
that 1t would be good one. There
is lots Of water in 1t but the water is
as 1"hard as q brick bat" To drink 1t
is like making regular diet of lime
water Finally man came along who
was sure he could fix the 500 foot we'll
and he was engaged 1t worked so we'll
that the state had another well sunk
$50 feet beside it, Now the silt is COM
ing into both wells.
This silt is very fine sand. 1t is so
fine that you can't see it and 1t doesn't
injure one to drink it, but it cuts out
the plumbing system and can't be used
for that reason. When the Cherokee
institution was located 1t was the In
tention to get water from the city's
system. But the institution was built
on such high ground that the top Of
the water tank for the city is on q
level with the first floor of the institu-
ton.
Down at Glenwood they are having
the same trouble over the water ques-,
,tion. They have two or three shallow
swells and the chief water supply is
drawn from the creek. It is as black
as ink the greater part of the time.
The water supply for drinking purpos-
es is taken from shallow wells by
hand. boiled in large tanks arranged
for that purpose and then carried by
the pail full to the various institution
buildings for drinking purposes. a
contractor is now at work sinking a
telling how much deeper he will go bu.
for the past month things have been
at standstill because the drill is
lost. The drill weighs about two tons.
The rope by which 1t is lifted and al
lowed to drop a foot or two to
drill its way down is about as big
around as a mans arm and this rope
broke. Ever since then they have been
trying to get some kind of a machine
that will take hold of the two ton drill
and pull it out. The machine that is
usually made use Of was lowered into
the we'll and the rope broke again and
now both are at the bottom Of the 800
foot hole. About two months work has
thus far failed to lift out the drill and
the work is still progressing at the
same rate.
The deep we'll proposition has thus
far everywhere proven failure for
the state at the state institutions. At
Davenport and Marshalltown the sup
ply is from the city water works. At
Mitchellville they have wells that give
a supply Of water similar to the Col
fax water. At Eldora they have deep
we'll that they are working on now
trying to get 1t into shape so that it
will supply the institution with water
At Fort Madison they draw their sup
ply from the Mississippi river thru
shallow wells. At Anamosa they have
some wells that are not deep but give
good supply of water. At Clarinda
they have the shallow we'll system
along the river. This system consists
in driving gas pipe down to a depth
Of about sixty-f1ve feet. A large num-
ber of such wells are driven and the
supply of water pumped from them.
If one of them gets clogged up the
pipe is pulled out and driven down
at another spot foot or two away.
The supply Of water is good and clear
and never failing.
1t is probable that some such
system will have to be put in at all
the state institutions, especially at
Cherokee and Glenwood. There is op-
portunity to do so at both places. BY
driving these wells on the bottom land
near the river the supply is drawn
from the river and pumping station
put in at the place where the wells
are. pumps the water to the institu-
tions. Such a system Is less expensive
and the supply of water is more sure.
Considerable trouble has been exper-
fenced at the Council Bluffs school for
the deaf this year in getting material
to the institution. The contractor who
is doing the work there has been fore
ed at times to have brick hauled by
team from Omaha in order to keep
s,1nply on hand sufficient to keep the
masons busy. 1t took six days at one
time to get a car of building material
to the switch from Omaha. When
the material is hauled by team it takes
a day to haul one load. The expenses
are such that the contractor will make
no profit out of his work there. The
building at Council Bluffs is now
ready for the roof which will be put
on in a few days.
At Glenwood the work OF laying the
foundation for the custodial building
for boys has just started. It is ex-
pected that the foundation win prob