The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-22
WATER SUPPLY OF
EASTERN VIRGINIA
Water Power is Limited to
Tide" Mills on Inlet
OF Ocean.
LAKES FIGURE LARGELY
That for Domestic and Some In
dustrial Purposes Comes
from Wells.
LAKES FIGURE LARGELY

oCEANA. PRINCESS ANNE co. Va,
Oct. az Eastern. or "Tidewater,@ VIZ
ginia has no water power. unless we
consider q few m les run by the tiGal
force, \ few such odd relies may be
seen here and there On the arms and N
let's of the sea, In such cases or such
mills point is selected where, for
natural causes ar reasons, the tide Is
steady and strong. and the ''undershotr
wheel is SO arranged as To be changed
10 catch the tide, both going and com
ing" in that special feature closely
resembling the political economist of
the present age. Such wheels. propeil-
ed by such power. move with great
to make them more objects of curiosity
than practical usefulness.
Water for domestic purposes, as we'll
as for Industrial use, Is secured from
wells These wells arc for domestic
purposes rather shallow, ranging from
IL TO SO feet In depth, depending upon
locality.
For industrial purposes such as
needed for the boilers, for the genera
tion of steam. deeper wells are bored,
and larger supply of water is secured
than from the more shallow wells The
cities and business centers are largely
supplied with water from surface lakes
or ponds in some instances the tidal
waters are damned out and the fresh
water damned in. The water therefore
ranges from good to bad or indiffer-
medium for the development OF serious
diseases. IL becomes a vital and Inn
portant topic to be carefully studied,
weighed and considered, The topogra-
ply and geological formation of Tide
water Virginia both favor the ''arte-
sian or flowing well. The basis upon
which Eastern Virginia rests Is the
granite" rock. OF course, granite" is
the base rock everywhere, but In some
places the base rock has been uphea.-
ed by internal forces until 1t appears
at the surface In other places i re.
mains where it was formed by fire at
the bottom or underneath.
Granite ON Surface.
At Richmond and Fredericksburg, 100
miles from the sea. the granite APP
pears nj the surface, At Norfolk and
Newport News the granite Is nearly o.
500 feet under many strata OF sand.
clay. mari and other ingredients or
combinations OF soil The slope. there
fore, OF all tho strata Is toward the sea.
Water penetrating the soil anywhere
between the seashore and the granite
outcrop naturally percolates through
the strata of sand and gravel down
ward toward the coast. Wherever such
strata Is penetrated or perforated by
the well augur the water naturally
rises to the surface and In many cases
rise quite we'll above tho surface; the The
for Tidewater Virginia must be sup
piled by the "artesian" we'll The GOV.
eminent has a record OF more than $50
''artssian" wells In the territory under
consideration. 1t is very interesting
feature to study the strata penetrat-
cd by these wells. A sample Is well
ut "Homewood" on Hog Island. in the
James river, a few miles from VIII
Harrisburg, and Just across the river
from jamestown. The well Is zoo feet
deep. The strata Is named below.
Clay and loan, is feet.
Gravel 10 feet
Clay, SO feet.
Mari. 1876 feet
Rock. 2 feet.
Blue clay. 81 feet.
Hard rock. 3 feet
At the depth OF $50 feet water bear
ing black sand was struck. and pleu-
tifui supply OF good water was found.
tCo1tinned a. Hpcond PAgeA