Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-12
y $50 s.s.,s' ~ --.,'-s, $50
WATER WITCH.
Science Laughs at His Magic and
l. Says There Is Nothing In II.

across a certain restricted patch OF
lawn or garden, holding in his two
hands the twin stems of a ~" shaped
branch OF witch hazel or peach tree,
which you and oozen others regard
ed with profound awe and expecta
ton?
Hes water WITCH" was the
hushed explanation TO any one who
came up and asked for information
And at the information the newcomer
inevitably 1apsed into an even greater
hush OF expectancy.
In many sections of the country to-
day the water witch" Is holding his
own and his hushed onlookers gather
about him, their eyes bullying toward
the stem of the "Y" tWig, at any mo-
| ment likely to writhe in his hand and
turn from its sky pointing down
toward the hidden basin of the sweet
waters under earth.
Too bad, however, that scienee-cold
and calculating should be breaking in
with calculating intention of putting
this local celebrity out of business and
| rohbing him of his awe-inspiring vest
ments.
Nothing to it," would be a popular
lied shoIt cut to scientific decisions
| regarding the water witch, his divin-
| ing rod, ard the possibility that the
sudden turning of the twisting twig-
| 40 times over-can determine in any
degree just where the we'll may be
| drilled or dug.
Forty years ago, before the bored
and drilled wells were possible. any
| man handy with a pick and spade
could dig a well. Any man having a
knowledge of masonry could wall IL
with bricks or stones. Today one of
| the common complaints of the inter
ested persons is that well digging is
becoming a lost art.
Speaking of wells in general and
backward for a quarter of a century
and more, all wells were dug wells
To dig a well that nets six feet in
diameter between walls lined with
stone the hole to be excavated would
| need to be eight feet in diameter. A
dug well. so feet deep, would approach
the average. Hence the anxiety of
the man proposing to dig a we'll to
| have assurance that after removal of
the tons upon tons Of earth and clay
The bottom of the bore might not be
uliti llldH the SOU. mere was
the opportunity for the man with the
divining rod Whatever the origin of
the mythical mystical properties of
the twig, il was natural that the man
operating the charm could lead the
man who didn't know And a fee of
IS was none too much for the man
characterized as a water witchl
That process of the operator han
ding the divinator was to turn his
palms upward and grasp the two
stems OF the ~" tightly, pointing the
main stem directly upward and at half
arms length in front of him. What
ever the wood, it was necessary that
it he full of sap and spring.
fhe result of this clutch and up
ward pressure upon the fork branches
tended to take the main stem out of
the perpendicular. Walking with this
twig held in this manner the uncer-
tainties of step and the motion of the
body still further affected the upward
stem in its disposition TO turn. In the
hands OF the honest worker of the
divining rod. often ii refused to twist
downward, due TO his. steadiness of
grip and certainty of measured step
But more frequently the rod did turn.
Turning once and with the honest
purpose of the divinator marking the
spot mental suggestion would exert its
influence in more or less degree.
When the operation had been repeated
few times the decision was water
here" And If on the strength of this
the we'll digger went down and down
to the limit of his patience and gave
up the work, the supposition was that
water was there, but beyond reason
able depth.
Myron l.. Fuller of the United States
geological survey recently made a re-
port upon underground waters in
which all that the water witcn' has
and hasn't accomplished is explained
on scientific lines While he has en-
tered into great detail his opening
sentence of the paper contains a broad
statement of fact:"Ali known rocks
contain more or less water" AS to
the manner in which rocks contain
water. however, there are those in
which the porous nature of the rock
makes II spongelike Container
yielding slowly to the we'll which taps
it, up the scale of greatest efficiency
to the soft-stone lodges which at SUI
ficient depth 20 insure filtration yield
readily their stored waters through the
rock strata.
1t may surprise the average reader
to know that there are il distinct
types of wells for water yield scattered
over the United States. They range
from the SO or 60-foot dug well to the
1900 to 2000 foot California we'll and
the diamond drilled hole extending to
5000 feet or more.
The dug well is familiar. The
bored" Well may be two to three feet
in diameter, with limitations of 100
feet depth. Driven wells may be-
from two to four inches in diameter
and go tor 200 and even 500 feet depth.
The California, or 'stovepipe" well
averages four inches in diameter
forced downward by hydraulic jacks,
the overlapping steel castings follow
Ing. The punched we'll is six inches in
diameter. sunk by dropping at inter
walls an edged steel cylinder into
which the material gums sticks and is |