The Washington herald., 1913-05-04
SARATOGA'S FAMED SPRINGS SOON WILL
PASS INTO CONTROL OF NEW YORK STATE

1t also embraces the Carlsbad, Cham
pion, Victoria. and Geyser springs.
The High Rock spring. by the way
| gets it's name from. a miniature volcano
of conical shape, from the crater OIL
which the waters once flowed. This in.
teresting rock has been for many years
covered by buildings and Accommodations
of refuse, rendering its aspect most un-
| inviting. The shanties have now been
| removed. however, together with gar
| bage heaps, which have contaminated
adjacent springs. The Champion lin
group No. -, is one of TIL most spectacu-
Liar of the spouting springs.
No other springs known in the world
have such supply of carbonic acid gas
as those Of Saratoga. Within recent
years, however, this has proved a mis-
fortune to them, inasmuch as it has af-
forded inducements to commercial con-
Germs to f6b the wells of their gas and
sell it. About the year 1900 it was discov-
sold elsewhere. To augment the supply
resort was had to deep borings. Wells
producing great volumes of water and
strongly impregnated with gas were thus
artif1cially produced. In some instances
the water spouted to thirty feet above
the surface of the ground: in others
these were called dry wells"-only gas
was discharged. 1t seemed as if the sup
stance a spouting spring was left to flow
for spectacular effect alone.
When twelve years ago. the discovery
was made that gas could be profitably
separated from the water. it led to a
demand for larger supplies of the fluid,
and for a more effectual force to bring ii
to the surface. Powerful deep-well
pumps, ceaselessly operated by steam
power, were installed in the wells. One
company pumped daily over 100000 gal
Ions, extracting the gas and throwing
the water away. This was estimated to
be more than seven times the total now
of all the natural springs in Saratoga at
the period of their greatest activity.
A consequence was a marked and
steady drop of gas-pressure in all the
springs and wells, and a lessening of the
flow OF water. In many instances both
and it became obvious that
IL the pumping was continued, 1t would
result in the destruction of all the
natural wells and springs-those, that isl
to say, which depended upon gas-pres-
sure alone. The Congress, Hathorn, Pat
terson. Putnam, and others. forming the |
group near the center of the village. |
ceased TO spout of their own accord |
from the ground, as they had always
done. 1t was even alleged that the
chemical cOu1pOSitlOn OF the various i
springs was altered and that their me-
dicinal value was lessened thereby
Suits Were Brought.
The situation gave rise to agitation,
claim being made that the reputation
Of the springs and OF the village as
} health resort was suffering 1t was
finally recognized by the Legislature that !
injury was being done to the state ny
he destruction Of an important natural I
'esource, and in 1908 law was passed
regulating excessive : and injurious
pumping" at Saratoga. Suits were
against the& gas companies
as they called themselves), but those
concerns Fought vigorously, /,
nd the pumping continued.
Resort has been had. therefore, to the
xpedient of buying up the springs, all of
which will be acquired before long by the
tate. and operated as one property. This !,
Ias Progressed SO far that pumping has
red that the gas could be profitably
eparated from the water. compressed in
teei cylinder2 and put on the market. !,