Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-04
Io,va's Water Supply

~. w. Kline, NJ. D., Fort Dodge. 1owa.J
The problem OF pure water has not
been solved when artesian water has
been supplied. At Glenwood, at the
state school. epidemics Of typhoid con-
tinued to recur from the use Of artes-
sian water. At Fort Dodge two ty-
phoid epidemics occurred after nearly
all the water used was from artesian
webs and at Cedar Falls-while in Il
strict sense the water was not arte-
sian, coming as it did from depth OF
$50 feet thru assures in the lime
stone and appearing as enormous
springs-a very severe epidemic OF ty-
phoid occurred from the use Of this
water; and in numerous other places,
both in the state and without, typhoid
fever has appeared from use Of artes-
ian water.
But the water is never at fault.
Sewage contamination occurs in every
instance where typhoid fever appears.
At Glenwood the well was located
upon low ground and unquestionably
an open joint In the casing or corrc-
sion Of the casing near the top Of the
w
mingle with the now.
At Fort Dodge it was found that the
artesian water was mixed with water
from q contaminated creek; and at
Cedar Falls an old wooden aqueduct
which conveyed the water for nearly a
quarter of a mile permitted sewage
to enter thru its walls.
I refer to these examples merely to
impress the fact that the greatest care
must be taken in sinking artesian
wells to prevent all seepage into them
Indeed, no municipality should ever
entrus: the casing OF the we'll thru
the porous sections Of the upper strata
, to the persons employed to drill the
we'll. A thoroughly sanitary engineer
should supervise this portion OF the
wo-k-otherwise the entire EFFORT TO
secure pure water may prove COM
plete failure. as instanced at Glenwood
and. for a time, at Fort Dodge.
Some artesian waters are also very
corrosive for wrought iron pipes. ana
they are soon eaten entirely to pieces.
At Cedar Rapids. Webster City ana
Fort Dodge this has been found to De
true At the later place cast iron
pines have been substituted LOT
wrought iron ones and the corrosive
action is no longer apparent.
Drift Artesian Wells.
number of counties of the state
and particularly in Bremen, Benton
rama. Poweshiek, Hancock. Wright
| Green, Story and Carroll counties
flowing wells are struck in the glacl,'
| drift at depths of few hundred Ieet
or even less. There are more thah
/, / coo OF these flowing drift wells IN
these counties and all Of them con-
! tinuously flowing to waste. Ihey alv
wholly dependent upon local ralnlai
| and the supply is therefore limlteo M
extent.
The most important we'll OF this class
| was the famous Jumbo" well SUNK az
Belle PLANE in 1886. This well was
drilled to depth Of 1913 feet Wnen
flow was struck which threatened tne
| inundation of the town and whlcn toon
more than a year to get under controi
The flow was seven million gailohs
per day. The head finally became e4'
hausted and now the flow has entirely
ceased. :
Thus was lost to this community, u
a single year a water supply suHlcleh
for all time to come-tfe most vaiu.
able asset bountiful nature couie
possibly bestow upon 1t.
At Eagle Grove, near Ames.
Lanesboro, and in all places where thi:
class OF wells has been struck, hun
dreds OF them are permitted to flow day
and night from year to year with tn
inevitable result that the same thint
will eventually take place In then
which terminated the career of TIT
great Jumbo well-the head will be
come exhausted and the wells will dis
appear.
This brings us to the consideration
4 OF one Of the most vital problems rela
five tn the water supply of Iowa