The Penn's Grove record., 1915-12-03
Waters Must Be Conserved
CONTINUED FROM PAGE l

er for some years. About 100 years ago
water flowed in and out of this pond
through a ditch leading from the river
about half way between CARNEY Point
and Henby Greek meadow. As the wat
er flowed in and out with the tide a
wheel was turned to drive a mill for
grinding grain. Water from this tide
mill pond is run into the smaller pond
located to the rear of where the old
brick Colonial mansion stood. This wat
er is used for cooling purposes and some
times in boilers, but the salt at times
from the inflow Of sea water makes 1t
unfit.
Sale in water makes the water foam
in a boiler, binders the creation of
steam and corrodes the boiler.
When the railroad was built in 1876
a well was dug to the depth of about 10
feet above Main street crossing. 1t had
to be abandoned because the water was
too irony. Another. well was dug near
the station. The water was fair, but
was abandoned by the Railroad Company
a few years ago and Company water from
Perkintown wells is used In the locomo-
lives.
a franchise to W. G. Howell for a water
supply. He erected the stone base for a
standpipe along the railroad between Main
and Harmony streets. A lot was bought
and a well dug on Delaware avenue. Fail
ing to get a supply of water which would
guarantee financial aid, the Company
failed.
In 1904 the Mayor and Council granted
a franchise to the Penns Grove Water
Supply Co., managed by John Adelbert
higgins. Wells were driven at Perkin-
town mill pond at the head of Beaver
creek, a tributary of Oldmans creek. The
fourth well bored in 1901 went to a depth
of 1872 feet when rock was met. Above
the rock is a strata of sand and gravel
to a depth of 26 feet. The water is OF
good quality with the exception of iron
which is mostly removed by aeration. 1t
is a water from the ~neighboring swamps
filtered through sand and gravel. 1t has
the slight taste of swamp water. The
supply has been plentiful until the large
increase in demand within the past eight
months.
To supply the thousands of workmen
and the DUPONT villagers with water, the
dupont Company bought Willard Layton's
farm three miles from Penns Grove, on
the north side of Biddle creek. -Four
wells have been partly dug and partly
bored to a depth of about 80 feet. The
supply is so small that they are pumped
uIN III nlltn uIlllulCOs LIZ hG4 a. LhN
farm houses within half a mile are be-
coming so dry that they have to resort
to the old oaken bucket.
The quality of the water from the Lay
ton farm wells is so poor in quality that
a chemical has been injected into it to
kill germs. There has been more sick
ness and deaths from germ disease in du-
Point village the past six months than in
Penns Grove. 1t is charged to the wat
er.
When wagon loads of cornstalks and
straw are thrown in a well to prevent
caving of the earth and powerful pumps
send their silicon sliyers on their way
through the pipes they are not as easily
digested by children as by cattle.
Layton's pond failing to give a sufficient
supply of water for manufacturing pur-
poses, a shallow basis was dug on Willard
Layton farm beside Biddle creek and the
water was pumped into the pipe line.
When the tide is made low by the north
west wind Biddle creek runs dry. The
heavy pumping on the pipe line is max
ing holes in the charred cedar pipes
which have to be plugged with oakum in
many places.
About a dozen wells have been driven
at Plants 2 and g.. The deepest is 404
feet. Water in these wells come to a
depth of from 9 to SO feet below the sur
face, showing that it is not necessary to
go below a depth of 80 feet. The analy-
sis of the waters from these wells show
that it is fairly good for boiler purposes,
but not as abundant as needed.
The DUPONT Company is up against an
expenlve proposition to get a supply of
water of quality for drinking as well as
their tremendous needs for manufactur-
ing purposes.
A heavy concrete foundation is now be-
ing made beside the tower s%tandpipe at
DUPONT Village for a water reservoir. 1t
is not given out, but the guess is that it
is for the purpose of making the Layton
farm well water wholesome for the vii
layers.
The, engineers have begun to turn
their thoughts to the Delaware river for
a sufficient supply of water. That means
q filtration plant to cost 100000 and
possibly a distilling plant.
We give this detail account of the wat
" supply for this region to enlighten the
minds of those invisible personages who
-ould destroy hundreds of well waters in
Penns Grove which have proved whole
some and satisfactory to the owners, book
science to the contrary.
The Water Company is up against a
big proposition to meet the demands of
the takers and also the big needs for the
larger number of locomotives. Not only
must the good well waters be conserved,
but persons must be taught to not be
wasteful of Company waters. An econo-
mic use of 10000 gallons for SIS in a
year will supply a family of six persons.
PM ~ oanpof ha dCpa NTH n bapoa cpi0of
running all day and flooding a cesspool in
the back yard. A fatiron must not be
tied onto a spring spigot so the water
can flow all the time.
Penns Grove people do not want to go
to the Delaware river nor does the du-
JOINT Company, to get a supply of water
fer drinking and manufacturing purposes,
but those who would condemn wholesome
well waters, ground waters, filtered thru
from four to twelve feet of sand and
gravel and thp waStafnl usnS of all wat