Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-24


OF the Coastal Plain Province OF vir-
ginia" Is the title of one OF the most
valuable of the publications by tho Vir-
ginia Geological Survey. OF which DIR.
Thomas l.. Watson professor OF Seol-
ogy at the Unrersty Of Virginia. is
director. II wac prepared for the V!r
Einia survey IN cooperation with tho
United states geologic Survey. by Sam
uel Sanford
This volume is OF value TO the state
because it calls attention TO the most
important ,icsideratuin In tho matter OF
building houses and erecting manufac-
turing plants namely. the water faCili-
ties. their distribution and character.
As to the general conclusions OF the
Investigation the report says: The
study OF thu. coastal Plain formations
In Virginia. the examination or springs
and wells, and the analyses OF the
waters have shown that plenty OF
water is to l., had. and except in a
limited ar.o in the southeastern and
eastern part o. the Coastal Plain. ar
tcSiau supplies OF abundant Hon and
cxccllcutly adopted FOR domestic pur-
poses can be Obtained without difficulty.
Enough deep wells have been sunk 10
prove th, existence OF several widely
extending series OF beds containing
water bearing sands. and IL Is possible
10 say 1T what depth. at most localities,
:. pnrti,,ul.r eCies OF beds can hc found.
they become tic main source OF domes-
tic supplv Many such wells from their
location and tpe insufficient precaution
against the entrance Of water contain
mated by organic wastes. may frequent
" become dangerous 10 tho public
health Eut dug wells properly iocat-
ed and protected will, In many places.
Weld entirely satisfactory supplies. The
deposits underlying the terraces on
which stand many OF the towns and
a tnl , IL, 4,
water readily: hence springs issuing
from such terraces or shallow wells In
the villages are easily polluted by Nth
from vault privics and from cesspools.
The mineral content OF the well and
spring waters varies greatly AT differ
ent localities or even in the same To-
cality; hence both the deep ana the
shallow waters are variously suitable
for domestic use. boiler supply. or par
ticular industries. The most striking
characteristic OF the artcsIan waters OF
certain formation on the west side OF
the Chesapeakc Bay is their relatively
large. content Of sodium bicarbonnte. In
this ASPECT they differ from many deep
waters.
Ulchnond md Vicinity.
Each county in the Coastal Plain Is
taken up separately and discussed in
great detail. The discussion of particu-
lar interest 10 Echmond is, in part as
follows:
The city OF Richmond owns water
works which distribute James River
water la or near Richmond n nunT-
bcr OF deep wells have been sunk by
hotels and iHdustrial concerns These
wells get wafer from fissurcs and Joints
in the granite, and are OF much inter
est because of the wide variation in
WELD and quality Of water.
~ dug we'll twelve feet in diameter
and H. feet deep AT Benjamin pnv:s's
A. IA ,,f Il,
is situated Just on the edge of tho
Sunderland PLAIN above Bacon Quarter
Branch II went through Columbia
cobbic beds and loans and the Chesn-
peake sandy clays to decomposcd gran
ite but struck nothing that could be
identified az Potomac material, and
yields little water.
I'm the Brookiand District which in
cludcs residential and manufacturing
sections, northwest and north of tho
city. and pad total population OF
l0.o6S i'm 1850, water Is obtained chiefly
from dug wells ten to forty feet deep
though there arc many drilled wells
ana some cistcrns
within q mile OF Highland Springs
there are over 100 du;, wells, which oh
tain supplies Of soft water from sand
beds, and range in depth from twenty
to twenty seven feet within an aver
age OF about thirty-two feet,
"In Glen Allen. dug wells are twenty
TO thirty-fvc feet deep, and most OF
them strike granite at about twenty
feet The Old Dominion Excelsior Com
pany has two wells eight feet square
and twenty-five fcet\dcep that go TO
granite, and are connected by "a cross
cut at the bottom.
In tBe Immediate Suburhs.
Barton Heights. with Il population
OF 1883 In 1910. has IL public supply
from the Mitchell Spring and an adj
jaccnt dug well fifteen feet in diameter