The Bismarck tribune., 1921-02-02
ARTESlAN WELLS PLAYING OUT LEAVE TOWNS
MPARTS0 OF STATE HEL p LESSS BEFORE FIRE
Legislature Is Asked to Take
Steps to Control Wells by
Strict Law
EX A NIPPLES A RE CITED

3. ~ nCdfy CpilClIiA W. "'S"o'Ao>'"
fires, wiping out large business sec
tiors as we'll as numerous residences
in towns heretofore depending on ar
tes:an wells in the southeastern pa"t
OF the state, brings the citizens at
stentiOn sharply up TO the .tact thEs'
their supply Of water has rapidly de-
clined due to improper drillings and
casing of wells and to the Wanton
waste of water that follows wrong
methods of drilling and casing.
Instead of having bought from the
driller a well having the natural III
exhaustable supply which the great
Dakota sand stratum possesses tnsy
are indignant on finding that the'E
wells are exhausted after but com
paratiVely few years of service.
Sheldon and Englevale are the lat
est towns to be added to the llst:
Large business sections were wiped
out of e1 J, town last week by de-
structive fires owing to the fact tina;
firemen could not: get sufficient wa
ter. A few years ago Ellendale had
half of its business section wiped out
The Sheldon Progress telcgraphlc
report is as follows: THE gale aHd
a lack of water made the efforts OF
the fire department almost futile. Wa
ter from only two lines of hose was
available. Loss on buildings is esti-
mated at $4,000. All mail in the
postoffice was destroyed Several
persons were barely saved from th7
flames in scant attire from their beds.
Miss Clara Freitag. telephone opera
tor. stuck to her post until nearly oV-
ercOme by smoke.
Had Her Troubles.
Sheldon has had her share OF
troubles in seeking an arteSlan wei.
The first we'll proved not only fall
ure but its uncontrolled flood or Wa
ter spread out from the town over
several farms causing basis OF several
lawsuits. The town in turn came
back on the Oakes Well Company
which, on failing to control its Well
dug a big ditch three-fourths OF a
mile long out to a neighboring coulee.
This stopped the flooding but did not
stop the waste of the valuable w2.;r
supply which Sheldon in common With
other towns and six or eight thous-
and farmers so sore,y need at this
time.
The first we'll washed out big cav
ern under the town and formed hole
some Is feet across. Sounding from
q boat in this pond reached no bot
tom about the point whore the entire
IS inch we'll casing sank and dlsaD-
peared. The lot and cement walks
about the we'll we're fenced Off to :.eep
people and animals from danger.
A second we'll put down by the
driller serves the town after a fash
ion but also largely runs to waste
with diminished flow In fact the
flow and pressure CT all wells has go
far declined, that the people realize
that it is but few years until all
flows will cease unless u law is
quickly passed to regulate the drill
ing and casing SO that the wells can
be reduced or shut off as the farmer
or town desires. #" " D..
Some rock formations are rather
difficult to case into when reached by
the driller, but if properly sealed,
there is little or no flooding and
wastage thereafter
Monango is another town whose
artesian we'll is about gone. Mr.. Ma
coffin of the bank states the pressure
formerly threw water over his high
two story store building. Now the
water barely reaches the first floor
faucets with no pressure left. The
flow test as made by State Engineer
Hard last October ran but four gal
Ions per minute. The citizens express
fear of the grave danger the town is
in should serious fire start.
Lisbon, Ellendale. Forbes, MOnango,
Sheldon and numerous other towns as
well as thousands of farmers are
thoroughly aroused over. the danger,
and waste Of water through bad drill-
ing and casing methods of early drill
ers. Their town councils. as well us
between 800 and 400 farmers have
formally petitioned the legislature to
pass bill, as House Bill No. Al, to
regulate drilling and flow. The
North Dakota Well Drillers in annual
three day convention at Grand Forks
last week unanimously passed resolu-
tions asking for a stringent control
law believing it will save their bust
ness as we'll as the water SUPPLY
Contributed.
The expenses of the American COM
mission during it's two years WORK