The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-10-13
A REGULAR CURIOSITY SHOP.
Slate, Mica, Shells and Parts Of Wood
Found in Artesian Well.

here for the commissioners of public
works by the Argo Well Drilling Co.,
has proved to be veritable curiosity
shop. The we'll has now attained q
depth of about 435 feet, and is be-
ing carried on until a plentiful sup
ply of water is reached. There is
| now a fairly good flow Of water from
| the we'll, but it is believed that bet
ter flow will be had at a greater
| depth.
Mr.. Argo, who is personally su-
perintending the sinking of the we'll,
says that he has bored hundreds OF
wells, great and small, throughout
the country, but that he has never
encountered elements similar to
those found in this we'll in any OF his
previous experiences.
To date, the well has penetrated
stratas of rock, slate, shell formation,
quicksand, and is now going through
a strata Of pure dustless white gray
ell sand. Mr.. Argo also bored the ar
| tesian we'll at the cotton mill, and he
SAYS that the earth formation in
the town we'll is far different than
that penetrated at the mill.
The objects of perhaps the greatest
interest yet brought forth from the
we'll are pieces of wood brought up
from a depth of 426 feet. When it
| is remembered that this is something
like three hundred feet below the lev
ell of the sea, the Importance of such
objects from a geological point OF
view may be imagined. The geolog-
ical value of the finds is further en-
hanced by the fact that these speci-
mems Of prehistoric wood were locat-
ed beneath stratas of ordinary rock,
such as is found throughout this sec
ton, slate, sand and shell formation.
The first strata of rock was encoun-
tered at a depth Of 105 feet beneath
! the earth's surface.
Below this strata, after passing
through a strata of sand, a formation
of perfectly gritless slate was pene-
trated. This strata was about sixty
feet thick. Beneath this was strata
of quicksand, and then came about
100 feet-of shell rock. No perfect
specimens of this rock were brought
up, as It was pounded into dust by
the drills. However, numerous small
pieces of shells of various character
were found, and one almost perfect
specimen in the form of tooth
was recovered, perhaps that Of me-
dieval shark.
Another interesting exhibit might
be made from pieces of rock contain
ing, apparently, mica. No strata of
this rock was passed through, but
pieces were found in the sand bed
now being bored through, in which
also the specimens of wood were
found.
While, to the layman these objects
of great depth may possess nothing
out of the ordinary, to the geologist
they possess great value, and enter
into all sorts of theories of prehistoric
days. Most folks have accepted the
common theory that all of this section
was once beneath the Atlantic or
some other ocean. If they have not
accepted this theory, the new artes-
ian we'll may prove it to be correct.
The fact has. been clearly establish
ed by mineral deposits found in this
vicinity and elsewhere. The strata
now being bored through is perhaps
the old ocean bed. The pieces OF
wood probably settled to the bottom
of the ocean when this territory was
COpSlGu Ny Iu0 VI luy oSOP, 1ho Ao v
lain there peaceably ever since
through the hundreds or thousands
or millions of years, according to
the capacity of ones imagination.
The ecclesiastics tell us that the
earth has been here for a matter of
SIX thousand and some odd years.
Some scientists hold to the theory
that the earth has been going on it's
way some millions of years. Which
ever theory is correct, it is generally
accepted that an upheaval of vast
proportions visited us in times past,
beyond the knowledge Of the white
man, and the red man failed to keep
a. history, so we have no means of
knowing when this earthly turmoil
took place. Most Biblical students
credit the upheaval to the flood or to
prehistoric earthquakes. Any way
you look at it, since there is no his
tory of vast upheaval here since Co.
lumbus discovered America seven
hundred years ago, the bits OF wood