Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 13, 1873, Page 2

- o ——TTODOUNGT IITULSDA Y, MARCH 13, TTE73. " ARTESIAN WELLS. e Gleorgo A. Shufoldt, 5 Not the Originator of The. The Chinese Knew All About Them Thous- ands of Years Ago. Tons of Thousands of Wells Mentioned by the Mis- sionary Imbert, London, Paris, and Other Euro- pean Cities Plentifully Supplied. How They Are Bored--The Chinese Method Still Partially Adher- ed To. Special Information About American Wells. The Artesian Wells of Chicago and Cook County. Shafcldd’s Wells, and Their Peculinridies. Uses to Which the Water May Be Applied. The Water-Elevator in W. E. Hale & Co/’s Building. Artesian wolla ar holos bored in tho carth through which subtorreancan currents of wator find thelr way to the surfaco. Their theory is ensily understood by any one having s knowledge of the rudimonts of goology. The water thab falla upon thoe ground percolates through the soil, collects in flssurcs and botwoon strats of tho underlying rocks, and follows the dip, in- creasing in volume o8 it flows. Wells sunk to great dopths at lower parts of the inclino, or in tho basin where tho strata again assumo s hori- zontal position, strike thoso stroams, which ab ones maoko an offort to eeck the level of thoir source through tho apartures pre- pared for them, To eink o woll with & roagonable oxpectation of finding water, thorefore, the spot solocted must bo lower than thio supposed place of supply, and at somo point in & noarly direct lino from tho odgo of the ridge, or basin, toward thelowe:levols, Somo etrata of rocks are highly porous, and the wator cosily infiltrates through them. Thoso strata aro impormesblo to water, and along these tho stroams, -or sbeots, flow with en- Iarged volume, aud st an acceloratod rato of speed. Inl boring for water on a regular incline of stratified rocks success 18 almost cortaln ; where tho rocks are irregularly placed it is highly problomatic. Whon tho sonrco is high, the wator i thrown “with great forco abovo the ‘mouth of the woll, sometimes to tho height of over 100 foct. When it is but littlo higher than tho place of axtificial oxit, it flows out gont- J7, and runs quietly off upon the surface. The quantity of water flowing from a woll .is genozally in proportion to the wize of tho boro, tho subterrancan bore, end the subterranean pressuro. Two wella may o of the same size, and may gcom to dischargo continually from o full orifice, and yet the ag- grogate flow of ono may bo doublo that of tho other in a givon number of hours, The uses of artesion wells sre many, and will be found further epocified below. 4 WELLS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Phe boring of artesian wella can rcarcoly bo pumbored amoug the lost arts, although tho Chineso practised for thousands of years un- known to tho rost of the world. Their mothod of operation is simplo, and moat effectual. Thoir walls are Tomarkeble for their depth and their numbers, Imbort, the misslonary, atates that. within a district of forly square longues thore are *‘ tens of thousands,” many of them 8,000 feot doop, and somo of them bored in vory romoto periads for tho salt and bitumin- ous mnttors beld in eolution by tho wators. Wells Lave been sunk in the arid regions of Bnhara by the natives to tho depth of 1,200 feot, and an abundance of wator has gushed to tho surface. Artesian wolls aro numorous in the vicinity of London. In 1838 thoy furnished 6,000,000 gollons daily, and the amount was doubled in 1851, As the number is incruased it is said that tho average flow, and tho pressuro ‘which Is technically called tho “hoad,” are con- sidorably diminished, A singlo woll in a district will flow atendily through an indefinite term of sears without docroasiug in volumo, A woll at ‘Fillieros, in Frauce, Las beon flowing sinco 1120, witbout showing the lonst aign of diminution. WELLS IN PARTICULAR DISTRICTS, T.ondon and Paris aro woll situntod as regards artegian welly, Thoy aroin busins, towavds which $ho strata dip or incline from sovoral di- roctions, Consoquontly, tho wells in theso lo- colitios aro numeroun, eud, having boen espe- cinlly convenient for aciontiflo obsoryation, their peculiaritios havo beon noted and printed for tho knowledgo of the world. Tho boring is gon- orally onsily ‘accomplishied througl strata of cal- carous or cratacoous rook, The woell of Gro- nelle, not far from Pavis, inthe deopost of all those, It weacommenced in 1848, with tho ox- pootation of finding wator at tho depth of 1,200 or 1,600 feet in the greenstono undedying the chalk, whick i uppormost in tho perles. The poring wan commenced with an augor ona foot In diemetor, which was reduced in size 13 tho boring progroased to 5 dlametor of Bix fnchey, 'The work was delayed ot various times by tho Dbrosking of tho rods m_zd tubing, and Lother voxatious ‘hindrances, until, in 1841, Laving obtalued a dopth of 1,703 feet, the drill pouctratod an arch over an immenso rosorvoir, and suddenly fell to the depth of sov- eral yards, The wator soon roso to the surface, and was discharged with such yiolence that it was found necossary to raise a vortical pipomany ‘fuet into the air, from tha top of which the flow 1sJoss forcible, and moro canily mauaged, In 1350, & well was bored st Kissingon, in Bavarls, 10 the dopth of 1,878}¢ foot, through sandstonos, magnestans, limeatones, and rock salt.’A column wof water, four {uchea in diawmeter, sponted forth, and xoso to the holght of fifty-elght foot above tho surface, aod spreading out liko a plm troe wttho top, It I8 from tho nelghborhood of Kissingen that tho mineral water of that ysmo comas, oithor in roality or in theory, The ex- -ported water I8 usually from springs, althongh $bat from tho walls Las tho saumo kougral chars nctorintlen, Thoro aro othor wolls in tho vicinity of Kissingon, but they aro in no way rematkablo. TENPENATURE OF THFE WATEM Tho tomporature of the oarth incronsen as you pass below tho surfaco, and tho water of artoslan wolls nocosrarily partakes of tho samo peouli- arity, Tho water from tho artoplun woll at Qron- glio has, from_tho firat, waintainod & warmth of 3, deg. F. Tho tomperatura of tho daofior woll nt Kissingon ls 00 dog. T\ Tho varin~ tlon of tomperaturo bolow {ho surfaco Ling - beon earofully ostimated at nbout 1 dog. T, ot springs, liko thoso in Arkanscg, to which thio disonacd of the whole country flock in large numbers annually, ave only axtesian wells, whoso outlot haa beou mado by Nature, inatead of art. Tho high tomporature of thto wators indicates tho groat depth from which thoy como. In Virginia, thedo apringa aro found along faulta or hroaks in the stratiflcation of tho rocks, by which forma- tious uaunlly separated by thousnnds of foot aro Lrought Into countact with each other, Tho tom- poraturo of tho wator of tha artesian wolls of Ohfcago doca mot vary much from G0 deg. F., olthough in somo cnses rlsing to 02 deg. F. Tho fuet nrtesian woll borod in Chicago undor the genoral diroction of spirits, and undor fho specinl divection of Alr. Georgo A. Bhufeldt, is sald to havo varied soy- oral degroes in tomperaturo shortly aftor it was comploted. It would appoear thob very little at- tontlon hins beon peld to tho Chicago wolls by scientists, TFrom o moro caroful obaorvation of tho various phonomena which they exhibit, thero is littlo doubt that valuablo deductions might bo made. The Ohiesgo wolls havo boon profected and bored for purely practical purposos, and, thoso having boen accomplished, no ono scoms to have desired to look further for interesting for overy 08 foot of doscent, | id o disnstor of this kind fa now attonded with only a dolay of & fow days, whioh { not cons sldered aerioun.” Yot no well Is bored ovon now in_Chiengo without soveral timos losing and flahing for the chisel and nomo of itn nceompnny- ingmacbinory. Most woll-borera would profer to sink through sicconsive ln{nrn of nolid rock than to find in Lhoir descont tho rtrata fntorinid with heds of -and, firnvnl, or nny kind of soft frinblo mnforinl, Although. tho chisol passon through theso stratn with comparative oso, tho troublo from the crumbling in of tho walls and tho filling up of tho boro iu vory groat, and of go much consoquence that the work cannot go on until & romedy ia applied. This remedy {8 a thin iron pipo or tubing, which nots a8 o wall, kcova foroign mattor out of tho boro, and allows tho doll to work through it, without impediment, upon tho rock honenth, Fevw wells ro_ovon now bored in Chiengo withont an. averago loss of nt' lenat ono day 1u threo, which doos 1ot gecasion the slightost discourngement, the ond leing mathemntically corlain, GENHTAL METHODS OF NORING. Tho Chinoge hnye shown much good eenas in thoir mothods of boring artesian wells. The drill is pusponded nt the ond of n long rope, which naocs over o windlass at tho fop, and s paid gut o0 nocdod. ho foreo of tio drll in al lng ia incrensod b{ thio wolght of n hieavy bar placod fmmedintely aboye it. Men nt the mouth of tho woll raiso tho chisel, or dvill, by turning tho windlass, and lot it drop ngain upon tho rogk, TImmedintely about tho drill is placed o oylinder, furnished with valves which takes up tho partloles of earth nnd rock ns thoy avo loos- aned, and bolds them out of tho way of tho cut- ting fuetrumont, 'Tho wholo apparatus in Drought to tho surface at briof intorvals, and tho waato mattor dircharged. Bome of the Chl- ongo woll-borors use the Chinese mothod- 8o far s the rope aud windlasa aro concorned, but do not earry tho imitation farthor. The slow pro- grena mado in ulnklng wolla In a1l timo lins bioon rom tho nocossity of ofton ralsing tho drill to the surface, and mending down & spoon, or gomothing of that description, to scoop up and bring tho loose particlea to the surface, where thoy would ceaso to bo troublosomo, A date, or possible bonefits of o publio or scientiflo ) common mothiod of Loring has beon o atfach uaturo, LT -~ DSE8 OF ANTESIAN WELLS, Water of a high temporaturo, ‘obtain- od from sartesian wells, can bo used for many wuseful purposes, Largo man- ufecturing ostablishmonts, hospitals, oud greonhousos aro kopt at nn oquable degreo of warmth by the waler conducted through them Inpipes, Its medicinal uees havo already boen suggostod. In sandy distriots it is Invalunblo for drinking, aud tho wolle sunk slong traveled routes aro blessod by man, and doubtless by beasts, although tho animal thevktulnoss doos not find rendy exprossion, The water of Fronch and English srtesian wells is used to move machinory. Whon utilized in this mannor, the wator can bo raised some feot above tho surfaco, and poured into the buckets of an overshot wheel, or the ‘“hend” can be applied directly to tho propulsion of a turbino wheel. It s said that Mr, Scammon hopos to bo ablo to move his prosaes by monns of a turbine wheel propolled by the wator from his fino now artosian well, tho forco boing dircotly applied. In Now York, Ponnsylvanin, Virginin, and_espocially in Michi- gou, artosion wolls aro bored for salino wators, from which sslt is oxteosivoly munufactured. Tho Saginasw salt fe all from water thus chtained. The vigorous flow of water from thego wolls " adapts it ndmirably to uro for ornamental pur- poses, a fact which 18 familiar to our suthori- tica. Tho application of tho water as s motive power is Infinitoly divorsifiod, and it may bo addod that now nsea for the artesinn wells, and now motivesfor thoir construction, will be found yoerly. 3 TORTNG FOR WATER TN AMERICA. Most prrts of the United Btutcs nre prop- erly supplicd with water by uatural means, or by wolls dug in the alluvial soils to o modorato dopth. Springs, brooks, ond nivers abound in almost all localities, sup- plying water sufficient for all ordinary purposes. Through New England, tho Middlo States, a largo portion of tho Southorn, and most of the Western States, tho oupply of thia most ossen- tial element In nature in ample. But thore aro notablo oxeoptions, These sro tho contres of population, that is, the largest citics, tho prairio regions, and far Wostern plains and valleys. It 18 not to be doubted that artosian wolls will in timo abound in all theso localitios, In tho atrip of country bordering the son-const of the South- orn States thoe water has always been disagreea- ‘bla to tho tasto, and objectionablo from n sani- tary point of viow. Binco the yonr 1824 the city .puthoritics of Charleston, 8, C., have made no loss thon five nttompts to obtain wator Ly means of artesian wells, but the alluvial naturo’ of the ground beneath tho_city has mado succoss oxcoedingly difioult. Wolls woro also hored moro than a quarter of contnry ago in the dry limostono districts of Alsbama. Ono of the oldest wolls in the country_wad sunk at tho United States Hotel, betweon™ Pearl and Wadtor strects, New York City. Thora_sro many artosian wolls in tho vicinily of Now York City, whoso hiatory possesscs o particular intorost to tho genoral reader, - Water was reached in all of thom at o modorate depth, Wells wore bored in 8t. Touls mauy yoara bofore it seoms to Liave oc- cwrred to the spirits thot o supply of water waas obtainablo by that means at Chicago, In 1855, Capt., now Gen., Popo, was sont With a porty to sink artosian wolla in tho vast plain lying bo- tween Arkansas and Aoxico, with s view to moling & routo fonsiblo through that rogion. Ho oxperimontod sufliciently to prove that water oxisted under iho surfaco”at o mod- -erato dopth, and might bo ootained with oaso, but we are not awaro that anything valuable hoy reaultod from his explorations, BPECIAY, INFORMATION ADOUT AMERICAN WELLS. Great diflicultios woro cxperionced in boring for water in Charleston, Tho stratn first pene- trated woro alluvial sands, saturated with wator, which caused them to run like quicksand. Theso wore shut out by cast-iron tubing six inches 1 diamator, which penctrated the clays and marls of tha post-pliccone formntion, " aud finally reachod tho depth of 230 feot, whero it rested upon & rock of tho sumo formation. Thonco downward, hard rock slternated with Joose sand, which sometimos in o tinglo night fllled up tho well to n depth of 140 foot from the Tottom. Tt waa theroforo found noocssary to lino the lole with tubing to the dopth of 700 foot, This was aftorwsrds taken out and roplacod by beavier tubing, which pro- coss was continued to tho depth of 1,020 foot, Waler was found -at o depth of 1,250 feob, the Tagt 200 foob being through sandstono, saud, and marls, of crotacoous formation, Tho *head” Swas 10 fect, and tho tomperataro of tho water 87°©. The water ia usod for stonmbonts and va- Tious other purposes, A second woll was sfter- wards commonced, with & dismetor of one foot, steam power Linving beon substituted for horse ower, with which the first was bored, The wells ored in Now York soldom excced 1,000 foet in, dopth, and in somo coscs tho water, althouph 00d nt first, becomon brackish by tho infiltrn ion of gep-water from tho harbor, St, Louis lng tho honor of having tho deopest artesian woll in tho United Statos. It was bored at tho suger ro- finory of tho Moesra. Belcher yith much troublo and 1ot 3 litto delay, baving been commencod in 1849, and not comploted until the yoar 1854 whon water was rosched ab tho depth of 2,150 faot; 'The wator was uuanfily impregonted with sulphurettod Lydrogon, and unflt for use, like okt of thie wator from along the samo Lolt of country at Torre Ifuute, Louisville, aud othor placos, Tho strata penefrated wera not anliko thogo through whic tho wells of Chicago pass, and wator was found bolow & layer of 100 feot of soft whito sandastono, exactly liko that found hore, and which our goologists call tho 8k, Potors sandstono.”. It vocoivos ita namo from the town .of Bt Poters, Minneyots, where it orops out at,tho surfece in ?mnt sbundanco, Iho Boloher well is said to hinve cost about 620,000, or about four times what our wells are cosling at pragent. DIFFICULTIES OF BORING. Work carriod on o4 faf honoath tho eurface of tho ground is always attonded with moro or Jess uncortainty, At flist lhnuli}xt it would seem im- paesible to bore for water through solid racks or sand to the dintanca of noarly hulf o milg, with auy hapo of succoss, It wus long deemod 80 by eivillzed nations, but long experience has mado taclos to progross in| Toring that would bavo boon considered ug ineur= mountablo, aud caused the worlk to Lo abaudoned twenty-fivo yenrs ago, aro NOW considored trivinl. "'l most common_troublo oxporiencod by well- Dorers is that of losing their toola st great "hosa bofug of iron, of cousiderablo laugun‘lmnvy,wdnnbmmllnl,nolurlhnr 'z'°sm1’3 woul it comparatively eany. O depths. oan bo mado until thoy are removed, ba an endloss task to drill through them with now implomonty, and to drill inyolvo a surve: o breok in the onalbility of o further Woeks, and often months, to no purpose. many “length. . 'Iwese move upon each puit them would iug from tho perpendicular, and ara_which would precludo the ronocution of the work, werp formorly spont in vain endoayors to extract loat tools, and ofton Within o fow years, howover, ‘instruments hnve beon invented for tho purposo of oxtrastiug losk boring imulementy, thio drill to tho ond of an iron rod, aud, whon tho woll is sunk boyond tta length, to_dtinol s uoth- or, and g0 on until water was roachod. Tho ag- gregato \an% t of tho rods, whon n great dopth wae obtainad, of courso bocamo immonse. Af- torward wooden rods woro uscd, which in o ‘monsuro obviated thia diflcuity. Wooden poles were employod in horlug.tho Delchor well in St TLous, nnd aro still- 8o used by somo artesinn wall-borors in Chicago, Ifand power was at first. emplogad, but_aftorward, o tho sluking machinory and attachments beeamo too Leavy, Tiorsos woro nscd, and ot last atoam, ng tho jm-, provementa in that valuallo motivo powor war- ranted. It took eight borses to work tho windlasa at tho doop Grenello well, a8 tho lowor doptha wororeachod. Thoueo of o ropa to sug) pend tho drill in boring has grent advautages. Thnt of legacning tho woight of tho sinking machinory Doa lrendy beon specifled. It ia nocessary that tho cutting instrument shonld turn u littls ab onoh blow, to malke tho bottowm of the holo uni- form, Thig motion is easily given, cither by tho naturel torslon of the ropo, or by & man who conatantly atands ot tho top for that purposo. It unecessary, tho ropocan bo protooted from wenr ot tho sidos Dy knobs of wood, placed ot Mtorvals. Tho ropo adding comparativoly littlo £ {ho nggrogato wolght of tho muclinary, largo drills, oven olovon iuchea in diamoter, can he Qimed to » dopth of sovoral hundred fook. Huch drille are used in Pm-m of Cormany for siuking holes for ventilating mines, andiv Fraoco for sinking common wells in tho challt to_moderate dopths, A Fronch contractor hine of luto years been drilling wolls in tho chalk formation for the comparatively low prico of 50 conts n foot, nnd at an aggregata cost not excaoding $60. 1is progress in the soft matorial is at the xato of 25 or 80 feot b dny, and his apparatus s snid not Lo cost moro than 9100. 'Somo Chicago woll-borors object to o rope that it is elestic, and_ wimost inoporativo ab tho depth of 1,000 Toot, tho walkiug-gear at tlio top being soartoly able to lift the drill from tho bottom of the hole. To thig it may he replied that tho woll of the ITale Brothors, in their building at tho cor- nor of Stato and Waslington atrootd, has been sunk to o dopth of 1,600 foot iu a shork timo, and without ox‘{)nrlcnclug thia iuconvenionco. [0 only- othior objection offerod to the uso of & ropo is that, n soft sirats, the apparatus may deviate from o vortical courae, and rondor tubing {mpracticablo. OHICAGO METHODS. =Tt is, of courap, understood that o woll is Tored by tho gradially “clipping " vay of tho rock with an nugor, a dyill, or & chisol, a1 oun choosos to call tho cutting implomont, ko in- ptrument is raisod at regular intorvals o fow inches from tho bottom, aud allowed to fall again, cutting into tho rock ne it strikos. When it risos again it is twned, and falls st anothor angle to tho circumferenco of tho boro, removing material not touched by tho provious blow, —The chisel js not supposed to strike twico In the gamo place, cunaflfimmlly tho bottom of tho holo ia kopt smooth and_uniform, and tho boro pro= caeca oquatly. Tho instruments used below ho surfaco aro too complicated to bo under- stood. without the _md of diagrams, thongh scomingly simplo te oo oxport. They consist, genorally, of four picces and ey bavo an axgrogato woight of from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. 'Lho boring spparatus used in boring tl‘:u firt ortesian well at the corner of Wostorn and Chieago svonues weighod only 800 pounds, Whers a rope and windinss aro uded to suspond tho drill, tho weight doos not vary much from a ton, Thoro is o drill about threo feot in longth. This may bo o drill with » singlo sira h adgo, or & Z drill, or un M drill, although fho straight-cdged drill is now in most common uso. Tho drill ia_serewed to o picca of iron alouk twonty foo in length, callad & * sinker-bar.” This 0dds its woight to tho drill, and makes the downward blow offcctive, Tho sinkor-bar i8 screwed to o pair of *jars" about cight feot in otior like the links of & chmin, and give'tho desired play in rising snd doncending, Without an arrauge- mont of thia kind, a serions breakage of tho im- temonts would bo of common occurrenco. To Bl Jaka aro atiactiod anathor short icco of iron, whioh is itsolf fautencd to the cablo, or sories of woaden poles, which riso to tho surface. The machinory usod nt the susfaco issimplo. 1t cons sista of namall stonm-ongino, which moves by menns of o lugo belt ovor & common wooden putloy, n walking-boam like _thoso used upou an ordiuary Inko stcamboat. . Ono end of this is at- tachaod to ropo, or series of rods, and moves tho drill andits sttachmonts steadily up aud down hour-by haur, day-by-duy, weok-by-woek, month- Dby-montli, until {ho work is complotad. The vocoss in slow but sure, ond, after oll, a- ittlo more rvapid than the con- tinual dmyylng that wears awny stones, and Hervos A small 0 point 50 mauy 1norals. stiok is pnase:{ lhmu%\l the cablo n fow feet ahove the surfaco, which gorves as & handls by which tho rope is turnod from sido to sido by a man alnost always in attendanco. The boring procoods for sovoral hours In succession, then tho drill s lifted, aud tho ‘‘roamer” lowered, which remoyes from tha sides aud bottom what- over inequnlities may romain, making the well in oll rospocts round and perfect, After tho reamor is brought to tho surface, & cylindrical guction pump, itting tho well hicely, and fur- niutied with yalvos ot tho lower ond 18 dropped 10 tho bottom, which {nkes up tho sand, wud, or othor looso matler, that Lina recumulated, and brings it to the mouth of tho woll. It will Lo scon, thorefore, that's largo amount of time, af- tor great depthis have boon renclied, is consumed in raiving and lowering theso various implemonty of labor, DBut a fow .inches of progress can bo mado without a ropetition of all theso oporations, I'ho machinos used for beaking off and remoy- ing the tools lout b tho bottow of the woll, ave nuinorous and complicated, Ofhor dotails in rognrd to thin branch of tho subject will bo giv- en elsowhero. SINAT ARTESIAN WELL IN ONICAGO, The boring of the firut artesinn woll in Ohica~ go, wag attended with peculiar circumstznces., n tho summor of 1833, two Bpiritualists fron Maine, Mr. Uhomas J, Whitohoad aud Mr, 4. E. Buift, visited Ohicago ouprivato businees, It is said that thoy had 10 previous kuowladyo of tho soll and surfaco of tho country adjacont to the city. Thoy aitonded tho Bpirifunl soancos of " Brs. _ Carolino ~ Jordan, ond M. Abrabom James, Mrs, Jordan matated in o mystionl way tbab somothing of greut importarico to tho city was to bo rovesled, a rather common and cheap formn of spiritual propheoy, it Ia true, and chmrmning from it in- dofinitoncss. To {bis_Dolphio utteranco Mr, James afterwards added tho significnnt asser- tion that benoath a certnin tract of land near tho City of Ohioago, petrolemm oxisted in'largo quantitien, and tuat, JI it wore aouglt, o plroym of the beat sud purost wator would rush to tho surfaco with great violenco. 3Mr, Jumen was takon to thospot where tho woll 1s at present flowing at the cornor ol Chicago and Westorn avenues, was * ontranced " (sic) and a speciflo logation of the land was mado, Mossrs, Whito- hesd aud Swift callodthe attentlon of Mr, Goorge A, Shufeldt to tho matter, o company was formed, end forty acros wero purchosod in tho locality Indiostod, Tha lwnd fas elnco becowne excacdiugly valuable on account of the rapid {;mwm of tho city, Boring was com- mencod in Docomber of 1863, oll und not water boing the object principally sought, The ntrata of limostouo bolow tho_city aro usually coverod with alluvium to tho depth of 100 fent, At tho Bhufoldt svoll they .scem fo Lo broken and to como to the curfuce in o Bort of knob or protu- boranco, so that tho boriug was conumenced at | Bandatono, . ,during tho wholo of that tim oneo in tho solld rock without tho uecossity of tublng. i il ; OO FORMATIONH, Tho charnotor of tho rock formationn through which tho artesiuns wells of Ohicago paca la tha samo, with. trivinl. oxcaptionn, \%In givo the atrats mot, with in borlug {ho first Bhufeldt woll, whero wator wan roacliod at o depth of 710 foet, within a littlo loss than o yoor from tho dato of bogiuning : Lintatons, Jolfet wunrl e N8 Tent 1 Limectone, The record 15 not solontifically noonrato, but suflietently ro for tho. purposes of {he genorel rondor. ‘The raoks ponstrated noarly all showed &lgnn of oil, and gus oscapod In sorao quantitics from tho orifleo at various times whilo working, Tho “head " of the woll is ealdl to havo beon 50 foot, and_tho thormoemotor 63 dogroos; which whortly aflorward foll to 50, The flow was at firnt estimated ab 000,000 gollons, but it has sincodiminebod to *about. ono-finlf .of thnt ?;ug\mi. Thosizo of the discharge-pipe ia 45¢ chos, ~ BTCOND GNUFELDT WELL. Tho recond woll was commenced in the May following, under tho dircotion of tho modiam, Jomes . 1o loeated it within nino fect of tho fira, for whioh foresight it would seom that nelthor muoh mediumistic skill nor much scion- tific knowlodgo was required.’ Tho boring was dono by monnt of tho wator from the firat wel which vaa raisod to n helght of twonty foot, an ourod over an overahot whool. 1t wascomploted n about six months, and was romarkablo for no incldents of gront-Intorost, Water waa ronchod at nbout tho snmo depth (700 feot), sud poured out frovly from an aperturo of about tho snmo sizo no tho fivst, althongh with diminished hoad. Tho proximity soemed to affect both as from a common.caugo. Tho water from both wolls is cloar and {mro, with tho slightost perceptible brneldol fasto. 3¢ 1o variosly andprodiabiy uned. < FOW THE WATER 14 URED, Twonty-flve ncren of the forty owned by- tho Artonian -Well . Compnauy is “covore'| od with ponds flllod from tho,wells dascribed. ‘Tho ice {8 collected in winter, and storod in nd- Jncont ice-honeon for tho summor -consumption of tho city.- Tho mnchinery used in cutting and ntorlnq tho {co is of the most improved pattorns, and allows of n large profit on the material when offored in tho market. Thoro is als on the land of tho Company & wool and felt-factory, erccted ot o cost of £20,000, having sl {ho ossential ma- chinery tor carrying on tho business. ‘Tho wator from tho wells i snid to bo admirably adapted to the washing and cloaning of wool, tho atream of wator flowing unbrolien through the ontire fac- tory, and having tho uncommon 'quality of pro- sorving its temporaturo uniform throughout tho ontiro yoar, The Shuteldt wolls aro a cuviosity” to ‘many persons, not ouly for gonoral roa- gong, but beeauso of tho peenlinr ciroum- stunces, under which thoy - wors - borod. As a consaquence, thoy aro visited by thousands of pooplo every summor, and, asmall admission £0o belng ohrrgod, the yoceipls from this source nro a8 high os $100 per week. Tho oggrogato vaiuo of the Company’s property, buildings sud ‘encumbrancos, is not far from 32060,000. DIARY ‘OF PRACTIOAL'IIORING. All woll-borors keep n_disry record of {ho progress of tho boring, with such additionnl in- cidonts a8 mn.{‘ soom {0 them veluablo, . Thoua ongaged in that work at prosont.are plain, shrewd, practical mon, who make no protonso to sclentiflo knowledge or technical skill. Thoy nne dorttand thotr immediato busiucss well, and bo- i'ond this point they do mnot caro to inquirc, f asinglo wollcould bo bored in Chicsgo, un- der tho direction of some gentlomen ot profound solontiflc attniumont, 'wo haveno doubt that a valuablo contribution would ho mado to this do- partment of tho world's knowledgo. . AB o speci- men of theso records we' tnlto at random from thio dinzy kopt whilo boring tho sccond Shufolds woll, which 18 tho only ono at prosont accessiblo. 2May 8, 1805,—Commonced drilling with rods, in tho 80lid rock, at tho surface, having frat blasted und row movet the looso rack, to tho depth of § feet, Drillod 11 fect this_doy, In tho dark, porous Lmeatoze, 10 fcot {rom the floor of tho derrick. .. ! Ifay 9,—Tight foct, Groy Uimestone, Total, 24 foot. May 10.—Drill fast in tho woll at 26 feot, Jarring ali sy ond all night, Buppose thata looso stono fell on tho top of the tools, ’ : May 118U jarring, Tno tool wawn singlo-faced, G-inch ohisol drill,: -Btono probably caught on {hd shoulder of tho drill, Muy 19, Tho continual uso of tho jar loosencd tho arii) fo-day, und it wan recovered. % ‘May13." Drillod ¢ feot to-dny—total, 32 foot. At 30 fect penetrated tho buff lmcstone called lera tld Atliens or Joliet marblo, “May 1. " Drilled & fect. Dopth 57 feot, Marble, May 10, To-dny B foet—szmo ud abovo, lay 17, To-day G feot—sanio s abovo, ay 18, To-duy 2 feot—samo oa above, May 19, Todny & fool—samo saubove, ¢ Aug,1.° To-day § foot. Dark slone, vory hard, Total, 378 fect, {uf. 3. To-duy 4 feot., Hard and tinty. - Total, 370 ot i 0 Todsy, 4 Soot. Hurd ana lnty, Ttal, “Aug. 4, To-day, 7 foot, BHIl hardor, Wears out thic drill in from 6 o 124uches, oun 6 Todag, © fost, Very bard. Total, 900 cot. “Atg, 7. To-day, b feat. Gray limestono and fint. Total, 395 feet. Aug. 8, Tasttho drlltoday, The bt or dril bo- camo loosened whero tho suger stem joins, and washed off, Tho losa was not discovered for throd hours, and, ¢, the entiro weight of the tools, sbout 800 pounds, was fallig upon tho’ head of 1o Lit, in the bottom of: the well, By theso ropeated blowe, the uppor-ond of tho drill was drivon 13 4nches fu the sido of the well, under o shelf or shoul dor, " Tlln.wau.hnd SAU.\u.r L3 d}rk leuk Nz—dfiy; Oct, 8, Six hundred snd sixty fegt, this morning. No sediment from..tho sand pump. Well commenced overflowing quite' freely- lsat night, and the old woll diminfabed in its overdow throo-fourtlis of an inchi— showing that a crovice or seam, leading from the old well, hud been tapped by the new ona, 0¢t: 9, Drilledt feet. “No chango, Total, 663 feet, - Oct, 10. Drilled 6 feot, Nosodiment, Water washiea 1t all up, Totsl, 660 foct, T Oct. 11. Drilled to-day; 0 feot, “Total, 076 feet, * Oct. 12, “Drillod, Inst nlght, 3 foot. At o'clock to-day tho Jars broko off, leaving drill, augor stom, and brokon $ox i tho bottom of tha wall, = Oct, 43, 14, und 16, Alter everal attempts with tho hollow grab, finally got hold of {ho tools, on tho 15th, « and recovered them, - 0ct, 10, Drlled ali day, but made no progress, Somo frou cnttings on tho drill. Water Sowing vory frecly. Oet. 17, Drilled all pight. Mado3 feot, Doyith, 678 Jeet, F B . o e . . . Nav, 1, Wednesday,” At's quarter beforo 1. o, m., {ui8 morning, tho drill penctrated tho arch of tho rock in' tho cavity before reforred to, und the water camo to the surface in'great yolumes. Depth of tho well to tho top of the cavily, 634 foot und 4 inches, - Vov, 3, Reameil out the' inat 3-feot, to tho wator, maklug lio wall full pize of & inchos alf the way down, hiio volumo of water much increased by tho Teame ing, nud the overflow in the old well much diminisbed, Deving fallen to sbout 4 inches, This diminution 1 cauncd by tho clovation of the ‘water in tho' formor Soelh o & Tight of 25 feot abovo tho surface, whilo tho now woll i dlscharging upon tho surface, If bolh Wells woro diacharging.at tho sawe lovel, tho overfow would, of courde, bo. tho sume, and each well would dircigo yelatively n quantity of wator iu proportion toltastzo, | B g PEOULIABITIES OF THE AUUFLLDT WELLS, ¢ Thera aro fow wells now in tho city or vicin- ity that do not oxcoed 1,100 feot in dopth. Tha Sbufoldt wells are, among thoe fow excoptions. ‘Whaler can bo obtained ab that depth in noarly all the wolls, but not of the desived quentily or quality, ‘ho disturbanco intho stratu that ke cauncd the upheaval of the rocks to the surface nenr the corner of Westorn and Chicago avenues bus alreidy boon mentioned, This would scom to indicato womo dislocation of tho stiatd be- low, by which tha subtorrancan stremns of water aro tfi’rm\'n upward from their chunuel tu o Teight of sovoral hundred feot above tha common Jovel. Tho record givou abovemoutions a * rod- dish saudstono ':"Funatrnmd o slort time beforo wetor was reachod, . Mr, Bhufoldt aponkis of this o tho * 8t, Louis saudstono,” which is found oldowhoro in this _city sud noighborkood, at a Qopth of 1,200 or 1,300 fook. As tho uplioayal of his woll seoms 1ot to _oxceed 100 foot in por- ondicular hieight, it wonld not acoount for tho B Potorn saniistone 500 feot noarer the surface at this point than elsowhoro throughout theaity. T'he proeont flow of tho }\‘olln sentcely excoods now tho original flow of one of tham. Tliis would indicate that the water comos elther from gomo small rivulot, reservoir, or chounel, aside from tho main source of supply. "About throo montha ago,. the wolls sato] ppod - discharging ontircly, nvd resumed their flow &fter a brie poriod. Other 5Inrtulnr phenomonn have boen recently observed, ‘Thowater i8 com- monly discharged at & Intoral orifice just above iho top of ihe ground. A porpendicular pipo runs avovo this point to the height of 20 or 80 oo, | Tho offoots of tho stoppaiso of tho lateral orifice nro varicd and unaccountable, Somes timos whon it i8 closod tho wator will rise and ovorflow at tho top, alnost in a socond of timo, s omatimes it will bo a woelt in slowly rising that distance, thore being in the meanvwhilo, no Wlnco of disclinrgo ab all.” Theso peouliavities— thuao difforances In the strongth of tho Tead or flow—would naturally sugguut, in connection with tho entiro cossation of Hlow above men- tioned, olthor tho oxistonce of s subterrancan Zosorvalr, filled and disoharged ot intervals like an Intermittont spring, or some asounulstion of obutrutive material ut tho Lottom of Lho boro, or o somo intermediato polnt, 0BT ¥ LONING WELLS, 1t Lins already boon stated that wells o foot or more in diamoter oan Lo sunk in Frauce tos modorate depth in tho chalk deposita at 60 couts per linoar fook.. The. npl]mx-utun usod iulm%ln. and oostq ngb paoro than $100, the entlse cost of an *Ald, Otis moved an inquiry | oxcoptional. T ordinnry well not excoeding’ £60. Tho engin, and othior purfaco,machinery usod” nt me in’ . Wells' the avorngo rate of 0,? al \rinla. - Only two lunds of appayalus are wrad, tho enble and windlass, and the weries of wooden rods Tho drill nnd {is adjunats ‘Iho cablo appareius Chlongo for boring, - costs: abont 92,5 D tnkon by contraot, ab por linear foot, tho' conlractor anaumin, anu\ilwru_dnpnrlhn aro tho samo in nll cases, offora advautagos in point of- timo not elsowhoro specified. Whon the drill, aitnched Lo o serien of rod, is brought to the aurface, ench rod muat "bo unsicrawed and Infd ssido n it comos up, and serowed on succoseivoly as the iustrumonts do- Acond, causing groat hindranco, With tho cable dud windlaga the wndorground machinory is Tainod nd Jovésod wlthont intotval or {nforTup: tion, All tools nnd tho offorts to remove them from tho boro, nro 80 much delny aud loss Lo tho con- trrctor, and ato only “voxalions to tho'owner so for ns timo ls valusblo, All tho machinory nooded by tho contractor for boring & woll can Vo _purchinsed for o littlo lesa than 83,000, A woll in Clleago will oost from £4,000 to §0.000,# according ‘to tho doptl, ‘aiid can ' bo complato ‘from its ncnfi’uun in from threo to-four montha, It{s impossiblo to sy what furlhet Improvo- monts in machinery may accomplish; but oven at tha presont cost, nricsian wolls aro highly nd- yantageous and profitablo to their owners, whero tho wator can bo put to any profitablo nno. ARTESIAN WATER FOR DRINKING PURPOHES, All of our renders will remembor vividly iho dearth of wator that followed tho disabling of tho ongines of tho water-works, ut tho time of tho grent firo, -Wator was cagorly sought from all avallablo local gources, but tho nupply wau iuoufligient, and in ovory wayunsatisfactory. ‘Tho unsavory contonts of the river wore pourad in the pipoes, and conncetion was also mado with tho woll on Wostorn avonne. Boforo this peoplo bod beon coming for tho artesian wator with buckots, tubs, onrts, wagons, and overything availablo for tho purpose, The disastor o tho Water-Works, and the doflciency in nn articlo so esgontial to oxistonco, atirscted public nttontion to thomattor, o supply of wator for drinking purposcs could no bo furnished which sliould bo boyond the contin~ onvios of conflngration, or anylocal calamity, n tho Common Council, T'he matler was roforred to the Com- mitteo on Firo and Wator, who aftor having dnly oxaminod tho subjoct, roportod ot some longth. TEPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FIRE AND WATER. Tho quort glves a J{onom\ shatch of tho ar- ,tosian wells of the wo:1d, and soys that although ‘at yarious opocha In tho world's history cities have tried to supply thomseelves with wator from. arteainn wolls, all have failed. 'Tho water.con bo ured succesafully for tho creation and main- tonnnco of nartificinl lakes, fountains, motive powor, flushing sewors, irrigating land, heating pubie buildings, hospitals, greon-louses, ote., ut its quolity is not such as to warrant its gen- oral uso for cookery, or for drinking, The cily -of Glaxgow fo favorably ‘situntod for furnishing wator to it citizons through nrtesian wells, aud yet it lins preforred fo bring wator from Lake Kntrino, 84 milos distant, with an immense Inbor of tunnoling and building of aqueduots, and at a cost of €5,000,000. 'ho allusion to the lakca .would seem to imply that thio Committeo be- lievod that artesion wells aro fed by roservoirs ,\‘:Fon the surfaco of the e;\rthl,) which moy possi~ y bo truo_In spocial cages, but theso casos aro Committeo say furthors “Wo now come to tho most intercsting part of this ro- port, to ws, that s, tho wells of Cook County, on tho Buccess or ' fafliiro'of -which, for general uso, tho im- portauc of thia toport dopends. ALl of theud that aro -known to your Committeo, aro Liereto annczed fn tabu- Tar forns, showlng tho dcpth, dinmeler, quantity dis charged in twanty-four hours, and tho lead of walor 08 nscottained by gotual- mensurement, - by presmuro ftugo, and by ostimato, Whenover cstimates liavo Doen mide, inatond of nctusl mensuremonts, wo lave ‘boen particular in giving tho most -Uboral allowsnce, and tho greatost advantaga to tho wells in every fu= stanco._“Thfs atatomient shown tho averago atiount dls- charged at tho surfacoof tho ground every twenty- four ours to be 330,670 gallons at an bverago head of 3¢ feot. As tho-tubing is carricd up to oblain the requitslte head witboul pumping, tho guantity dimin. Joties 5o rapldly as the altitude ia iucreaced, that tho Glovation s prastically usolces for general distribution, Tor inetance, at. Lincoin Park well, which flows ot tho Burfaco 700,000 gallons, af an alovation of 43 fect falls off ono-balf, The Indinun stroot well, 260,000 gullons, 8t 40 feot falln off moro than thrc-fourths, Tha Tuvorstdo wall, 108,000, nt 26 fect dischiarges'05,000, and &t 45 feot ylolda only 10,000 gallons, ‘Howver, it 18 duo to'tho advocaten of tho wall s5p- tom to Btate that many men, who'oro well qualificd to Judgo, give it 09 their opiion thatif tho tubing bo put down to tho bottom of tho well to provont wasto or leak fn crovices of tha rock, tho xeault would ho o great {ncroase tn flow atan clovation of aboutc0 feot Bbove the surfeco, Thia is tlo opinion of Dir, Spange lor,, who Las Lad twents-seven years! oxpericnco Lpting artesinn wella; ab {ho sumo timo ho gives it s bis opilon’ that largo wella. would not givo oy increased amount of water, os tho chauncls -in tho rock through Which it flows scem. to bo smalice than tho bare of the. well, Tixperiouco thus far confitms this viow, Tho question tiicn norrows Heolf down to this: What s tho cheapest and-beat mothiod of furnishing tho nocearary quantity of water needed by tha city, 4t 8 point whero it mpy bo ‘pumped to tho height requirod for distribution 7 Thio result of Dr. Blanoy'a analysls, whichiis hereto attachod, will_bosuficiont tosctnt Test forevor tho qucation’of supplying tho cily with artceian well water, Ty statement eliows that, whilo the lake Fator con< tafua clght gruins of solid malter, tho well of tho Northwestern Distillery contains sfxty-threo gratos, that at Lincoln Tark slxty-nine and a balf_grains, au fhat at Tndinna stroet sevents-five and & Lalf grafis of salid motter. Tho most injurlous fron rapidiy. Thoe lako water sliows less than one-thire of grain o tho gallon, while tho wells show twenty- four, twenty-four ond & holf, and twenty.thres gralia Teapectively, or_elxty-nino imes ag much fu tho Jast well as theregls in tho lake water, ‘Under another form of combination they show os follows : Bulplato of lime, Iake water, X n grain; in tho wells, 237¢, 272¢, 216 ns Lo tho gallon, respects fvely ; sulpliata of #oda, Iake water, nono; the wells, g 1 'and 183 grains to tho gallon, ¢ sicknowledged by chomists that whilo carbon.. ntes and ofhier proportics aro comparstively barmlces, pulphates axo vory injurious, thercforo theao are” tho qualities which wo particularly. refer to, Tho effccts of theso azo elown fn all iron pipes, whonovor used, From all the data which we hiave Loeh :nblo to get, i ppeard that from goven montha to four years is as Toug seany iron pipe will stand in conuoction with this water, Theo report furthor states that pipes convoying Jake wator will last from 30 to 60 years, ant tha city own over $1,600,000 worth of iron pipes, that point is ontitled o respootful conaldoration, Dr.J. V. Z. Dlaney's Analusis of Lake and "Artesian 5 Welt Water, . g ARTESIAN WELLS, F ey 3 = ' .| B | ad £l Subdtances. g §§ i EE) . : §|FF|RR| B 13,1700} 3,8307 5700| .7 clt Iron and alumin: Boila combined with " or-) 69,578 heoretical Combination of Substances: . Substances, ~unBHIHE 9701 Bulphato of lime. Bulpate of Soda..... Carhonata of Nmo... Ohlorido of sodium. Carbunato of 500, ¢ . Carbonate of magnoals, Hilicla, Iron oue Bodn' combined with or-| ganio matter, Orgaulo muttor,, 14,6368 ! 10,501 traces 20053 1.0727] .uros _delagn cansad by tho brealiagoof, and it wao ‘:onoml.lynu]md whethern ropertics in tho ‘water aro tho largest of sulphuric acld, which cats ns ,302426,230/24, 5736/13, 102: 6043 9.6948] 6,1354 2083 08,0570} 5,0220 12,4700, 11.4606] 5.8524 L0789] 5.000] 4,410 4.9770 4,6720) 9,0313 978500418992 18.0133) +vsl B.387| Totul vuuevraares. Freo carbone acld 1§ * blo fuches, ARTLSIAN WATER FOR FIRE PDDIOBES, 6.70 1t it nat ploasant to remambor bow completoly Cliongo was at the mercy of tho fire-fiond by yoason of tho burning of bor Water-Works. Btill less agroeable is it Lo refloct that & similar fate mighlfim Liors in case of the recurranca of & similar calamity. 1 fTrom all th ariosien wells within the eity, an in closo proximity, duily, is about cqual to that furnished Another used once, it was obtained. after baving been inotitutions, water bo collacte: places, and hold §n rosdiuoss for auy emergonoy. ‘o ples is cortainly ‘Wero there a ‘soarcity of wator, sirption, erod absolutely esgontial, 63,0113 Tho quantily of water flowinfi lulf the ‘Water-Works. A largo nrt of thia iu utilized in verioua ways, aud use- uag oxcopt for tho primary purposes for which i largo portion, N lcnuld T:.w usod to cqual adyantage s sccond time, The yemaiuder K‘g froa for auy object to whicl: the olty might desiro to apply it o this lnst clas Dofong tho wolls fn the parkis and at tho publio Wiy shiould not the vaut wasta of in resorvoirs ab convenioub paagiblo foasiblo, thote {u nood would usa that from tlieso vacoptacles rather than go without entirely, and its valuo in easo of an oxtonded conflagrafion roquives no demons The authoritios clains thut the arteslun walls have not suMliclont head to raluo tho wator {nto resorvairs shove the surface. They havo a hoad of from 25 to 50 foot, which {u worthy of oonsideration if elovated rosoryoirs aro conpid- In case of fire, & " hond " fa of liLtle moment, whorn stormors ara Lotk bolow tho Bars fnco of tha ground wonld*anuwer overy sulrpouu. hA'yonr ago Mr, J. V. Tarwoll wrota n fodill upon Lliis subjaot, snggonting thnt ) 18 owned nnd conlrolled by tho city, should”bo used for usad, and cislorns, vats, or Mayor M {he apaco under tho sidowabl, wh! thia purpose. ‘Tho lotior wag nover publishoed, bni tho suggention s valunble, and it 1n not too Iato to nok-upon-~it.- -Mr. Farwoll- advisod ;Lhnt- tho oxponko ho horno by tho proporty-owners whosa Jotn abutled on’tho wully whoro such tanks might soom to he necossary, Thoso gon- tlemen wonid undoubtoedly bo vory glad of an opportunity to take Buch eficiont mona- for. thoir own . and. . the...publia safety, if Lhoy wera reimbursed for their ex- {mnflll.nro by tho rent of thospace covored by ha sidowalle, A nystom of tanksehordoring in this mannor the streots of.tho business contioof tho city would make suchi a sweoping cataatro- pho as tho lant groat conflagration an utlor im- possibility. Theso tanke could bo fillod and Jopt full from tho wolls n]rom}f' burnt district, or_tho_ city coul noodod, K e -~ LOUAL USES OF ARTEBIAN WATER. Tho principal uses to which tho wator from artoainn wolls in n‘xpliud hinve boou nlready men- tloned in goneral torms. Lxeopt with tho ono oxoeption of alfording warmth, that furnished Dby tho wolls of Chicago is adapted to a grealor varioty of usgs thau any in the world, Tho wolla hored in tho city parks woro intouded to furnish wator for lnkes, fountnins, and irriga- tion, and it hos already boon applied to theso flowing in the boro' o 8 -ugos in Lincolu Park, porhape, moro than in any othor. Hovoral distillories of tho oity usc arle- sinn wator for preparing tho * mayh” and cool- ing the worm in tho cisterna, At Wahl'a giuo factory it Is urod in Inrge quantitics for bolling the golatinous materials from which tho.manu- factured article is mado, Tho artesian wolls nt tho Btook-Yards furnish walor for the stook, and ono or two hove beon bored ot milk-farms near tho city, with tho samo object. - Lhoro scoms to 1o 0o good ronson why tho wholo prairie fogion of tho Wost should not, in time, bo liborally “furnished with wator in tho samo manner. Long Jobn}Wontworth purgos his blooded cattlo % ik s farm, e brought from 1,200 fect bolow tho surfaco, and Davld A. Gogo troats his horses and cattlo with cimilar modic- innl waters at his farm near Rivorside, The cotton factory at Drighton hiag n woll that floyws at tho rate of 400 gallons por minute, Tho uscs to which the wator of tho Alenfoldt well are. ap- licd hnve been , montioned olsowhere. O. . Farwall & Oo, bored thoir well about o year ngo, and have sinco used tho wator for clennsing Eurpoass’ and 08 o resorve in cnso of firs. Thoy- ave appliod thoir principles to_practica by plac-" ing largo tanks under tho P dsualks e which fire-engines _can draw whonavor it Is_ nocessary. Thoy oleo havo throo firo-plugzs dircctly connaotod ‘with the woll, and could keop fice-ongiuces supplied with wator long onough to extinguish & e of considerablo obatinnoy. WILLIAN E, JIALE & €0.'8 WELL. Messrs, William E. Holo & Co. commoncod ‘boring thelr well’ soon nfter “the flro, with'the intention of using tho wator power to yunan elovator in their building at tho comer of Stals’ and Washington streots, It was finishod in about four months, thero baving boon the usual delays for brolen tachinory, and othor trivisl matters. Thoir estimato of- tho "tinie ownple(l-ln the bor- ing is moventy working days,..Tho.oustomary qicco‘ol sron tubing was put down :through tho firat andred foot of slluvial aoil,until tharoclk was ronchod.. Bolow this they pesad tlio usual atrats, gongtraiod by all wolls Water was reachod at vorious pointo, but not tho quantity dosired. At the dopth of over 1,200 foot quito a flow was struck, but the boring: was coutinued untll the dopth of 1,000 foot was cb= tainod. Tho dismotor of tho bore is 53¢ inchas, and the flow 500 gallons por minute, or 720,000 gallons por day. g WATER-BALANCE ELEVATOR. \The clovator run by tho wator is the,largeat and Liandsomost I tlio city, and s rogards spocd, safoty, aud freedom from noito and friction, suporior to any steam clovator with which o aro acquainted. 'Tho car or plaiform is similar to ored 1 this viclnity, n tho ordinary steam olavator, bubia connectod by ‘wire ropes passing over large shieavos or. groove: whoels at tho top of & counter-balancing bucket, instead of n sieam ongine. This buckoet balauces tho car or platform, aud tho loed:is raised by filling tho bucket with an smount of wator sufliciont to overbalanco and thus raiso tho load. Tho bucket fits closely into an upright, -wator- tight, tubo or standpipe, about £wo feot in diam- otor, standing inor noor thohoistwoy,and extond- ing to tho uppor pust GF tho building, tha bucket. toolt Doing from ton to sfxtoen fact long, ag: | cording to the maximumn lozd to Yo ralyo tank in the upper story of the -building supplies wator to the_ bucket -thruu§h o large_pipo, ‘the ~valvo theroin boing worked by muana of wire ropo running through tho car or platform, ‘Wlen tho load ig raised tho wator ia discharged ‘into anothor tank in tho bagomont by meansof o salv in tho botbom 0f tho buckot, sud . pumiped . up to tho uppor tauk sgain by n steam pump of nocosuary copacity, ond g0 tho esme water.is used over and over again. Tho car being at the bottom, and the bucket.of courso at the top, tho’ oporator pulls the®vaive rope, tho bucket fa’ -instantly filled, and sonscgues much hepvier than the car_ that it ‘risos at o rate; of specd dopeuding entirely on the will-of the operator. ‘The car being &t tho top nnd the nclot ut tho bittom, & valye dt-tho lowor end of tho buglet is opened by ménns of 'a cord from* “tlio car, tho bucket is.emptied .and. tho car do- sconds, Tho uppor touk may .also bo -used. to supply wator for uso in closcts and elsowhore on any flaor in the building.- Tha oxpense-of ‘Tais- ing wator by menns of »_pump is found to bo only about one-quarter or less of the exponso of | roising mercliandisa or passengors by means of o steam engino, Wlon tho water 18 once ab tho top of the building there is no other oxponso for power in runping tho elevator, as Dby its weight, doscending in -the bucket, it raises any Joad It will ovorbalatce.. No wator 1" usod 1n lowering any required weight. . The car or plat- form is liold in poition- by means of' {wb power~ ful clamps, so nrranged-in connection with a atroug- spri 4 e heavy wrought, iron lides or guides secured to tlio upright timbors on both sides of. the hiatchs way, sud sct s o break to govern the motion botli up snd down. Tho' oporator only bas to press a ‘loverin the car or platform to control tho motion ot will, . Tho iustant he raiscs’ his haud from tho Jovor'the- clamps come.inta opors ation on the slides and tho car utnfim, howover gront tho - load, « If all tho ropes should broalt; these clamps’ would hold the car in its placo, Tho machinory .{s-almost as simplo a8 -aw old-fashioned woll-sweap with s bnclket at ono. ond aud a Inrge woight nttached: to tho “oth “Thio exponto, o8 comparod with steam, is trifling, Whon tho machinery is once in placo, no furthor cxponditurp 18 roquirod ‘it thatof o boy to 8 ‘manage the car, sud' tho daily wear, whic] almast _inappreciablo. ) ago. ovor ateum clovators that it can‘bo uzad at full, The inconvenionco aud expenso of atcam elovators in this’ rospoct is notorious, Woaro surprised that this peculiar usc of artesian wolls hos not been moro genorally adopted: 1, BUDTERBANEAN CURRENYS: AND RESERYOITE, Tt is atatod in tho enxlior portions of thin:arti- -cla that the wator which supplies artesian wells porcolatenthrough tha goil.over & Inxgo oxtont of country continucs to infiltrato until it comes'in contaot with some jmpormenble stratum of rocir, when it tnkos the direction of the geologic in- cling, gatbe) imf strongth and volume as 1t pro- ceeds, until it finds some uperture” oxtending to the surfaco, throush whiols it endoavors to reach tho lovel of ita pourcs, Although this is the rulo, thero are prosuad to ba oxcoptious, Bub- {orrancan treatme mey bo fod in voluma . from. gome roservoir on tho surface of tho oarth, o8 o lalto or river. Rivers sometimes loso them- golves suddenly in chasm, 6 valloy, or in tho odgo of a demert, and. do . mot appear again‘in deglight, so far o8 auy hutnanknowlodgs ostonds, Htivors of cousidordble sizo flow slong undor gronud, o8 through tho deep recosses of tho mummoth cave, or pour out of a billside, or appoar euddonly on §omo sug,-m clavation, of guel sizo thet the idos of thelr having been formed by infiltration, percolation, or any pro- ccas of slow_ inerenso, sooms to ba precluded, Tho mountain rogion of Middlo Tounouses and Northern . Georgin and ~Alabama sbounds in Bprings of ramexrkablo sizo. Btreams 6o largo that thoy mny Lo called rivors burst suddenly out of tho sldes of bills sud mouutaing, Itivors fro- quently disappeor in the Rocky Mountains and aro never scen egain by mortal oyes, . Catlin, well-known s an \Indian annallst, has o favorite theory in rogard to o sub- terranoan riyer larger thau -tho Missinsipni whioh flows in a_goneral diroption toward the oaut and south. It is snid that his researches havo beon extensivo, and that hio will roon wmake them known to tho worldthrough the medium of & boolk. Doubtless his enemios will be delighted whon Lo hes written it, 1t is not noceswary to muitiply cxanplos of this kind, Tho testimony of thors who haye borod wolla in Chicago aud vielnity i not tho samo rasyuatlng the polnt which wo aro discussing, William E, Iale & Co, stato that, while boring thelr well, tho drill was novor known to drop moro than “threo or ;four it was impossible to toll whother the water was flowing or standing. The supply ncoms to come from many sources, and ' from Various dopthe, The reservoir from which Artoalon Wall - Company’s several feet in measured, inches at s tinte, an tho water in. tho . “‘l’l’l’ {a obtajned -is dopth, and lss been scourstely Not the slightest latoral or downward imnotion oould ba dotootod, otior to™| _gontlomen of tho city think that al uently bocomes 80 gallons daily‘to porhaps'40 _rato tosf hnzipg heen applie - that, thoy..alwaya. frmly..clasp - \ ouly proceeds rapi -foreign mnterinl at tho” Lottom. It would [ from thotop to the bottom. It hias tho great ndvan-, | glould - entirely ceaso, to flot, it would not liours of ho duy and night If tha tauicis koot. | should bo alarmod. nncertainty about what {s'golig ou down in the; The larcest woll ab the ,Stook Yarda rocolven ils wator scomingly from a owiftly-lowing rivor, through whosoe carrent b 1 wan found Iinpossible, by notual oxporimont, ta .pink'a plummot, Tho experience of thosa who horod tho woll at the Northwestorn Distile lory wna stmilar, Arope was drawn violenily in for n distanco of many yards, and would lnve pald out indefinitely 1f it had not beou withe drawn, Thezo aro the most significant facia connected with -this- dopartmont of tho rubjeot, That thoy aro not mnorq numorous, . and oven moro curfous, is hecause tho wells have' been bored. fn_a merply. mochaufcal manner, .for- o corlain amount of monoy, and . an., ospected praofioal beneflt, -no . scientlst- Iinving tho neceasary tima or the inclinntion to pnt(nmlj invcnllqn o’.tho phenomona os thoy . ocourrod. ‘Thare Ja no doubt that tlie various slrata of the rocks that'lia i goologia érdor bo- neath the city nvo honeycomb by the action of ‘wator, and by torrostrial disfurbances, Through theso, whero thera aro openings, and along thelr surfaco, where .thoy aro sniooth 'and im- pormoablo, flow the nubtorranenn stronms which pupply our, wolls with water, nometimes fnmng in cnocndes, nomotimes siandingin pools au Inlotn, shomotimes- diverging into scerot roser- voirs; and at othors swoesping onward with a brond, deop, and steady cnrront. Tho lavel of tho atratum which forms tho bod of the main supply Is evoryiwhoro ot nearly the same deptlr below - tho snrfoce. Wolls ~ sunk “lero® and™ thera strilo tho wator at ono point, or ot mauy points in their doncont, undar tho varions con= ditionn rpecified, honed tho divorsity, of tho plio- nowens. = VHERE DOES THE WATER .COME TRONM 7. *“Whero do our wolls derive their uupphy & question'that lins nover beon answored In”'a satifactory manner, . It cortatuly canuot bo defl- nitoly responded to in popular articlo of this description. 8tato geological reports, and other ) documonts boaring upon that point, are_not ace cossiblo shoco tho fire dostroyed our libraries. 1t i gonorally agroed that {bo principal nnppéy comoes 'from” below a stralum of porons sande stono, but. exactly what this saudstono cors rosponds with gilio, ncientific nomenclatura of the- rock, or with what outcrap It is connocted at distant pointg, scoms not yot'ta Do pasitivaly decided. Prof, Worthen intimates that this corresponds with what gaologista call | tho_ Potédam_sandatone, tho oldest handatona - kuown to seionce, and which lios diroctly over the primitivo. formations. Tho ontiro bod of Liake Superior is composed of Potsdam sauds :stone, 60 that tho water. might. como from that vicinity, if there wore auy dipin this direction, or ovon from boyond 1t. "It in also said to corras spond with th 8t, Potor's sandstonc, which oute : crops oxtonsivoly in-tho rogion of St. Paul.and along the Minnosots Rivor. Tho water might come from that dircction if tho inclinn~ tion of tho strats favored _.its flow., , Thera {8, howover, an axis of ‘“daturbanca’ . which croases tho Stato lino in Stophensom County, tho Rock Rivoriat Grand-Ls Tour, and tho Tliinois River at Split Rock, but oxactly how that would interfore witlt the flow of water fromy 8t. Paul-to this point Prof. Worthon, from ' whom we obtain tho information, does not cara. to inform ua., - It ia probably trua_that ,axes of -disturbsuco aro not such sorious impedimonts to thie Sow of water undorground = thoy would ba “at the surfaco. follow mountnin-chains for hundrods of miles, But oven at_the surfaco rivers and flnally paus ghroufih,aomn gap or opening naturally providod. 1ho wator of our woll ‘comes from 50D feot below tho Niagara so; limestonen, £0 thas tho lulko, Which sooma. o .animportant considoration at the' surfacs, - n:‘g o not bo taken Into.tho acaount.. Many.intolligon| it all tho watox rought to tho purfoce horo comes from nd point bogond the odgo of the basin shich hag near its outor’rim tho Rock and Fox Rivers; ‘whila utill othiors, whoso opinions aro ontitled.td- respect, belisve that .some of the Wikconsin Inkes aro the source’of supply. It is said thaf somo of tholakes aro gradunlly disappoaring; but whother it is bocaugo thoy linve & subagiion .. ‘oun outlot, or becauso tho rainfall by which thoy - - aro roplenishied has been light. daring recout sonrs, wo cannob sny. It is nob ‘nocosanry fo* Bupposo that the wells of. Chicngo comes fromx. any ouo of thoso sources alono ; . whoro thero ard B0 many axes of disturbances 88 are Lnown to.., exist * throughout tho Northwost, . ,such..a point..canuob. bo docided ~withi " mathomaticak |+ Emc ion. ,Tho water from tho basin in whick. . hicago i8 immediately ploced . muny ., tricklel down through the intervenlug strata, unite.with the waters from moro remote regions, and como up with it when tho walls tap the currents; ox it may approsch tho rogion of the city in tha higher strata, and be gooner roachod aud loosed - from its prison-house in boring. ‘WILL THE SUPPLY CONTINUE ? " 'Thig s the most important question. of all; and it solution . hingos_ontirply on the points alroady discussed., If ofr supply is oulyp.tram our own_clioumsoilbod busin, . our .aqueons ro- gources aro limitod ; i from tho remoto rogiona of Britinkh America and Minnosots, wo can go -’ on boring wells uptil tha ond of timo without danger of exbnusting Lho.anppl(f.. ‘The-lead--of - $hio wells in tho vicinity of London has dimin~ ishod ag the numbering incronsed. The alarmy in Chicago bag been caueed \by.a failuro.' of tha wator to rise Lo tho same helght above. the leval .. of tho ground as at frst, and o diminution of the discharga in spocial “cases.,, Tho larger Stock Yards wéll has beon about threo yedrs in ‘opers=~ tion, and has fallon oI in quitity frora 600,000 000, 5o récent, agotix 4, T'ho Shufeldt wells, aro nnt'Jflo‘}vlg‘g mog& ‘i z‘n Lalf fiha nxlfii?nl_ Yol ume, J.V, Farwell & Co,’s;woll is sai have.. . losb.. cosiderablo.. Lo 1 Ahin by #o ‘moans corfain, ' fho., tost boen applicd ot ona of the hydrantg, aud. not. al; tho moutl,of tha bore., _Ourdats fo.rogard: fo” ting point are ited, bl enough fati 1o show. thiat,thora s, .to - Jenst, some sligh wiso . for. uncasiness, the coulnr{' it moy be stated that Wi, E. & Qo's, well baa boen flowing many monthe, and not thoe slightest diminution is perceptible, - The samo is truo of several.athor wellilhatbhava * nat been loug Hawing, Mr. Bcamumnou's -woll-(. flows a-full and’ steady " stream’ through a ™’ )g-inch - boro, which* would - Beénd’ {o. con ‘dict tho thcori _that, tho chiukcs of a:?m aro failing., 1f’ tho 'causés-of,. tho. diminy toni- ato gonoral, 1t_1a " difMeult, (o, #eo . wh they--do “"not* affect™ "wells at tho - first gush a8 woll ag_ o littlo_ lutor. --Incrusiation ofi:: tho sldes “of thia" boro will not accguut for the falling if m'quqx{hfif ...Thnt jg pslow process, no: de '} ly ‘where_on :extraordinarily Iargo smount of minoral matter ia held -in.. solus tion in,the flowing .water.. Boveral -possibla cauges hivo boon, mantioned:in the: courso of this articlo, such as tho filling up of tho-boro by {ho cuving in of (Lo siden, and the collection of ould ap poar that tho question of _thaZdecreaso- of tha water iu particular instances can never be, eus. tirely deoided tintil tho wells affoctod nro tested” Evon if one woll - riocessarily follow that the ownorg of, othor wells % Thoro.s 8tlll & good donl of- enith a third of o wilo bencath 1is, and ono el fnight possibly bo affected by-cauaes, not toifch~ ing In apy manner the supply. of wator that inda ity way to tho-surfaco-through othérs.” It im ‘plansant to porceivo that comparalively few peo- plo sharo ju tho alirm in, regard to artosiun wolly, sud that withiu the noxt eighteen months tho nuwber in and about tha city is likely to be doublod. 3 = : SUMMARY. ¢ The following 18 o list of ail the wells in ope= ration, and in immediate prospect, with o fabu- lated statoment’ of thoir various poluta. of iu~ torest: : Gule, per .- Whenborod, Depth,,, shine ‘First Shotaldt woll... 1806-4 " 711 7 8 Becond 8huteldt woll B 70 Northwestern Diatill Wabs firsc well. o, Wabl's soconl woll Firut Lincoln Park, .. Beeond Lincoly Park Dickiueon & Leuch's Distillory. Maplevivod, Komblohs (aeat Siapiewaod) Grifin's. il &id A 200 man avenus iuunt”.«...... 200 Polter Dalmer (Foriy-voventh ).lfiiNBg ;Ilhl)l. Eol‘\l:lltlclt B% otter Palmor, {uote) L% E:Amlflo’n 13 500 no Lan) P Wiliasm 1, Halo & Go. 183 600 Binger Building (not completed) ... ooz Frank Bturgls’ furm, 1872 W John Wentworth's farpi.. W87 4N Normsal Sehool (Eugl 1872 30 Tiversido. 873 Eflfl QGog's farm, 874 20 SO Pt s w0 Thoro being no public ar private record of thove wolls, the table is neccasavily {ncomplote, and in mninOr respoots fmperfect, Many woll will be bored within the next year, Mr. Scam= mou contemplates hor\n;{, two, and & lu;?n ona will turnish water for the new cnz buildinga. Thore will douniless be more than ffty artesi lvi ;ruuu:» in Chioago and vioinity boforo tlio cloxo ol