Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1409, 17 November 1886, Page 2

FLOODS FROM UVOfcR GROUND —# . Belle Plaine, I>wa, Aug Si. —An artesian well four itches in diam-ter burst yesterday, when the depth of ISO feet had beer: reached in boring, and insia. 1 1 a volume of water was forced into the air to the distant of several hundred feet. This gradually increased in size end volume until a stream of water lolly 16 inches In diameter wis formed with an upward fc rce equal to the power of powder or dynamite. The water. In huge volumes, is spouting high in the air, and the supply seems Inexhaustible. Two rivers have been formed by this water burst, which are running through the town at the rate of i2 miles »n h< or and carrying everything before them. Houses aid lives are threatened by this pecnliar freak of na<nee, and the citizsna of th town are spalled at the danger, which they are powerless to overcome Finding it impossible to divert this damaging flood an attempt was made to- > d»y to insert ixteen irch boiler iron lubes into the wel 1 , bat these were instantly blown out and forced high In fbe air. The terrified peop'e then attempted to fill up the aperture. Fifteen car loads of stone were emptied into the well, bat these were instantly blown out and forced upwards as though propelled by the force of a bursting magazine of giant powder. Bags of sand were th* n hastily constructed and cast into the well, bat these too were bused into the air: The Northwestern railroad web ihen called upon for assistance and sent a large gang of man to the rescue. The bridge gang of the county was also called upon, but up to this evening no abatement in the fl iW of water was perceptible inji the rushing rivers formed by it were washhg the channel deeper and wider, while the basin formed by the immense yolnme of water was spreading over the low lands Ip the vicinity. ..... The mayor of Belle Plame ip hla last extremity telegraphed to Chicago for the best engineers that could be secured to come immediately to the spot and p;6 their skill and energy in attempting to stop tb»a perilous condition of ?Jf-ira. City Engineer Arlingstall, to wh m the matter was referred, at orce started to gad an englnser who would supply the demand and succeeded in inducing Kngineer Morgan to ncdertike the minion. Messrs Arlingstall and Morgan were, however both of the opinion that bnt llitfe, if anything, can be done to stop the flaw o water, hat that It might be possil I' to direct the rive a te.to less daoge one drectioia and confine thtm to their preaixu channels Mr Morgan left for this city to-night and if mere assistance is necessary, A lingsiall will tend all that is This is ri g ried asm? of the IBOlti (toj uomenal treat a of na ure known*