The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY MARCH 8, 1890. ARTESIAN WATER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3454, 8 March 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY MARCH 8, 1890. ARTESIAN WATER.

A Chrisicuukoii resident now in Mastertoa, who has had some little practical experience of artesian well sinking, expressed an opinion to us yesterday that it would bo worth our while to try a well in Masterton, He considered that the chances of success would bo about four to one in favor of striking water if a practical man were employed in a trial sinking, and that the expense of the experiment would be inconsiderable as contrasted with the benefit to be derived. In Christchurch an ordinary artesiau well is sunk to tho depth of eighty feet nt a cost of five guineas, hut for an extraordinary supply a two inch pipe is driven to a depth of. two hundred and fifty fcet,into a lower stratum,at a cost of thirty pounds. A well could probably be driven in Masterton to o corresponding depth for about fifty pounds, and if, as our Christchurch friend beliovcs, the chances are distinctly in favor of obtaining therefrom a perennial supply of water, the cost would be but a trifle for either a public- body or private enterprise to incur. If a trial sinking proved a success, scores of other wells could bo driven with certainty, nt a fixed cost, when once the naturo of the strata became known, and the depth ascertained at which springs cpuld.be touched.' Wo fear it is hopeless making any suggestion to the Borough Council which would involve the expenditure of much money, but if that body could see its way to obtain from some reliable Christchurch well sinking firm the services of a practical man, who would be able to report upon the suitability of the ground in this neighborhood for sinking, and the probable cost of a trial drive, we might depend upon private enterprise to find funds to carry out tho work, provided of course the export opinion was snfflcienty favorable to.justify operations. Probably an expenditure of ten pounds would be ample to secure a trustworthy report upon the prospects of artesian well sinking, and a small sum like this ought not to stand in the way of such an experiment, If, as therp is some reason to believe, artesian water could bo obtained in unlimited quantities at a'moderate cost in Masterton, a thousand pounds would be a vory moderate sum to pay for a boon which would practically reduce pro insurauco rates, provide for the safety of stocks and buildings, lay the dust in the street*, supply a pure beverage to all pads of the town, -and furnish gardeners with the fertiliser, whioh at this season of the year, they so greatly need. If, therefore, the expenditure often pounds would give us a reasonable hope of artesian water and a further;expenditure of fifty would be likely to bring a flow to tho surface, it ,mM be most unss/hje to neglect the opportunities that present

themselves, Yeaf after year we have felt it to be our duty to call attention to the possibilities of artesian wuter in this district, and it is a wonder to visitors from Christchurch and otbor parts of New '.Zealand to fiud a place Ijko Maaterton 60 slow in developing a great probable benefit of this kind, which involves so slifjht- an effort on the part of tho community.