Artesian Wells.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3466, 22 March 1890, Page 2

Artesian Wells.

• . , (To the Editor,) Sib.—l noticed in your isisuis of some days back a leading article upon tho subject of artesian wells, and particularly upon'" the possibility 1 of their introduction in Mastertou and in this Valley generally. You were evidently favourably impressed with tho chances of success which would attend a fair and thorough trial, and you gave considerable information upon the subject based, you said, upon , the experience ofa Christchurcli gentleman, who had placed liifi knowledge at your disposal. As I also have had something to do with artesian wells during a recent temporary, sojourn in Christchurcli,! what I learnt there may bo, of some interest to yourself and yoar readers, especially at a: juncture when both Mastertou and Carterton are discussing the water supply question with a view to early action. Your article, already alluded to, particularised toa considerable'extent, the system' of artesian wells in Christchurcli, and 1 will therefore only speak of the points and details which it did not discuss,

" In the first place, I may say that although only au amateur and not a practical' man as regards, artesian well-sinking, 1 quite agree with your previous Chi'istohurch opinionist; as to the almost certainty of .striking a flow of water at least in some localities in theWairarapa Valley,. if.not in almost the whole of it, As a single line of fact is worth a whole column of possibility and probability, it is significant to inform you that there is already a first-class artesian well in tlio .vicinity of Carterton,, [[his well, which is on private prjpqityiinMoreton; Road, about two miles off the main road,; was put down by its enterprising oper, of about'-fiVe pounds for material, and extra for labour. I'b'clieye a wooden monkey, loaded with lead,was usedas a driving medium, 1 ' The pipes, which' 1 aro : two inch, go down only forty-eight feet, and the natural'flow of water rises eight feet above : the ground level. This is a wonderful result,and entirely 'eclipses the up^er,; stratum ,'flrteste'ns in Christchurcli. There, although tiie pipes go down eighty, feet, the water in these higher level wells rarply rises, more "Mian a foot above the surface, anil fyepntly it only, flows into a cQiipw|g chamber just below the ground, to which a pump has to bo attached. These wells cost five guineas. The lower stratum well achieves a better result,'but its cost is proportionally, higher, lioiug about, thirty pounds It gdes down- 1 abdut ! two , hundred . and fifty feet, aud the flow of wfe'is very-good,'rising-tea feet, or so, arid being very rapid and inexhaustible, '' i \' : f (Both classes of wells,}au.be punk byj stoam,ilwt'fs to ! say an'engine elwates the moukoy, but iu- the lower' steatuu) lyoll, steapj pswey is

indispensibjo/foftliepile, aftersbl&g driven a a state, haS|ti||jpl|| ftffced. out ,ap a jot of waterMou®eMowh it by*sio engine. M$ keeps tbe pipe clea| Iraidewmoh tfifr sinker can tell wherwateris reached by the inflow which the open pipe allows, The eighty-feet wells are sy sternT^ tKeir - tiie well-' sinker is guided by the depth of surrounding walls, and by his knowledge of-the ''his calculation'as to the precise point at which the plug should be forced out by the insertion of his cleaning rods. Sometimes it happens that through a' miscalculation, or a peculiarity of the stratum at tbe particular place under operation, the pipe is carried right past the first water course. Thus, when the plug is removed, no water comes. The only reinedy in such a to lwer ; dynSmiteM'fii# a charge higlier| u|' in |tji^ f spe at the level Wtoe the water is more likely to be. If several charges at different joints and . several corresponding tappings fail, then there is no f course but to attach: the lower stratum appai'fa and sinkingfdrtMr try instead for a low-level well. At the well in Carterton,to which I have already inade reference, an ingenious plan, was adopted to get werjthe, pbj|ction*gf" bljtid'j sipkiug and to know 'when water was reached. The pipe was plugged, but it was also perforated at the sides for about , two feet up, Clay certainly . obz4d;throiigh!the holes and' threatened to block the .pipes, hut tho insertion of tho cleaning rodsremedied the drawbsok and water - flowed up. Baljinger Bros, of Wellington supplied the pipes, IJbelieve, and, they also gave useful hints as to the mode ot operation. In your editorial, you advocated that ,the Borough Council should vote ;"«[ Bjim of liioney for|t test. 'You, liowever, did not seem' very hopeful

as to tlia adoption of your idea. The ] Council arc apparently too cautious i to risk a very small outlay—fifty i pounds,! tliink>,you. estimateol,': to ; sbiveHtf impOTtabt'ptobieiri;^with^ the ■ very great likelihood of boiiig success- ' ful beyond their brightest hopes, and so bo the future means of saving themselves and the district hundreds of pounds - directly and thousands indirectly, for that is what the existence of artesian wells means to the Wairarapa. The advantage of . over-flowing Joyful streams', of pure crystal liquor from the bountiful brewory of God cannot bo overestimated 1' ' '- 1 V But this is digressing. What I meautto suggest as a palatable step to your Council, and one which does not mean an expenditure without a ■compensating result,, was a.proposil to offer a reward af ten • pounds or. twenty pounds to the ■:first settler who ■by practical experiment .provof indisputably the fact that artesian wells can : be . a reality in Mastorton., 'and who! has actually 'driven one say with,at, least. a three or, four foot flow to prove his contention. He should of course.'bo at liberty to locate the well on his own property or on anyoue elsea with whom ! he may have agreed, lam aware that a number'of settlers are inclined to'try their luck, and it. only requires an' incentive to enterprise such as I have suggested, to cause a struggle as to who shall be first. If huge boulders oxist, -as tho Mastorton correspondent of the Evening Post recently stated, then the jet-of-water system of driving .would have to be resorted to; or'if that would not loosen the stones so that pipes could be driven past them, it is reasonable to ■ suppose ...'that there would be other moans oi dealing "with the obstructibn, ( and that the obstacle would not be insurmountable. ! " My remarks' equally apply to. Carterton, and J; understand that in the latter township the- matter is to be considered by the Borough Council next week. I hope that the steps they agree'lo'iiia/'be decisive eilpugh to secure a prompt response, and that success may attend the venture. . I am, lie,, . Cius Haixks, : Carterton, 21sfc