FRESH-WATER SPRINGS IN THE OCEAN. 68 1 



In the Water Supply and Irrigation Papers, No. 102, Mr. M. L. 

 Fuller, of the U. S. Geological Survey, has brought together all sorts 

 of information about the natural and artifical sources of water of 

 Florida, as well as of the whole eastern United States. Mr. Fuller 

 has kindly answered my inquiries about these fresh-water springs in 

 the ocean, stating important facts supplementary to this Water Supply 

 Paper. 



The peninsula of Florida is underlaid by Tertiary deposits of all 

 ages, the older portions lying along the central axis, and are flanked 

 upon both sides by the 01igocene ; Miocene and Pliocene. Artesian 

 wells are successfully operated upon both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

 The strata dip gently from the central axis towards both shores, and 

 where there is the proper diversity of hard, soft, pervious and im- 

 pervious strata the water comes to the surface without pumping. A 

 few statements about the better known wells partly derived from 

 original observations and partly taken from Mr. Fuller's report will 

 be pertinent, At Jacksonville the visitors to the subtropical exposi- 

 tion in 1888 saw water flowing in a stream from a well several hundred 

 feet deep, supplying the various needs of the management. Flowing 

 wells have since then been sunk to the depths of 616, 708, 740, 800, 

 850, 3,000 and 5,000 feet. 



At St. Augustine a well 1,500 feet deep furnishes the East Coast 

 Hotel system with plenty of water, including a spacious swimming 

 tank. It has a temperature of 70° F., so that bathing in it is agreeable 

 in the coldest weather. 



At Ormond there are numerous wells at comparatively shallow 

 depths, the deepest one reaching 200 feet. At Daytona, close by, there 

 are 400 wells from 100 to 220 feet deep. There are many others at 

 nearly every town along the coast. At Palm Beach, close to the sea- 

 shore, a well 1,200 feet deep is quite saline. 



On the west coast the wells in the more northern section yield 

 water by pumping. In Manatee County and at Fort Myers the fluid 

 discharges in the normal way from depths exceeding 400 feet. One on 

 the premises of T. A. Edison, the distinguished inventor, yields most 

 abundantly from the 350-foot level, and will discharge from the height 

 of twenty feet. 



Most of these waters are characterized by the presence of sulphur, 

 besides being warm. Chemical analyses show the presence of the fol- 

 lowing compounds : calcium sulphate, sodium chloride, sodium car- 

 bonate, calcium and magnesium carbonates, and occasionally potassium 

 chloride and sulphate. Commonly these ingredients are so abundant 

 as to make the water disagreeable to the taste, and when used for bath- 

 ing the tubs are easily soiled, and cleansed with difficulty. When used 

 for the table it is found expedient to allow the water to stand for 



