102 Kansafi Academy of Science. 



sandth part of the diameter of the earth. The seas, lakes and 

 rivers send up into the air their tribute of vapor, which is 

 finally precipitated upon the earth and is carried by gravity 

 back to Mother Ocean. Part of this precipitation soaks into 

 the soil, as we say; it settles down, saturates the surface de- 

 posits and the rocks below, and finally reaches a ground-water 

 level where it never dries out, and this is the layer which our 

 wells must penetrate. Gravity still acts upon the water at 

 this level and it still continues its onward journey to the sea. 



There are very likely rifts in rocks where are underground 

 rivulets and our wells strike some of them, but more often the 

 movement is a percolation through gravel and sand where 

 capillary forces come into play, modifying; and retarding the 

 flow. Most wells simply enter this porous stratum and in no 

 proper sense do they tap a flowing stream. 



They only act as reservoirs and gather up the water as it 

 flows into the cavity of the well. In some instances water will 

 come into a well which at first appears to be dry, and after a 

 time there will be a supply of water sufficient for domestic use. 

 This means that the flow of water into the well cavity, at first 

 imperceptible, after a time becomes stronger as obstructions 

 dissolve out and is sufficient for the demands of the well. With 

 these facts before us with reference to the sources of water in 

 our wells, we may consider the pretensions of the source 

 finders. It is evident that water may be found almost any- 

 where in the crust of the earth if penetrated to the ground- 

 water level, but the question is, Can the favorable or unfavor- 

 able place for a well be discovered by the divining rod? It is 

 claimed that there is a sort of attraction of water upon the rod 

 but this is not manifested except in the hands of persons of 

 peculiar temperament. This exception is the stumbling block in 

 the waj^ of any accurate tests. It introduces a psychological 

 inquiry and begs the question if we are to decide it by the 

 established principles of science. 



It would seem that the first question to settle is whether 

 such discoveries are actually made by the means employed, 

 and here w^e are met with abundance of conflicting testimony. 

 Many people of good faith and intelligence have asserted that 

 water has been found in this way much oftener than the doe- 

 trine of chance would justify, and yet just the same evidence 

 may be found for table tipping, clairvoyance, "spirit rappings," 

 etc. 



