131 



At one time and aiKitlicr a luuiilier of wells have been sunk in this 

 valley at West Baden and French lack. These wells are the liitter well 

 on the bank of Lost lilver north of West Baden (3S8 feet deep) ; the 

 Howard well on the east side of the valley, opposite French lack (520 

 feet dee])) ; the ("aves and Wells well (.IK) feet deep) ; the two wells of 

 the ("dlonial Hotel Company (each !)H feet deep): and a well near the 

 French lack station, known as Cerberns {4i'u) feet deep). The most 

 noted of these, and the most iniimrtant in the present connection, is tlie 

 liitier well. This well had at (irst a str(mi: artesian flow, that very 

 s :on affected all the springs ot the valle.v. Those at French Lick, the 

 fanKHis I'lnto, etc., were the first to i)e affected, because their outlets 

 ••lie highest above that of the well. These springs are a mile and a half 

 away from the Hitter well. Later even the springs at West Baden 

 ceased to flow. The same result, so far as the French Lick springs were 

 cuncerned. was experienced from the wells near French Lick station 

 (later purchased arid plugged by the French Lick Springs Company), and 

 especially from the wells of Howard and Gagnon, The pumi)ing of these 

 latter wells interfered so seriously with the tiow of I'lnto spring that 

 tlie Springs Company was driven to resort to the courts for relief, and 

 succeeded in obtaining an injunction against the pumping and wasting of 

 Ihe water. The injunction was granted by the conrt sitting at I'aoli 

 nnd at Salem, and was afterwards confirmed and made permanent by the 

 Supreme Court of Indiana. 



It was brought out in the hearing (Ui this case that the pumping of 

 the wells of Howard and of Gagnon immediately affected the tlow of the 

 Pinto spring at French Lick, thi'ee-quarters of a nule awa.v, and that as 

 soon as the immpiiig ceased, the spring resumed its How. This effect was 

 noticed rei>eatedly'. 



Another evidence of the same thing is the frecpienc.v of sinlcholes 

 in the valley floors themselves. This is illustrated in many of the valleys 

 to the west of Bloomingtou, as on the headwaters of Richland Creek, 

 Blair Hollow, etc. In the excavation for the foundations of the bottling 

 works at the French Lick Hotel, cavernous rock was met with under the 



^ The distances of these various wells and sprin,ns from Pluto are as follows : 

 I'lnto to the wells near French Lick depot, l.noo feet; Pluto to the (Jai^non (Colonial 

 Springs) wells, 4,000 feet; Pinto to Howard weU, 4,000 feet; Pluto to Ritter well. 

 s (100 feet : Pluto spring to Bowles spring, 950 feet ; Pluto spring to Pagoda spring 

 ■t West Baden, 5,000 feet; West Baden Hotel to Ritter well, 3,000 feet. 



