21 



after the boring has passed below the tubing, the rush of water so 

 causes the sides of the well to cave and fall in as to leave large 

 caverns in some places, and in others sharp jagged edges of hard sand- 

 stone and limestone, which almost destroy the boring rods, whether 

 wood or iron. At a distance of forty feet below the bottom of the 

 82 inch tube there is a strong stream of water pouring in, which has 

 made a cave so large that broken iron rods five feet long completely 

 disappear in it, though entering it perpendicular to the bore. It is 

 so exceedingly dangerous, in consequence of the numerous breakages 

 and accidents incident to such work, to insert smaller tubing, that 

 I am very reluctant to do so if I can possibly avoid it. 



In a tube so small as 2| inches in diameter it is next to impossible 

 to put down any socket or hook to get hold of broken poles, slips, 

 &c. , and the last long delay we have just terminated was due to this 

 very difficulty. When once a tube is jDut down through such a 

 crumbling formation as characterizes this plain, it is next to impossi- 

 ble to withdraw it again, as the falling in against it of the soft strata 

 for its whole length binds it fast in the hole. 



In the present case we were obliged to bore up a part of the small 

 tube, and pump it out before we could get hold of the broken slips 

 and sinker. The large tube hangs free at the bottom, and nothing 

 prevents its going down except the friction along the sides, resulting 

 from continuous falling in of earth from top to bottom; but so great 

 is this friction that, in order to move the tube down, it is necessary 

 to drive it with such violence as to strip off the screw-threads and 

 split the tube. I have been putting down the large tube, however, 

 for several days past, with much success, by inserting a mandrill and 

 driving, so that the strain is near the bottom. 



Even should the screw-threads strip off in this process, one piece, 

 at least, will go down, and they can be thus driven down in succes- 

 sion, and the contact made sufficiently perfect to answer our purposes. 

 I have no expectation that much more depth of boring will be neces- 

 sary, but our difficulty has been in boring at all. We are now fairly 

 under way again, and I hope will meet with no further trouble. 

 Much, if not all, our trouble since we last commenced this work could 

 have been obviated by bringing out heavy cast iron tubes and the 

 necessary driving apparatus; but the weight of the tubes and appa- 

 ratus would have been so exceedingly great as to have rendered it a 

 work of large expense to haul them five hundred miles across the 

 plains. The tubing we have (wrought iron and copper) is admirably 

 adapted to work of this kind at any place not so peculiar as this, and 

 I anticipate no serious delay or difficulty after I once leave this place. 



In this connexion I beg to present some suggestions for the con- 

 sideration of the department: 



1. The boring operations are fairly progressing again, after long 

 delay and severe labor, and if no further difficulties occur, the work 

 bids fair to be completed any day. On the other hand, it is possible 

 we may be again arrested by the recurrence of continued difficulties, 

 so as to be little advanced at the expiration of several months. 



2. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to keep laborers and me- 



