86 NATURAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF GROTON, MASS. 



him to change ovr govrment, which if they shovld prevaile to Doe 

 it mvst of Nessesitie pvt a stop to this mineral work and we who 

 som of vs have labovred in it this 20 yeers and are bvt Now com 

 to a grovnded hope of ovr Desires of benefit to his majestie and 

 to our Nation also mvst cease ovr indevovrs in that kind : and 

 ly dovne in Sorrow knowing that the Enemy can Never be able to 

 covntervaile the kings Damage 



[Indorsed] a Coppy of a letter to mr boyle 84 conserning 

 mineralls at Groten 



FOUR ARTESIAN WELLS. 



In the autumn of 1886 two Artesian wells were drilled at 

 Groton, under the management of Benjamin Franklin Smith 

 and his brother Charles Greenleaf Smith, of Boston, experts 

 in driving wells. As the details of such matters are so soon 

 forgotten, I will here place on record the following facts, 

 obtained through the courtesy of the Messrs. Smith. 



The first well was sunk, on the west side of Farmers' Row, 

 for the Groton School. It was drilled six inches in diameter 

 to the depth of one hundred and eighty-seven feet, at a cost 

 of eight dollars ($8.00) a foot, and was finished in the early 

 part of November, 1886, after several months' labor. 



The second well was drilled by the same firm on the land 

 of Frank Farnsworth Waters, near the Unitarian Meeting- 

 house ; and the work was begun immediately after the com- 

 pletion of the first one. It was sunk six inches in diameter 

 to the depth of one hundred and sixty-three feet, of which 

 sixty-three were through sand and gravel and one hundred 

 through rock. The cost was seven dollars ($7.00) a foot for 

 drilling through earth, and eight dollars ($8.00) for rock. The 

 daily progress was between four and five feet on an average, 

 and the work was completed in the early part of December. 

 The water is excellent in quality and inexhaustible in quantity, 

 and is pumped up by steam power. The well is estimated 

 to yield a continuous supply of fifty gallons a minute, but it 

 is used only in times of drought. 



