165 



earth. So that there will be a variation at 

 times in high and low tides. For instance, it 

 will happen sometimes that when both the sun 

 and moon are acting conjointly they will both 

 be at their nearest point to the earth, and 

 when this is the case the spring tide will be 

 much higher than usual. 



For many years the writer has observed that 

 artesian wells, made by deep borings of small 

 diameter into the earth to a water supply, have 

 a daily period of ebb and flow, as well as a 

 neap and spring tide, the same as the tides of 

 the ocean, except that the process is reversed. 

 The time of greatest flow of an artesian well 

 will occur at low tide in the ocean. This 

 might be ^accounted for from the fact that 

 when the tide is at its height the moon is also 

 pulling upon the crust of the earth, which 

 would tend to take the pressure off the sand 

 rock which lies one or two thousand feet be- 

 low the surface and through which the flow of 

 water comes, and thus slacken the flow. 

 When the moon is in position for low tide, the 

 crust of the earth would settle back and thus 

 produce a greater pressure upon the water- 

 bearing rock. This is the only theory that has 

 suggested itself to the writer that would seem 

 to account for these phenomena. 



Looked at from one standpoint, it is easy to 

 account for tidal action. But when we at- 

 tempt to make up a table giving the hour and 



