1100 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



the well the weight of the j4-inch line holds the point of 

 the knife up. When ready to "stick" the j4-inch line is 

 raised. By raising slowly on the 3-inch line with hy- 

 draulic jacks, cuts are made from three-eighths to three- 

 fourths inch wide and from 6 to 12 inches long, according 

 to the material at that particular depth. In another type 

 of perforating apparatus (fig. 2) a revolving cutter 

 punches fine holes at each revolution of the wheel. This 

 style of perforator is called a "rolling knife." Besides 

 these many other kinds of perforators are in use in Cal- 

 ifornia. In fact, the perforator is a favorite hobby of the 

 local inventors. They all seem to work well. 



Advantages of the California Method. 

 Among the special advantages in the stovepipe con- 

 struction we may enumerate the following: 



1. The absence of screw joints liable to break and 

 give out. 



2. The flush outer surface of the casing, without 

 couplings to catch on bowlders or to hang in clay. 



3. The elastic character of the casing, permitting it 

 to adjust itself in direction and otherwise to dangerous 

 stresses, to obstacles, etc. 



4. The absence of screen or perforation in any part 

 of the casing when first put down, permitting the easy 

 use of sand pump and the penetration of quicksand, etc., 

 without loss of well. 



5. The cheapness of large-size casings, because made 

 of riveted sheet steel. 



6 The advantage of short 

 sections, 'permitting use of hy- 

 draulic jacks in forcing cas- 

 ings through the ground. 



7. The ability to perfo- 

 rate the casing at any level 

 at pleasure is a decided ad- 

 vantage over other construc- 

 tion. Deep wells with much 

 screen may thus be heavily 

 drawn upon with little loss of 

 suction head. 



8. The character of the 

 perforations made by the cut- 

 ting knife are the best possi- 

 ble for the delivery of water 

 and avoidance of clogging. 

 The large side of tthe perfora- 

 tion is inward, so that the cas- 

 ing is not likely to clog with 

 silt and debris. 



9. The large size of cas- 

 ing possible in this system 

 permits a well to be put down 

 in bowlder wash where a com- 

 mon well could not possibly 

 be driven. 



10. The uniform pressure 

 produced by the hydraulic 

 jacks is a great advantage in 



safety and in conven- 

 ience and speed over 

 any system relying 

 upon driving the cas- 

 ing down by a weight 

 or ram. 



1. The cost of 

 construction is kept 

 at a minimum by the 

 limited amount of labor required to man the rig, as well 

 as by the good rate of progress possible in what would 

 be considered in many places impossible material to 

 drive in, and by the cheap form of casing. 



11. The cost of construction is kept at a minimum 

 by the limited amount of labor required to man the rig, 

 as well as by the good rate of progress possible in what 

 would be considered in many places impossible material 

 to drive in, and by the cheap form of casing. 



Cost of the Wells. 



An idea of the cost of constructing these wells can 

 best be given by quoting actual prices on some recent 

 construction in California. According to contracts re- 

 cently let near Los Angeles, the cost of 12-inch wells was: 

 Fifty cents per foot for the first 100 feet, and 25 cents 



Fig. 2. Roller type of perforator. 



additional per foot for each succeeding 50 feet, casing to- 

 be furnished by the well owner. This makes the cost 

 of a 500-foot well $700 in addition to casing. The usual 

 type of No. 12 gauge, double stovepipe casing, is about 

 $1.05 a foot, with $40 for 12-foot starter with 54-inch 

 by 8-inch steel ring. A good driller gets $5 a day; helpers, 

 $2.50 a day. The cost of drilling runs r.igher than that 

 given above in localities where large and numerous 

 bowlders are encountered. 



The drillers build their own rigs according to their 

 own ideas, so that no two rigs are exactly alike; that is, 

 the drilers pick out the casings and working parts arc! 

 mount them according to ideas that experience has taught 

 them are the best for the wash formations in which they 

 must work. Figure 3 shows a common form of rig. 



It is not very profitable to name individual wells of 

 this type and give their flow or yield, since conditions vary 

 so much from place to place. From the method of con- 

 struction it must be evident that this type of well is de- 

 signed to give the very maximum yield, as every water- 

 bearing stratum may be drawn upon. The yield from a 

 number of wells in California of average depth of about 

 25CT feet, pumped by centrifugal pumps, varied from about 

 25 to 150 miners' inches, or from 300.000 to 2,000,000 gal- 

 lons a day. These are actual measured yields of water 

 supplied for irrigation. 



Among the very best flowing wells 

 in southern California are those near 

 Long Beach. The Boughton well, the 

 Bixby wells, and the wells of the Sea 

 Side Water Co. are 12-inch wells, vary- 

 ing in depth from 500 to 700 feet, and 

 flowing about 250 miners' inches each, 

 or over 3,000,000 gallons per 24 hours. 

 The flow of one of these wells is 

 the greatest I have seen reported. 

 Among the records for depth are 

 those of 1,260 feet for a 10-inch well, 

 and 915 feet for a 12-inch well 

 A new 14-inch well has already 

 reached a depth of 704 feet. 



The Secretary of the In- 

 terior has suspended the con- 

 tract entered into January 2, 

 1911, with W. 

 if H. Maso'n of 

 Klamath Falls, 

 Oregon, for the 

 construction of 

 the Lost River 

 division chan- 

 nel, Klamath ir- 

 rigation project, 

 Oregon-Califor- 

 nia. This action 

 was taken ow- 

 ing to the evi- 

 dent inability of 



Fig. 3. Common form of California well rig. 



the contractor to comply with the terms of his agree- 

 ment, and for the further reason that it is highly essen- 

 tial that the work be completed prior to the beginning 

 of the next irrigation season. The work will be com- 

 pleted by force account. 



The Secretary of the Interior is asking for proposals 

 for the construction of about nine miles of canal located 

 on the California side of the Colorado River on the Yuma 

 irrigation project, Arizona. The excavation and placing 

 of about 1,300,0*00 cubic yards of material is involved. The 

 bids will be opened at the office of the United States Re- 

 clamation Service at Yuma on October 12, 1911. 



YOU WILL NEED THIS BOOK 



The Primer of Hydraulics will be ready January 1, 

 1912. Send $2.50 for a copy of this newest and best book 

 on Hydraulics for plain people. 



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