WATER SUPPLY 361 



Tubular. A tubular well is generally a driven well. It 

 is seldom more than 150 feet deep and may be used only 

 where the material is soft and reasonably free from 

 bowlders. 



Bored. A bored well is made by the use of a large earth 

 auger. It may be from 2 inches to 3 feet in diameter, but 

 is limited in depth to about 100 feet. An auger may be used 

 only in soft earth. 



Drilled. The drilled well, which is probably the most com- 

 mon type, is made by the use of heavy steel drills capable 

 of going through any kind of material. Such a well is fin- 

 ished from 2 to 6 inches in diameter and may be 1 2 inches 

 or larger at the surface ; the depth is almost unlimited. It is 

 necessary to case these wells down as far as solid rock. 



Artesian. An artesian well may be any type of well thus 

 far mentioned, the peculiarity being that the water rises a 

 considerable distance above the point at which it was struck. 

 An artesian well is not necessarily a flowing well. 



Sanitary protection of wells. There are many diseases, 

 such as typhoid fever, the germs of which are transmitted by 

 water. These germs, when deposited on the soil, may be 

 taken up by the rains and thus carried into springs, streams, 

 and wells, and may cause an outbreak of disease several 

 miles away. Any person familiar with farm conditions has 

 undoubtedly noticed the lack of sanitary precautions taken 

 to safeguard the water supply. The well is often located on 

 ground lower than the surrounding buildings, around which 

 are manure-piles and other deposits of filth. It is often 

 lined with a wooden curb or an open wall, and is covered at 

 the surface of the ground with an open plank top. Poultry 

 and small animals pass freely around and over the covering, 

 or wallow in the waste water which stands within a few feet 

 of the well top. Persons coming from the stables, and others 

 with filth and dirt adhering to their shoes, stand on the top 

 while drawing water. As a result, a large quantity of this 

 filth, which accumulates on the cover, is carried into the 



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