SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOVEMENTS OF UNDER- 
GROUND WATER IN CONFINED BASINS 
A. R. SCHULTZ 
U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C 
In 1905, while pursuing my geologic studies at the University of 
Chicago, I had an opportunity of doing some experimental work on 
the motion of underground waters in confined basins. Although the 
time and equipment for experimentation were limited, an attempt 
was made to ascertain as nearly as possible from a given set of condi- 
tions what effect distance from the outcrop area has upon the flow or 
yield of a well; how an increase in head modifies the flow or yield of 
a well; with what regularity friction increases as the distance from the 
outcrop area is increased; and what effect confined air between the 
water table and a surface layer of water has upon the water level in a 
well. Itis not supposed that any rigid deductions can be made from a 
set of single experiments. It is necessary, before making such deduc- 
tions, that several kinds of material be tested under somewhat different 
conditions to see whether or not they agree in the essential points. 
For this reason no deductions will be made, but the facts observed 
in the experiment are recorded and may be compared with known 
conditions in other artesian basins. 
To determine the above factors a miniature artesian basin was 
arranged in the basement of Walker Museum and the experiment 
begun. The basin consisted of an eight-inch steam pipe 4o feet long, 
and closed at one end. The pipe was placed in position as shown 
in Fig. 1, and then filled with clean, dry sand, packed as firmly as 
possible by tamping the sand with a rod as the pipe was being filled. 
Five 23-inch wells were drilled at points A, B, C, D, and EF. In each 
of these wells was inserted a casing }-inch in diameter and g inches 
long. The lower 8 inches, which extended down into the sand con- 
sisted of a cylindrical wire screen, surrounded on the outside by one 
thickness of cheese-cloth to prevent the finer sand grains from being 
washed into the well and filling it. The upper portion of the casing, 
which projected through the steam pipe and furnished the ground 
connection of the well, was a cylindrical brass tube 4-inch in diam- 
170 
