HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 845 



such test, together with analyses of the water, was submitted to 

 the Executive Board on June 1, 1890. From a sanitary point of 

 view the water was considered good, although having a hardness 

 of 21° and containing a slight amount of sulphureted hydrogen. 

 The well was drilled about forty years ago for testing the exist- 

 ence of oil in the locality, but on obtaining a large flow of water 

 it was partially plugged up and abandoned, and only a small 

 quantity of water had been allowed to escape from it for the 

 whole time prior to May, 1890. Soundings indicated that the 

 6.5-inch casing extended twenty feet below the surface of the 

 ground, at which depth limestone rock was encountered, and at 

 a depth of fifty-five feet stones or other obstructions were found. 

 The actual depth of the boring is not definitely known, but ac- 

 cording to the memory of persons interested in the venture, it 

 was continued to a depth of from 140 to 160 feet. 



From the 25th to the 31st of May, 1890, 6,630,000 gallons were 

 pumped from the well at an average rate of about 947,140 gal- 

 lons in 24 hours, while the natural flow from the unplugged hole 

 before beginning the pumping was about 300,000 gallons in the 

 same length of time. After the pumping test was ended the 

 natural flow continued as before. These results gave promise 

 of obtaining a sufficiently large supply for temporary purposes 

 at a comparatively small cost, specially if another well of equal 

 capacity could be drilled in the same locality. With this object 

 in view the well was leased for three years, and a pumping en- 

 gine of a capacity of 2,000,000 gallons per day was purchased. 

 Some doubt, however, was entertained with respect to the perma- 

 nency of the flow from the well, chiefly because the month of May 

 was very wet, 6 inches of rainfall having fallen in that month at 

 Rochester. On the contrary, June, July and August, 1890, were 

 very dry, only 6.59 inches falling in the three months. Accord- 

 ingly, before the arrival of the new engine, a second and longer 

 test was made. 



This second test was commenced August 18, 1890, and continued 

 with few intermissions until September 10, 1890. At the begin- 

 ning it was found that the natural flow had greatly diminished, 

 and that only a small quantity of water ran over. After pump- 

 ing for one week at the average rate of 818,750 gallons in 24 hours, 



