284 American Geologist. ^^^y- ^^^^ 
as much as the proposed project of deep wells, one project be- 
ing about as efficient, according to Mr. J. T. Fanning, as the 
other." 
Considering the fact that the speaker had said nothing what- 
ever as to the aggregate cost, and considering the recent esti- 
mates which have been made as to the cost of a filtration plant, 
the transparent effort to evade the arguments and to divert at- 
tention from the merits of the artesian scheme, as published in 
the Tribune, seems quite amusing. 
I have no definite data upon which a very positive statement 
can be made as to the cost of a system of deep wells to supply 
30,000,000 of gallons per day for the city. I have, however, 
the estimates of some experienced well-drillers as follows : 
Rates for Sinking Wells. 
Wells 200 ft. deep, i2-in. bore $4.00 per foot 
Wells 400 ft. deep, i2-in. bore 3.50 per foot 
Wells 600 ft. deep, 12-in. bore 3.50 per foot 
It was thought by this gentleman that forty 12-in. wells, at 
400 feet depth, cased to — say 150 feet, would supply 30,000,000 
of gallons of water per twenty-four hours. 
Another gentleman gave the following estimates off-hand : 
Wells 200 ft. deep, 12-in. bore $5-oo per foot 
Wells 400 ft. deep, 12-in. bore 4.50 per foot 
Wells 600 ft. deep, 12-in. bore 4.50 per foot 
The average well is about 10 inches in diameter. This gen- 
tleman estimates that forty 12-inch wells would supply about 
15,000,000 or 20,000,000 of gallons per day. 
Each of these wells ought to supply half a million gallons per 
day, and from some a million and a quarter in a 12-inch well 
has been afforded in a day. This was a test well at the St. Paul 
works at Centerville lake. If, however, the wells upon which 
the city should depend were to be in the St. Peter sandstone 
they would average, say, 200 feet deep, but probably considera- 
bly less. According to the first of the foregoing estimates each 
well would cost $800.00, and forty wells $32,000.00. 
According to the second estimate each well would cost $1,- 
000, and forty wells would cost $40,000.00. 
Suppose this total is subject to great error and the number 
of wells should be necessarily more than forty, or that the cost 
should exceed the amount per foot given and suppose that the 
