288 American Geologist. ^^y- i^o^ 
tions, and from 40,000 to 45,000 actual consumers. The population 
of the city being close to 100,000. 
Had the construction of our new well been completed three 
months ago, there would not have been any shortage of water for 
all purposes. 
(3) How many artesian wells does the city use? 
Ans. One; another being almost completed. 
The first well is 17 feet in diameter and 48 feet deep, the bottom 
containing a strainer of broken stone 5 feet deep with 3 feet of con- 
crete on top, four 6-inch pipes through the concrete admitting the 
water from the broken stone. The broken stone strainer was nec- 
essary to prevent washing the soil from outside the well and un- 
dermining our building. 
(4) What are their depths and do they enter the rock below the 
drift of the region? 
Ans. The new well is 65 feet deep, the last 16 feet being in the 
rock. The pump suctions of this well will be 25 feet lower than 
those of the first well. It is the intention to lower the latter when 
the new well is in operation. 
It is expected that we will get about 5,000,000 gallons from both 
wells. 
The drift is about 5 feet deep on top of the rock. It contains 
water under pressure, probably received from crevices in the rock. 
At the location of our wells before pumping the water stood 3 
feet above ground level. 
I enclose section of our wells. 
Winnipeg is now growing so fast that we consider it prudent 
to increase our water supply for a population of 200,000, and we 
are now making investigations as to the most desirable source. 
Let me know if I can give you any further information. 
Yours truly, 
H. N. RUTTAN, 
City Engineer. 
Chemical Character of Water from Deep Wells, Etc. 
Having obtained from Dr. Drew a statement of the results 
of chemical analyses of numerous waters from deep wells in 
the city, and having consulted the table of analyses performed 
by A. D. Meeds for the "pure water commission" last year I 
am impressed with the capriciousness with which the chemical 
qualities appear to be distributed, making it quite difficult to 
draw conclusions as to the quality of water that should be ex- 
pected from any known well or rock stratum. For instance: 
Some of the very deep wells afford a water that is (as reported 
by the analysts) as soft, or as nearly soft, as some of the shal- 
lower wells. Compare the water of the Midland Linseed Oil 
