10 
THE ARTESIAN WELLS OF COLORADO, 
consists simply 1 of stovepipe, or a tube, of boards 
made on the spot. Such construction has generally been 
dictated by motives of economy, but it hardly needs to be 
said that it is a false economy, which may risk the whole 
supply. 
But more serious than the danger to the individual 
well in such a practice is the damage done to the whole 
basin. A consideration of the general character of the 
conditions will show the reason. The lower stratum has 
generally the greater pressure. There may be strata 
which are dry and do not furnish water. If a hole be 
bored through the intervening clay layers, there is a 
chance for much of the force of the water to be lost, and 
such loss affects not only the individual well, but the 
whole surrounding basin. 
The different strata rarely furnish water at the same 
pressure, and sometimes there may be strata without any. 
The effect of opening an uncased hole through the 
•confining layers, is simply to give the water an oppor¬ 
tunity to escape into the dry layers, or into those of lower 
pressure, which it will as certainly do as it will flow to 
the surface. The effect is to not onlv lessen the flow at 
«/ ' 
the surface in this individual well, but it may lessen the 
pressure in all surrounding wells. 
Equally important is it that the casing be carefully 
packed where it passes through the impervious stratum, 
both above and below, if it extends through the lower con¬ 
fining bed. Some of the failures in securing flowing 
water are due to the lack of such packing. 
The importance of preserving such supplies of this 
•character as we have cannot be too strongly dwelt upon. 
The need for this water, whether for irrigation or for 
•domestic use, will not grow less. Its loss for the latter 
would render some regions almost uninhabitable. And 
