REPORT OF CAPTAIN HUMPHREYS TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1356. 
33 
been, taken to supply additional tubing to Captain Pope, in order that be might resume the 
work on the artesian well near the Pecos, in accordance with his instructions. 
This tubing was prepared in Philadelphia, and, after being inspected by me, left there about 
the 20th January. It consisted of 1,200 feet of wrought iron tubes, three inches interior dia¬ 
meter, with a thickness a little exceeding T V of an inch, cut in lengths of nine feet, with screw 
joints. As a precaution, 400 feet of l|-inch wrought iron pipes, in lengths of nine feet, with 
screw joints, such as are used for boring rods, were sent with the tubing, as they would doubt¬ 
less be of use for other purposes, if not wanted or not suitable for boring rods. The tubing and 
pipes reached New Orleans on the 5th February, and were shipped in the steamer for Indianola 
on the 7 th of that month. Long delay occurred between Indianola and San Antonio, the roads 
being almost impassable, and the supply of tubes and pipes did not leave San Antonio until the 
27th March, arriving at Captain Pope’s camp on the Pecos on' the 29th April. As before 
stated, on the 16th April the boring had been carried to the first water bearing stratum, 245 
feet below the surface, beyond which it could not he sunk without the tubing. With the tubes 
a depth of 450 feet was soon attained, when the third piece of tube from the bottom gave way, 
spreading outside of and partly enveloping the piece below, and rendering it impracticable to 
continue the well further. As much of the tubing as could be got out was withdrawn, and the 
work again commenced at the surface on the 20th May. At the depth of 676 feet the lower 
stream, nearly approached the preceding year, was met with, the water rising to within 110 
feet of the surface. 
The supposition formed last year, upon piercing a stratum of dark blue shale, that the car¬ 
boniferous strata of the Guadalupe mountains would be entered near this depth, proved to be 
unfounded. On the 20th July a depth of 809 feet was attained. The report upon the condition 
of the work at this date states that 1,200 feet of boring rods (wooden) had been taken originally 
with the party, but at that time they had been reduced by breakage, &c., to 860 feet. The 
hope was, however, expressed that, with the use of the ash tent poles of the party and command, 
(the country not affording supplies of suitable wood,) the depth of 1,000 feet would be attained 
by the close of August, if water was not sooner reached. This anticipation, however, was not 
realized. At the depth of 830 feet, the boring, after passing through strata of clays, marls, 
and soft sandstones, entered hard sandstone. On the 26th of August Captain Pope reported 
that the work had been brought to a close at the depth of 861 feet, as his boring rods had been 
exhausted and all the boring material in his possession consumed. 
The tubing sunk during the boring was left in the well, which was so secured that the work 
may at any time be resumed. No new supply of water had been encountered below that met 
with at the depth of 676 feet. 
It is to be regretted that the boring could not have been continued to the depth of about 
1,000 feet, since there is great probability that a large supply of water, overflowing at the 
surface, would have been found at or near that depth, coming from the permeable carboniferous 
strata lying on the flank of the Guadalupe mountains. No information having reached this 
office of an anticipated deficiency of boring-rods or material other than tubing, no steps had 
been taken by me to supply them. Previous to the arrival of the tuhing at the Pecos, some 
apprehension had been expressed that it would not admit of the use of the same drills that had 
been used for the first well; the diameter of the two sets of tubing proved, however, to be so 
nearly identical, that the drills for the first were adapted to the second without serious difficulty. 
Geological and topographical surveys were made, in connexion with this work, on the lines 
5 CC 
