178 ARTESIAN WELLS ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. [bull. 138. 
Feet. 
30-44 sandstone. 
44-45 coarse sandstone ; water. 
45-57 sandstone. 
57-58 bluish sandy clay. 
58-73 brown clay. 
73-113 bluish sandy clay and line sand. 
113-143 sandstone; large supply of water. 
143-147 yellow clay. 
147-160 sand, with pebbles. 
160-165 yellow clay. 
165-195 brown clay. 
A well was sunk on Sandy Point, in Fairfax County, just north of 
Occoquau Bay, which furnishes some interesting data. Its depth was 
560 feet, of which the lower 275 feet were in rock. The following record 
was furnished by Mr. L. W. Shepard, the well borer: 
Feet. 
0-20 clay, white and yellow. 
20-100 swamp muck, blue, very soft. 
100-115 gravel and sand (water). 
115-130 clay. 
130-140 gravel and sand (water ). 
140-150 clay. 
150-210 fine sand and clay (water). 
210-230 clay. 
230-255 fine sand and clay. 
255-264 clay. 
264-270 pebbles, small, and lignite. 
270-285 clay. 
285-290 soft rock. 
290-560 rock. 
No water was found in the rock, but after dynamiting the well a 
good supply was obtained at 264 feet ( ?) which rises to tide level and 
rises and falls with the tide. The horizon is basal Potomac. 
Richmond. — Several attempts have been made to obtain underground 
waters in or near the city of Richmond, but with only partial success. 
The Coastal Plain formations lie above tide-water level west of Shockoe 
Creek, so that they do not hold water. The wells in the lower part of 
the city are in granite and furnish a water supply for manufacturing 
purposes, but they appear to contain surface water in part. The well 
400 feet deep at Major Ginter's farm, north of the city, obtains from 
the granite a supply of water which is said to be of excellent quality. 
In a 900-foot boring in granite at Sherwood Park no water supply was 
found, but a boring 250 feet deep in granite, a mile northeast, obtained 
an excellent supply. 
Many years ago a well was bored at the Exchange Hotel, but it was 
not successful. It penetrated the Chesapeake, Pamunkey, and Poto- 
mac beds, but I have not learned whether it was bored into the 
underlying granite. 
