196 ARTESIAN WELLS ON THE ATLANTIC COAST. [bull. 138. 
from the river. The top of the 3-inch iron pipe is about 8 feet above 
the mean tide of the river surface, and water from the well overflows 
the pipe at the rate of 15 gallons per minute. 
In boring this well the first important water-bearing stratum was 
reached at a depth of 120 feet. The water obtained here was " cool 
and nice," but the quantity was insufficient. Pumping brought to the 
surface large quantities of sand, and the boring was continued down 
through sand, a part of which was bluish colored, to a depth of 300 
feet. At this point the drill cut through 2 or 3 feet of rock, from 
below which the water rose and overflowed the top of the pipe. This 
water, however, has sulphurous odor and taste, and can not be used 
either for drinking or boiler purposes. It has a temperature of G2° to 
64° F., and is shown by analysis to contain, per United States gallon, 
59.97 grains of mineral matter, consisting mainly of sulphate of lime 
and carbonate of magnesia. 
WASHINGTON AND TYRRELL COUNTIES. 
In Washington County several wells have been bored to a depth of 
from 50 to 75 feet, under the supervision of the Norfolk and Southern 
Railroad Company. From four to six of these wells were bored at 
Roper, in the northern part of Washington County, where strata were 
penetrated as follows : 
Clay from surface to about 15 feet; 
Below this a few feet of fine sand ; 
Below this about 20 feet of clay ; 
Below this a blue mud, containing small shells in considerable quantity, which 
has a thickness of about 20 feet, underlain by a few feet of rather coarse 
sand which is water bearing. 
A 2-inch pipe penetrating these strata is found to yield, with the aid 
of a pump, from 500 to 800 gallons per hour. Unfortunately, the waters 
from these wells are highly impregnated with salts of magnesia and 
calcium, so that they are not well adapted for either domestic or boiler 
purposes. 
In the southern part of the county, at Belhaven, several wells were 
bored to a less depth than those at Roper, but they reached water of 
the same general character. It is probable that if the wells at this 
and other places were sunk to still greater depth they would yield a 
larger and better supply of water. 
In Tyrrell County (adjoining Washington on the east) no deep wells 
have been reported, consequently there is very little upon which to 
base an opinion. No doubt considerable supplies of good water are 
secured from the juniper swamps in many portions of the county. 
Judging from the success which has attended the boring of deep wells 
in Hyde County it may be considered probable that in Tyrrell wells 
bored to a depth of from 75 to 300 feet below the surface would pene- 
trate water-bearing strata, and that the water from them would either 
rise to the surface and overflow or come sufficiently near to the surface 
to be reached with ordinary pumps. 
