Diggin a waterwell in the country is a challengin task. After the site is located [not considerin how it's determined where to dig.] then the actual diggin starts. With a "ring" the proper diameter [3', 4' or 5 feet in diameter] the first cut is made. The ring will be kept handy as the well is decendin deeper and deeper. It is used often to keep the well round and straight. As it decended even deeper a couple slats are attatched to the ring to keep the sides straight and true. A tripod is set up over the well as it gets too deep to hand out the buckets of soil. Only one man diggin and the other pullin out the buckets with the dirt. This could change as each got tired.

Using short handled spades, pikaxes and shovels the work can go quickly until the "hard pan" is hit and gone through. Next to consider is rock. If, when rock is hit, you have water usually the old timers would halt all the diggin until it was determined how much water the well was gonna make. If the water supply or vein is adaquate then the well would be pumped out and the process of "brick'n" it would quickly proceed. No mortar mix--just brick. It would be quickly done and even sometimes the pump or drawin of water would have to be carried on while the brickin of the sides continued.

When wells were bein dug a good nose was required to test for methane gas. Sometimes the digger would come out and a lantern would be lowered into the well to make sure that deadly gas wasn't present. I always kinda thought that wasn't very bright. If gas was present--what was to prevent it from blowin up? Birds were the most sensible I thnk, to be lowered into the well in a little cage. These tests were also required if the well was gettin deep [over 20' in this area.] to check for lack of oxygen. If the lantern wouldn't stay lit a man couldn't survive on that amount of air.

Most of the brick in this area was regular red clay bricks--however--on rare occasions around here--chunks of rock were used. Usually sandstone but they had to be cut and prepared before the well was dug. No time to make'm ready then!

To open up the vein/s, if the water was slow comin in, a crawdad would be tied on a string and lowered into the well. Those little dudes would seek out the vein and open it up. Quite a low-tech invention but it always worked and the cost of obtain'n the "daddy" was acceptable!

The well curb could be wooden or the more fancy concrete type. The top was sealed to keep critters, kids and ground water from enterin the top of the well. Set the pump on top with the suction pipe about 10 feet below the surface. Sometimes the well wouldn't supply enough to raise the level to that point. More pipe would be added to reach that distance not to exceed about 25' to 30' for the old fashioned handle pumps.

On a hot August afternoon, comin in from the fields, the first thing done was go to the well--pump out some water till it's cold and fresh--fill the drinkin cup/coffee can [always handy on a stick/steel rod, turned upside down to keep critters out] to overflowin. Those first BIG gulps were something one doesn't forget quickly! After the thirst is satisfied -pump some more in the bucket under the spout, take off your shirt and kinda wash down a mite. Better'n any shower and a whole lot quicker!

Fresh maters, lettuce, green onions and some fresh fried up hog. Who said the only good grub is in fancy resturants in the cities!!!!

Preparin for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb shortly. Some of those old things we ate long ago will be there I'm sure. I'll be there---will you? Old hoot. Matt.24:44

-- old hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), May 04, 2002

Answers

Nice story, hoot.....I'll be up there too.

-- Michelle Thomas (mpthomas83@hotmail.com), May 04, 2002.

Good story Hoot. I knew about digging a well, lining it, ect. but I'd never heard of using a crawdad to open up the vein.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), May 04, 2002.

I can't begin to imagine hand digging a well. The ones around where I grew up can be nearly 100 feet deep. Our two wells were 75 and 85 feet deep, or was that 85 and 95 feet?

Kansas has the largest hand dug well. It is 32 feet in diameter and is 109 feet deep. It was dug in 1887 at an estimated cost of $45,000. It supplied the city of Greensburg for years.

Anyway, getting back to the small wells--can you imagine working in a small space always wondering if the sides were going to cave in on you, or if the guy raising the bucket of dirt would let the rope slip and let a full bucket crash down on you?

Had never heard about the mud bug work before. Thanks.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), May 04, 2002.