Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1899 — SINGULAR WELL IN KAUAI. [ARTICLE]

SINGULAR WELL IN KAUAI.

Obaerver* Max Tell tit* Tim® e# May by Watching It* Water*. A most curious phenomenon has been observed in the flow of an artesian well on Kealia plantation, Kauai. The water has regular variations In its flow, being lowest at 8 o’clock In the morning, gradually rising until it attains its greatest flow at 2 o’clock In the afternoon, and then as gradually falling until 8 o’clock in the morning. Manager George H. Fairchild of the plantation thus describes tbe‘peculiar phenomenon: “The top of the pipe Is thirteen feet above sea level. At eight feet there ia a flow of about 1,000,000 gallons in twenty-four hours. By adding five feet more of pipe tbe flow stops. We have bad this extra five feet of pipe on top of the well for a month or more, waiting for extra pipe to conduct the water to the mill where it la to be used. We have noticed a peculiar action of this column of water, and I have been unable to find any explanation of it If the publication of the facts will lead to an explanation I will be very much gratified. “The column of water in this five feet additional pipe placed to prevent the flow at 8 o’clock in the morning is at its lowest point one and one-half Inches below the top of the pipe. Then it rises until at noon it begins to flow over the pipe. The flow increases until 2 o’clock, when there is quite a flow. From that time it gradually falls, until at 11 o’clock at night there Is a very slight flow, and this ceases at 1 o’clock in the morning, the water gradually falling until it reaches the lowest point, at 8 o’clock, when it begins to rise again. “It has been suggested thqt this change in flow is due to the tides or to the rotation of the earth or to the influence of the sun. It is interesting and I should like a satisfactory explanation.’’ Representative McCandless says regarding this phenomenon that in his experience where an artesian well Is Influenced by the tides the water never rises above sea leveL—Hawaiian Star.