Old Wells - Part II

[AlanB]

I guess I am the nut on this one again.

If I found it on my property, I would make tractor access too it, fence, and neatly cap in with the thought that I may have a use for it one day.

Guess I read Alas Babylon too early in my youth, and grew up where the story was written.

That, or a shallow well pump to water my garden might go there, along with a Wishing well type surround.

Either way though, I think a big open hole like that is a liability that I would want protected, and being the lazy man I am, it would be done with the tractor or back hoe

 

[riptides]

I guess I am the nut on this one again.

Nope. I'd keep it. People are scrambling for water sources in some parts of the country. One just never knows. Having just been living through the most serious drought in my short time, I was comforted in the thought of having a hand pump well available for our uses.

I'd make it safe (access, water tested, structural) and have it for a contingency plan.

-Mike Z.

 

[bucmeister]

If you think you might want water out of it one day you may want to consider altering it in this way. Get a few feet of 4" PVC well screen (usually come in 10' sections) set it and enough 4" solid to get past the ground level then fill the first 5-10' with creek run sand/gravel mix (above the top of the screen) then top with dirt fill. Then you would have a potential shallow well for a small jet pump. Of course this will be as much if not more work than just filling it in, but would save some usefullness.

 

[N80]

I'm not particularly inclined to save it, especially if it costs money. As mentioned, it is often dry. I've used a sealed beam light to look down when it is dry and there is nothing in there (above the surface of the bottom of the well anyway).

As for dead animals, there always seems to be a dead rat or possum in it. It stinks right now but I could not see a carcass.

As for a water resource, I have a new, 280 foot well nearby that is doing good (for now). I'm not sure this one would add anything to that. If the end times come and there is no electricity I could always put a hand pump on the new well.

Twenty five yards seems like a good bit of material to me. I'm not sure where I'd get that much. I wonder how much a big dump truck full of generic 'dirt' would cost? There aren't too many areas on my place that I'd want to dig that much, at least not anywhere near the well site.

I think I may clear a path and try to get the cap to fall in using the FEL. Then maybe put a fence around it. I think a hole that is well marked and fenced will be less dangerous than a cap that is caving in. The other possibility would be to rent a backhoe and try to get the cap and stuff off without it falling into the well.

That way I'd still be able to send my B-I-L down on a rope to look for the Confederate gold that he is convinced is down there. Redbug, maybe we can send him down with your metal detector. We can keep it on a separate rope so that even if we don't get him back up, we can get your detector back.

Finally, anyone have any guess as to how old this sort of hand dug well might be? This area has been settled since before the Revolution but I'm assuming as late as the early 1900's people were probably still digging wells by hand. My B-I-L remembers his dad burning the old house down in the early 1960's. I have no idea if it was the original house on this site or not. The foundation was made of stones. There are metal and pottery fragments all over the place. No idea how old.

 

[LBrown59]

It would take a lot of dirt to fill that thing in as in 35x4x5 feet worth.

It would also be the safest.

 

[SnowRidge]

Just fill it with water and throw some carp in.

 

[LBrown59]

It would take a lot of dirt to fill that thing in

Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.

 

[hudr]

quote: <Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.>

:0

I wonder how many neighbors' wells have been ruined by this train of thought? Groundwater doesn't abide by property lines.

 

[SnowRidge]

quote: <Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.>

:0

I wonder how many neighbors' wells have been ruined by this train of thought? Groundwater doesn't abide by property lines.

Er, I'm pretty sure he was joking. Look at his previous post, which said filling it in would be the safest thing.

 

[hitekcountry]

Twenty five yards seems like a good bit of material to me.

If there is some part of your property where you would like to drop the grade a little all it would take is 4 inches deep from an area about 50' x 50' and you would have all you need to fill that well.