An Artesian Spring Found Under the Occidental Block
Drilling beneath the heart of Seattle's business district reveals a massive, flowing water source.
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A stream of pure water now flows from a 1.25-inch pipe on James Street, originating from an artesian well drilled beneath the Occidental Block. At a depth of 78 feet, a strong stream of pure, cold water was struck in a stratum of sand and gravel. The flow is estimated at 100,000 gallons per 24 hours. The owner of the building, John Collins, intends to use the water to power his building's elevators and hoisting equipment. This success validates the theory of driller J. R. Hayden, who had previously searched for such a basin throughout the city.
“The well... demonstrates that there is an artesian basin right under the business district of the city.”
The Occidental Block and its reliance on private wells for power capture a moment when Seattle was still literally shaping its own infrastructure from the ground up, long before standardized municipal water systems became the norm.
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