TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 53 
there is abundance ; and in the spring it affords 19,000 or 20,000 cubic feet per diem : 
in the summer it has fallen as low as 3600, as in September last. Under these 
circumstances it became necessary to seek for a larger supply. The town is situ- 
ated on a tongue of land with the rivers Itchen and Test on each side discharging 
their waters into the estuary called the Southampton Water. The inhabitants 
would gladly have availed themselves of a supply from the waters of the Itchen, 
but the late owner of that part of the river which would have been most suitable 
for this purpose would not grant the supply but upon terms that were unsatis- 
factory to the rate-payers. This mode of supply was therefore abandoned; and the 
greater distance of the River Test being an objection on account of the expense it 
would have entailed upon them, it was also given up; the commissioners were thus 
thrown back upon their own resources, and determined to ascertain the practicabi- 
lity of forming an Artesian Well. For this purpose an experimental boring was 
made on the Common, asa preliminary step, in Nov. 1835, and was continued till 
the chalk formation was reached, in January 1836, at the depth of 480 feet. 
In this experiment the diluvial gravel and sand, and upper tertiary strata, over- 
lying the London clay were found to be about 80 feet in thickness, the bed of London 
clay about 300 feet, and the plastic dlay, resting on the chalk, another 100 feet ; the 
boring was continued 50 feet further, when it having been reported that an ample 
supply of water was to be found at that depth, an act of parliament was soon after 
obtained for providing the means necessary ; and a plan having been fixed on, the 
undertaking commenced by sinking an iron shield made in segments, which, bolted 
together, formed as a whole a cylinder of 13 feet in diameter ; this shield the con- 
tractor purposed sinking to the depth of 160 feet, and from that point to bore to 
the depth of 400 feet, commencing with a hole of 30 inches, diminishing gradually, 
and ending with one of 20 inches in the chalk formation. 
The work began in July 1838. Two steam-engines were provided, each of 
twenty-horses power. The estimate and contract for the performance of the work 
was 10,180/., for which the contractor undertook to supply from the well 40,000 
cubic feet of water per diem, and provided four gentlemen as securities for the due 
performance of the work. <A spot of land, near where the experimental boring had 
been made, was chosen for the purpose, being about 150 feet above the sea-level of 
the town. 
Soon after the commencment of the work a failure took place: in sinking the 
- iron shield, or cylinder, more difficulty was found than had been anticipated. 
Upon arriving at the depth of 60 feet it began to show alarming signs of weak- 
- ness and unfitness for supporting the enormous pressure it had to sustain ; it 
had, besides this, taken an oblique, instead of a vertical direction. The contractor 
was therefore obliged to suspend his proceedings, and have recourse to other means 
of sustaining the pressure on the cylinder by additional supports framed within it of 
timber, and in this way preventing any sudden disruption by which the lives of the 
men employed on the work might have been sacrificed. At this period the under- 
taking was given up by the contractor, and the four gentlemen who had been 
accepted as his securities were compelled to go on with the work. They began 
by repairing the shield, which had been broken in several places, and having ren- 
dered it secure, with great labour and expense, a cylinder of smaller dimensions was 
_ framed within the old one, of 9 feet 10 inches in diameter, formed by eight tiers of 
plates, or sections, each 5 feet in depth, and Zths of an inch in thickness, of cast iron. 
| The old cylinder being first supported by strong chains, the new one was forced 
_ down through the sand by heavy pressure till it was lowered to a sufficient depth, 
' and rendered secure by resting on a dome of brickwork, built under it by under- 
pinning, in sections of 3 feet at a time, gradually increasing in diameter till the 
original diameter of the shaft was again attained. The shaft was then carried 
down in solid 14 inch brickwork, set in Roman cement. At the depth of 85 feet 
they passed through a solid mass of very hard stone full of black water-worn 
_ pebbles, and loaded with shells of various kinds, characteristic of the London clay. 
_ On the Ist of February 1840, the shaft was complete to the depth of 100 feet; the 
quantity of water which now flowed into the well was kept under by two pumps, 
and estimated at about 4000 cubic feet per diem. April 2, 160 feet of the shaft was 
_ complete. A question now arose as to future proceedings: the original plan was 
co 
