TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 105 
e 
making allowance for the coal worked out, and for the population being eventually 
doubled, it was deduced that the coal-fields of England contain an ample supply for 
at least 1500 years. Of the annual amount consumed for manufacturing operations, 
it was stated that the proportion of coal consumed for the purposes of steam-navi- 
gation (including the Royal Navy) most probably amounts to 1,075,000 tons, and 
for railway locomotion on 3000 miles of railway, to about 300,000 tons. It was 
remarked that 2840 miles in progress will probably consume about 275,000 tons of 
coal in addition to the above; to which a proper allowance for the lines, for which 
acts of parliament have recently been obtained, is to be added. 
The above computations were offered only as an approximate calculation of an 
annual average with the present amount of population, many of the items being 
liable to great fluctuation, as in the case of coal consumed for the manufacture of 
iron: but it is only from an average that the probable duration of the coal-fields can 
be computed even approximately. 
MECHANICAL SCIENCE. 
On a new Method of Boring for Artesian Springs. 
_ By M. Fauve te of Perpignan, in France. 
(A paper furnished by M. Arago to Mr. Vignolles, for the purpose of being com- 
municated to the Association, M. Arago himself being prevented by illness from 
attending.) 
The paper was an abridged translation of M. Fauvelle’s own account, in which he 
says,—‘‘In 1833, I was present at the boring cf an artesian well at Rivesaltes; the 
water was found, and spouted up abundantly. They proceeded to the tubing, and 
for that purpose enlarged the bore-hole from the top downwards, I was struck by 
observing that it was no longer necessary to draw the boring tools to get rid of the 
material, and that the water, rising from the bottom, brought up with it, in a state 
of solution, all the soil which the enlarging tools detached from the sides. I imme- 
diately observed to my friend, M. Bassal, who was with me, ‘ This is a remarkable 
fact, and one very easy to imitate ; if, through a hollow boring rod, water be sent 
down into the bore-hole as it is sunk, the water, in coming up again, must bring 
with it all the drilled particles.’’ On this principle [ started to establish a new me-~ 
thod of boring. The apparatus is composed of a hollow boring rod, formed of wrought 
iron tubes screwed end to end : the lower end of the hollow rod is armed with a per= 
forating tool, suited to the character of the strata which have to be encountered, 
The diameter of the tool is larger than the diameter of the tubular rod, in order to 
form around it an annular space through which the water and the excavated material 
may rise up. The upper end of the hollow rod is connected with a force-pump by 
jointed or flexible tubes, which will follow the descending movement of the boring 
tube for an extent of some yards. This boring tube may be either worked by a ro= 
tatory movement with a turning handle, or by percussion with a jumper. The 
_. frame and tackle for lifting, lowering, and sustaining the boring tube, offer nothing 
particular. When the boring tube is to be worked the pump must be first put in 
motion. Through the interior of the tube acolumn of water issent down to the bottomof 
the bore-holes, which water, rising in the annular space between the exterior of the 
hollow boring rod and the sides of the bore-hole, creates an ascending current which 
carries up the triturated soil : the horing tube is then worked like an ordinary boring 
rod ; and as the material is acted upon by the tool at the lower end, itis immediately 
carried up to the top of the bore-hole by the ascending current of water. Itis a 
consequence of this operation that the cuttings being constantly carried up by the 
water, there is no longer any occasion to draw up the boring tube to clear them 
away, making a very great saving of time. Another important and certainly no less 
advantage, is, that the boring tools never get clogged by the soil; they work con- 
stantly (without meeting obstructions) through the strata to be penetrated, thus 
getting rid at once of nine-tenths of the difficulties of boring, It addition, it should 
be mentioned, that experience has shown there are no slips iu any ground which ore 
