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7000 feet thick. My opinion is, that the coal measures 

 underneath this district are entire, and are, therefore, of 

 that thickness. They are composed of sand stone, shale, 

 coal, and limestone ; and, like the lower beds of the red 

 sand stone group, are, from their nature, nearly imper- 

 meable to water — so much so indeed that at Huyton, 

 Prescot, St. Helens, &c, the water that passes into the 

 deep workings of the coal mines is so small in volume, that 

 an engine of comparatively small power, is sufficient to keep 

 a large area free from water. It may here be proper to 

 remark that the water that is pumped up from the work- 

 ings is so mixed with sulphur and ferruginous matter as 

 to render it totally unfit for any domestic purpose. 



The division of the sand stone of the neighbourhood, 

 as you will perceive by the section, is flanked on the east 

 and west sides by the thrown-up coal measures, and is 

 thereby entirely isolated from the surrounding districts ; 

 consequently any supply of water from below, through 

 the impermeable beds of the coal formation, by Artesian 

 borings, — which in some districts are so available for giving 

 a powerful body of water drawn from great distances, — is 

 altogether impracticable. 



The absence of thermal springs in the district is an 

 additional proof that there is a want of connexion of the 

 lower beds of the formation with any other formations 

 occupying higher altitudes. 



Lastly. — I shall now attempt to sum up the whole of 

 the conditions which relate to the question of the supply 

 of water from the neighbourhood, and shew that the 

 deficiency of the supply, arising from the natural and 

 artificial conditions on the surface, has already been mani- 

 fested in various parts of the neighbourhood, and hence 

 the necessity of applying to some other locality to obtain 

 an ample supply of water for the wants of our rapidly- 

 increasing population. 



