1806.] 



On the Means of obtaining Water. 



A-31 



enquiry into the readicft and cheapeft 

 means of obtaining water wiiere it is de- 

 ficient will duubtlcfs be acceptable. 

 And to this enquiry, with your perniif- 

 fion, Mr. Editor, I invite fuch readers 

 and corrcfpondents ot" the Magazine as 

 may have obtained fcientilic or practical 

 and local experience on the l'ui)jc(''t; 

 and who may be thence enablod to afti)rd 

 thofe nfetul and cautionary inllructions, 

 lo extremely valuable at the comnience- 

 ineat of any work of improvement. My 

 view, in this efi'ay, is to put the fubjett 

 fairly aHoat, to oti'er the little information 

 thereon which I already polfefs, and to 

 obtain an addition to my own Hock, 

 through the channel of a MifceUany 

 which has lon;j had the molt extenhvc 

 circulation of any other, and is efpecially 

 devoted to uffeful fulyeOts. 



To proceed methodically, this matter 

 jnud be viewed in ievcral difterent lights, 

 induced by peculiar local eircundlances 

 of the ioil and fituation, or of the inha- 

 bitants themfelves. In the firft place, 

 there are but two practicable expedients 

 of obtaining water artificially; which are, 

 through the medium of wells, and of 

 ciflerns and tanks, in which, the nioit 

 lalubrious of all, rain-water may be 

 preferved. Wells in fome lituations may 

 be extremely expenfive to work, and in- 

 dividual proprietors, or tenants, may be 

 unable lo aflord tlie needful expnnce ; or 

 the water, when found at grent depth 

 and heavy charse, may be of hard and 

 infalubrious quality, and in quantity not 

 futhciently confiderable. Digging wells 

 in fandy foils is frequently attended with 

 confiderable danger to the workmen. 

 To thefe conhderations may be added, 

 the bell and cheapelt mode of fabricat- 

 ing cillerns, and of artificial ponds for 

 the ufe of caltie. On all the above and 

 vai-ious other difculTions of the fubjee^t, 

 which will eallly fugeeft themfelves to 

 the experienced, apt and particular in- 

 ItruOtious are dehrable to the coruitry. 



ISo expence which can be borne by a 

 finale proprietor, or feveral in viciniiy 

 conjointly, is too much for a v.ell of 

 good water ; and in the circuuilhuicc of 

 coiiftaut and confiderable fcarcity in a 

 neighbourhood, it might prove a proiit- 

 iible Ipcculatioa to link a well tor general 

 ul^, iiiicc water is an article of fuch im- 

 portance, that no rcfidriit within jeafoii- 

 ahle diltance, who had a family nnd cattle 

 to fupply, but would willingly tillow a 

 liandfome contribution for the conveni- 

 ence of being well fupplied. Such an 

 undertaking might probably coft au huu- 

 MoMULY Mao. -Xo. 130. 



dred pounds, but oould fcarcely fail of 

 making an annual return of more thaa 

 twenty per cent., belide rendering a 

 moft acceptable and important fervice to 

 the neighbourhood, and exhibiting a lau- 

 dable example to the whole dillri£t. 

 Calculations on fuch a plan, with as 

 many prattical hints as pollible, the 

 water fuppofed to lie at confiderable 

 depth, would be efteemcd a favour bj 

 the writer of this article, who has a par- 

 ticular lituation in his view. 



But in many parts, from the nature of 

 the foil or of the llrata through which 

 the water pafies, it contracts properties 

 very injurious to the health of the iuhar- 

 bitants who conflantly drink of it ; and 

 the evidence of faCls, intituled to far 

 greater confideration than any medical 

 opinions, even of the latell faihion, in«- 

 diiputablv proves that in certain ftony 

 diltricts, in which well-water Is generally 

 drank and made into betr, the inhabi- 

 tants are peculiarly liable to nephritic 

 comjilaints. Many ye.irs fince, this point 

 was the fubject of literary coulioverly 

 among the medical faculty, the moll 

 eminent of whom turned the fliafts of 

 ridicule againft a well known common* 

 fenfe do>"tor, who found a powerful ar- 

 gument in the cafe of a gentleman per- 

 petually tormented with the ftonc and 

 gravel in his own country, w hich was re- 

 markable for the haiducfs of the water 

 and beer, but who in London was ever 

 fvce from thofe complaints ; on which 

 accouni, at length, he was unuer tba 

 pofiti\e necelfiLy of bidding a final adieu 

 to his native foil. Such defect is, how- 

 ever, fortunately by no means inherent 

 in every fpecics of ha:d wali-^r, loine of 

 winch arc peculiarly faliibriuns and cor- 

 roborative ; but when ill eiYcCts are to 

 be apprehended, the only remedy con- 

 firts in percolation of the water through 

 certain purifying materials, a permanent 

 convenience of which kind may be had 

 at no great expence of either money or 

 attention. A wooden or bricked and 

 terralled ciilern adjoining the well, will 

 feiTC the falutary purpofc of filtration. 

 The bottom may be lined with chalk, or 

 chalk rubbifli, or the chippiiigs of free 

 ftone reduced to the fjze of eggs, upon 

 which may lie laid a (hatum of pebbles 

 or (lints, and upon that a top rtratum of 

 fandy gravel : fome chufe to funnount 

 this with a co\ering of turfs, which is 

 a matter of iiiditl'erence. The well-water 

 being thrown upon thefe ftrata, may be 

 afterwards drav.n from the bottom of the 

 receptacle, perf<ictly filtrated and p'-ri- 

 3 K ■ ii«i 



