ISM.] On the Rise of Water in the Chesswaler Mine. 259 



water into mines. Mr. Movie mentions an influx of water into the 

 Cbesswater mine, which he endeavoured to account for; but on his 

 ideas not meeting with the approbation of his friends, he was in- 

 duced to request you, or some of your readers, to " explain the 

 cause on proper hydrostatic principles." The following observar 

 tions were made in consequence of this request, and are respectfully 

 submitted to yours, his, and his friends' consideration. 



Mr. Movie says that the Chessvvater mine is 120 fathoms deep. 

 At the bottom of this mine the water is collected into a level of 

 considerable length, and is then lifted out of it, by a steam-engine, 

 to the earth's surface. Lately, after the engine had ceased working 

 a few minutes, and when the lowest level was full of water, a feed 

 of water vepy unexpectedly made its appearance at the top of a 

 small pit, or wins, one fathom deep, which is situated in a level 16 

 fathoms above the lowest level, and then passed along the former 

 level to the engine-shaft, in which the water ° rose slowly and pro- 

 gressively." Mr. Moyle, because " water will always find its own 

 level, let what will retard its progress," was justly surprised at its 

 entrance into the mine at such a height, while the reservoir below 

 remained in a great measure empty; but he thinks the following 

 reasoning will account for it. The places where the water entered 

 the mine at the lower level are just sufficient to admit the regular 

 feeds ; but after the water had covered these inlets, and in propor- 

 tion to the height to which it rose, it offered such a resistance to the 

 feed of water, that a part of it rose to the next outlet, the head of 

 the wins, while the remainder entered the mine, as usual, at the 

 lowest level. 



The altitude of the feeds of water in the channels through which 

 they pass to enter the lower level, would certainly be increased 

 when that level was filled with water; because the resistance which 

 the water in it would offer to the entry of the feeds would be equal 

 to the friction that the feeds would meet witli in passing through 

 the water in the level, and up to its surface, in the pit. But it is 

 evident that the channels would be completely filled with water to 

 tlit.- top of the wins before any part of the feeds, which before en- 

 tered the lower level, could pass along the upper level to the pit; 

 and, in consequence, the water in these channels would posses a 

 power equal to that of a column of water of 16 fathoms high, to 

 force it-elf into the lower level. Now this is a power adequate to 

 overcome the resistance it would meet with in passing through a 

 long horizontal passage filled with water; but whether or not 

 it would be more than sufficient to force itself to the engine-shaft 

 liat 1 cannot answer with certainty, because the distance is not 

 exactly ascertained ; but, as Mr. Moyle says the lower level is " se- 

 veral fathoms" in length, 1 suppose the feeds of water are not 

 situated from the shaft above 50 or 60 fathoms; and if so, the 

 increased altitude of the water to l(J fathoms, and the consequent 

 entry of a part of it into the upper level, cannot, I think, be pro- 

 duced by the resistance that the feedl meet with in travelling to the 



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