392. Miscellanies. 
MECHANICAL PHILOSOPHY. 
1. Bored Wells —The practicability of obtaining copious supplies 
of running water, even.in some places where a distressing deficiency 
of this essential article has long been experienced, has been abun- 
_ dantly proved, in various parts of Europe as well as in the United 
States. The extraordinary depths to which the sound and the borer 
have penetrated, in these researches, and the force with which the 
water has risen to the surface, and issued forth in continued jets and 
streams, are among the most remarkable facts in the history of hy- 
draulics. : Pe a2 
The French “ Societe d’encouragement pour V’industrie nation- 
ale,” sometime since offered medallic premiums to the engineers or 
artists who should be the most successful in establishing new facts or 
in obtaining plentiful supplies of water in situations where bored 
wells had not been previously introduced. The programme of the 
Soci xcited much attention in Europe, and appears to hay eC 
casioned much emulation in France. . < 
From the report made to the Society on the 29th of December; 
1830, and signed Héricart de Thury, rapporteur, it appears that 
eight persons had presented themselves as claimants of the reward. 
Of these eight, three have been successful in obtaining medals, VIZe 
M. Degousée, civil engineer of Paris, the first gold medal. 
__M. Poittevin, of Tracy-le-Mont, department de L’Oise, the second 
‘medal 
aes 
~M. Fraisse ainé, of Perpignan, the third medal. : ; 
The first of these gentlemen, after various trials in different coun- 
tries, learned that the first requisite to success was, to become well 
acquainted with the geological character of the country ; and that 
without this knowledge, time and expense will be often encountered 
‘invain. One of the wells bored under his direction was at Fontes, 
de ent du pas-de-Calais. It was commenced at 6 o’clock in 
the morning and finished at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The depth 
was 651 feet. The water rose more than 6 feet above the surface, 
and discharged 50 gallons per minute. 
_ Three wells bored at St. Gratien, 42, 52, and 55 feet deep, were 
completed in 25 days, and gave each of them 15 gallons per minule- 
They cost in the whole 187 dollars. ‘They were bored to supply 
the water of the pond D’Enghein, which became so warm in summer 
ie 
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