202 ARTESIAN WELLS IN DORSET AND ELSEWHERE. 



After penetrating gft. into the Lower Greensand, a strong spring 

 was struck, which rose to over seven feet above the surface, 

 although the site is on a hill 203 ft. above O.D. The chief point 

 to note in this case, is that the entire Chalk, here only 725^. 

 thick, was penetrated without an adequate supply of water being 

 obtained. This is undoubtedly a rare case, but it serves to 

 show that under certain circumstances even the Chalk is not 

 always to be relied upon for an artesian supply. 



An important artesian boring for water was commenced at 

 Lincoln in 1901, and appears to have been completed some time 

 in 1906, since the particulars were stated at the meeting of the 

 British Association that year. The boring is 32 inches in 

 width, and was executed at a cost of about ^20,000 ; the yield 

 of water to present pumping is said to be 750,000 gallons per 

 day. At a depth or 1,561 feet the water rushed into the well, 

 and in 36 hours overflowed at the surface ; as the boring con- 

 tinued to a lower level the surface flow increased. The following 

 formations were penetrated : 



Alluvium and Lower Lias . . 641 Feet. 



Rhoetic Beds . . . . 52 ,, 



_ . f Red Marl and Keuper Sandstone . . 86 1 ,, 

 Trias \ , 



^Bunter Sandstone . . . . 454 ,, 



Total . . 2015 ,, 



This boring has its source of supply in strata which rise to the 

 west, but to the east dip down (no one knows how far) towards 

 the North Sea. It is probably an instance of monoclinal strata, 

 where the flow of underground water is arrested by the interven- 

 tion of another rock system, which thus functions as the other 

 limb of a syncline. Much was expected by the worthy citizens 

 of Lincoln from this water. Unfortunately, coming as it does 

 out of the Trias, there is a risk of its being too saline for use, 

 and this proved to be the case here, although hopes were 

 entertained for a long time that the water might run pure 

 ultimately. 



