CHAPTER II 



WELLS AND WELL SINKING * 



THE matter in the foregoing chapter is intended to 

 give the reader some idea of the different means by 

 which he will be able to obtain a supply of water for 

 a country house or estate. For rivers and surface 

 springs, dams, reservoirs, and pumps, either separ- 

 ately or conjointly, may have to be employed, and 

 they will be considered later on. Meanwhile atten- 

 tion is directed to the methods of sinking wells, when 

 the engineer's opinion or the advice of an expert 

 demands such a procedure. 



The choice of a proper place for sinking a well is 

 a matter of extreme importance, because upon it 

 will depend the success or failure of the whole 

 venture. In order to decide upon it, it is necessary 

 to take into consideration the geological features 

 and the physical configuration of the district, to- 

 gether with the dip and strike of the strata, and 

 the extent and direction of faults. Generally it is 

 found that the most favourable position is in a large 

 synclinal l basin in a place where porous strata over- 

 lies impervious. The presence of fissures or faults 

 in chalk and limestone usuallyafford the best chances 



1 Inclined downwards from opposite directions. 

 (28) 



