1650. 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHlTECrS JOURNAL. 



235 



quantity of which Mr. Gage predicts would be obtained by means 

 of bore-holos. 



The question of expense points to the propriety of diminishing 

 rather than increasing the supply from the existing wells; indeed, 

 the advantage of abandoning some of them has already been 

 pointed out by Mr. Newlands, Mr. Kennedy, and others, and a 

 Table is introduced into the Appendix, showing the costliness of 

 the water at present obtained from all except Windsor and Green 

 Lane, by wliich it would appear that their abandonment, and the 

 establishment in their place of two new ones, similar to, or some- 

 what more extensive tlian Green Lane, would produce a saving of 

 3,992/. per annum on the working expenses, or enough to justify an 

 expenditure on the new and. more economical establishments of 

 80,000/., in addition to the value of the land and works; whereas, 

 the two stations would not cost more than about 50,000/. 



Messrs. S'unpson and JVewlands' Scheme. 

 The second question contained in the Minute is, 



*' Whether a sv^cient adtlUion to the present supplrj can be obtained in the 

 tocalifi/ or neit/hboiirhood of Liverpool, as recommended by Messrs. 

 Simpson Olid Newlands, or hy borings^ or by any other course^ and the 

 cost of obtaining and distributing the same." 



This question comprehends the plan now before parliament, 

 which may be called the Newsham House Scheme; Messrs. 

 Simpson and Newlands' Scheme, as described in their printed 

 report of April 23rd, 18+9; and Mr. Simpson's Kirkby or Clock 

 House Bridge Scheme. 



The Newsham House Scheme consists in making a well 192 feet 

 deep, at a distance of about 590 yards from Green Lane Station, 

 with 8 furlongs 218 feet of tunnel; a new engine and well of 150 

 feet deep, with 600 feet of tunnel at Bootle, and 1 furlong and 

 240 feet of tunnel from the bottom of the ^Vindsor well. 



After the free communication which has been proved to exist 

 between the Green Lane well and those surrounding it, situated at 

 much greater distances from each other than that proposed at the 

 Newsham House Estate, I am at a loss to understand how the latter 

 can largely increase the supply from the district. The distance 

 between the proposed site and Green Lane is only 590. yards, and 

 the end of the tunnel 1,,S00 yards, while that between tlie Windsor 

 and Edge Hill wells is 960 yards; and in tlieir case we find that 

 the aggregate quantity of water raised is not much increased by 

 adding to the wells, as before making the bore-hole at VV^indsor the 

 railway wells at Edge Hill only gave a daily increase from that 

 district of about 380,000 gallons. The proposed extension of tlie 

 vvorks towards Newsham House is little more than a repetition of 

 these circumstances; the extent of tunnel is certainly greater, and 

 will, in pi-oportion, extend the contributing area, but not so 

 efficiently as to justify the expectation of a very much moi-e 

 advantageous result, or one commensurate with the cost of the 

 works. 



1'he enquiry as to what distance wells should be placed from 

 each other, in order to yield a maximum result, is here suggested. 

 It is in evidence, that when the pumping at Green Lane was forced, 

 wells not far from Windsor were affected, and others at a greater 

 distance laid dry. These, perhaps, may be regarded as extreme 

 cases; but I cannot think that two public wells, from which large 

 quantities of water have to be drawn, should be established nearer 

 to each other than Windsor and Cireen Lane, a distance of if or 2 

 miles. At this distance these wells appear to be capable of yielding 

 1,000,000 gallons a-day each. 



The proposed tunnels at Windsor would operate as a reservoir, 

 in which respect they would, no doubt, be useful for storage, but 

 that they would sensibly increase the permanent yield of tlie well 

 is very doubtful. The proposed additions to Bootle, the only 

 station which supplies nearly 1,000,000 gallons per diem at about 

 forty feet above low-water mark, will increase, for a time, the 

 yield of that establishment; but in considering the question of its 

 improvement, it must be remembered that it it is tlie most 

 expensive on account of the royalty agreed to be paid annually to 

 Lord Derby. 



As I believe the results contemplated from this project to be but 

 problematical, I cannot refrain from recommending a pause before 

 entering upon the expenditure which the execution of the proposed 

 works will necessarily involve. 



Messrs. Simpson and Newlands' project, as described in their 

 printed report of 23rd April, 1849, appears to be an extension of 

 the Newsham House Scheme, involving a larger expense without, 

 I fear, accomplishing a corresponding benefit. 



The present Green Lane Works cost about 19,000/. for buildings, 

 machinery, and wells, but exclusive of mains. The extension now 

 proposed by driving a tunnel three miles long from the existing 

 well (after it has been deepened), to the north, towards Melling, 

 cannot, I believe, sufficiently increase the contributing area so as 

 to add to the present yield 6,000,000 gallons a-day, as assumed by 

 its projectors. No plans or details having been submitted to me, 

 the only information I possess is that to be derived from the 

 printed'document and tlie general estimate, which do not enable a 

 minute examination of tlie various items of cost to be made; but 

 1 do not doubt that the amount named, 192,556/., is sufficient for 

 the execution of the works. 



Mr. Simpson, in the Kirkby or Clock House Bridge Scheme, 

 proposes to obtain from wells situated near each other, and tunnels 

 uniting them, 4,000,000 gallons a-day, and an equal quantity from 

 two branches of the river Alt. The area of water-shed of tliis 

 district would yield the quantity; but the proposed reservoir of 

 about 30 acres in extent, and 15 feet in depth, would be quite inade- 

 quate as respects storage, to ensure so large an uniform daily 

 supply; and I am satisfied, from a personal examination, that it 

 would be a task of great difficulty to construct one sufficient for 

 the purpose in this place. 



The wells in this situation may probably be as productive as 

 those elsewhere, although Mr. Binney and Mr. Rowlandson 

 expressed some doubt of it, and the district is low, and the rock 

 probably fully cliarged with water; but I can perceive no circum- 

 stance to justify us in supposing that the transmission of the water 

 to this point can take place more easily than it has been found to 

 do elsewhere, or data upon which to calculate safely on so large a 

 supply as that suggested from wells situated at one point. 



The engine-pow er requisite foi the purpose of pumping 8,000,000 

 gallons a-.day to Liverpool, is considerably under-rated; but, were 

 the proposed works in other respects adequate to the necessary 

 supply, I believe the aggregate estimate would be sufficient. 



These observations on the Kirkby project are equally applicable 

 to any proposal for deriving a supply from the Childwall Valley; 

 indeed, every objection to the former applies with even greater 

 force to the latter district. There is about the same area of 

 water-shed, but greater difficulties as regards storage — to such a 

 degree, that this alone is enough to put it entirely out of the 

 question. 



The proposed plans of the Marquis of Salisbury have also been 

 examined; they consist of about three miles of tunnel, with their 

 shafts, all comprised within an area of about three quarters of a 

 square mile, which is quite insufficient for the supply of the town; 

 and even if considered merely as an auxiliary, the gain from it 

 will be unequal to its probable cost. 



CTo be continued.J 



OBITUARY. 



SiK — I regret exceedingly to have to inform you of the death of 

 a remarkably rising young' architect, an occasional contributor to 

 your Journal, Mr. John Swindell, of Kilburn Priory. His treatise 

 on "Well Sinking," and other similar occasional minor pei-fcum- 

 ances, have at times been the subject of your favourable review. 

 I have, however, well-founded reason to believe, that those small 

 productions 1 have alluded to were merely the results of leisure 

 hours; and that, had he not, by incessant work, worn out his 

 frame, he would have ultimately benefited his profession in an 

 eminent degree, by investigations of a far more important and 

 more original character than those I have alluded to. I shall, I 

 hope, find myself excused in your eyes, and those of your readers, 

 in thus assisting to rescue from oblivion the name of one who, had 

 he not come to an untimely grave, would have required no assistance 

 of the sort. 



I am, &c 



B. Pemberton, 

 Professor of Civil Engineering, R.A.C. 

 Royal Agricultural College, 

 June 11, 1850. 



M. Lnigi Zandomeneghi.—The Vejiice Gazette lately announced the death 

 of this celebrated sculptor, aged 71. He had been for some years engap»d 

 in tlie sculpture of a raagnilioent monument to the memory of Titian. I his 

 important work, though far advanced, has been left unfinished by his dealb. 



32* 



