CHAP. XV. THE WATER PUMPED OUT. 319 



fill the lake to over eight feet in depth, or sufficient to 

 float vessels of a hundred tons' burthen. The water 

 pumped out of the tunnel while the work was in pro- 

 gress would be nearly equivalent to the contents of the 

 Thames at high water, between London and Woolwich. 

 It is a curious circumstance, that notwithstanding the 

 quantity of water thus removed, the level of the surface 

 in the tunnel was only lowered about two and a half to 

 three inches per week, proving the vast area of the 

 quicksand, which probably extended along the entire 

 ridge of land under which the railway passed. 



The cost of the line was greatly increased by these dil 

 culties encountered at Kilsby. The original estimate fc 

 the tunnel was only 99,000/. ; but before it was finishej 

 it had cost more than 100/. per lineal yard forward, ol 

 a total of nearly 300,000. The expenditure on 

 other parts of the line also greatly exceeded the amounl 

 first set down by the engineer; and before the works] 

 were finished, it was more than doubled. The land cost 

 three times more than the estimate ; and the claims fo] 

 compensation were enormous. Although the contrad 

 were let within the estimates, very few of the contractors^ 

 were able to complete them without the assistance 

 the Company, and many became bankrupt. Speaking 

 of the difficulties encountered during the construction of 

 the line, Eobert Stephenson afterwards observed to us : 

 " After the works were let, wages rose, the prices of 

 materials of all kinds rose, and the contractors, many of 

 whom were men of comparatively small capital, were 

 thrown on their beam ends. Their calculations as to 

 expenses and profits were completely upset. Let me 

 just go over the list. There was Jackson, who took the 

 Primrose Hill contract he failed. Then there was 

 the next length Nowells ; then Copeland and Hard- 

 ing; north of them Townsend, who had the Tring 

 cutting ; next Stoke Hammond ; then Lyers ; then 

 Hughes : I think all of these broke down, or at least 



