94 REPORT—1885, 
sulphide of iron in the form of pyrites. At the depth of 1,239 feet this 
limestone rock ended, and hard red sandstone was found, alternating 
with beds cf variegated sandy marl or clay. After the depth of 1,253 
feet had been attained, the yield of water steadily increased as the boring 
was deepened, the overflow at the surface being 2 gallons a minute at 
1,254 feet, 8 gallons at 1,363 feet, and 11 gallons at 1,587 feet. It rose 
to the top of atube carried 49 feet above the surface, and overflowed; 
and a pressure-gauge showed that it had power to rise 126 feet above 
the surface. 
The diameter of the bore was 16} inches in the chalk, 133 inches in 
the gault, 114 inches in the oolitic limestone, and at the depth of 1,334 feet 
it was reduced to a little under 9 inches. At 1,337 feet the method of 
boring was changed, and instead of an annular arrangement of steel 
cutters, a rotary diamond rock-boring machine was employed. The bore- 
hole, with a diameter of 84 inches, was thus carried down to 1,367} feet, 
at which depth, lining tubes having to be inserted, the diameter was re- 
duced to 7} inches, and this size was continued to 1,447 feet, at which 
depth the boring was stopped. 
The bore-hole was lined with strong iron tubes down to the depth of 
1,364 feet ; and those portions of the tubes that are in proximity to the 
depths where water was struck were drilled with holes to admit the 
water into them. Three observations of temperature were taken at the 
depth of 1,337 feet, during the interval between the removal of the steel 
borers and the erection of the diamond boring-machine. The bore-hole 
was full of water, which was overflowing at the rate of from three to four 
gallons a minute. The thermometer employed was an inverted Negretti 
maximum, supplied by the secretary. In each case the temperature re- 
corded was 753° F. In the first observation, March 25, 1884, the ther- 
mometer was left for an hour anda quarter at the bottom of the bore-hole, 
and three weeks had elapsed since the water was disturbed by boring. 
The second observation was taken on March 31, when the thermometer 
was 54 hours at the bottom. In the third observation special precau- 
tions were taken to prevent convection. The thermometer was fixed 
inside a wrought-iron tube, 5 feet long, open at bottom. The thermo- 
meter was near the lower end of the tube, and was suspended from a 
water-tight wooden plug, tightly driven into the tube. There was a 
space of several inches between the plug and the thermometer, and this 
part of the tube was pierced with numerous holes to allow the escape of 
any cold water which might be carried down by the tube. The tube was 
one of a series of hollow boring-rods used in working the diamond drill- 
machine. By means of these it was lowered very slowly, to avoid dis- 
turbance of the water as much as possible; and the tube containing the 
thermometer was gradually worked through the sand at the bottom of 
the bore-hole. The lowering occupied five hours, and was completed at 
noon on Saturday, June 7. 
Cement, mixed with sugar, for the purpose of slow setting, was imme- 
diately lowered on to the surface of the sand, and above this a mixture of 
cement and sand, making a total thickness of 3 or 4 feet of cement 
plugging. The thermometer was left in its place for three full days, the 
operation of raising being commenced at noon of Tuesday, June 10, and 
completed at 5 p.m. The thermometer again registered 755° F., exactly 
the same as in the two previous observations which were taken without 
plugging. It would therefore appear that the steady upflow of water in 
