THE ARTESIAN BORING FOR THE SUPPLY OF THE 

 CITY OF LINCOLN FROM THE NEW RED SAND= 

 STONE,* 



Professor Kdward Him., LL.D., F.R.S. 



D()\v\ to the present time since the year 1847 — when the water- 

 works were commenced by a public company— Lincohi has 

 depended for its supply of water upon surface streams, im- 

 pounded into reservoirs and subjected to a filterinj^ process, 

 the quantity dealt with amountin<j to about 331 millions of 

 gallons a year, with a rainfall of about 25 inches. Needless 

 to say, a supply from such sources was found to be unsatis- 

 factory on the grounds both of quality and quantity. In 1885 

 Dr. Harrison was requested to report on the former of these 

 subjects, and he produced elaborate analyses, the general result 

 being that, as some of the sources were liable to pollution, the 

 water was unfit for domestic purposes. 



Owing to the rapid growth of the city the conditions became 

 more unfavourable, and it was determined by the Corporation 

 to ascertain whether some better source of supply might not 

 be available. With this object the late Mr. De Ranee, F.G.S., 

 was instructed by the Corporation to report ' on the probability 

 of obtaining a pure and sufficient supply of water for the city. "^ 

 Accordingly he presented a report, dated September 15, 1891, 

 containing the results of a prolonged and careful study of the 

 geological conditions, and stating his opinion that a boring 

 of large diameter to a depth of from 1250 to 1500 feet at 

 Torksey or Collingham, would yield at least a million of gallons 

 per day of the purest water, also suggesting' supplies from the 

 Oolite limestone formation. 



This report does not appear to have been immediately acted 

 upon ; and nothing was done until the year 1898, when I 

 received instructions to report on ' the probability of obtaining 

 water by boring near the present pumping station, and if so, 

 at what depth, and at what expense.' After a preliminary 

 survey, I recommended a well and boring to be carried down 

 into the New Red sandstone, which I estimated would be 

 reached at a depth of about 1400 feet, from which I anticipated 

 a supply of about a million gallons per day, and that the water 

 would rise in the boring and well up to, or nearly to, the surface 

 of the ground by h)clrostatic pressure. It will be observed that 



* A ])a|)i'i- ri-ad to Section C of the Mcctiiii;- of the British Association, \'ork. 



Natiir.illst. 



