Hull : Artesian Boring in the New Red Sandstone. 339 



my conclusions went to verify those of Mr. De Ranee, both 

 being" founded on well-recognised geological data, and they 

 have now been abundantly borne out by actual experiment. 



Not until the year 1901, however, was a contract signed 

 with Messrs. C. Chapman & Son, of Salford, for carrying out 

 this, the deepest water boring in the United Kingdom. Nor 

 was it till Sunday, June 10, 1906, that the success of the 

 undertaking was demonstrated, when, on reaching the top 

 beds of the New Red sandstone, at a depth of 1561 feet 6 inches, 

 the water burst in with great force, and (to adopt the words 

 of the newspaper reporter) 'the roaring" sound of rushing waters, 

 far below was distinctly heard at the surface, and was likened 

 by one of the workmen to the rush of the aegir on the Trent 

 when the tides are at their highest.' From this time the water 

 steadily rose in the bore and well 1502 feet in total depth, 

 at the rate of 12 feet per hour, until it ultimately reached 

 the surface and overflowed, which event took place on the 

 Wednesday morning following the inburst of the water. 



The following are the formations passed through : — 



Feet 

 Lower Lias cla)' ... ... ... ... ... 641 



Rheetic beds ... ... ... ... ... ... 52 



Red marl and sandstone (Keuper)... ... ... 868 



Total 1561 



Below the above is the New Red sandstone and conglomerate, 

 which reaches the surface in a broad tableland of an average 

 of 300 to 400 feet above the sea-level to the north of Nottingham, 

 and constitutes the source of supply for that town and a large 

 district ranging into Yorkshire. At its nearest border it is 

 about 20 miles from Lincoln, and spreads westward to its 

 margin at Worksop — for a distance of 5 or 6 miles — receiving 

 and absorbing (probably) two-thirds of the rainfall over its area. 

 Owing to its extreme porosity, its absolute continuity in the 

 direction of the dip of the beds (there being no faults between), 

 and the constantly increasing hydrostatic pressure of the water 

 in the direction of Lincoln, we have all the conditions for a 

 successful artesian water supply. The success of this under- 

 taking has produced amongst the inhabitants of that important 

 city a feeling of the greatest relief and satisfaction, which finds 

 expression in the local paper in the words: ' Sunda}', the 

 loth June, 1906, will be a day to be recorded in the annals 

 of Lincoln. ' 



1906 September i. 



