398 REPORT— 1872. 



tation, nearly all that falls goes do-vni to feed the springs), and giving out in 

 the summer the quantity so stored. At intervals the reservoir becomes full 

 to overflowing, and then is seen the same phenomenon which is known in 

 the Caterham valley as the rise of the Eourne, and the surplus water bursts 

 out. This happened in 1852 in the Preston valley, when there was a con- 

 siderable stream running down the London Road, and in 1866 in the Lewes- 

 Boad valley, when the basements of the houses were flooded with the spring- 

 water. A similar boiirne or overflow occurs periodically after wet seasons 

 and runs down through the town of Lewes. 



The course of the rainfall, in its passage to the sea, is stUl further illus- 

 trated by four sections, which show the depth ofwaterina number of wells, 

 soundings of which were all taken at the same time. Sections A, B, C give 

 the soundings of wells situated in lines running northward from the sea, and 

 as nearly as possible at right angles to the coast-line. Section D gives the 

 depths of several wells dug at about the same distance from the sea, along 

 a line niuning from E. to W. It will be seen that there is a uniform slope 

 in the water-level of the chalk in the former sections, whilst the water- 

 level in the latter is almost the same throughout. The furthest of the wells 

 in sections A, B, C is not more than 2 miles from the sea ; but levels taken 

 to a well lately sunk at the foot of the chalk escarpment, about 1 mile east 

 of the end of Clayton Tunnel, show that the water there stands at the height 

 of about 250 feet above low water, and that the line of the water in section 

 B B would, if produced, very nearly cut that of the well just mentioned, 

 which is about 6 miles in a direct line from the coast. 



Up to the year 1865 the whole of the town was supplied from the Lewes- 

 Eoad Works ; but in that year it was determined, in consequence of the 

 great demand for water, to erect another pumiDing-station on the west side. 

 Accordingly a well was sunk at Goldstone Bottom, and tunnels driven to the 

 extent of about a quarter of a mile across the valley, parallel to the sea. 

 Goldstone Bottom is a naturally formed basin in the chalk, the lowest side 

 of which, nearest the sea, is more than 60 feet higher than the middle or 

 bottom of the basin. The water is obtained, as at Lewes Road, from fissures 

 running generally at right angles to the coast-line ; but they are of much 

 larger size and at far greater distances from each other : whereas at the Lewes- 

 Road Works it is rare that 30 feet of tunnels were driven without finding 

 a fissure, and the produce of the largest was not more than 100 to 150 gallons 

 per minute, at Goldstone nearly 160 feet were traversed without any result, 

 and then an enormous fissure was pierced, which delivered at once quite 1000 

 gallons per minute ; and the same interval was found between this and the 

 next fissure, which was of a capacity very nearly as great. In consequence of 

 the great size of these there is a much freer vent to the sea, and the water 

 stands relatively to the Lewes-Road valley at a much lower level, being gene- 

 rally not more than 25 feet above low water. The fluctuations also of the water 

 are not great, the difference of the quantity of water being felt rather by the 

 imjiossibility of the pumps lowering its level than in its rising higher. 



The total length of the tunnels at Lewes-Road Works is 2400 feet, and at 

 Goldstone 1300 feet. 



So much for the sources of the water. A short description of the pumping 

 and distributing works miist now be given. 



The district supplied by the waterworks comprises not only the parish of 

 Brighton, but the neighbouring parishes of Hove and Preston. The number 

 of houses supplied, which in 1854 did not much exceed 7000 when the new 

 Company purchased the works, had risen on the 1st of August last, when 



