29S NOTICE OF TllK AI'PLICATIOX (JF TUF: THISTLE T(^ TFIE MANUFACTUKE OF FAPEJ^ [1«55. 



it receives the weight of the pump. A cotter, which keeps 

 the clack in its^phice, is then knocked out, and the table 

 screwed down. The bottom clack and the frame descending 

 with it, the contents of the pvimp are washed out by the rush 

 of water contained in the puuip-cyliuder. The table is again 

 raised by the screw, and the clack resuiues its proper position ; 

 the cotter is then driven into the slot, and the pump is again 

 ready to be lowered into the hole as before. It is generally 

 necessary for the pump to descend three times in order to 

 remove "all the dihris broken up by the boring-head at one 

 operation. 



The following fiicts obtained from the use of the machine 

 in boring in the new red sandstone at Manchester will show its 

 actual performance, and enable us to compare it with the other 

 systems mentioned in this paper. The boring-head is lowered 

 at the rate of 500 feet, a minute; the percussive motion is 

 performed at the rate of 24 blows a minute, and being con- 

 tinued for 10 minutes, the cutters in that time penetrate from 



5 to 6 inches; it is then woundup at 300 feeta minute. The 

 shell-pump is then lowered at the rate of 500 feet a minute, 

 the pumping continued for one minute and a half, and being 

 charged, the pump is wound up at 300 feet a minute. It is 

 then emjJtied, and the operation repeated, which can be accom- 

 plished three times in 10 minutes, at a depth of 200 feet. 

 The whole of one operation, resulting in the deepening of the 

 hole 5 to 6 inches, and cleaning it of debris ready for the 

 cutters or boring-head beingagain introduced, is seen to occupy 

 an interval of 20 minutes only. The value of these facts will 

 be best shown by comparing them with the results by the old 

 method. 



At Highgatg the boring has occupied two years in attaining 

 a depth of 680 feet from the bottom of a well 500 feet deep 

 from the surface. Their progress at present is at the rate of 



6 inches per week, working night and day. At Warwick, 

 13 months were occupied in boring 400 feet through red marl; 

 at Saltaire, two years in going 80 yards. 



One well-known defect of the old method of boring consists 

 in the "buckling" and dangling of the rods, which has the 

 effect of enlarging the hole in some instance to a diameter of 

 four feet where soft strata intervene. This arises from the 

 buckling and dangling of the rods causing them to strike 

 against the sides of the hole, and breaking off portions of earth 

 which fall to the bottom, thus considerably increasing the 

 quantity of dSris to be brought up by the shell, and occupy- 

 ing an immense time in getting out the debris which has 

 merely fallen from the side, without increasing the depth of 

 the hole. This is a serious defect where geological purposes 

 are to be served by the boring, because the earth from the side 

 falling to the bottom of the hole mixes with that which is cut 

 up by the chisel, and thus prevents an accurate knowledge 

 being- obtained of the strata which the boring has penetrated. 

 It must be remarked also that the defect of buckling is to 

 crystallise theiron, deteriorating its equality, and thereby causing 

 those frequent breakages which retard progress, and add so 

 materially to the expense of this system of boring. The pro- 

 cess of crystallisation being beyond the observation of the 

 workmen, the result is scarcely, if ever, known till the breaking 

 of the rods reveals it. To remedy this diflSculiy, and obviate 

 the effects of buckling, it has been found necessary to put- 

 down iron tubes into the bore-hole. As the first length of 

 these tubes can scarcely be got to a depth of more than 200 

 feet, on account of the great external friction, it is necessary, 

 when the tube has to be carried to a further depth, to put down 

 a second and a third lensth of tube; and as each lenath must 



come to the surface, the diameter of the bore-hole is very 

 materially diminished. It will easily be seen that when the 

 bore-hole is required to be of con.siderable depth, this diminu- 

 tion of its diameter will at length so contract the hole as to 

 render the supply of water comparatively limited, and, in fact, 

 to threaten the design with actual failure, after a vast outlay 

 has been incurred. These inconveniences, so serious in char- 

 acter, are all obviated by the new method of boring. No rods 

 are used; and as the rope which is substituted for them seldom 

 comes in contact with the sides of the hole .so as to disturb the 

 strata, tubing will rarely be required. Indeed, it will only be 

 necessary when the particular sti'ata through which the hole 

 passes happens to be very fluid ; and even then it will not 

 always be wanted. The great power of pumping and the 

 facility of winding pcssessed by this new machine would enable 

 it to exhaust any ordinary quicksand which might find its way 

 into the hole. The pumping process could be carried on at a 

 depth of 500 feet, at the rate of a cart-load per hour. It is 

 possible with the improved machine to cleanse the hole so 

 eifectually that not a loose particle remains at the bottom. 

 This will at once be seen from the fact that the pump has 

 sufficient power to draw in masses of rock or other substances 

 of from three to four pounds weight. This circumstance 

 renders the machine particularly useful in geological researches, 

 inasmuch as the lowest strata are brought up in a state of the 

 greatest possible compactness and purity, notwithstanding any 

 admixture of earth from the sides, or of that which the shell 

 has been unable to bring ujJ in the jjrevious operation. 



Notice of the Application of the Thistle to the MaEufacture 

 of Paper. 



PATENTED liV LOKD BERKIEDALE, LONDON, JULY S, 1S54.* 



Whilst India and other tropical regions have been traversed 

 in search of a plant to be used in place of rags in the paper 

 manufacture, Lord Berriedale has turned his attention nearer 

 home, and has selected the common thistle as the most suitable 

 plant for his purpose His invention relates to the application 

 and use of the common thistle, or Cardmis, as it is termed, 

 according to the botanical classification of Linnajus, in the 

 manufacture or production of pulpy material from which paper 

 is to be made, as well as in the manufacture of a fibrous mate- 

 rial for textile purposes. All the varieties of the thistle plant 

 are applicable for the purposes of this invention, but more 

 particularly the large Scottish thistle, which grows luxuriantly 

 in many parts of the British Islands, attaining a great height 

 and thickness of stem. Such thistles furnish, in each plant, a 

 large amount of long fibre of great tenacity, and which, when 

 duly prepared, is most excellently suited for the preparation of 

 a powerfully cohering paper pulp, as well as for use in textile 

 manufactures. 



In adapting the thistle to the manufacture of paper pulp, 

 the plant is used either in a green or dried state. If employed 

 in its natural green condition, it is cirt or gathered, and at once 

 beaten or broken up by any suitable mechanism, such as is used 

 in the primary treatment of the flax plant, so as to disintegrate 

 the fibrous or ligneous matter. During this breaking treats 

 meat, the mucilaginous and aqueous matter present is washed 

 clear away, either by pure water, or by an acidulous solution, 

 or by any other economical and efl'ective cleansing agent. 

 When the thistle stems are thus fully reduced or distintegrated, 



■* From the Lond. Pract. Mechnnics' Journ., llarcli, 18.55. 



