ANNUAL ADDRESS. XV 



There are very few bores in Victoria, the geological formation 

 of the country being apparently unfavourable. In South 

 Australia a number of bores have been sunk, in all 55, of a total 

 depth of about 7 miles, and an average of 681 feet. In Western 

 Australia a depth of about 4,000 feet has been bored to the end of 

 June 1897, divided over ten bores, two of which were failures 

 and four in progress, the flow from five of them totalling 967,000 

 gallons per day. In the United States, the practice of well- 

 boring has been largely devoloped; bores are sunk not only for 

 irrigation purposes, but so that the energy in the water flowing at 

 a pressure can be utilised for providing power. A few examples 

 of what has been done, taken from the report of the State of 

 Dakota, issued in 1893, on "Artesian Water Supply and 

 Irrigation" may be interesting; for instance, a flow of 1,000 

 imperial gallons per minute, issuing from a bore which showed a 

 gauge pressure of 1541bs. when shut off, was used instead of a 

 25 h.p. engine to drive a 25-barrel flour mill. In another case, 

 a flow of about 1.900 imperial gallons per minute, with a pressure 

 of 1651bs., is reported to develop 100 h.p.; and in another case 

 a flow of 2,700 imperial gallons per minute, and pressure of 

 861bs., was sufficient to drive a 100-barrel flour mill. These 

 examples could be multiplied if necessary, but I have given 

 enough to show what is done in other places. There is, however, 

 one other place I should mention, and that is the city of Waco, 

 U.S.A., where 11 bores have been sunk entirely for the supply 

 of power; the daily flow being 7 J million gallons, with an average 

 pressure of 60 lbs., the power developed from these bores being 

 used for many small industries. 



I have mentioned these facts concerning American bores so as 

 to bring more forcibly before you the great waste of power that 

 takes place in N.S.W. owing to the neglect to utilise this energy, 

 for there are bores in this colony which, Mr. Boultbee informs 

 me, have pressures, when closed, ranging as high as 1871bs. Mr. 

 J. B. Henderson, M. Inst., C.E., Hydraulic Engineer for 

 Queensland, has, in the report previously referred to, proposed 



