4 The Drainage of Fens and Low Lands. 



Lincolnshire, where a district of 30,000 acres, formerly drained 

 by gravitation, is now kept free from water by engines driving 

 centrifugal pumps erected in 1868, a description of which will 

 be given fuither on. 



In the Black Sluice district the main drain, twenty-one 

 miles in length, was enlarged and deepened, and a complete 

 system of internal drainage carried out in 1848, with the hope 

 that the fen land would by this means be effectually drained 

 One district after another has, however, lesoited to pumping 

 as the only means of giving complete relief to flood water, till 

 now all the low land at the upper end of the main drain is 

 kept free from water in floods by steam-power. On the river 

 Witham, fourteen districts, containing an area of over 30,000 

 acres, are drained by steam-power* In the North Level 

 of the Bedford Level, where the taxation is already very high, 

 owing to the large amount expended in erecting outfall sluices 

 and perfecting the main drains, the lower districts suffer 

 greatly from flooding in wet seasons, and power was obtained 

 in the session of 188 1 to erect a large pumping station for the 

 better drainage of the district. 



An enormous outlay was incurred in the Middle Level in 

 Cambridgeshire in cutting a large main drain eleven miles long 

 with an outfall sluice discharging into the river Ouse at a point 

 nine miles lower down the channel than where the old drain 

 discharged. It was considered at the time that this drain 

 would afford such a good discharge for the water that pump- 

 ing would become unnecessary. The numerous engines 

 which are now at woik in this level prove that these expecta- 

 tions were not justified by the result. Although the cost of 

 lifting the water has been reduced, yet nine tenths of the land 

 has to be secured from flooding in wet seasons by mechani- 

 cal means. There are certain districts in this level which 



* *The Fens of South Lmcolnsliire,' by W. H, Wheeler, C.E. Simpkm and 

 MarshaH. This book is now out of print. A new edition is in course of pre- 

 paration, and will shoitly be issued by the same publishers. 



