1 1 2 The Drainage of Fens and Low Lands. 



after their erection, was given by Mr. E. Welsh, the engineer to the 

 Commissioners (' Trans.' Inst. C.E., vol. xxxiii.) : — 



Weight of water discharged in tons 



Avei age lift in inches 



Average revolutions made by engines pei\ 



minute / 



Sum of hours worked by both pumps . . 

 Coals consumed during working houis in tons 



Engine oil used, gallons .. .. 



Tallow used, lbs 



Waste used, lbs 



Wages paid first and second drivers yearly , . 



Boy, yeaily 



i<ireman, 2085^ hours at 3!^., and 2033 at i\d. 



Years ending March 31st. 



I87I. 



1872. 



13,5^4,190 



44-77 



18,2,6,130 

 45*00 



36*02 



38*20 



794-25 



328*00 



. ^S-75 

 i8i- 



135* 

 ^158 12 

 15 12 



980*5 



397*25 

 20*25 



135* 



^^158 12 

 18 14 



080 



29 13 



Taking the above account of work done and coal consumed, the 

 horse-power of water lifted for both engines is equal to 72 '52 horse- 

 power for 1871, and 79' 17 for 1872, the coals used equal to ii'37 

 lb. per horse-power of water lifted for the former year, and 11*46 

 lb. for the latter. This seems a very large consumption of coal 

 for machinery of this class, but the correctness of the result is borne 

 out by the quantity used by the engines and pumps for the North 

 Sea Canal, in Holland; which are similar to these, and which are 

 reported as using 11 lb. per horse-power of water lifted. 



In 1875 there occurred a heavy flood in this district, the total 

 quantity of rain registered for October and November was 9*49 

 inches. To cope with this, both pumps were running continuously 

 from November 14th to the 20th, after which one pump only was 

 used. The two pumps were running 177 hours, and one pump for 

 562, during which time 300 tons of coal were used. 



In the flood of 1876-77 the engines were running from December 

 27th to January nth; the highest lift being 5 feet 2 inches, the 

 lowest 3 feet 3 inches, and the average during that period 4-20 feet. 



For the three years ending 1881-83 the average working charges 

 were 1089/., equal to 7*46^. per acre, taking the average lift at 4 

 feet, equal to i "86//. per acre per foot of lift. 



LiTTLEPORT AND DowNHAM. — This district consists of 28,000 

 acres of peaty fen land, situated in the South Level of the Bedford 

 Level in the county of Cambridge. In addition to the fen land, some 

 of the adjacent higher land also discharges its water into the drains 



