Pumping Staiions. 1 1 3 



of this district, so that the total area drained is about 35,000 acres. 

 There are fifty-three miles of main drxins which collect and convey 

 the water to the engines, and twenty-three miles of catchwater drains. 

 The drain which leads direct to the engine has a 22 feet bottom with 

 slopes of ij to I. There are two pumping stations seven miles 

 apart ; one on the Hundred Foot River and one on the Ten Mile 

 River — part of the Ouse — near Hilgay. The drains communicate 

 with both, so that the water can flow to either station. The machinery 

 at both stations consists of scoop wheels driven by beam engines, and 

 was put up by the Butterley Company in 1830, under the direction 

 of Mr. Glynn. 



The Hwtdred Foot Station, — The scoop wheel at this station 

 pumps into a tidal stream, and is now the largest in diameter that 

 the author knows of. The wheel as originally constructed was 37 

 feet in diameter. It was subsequently altered to 41 feet 8 inches 

 (iiameter, with scoops 2 feet 8 inches wide. This was removed and 

 replaced by the present wheel, which has sixty scoops and a diameter 

 of 50 feet, with an internal spur wheel of 36 feet diameter, gearing 

 into a pinion on the crank shaft. The scoops at the same time were 

 widened, and the radial length increased to 6 feet 6 inches and width 

 of 3 feet 4 inches. The start posts are of oak, 7 inches by 4 inches, 

 diminishing at the outer edge to 4 inches by 4 inches. The average 

 dip of the scoops is 3 feet 3 inches ; the greatest, 5 feet 6 inches ; 

 the average head, 13 feet 9 inches, the maximum being 17 feet. The 

 scoops dip from the radial line at an angle of 42°, being tangents 

 to a circle 25 feet diameter. At average flood level they enter the 

 water at an angle of 31°, and leave it at 50°. With the maximum dip 

 of 5 feet 6 inches, they enter at 22°, and at the maximum lift of 17 

 feet leave the water at 42°. The wheels make three revolutions a 

 minute to 21 of the engine. This wheel has been very accurately 

 hung on its bearings, the clearance on the delivery side between the 

 wheel and the masonry at the sides and bottom being only about 

 \ inch. On the inlet side the walls diverge from the wheel, the idea 

 being to allow the inflowing water to get freely to the wheel to feed 

 it. It is questionable whether the effect of this, by diminishing the 

 velocity with which the water approaches the wheel, does not do 

 harm. When working to its full extent the wheel discharges 197 

 tons per minute. A movable breast struck to the radius of the 

 wheel, with curved top, worked by a shaft and gearing from the 

 engine-house has been added to the original structure on the delivery 



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