Pumping Stations. 1 1 9 



it was at work, until the lift was increased to over 9 feet, thus demon- 

 strating the peculiar facility this class of machine has to meet such an 

 occurrence. Owing, however, to the increased lift, and the altered 

 circumstances of the district, it became necessary to increase the 

 pumping power. The average lift now is about 7 feet, rising frequently 

 to 9 feet 6 inches, and even higher in heavy floods. In 1877 the old 

 engine and pump were removed, and the fan of the pump may now 

 be seen at the Museum at South Kensington in almost perfect condi- 

 tion. Messrs. Easton & Anderson erected in their place a high- 

 pressure compound condensing beam engine, with expansion gear^ of 

 65 nominal horse-power, making about '^^^ revolutions a minute with 

 60 lb. steam. The boilers consist of one single-flued and one double- 

 flued Cornish boiler. The pump, which is placed in a well outside 

 the engine-house, is driven by a double set of motions, the first set 

 consibtmg of a toothing on the fly-wheel driving a pinion, which 

 actuates a horizontal shaft for driving a wheel geared into a bevil- 

 wheel on the vertical shaft of the pump. This is hung by an onion- 

 bearing to a cast-iron frame bolted to the top of the pump-well, which 

 is formed with a wrought-iron cylinder fixed in the centre of the sluice 

 connecting the main drain with the river. This cylinder was used as 

 a convenient mode under existing conditions of forming the pump- 

 well, and reduced the first cost by avoiding the necessity for building 

 a brick well. This sluice is 1 2 feet wide on the inlet side and 6 feet 

 on the delivery side. The fan is a single inlet fan of 6 feet diameter 

 by 16 inches deep, and is speeded to run up to 104 revolutions a 

 minute when on a lift of 1 1 feet. The quantity of water delivered is 

 96 tons per minute, or on a lift of 7 feet 6 inches, with a speed of 

 96 revolutions of pump, 155 tons per minute. The engine and 

 boiler are contained in a brick building. The chimney shaft is 53 feet 

 high, and 3 feet diameter at the top inside. The cost of the machinery 

 was approximately 3500/., plus the value of the old machinery. 



Burnt Fen. — This district is situated in the South Level of the 

 Bedford Level, in the county of Norfolk, and is entirely fen land. 

 The area drained by the pumps is 15,000 acres. There are two 

 pumping stations, about 4 miles apart — one at the Fish and Duck, 

 on the south side of the district, discharging into the River Lark 

 about 3 miles above its junction with the Ouse ; the other on the 

 north, discharging into the Little Ouse about 2 miles above Brandon 

 Creek Bridge. The main drains between the two stations are in con- 

 nection, so that the water can run to either station. These pumping 



