138 



Rye and Derivent Drainage. 



To arrive at a satisfactory approximation to these facts, a Sub- 

 Committee was appointed to make the necessary inquiries, and to 

 obtain the best information possible on these points, and the result 

 of their investigations is as follows : — 



As the greater part of the water-power was employed on corn 

 and flour mills, upon these the calculations were chiefly based. 

 It was generally admitted to be very near the truth, that to turn 

 a pair of flour-mill stones properly, requires a power equal to 

 that of two and a half horses, or, on an average, twenty horses 

 power, to turn and work a mill of eight pairs of stones.. At the 

 period of the inquiry, a very good high-pressure steam-engine of 

 that power could be obtained for 500/., and it was estimated that 

 the necessary buildings, engine-bed, chimney, and the gearing 

 for applying the steam-power, and other alterations in the 

 machinery, would cost an equal sum of 500Z. ; so that the total 

 cost of a 20-horse steam-engine, with all its- appliances for the 

 purposes required in this case, would be 1000/., or 50/. per 

 horse-power. 



It was ascertained from practical men, that a condensing 

 engine would not consume more than from 5 lbs. to 5i- lbs. of 

 best Newcastle coal per horse-power per hour ; but as it was 

 determined in this case that high-pressure engines should be 

 adopted, and as coal of that quality had never been used in this 

 neighbourhood for such purposes, the calculations were made for 

 the use of ordinary steam coal, and 10 lbs. per horse-power per 

 hour was generally admitted to be a sufficient allowance. Thus 

 it appeared, that for the supply of a 20-horse high-pressure 

 steam-engine, working 311 days in the year, and 12 hours per 

 diem, the quantity of coal consumed would amount to 333 tons, 

 which, at the price of the day in this neighbourhood — viz. 75. per 

 ton — would amount to 116/. l\s. Q>d. 



Putting it in the form of an account, the total cost was esti- 

 mated as under : — 



£. s. d. 



Twenty-horse engine, per annum, for coal . ~ . . 116 11 6 

 Wages of engineer, 21s. per week . , . . 54 12 0 

 Wear and tear of engine, tallow, hemp, and oil, taken 



at IZ. per horse-power . . - . . . 20 0 0 



191 3 6— 



a sum which, at twenty years' purchase, was equal to . 3,823 10 0 



The wear and tear of boilers were considered to be compensated 

 for by the expense of keeping up the mill-dams, &c. 



Applying these calculations to the conversion of the whole of 

 the water-power, actually in use, into steam-power, and its main- 

 tenance, would cost as follows ; — 



