91 
Ordinary Meeting, February 24fch, 1874. 
Rev. William Gaskell, M.A., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
Mr. A. Brothees, F.R.A.S., referring to a statement made 
by Mr. Dawkins, F.R.S., at the last meeting, that the 
sinking of a deep well recently at Sheerness had lowered 
the water in a well at Southend, read the following extract 
of a letter dated February 21st, 1874, which he had 
received from Mr. Joseph Beard, of Southend : — 
I have seen the agent of our water works and gleaned 
what particulars I could. Nothing has occured of recent 
date affecting our water at Southend ; but about fifty years 
ago a well was sunk in the dockyard at Sheerness which by 
excessive pumping did drain all the deep wells at Southend. 
Our well at the water works was sunk fourteen years ago. 
It is 905 feet deep, dug to 385 feet, the rest a boring. The 
last 300 feet is through chalk, above that a layer of green 
sand. The water is particularly soft, and in washing you 
can’t distinguish it from rain water. Nothing from Sheer- 
ness has disturbed this well since it was sunk, but the com- 
pany had an accident at their beginning which may have 
given rise to what you have heard. They sank their first 
well 400 feet, and all at once broke into water that rose 200 
feet. They tried to pump it out, but could not do so, and 
at last the bottom gave way and their pumping apparatus 
slipped down, where it remains unrecoverable at the present 
moment. They then started their labour again at a distance 
of 40 feet, but had great trouble with the quicksand through 
which they had to get to the chalk.” 
Mr. E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., stated that of late years 
much had been said and written on the advantages of 
drainage in improving the sanitary condition of towns. 
PROCEEDixas. — Lit. & Phil. Society. — Yol. XIIT.— IS'o. 9 — Session 1873-4. 
