33 
itself. The Author considered that many of these towns had 
not taken full advantage of this last-named source of water 
supply, partly from a distrust of the resources of the rock, and 
partly from the failure sometimes sustained in consequence 
of the positions for the wells having been selected without a 
proper regard to the geological structure of the country. 
The excellence of the new red sandstone and the lower 
penman sandstone as sources of water supply, was shown 
to depend upon three qualities. 1. Their porousness ; 2. 
Homogeneity, or uniformity of structure and composition ; 
3. Filtering powers. Each of these were treated of in detail, 
and with examples from several wells in Lancashire and 
Cheshire. The Author then referred to the failure of the 
attempts to obtain fresh water at Rugby, and a sufficient 
supply at Wolverhampton; and he maintained that an 
abundant supply might have been found at the latter town 
had the position for the well been selected with due regard to 
the geological structure of the country. 
The Author then proceeded to lay down certain rules of 
general application for the selection of proper sites for wells, 
and illustrated the subject by reference to a well now being 
sunk under his direction at Whitmore, for the supply of the 
railway works and town of Crewe. The position of the well 
is in a (rough , both geographically and topographically, and 
on a four-inch bore hole being sunk to a depth of 148 feet the 
water ascended to the surface with a head of four feet, and 
has continued to flow without diminution for the last six 
months. The well, which is being made within 100 yards 
of the bore hole, has only reached a depth of 60 feet, but 
already yields 250*000 gallons per day. 
