1876.] Scheme of Water Supply. 311 
water-logged, and wells sunk therein do not (as in the case 
of the Chalk) generally depend for their supply on the pre- 
sence of fissures, but water is nearly always found after the 
“ water-level ” of the immediate district has been reached. 
This was the view, since abundantly confirmed, taken by 
the late distinguished engineer Mr. Robert Stephenson, in 
his “ Report on the Water-Supply of Liverpool,” and has 
been aCted upon with success by several engineers who have 
sunk wells for the supply of Liverpool, Manchester, Bir- 
mingham, Nottingham, and other towns in the northern and 
central counties. 
The remarkable permeability of this formation, equalling 
probably that of the Lower Greensand both of England 
and France, has recently been illustrated by the deep boring 
in search of coal at Scarle, near Lincoln. This boring, 
conducted by the “ Diamond Boring Company,” was com- 
menced in the Lower Lias in 1874, and, after having passed 
through 790 feet of these beds and the underlying imperme- 
able marls of the Keuper, struck a feeder of water in the 
Lower Keuper Sandstone, and a still stronger one at 
950 feet, which caused the water to spout up 5 feet above 
the surface. The whole of the Bunter Sandstone below 
was also charged with water, as proved by the increasing 
temperature down to its base of 1500 from the surface.* 
Now, the distance of this boring from the outcrop of the 
beds towards Mansfield varies from 12 to 16 miles, and 
through this distance the water percolated from a district 
300 or 400 feet above the sea-level, till it reached a depth of 
about 900 feet below it ; and, being kept down by the over- 
lying impervious beds of the Keuper Marl, ascended to the 
surface with great force on being released through means 
of the borehole on the Artesian principle. 
The amount of solid matter per gallon in the waters of 
the New Red Sandstone varies from 6 to 15 grains where 
they have been taken from wells not too shallow, or from 
those which are free from contamination by sewage pollution. 
It is to such a cause that the large proportion of saline and 
other ingredients in some of the Liverpool and Manchester 
wells, amounting in some instances to 24 and 36 grains per 
gallon respectively, is attributable. In general, the pro- 
portion of these ingredients occupies a central position 
between those of the Chalk and other limestone formations 
on the one hand, and the surface-waters of mountain 
* From information kindly afforded by Mr. J. T. Boot, mining engineer, 
under whose superintendence the works were carried forward. 
