XXV111 
PROCEEDINGS OE THE 
Field Meeting, 1st July, 1886. 
BROXBOURNE. 
Field Meeting, 3rd July, 1886. 
KING’S LANGLEY. 
Field Meeting, 8th July, 1886. 
BEDFORD. 
Occasionally in the field meetings of the Hertfordshire Natural 
History Society the limits of the county are transgressed, but not 
before has the county boundary been passed for such a distauce as 
on this visit to Bedford. The object of the meeting was to study 
the geology of the neighbourhood in connection chiefly with the 
water-supply of the town. 
On their arrival at the Midland Station at a quarter-past eleven, 
the members were met by Mr. Edwin Hansom, Mayor of Bedford, 
and other members of the Bedfordshire Natural History Society. 
The Pumping Station of the Bedford Water Works was first 
visited, and Mr. Ransom stated that the water-supply of Bedford 
was derived from a cut or “heading” in the Great Oolite lime¬ 
stone, starting from the pumping-well, at about 15 feet below the 
surface, and being carried eastwards almost level, for a distance of 
789 feet, to a point where it is 51 feet below the surface. In 
1867, he said, a boring of 100 feet was made, but for the last 
75 feet it was entirely in clay. The heading was commenced in 
1870, and extended in 1874 and 1885, and it cuts the water¬ 
bearing limestone at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
Samples of the water as supplied to the town after passing the 
filter-beds, and of the water in the adjacent River Ouse, were 
taken by Professor Attfield, who has analysed them and finds that 
they contain per gallon the following grains and decimal parts of 
a grain of the respective substances:— 
Town water. Ouse water. 
Total solid matter, dried at 248° F... 48*00 29*00 
Ammoniacal matter yielding 10 per cent, of nitrogen ..... 0*04 0 04 
( = ammonia per million ..... .. ..... . 0 07 0*07) 
Albumenoid organic matter yielding 10 per cent, of 
nitrogen ..... ..... ..... ..... . ..... .. . 0 07 0*07 
( = ammonia per million .. ..... ..... ..... ..... 0*12 0*12) 
Nitrites . ..... none none 
Nitrates containing 17 per cent, of nitrogen . none traces 
( = grains of nitrogen per gallon . none traces) 
Chlorides containing 60 per cent, of chlorine ..... ..... ..... 4*30 2*80 
( = grains of chlorine per gallon ... ..... ..... 2*60 1*70) 
Hardness reckoned as chalk grains or 1 ‘ degrees ’ ’ : 
removed by ebullition . 14*00 10*00 
unaffected by ebullition. 14*50 4*50 
Total hardness ... ... ..... ..... ..... 28*50 14*50 
Lead or copper .. . ..... .. ..... ..... ..... none none 
