Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the numerous original illustrations. See 45703-h.htm or 45703-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45703/45703-h/45703-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45703/45703-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/presentpracticeo00sponuoft Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). Small capitals have been changed to ALL CAPITALS. [V] and [T] symbols represent sans-serif characters in the original text. SINKING AND BORING WELLS. [Illustration: BORING SHEAR FRAME.] WATER SUPPLY. THE PRESENT PRACTICE OF SINKING AND BORING WELLS; With Geological Considerations and Examples of Wells Executed. by ERNEST SPON, Member of the Society of Engineers; of the Franklin Institute; of the Iron and Steel Institute; and of the Geologists' Association. [Illustration: Ornate Monogram.] London: E. & F. N. Spon, 48, Charing Cross. New York: 446, Broome Street. 1875. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE PREFACE. v. I. GEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS. 1 II. THE NEW RED SANDSTONE. 35 III. WELL SINKING. 40 IV. WELL BORING. 60 V. AMERICAN TUBE WELL. 81 VI. WELL BORING AT GREAT DEPTHS. 85 VII. EXAMPLES OF WELLS EXECUTED, AND OF DISTRICTS SUPPLIED BY WELLS. 155 VIII. TABLES AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 202 INDEX. 211 E. & F. N. SPON'S NEW BOOKS. Advertisements PREFACE. In modern times the tendency of the inhabitants of a country to dwell together in large communities, and the consequent need for accumulating in a particular locality a sufficient supply of water for household, social, and industrial purposes, have rendered necessary the construction of such engineering works as impounding reservoirs and wells, by means of which the abundant measure of sparsely populated districts may be utilized, and water obtained not only free from those impurities which it collects in densely populated districts, but also in greater quantity than the natural sources of the district are capable of supplying.