WELLS, ARTESIAN

See also Artesian Wells . The following account of a succe ful operation of this kind, lately performed at Mortlake, in Surrey, deserves to be recorded. The spot at which this undertaking was begun, is within 100 feet of the Thames. In the first instance, an auger, seven inches in diameter, was used in penetrating 20 feet of superficial detritus, and 200 feet of London clay. An iron tube, 8 inches in diameter, was then driven into the opening, to dam out the land-springs and the percolation from the river. A 4-inch auger was next introduced through the iron tube, and the boring was continued until, the London clay having been perforated to the depth of 240 feet, the sands of the plastic clay were reached, and water of the softest and purest nature was obtained; but the supply was not sufficient, and it did not reach the surface. The work was proceeded with accordingly; and after 55 feet of alternating beds of sand and clay had been penetrated, the chalk was touched upon. A second tube, 4 1 ⁄ 2 inches in diameter, was then driven into the chalk, to stop out the water of the plastic sands; and through this tube an auger, 3 1 ⁄ 2 inches in diameter, was introduced, and worked down through 35 feet of hard chalk, abounding with flints. To this succeeded a bed of soft chalk, into which the instrument suddenly penetrated to the depth of 15 feet. On the auger being withdrawn, water gradually rose to the surface, and overflowed. The expense of the work did not exceed 300 l. The general summary of the strata penetrated is as follows:—Gravel, 20 feet; London clay, 250; plastic sands and clays, 55; hard chalk with flints, 35; soft chalk, 15; = 375 feet. WHALEBONE ( Baleine , Fr.; Fischbeine , Germ.); is the name of the horny lam inæ, consisting of fibres laid lengthwise, found in the mouth of the whale, which, by the fringes upon their edges, enable the animal to allow the water to flow out, as through rows of teeth (which it wants), from between its capacious jaws, but to catch and detain the minute creatures upon which it feeds. The fibres of whalebone have little lateral cohesion, as they are not transversely decu ated, and may, therefore, be readily detached in the form of long filaments or bristles. The blades , or scythe-shaped plates, are externally compact, smooth, and susceptible of a good polish. They are connected, in a parallel series, by what is called the gum of the animal, and are arranged along each side of its mouth, to the number of about 300. The length of the longest blade , which is usually found near the middle of the series, is the gauge adopted by the fishermen to designate the size of the fish. The greatest length hitherto known has been 15 feet, but it rarely exceeds 12 or 13. The breadth, at the root end, is from 10 to 12 inches; and the average thickne , from four to five tenths of an inch. The series, viewed altogether in the mouth of the whale, resemble, in general form, the roof of a house. They are cleansed and softened before cutting, by boiling for two hours in a long copper. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo1289.png:Whalebone knife Whalebone, as brought from Green land, is commonly divided into portable junks or pieces, comprising ten or twelve blades in each; but it is occasionally subdivided into separate blades, the gum and the hairy fringes having been removed by the sailors during the voyage. The price of whalebone fluctuates from 50 l. to 150 l. per ton. The blade is cut into parallel prismatic slips, as follows:—It is clamped horizontally, with its edge up and down, in the large wooden vice of a carpenter’s bench, and is then planed by the following tool: fig. 1165. A , B , are its two handles; C , D , is an iron plate, with a guide-notch E ; F , is a semicircular knife, screwed firmly at each end to the ends of the iron plate C , D , having its cutting edge adjusted in a plane, so much lower than the bottom of the notch E , as the thickne of the whalebone slip is intended to be; for different thickne es, the knife may be set by the screws at different levels, but always in a plane parallel to the lower guide surface of the plate C , D . The workman, taking hold of the handles A , B , applies the notch of the tool at the end of the whalebone blade furthest from him, and with his two hands pulls it steadily along, so as to shave off a slice in the direction of the fibres; being careful to cut none of them acro . These prismatic slips are then dried, and planed level upon their other two surfaces. The fibrous matter detached in this operation, is used, instead of hair, for stuffing mattre es. From its flexibility, strength, elasticity, and lightne , whalebone is employed for many purposes: for ribs to umbrellas or parasols; for stiffening stays; for the framework of hats, . When heated by steam, or a sand-bath, it softens, and may be bent or moulded, like horn, into various shapes, which it retains, if cooled under compre ion. In this way, snuff-boxes, and knobs of walking-sticks, may be made from the thicker parts of the blade. The surface is polished at first with ground pumice-stone, felt, and water; and finished with dry quicklime, spontaneously slaked, and sifted.