The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-05-18 00:00:00

DORCHESTER WATER SUPPLY.

County Surveyor's Whoa,
Weston Super-Mare, Sonlerset.
May 14th, DM.

As you have suggested to me to make
some communication to the Council with reference to a letter
which appeared in a Dorset paper last week without name, I
am happy to adopt your suggestion. No rock has attracted
more attention, and at the same time no rock his been more
differently described than the chalk, and in my opinion the
circumstances under which water is to be obtained in quantity
from chalk can no where throughout its entire conformation
in this country be stated with certainty. To quote the words
of Mr. Rawlimon, writing on the Local Geology of Dorchester
(page 23 of Report), "Formations of this clam may be con-
sidered as huge covered reservoirs of water ;" and again (page
66), "it is only proper to state that the district abounds in
springs, and by a well sunk into the chalk water may be
obtained to a much greater extent than is required." To state
a case whore almost similar results have been obtained from
two Artesian wells, the quantity of water in each being from
300 to 400 gallons per minute, I will take the well at Trafalgar
Square itud that at Grenelle, Paris, both of which may be
termed very successful, In the former caw after the alluvial and
lower tertiary deposits were pierced, at a depth in the chalk of
265 feet, the present supply was obtained, the whole depth of
the well being 510 feet; in the latter case, after the alluvial
and lower tertiary deposits were pierced, at a depth of 1,611
feet, the present supply was obtained, the whole depth of the
well being 1,794 feet.
The lower beds of the chalk and the gault which succeeds it
form an impermeable stratum of clay, which causes the water
rapidly to accumulate in a district where, as at Dorchester,
the chalk is at the surface; the underground reservoirs, spoken
of by Mr. Rawlinson, have thus been formed, and the level up
to which this strata may be considered to be full of water is
the lowest point at which it can find vent. The facts which
have induced, and still induce, me to believe that our present
operations will be successful are, firstly, that having levelled a
number of wells in Dorchester I have found the water tolerably
evenly distributed; secondly, that having tested the temperature
of the springs issuing from the chalk around Dorchester, and
compered the results with the temperatures of water obtained
from wells, and having observed the strength with which
many of those upright springs issue from the ground, I have
concluded that the springs, having such strong upward
pressure, are fed by an underground reservoir which a bore-
hole may penetrate. Messrs. Paton, who are very eminent
well sinkers in chalk, when they left the work confidently
stated that boring would produce a good supply of water.
This ls a question which no doubt admits of much difference of
opinion, and this difference of opinion has been no where more
strongly evinced Mum amongst members of our Geological
Societies, and, this being so, I should have much pleasure in
meeting any gentleman at Dorchester, nominated by the
Council, to confer with him on this important subject.
1 am, yours very truly,
ARTHUR WHITEHEAD.

Dear Sir,—

G. Symonds, Esq.,
Town Clerk, Dorchester.

The MAYOR said the mere question to be considered
was, whether the Council should take notice of an anony-
mous publication. Other letters had appeared upon the
subject conveying different opinions. and Mr. Hicks in
one communication referred to borings at Compton,
which seemed, from the geological survey, to have
nothing to do with the Dorchester well. His Worship
thought it a simple matter of opinion whether or not
they, as a public Board, should, after reading the letters
referred to, take any notice of them. The Board
could not, of course, say what was underground; and
there were faults enough above ground to cause him, for
one, not to care to discover faults underground. A
practical man had told him that if the Board went deep
enough they were sure to some to water. They had now
bored about 100 feet, and there was a greater moisture
apparent in the chalk. It seemed agreed, at all events,
that there was water beneath. (A laugh.) All sorts of
suggestions had been thrown out for obtaining water—
one gentleman, an alderman, recommended tunnelling
under the river, so as to reach the water under West
Ward. If the Board had faith in their engineer they
should proceed with the boring now commenced.
The TOWN CLERK, in answer to several questions,
stated that when the well had reached 97 feet water was
found ; the entire depth of the well was 127 feet, and on
that level the headings had been formed ; beneath this
about 100 feet had been bored, and the engineer recom-
mended boring 50 feet. The average cost of boring
had been Os. a foot.

-
Mr. GALPIN hardly liked to let the anonymous letter
pass, although he deprecated heeding anonymous letters
generally, yet in this case considerable anxiety was felt
as to the truth of the assertions, and it seemed right that
pains should be taken to ascertain the correctness of the
engineer's calculations on a matter of so much moment
to the inhabitants. At the end of his letter Mr.
Whitehead admitted it to be an important subject, and
the information of a second person might strengthen his
own conviction, or show him where it might be neces-
sary to change Lis course. The motives of the writer of
the anonymous letter had not been questioned, and it
was so strongly and firmly put as to demand attention.
He (Mr. Galpin) intended to ask a few questions as to
expenses at the water works, but it seemed the Board
was in the usual predicament—minus the attendance of
the proper officials. He still was of opinion that filially
it would turn out that there was no money to go on
with, and the object of the Board would not be attained.
Mr. HODGES : Would it be right to step?
Mr. GALPIN : No; I would take the opinion of some
person, as Mr. Whitehead suggests, who is known to
the country generally, as to the probable supply of water.
' Mr. HODGES thought such a step would be useful
when the present proceedings were found unsuccessful.
He had been informed that beneath the bed of chalk
was a subterranean reservoir of water, which, once
reached, an inexhaustible supply might hence be secured,
After some further conversation of a desultory charac-
ter, it was determined to let the boring go on as advised
by the engineer; and the Board broke up about half-
past 12.

INFANTICIDE AT BROAD WINSOR.
The appalling crime of murder has just been perpe-
trated in the immediate neighbourhood of two previous
murders—the Birdsmoregate case, and the recent Stoke
Abbott case. The village of Broadwinsor—only a few miles
distant from each—is this time the scene of the deed.
Mary Ann Hitchcock, wife of a labourer living in Spicket
Lane, Broad winsor, was taken into custody on Wednes-
day last, charged with having caused the death of her
newly-born child. On the following day, an inquest was
held before S. S. Corry, Esq., and a jury of eighteen
persons, when the following evidence was adduced:
Sarah Spurdle deposed—l live near Mary Ann Hitch-
cock who appeared to be enciente—did not think she
was near her confinement as her husband came home on
the night of last Christmas day—he had not been home
for some months before that. Last week, on Wednes-
day, went into her house, she then complained of being
poorly—visited her the following morning and evening,
she was then in bed ill. On Friday morning I again
visited her, and asked if anything had happened to her,
she said " yes—no person had been with her." I asked
where it was; she replied "bask there." I was about
to sit down on the children's bed, when she said "don't
you." I sat on the bed, but did not notice anything in
particular. Whilst there, Hitchcock said "site would
be d----d if any person should see the neat—nor more
they should'nt." Did not enter her house again until
this week, as I thought she had had a child and wished
to conceal it.

Ann Philips deposed : I live next door to Mary Ann
Hitchcock—suspected her condition—visited her on
Wednesday, (the sth of May) and Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday, when she complained of being poorly—offered
to assist her, but she said she " wanted nothing." Yes-
terday, (Wednesday 12th), Mary Ann Hitchcock told ins
she was confined on Thursday evening last, and that the
child never breathed after it was born. I surmised why
she had not had some person with her. She said she
had made a promise "if she had a dead child again, no
person should see it." After a long time she told me
the child was buried behind the privy. I went with
Mr. Hansford, the police constable, and found the body
of the male child which the jury have just seen, where
she said it was. . . . .

Robert Hansford, constable, deposed—l went to the
house of Mary Ann Hitchcock and taxed her with hav-
ing been recently confined—she denied it—but said she
had miscarried on Thursday last—she refused to say
what she had done with it—searched the premises but
could find nothing—Ann Philips told me the child was
hid in the garden—went to the spot named, and found
the body of a male child wrapped in a cloth, buried
about 8 or 10 inches under the earth—delivered the
body to Mr. Broster, surgeon.
Mr. R. W. Broster, of Beaminster, surgeon, deposed
—On Wednesday last, I was requested by Mr. Mo Hale
to examine Mary Ann Hitchcock, of Broadwinsor ; I
went at once and found her in bed ; from the symptoms
then apparent I am of opinion that she had recently
been delivered of a child. I have this day seen the
body of a fullgrown inale child, and made a post
mortent examination, there were no marks of external
violence on it.—Am of opinion that it was born alive,
but that it had not breathed many times—and that
death was caused by loss of blood issuing from the
umbilical cord, which had been cut within an inch of
the bowels by some blunt instrument, and not tied. The
cord was not torn. It could not have been cut acci-
dentally.
Mr. T. Gilbert, of Beaminster, surgeon, deposed—l
hove this day assisted Mr. Broster in making a post
mortent exaniination of the body of a male infant, and
confirm the evidence he has given. lam of opinion the
child was born alive, and capable of living, *and that
death was caused by loss of blood resulting from the
fnnis being cut so near the bowels and not tied ; this
could not have been done accidentally. The child has
not been born longer than • week.
This concluded the evidence.—The Coroner having
corniced up, the jury returned a verdict of Wilful
Murder against Mary Ann Hitchcock, who stands corn.
nutted for trial at the next Dorchester Anises.

At the close of the investigation, the Coroner and jury
passed a vote of thanks to the police for their exertions.
The Rev. S. E. Malan, vicar, was foreman.