Page:Walker (1888) The Severn Tunnel.djvu/100



35-inch pump and the 75-inch engine being ready for work on the morning of the 14th October, No. 2 Bull-engine with the 26-inch pump being also in a condition to do about two-thirds duty with the drop-clack in it, which had been put down the rising-main, and the 41-inch engine with the 18-inch plunger-pump being able to do a little, though possibly not more than quarter duty, these three pumps were started at eleven o’clock on the morning of the 14th, for the final struggle with the water.

As nearly as we could tell, the sluice in the tubbing and the iron door above it were both closed. The water stood at tide-level, which was 38 feet 6 inches below the surface of the ground. The stage near the bottom of the Iron Pit covering the sump was about 190 feet below the surface.

To test the large pump it was started running only four strokes per minute. This was increased to seven strokes per minute on the 16th, eight strokes