Thames Ditton, Surrey: testing of Norton's tube-wells used to supply water to the British Abyssinian Expedition, 1868. Wood engraving, 1868.

"The patent tube well. Some interesting experiments were made on Saturday with the patent tube well, adopted by the Royal Engineers for the ready supply of water to the British troops in Abyssinia. It is an American invention, which was extensively used during the late civil war. In this country it was first exhibited at Manchester, a few months ago; and next, at the Engineer dépôt at Chatham. A party of engineers, under Lieutenant F. A. Le Mesurier, was then organised, and instructed in the use of the apparatus, which has been worked with success in Abyssinia. The holder of the patent in London is Mr. J.L. Norton, Belle Sauvage-yard, Ludgate-hill. The experiments on Saturday were in a field near the Thames Ditton station of the London and South-Western Railway, where forty or fifty gentlemen had assembled. Tubes of various sizes were brought into operation. Commencing with the smaller, which is used for ordinary domestic purposes, the tube, 1¼ in. in diameter, was driven into the ground some 15 ft. or 16 ft., and, the pumping apparatus being affixed, water was produced at the rate of from 10 to 12 gallons per minute, in nineteen minutes from the commencement of the operation. When at the depth of 14 ft. the use of the plumb indicated that there was about 5½ ft. of water before commencing the pumping in the tube. The next tube tested was a larger one, 2 in. in diameter inside the tube and 2 in. outside. This was driven into the earth to the same distance as the former in twenty minutes, and gave a supply so copious that it was computed that, even by hand pumping, something like 1000 gallons of water per hour could be produced. A third tube, upon a larger scale, was also tested, 4 in. in diameter. This, of course, took a longer time to drive into the earth, and a greater amount of power was required. Surrounding the tube, worked by cranks, was a monkey, weighing 600 lb., every fall of which in the earlier stages drove the tube into the earth several inches. As this depth increased, however, so the driving power of the monkey became less until, arriving at a depth of about 18 ft., each fall of the weight only drove the tube deeper half an inch; but by means of an ingenious apparatus it was shown that the power of the monkey could be increased; the next blow therefore drove the tube into the ground three quarters of an inch, another an inch, and so on. At the depth of 14 ft. the plumb was applied, and it was then found that there was a depth of 5½ ft. of water in the tube. The pumping apparatus was screwed on, and in a few seconds water was produced, abundantly pouring out at a rate estimated to be equal to 150 gallons per minute. The soil into which the adze or point of the tube had penetrated was a bright sand, as was indicated from the colour of the water, and which had rushed through the perforators at the bottom of the tube. Extremely thick at first, the water by continual pumping gradually clears itself, until ultimately it is produced without the slightest impurity. A variety of questions were asked,as to whether it was not possible for the tubes to become choked or stopped up by the sand or earth, and as to the facilities for withdrawing the tubes from the earth. These questions were answered to the satisfaction of those present, and it was also demonstrated that the tubes could be withdrawn from the earth in a shorter time than it took to insert them. It was also shown that by the outlay of some £5 or £6 every man can have his own tube well and pump in his back garden. The water produced is guaranteed to be entirely free from surface drainage; in fact, it is not only pure, but cool and filtered."--Illustrated London News, loc. cit.