The Drainage of Fens and Low Lands
By Gravitation and Steam Power

This 1888 work describes the various engineering methods used to drain fens and lowlands in nineteenth-century England and Holland.

William Henry Wheeler (Author)

9781108066402, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 September 2013

196 pages, 8 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.1 cm, 0.26 kg

A respected hydraulic engineer, William Henry Wheeler (1832–1915) established himself as an authority in the fields of low-lying land reclamation and drainage, embanking, and the improvement of tidal rivers and harbours. Based on articles written for The Engineer in 1887, he published this more substantial work in 1888 to provide a practical point of reference for those working on existing drainage systems or designing and implementing new schemes. Drawing on first-hand knowledge of the low-lying fens of England and the polders of Holland, Wheeler describes the processes of drainage by gravitation and steam power. The book also includes chapters on lifting and draining water using the scoop wheel, the Archimedean screw pump and the centrifugal pump. Providing also a wealth of operational facts relating to pumping stations in England and abroad, this remains a rich source of information for those interested in the history of civil engineering.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Drainage by gravitation
3. Field drainage
4. Drainage by steam power
5. The scoop wheel
6. The Archimedean screw pump
7. The centrifugal pump
8. Description of pumping
Appendix.

Subject Areas: Historical geography [HBTP]