"In practical use, it can extract water from mines up to 60 meters deep," the geologist continued, "and the water flow might be only as thick as a finger."
Joseph suddenly felt somewhat discouraged but was still not ready to give up; he asked, "What is the power rating of the pump you mentioned?"
"The power is 26 horsepower, Your Highness. As far as I know, that is the maximum power a steam engine can achieve. The one used by the University of Paris for forging experiments is of this kind."
Joseph suddenly saw a glimmer of hope, leaning slightly forward. "If there were a steam engine of 52 horsepower, do you think it could extract the water in this tunnel?"
"The water infiltration is somewhat high, Your Highness." The elderly scholar picked up a pen and calculated for a while before looking up and saying, "With such a powerful pump, we could extract about 15 to 18 cubic meters of water per hour from this depth. Oh, actually, more than 40 horsepower would suffice."