The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-17 00:00:00

tion and deodorization he was now prepared to give
the cost of the works. They would have to en-
counter an outlay of £4,000, besides £3OO more for
labour and other things.
Mr. iszw: Do you consider it to be a profitable
speculation?
Mr. HAWKESLEY replied: No; it would be perfectly
hopeless. He had also looked to see whether it was
at all possible to utilize the sewage by distributing
it over the land. There were, however' so many
difficulties in the way, unless the aid of Parliament
could be obtained in granting them a large area of
land, that he did not think it could be accomplished
at all. Lodmoor had been suggested as a place
in which this could be carried out; but it was im-
possible to do so, because it appeared the ground
there was saturated with water for four or five months
it the year, and sometimes it was covered with water
for three months together. The ground would not
' admit of any sewage distribution; in fact, it would
he operating against nature, because the natural
flow of water was not in that direction. If anything
were to be done in that way it appeared to him the
valley which ran from the Backwater to the Fleet,
and which had no very great undulations, would be
extremely suitable for carrying out those operations.
Be was not prepared, however, according to the
present state of the law, to say that the speculation
would be a good one to enter upon, because they
oould not compel parties to take the sewage. The
Board might go to a very large outlay before they
had any return for their money. He thought
he had now communicated in these few words
all that was necessary to do upon the present
occasion ; but he did not consider it worth
while for the Board to have the sewage taken to a
great distance, and therefore he should not for
a moment think it advisable to have it taken so far
as the Fleet. A very useful and desirable object would
be obtained by discharging it into the sea on the
south side of the Nothe.
Mr. H. DLVZNISH : What would be the approxi•
mate cost for carrying out such a scheme
Mr. HAWK6BLBY : That would be very difficult
to tell, but he should think it would be about
£16,000.

Mr. THOMAS; : How do you propose to convey the
sewase from this side
_of the water?

Mr. HAMILICSLZY did not appear to understand
the question, and said he would carry it through the
hill, aud depeit it into the sea.
Mr. 'THOMAS again repeated his question, when
Mr. HAWHICSLEY said by making a tunnel under
the harbour.

Mr. Titoism' : Would it not be possible to avail
ourselves of the gas tunnel.
Mr. HAWIESLEY : lb is in a very inconvenient
place, and besides, as it belonged to private
persons, the use of it could not be obtained upon any
terms.

The MAYOR: Do you think there would be any
difficulty with the government if their property was
touched 7

Mr. HAWKISLEY replied that he could not tell,
but they would have a great deal of trouble in
negooiating with them, because there were so many
divisions tits be consulted. There would be the
Admiralty for the Harbour, the War Office with
regard to the Nothe, and he was not certain whether
there would not be the Woods and Forest Com-
missioners with regard to the fore shore.
Mr. DREW: But the Admiralty would not inter-
fere with our carrying the sewage into the harbour,
would they?
Mr. HAWKEBLEY replied that he could not tell;
they bad done so before in certain cases.
Mr. HARE: Do you intend to carry out a deep or
shallow water drainage?
Mr. HAWEEBLEY said the circumstances in this
case were very peculiar in fact; it was one of the most
difficult cases which had ever presented itself to his
notice. The difficulty was this. It appeared the
ground was completely saturated with sea water.
There was sea water on both sides of the town,whioh
soaked through the strata, and in many parts of the
town there was nothing hut sand, or a very small
proportion of shingle with it, which when the water
was in it was all alive. That would bring about the
risk of withdrawing the sand from the foundations
of those houses which were only laid at the shallow
depth, and unless great precautions were taken, and
considerable cost incurred, they might, by having a
deep drainage have considerable settlements of scil,
and thus be elted upon to make heavy compensation.
He confessed that this was the most formidable of all
difficulties which had presented itself to his mind.
The thing could be done, but only at a considerable
amount of expense.
Mr. DREW : Then the cost you have given us is for
the shallow drainage?
Mr. HAWEERLEY replied not exactly so. There
were cellars situated so low that the shallow drainage
would not be sufficient to drain them ' • but in some
streets, which were very narrow, it would not be
desirable to go to a greater depth than 8 feet. There
was another matter which occurred to his mind,
which he felt bound to mention, and certainly he con-
aidered it warn a very important one, and one which
would always occasion considerable risk in any
system of deep drainage which they might adopt.
Even as to the shallow drainage, it would not be
without its difficulties. At intervals of five or seven
years there were very high tides here—very high
indeed—which brought the water even into the
streets. It was quite obvious, under these circum-
stances, that the sewers would become conveyers of
water in an opposite direction from that which was
desired. Unless, therefore, every precaution was
taken, and everything kept in the beet order, the
sewers would be the means of flooding cellars, which
otherwise would not have been flooded at all. All
these circumstances would have to be considered in
the construction of the drainage works, and atten-
tion to them would, as a matter of course, occasion
an increase of cost over that of the works in ether
towns situated by the sea, but which had not the
difficulty he bad alluded to.
Mr. POTEECARY : Where do 7011 propose to carry
the tunnel across the harbour?

Mr. Havriciustrz replied near Bank Howe. There
was an open piece of ground there, and there was a
vacant piece opposite, belonging or in connection
with the (kistom House. That was the line the
tunnel would take.
Mr. POTHECARY The tunnel must be very deep,
for there it eight or nine feet of water in the harbour
at low tide.
the

Mr. 13•WHISLEY paid the deeper the tide .-_
better; and the deeper the tunnel was the safer it
would be.
Mr. HAU: Have you any idea of what the
annual cost of the mechanical portion of the works
would be?

Mr. Etivilaurt : From £250 to 11300 a-year, in-
abiding engineering and coal& '
Mr. thaw Wetild you ass steam power?
Mr. Hammitt" : Oh yes. The whole quantity
of water to be pumped would not exceed from
40,000 to 50,000 cubic feet in 24 hours—a mere
bagatelle. He had been along the Backwater, and
found the principal nuisance there was from the
sewage matter laying expmed when the tide was
out. It did not proceed from the Backwater itself,
but from the sewage mixing with the ma vegetation,_
whiob soon got into a state of ileetimpoeitien. li'
' emitted • powerful odour to-day in this cold weather,
and he could imagine what the stench might be in
July. Even, however, under the prompt system of
drainage, this might be •remedied a great deal hryti
having pipes to mousey the sewage into the mid.
I channeL _ _ _

Mr. HARE: Have you Inaba Writ Weymouth
parish se well?
Mr. Ilawcznri replied that he had ; but that WM
so high that the difficulties which presented them-
selves on this side of the harbour did not occur
there, although there were some houses on the Quay
which were situated below the level of the road,
and which, he believed, were flooded now. In
answer to another question, he said the quantity of
sewage would be very small, and if it came into the
Backwater it would soon be lost sight of, and would
not do any harm. The ills in the Backwater arose
from other thin" and not from the mixture of soil
with the pea water. If the tide ran the other way
he should be better pleased.
The MAYOR said that by carrying the sewage out
200 yards into the ilea, as proposed, there would be
a strong tide to carry it off ; it was only along the
shore where there was not much current.
Mr. listratzsLer said the quantity was so ins*.
nifloant, that this room would hold two or three house'
flow.

—Mr. Ems : Supposing the sewage was delivered
into the harbour near Bank.buildings, you would
not require • pumping apparatus then?
Mr. HAIIMISLSY : Yes, you would, because the
tide rises above the level of the shore. That was
the difficulty. You cannot have efficient sewage
without pumping. If there was • little more water
at the upper end of the town, the ghee would be an
island.
Mr. Rant: What quantity of sewage, when
mixed with malt water, becomes • serious nuisance I
Mr. HAWXXISLIY replied that the sewage of We.
mouth and Meloombe Regis would be about one in
* thousand ; and in that quantity, if it came into
the harbour it would not create ray nuisance.
Mr. Dam : It would not be perceptible in any
way?
Mr. HAWKIBIAY : Nene whatever. _

Mr. Hamra : If the sewage wee delivered into
the oentre of the Beckwatez, near Mr. Dodson's
timber pound, wonld it not flow out without anything
offensive coming on shore?
Mr. HAWEESLIY It would hang about in a
black patch there,and he oonsidered it would become
a mummies. If it was carried to Newton's Cove it
would never be seen nor thought of, and the com-
plaints now made by viltors, whether rightly or
wrongly, for they were not to suspect the pre-
sence of sewage, would not be heard of.
Mr. Mmtznos thought there would be some
difficulty in getting the permission of Government
to tunnel through the Nothe.
Mr. HAWKIELINY said he could ,bet if there
was, some other means must be reported to.
Mr. then: 1 suppose you will draw up some
report of your visit?
Mr. HAWLIMIXT said yes. He supposed that was
whet the Board desired in the first Owe, but they
now knew what in all probability would be the
substance of him report
The MA.TOR : That of course we must have
previous to coming to any decision on the subject.
Kr. HORAMD i How tong do you think, Mt,