The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-10-22 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL

Thursday : PTul.nt. Alderman 1111.idge, who was called
to the chair, Alderman Rabortsoa and G. Eliot ;CAitiacillors
Walsford, Grovels, Laanlog. Hanna. Ar:er, Sewn",
Getanis, Webb, Wallis, Nuurls, ft,beiu. and
Snook with Mr. F. C. Stegoll, Town Clark
TR* 01/1111111 MILL

Yr. Lovell urged Yr. Edward:a offer should be
accepted—the Pier extended further, and • light put on
the end, urging the safety of mariners requires it
Alderman Eliot opposed. greatly on the ground of the
sPP•e•lshce of the hor and the cost, the further extension
having to be in deep water and with no foundation.—
Alderman Killed's and the Town Clerk stated reasons
for opposing the further extension—Mr. T. S. Wallis
seconded Kr. L.:mire motion for the further extension.
Kr. Webb thought %wail I he injudicious to extend the
outer pier—Mr. Lovell premed a motion that the Outer
Pier be extended Aft. northward next spring.—Alderoian
Eliot moved that the scheme be abandoned for the
present —ln the mune of the discussion the harbour-
master wee called In, and said he had found four inches
lies water on the harbour bar—Kr. Naugle eseoudsd the
amendmont. which was carried, about ten voting for it.
and for the proposition only the following voted :
Councillors Lovell, Wallis, Ayles, and Leaning.

lUD WRAY'S.
_ct.zaa's tiALART AND FEU

the—i 7,; 6:717 7 ore tee f the
On .7""p • mum
new rate, it appearwl thnt CLIO are required to make up
the difference between POO inagistratce* clerk's salary
and £l7O received from NOB on estimate of which tne
salary wee bisect

LOCil. BOARD Or REALM

THE QUCITION OF TIM SMELL&
Next were read the complaints from various residents
to the Local Government Board, which stated that the
authorities do nothing efficient in the matter, and
that the memorialists were satisfied the stenches arose,
not from Ulll mewed, but from the drains.
Mr. Roswell first enquired who gave tho Surveyor
Instructions to prepare the plan which accompanied his
report respecting the sewage of the borough.
The Surveyor stated it had been prepared nearly two
years ago, and it arose out of his report on the drainage of
the Park, wherein he stated that one mode of dealing
with the Park drainage was by dealing with the whole of
the drainage of the borough.
Mr. Rows pressed his question as to who instructed
the Surveyor to draw up the plan. He complained of this
plan being sent with the report to the Load Government
; but it woe explained that only the reports were
sent by the Town Clerk, the detailed plan of Mr. Morgan
had been sent to the Loci" Government Board in a news-
paper wherein it was given at length, and this wes done
by a private persou, with whom the Beard could not
interfere.—Mr. Bohan said it was evident to his mind
that some persons were settee in concert, who had an
Idea thot the drainege of the borough is defective, and
these have ignored the existence of the Council. It
seemed to him there was • little winner circle with regard
to them plans, which neither this Board nor that above
have anything to do with, they had been prepared two
years ago, and he asked whether during that time the
public health had suffered or gone back, as compered with
termer years or other towns similarly situated with our.
selves I The most sensible course would be to
ascertain the cause of the smells complained of, and
not to undertake the outlay proposed in Mr. Morgan's plan,
an outlay larger than the whole amount expended for the
building of the Dam, and the other work, carried out at
the time by Sir John Goode. (N?, no,) Yes I £O,OOO had
been ex tended on Sir John Goode s works and Mr Morgan
estimated his proposed outlay at £17.000, with £lOO • year
working expense., and if that were capitalised, thoy
would find it was. larger sum than that expended by Sr
John Comic. Mr. Hawksley, in his last rennin, was pre-
Erdf. drain the town completely for £llOO. while
. Malan'. plan would represent • sum capitalised of
less than £30,000. It such expenditure were necesaary
for the public health, be would hold up both hands for it ;
if it would remove the cause of °fleece under which the
town had been suffering, and prevent its recurring in
years to come. But he believe it would create a far
greater evil than what It intended to remove. The
Surveyor was no doubt very sunious to make his mark
somewhere—to flesh his maiden word, but he (Mr.
Robins) had gathered some facts with regard to the
dilution of the sewage in the harbour, ti which he asked
their attention. The dimensions of the harbour from the
Pier to the Bndge are 3(osft, long, and the avenge width
2641 t. the average depth at low water spring tides being
flit over his area, making • volume of 31011,920 gallons of
water into which the °memo of this town is discharged,
when the tides are at their lowest., and this is the worst
aspect But from the Bridge to the Dam it 11810, by 885 ft
low watsr he estimated the channel at 150 ft wide and s)f I,
in depth ; this gives 8,24 89/i, gallons.° at the lowest tides
we have 38,80708 and this when the tides are 310, below the
Dam. Now. in order to re ich the level f the Dam, and
before anything can flow over, we have • rise of three It.
over the entire arm, giving 15 301,4 0 gallons from the Pier
to the Bridre. and 10979,00 from the Bridge to the Dam
making a total of 3500.558 gallons, and adding to this
31807.800 gallons at dead low water, we have • total of
72,088,183 gallons below tho DAM, and not any overflow
yet, and this twice in 24 hours. Now average spnng tides
are 15}1t. depth, and at this level three feet more water
must enter, and now the overflow begins at the Dam ; but
what do these additional 3k give, from the entrance of
the Harbour to the Dam? Why ! 35.555 gallons, and,
flowing over the Dam into the area of the Backwater,
taking Sir John Coode's figurer as accurate, 37,000,000
cubic feet, there are 231,333,323 gallons, and this at
ordinary spring tides. Now, as all the sewage is passed
Into the Harbour below the Dam, we shall see that the
Harbour below the Dam contains 71.081183 gallons before
any rises above the Dana. Add to this 72,008,10 gallons
standing from her to Dam, and passing with It to
0403,30 gallons, and we have a total of 344702.051 into
which the sewage of 14,000 people has entered. But this
ta not a stationary pool, it is a Bowing, changing body of
water, and as this is twice changed in $1 holm H 21,404,102
gallons enter our harbour daily at ordinary spring tidos.
But what of the neap tides! Why ! within the area if the
Harbour below the Dam we have 80,227,978 gallons, and
one foot over the Dam give. 78,111 111 gallons, a total of
138,09,0E0 railing, which being changed twice in 24 hours
cias 276,878,178 gallons. But does the sewage settle in
Oh. Backwater f It usually flows 24 hours over the Diot
and then immediately returns; but while it takes only 2}
houn to rise, it flows back again more than eight hours,
for I. return:, with the volume of the River Wry added to
the returning, which keeps • constant overflow at the
Dam, until the tide returning stops the omit, The
sewage is taken away by the tide, and if locked in until
the tide reaches • lowpoint, it will rush out then and find
its exit to the sea Mr. Robes. said be had no wish to
carry out any particular scheme, only that the town
should he stopped from incurring aa expenditure when
it would be simply throwing sway money, when they
would be leaving untouched the ants they all wanted to
grasp. He laid this before the Board as his contribution,
and sulked them to -bring their judgment to bow upon
such evidence as wee brought before them. He continued
that at spring tides there are 48,838 gallons for every in-
dividual of tipopalation from the tottering old man to
the reneged ld, and at neap tides, supposing they only
rise ma foot over the Dam, there are 19,777 gallons for
each individual, so that even 90 gallons be tainted by
each individual daily these 90 gallon' are diluted in
48,898 gallons at spring tides and in 19,777 gallons at
seam Mr. Hobans further went on to argue that the
tainted water being slightly heavier than the other it
does not pees over the Dam, but remains below. The
Surveyor, be thought, had not considered these large
volumes of water; bat he (14 Robyn.) ached the Board
not to be lad awe by statements which might be fictions
of the i He spoke also on the question
of the met, and remarked that the rate would pro-
bably he much greater than the Surveyor supposed,
because, instead of repaying over a period of 60 years,
they had laity only had 30 years to repay in. The cur.
Virfor also h based his calculations on • valuate° of
.1.50,000. whereas, it was only £41300. and Mr. Hoban.
calculated the rats would be 104 in the 4, instead of 7d.,
is reckoned by the surveyor. He moved :
" That In order tocome to a correct judgment as to the
caumeor causes of the nuisance, which have gi yen rise to tbe
complaints made to the Local Goverment Board. It is
resolved, that a more complete and searchieg survey be
made of the Backwater and its surroundings by the
Surveyor, inspector of Nuisances and Medical Officer,
together with the memben of this bard ; and that all
parties who have complained he invited to be present in
order that an exhaustive survey be made, and g eofhplefo
and impartial report sent to the Local Government Board.
That the Town Clerk mend • copy of this reeolution
together with, report of what has been already done by
the removal of the offetudve seaweed, and what step have
been taken to preempt the drains of Argyle Terrace, front
Mowing into the Backwater, and that the Local Govern-
ment Board be informed of the time the investigation is
being made, in order that if they think ne,t,eary, any
reepreeentative from them might be present and mai st

--- , "
rmounuou by !an r.. ANNF-

Theri;;;;A liTtle conversation between Mr. Wallis and
Mr. Robens in the course of which it wan stated that it
would not be at all surprising if the Backwater is ailing
up ; the river We has in the course of ages brought down
what has formed the Ilansocks, and it will rontinue to
bring something which will depoeit in the Backwater even
without the sewage. Mr. Ront.xs consideral the Pacific
gravity of rethinted water would prevent its going over
the Dam and depositing, Mr. WALLIS considered there
are lighter substances which will go over.
Mr. WALLIS explained that be wanted to go to the point
sciontiAcally. (Hear hear.)
Mr. Alderman ELIOT had • proposition which he hoped
Mr. Robens would accept as an alternative to his pruposi-
lion • if not, he would move it as an amendment Mr.
Eliot then complained of those who had written to the
I Local Government Board—(ithe. W. F. Trefarthen, Miss
I Jessie Baker, Captain R. Moline, and Mr. IA illiam Neale)
I --without consulting the authorities in the town, and he
co"dered they were wanting in that courtesy which
ought to exist between man and man- Ile also stated,
with regard to Mr. llorgan's plan, that when he hoard of
I.lto existence, he told the Mayor he should like to have it
produced, and the Mayor gave directione to bring it, it
having been prepared le months ego.
Mr. ROMS% next enquired by whose authority such •
ousdethugtory report was placed on the table.
A conversation followed, the only result of which waa to
*licit that the newspaper coittsthing Mr. *gun-. mar,
had not been read by Mr. Eliot, anal be had no ides it was
going to be sent to the Local Government Board,
Mr. Hum also remarked that Sillo6 Mr. Hawkesley's
plan and estimate were drawn up, there had been from
10 to MI increase in the coat of labour and material. and
Kr. Heerkeeley only calculated for the population then in
theta, . . .

--
liL'ii oostended Mr. Hawke.* calculated for a
later increabe of PoPuletion•
Mr gLiOT resumed that the ripieim 00Ibari of this
Board might give would he tobtbdactory to the public. He
therefore mored—"Tbaka scientific AnArsix he made .4
depodta in the Backwater to endeavour to obtain evidenae
of their oorapeowit matter, and that be appointed
for the purpose, and further that the opium of such
analyst be taken upon the causes of the stenches which
have existed during the last summer. He suggested that
the gentlessan named as analyst at the Quarter fieesketa
would)), suitable.
L. RN= objected to the moll& Wag madis 4ta.