The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-05-09 00:00:00

AN:YTHER APPLAL TJ THE SECRETARY OF. STAT.R.

Ti,. next busiiiess was to take into consideration a
letter from the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment, with referenoe to the lower Keaton Pond.
Mr. Crocker read the lettet Si follows :
L tiovennuent °Nice, 1. Richmond-terrace,
Whitehall, S.W. April 21, 1471,
Sir,—l am directed by the Secretary of Stat. for the Home
Department to transmit to the Portland Lieal Board, for ex-
planation, a copy (euclosed) of the complaint of Mr Robert
Pearce and olher4 respecting the pollution of • sprint', in the
street called Essten-wiusre, in the th.triet of Portland. I
have to request that the Secretary of State oily be informed
why the Local Board do not take eteps for the removal of the
pond in question, under the powers for the purpr se given
them by the 69th section of the Public Health Act, 1564. I
have further, to call the Local Board'. attention to the 49th
section of the Sanitary Act, IWO, which lumens on the
sceretary of State the duty of enquiring into complaints of
defeult of did). by Link! 'tent.. •iiii dye. power to
make order fir tee performance of the duty in which default
i • made.
I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, T. TAYLOR.
Tim letter enoloeed was us follow. :
Eautonesquare. Portland, April, 1.71.
To the Right lion. 11. A. Bruce, Secretary of State.
Hon. Sir,—We have taken the liberty to address you, trust-
ing you will favour on with your aainstance to remove from the
public highway • nuisance which IA extremely detrimental to
the health of the inhabitants 01 our Island. In the centre of
the street callod " Eaton-square" there is • spring of beauti-
ful water from which more than a thousand persons are sup-
plied. The nuisance spoken of is • pond of Wagnant water.
into which every filth mid onkel./ from the streets is emptied
and which stood+ about 2) yards north of the said spring, zed
on being filled by r4114' leaks into the wring and thereby con-
laminates tho water. Al lung DA the Pond is permitted to
retualii 1011, the spring water has the alearance of the water
In the Pond, being thick and dirty in the extreme. This is a
nest shameful state of things, in a place where every eon-
venience it offered for sanitary improvement*. The persons
who have to drink this water have borne the annoyance mo.t
patiently, hoping that the Pond would soon betoken away,and
the street levellal up. In January, 1449, the boeal Board
wet petitioned by the principal inhabitants making mute ol the
siding water, to remote the Pond, of which they look little
or no notice. The principal members of the Lam' Board
being large owners of cattle, therefore Intend if possible, to
keep the Pod, dill their own especial benefit, caring nothing
r the general benefit of the public. It not only renders the
spring cater unlit ro drink ; but we are assured that the
efilutia athing from the stagnant water lying in the Pond
during the auminer ceases II Very obnoxious and detrimental
to the health 14 the public. We would therefore innst humbly
'elicit your aulttance, hoping you wilt Mast upon its Mime-
ditto removal. We have also taken the liberty to addrees to
you • box in which are bottle. (labelled) tentaiuiug water
from the spring and pond. Hoping you will Pardee tle the
liberty we have taken, though painfully necessitated to do so,
" W have the honour to he, air,
" Venn mote humbly
"(Signed) Abraham Pearce, John Bale., Robert Talbot Cex,
Robert Pearce.
Should you require further information please addrow
"Mr. Robert Pearce, Easton Square, Portlarol."
There were exhibited two bottles of water, one of which
it wu understood contained water from the pond, and
ano:ber from tho pump used by many inhabitants of
Easton. Both o,ntuioed • considerable number of
animalcules, darting about in a lively manner. Those
front the pond water certainly wore the largest, being
twice as Lirge us a pins heed, and they wore very
numerous; but the other bottle contained • share of
creature. guile visible to the naked eye, b log many of
them • line in length. If these creatures are really
contsiiiiil in that proportion in the pump water, it is
no sou r V..t, as cc IVAN annul pc pie have lately
is .in pluvi at, ,i ..y d.e;ust from using the pomp. To
trot the wetter fairly, however, the water should be
examined wlii n fresh pumped, as these forms of life
wit raptaly eleve'op wh-n water of a certain quality is
kept tor any Hine. It was said that the animelcules
a the pini Prate: and that from the pump were of the
• illy kauds, end it can arxned from this that there
arm communication between the pond and the weft,
i'wo buckets of water wets also in waiting outside the
Ito ird room for esawiration, and the pump water ap-
p.: ired t. ilk, though not newly so meth so as that
irms the pond,
Mr. 11091 AR begged to ask any person whether they
Ii ii afluW any injured by living near the pond. lie
imi been living near there • long time, and was never
hurt by it.
Ur. B. Scaly.' named a man who had been horn
there, and bad Heel there ever sine.; be had a wife
an! 10 children, and 01100 of them had ever been ill,
alit he eapected to have about 10 more—(hughter.)
Theyoould judge from that how it could be "extremely
donmentel to health."
The Cuatamst4 woe asked if he believed the water
went frous the pond into the pump?
'Jr Tattoo said certainly not. L them wait till
t.,•Meressr r Wedues Icy, a..il if there seas no ran,
the water w..uld be as clear us ever it wa,, thou4la Vie
peed shoeld be full. He happened to go to Nethy.
fields, ant went into the envie hour. and enquired
if the water ea, clear? They r,plied it .vu very clear
last Tout-relay week, but • storm of rain came, the
water got thick, and they were obliged to stop. It
was so again on Pride, and Saturday. He hied known
Portland pond and pump for 50 years, and never beard
such nonsense as that the water got front :he pond
into the pump.
Mr. COMBER said if anybody could prove it did, be
would le lot filling up the pond.
Mr. B. Sown said swan if It were to come in from
• leak they would only have to fill up on that side, or
lower the steps.
The CHLIIIIIAX hoped that if the well water got clear
while the pond remained full, n , one would persist in
saying that the pond water got in.
• Mr. S. Paaacit said many years ago the spring was
mrtainly contaminated. If they let off the water from
the pond to • certain level, and the spring did not be.
Came clear, he would almost forfeit his enistenoe.
Toe CHAIRMAN was sorry to ate so maoh ill-feeling
ag emit the pod.
Mr. B. PIIARCI said • thousand people depended upon
that spring.
I Mr. S. Waiver called for the clause of the Aid,
which provides that the Loos! Board shall drain close,
cover or fill up. all ponds, ha., of stagnant water.
Toe CHAIRMAN asked if anyone knew of any disease
• eaueed by living our the pond.
Mr. A. bcaltrisi mentioned Mr. Pearae's son.in-law.
The doctors in London said "You are living near
stecut water."
CHAILMAN wan marry to sumo much superstition
awl piejedlee. Ha 414 swat know what some people