The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-04 00:00:00

Tii DRAINAGE QUESTION,

Clt rk Unit rcad his report on the dial
sky tintt•ticii, which v:!• foi.t:WS

by a zeNoluied; Litly Septetni,r, kW,
the (.1( 111 Wa. ditt • Ito e, • ,atutue the tocaLty betarlo,
ea, lie-, reel, ihe 1;• r.tit. at u Ueeiitt,ld, and
WO: 1.v,1 the hoed ; tied 1,, It ci tiLt tti.td 84-I•trb
7.12, ltitt, th :AL,. pa- ee got t- fltt,%, ha%
tht; La, it ittetliod ut Intl pito.; the ii. ti-,. had deem,
.. costa,ii j CL t; ,t oh Ulu

gt-ut-ra.ly. 111.-:: ••It •
111 the bboY, f,1.1 WAWA, I beg t 3,6 IS L Vat foliowir

report.
Yar,,t, the trapping of the a,',.r, nail dralnd. Sly
33rd section of the Tornio I inproN ement Causes Act
iroVided Met All sour, aod a ratio the limns
the Special Act, waetfiei pillow or irivate, shall he
ilk lard IS 1114 liiJuituliiaiiilLare er other liereCiiie
they belong with ia -f CT traps or other covering-
iOi ails of yen:lien., so as 10 stench." 'I he
Couriers:4mm, ate aware that at pre- ent H igh-sdr,
tiagl ,•y sired, Market street, \Vol ee,ter-street, Coventry
street, Birminglorto•street and road, with Foater•street
and Krelderinsuwier•stlebt, under the jurisdiction id
the 'lorupike Trmtets, and lilLre the crania, mid in all
probability the gratings, were laid down by the Truster n.
But by the 22nd section of the said Act, all public sewers
mid drains within the limits of the Special Act, and 1.11
sewers and drains in and under the streets, with all the
works sad material, theieto belonging, whether made sit
the time of the passing of the special Act, or at any time
thereafter, end whether made at the cost of the Con,
missi.mers, or otherwise, and the entire management ..1
the same are to vest in and belong to the Commissioner,.
I find that the total number of gratings within the limit,
of the Special Act is 23e, of which 43 are trapped. and
195 not trapped.
The trapping of a considerable number of sewers, in-
volves the trapping of the whole, at least all those th
are conoected with and form part if ii gineral system
of drainage, An it will be seen from the town map Slott
all the sewers are not so connected, but run in different
directions and hone different cutfinit, it may be Cureil
dered essential to trip only dueli drains or seiners as are
connected, and have a common earthen.
This will involve the trapping of nixed. 103 gratings at
an expense (guided by the cost of acme already fixed.
and Weld' answer ihe opurpose aduiirtibly), of £2116. A
a matter of course nli the private drains connected with
the pairing sewers cv truppi d, will require toile dealt with
in • similar manner, but this expeme will fall upon tit,
persons to whom auch drains belong. As the object of
these traps is to prevent the gal in the Denver front escort
rug through the open grating, it halides that those are the
most effective that hold a constant aepply of water, which
renders the escape of the foul pas impossible. But as a
necessary precaution they require constant attention and
cleansing out oftener than the common grates, with the
ordinary catch•pits. It will be necessary to provide some
ventilation for the foul gad, In in positions and in a mode
not prejudicial to the public 11,ritli.
In the Waterworks Clauses Act, 1817, section 37, pro-
vision is made for the supply of water on such terms and
conditions ad may he agreed upon between the Commis•
sinners and the Compaq for cleansing the sewers and
drains. It is however requisite that lire-plugs be fined
in all the pipes, from which water so used us to be (di-
lathed. I think by the annual payment of £IO water
sufficient for this purpose may be obtained, and its use
in very dry and hot weather would be a great pubiie
benefit.

TOE SEWAGE Iit;NERALLY.

The town possesses every facility for au efficient aye- 5d was net snide profesaredly to meet contingencies, which
tem f drainage. fitting from the valley of the Stour the company is not empowered to do by the Act of Por-
to about 113 feet in the Mali eat point above Stour Bridge, 'lament 1" The Company's Clauses Consolidation Act,
there are no insurmountable difficulties for carrying away 1645, section 122,',) to which they refer in the manner
the surface diainage and the town sewage. The present adopted by them in their statement of accounts. But
system, if it can be so designated, may be seen at once the committee find that the sum ITS. really deducted from
by a reference to the town map, on which the existing the cost of new plant, mains, tke., (which belong entirely
sewers are marked by a blue line. I have ezamineil all to capital account) in the following year. In the year
these sowers to a,certain their size and condition, and 1864 a precisely similar thing was done with the balance
have the pleasure of reporting that they are generally io shown to be in hand at the end of that year, which, in-
good working order. Particularly is this the case with stead of being carried forward to the credit of the ca-
ttle brick sewer running down High-street. Two matters count was detected from the cost of a new gas-holder in
h iwever require attention. Fort, the Town Ditch, cci, the year 1865.
is popularly called, about one oundr.,d and eighty yards In 1606 there appears a balance of iLi5 As Gd to the
uu Air, Fisher's field, is an open ditch, and the sides con credit of the aceount, but it is not brought forward in
'tautly falling in requires hi he cleuesed out very often. 11467. In 1867 there appears a balance of ,C 533 15s 3d
I think this por,,ion should be csveced in by 1110311* .1 it to the debit, which is not brought forward in 1868, this
Mick culvett, and particularly so having regard to the itein of course being against themselves. In 1868 there
oceessity of bringing into it ttttt ther culvert (hereafter usi balance of £492 3s 8,1 to the credit of the concern,
referred to) from the Heath district. The other point is which is not brought forward in 1869. In the year 1809
the ontfalt. At present the TOWS 'Mal joining tie the mock at the works is shown to be £1,680 19s 9d, and
High-street sewer, near Mrs. Scott's residence, joins the in 1868 £1,571 lie 3d, and the concern is correctly credited
Sndir near the bridge. The conseqomice is that the water with the difference between these two sums; but the
.1 the Sta.nr rises into this outfit)l to half its diameter, amount of stock in 1808, viz , £1,571 3s 3d, nor any poi.-
0,1 this prevents the proper gushing o: the drain.. I inn of it was ever passed to the credit of the account at
u.tve no doubt that this causes 3 loriguient of filth as high all ; therefore the balance is affected by that amount, as
at Air. Healy'a, or to, n higher. To remedy this 1 would well as by the other mistakes above pointed out.
propose that anew hutfall se..ver should be constructed It therefore appeara to the committee that the revenue
down Bank-street, and entering Inc Stour (provided that account has been charged with oonsiderable sums which
river is still to be sited en the only means for collecting ought properly to have beim charged to the capital Sc'