The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-02 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

British fleet went up the Dardanelles and down
sgain. ' (Laughter).
Mr. Kelley said he did not like underground
kitchens and it was very objectionable for persons
standing looking in shop windows 'and persons
below. It was very strange to him that architects
should make such mistakes about boundaries,
They never made mistakes of throwing land
into the street. It was generally on their own
side.

Mr. Hughes said he thought it was no use of
appointing committees if their reports were not to
b 3 accepted.
Mr. Stringer said after the remarks he had
heard from the Board he should not propose any
motion.

The Clerk produced estimates for making an
Improvement and Highway Rate. The Improve-
ment Rata of 6d in the pound and the Highway
Rate of 10d in the pound. He said he was afraid
the Highway Rate would never be so low as ten-
pence again.
Some discussion took place on the subject, ard
on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr,
Hughes, " That the Clerk do give the necessary
notices for making the rates." Carried.
lIIMr. Kelley asked if Angel Street and the George
Walk were to be stopped up?
Mr. Hughes said they were sure to be stopped
up and in fact they were. The only thing they
had to do was to make the best terms they could
with the company. The committee appointed are
watching very closely the doings of the company
for the interests of the town.
REPORT OF TIIE SEWAGE COMMITTEE.

Your committee report that on the 14th
November Mr. Roberts, C.E., (having been re-
quested by your committee to meet them) attended
a meeting of your committee. Mr. Roberts's
report was carefully considered by your com-
mittee. One of the first questions dealt with was
the construction of all future privies proposed
to be erected in the township—as your, com-
mittee are of opinion that this subject is
veiy closely connected with the drainage of the
town.

3dir. Roberts produced plans and specifications
of privies preparedl,y himself and your committee
passed the following resolution, namely
That the Commissioners be advised that .all
future privies and ashpits should be built in
accordance with the details and specification
prepared by Mr. Roberts and laid before the com-
mittee, and that a model of the sanle be prepared
by Mr. Roberts and 250 lithographed plans be
procured for general use and particularly that
a specimen of the screen, full size, be pro-
cured."

Your committee consider that for this purpose
Mr. Roberts should be indtructed at once to pre-
pare plans, sections, and all, other requisite in-
formation to be laid before your committee to
enable them to report fully on the whole
scheme.

At a subsequent meetinz your committee con-
sidered it desirable to defer action in this matter
for the present. •
On the 13th November your committee visited
the Harborne Sewage Works and were most
courteously reccived by Mr. Millington, a member
of the Harborne Local Board, and Mr. Newey, the
surveyor, from whom every information was ob-
tained as to the manner in which the sewage of
that district was purified. Lime is used for the
purpose and the sewage after passing through
several tanks flows in a comparatively clear state
into a brook below.

In pursuance of the resolution of your Board
dated November 26th last, your committee have
yisited places where works of, sewage have been
carried out with the view of ascertaining the
best method of dealing with the sewage of this
town.

_
'1 he following places have been visited, namely,
Leamington (December 20th), Birmingham (Salt-
ley) January :10th, Bromsgrove, January 16th,
and Wrexham, January 24th.
_

_
Your committee desire to express their grati-
tude to the officials of the several towns visited
for not only allowing them minutely to examine
the system adopted in the respective towns but
also for the valuable information they obtained as
to Sewage Works in general. - -

Leamington sewage is received into a large
open reservoir capable of holding one million
gallons, and then pumped through an eighteen.
inch iron main on to land to an alttide of 130
feet, belonging to the Earl of Warwick.
Birmingham: Saltley Works are very extensive
and elaborate. The principles adopted are pre-
cipitation and irrigation. Lime is used for the
purpose of purifying the sewage.
The Bronisgrove system appeared to your com-
mittee the simplest and under present circum-
stances very effective.
It consists generally of the upward and down-
ward filtration processes while the effluent water
is conveyed over land, divided into suitable plots
for irrigation and drained, and thence in a com-
paratively pure state into a river flowing by the
property.
Your committee visited Wrexham because they ~
were informed that a system is in existence at
that place whereby the mud is converted into
manure, which is reported to be valuable for
grass, root, or grain crops.
The sewage in this in4ance is conveyed into
tanks and after.the mud is extracted is allowed to
flow over some land close by and percolate into a
a brook which flows through the estate.
_ _ _

The sewage sludge is dried by being passed
through a heated -furnace after which it is mixed
with finely ground raw bone meal and sulphate of
ammonia so as to form according to the report a
perfectly dry and friable manure.
After carefully considering the systems adopted
in the towns visited your'. committee are of
opinion that the Bromsgrove system, namely, pre-
cipitation and irrigation is the best adapted for
,a
town like Stourbridge provided land could be pro-
cured in the immedi.ate neighbourhood for the
purpose. Placed, however, as the town is this
appears to your committee to be impossible unless
the sewage be conveyed a considerable distance
down the valley of the Stour to land near Bell's
Mill or adjacent thereto.

Our coin- adAeo • Era of °pi-lion that the land
near Mr. Foster''s works from the nature and
situation thereof. will not be suitable, and there-
fore have come to the conclusion that the most
effetive method of dealing with the sewage is to
convey st to the land on the other side of the
Ridge which from the nature thereof is most
peculiarly adapted to receive toswn sewage to any
extent and for any length of time.
Your committee are aware that this will
necessitate the cost of layitig down a pumping
engine in duplicate aud the continued cost of
pumping the, sewage to the side indicated. But
they feel the landowners will be disposed to meet
your Board, in such a manner as to reduce the
annual charge to a comparatively small amount.
Your committee therefore in the event of your
Board adopting this general principle ask for
pewer to prepare a report on the details of such a
gclieme at the earliest date possible.
'Jr. Hughes, as one of the committee, gave a
long account as to the various modes in getting
the sewage away. Ile said that Stourbridge lay
very low and from the experience he had had and
the information he got from several other towns
he was 'of opinion that pumping would be the
best. He thought it would cost more money but
it would be the cheapest in ,the osnd.
Mr. Woolley thought it desirable to join some
other districts and so carry out a system of drain-
age for the district.
_

-Mr, Hughes said that Dudley and Brierley Hill
had refused tv do so as they were going to do their
own drainage.

Mr. Mills- asked how it was that Mr. Roberts
had been asked to report on the drainage of the
town in preference to Mr. Marten P Was it be-
cause Mr. Roberts's was a cheaper way of doing
the work ? It appeared to Rim from the report
that the cheaper way was of no use at all and
the committee were reallyadvocating Mr. Marten's
plans.
Mr. Hughes said there was no plan of Mr.
Marten's before them. His sreport being to the
Union Authorities.

After some further discussion as to the best
means of se waging the report was received and
ll'ae committee were requested to confer with Mr.
Roberts on the subject of dealing with the sewage
and to report at their next meeting.
There was no other. business of importance.

this board
wGausa,
TerAilld ay.e—stTerhde klyayw, eeitEr. Granger
er in
the chair., There were also present Messrs. H.
Billingham, Raybduld, Hingley, Thompson, Wood,
Kali, J. Billingham, Hale Baker, Fiddian,
Lavender, Kelly, Guest, Haskew, and Smith.
Admitted into the house during the week 19;
discharged 11 ; remaining in the house 466; cor-
responding week last year 376. Out-door . relief,
Kingswinford district, £25 14s 6d; Stourbridge
district, £lB 3s 101 d; Halesowen district, .£l7 13s
2d; non-resident paupers 9s 4d; -total £62 is 3id;
against .251 16s 9-id last year.—A County rate for
Staffordshire, amounting to £374 198 5d., and £49
16s 3d for Worcestershire was paid.
THE SEATING RLNl.—Notwithstandin g that there
have been large audiences in the Corn Exchange
this week, the rink appears to be better patronized
than ever. We stated in our last week's issue
that a costume skating entertainment was to have
been given on Tuesday evening next, by the Bir-
mingham Amateurs, but owing to other arrange-
ments they.will not be able to put in an appearance.
In order not to disappoint the public of Stourbridge
and vicinity, Mr. Hainge has engaged the Burton
Amateur,
_akatiug geutlemen, 14. ia-uumhor, who

• ) • •
I,