The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-08-03 00:00:00

THE DISPOSAL OF TOWN SEWAGE.

On Monday morning a large party of gentl:men left
Paddington by special train to visit the S 'wage Works of
the Native GILA° Company (Limited) over Ay'eibury. on
tie invitation of the chairman, the Mn. W. F 11. Masaoy-
Mainwaring. and the board of direct arr. Basides Mr.
Mainwaring himself the visitor to the establishment
included Mr. W. Bazalgette, of the Metropylitan Banil
of Works, deputations from the lord Provost and the
Town Council of Glairgow,the Copartitions of Manchester,
Briatol, Southampton, Dorchester, Croydon, Margate, and
Lutes • Mr. Clare Sewell Read, Sir. 11. Verney, M.P.,
Sir. A. Vatrbeirn, ILP , Mr. W. E. Brigge, NI.P., 31r. 11.
Lee, 11CP., W. T. Marriott, ALP., Mr. G. W. E.
Russell, IL P., Mr. J. K. Fowler (Prebendal Focus, At Its'
bury. Ite. The weather was unfavourable for the "demon-
etratio," Aylesbury having been visited in the forenoon
by a very savers thunderstorm, which somewhat derang,d
the normal state of things as regards sewage. A consider-
able amount of attention, however, was it stowed on the
process, which had been a operation for 60,110 time pre-
viously, the sewage of the little town of Aylesbury, with
its 8,000 inhabitants, having been received daily to the
amount of 300,000 gallons, and converted into nine or ten
tons of mild manure per week, the product meeting, it is
said, swith • ready side at £3 10s per ton. The !mac sa
of oonvenion appears very simple and effective.
The sewage as it poured into the outfalt was mixed
with clay the preponderating ingrolient added
charcoal, and blood, and by this means was de-
odorised. It then passed by • narrow channel into
tank No. 1, where it is constantly being precipitated by
MOM/ of sulphate of alumina. After this it passes
moomedvely into two other precipitating tanks, and from
the third and final one it fl yws away to a tributary if the
Thanes as effluent water, in so pare • stet* it is said that
fish can live in It. The manure precipitated in the tanks
Is pumped into alarge iron receptacle in what may le called
the preesing-room. It passes by gravitation into filteraig
preens, after which it is subjected to adequate and nerve-
eery pressure by 'teem power, the result being that
wititin about three hours and • half there are cab. s of
manure containing about 40 per cent, of moisture. These
cakes are afterwards carted to the company's store. at
Aylesbury, where they are dried, reduced to • black•look-
log powder, and packed for transit. Of the deodorising
materials the clay Is got from the neighbourhool, and the
charcoal oasts at Manchester only ls. 61. per tin—At •
luncheon which followed, the Chairman (Mr. 4illW•rine)
and Mr. Shier (a director) strongly insisted on the mani-
fest superiority of this mechanical or ch .mical process to
that al irrigation.—Mr. Clare Sewell it tad. while care-
fully guarding himself aginnot expressing any opinion as
to Mal intrinsic manurial value of the article prodneed,
and while declaring his belief that for a Laze .1 I 'Wit.' of
friable Land irrigwion is the bed ma.le of getting ri I o'
sewage, and he thought the adoption of the "All O"
proceed—the one (allowed at the Avle.btry Sewage Works
—would be • considerabl alumnae.) to three towns crit of
four throughout England gor.erally, and particularly in
the north of Reiland. mong a large number of letters
expreesing regret at inability to share in the visit was one
Irons Mr. Glwistme, in which he sail he "roue. r.grette‘i
that his Parliamentary engsg uuents prevented him from
availing himself of ste invitation to be present at so in.
terestine an exhilit'on. ' The piety returned tit 'ern by
special train, and reazhed Paddington sou after six '
o'clock.