The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-12-06 00:00:00

STATE 01 nil WATER WORKS.

The CLIRK then read the fullowing report from
Mr. Goode of the result of his examination of the re-
servoir.

Wevx)um, 22th November, 1859.
DORCHESTER CORPORATION RESER% 01 R.

SIR,—! duly received your letter of 25th ult. request-
ing that I would examine the reservoir constructed for
the supply of the town of Dorchester with water, and
advise the Town Council as to the best means which
can be adopted to rendar the work available for the
purposes intended.
Prior engagements prevented my attention to this
matter until the 3rd inst., when I visited Dorchester,
and after an exaniination of the contract drawings,
which were placed before me by your borough surveyor,
Mr. Jowett, I proceeded to the reservoir accompanied
by him, and made • through examination of its con-
dition. . . . . . . _

I find that there is a fracture at each end of each
of the four side walls, at 9 inches from the internal
angle, and extending from the bottom or floor up to
the water level. There is also a crack between the
paving of the floor and each of the aide walls. The
fractures in the aide walls and those between the walls
and the floor exhibit a remarkable uniformity on the
several sides. The openings in the walls may be taken
as 1-16th of an inch at the bottom decreasing to about
1-32nd part of inch towards the top, and disappearing
just about the top water level. The crevices between
the side walls and the floor vary also from 1-16th to
to 1-32nd part of an inch. There is a slight opening
scarcely amounting to 1-32nd part of an inch in one
line of joints of the paving to the floor, and extending
for a length of about Al feet; this occurs on the east
face of the easternmost line of piers. The side walls of
the recervoir are of 9-inch brickwork with occasional
piers or oounteiforts, where the brickwork is Ift. Gin.
thick. Between the brick walls and the chalk there is
a lining of clay puddle which is one foot thick at the
back of the fkinch work, and three inches thick at the
back of the 18-inch work.
_ . .

The character of the workmanship and the quality of
materials appeared to be good throughout. In order to
satisfy myself of the quality of the puddle, I had a brick
drawn during the time of my inspection, and the puddle
at the back was such ad can pronounce to be of first-
rate quality. Further examination of the puddle was
made on the same day at two other parts of the reser-
voir by your Surveyor in accordance with my instruc-
tions, and he reports that it was "in the same satis-
factory state at these openings" as at that examined by
me personally. Whilst expressing • favourable opinion
of the quality of the workmanship and materials, I must
call attention to two points; the first being • departure
from the contract drawing, inasmuch as the 15-inch
work of the four angles of the reservoir extends only 9
inches on the face of each side wall, instead of 18 inches,
as 'hewn by the drawing. Believing, as I did at the
time of my inspection, that the cracks in the side walls,
and between the sides and the floor, arose from the
compression of the puddle at the back, and seeing that
the aide walls had ix erery case separated at 9 inches
from the angle, I was induced to think that the 18-inch
work terminated at that distance (9 inches) from the
angle, instead of at 18 inches, as shewn by the draw.
ing ; and accordingly I directed your surveyor to have
an opening made in the work at two points at opposite
ends of the reservoir, to test this supposition. In both
cases he found, as I had assumed, that the extra thick-
ness in the walls commences at 9 inches from the interior
angle, which is 9 inches less than indicated by the con-
tract drawing. Notwithstanding that this is the Case,
I feel it right at the same time to give you icy decided
opinion that if the work bad, in this respect, been exe-
cuted in strict accordance with the drawings, the frac-
tures would have taken place in the same manner, and
to just the same extent as at present, the only difference
would have been that, in that case, they would have
been found at 18 inches from each angle, instead of at
9 inches, as they now are.
. . . . . .

The second point to which I find it necessary to call
your attention is, that in four different points at which
the side walls were opened, they were found to be con-
structed with "perforated" bricks. Having regard to
the quality or density of the bricks, the character of the
mortar in the joints, so far as examined, and also of the
cement pointing to the side walls. I see no reason to
believe that their introduction has in this ease been
attended with any evil consequences, still I cannot but
regard their use for such • work as injudicious; and
there is nothing in the specification to chew that they
were originally intended.
Having obtained from Mr. Jowett a statement of the
amount of leakage from the reservoir under different
pressures, I instructed hint to institute an experiment
with • view to test the existence or otherwise of a loss
of water at any particular point. This experiment has
occupied some time (which is the reason why my report
has not been made earlier). It has not been carried to
the extent originally contemplated ; nor is it necessary,
since I find by Mr. Jowett's measurements received on
Friday last, that the result, up to the time of his
writing, had been such as to indicate that the leakage
is general and not partial.
Having regard to the circumstances of the case, I have
been anxious to devise • remedy for the existing evil
which, whilst it may be efficient, should at the game
be inexpensive. There would be no difficulty in recom-
mending • course of proceeding which would he absolutely
certain to ensure a per fectly successful result, but this
would amount to the construction of new and stronger
side walls within those now existing; such a remedy
would be attended with great expense and a consider-
able loss of storage room in the reservoir.
The plan which I have to recomuiend, under the cir-
cumstances, will be comparatively inexpensive, and, I
believe, quite efficient,
. .

First, ;-ith regard to the fractures on the aide walls;
I should advise that for a distance of two feet from the
interior angle in each case the walls be carefully washed
free from any deposit that may have accumulated
thereon, there should then be laid over the crack a coat
of "neat" Portland cement of the best quality, the
cement to be from three-eights to half-inch in thick-
ness, and extending nine inches on each side of the
crack, and for a height of two feet, commencing at the
bottom; immediately this is done, a good sound Duchess
slate (the thickest that can be procured in the locality)
should be bedded in the cement, the length of the slate
being placed vertically, and pressed irellayaiiut the wall,
this process to be repeated from the Boor level up to the
top water line. The cement having been allowed at
least 24 hours to harden, a covering coat of Portland
cement about throe-eighths of an inch thick, and mixed
with one-third of its bulk of clean sharp river sand,
should be laid over the whole, and extending 18 inches
from the internal angle of the side walls in each case.
Secondly, with reference to the crevices between the
side walls and the bottom or floor; I have to recom-
mend that the cement be raked out of the joints, so far
as practicable, all the way round, and the joints being
washed thoroughly clean, they should be carefully filled
in with neat Portland cement, and immediately there-
after a single course of hard well-burnt Lymington
bricks should be bedded in neat rortJani cement, the
bricks being laid flat on the door, well hammered down
is the bed, and the edges set so close as possible against
the side walls, the joints being carefully flushed up with
cement.

The opening referred to in the line of the joints of the
paving of the floor, on the east face of the east piers,
will simply require that the joint be raked out and
carefully made good with neat Portland cement.
If these recommendations be adopted I am of opinion
that the reservoir will be found practically watertight
and efficient, and that it will be rendered so at a much
less coat than by any other means.
Should the Council think proper to adopt the propo-
sals I have herein made, it would be desirable that the
Borough Surveyor should come to Weymouth and are
me, in order that there may be no doubt or misappre-
hension as to the precise mode of proceeding in execu-
ting the work.
I send to your address, by railway parcel, the draw-
ings (3) and specifications received at the time of my in-
spection, and will thank you to acknowledge their receipt
NI soon as they 0011113 to hand.

I am, Si,,
Your obedient servant,
JNO. CoODE,
Civil Engineer.
O. Symonds, Esq„
Town Clerk, Dorchester.
Mr. GALPIN expressed great disappointment as to
the nature of Mr. Co..le's report. The resolution of
the Board had been, he said, that Mr. Goode should
be asked to revert upon the "plan, specifications, and
construction" of; these works, whereas the report
before them did not touch upon those points, and did
little else than report the existence of defects with
which they were already familiar. Mr. Curiae re-
marked that the fact was that an engineer would not
condemn another engineer's work, and that theme re-
ferences to engineers were little calculated to draw
them out of the difficulties in which they were placed.
Mr. Galpin replied that they ought to be in • posi-
tion to know whether or not Mr. Whitehead's con-
tract had been properly carried out. A very 12/
discussion then arose upon the relations of the 13!
and upon their liability to him;
with Mr. Whitehead, upon his duties to the Board,
and again as to whe-
ther—if Mr. Coode's report were acted upon, and the
remedial measures therein recommended adopted—
Mr. Whitehead would not thereupon be set free from
any other obligation on his part as to snaking good
existing defects in the water-works' The general
opinion appeared to incline to this view, and we left
the Board considering the expediency of putting Mr.
Jewitt, their surveyor, in communication with Mr.
Whitehesd in :revect of Mr. Goode's recommenda-
tions, which Mr. Jowitt stated would not cost, he
thought, more than about e'.lo to carry out, a sum
which it was feared by the Board would be found
far too small to do what was required.

STURMINSTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIgTY.

The annual show of stock in connection with
this society took place on Thursday last
at Sturminster, and there were many superior
animals in the yard, although the number of entries
was somewhat smaller than last year. There was a
very close competition between the Herefords of
Mr. Coate and the Devon' of Mr. Smith, and the
judges had some difficuly in deciding on the merits
of the respective animals. Mr. James carried off the
prim for the best pair of yearling heifers, one of
which was the handsomest animal in the show. In
than) the competition lay between J. J. Farquhar.
son, Ite9., and Mr. Henry Fookes, but the latter suc-
ceeded in carrying otf the prise. Mr. Farquharson
showed some fat one-year-old South Down sheep,
which were very much admired. There were some
very fine halt • Hereford, exhibited by Mr. Groves,
attracting special attention. Some of the horn'

were also much admired. There were some remark-
ably fat pigs, and Mr. Job Rose again carried off
the principal prize. There were eight lots of butter,
several specimens of which would have done credit
to any dairy in the country. The judges were, for
fat stock, Mr. John Ford, jun., Mr. George Hard-
ing, and Mr. Robert Goodfellow ; for breeding
stock, Mr. George Young, Mr. Jefferys, and Mr.
George Tett. During the morning the show was
visited by many of the gentry and leading agricul-
turists of the district.
At one o'clock there was a general meeting of the
committee at the Crown Hotel where the premiums
for long servitude were awarded to the successful
labourers and domestic servants by H. K. Seymer,
Esq., N. P., who, in the unavoidable absence of the
Hon. W. H. B. Portman, M.P., through an acci-
dent in the hunting Held, presided on the occasion.
The recipients had previously partaken of a good
dinner, provided at the expense of the society, at
the Swan Inn. _

The list of premiums awarded was as follows :
LABOURRH'S PKIIIB.
Premiums give* by J. J. Farquharson, Esq.

To William Toms, for having been in the service of
J. J. Farquharson, Esq., 31 years, • coat, waistcoat, and

To George Stroud, for 29 years' service on the farm of
Mr. J. Burgess, of Tarrant Launceston, a coat, waist-
coat, and 10s.

To Charles Clench, for 30 years' service on the farm
of Mr. E. C. Whitinarsh, of Melbury Abbas, a coat,
waistcoat, and 15s.
To Henry Hunt, for having been in the service of J.
J. Farquharson, Esq., 26 years, a coat, waistcoat, and
10s.