The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-11-17 00:00:00

WOTJ kOl3 11.ACKWATIA DN

Sir, In accordarce with the wish expressed at the meeting
of the Local Huard. when I was present on I umday last, I have
to elate, by way of supplement to my reiewt:of Sith ult., that
furthcr conbidcration of the matter, and the result of my
lospectlon on Sril Met., have led net to the concluelon that It
will be desirable forthwith Co proceed with the ometruction of
the weir adverted to In that report. Ac nearly aa I can any, In
the absence of worlchm drawltme, which would he necowri In
order to frame s itetalled estimate, the cost of the weir will be
about x. 1,500.

r ARK r,IITRICTi

"sr, As requested by the Local Hoard at their meeting on
Tuesday net, I inspected the Park before leaving Weymouth,
and am unable to see that any change Can be neele by way of
improvement in the drains that have recently been put down
for the linguae of combining the sewage and drainage of the
district with the genera/ system of the Town The matters
which, in niy opinion, require prompt attention in the Harken
first the raising of the low-lying portions of the land to such
keels as will suffice to lead of the surface waters which fre-
quently accumulate at certain spots-7-a Kate of things so
objectionable that it should In my opinion, have been remedied
long since. From particulars furnished by Mr. Whateley Eliot
to the Borough Surveyor, in February last, he can determine
what should be the level to which the ground should be raised
at the respective points. It will he important that the material
to be used in the filling at any rate within In inches of the
surface should not be or a porous character, and care should
be taken that no putresclble matters be allowed, se such wool
doubtica. here.dter be found prejudicial to health The second
point which calls for attendion in the Park district is the rendi-
tion of the nun : these require to be raised in many pieces,
and the whole adjusted to proper levels, and hid with suitable
materials ; their present condition is such as to call for prompt
atttention.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Jon. Comm.

F C. Mentzll, Emu ,
Town Clere, Weymouth."
1.1:PTI! Or TOE 114R1101.1t.

.....
Mr. Wrun said that Mr. Roberts, himself, and Captain
&leant Mack., went up and sounded the Harbour. and
(wind that the depth had lessened in some places.
The Harbour Chart wax puslucod. and the marks
made by Captain Roberts's party compared with the ohl
ones of la7'2. This was easy to do, as the old marks were
ink, and the new ones in pencil. It was found that there
were dillereurex of a foot, and in some cases more, the
Ti- rut depths bying generally lesx than the older ones;
hot in a fee in mires there were a few inches more water
lately than in 1.4 a
lion mu asked a hether the Harbour.moster was to
make another surrey, and was to be accompanied by those
:;..mhmelt who had been there before?
The Mason wax going to propose that Mr. Itsibcrta and
Mr. Weld. scoimpony the Harbour-Master, and of course
it slood.l 1., open tes nay others of the Council to afrow-
rl,,v.tbeiu.
'Oils 084 agreed to.
THI: -fnru 01 TIIK IVAN WHEN GIVEN UP.
. .

The Surveyor heing rah.Pl
M. Timmy., ,ke.l him if it WM true that any of the
men in hi, employ acre put to work upon the dam before
the vlntractor bawled it over to the Local Board f

The Sunviamt was not Wei when
the men were there hot he did not exactly know when
the dam wax given it,. The HUI of March being named
to him. lig *Aid they luol no one there previous ts: the 11th
of March.

31r. TIIOIIAS : Then if it ham Leen .4448,14 any ono that
the ',.rpor.ttion men were on the work before that, that
statement W 24 11.4 c.T.tit
The Sr it‘ El'OR : No.

Mr. Itonmtrt stud it was his firm belief that if the
building of the Quay wall had not been attended to night
and 'lay, the wall would now have been as bed as the
dam. _

Etstrr asked about the discrepancy between the
Ilarboar Ma..t.,r's statement and the Surveyor's.
The MAI on : The Ilarlsur-master states that in March
last the hole was a certain depth, and since that time,
except &trim: the hirli tides in September, it had not
increased, and then toils one (out
The Si ItTEIVIL I think not : I believe there brut been
no scouring sine the first stone was put in.
In an. wer to Mr. Fut.?,
The Senvevon natinued that he worked there with the
or six men in Sense:niter, till the water entirely over-
powered them. There was souse stone put in long before
the work was finished.
Mr. WEstit : Who mid for that stone.
The Si Rini oR That was the Corporation stone. The
Corporal paid for it.
Mr. Itonexs : Was the Corporation stone put into the
dam, or to rid up the holes
The Suulveron iai,l it was put in, On account of the scour
at the mouth of the slain.

Tln• M&on: Which hole
was from 80ft to 100 ft from
the sill of the dam..

The St RVEVOR said they threw in atone right away to
where the water was delivering itaelf.
The MAVOR : It bad nothing to do with the thtni. accord-
to Sir John (*.ode's plans and lipecilicatiuns/
The 14.1:ItVETOR : No.

Mr. WALKER would like to have Sir John Cootie's certh
Seates read to the meeting no that they iniatit understand
what responsibility he a..umed for the payments made.
The NI A OH nail they would be Pent for; but he believed
they were of the most formal character.
The Tom; Chum asked did Mr. Walker want the
whole. Of the last?
Mr. WALKSR said the last, when the balance WAS paid.
It was sent for.

Mr. Ilxsuit: &eked the Surveyor to account for the
discrepancy between what he had stated and the state-
ment of the Ilarlxiuronaster. Ho had understood the
whole was going wrong. and that without extraordinary
exertions the Dant would be seriously injure!, or destroyeil.
Now this' morning they heard nothing of the sort If
they had been in possession of these facta before, they
need not have sent for Sir John Comic, and he need not
have given the Board advice to spend 1.2,5110 to complete
the Dam and prevent it, all going wrong. There wu • wide
discrepancy between what they had heard to-day, and
especially what had been industrimuily circulated—that
the whole thing was coming down about their ears, that
it was a fraud between the contractor, Sir John Coocle,
and the Borough Surveyor, and that they were to distri-
!lute it fairly over the whole of them.
Mr. Thomas thought those reports bad something to do
with the first of November—OaLghter, and several Coun-
cillors concurred).
The Idiroa said one question was as to the danger of
to the permanent part —the piers in consequence of the
foundations being washed away ; but it was quite
separate and distinct question as to the puddle and
the leakage through the Dam. He believed,
that as Sir John Coode said the puddle had been
washed away, and that owed the whole thing to sub-
side. This required immediate and prompt attention. He
would ask the Surveyor if he had ever stated that the
whole was tumbling down
The SettuEYOß: You are perfectly right, sir.
The MAYOR: Yes or no; have you stated the whole was
tumbling down
The SuKIVVOR: No.
The Tows CLERK Will it was represented to hitn that
the tido was rushing in so rapidly that the Surveyor said
he could not stop it; that the clay woo melting away like
sugar, and that the posts to which the gates were attached
were giving way and unless steps were taken to support
it, in all probability the whole thing would soon come
down. He felt it necessary to communicate with the
Mayor.
The Mivon said Mr. John Conde had perfectly supported
the Surveyor in his alarm. in fart he rather found fault
with him that he had not railed him in before.
Mr. Rons:ss mid it was of no use to mince matters.
his Dam as • structure was not much damaged, yet it
w-as in a state of insecurity, unless something was done to
put it in proper order The question was what should be
done In make it answer the purpose for which it was
intended, or some one muditmove that it he talc way.
That hail been mooted by come; but he did not think it
an opinion that would be entertained seriously by
any. What was to he done with the Dam, in order to put
it in a perfectly suitable state I The question came before
theni in the shape of a resolution from a public meeting
held let week- -whether Sir John Coode. who was the
architect who gave them the plans, and under whose
direction this work had proceeded, should be disruneed,
and some one the appointed, either to put the work in
order, or to pull it down. Ile as an individual should be
exceedingly sorry in any way to remove the responsibility
attaching to Sir lohn Coode. as the author of the iam,
therefore lie could not accede to anything which would
take from Sir John Coode the responsibility of giving no
the work in a fully efficient way. From what they had
hearil. he was afraid it was true that the contractor had
been guilty of building it of materials not suited for the
purpose—that instead of puddle there had been lease
shingle, and even things worse. In the Dam be had been
told there woo a considerable quantity of stuff taken up
from the Hassocks, and without any attempt to knead it
- indeed that would have been uselesa, it was put into the
Dam. Although be had to UM clay for the quay wall, it
being here he supposed more difficult to obtain, he took
thoyte things, and during the absence of the Surveyor
uo,l them on the Dam. This had been done: it was done
with the cognizance of many persons around, who now
CAMP forward and statel it was the fart. Ile did not
think it moms al at all the responsibility from Sir John
Conde, and therefore he would earnestly desire that the
report laid before them by Sir J din should be eonsidered
and stele be taken to put the Dam into such a cout-
ihition would f.t it for the purpose for which it WAR
OrigiyUlAy .le.imß•4l.

iI did not move a promeition yet. for
TI.,NIATOR : %on move a umposition, Mr. Hobens I
Itrh..l.7,l"t"til: r Inol better be divii4sed. There
',.r.' 1.41, .11A at tl,i4Roar.l who. he belived, entertained
strong "pinions on the matter. He for himself would not
Fet at ireizht the fart that n large number of their fellow
towinanen had met together to discusa the subject ; that
nieeting was an important one, and was presided over by
a gentleman w horn everybody knows and respects, and
who would have been the last to have taken such a pod.