The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-25 00:00:00

TIM lIIIIINKMINT Or TUE THAMIM.

A report was brought up from the Maio Drainage Com-
mittee, stating that, the board basin on the Bth of August
referred to them the report of the royal commission on an
endaohment for the south side of the river, Clay had oon-
sidrvd the same and drawn up their report, and they sug-
gested that a special day should be set apart by the board to
consider it.

The motion was put and agreed to.
The chief wegitieer presented the following report on the
scheme of the Thames embankment referred to iu the act of
tut session, between Westminster and Blackfrian-bridges :
" The Thames Embankment Act and the plans referred
to therein define in general terms the main features of the
work entrusted to this board for execution. But it remains
for this board to determine with what materials the em-
babanient should be constructed, what should be the depth
of its foundations, and its solidity, and strength ; also whet
should be the general appssranoe or design, whether it
should be constructed with or without a cofferdam, and the
modes of forming the low level sewer, with its breech con-
nexion and all other matters of detail. The act provides
that the powers of the board for the compulsory purchase
of property shall not be exercised after the expiration of
five veers from the passing of the act ; but it does not limit
the period for the execution of the work. Having referred
to the, limits of deviation, the .report went on to my that
the face of the embankment is to commence at the
northern abutment of Westminster-bridge in a line with
the existing embankment in front of the Houses of Parlia-
ment, arid it will extend in • slightly curved line to the
northern brick pier of Hungerford-bridge. At Richmood-
terrace it will be '&0 feet in front of the present high
water lima, at Suntland-yard 400 feet, and at Hungerford-
bridge 300 feet. From Hungerford-bridge it will continue
to the first pier of W aterloo-tridge, and opposite Bookies-
ham-street it will extend 450 feet into the river, opposite
Salisbury-street 300 feet, and opposite Somerset-house 130
feet. The solid embankment is to terminate on the eastern
aids of Temple-gardens, where it will extend about 200 feet
into the river. A roadway 100 feet wide is to be
formed upon that portion of the embankment
nearest the river. From the junction of this
roadway with Westminster-bridge it will fall, at an
dubber-too of lin 80, to the level of the embankment, which
Is to be 4 feet above Trinity high-water mark. The road-
way will pass under Hungerford and Waterloo bridges ; and
at the east end of Temple-gardens it will be reduced to 70
feet in width and be carried upon columns rising at an in-
clination of 1 in 60 to the level of Chatham-place, Black-
friars-bridge. The River Thames at London-bridge has •
clear waterway of about 700 feet. At Southwark-bridge
the waterway is about 700 feet. It then rapidly ex-
in width, and will when the embankment is
armed be 900 feet wide above Blackfriars.bridp,
and 1,020 feet at Hungerford-bridge . . . The ap-
proaches or connecting roads between the embankmeut
roadway and the existing streets are to be formed is the
following manner :—A roadway not less than 40 feet to
width, and with an inclination of not less than 1 in 30, is to
be carried in the form of a crescent to the foot of Arundel,
Norfolk, and Surrey streets in the Strand. A new
street is to be formed fromieWellicigtoo-street,
opposite Somerset-house, falling at an inclination of 1 in 40
under Hungerford-bridge, neer to Northumberland-wharf,
and connected with Whitehall-place by • prolongation
thereof. A street connecting Whitehall, opposite the
Norse Guards, with the embankment roadway is to be
formed through Whitehall-yard and Whitehall-stairs, nearly
on a level. The approaches to the embankment roadway
will moire your careful consideration, inasmuch as the
usefulness of that roadway will depend mainly on the faci-
lities which are provided for commuting it with the existing
lines of thoroughfare. The streets, which run at right
angles from the Strand down to the embankment, Norfolk-
street excepted, area* narrow and steeps to be very incon-
venient as public thoroughfares. A convenient communi-
cation between Charing-cross and the roadway on the
embankment should form • prominent feature io the de-
sign, and would probably tout to relieve the Strand and
Fleet-street more than any other, but provision has not
been made for such a line of communication. The most
direct and most convenient route that could be suggested
would unquestionably be in a direct line through the gar-
dens close to the back of Northumberland House ; but if
that should be regarded as too bold and costly an approach,
1 submit that a very advantageous one may be obtained by
purchasing the block of houses between Northumberland
and Craven streets, and passing in • curved line from the
east corner of Northumberland House, between Northam-
Derived and Craven streets, oolto the embankment roadway.
This route from Chariug-cross to thereat would be 4410 feet
nearer than by Whitehall-place, and 100 feet nearer than
along the Strand and down Norfolk-street, and its inclina-
tion would not be leas than 1 in 56, which is much latter
than could be obtained by the other router. It would also
most effectually relieve the present thoroughfares where
they are most crowded. I submit, also, that the high level
roadway, instead of starting from opposite Somerset House,
in the narrow part of Wellington-street. should cont-
inence in the Strood, at its junction with Wellington-
street, and may be otherwise advantageously modified, as
shown upon plans which have been prepared for the
consideration of the board. Having referred to the powers
of the conservators of the Thames, the report thus con-
cludes :—The borings along the embankment are now nearly
completed, and the result up to the present time indi-
cates that it will be necessary to carry the foundations of
the embankment down to the blue clay, which will be
about 25 feet below the present bed of the river. This will,
I believe, be found to be most economically effected by
sinking iron caissons filled with concrete for the founds-
tioos, and by raising upon them from below the level of
low-water mark) a solid granite-faced embankment,
without the aid of • cofferdam. The low level
sewer will be constructed behind, and under the pro-
tection of the embankment wall, which will greatly
beilitate the formation of these works. The em-
bankment may probably be advantageously divided into
two contracts, but the numerous points which have
been touched upon in this preliminary report will require
the deliberation of the board before I receive instructions to
mature designs and prepare the contracts for the execution
of the work. These works cannot, however, be carried out
until possession has been obtained of the property and in-
terests aloes the foreshore of the river which will be in-
terfered with ; and I recommend that arrangements beforth.
with made to promote this object, and that the proper
oftiters be instructed to prepare and serve the notices, and
posh forward this necessarily tedious part of the bunkum
without delay. "J. W. Bezewerre, Engineer."
The report was received and ordered to be taken into con-
sideration on a future day.
The following is the engineer's report on the southern
embankment :

.• i;eutlemen,—l beg to report that the Thames Em-
bankment Commission have divided this district into
three sections ; the first extending from Deptford
to Westminster-bridge ; the second from West-
minster-bridge to Vauxhall bridge; and the third from
Vauximll-bridge to Battersea-park. With reference to the
first sectiou, the commission have regarded the existing
thoroughfares,couplal with the new street now beioeformed
by you, sufficient for the accommodation of the traffic : and
they believe that the flooding of those districts may be ob-
viated by a more efficient system of drainage, and consider
that no public necessity exists for an emlnakinent fur this
reaction. They, however, admit that such an embankment
would improve the navigation of the river, iocresse the
whinfoge accommodation, and ensure uniformity of design.
and recommend that every facility should be afforded
to the wharf-owners and occupiers to enable them
to do this work, should they desire it, With
respect to their 2nd and 3rd sections, they recom-
mend the formation of an embanked roadway from West-
minster-bridge to Battersea-perk, about 4ft, tin. above
Trinity high water mark, mid loft. wide, and two miles in
length. To be on an ornamental viaduct opposite the
houses of parliament to Bishop's-walk. then on a solid ern-
bankincut, with the exception of a further length of arching
from the London Cu Works to Nine Elms. They further
recon mend the dredging of this portion of the bottom of
the river to a level five feet below low water, and estimate
these works, with the requisite approaches, at 1,100,00 W.
I submit for your consideration, that a more convenient
subdivision of this district will be to regard the distance
from Deptford to London-bridge u the first section,
from London-bridge to Westminster-bridge as the
second section, and from Westminster-bridge to
Battersea-park as the third section. The first
section, then, according to this subdivision, has not
been referred to me by you, and indeed does not require
your immediate consideration, inasmuch as no works
are at present contemplated fur this section on the
north aide which would affect the south. With reaped
to the second sectioe--viz., from London to West-
minster bridges—l am unable to concur in the views
arrived at by the Royal Commission, excepting so far as
regards there being no necessity for the formation of a
roadway along the fore-shore of the river. Indeed, the
commissioners, in admitting that an embankment would
improve the navigation of the river and ensure uniformity
of design, have themselves made out a ease of public neces-
sity for such an embankment ; which, however, they do out
admit. But there are other and still more cogent reasons
why such an embankment should be, and must eventually
be constructed. It has been stated in evidence
before the oommissioner" that the existing em-
bsekments are defective, and that the low lying
district. behind them are consequently flooded at high
tides; and my owe personal observation confirms ,these
statements. The foundations of many of these embankments
are very shallow and defective, some of them not being more
than 3 feet in depth so that when the embankment on
the north side is completed, and the mud basks and shoals
in the river dredged away, and the strength of the tideway
brought over nearer to the south side, the safety of than
wharves will be endangered ; end they will assuredly, if
they are not attended to, be undermined and come down.
For these reasons, I am of opinion that this section of the
south side of the river must be embanked toss uniform line;
sad it casuist he left to the option of the different owners and
occupiers of the proterty to deal with this euilisukmebt in
detached minims as they think best. I reassumed that
powers should be gives to this board to construct such an
embankment. the cost of which I have estimated at about
2150.00 W., and that the property reclaimed should be given
to the dials* owners, and tits board should have power
Io eherge snob property with a portion of the coat of the
formation of the embankment, proportionate to the value
and extent of the property so reclaimed mid added to their
premises. In this way the property reclaimed would pay
the owners for the cost of reclaiming it, and the board