The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-06 00:00:00

THE PURIFICATION OF THE SERPENTINE.

The select committee appointed by the House of
Commons to consider the best means of
_purifying the Ser-
pentine met yesterday, the Right Hoe. W. Cowper In the •
chair. The other somber. of the committee present ware :
Lord J. Mennen, Sir J. Parton, Lord Feeney, Mr. Beach,
Sir J. Shelley, Sir F. Smith, Sir 8..11. Polo M.
Jos. Locke,
Captain Arolidell, Mr. A. Egerton, and filir W. Ridley.
Mr. 'keyhole", C.E., was the first witness 'amine& He
add hehad prepared a report upon the state of the Serpentine
by the desire of Mr. Fitzroy, the late Commissioner of Works,
• had been presented to the House of Commons. He
thought the question of preventing danger to bathers and
skaters might be treated independently of the plan for purify-
' big the water. He believed that the water now stagnant mule
Serpentine was as chemically pure when filtered as the water
delivered by the water companies, and all he proposed in the
plan he hod submitted to the government was to remove the
organic matter not held In solution. The vegetable matter
would not be exposed to the air at all, but would run direct
through a culvert. He proposed to employ washed sand as
the medium of filtration, end the mould of labour that
would be involved in keeping the water purified would be
very small. The filtration would remove all objects
held in suspension in the water, and would have
• alight effect upon articles held in solution.
If his plea were carried out two million gallons per diem, or
1,400 per minute, would per through the filter beds, besides
the supply to the jets cosnected with two fountains. The
vegetable matter was found near the surface, and was conti-
nually rising to the surface, especially in hot weather, so that
a conduit pieced neer the surface would have no diMoulty in
carrying it cff. An owing would be employed in drawing
the water to the conduit, and the conduit, which would be
30 inched in diameter would be constantly toll. The abetrao-
lion of two million gallons of water daily would not produce
any perceptible current, though the lake would hardly be a
stagnant lake.
• By Lord Fermoy—When the matter was brought before
me by Mr. Fitzroy I instituted inquiries. If I had found c
that the mud et the bottom was undergoing decomposition I
should have recommended some other more expensive stew,
• but it was not so. I found that the quantity of mud in the
Serpentine was nearly 200,000 cubic garde. In some placed
It was etght feet deep, with • depth of nut more than eight
het of water above it. _

Lord Forruoy—Ark you not of opinion that such en ex-
tent of mud must be necessarily injurious to the purity of the
wear P

Mr.Hawksley—lt certainly produces no perceptible in-
jury. My filters provide for the passing of 2,000,000 gallons
per diem; but the water, after having passed through the
filter, would of mune be liable is became impure again. My
object le to provide that darter the hot weather the whole of
the water in the Seri ontine shall be practioally removed once
• mouth. At preeent Salentine contains little more than
60,000,000 gelloos of Anti..
' Lord Ferzacy—At the end of the mouth, when you had
passed the whole 80,000,000 gallons through your filter beds,
you would not have get • pare lake ?
Mr. Hawkaley— Certainly not; and you mover would bo
able to get a pure bike. If you pus 60,000,000 of gallons
through a regular stream, and allow it to take a month In
running down, the writer would become slightly tinged,
though not absolutely foul. The Serpentine was binned in
the reign of William and Mary, by blocking up the lower
end of the stream, where it banes irom the park, and closing
in • natural valley by mama of an embankment. As •
matter of course, a great deal of vegetable metier came down
the brook, and until the lest few years deposits have been
going on. The lake has never been completely emptied, and
after booms were constructed round the park • large amount
of gliklitalle from water-closets found its way into the lake,
making eiteatierable deposits. The total ewes' of keeping
the water cleansed under my plan would be something under
21001. • year. Last Rimier my attention was called to the
water Ia St. Jaaisierepterk, and I found it is a frightful con-
' aids, particularly Ia July. August, and September. 1 do
net think it requires that the water is the Perptntine should
be nadir row shalkow. Oa the coning, It would be better
If it were tan alma se dei
' By Sir J. Paeton—l Wises thcre is no spoofs/ right on
the part of the public+ as to bathing. I think the public
should be allowed to bathe above hedge, and that that part
should be made suitable for the purpose sad planted mead,
!melee the rest of the lake unit/oohed.
lly Lord J. Manners—The road Aired up by the bathers
produces no improper effect upon the water.
By Mr. Locke—The water in the Serpentine, if any process
of filtration be adopted, will be much puree than that in St.
James's-park. 1 propose to awry a Wert, 2R, 61n. in
dismal. r, along the whole length of the fierpeatine, giving
It • fell et the upper end, which would make it terminate in
• well; Ma culvert would always be full. As fast as the
water was pumped out of Wit would betepleosd.
The committee than adjourned.

Cl...tn.—The general committee of elections have
ealecttd the following 11,01126111 to try lad determine the
merlte of the petition egainet the return for the county of
Clam : Lend Stanley (deirman), Mr. O. Buxton, Bir P.
Sprees, Mr. Bolektr.Booth, and Mr. John Welter.

• - ,
ECCLESIASTICAL VESTMINTIL—The following era
the chief provisions of • bill brought in by Mr. Henry Say.
moor and Lord Perm°, r—The priests and deacons of the
United Church of Ragland sad Ireland at all times of their
public ministrations of the minim end dikes of the said
church shall, swept as hereinafter provided, in addition to
their ordinary diem, wear or nee the vestminte her, inelter-
mentioned and none other ; that is to goy, at morning and
swain prayer, Limey, Community, baptisms, marriages,
traria., end other pa services and onus, other than
sormoLe, preKeibed by the Book of Osaka Prayer annexed
and joined to the statute of the session of the 13th and 14th
rum of Charles 11., chapter 4, and by the Book of Common
Prelim amend and joined to the statute pored in the par-
liament of Ireland, holden in the OGOSIOn et the 17th sad
18th years of Charles 11., chapter 0, a plain whits sur-
plice with sleeves, as now ordinarily seed, and white bands ;
and st sernimm it black gown and white beads ; provided that
Is shall he Lytle.' for any such priest or deacon, at his &i-
-mitate to wear or nes in addition all or any of the following
vestinente—that ie to my, a emeoek, • plain black scarf, •
equate cap, end if hie he • gradnide of • university, the hood
peeper to his degree; provided always that this sot slain
ast ailed to the vtatments of soy airebbiahop or bishop of
the said United Ckarob, nor to the vestments in use is any
olitharld or collegiate church or chapel. Where any priest
or deem of the United C.ltureb of Ragland and Ireland at
fay time of his public ministrations shall knowingly and ion-
tiny was or um any vestment contrary to the provisions of
Ude eal, Se y sulk psi* or damn so *feeding shall for the
ant Mimes forfeit and pay the nun of 101., and fors second
offenoe shall forfeit and pay the sum of 501., and for a
third and every other like canoe shell forfeit and pay the
elm of 1001. respectively.