The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-04 00:00:00

PURIFICATION OP THE SERPENTINE.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into
the beet meems of eittanalog the Serpentine have wet in
their report. They begin by explaining that the sheet of
water called the Serpentine wee derived from the Ranelagh
brook, which, after xpringisig in the Highgate-hille, ran
along the Sayswater.valley through Keningtompzdens and
Hviie•park. under the ancient Knightsbridge, into the
'Names.

" The waters of this brook, Irvin been checked by the
dam which wee thrown acmes the lower end of the Serpen-
tine in the reign of King William M., flowed into gravel
pita and ponfin which were adjacent to their channel, and
occupied their present area in 1730. As population in-
creased in the districta through which the brook passed it
bet its cheerier of a brook, and became known as the
Rambo& Sewer. Its current had become so offensive in
1834 trt aa set of parliament was passed to divert it
from the Serpentine through a covered channel, and since
that period only the overflow, in heavy or continuous rains,
has reached the Serpentine. This overflow is the main cause
of the complaints which have been made of the state of
the Serpentine."
The committee explains that when the sewage works at
present in progress shall be completed the cause of the foul-
ness of the Serpentine will have been destroyed, but it will
etW he neossaap to do something with the black mud which
has accumulated at the trim. The ocensittee then men.
time all the plans which have been proposed for treating
this deposit of mud, and more particuLrly Kr. Rawkealey's
filtering scheme, which had been accepted by the Board of
Works. With raped to this they say
" The proposed filtration is not Arid to be such as can
remove impurillse held in solution; and, considering that
the object in view not oaly to provide an ornamental piece
of wAter, but • bath in which many more than those who,
is the present condition of the water take
260,000 laths may seek health and recreation, your
committee are of *lion that the common mode of supply-
ing a lake with her water is preferable to the new and
in-
• ous contrivance of refiltering continuously even a
rga. annual quantity than can be supplied from a well or
a river.
"if a supply of fresh water sufficient not only to replace
the w sate, but to provide a continual change, were irn.
possible to be obtained, in the absence of another alter.
native filtration might be justifiable ; but your committee
believe that such • supply of fresh water may be obtained
from the ' within or contiguous to the Serpentine,
from an e of the water shed of the park and
Kenaingtonigarder, and from other sources which have
been pointed out to the committee. Some of this supply
may be obtained by means of simple gravitation, at • small
exp.eoSe.
' Conflicting evidence has been given as to the quantity
and quality of the water that can be pumped from the well
in Duck Island, but Mr. Hawkeeley states in his evidence
that he entertains no doubt that a considerable supply of
water can be procured in the righbourhood of his works,
and that an increred amount of water could be drawn into
the Serpentiee by an extension of the surface drainage of
the park and Kensington-gardens.
We have had, however, a more embarrassing task than
to decide merely whether Mr. Hawkwiley's plan is the best
for effectually cleansing the Serpentine. We have had to
consider whether that recommended by great engineer.
mg authority, by the executive government, sane.
fiord by parliament, and nearlyapproachusg its completion,
is so unsatisfactory in its object and means that it ought
to be arrested, even in its present stage of advancement,
and the work which has been performed diverted to other
purview. After much patient investigation, we have
arrived reluctantly at the conclusion that the proposed fil-
tration will not he effectual for thirdesired object, and that
this cleansing procem ought not to be carried on in one of
the novt beautiful spots of Kensington-gardens. We re.
commend, therefore, that the project of filtration be are.
Boned, and that the best available supply of fresh water be
poured in to such an intent am to produce some continual
w.
" Whenever the Metropolitan Board have completed
their works for the diversion of sewage from the Serpen-
tine merlin, should be takeu for rendering the bed o f the
lake clean and hard. We have not come to any conclusion
as to the extent to which the mod ought to be removed,
hardened, or covered, nor as to the relative merits of gravel
or concrete as • covering, nor as to the expediency of
lag it, nor ae to the depth which would beet promote the
convenience and safety of tethers and skaters and the
purity of the water ; bat we are of opinion that the present
condition of the bed of the Serpentine absolutely requires
amendment."

TES DYZINO AND BLIACHINO WORKS
RSOCLATION BILL.

The Amman of this bill is regarthxl with peculiar
satisfaction by the operative bleachers and dyers„ smoopt
whom the faawim address has been eircaGted by the
members of the Operative Bleachers' Short-time Commit.
tee, sitting at Bottom :