The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-30 00:00:00

THE PIKE QUESTION AGAIN !

We perceive from a paragraph in one of our cotem-
poraries, that Mr. Hawksley has at last made a satisfactory
report to the IN ater Committee, which was read at the
meeting of that body on Saturday last. "What the
actual nature of the report may be we are not prepared to
say, but it is stated that Mr. Hawksley had charged the
line of pipes from Horwich to Aspull Moor, and that net
one single fracture or leakage had taken place. This is so
far satisfactory, but neither Mr. Hawksley, nor his friends,
must halloo till they are out of the wood ; we should
sincerely rejoice that neither fractures or leakages should
occur to any one of the pipes on the whole line of conduit.
But we cannot disguise from ourselves that the exultation
over this so-called experiment is somewhat premature, as
we shall endeavour to show, solely with a view to put those
on their guard who may feel disposed to place unlimited
confidence in the reports of officials. In order that we may
make this matter clear to the meanest capacity, we
have gone carefully over the parliamentary plans of Mr.
Hawksley, and had prepared rough longitudinal section ,
showing the leyels of the line of conduit pipe at severa

of the most important points. From this it appears
that the highest point on the line at Anderton Folds,
where the filter beds and equalising tanks are constructed,
is 382 feet, according to the scale ; distance from the
end of the tunnel about one mile ; from thence to
Aspull Moor, the distance is only two miles, while the
total fall at this latter point will not exceed some
fifteen feet at most. What if the pipe had been charged
without the proposed breaks at Aspull and Mountrey House
to the Sankey Canal, where the column of water pressing on
the main at that point is at least 310 feet, those conversant
with hydrostaic science can readily infer. We know
well the pressure of water at certain given elevations—we
know that the weight of this fluid contained in one foot of
Mr. Hawksley's forty-four inch pipe is 638 lbs. This will
give, in a length of 310 feet, a pressure on each of these
pipes of not less than 1,000 tons. While, on the pipes at
present charged, on to the Aspull Moor reservoir, the
pressure does not, at the utmost, amount to forty tons per
pipe, or less than one-twentieth of that at the Sankey Canal.
It would have been strange indeed if, under such a trifling
pressure, there had been either fracture or leakage, so
trivial is the fall, and so great the friction in pipes, that the
water will barely flow over the highest point indicated on
the plan at Aspull Moor. Assuredly :its velocity will fall fa
short of Mr. Hawksley's calculations.; besides, there wa
not time to determine whether the pipes were really tigh
or otherwise. There might be many escapes of water from
even these pipes, the same not appearing on the
surface for weeks ; water always prefers descending when
there is any chance of its escape ; it is an element which
ascends only through mechanical agency. It will thus be
apparent that it is at all events premature, from
the facts stated, to look upon the charging of
the main as anything like a satisfactory proof of the
stability of the, conduit when subjected to the
enormous pressure it will have to bear at other points.
It is apparent that the line from Anderton Fold is all but a
level to the point at Aspull Moor, where the main crosses
he road, opposite the Hare and Hounds public house.
Here there is a break in the pipes for several hundred yards,
where the Aspull reservoir is to be constructed ; this reser-
voir, as we have stated previously, is not yet commenced, and
as has been said formerly, Mr. Hawksley dare not venture
to charge his main with the Rivington pressure until both
this and the other reservoir at Mountrey House are com-
pleted. He knows, as well as we do, that such a procedure
would, of necessity, prove most disastrous. Aa neither of
these reservoirs were contemplated when the scheme was
originated, and their situations are not indicated in the
original parliamentary plans, it is impossible to say to
what extent they are calculated to relieve the pressure on
the main at the most dangerous points, even allowing it to
be considerable. Still, great risk of fractures must ever exist
in many places, which will still be subjected to a pressure of
a column of water from 200 to 300 feet in height. When
these pipes have been submitted to, and stood, this test for
six or twelve months, there will then be some room for ex-
pressing s atisfactory opinions as to the result, but assur-
edly none such exist at present, in so far as the charging
of the pipes from Horwich to Aspull Moor is concerned.
We have already stated that the whole of these costly reser-
voirs were after thoughts on the part of Mr. Hawksley, and
that they formed no portion whatever of his original plan.
In adopting them, however, he has shown that in practice
he has been compelled to recognise the correctness of
the opinions expressed over and over again by those who
were opposed to the scheme, as to the great risk, nay, the
absolute certainty, of serious fractures constantly occurring
in the line of conduit. This view, as is well known
was at the time scouted as being utterly
groundless, or got up for the sake of opposi-
tion. Experience has, however, induced him to change
his opinion, and he has in practice, at all events, acknow-
ledged that his opponents were correct, and that it was
himself who was in error. He is a most talented gentleman,
and in the present instance his usual ingenuity has been
prominently displayed. No doubt the statements which
have, from time to time, appeared, regarding the actual
condition of their works, forced upon the Water Com-
mittee the necessity of demanding an explanation from their
engineer, who, finding himself driven into a corner, hits
upon the clever expedient of charging the pipe before allud-
ed to, and, before the pipes were well filled, he transmits
a report to that body, congratulating them on the success of
the experiments, and the manner in which the pipes had
stood the test. But, unfortunately, he did not inform them
under what circumstances. This most important gap in
his report, we have deemed it our duty to fill up, and its
value, as an experiment, will be appreciated by the Council.
To-morrow the Council will be called upon to sanction an
expenditure of some £17,000, for the construction of the
two reservoirs above alluded to. This, be it observed,
is irrespective of the cost of the land. Will the Chair
man of the Water Committee state frankly whether these
formed any portion of the original scheme, and when he
thinks they w ill be completed