The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 26, 1864.

apron, over which the sewage glides, without leaving any

deposit, into the river.
From the inspection of this stupendous work, which
comes close in its magnitude and far surpasses in useful-
ness the great Egyptian rock-hewn temples of antiquity,
thevisitcrs proceeded to Crossness-point, where the southern
pumping station and the southern reservoir are being com-
pleted. The first place examined was the pumping house,
a spacious and handsome building—the chimney of which,
nearly 200 feet high, is travestied into a kind of Campanile
tower by the introduction of ornamental openings and wind
runs in the sides of the square from bane to summit. Here
are the boiler-houses and engines, which are all of the most
colossal proportions. The machinery provided is of .500
nominal horse power, consisting of four double acting con-
densing engines, working two single acting ram-pumps or
sets of plungers, The beams are 40ft long, the fly-wheels 27ft
diameter and 50 tons weight each ; the cylinder is 48in.
diameter and 9ft. stroke; and the plungers (eight to each
engine) are 4min. 6sec. diameter; half of them with 4min.
lOsec. stroke, and the remainder with 2min. 3sec. stroke,
The pump-cases aro 12ft. diameter; the two delivery-
troughs or outlets from the pumps are each 32ft. long,
lljft. wide, and 10ft. high. The 12 boilers are each 6it.
diameter and 30ft. long. The engine-house is about 154 ft.
long, and about 53ft. wide; the boiler-house about 112 ft.
by 64ft. The chimney-shaft, when completed, will be
about 200 ft. high ; the coal sheds extend along one side of
the reservoir for a length of about 530 ft„ and are about
48ft. wide. The entire area of the works, including the
reclaimed ground and adjoining land, is about 36 acres. A
telegraphic wire is fixed along the centre of the arch of the
outfall sewer between Deptford and Crossness, so that in
case of accident to the machinery or other works at either
end the fact may be instantly made known and assistance
procured.
After the engine-house, the southern reservoir, close at
hand, was ♦isited. It was not lighted, except by a dim
daylight just enough to enable a good idea to be gained of
its solidity and great extent, It has an area of about six
and a half acres, is 17 feet deep, and is capable of holding
4,340,000 cubic feet, or 27,000,000 gallons, in its four com-
partments, This great work, with all its surrounding
buildings, is being constructed by Mr Webster, at a con-
tract price of £300,000. The engines for pumping are
separately contracted for by Messrs Watt and Co., and are
to cost £44,000.
The drainage from the low-lying districts of Rotherhithe'
Bermondsey, Newington, Vauxhall, Wandsworth, Putney,
and other places will be previously pumped at the station at
Deptford Creek from the low-level sewer up to the high-
level sewers, which carry off the drainage of Nunhead,
Dulwich, Norwood, Brixton, and Clapham. From Dept-
ford the united stream will flow through the outfall sewer
to Crossness Pumping Station, where it will be lifted into
the reservoir. The maximum quantity of sewage to be
pumped is estimated at 8,000 cubic feet per minute, and
the lift as varying from 10 to 20 feet. Triple culverts con-
vey the sewage to and from the pumps, and are built over
each other to avoid the expense of separate foundation.
The course of the sewage is from the outfall sewer along
the low level culverts to the pumps ; thence to the reservoir
along the high level culverts; and thence either to the low
water outlets, or the deep outlet, along the middle level
culverts, into the river, In addition to the sewage which
will accumulate in the reservoir between the periods of dis-
charge, the reservoir will provide for storing rain to an ex-
tent which probably will not be exceeded more than a few
days in the year, when the overflow may take place at a
leas favourable time of tide. In order to deliver the sewage
into the river under as favourable conditions as possible, the
deep outlet is constructed with a series of 12 iron pipes, 52
inches in diameter, extending for a considerable distance
under the fore shore. About 120 penstocks, or sluices, are
fixed in various places, nearly 160 of the number being in
the reservoir. For about 1,200 feet the river will be em-
banked by a retaining wall of brickwork, built on caisson
foundations and capped with granite; the wall will be
backed up with concrete, and the reclaimed ground filled in
and levelled. The contracts, both for the buildings and
the engines, are in a forward state, and it is hoped will be
completed by the end of the present year. Cottages will
be erected for a superintendent and a staff of workmen, to
resido at the works, so that constant supervision and attend-
ance may be given.
After all the works had been gone over thoroughly the
visitors partook of a plain luncheon, at which the healthy of
Mr Thwaites, Mr Bazalgotte, and other gentlemen to whom
the execution of this great national work is mainly due,
were drunk with great enthusiasm. An early return to
town was then made.