The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-09 00:00:00

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEE.RS.

ed an
On Tuesday evening, the discussion was resual _
Mi.. Ramlinson's paper "On the Drainage of Tovals
and was extended to such a length as to preclude thet
reading of any paper. It was assumed, that etherobjeee
of the discussion was, not to determine wh largo
sewers were superior or inferior to pipe-drains, but 0
consider the broad question of the most efficient syste
of drainage for towns, to ascertain the value of then encee
ral maxims that had been laid down. and the infln,.
they might have on the sanitary condition of the CO
try. In doing this, any allusion to public boards, sc,°_tia,
be only made, by quoting from their published o,`',
ments, and to the extent only of the opinions theY rat
broached, in their public capacity. , It was argued',had
where by any operations of man the natural outfit('
stib•
been altered, it became necessary to provide a free fall,
terranean, or other competent outlet for the been
and thus the original destination of sewers hadn of
only for carrying away storm waters. The ad system,
house drainage was a modern refinement on theboth*o
and it became necessary either to combine rate
one comprehensive system, or to have two seP3,oai
means of conveying away the rain-fall and the
house water, &c. It was then contended, as
col
main arteries, brick sewers possessed direct an
lateral advantages over any other mode of consrera,
tion, and that small pipes were chiefly useful as eetiori4
and could not prudently be extended beyond connec
se . 5
r.
between houses, courts, and the main recipient
The simple conclusion appeared to be, that small frat
were useful in houses, and for short dist:xces,
thatu
useful as part of an arterial system of drainage ;the
sizes
of drains must be regulated by attention beta !, sub
conditions which might arise, and they should fo
the
as to convey away, with sufficient rapidity, all o oc-
house drainage and the ordinary rain-fall. n
tical conclusions did not, however, appear to heority,
sis tent with new systems, promulgated by au
of the
yet it must be contended, that it was the dotY
engineers to show, that they would not be trivial the-
by theoretical dicta, or bow before bureaucratic an 0
rity, but that, in accordance with their usual el_ istpfor
they would rather rely on the practically deduce
mulie of known experimenters, the results of their tiol
observations and inquiries, and their previous Plich.
experience. Some speakers contended, that at,
,51011
mond, at Rugby, and other places, the system tiler§
pipe sewerage had been eminently successful : but.°6,cted
contended, that the number of houses hitherto cet'ctioo
woth the main sewer was very small, that the constL;tiefil
the works had been so recent, as not to afford P' that
experience of their permanent sufficiency, and Ye t of
stoppages had repeatedly occurred, and the anl°-: re'
b reakage had been considerable. Also, that thef,, fur
cent operations, in small places, did not afford to the
the construction of sewerage orks applicable t°oort.
very different conditions, and circurristances, of hilliqj
ant cities and populous towns. Putting lode t-Leti
tion of rival qualities of earthenware and ceillen't,,A,.ll)the
which, it was contended, was entirely matter j"-that
practical experience of the engineer; was n„_rrqbear
at the next meeting, the speakers should conun,e+,os;
selves strictly to the principles of the drainage °A:1,014
and that to the discussion of that question they
address themselves, untrammelled by previous 013'-'
other
and as they would go to the copsideration of 3,1111,,
engineering work. At the monthly ballot the I°'-'4lll-
candidates were duly elected:—Messrs. Bruplees,
Gallez, and J. Willet, as members- and ge\ssrisOl.
Boyd, C. J. Brydges, P. H. BoutignyAd'Evrell.fxs"
Ellicombe, W. Hawes, C. C. Hobbs, •
M.P.,
J. James, J. Jopling, jun., W. WCorin.Vair
Warner and W. Watson, as associates. It ``.- ,per
nounced, that the discussion on Mr. Rawlinson's tbe
" On the Drainage of Towns"
meeting of Tuesday, December 14, but that it cOO
be prolonged beyond that evening.
would be resumed j' poi