The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-13 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1864.

Events succeed one another with such startling
rapidity in our busy focus of civilisation and inven-
tion that incidents of conspicuous importance fade
rapidly from the popular mind. Of late foreign
politics have engrossed every one's attention, and
the political crisis has divided cur interest with the
progress of the American war. The struggle in
Denmark has in some measure thrown the great
transatlantic conflict into the shade, bat it is im-
possible to forget the fratricidal strife still deso-
lating the fair and fertile lands of a kindred com-
munity. Under such a pressure of subjects for
thought, for discn3sion, and for inquiry, it is,
therefore, not surprising if events of a domestic
nature, but less momentous in their issues, assume
a secondary place. Unhappily we have lately been
never left long without some fresh horror, some
new feature in the "sensation" drama. Accident,
murder, fire, and disaster of evcry kind seem to
follow each other too often, in spite of our boasted
caution, from preventible causes. Few of these
catastrophes have been more appalling in their
nature, or more desolating in their extent, than
the bursting of the Bradfield reservoir, when the
silent waters swept ass ay the unthinking sleepers
to a stiller and darker rest. At the time it impressed
the public mind most painfully, but in our busy
metropolis it is now only thought of among the
things of the past. We need not wonder, however,
that to those living in the vicinity of such under-
takings the accident is no mere story of the past,
but an ever-present terrific reality. We need not
wonder that they do not imitate the indifference or
heediessness of the Bradfield victims, but that by
day they watch culvert and embankment with
anxious eyes, while night brings untold terrors.
When once a doubt has been thrown on the Sem-
rity of a reservoir, when they have, as in some
cases, Been for themselves signs of weakness or
decay in the Works, we need not marvel that many
of the poorer people are afraid to rest in their beds
daring stormy Weather and that the state of continual
alarm and excitement is described by a gentleman
in the neighbourhood as Pstjuilicial alike to com-
fort and to health. Such a position is worse than
that of the soldier lying in wait for an attack, for
at least he empeets to combat a mortal foe, but the
insidious enemy of these poor cottagers is of over-
whelming strength and subtlety, and against it
they are powerless to contend. It is certainly not
astonishing that a widespread uneasiness should
exist throughout those northern districts in which
such reservoirs are numerous ; and it was with h
view of allaying such natural anxiety that Mr.
FERRAND on Monday night called the attention of
the Home Secretary to the whole matter of th•s
system of water supply. He complained that the
Parliamentary Commiitee sitting on the ouesticn
refused to introduce protectimg clauses into a
waterworks bill, but told the applicants that they
c)uld have their remedy at law in case of accident.
This is certainly a very unsatisfactory way of doirg
business, since it is impossible to compensate people
for killing them. Mr. FERRAND reminded the
Hou-e that after the Siatiaeld catastrophe the Home
Secretary sent down two eminent engineers to in-
quire into the affAiz, and that in the course of their