The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-02 00:00:00

THE HEALTH OF WOOLWICH.

A report was submitted from the Local Board of
Health of the town of Woolwich, stating, in answer
to allegations which had been made, that the health
of the town was in a very favourable condition.

On the motion of Mr. HUDSON, this report was
received, and a copy of it was ordered to be trans-
mitted to the War Department. _

PROGRESS OF THE THAMES EMBANKMENT WORKS,
LOW LEVEL SEWER WORKS, &C.

The chief engineer presented the following re-
port on the progress of these works :--
"North Side of the Thames— Thames Embankment,
Contract No. 1, between Westminster and Waterloo bridges
—The works which have been carried out in connection
with this contract comprise about 1,670 ft. in length of tim-
ber coffer dams and of iron caisson dams completed ; and
about 1,5681 t of timber and caisson dams are in course of
construction in various stages of progress. Structural
works of concreting brickwork, granite, and other ma-
sonry, and works of excavation have been and are now
proceeding within the various completed timber and iron
coffer dams and caissons for a length in the aggregate of
1,5611 t. The completed works comprise 975 ft in length of
the main low level sewer ; 2841 t. of the flushing- sower;
1,604 ft. of egg-shaped sewer, 4ft. by 2ft. Bin. for the inter-
ception of house and other small drains which formerly
discharged on the foreshore, and 701 ft. of the subway. The
works of the Westminster pier and of those contiguous
thereto have been brought to the level of the subway. The
embankment wall and works have been banked up, and the
foreshore to a considerable extent filled in with material
brought to the spot by carts from the land, or by barges
from the conservator's dredgers. The quantity so filled in
is approximately estimated at 408,627 cubic yards. The ap-
proximate value of works done by Mr. Furness in the past
month is £133,144 for works, £56,441 for materials, and
£54,944 for plant.
" Thames Embankment Contract N 0.2, between Water-
loo-bridge and Temple-gardens.—The dam at the eastern
end of the contract is fast approaching completion, and the
works within Somerset-house dam are actively progressing,
as are also those in the special length for the Temple-pier.
During the month 1,534 cubic yards of excavation have been
got out, and 1,829 yards of Portland cement contrete filled
in ; 106 rods of brickwork constructed ; 700 cubic feet of.
granite bedded from the river wall, and 1,900 ft. super-
structure of 6in. York landings laid ; the total completed
length of the low level sewer is 1,270 ft., and of the subway
nearly 900 ft. The approximate value of the whole works
completed, and of the materials and plant upon the ground
is £157,543, of which £4,533 represent the work done in
the past month by Mr. ititson ; of the total amount the pro-
portionate sum of £106,861 is for works, £20,625 for ma-
terials, and £30,017 for plant, &c.
" Low Level Sewer.—The works contained in this con-
tract are fairly progressing, I,oBoft. of the unrivetted por-
tion of the main lino, and 655 ft. of the Old Ford branch
having been constructed within the past month, and includ-
ing the portion of sewer constructed in open cutting from
the river Lee to the Abbey Mill Station a total length of
nearly 31 miles is completed. The value of the whole of
the works executed is about £173,100, of which the sum of
£13,500 is due to the progress mado by Mr. Webster in the
past month.
"Abbey Mills Pumping Station.—The whole of the exca-
vation for the foundation of the building has been got out,
and the lower portion covered with a bed of concrete 3ft.
6in. thick, on which the brick footings of the outward walls
of the building have been made, and 10 rodsof brickwork in
connexion therewith completed; the depth of the excavation
from the surface of the ground is 31 ft, Gin., this great
depth being requisite on account of the soft nature of the
soil. The value of these works is approximately £12,000,
£,3,000 being for the work executed by Mr. Webster in the
past month. Some boilers and several large castings for
the pump-wells have arrived upon the ground.
"South Side of theThames.—Thames Embankment,
Contract No. 1. —Mr. Webster has completed 500 ft. run of
paling for the dam, and 500 in staging have been driven to
an average depth of 16ft. About 500 cubic feet of timber
have been used in these works, and about 100,000 ft. are
delivered ready for use. "J. W. BAZALGETTE, Engineer."
The report was received and ordered to be en-
tered on the minutes.

THE BREAKING-UP OF SOVTIIWARK-STREET BY WATER

COMPA.N I ES.

The Engineer presented a report in reference to a
complaint made at the sitting of the Board on
Friday last in reference to the interference by cer-
tain gas and water companies with the brickwork
of the side entrances to the subway in laying down
their supply pipes, and he stated that pipes had
been laid down from High-street, Southwark, to a
point west of Southwark-bridge-road, for the
Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company. From
Southwark-square gas mains had been laid down
by the Phoenix Gas Company, and in both instances,
in crossing, the arches of the subway had been cut
through, and one of the pipes protruded from one
to two inches from the under side. In both cases
the concreted arched foundations had been broken
through, ruining the paving, which he stated would
not now last one-fourth the time it would if it had
not been disturbed.

Mr. COLLINSON said on Monday last he went
through Southwark-street and he saw the way in
which it was broken up by these companies. So
well and firmly bad the paving been put down and
so solid had the concrete become that the workmen
could only get it up by the use of sledge hammers
and wedges. Having laid intheir pipes by the aid of
pickaxes over the side entrances to the subway they
had on the spot a water cart, from which water
was passed into the trench, and the old concrete,
which it was supposed would thereby be made soft,
was then thrown in again. After the great expense
to which the Board had been put, how could it be
expected that the roadway, which had been broken
lip with such force, could ever be properly replaced
unless fresh concrete was used, and the work was
done in a proper manner?
Mr. CARPMAEL said if they were to have subways
only for the purpose of allowing gas or water com-
panies to take off a portion of the arch, to allow
them to lay down their large pipes, and that could
not be done without damaging their property, it
might become necessary for the Board to go to the
Court of Chancery for an injunction to restrain
them from doing so. If gag and water companies
were to be permitted to break into the arches be-
longing to the Board two or three inches, they would
next go to 10 or 12 inches, and they did not even
in a proper manner. He con-
reinstate the paving
sidered subways to be in the same position as cellars,
the property of the Board ; and if gas and water
companies chose to break into them for their own
purposes, he thought they ought at once to take up
the suggestions of their solicitor, and maintain their
property against such interference, and prevent
them from doing further mischief.
Mr. FREEMAN suggested that this subject should
be referred to the Streets Committee, and if gas and
-water companies were not using proper concrete,
that was a matter which ought to Le brought under
the notice of the District Board of Works, whose
duty it would be to see that the paving was re-
stored in a proper manner.
The CHAIRMAN said the report of the engineer
showed that what they had done was most dis-
heartening to the Board. They had set an example
by the formation of a model street, and it was most
discouraging to them if it was to be broken up and
destroyed in such a manner,

tha
t the
engineer's report
would be printed and circulated in the same way as
the other communications on the same subject.
-
It was finally resolved that a copy of the enri
neer's report be sent to the gas and water companies)
and that the subject be referred to the Streets Com
mittee to take such steps as they may be advised to
protect the interests of this Board.
It was further agreed that each member of the
District Board should be furnished with a copy of
the engineer's report.
PARLIAMENTARY SCHEMES.
The Chief Engineer presented a report, stating
that the Parliamentary deposits for the coming
Session of Parliament were unusually heavy, no less

than 57 railway and other schemes affecting the
metropolis having been deposited with the Board in
compliance with the requirements of the Standing
Orders; most of them being for projects of an ex-
tensive character would require much careful in-
vestigation. He suggested that the usual arrange-
ments should be made to enable him to collect
materials for the preparation of his report upon these
plans.
The recommendations were then agreed to.