The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-26 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BOARD OP WORKS•

The Metropolitan Board of Works have just issued
a report of their annual proceedings, which is com-
prised in two elaborate folio volumes, containing
respectively 20 and 142 pages of rather closely-
printed matter, tabular statements of receipts and
expenditure, descriptions of work finished and pro-
jected, and an appendix of the numerous acts of
Parliament which they have obtained, and are on
the eve of obtaining for the improvement of the me-
tropolis. some of these works are of a stupendous
character, and the sums expended upon them are of
a corresponding magnitude, amounting to several
millions of money. We have, however, only space
to notice one or two of the leading undertakings of
the board, which, to its credit be it said, works
energetically to carry out the various projects it has
resolutely taken in hand.
The great feature of the report is the statement
relative to the Thames Embankment and the pro-

press made towards the completion of that noble

and gigantic work. The work comprises the for-

mation of a solid embankment from the Middlesex

side of Westminster-bridge to the eastern boundary
of the Inner Temple, and from thence on
_a viaduct

to the western aide of Blackfriar's-bridge. The

works from Westminster-bridge to the boundary of

the Inner Temple have been let in two contracts.

The first contract comprises the formation of a gra-
nite-faced river wall, about 3,740 ft. in length, with

a portion of the low-level sewer and subway in con-
nection
therewith ; the extension of several of the
main outlets to discharge into that sewer ; the con-
struction of about 3,200 ft. of brick sewer for the
interception of the smaller sewers and drains hither-
to discharging in the foreshore, and the formation of
new and commodious steamboat piers and landing
places, in lieu of those interfered with by the em-
bankment. Up to this date about 263,000 cubic yards
of material have been supplied for filling-in pur-
poses. The works were undertaken by Mr. G. Fur-
ness for the sum of £520,000, and the approximate
value of the materials and plant supplied and of the
work done to the present time is £170,584 ; of this
amount about £133,000 is due to the proaressmade
0
since the last annual report.
The second contract embraces the formation of
1,970 feet of granite-faced river wall, with a portion

of the low level sewer and subway, in continuation
of the works included in the first contract, the ex-
tension of sewer outlets to discharge into the low
level sewer ; the construction of about 2,440 feet of
brick sewer for the interception of the smaller sewers
and drains discharging on the foreshore, and the

foundation of a new steamboat pier and landing

stairs, in lieu of the Temple-pier, interfered with by
the embankment. About 200,000 cubic yards of
material have been supplied for filling in under the
contract up to the present time. The contract was
let to Mr. A. W. Ritson for the sum of £229,000,

and up to this date the approximate value of the
materials and plant supplied and work executed is
£126,726, £lOO,OOO being in respect of the progress
made during the past year. 'The contract for the
remaining length, about 900 ft., of the embankment,
from the Inner Temple to Blackfriars-bridge, has
not yet been let, in consequence of the imperfect
nature of the information which the Board have
been able to obtain as to the intentions of the
Metropolitan District (inner circle) Railway
Company, relative to the construction of the por-
tion of their line between those points, it being
proposed by the company's act of 1864 to carry
a line of railway along the entire length of
the embankment (for which compensation is
to be paid to the board of a minimum sum of
£200,000) at such a level as would require a solid
embankment in front of the City Gas Company's
premises for the protection of the railway works,
and to authorise the board to continue the road-
way on the embankment from the Temple Gardens
to Blackfriars-bridge, of a width of 100 ft. instead
of 70ft., as provided by the Thames Embankment
Act, 1862. The board have communicated with
the company, urging them to carry out this
portion of their undertaking ; but the matter still
remains in abeyance. They have, howeN,” ro
cently, at the request of tic comp-
-N.
their engineer in corn the
company's e. dith in a settle-
ment of the question, and enable the works for the
retraining part of the embankment to be shortly
submitted to competition ; but should much further
delay occur in settling the details on the part of the
company, the board have reason to fear that this
part of the embankment will not be completed for
the use of the public simultaneously with the other
lortion. The board have had to acquire various
-properties to enable them to carry out the works.
The freehold and leasehold claims received amounted
in the aggregate to £252,573 lls. ld., and they
have been settled at £176,320 15s.
The act authorises the board to form street ap- '
preaches to the embankment—one to communicate
with. Surrey, Norfolk, and Arundel streets, and
another with Wellington-street, Waterloo-bridge ;
also several short streets communicating with
Villiers-street, Buckingham-street, and Cecil-street,
and a new street from near George-street, Adelphi,
to terminate by a junction with the east end of White-
hall-place, and another from the embankment at
Whitehall stairs to Whitehall, opposite the Horse
Guards. These approaches were recommended by
the Royal Commission of 1861; but from the con-
sideration which the board have already given to the
subject it is quite apparent to them that, to enable
the public to participate to the fullest extent in the
advantages of the embankment roadway, increased
facilities of access thereto beyond those alluded to
must be provided, and that it will be necessary
to deviate very considerably from the plans above
described. The board entertain the hope that the
matter will be sufficiently advanced to enable them
to apply to Parliament early next session for the
requisite powers to construct approaches.
THAMES EMBANKMENT, SOUTH.

wed

The works for the embankment of the southern
side of the Thames consist of the formation of .a
solid embankment from Westminster-bridge to
Gun House-alley, near Vauxhall-bridge, the re-
moval of a number of low-class dilapidated build-
ings ; the formation of a roadway along the em-
bankment, of an average width of 60ft., between
Gun-house-alley and Lambeth Suspension-bridge ;
the improvement of the river opposite Millbank
Penitentiary, and the formation of new streets in
connection with the same. In addition to these
works it is proposed to improve the approaches to
Palace New-road, to widen and improve a portion
of Stangate and Palace New-road, from Stangate
to Crozier-street, and to stop up portions of the
latter thoroughfares, appropriating to the general
improvement the portions of such streets stopped
up. The contract for the embankment and works
has recently been let to Mr. William -Webster, for
the sum of £309,000, and the works will be rapidly
pushed forward.

NEW STREET FROM BLACKFRIARS TO THE MANSION

HOUSE.

In continuation of the roadway on the northern
embankment the board are proceeding with the con-
struction of this new line of thoroughfare, which
will commence at the termination of the embank-
ment at Blackfriars-bridge, and pass through Earl-
street, across St. Andrew's-hill, Addle-hill, Ben-
nett's-hill, and Peter's-hill to Cannon-street, and
thence to the Mansion-house. The street will be
3,450 feet long, and of an average width of 70 feet,
and a subway for the reception of gas and water
pipes, &c., similar to that in the embankment, will
constructed threughout its entire length. During
the past year the board have been actively engaged
in acquiring the various properties needed for this
improvement, and they have dealt with claims,
amounting in the aggregate to £327,590 Bs. 11d.,
for a sum of £288,991 10s. 6d. Arrangements have
also been effected by some of the parties interested
in property in the line of the street for the sale to
them of buildings sites, as a set-off against their
claims. The funds for defraying the cost of the
northern and southern embankments of the river
and the new street are to be provided by means of
the coal and wine duties. The sums received and
expended by the board on account of these works,
up to the 25th of March last, are as follows :--
Receipts £714,554 2 4
Expenditure
Balance in hand 281,562 19 3
'The board state that in the line of Garrick -street