The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-05 00:00:00

Viscount Sydney, Viscount Eversley, the Bishop of
London, the Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harris, Lord
Dufferin, Lord Cranworth, Lord Houghton, the
Hon. W. F. Cowper, Sir John S. Pakington, Lord
John Manners, Mr. T. E. Headlam, Mr. J. R.
Mowbray, Mr. W. Beresford, Lord E. Bruce, Hon.
Colonel Luke White, Hon. R. H. Dutton, Hon. T.
P. Locke King, Sir Colman O'Loghlen, Sir J. D.
Hay, Sir G. Bowyer, Sir P. de Malpas Grey-Eger-
ton, Sir William Russell, C. 8., Colonel C. N. Sturt,
Major Gavin, Capt. Seymour, Mr. Dawson
Darner, Mr. A. S. Ayrton, Mr. R. M. Bellew,
Mr. R. W. Crawford, Mr. F. Doulton, Alderman
Rose, Alderman Salomons, Mr. W. Tite, the Lord
Mayor of London, Mr. T. Chambers, Q.C. (the
Common-Sergeant); Alderman and Sheriff Besley,
Alderman and Sheriff Dakin, the Dean of St. Paul's,
Sir G. R. Clerk (President of the Zoological Society),
Mr. A. T. B. Beresford Hope, Sir R. I. Murchison,
Mr. Edwin Chadwick, C. 8., Mr. Wyatt Truscott,
Mr. Charles Lucas, Mr. Thomas Lucas, Sir Went-
worth Dilke, Mr. John Walter, Earl Mount Charles,
Mr. W. H. Gregory, Mr. Charles Forster, Mr.
James Clay, Mr. J. Caird, Mr. E. H. J. Craufurd,
Mr. A. D. R. W. B. Cochrane, Mr. John Brady,
Sir Wm. Dunbar, Sir H. H. Bruce, Sir James
Duke, Hon. A. F. Kinnaird, Lord H. G. Lennox,
Lord G. G. Lennox, Lord Burghley, Lord C. Hamil-
ton, Lord Lyveden, the Marquis of Clanricarde, Mr:
Bristow, Mr. W. Hawes, Mr. R. Baggallay, Mr.
Under-Sheriff De Jersey, Mr. Under-Sheriff David-
son, Professor Donaldson (President of the Royal
Institute of British Architects), Mr. E. W. Wool-
rych, Mr. R. Bell, Professor Owen, F.R.S., the Rev.
R. W. Jelf, D.D., Mr. Henry Pownall, Mr. J.
Wild, Mr. J. A. Turner, Mr. W. Scholefield, Alder-
man Mechi, Mr. Hey-wood (engineer to the City
Commission of Sewers), Mr. V. C. Scully, Mr.
Frederick North, Mr. Richard Malins, Mr. James
M'Cann, Mr. John Locke, and Mr. S. Gurney.
It is almost needless to say how cordially- the
Prince was greeted on his landing at the little pier
in front of the engine-house on the point, or that the
loudest part of the welcome was given by the work-
men who thronged a steep bank in the midst of the
assemblage, as in the gallery of a theatre. From
the landing-place the Royal party were at once con-
ducted by Mr. Thwaites and Mr. Bazalgette to the
last of the reservoirs which still remained unfilled
with sewage, and which, after to-day, can never be
seen again, at least in the state in which it was
shown on this occasion. After the accounts of these
great works, which have already appeared in
our columns, little more than a mere state-
ment of the dimensions of those shown yesterday is
needed. The total area of the southern outfall reser-
voir, which was the great object of interest in these
inaugural proceedings, is little more than a third
of the size of that which faces it on the Essex shore.
Even this comparatively small space is, however,
still further subdivided into four compartments.
Only one of these was opened yesterday, the others
having been for some months back filled with sew-
age. The appearance of this one,however, was suf-
ficiently striking. Lit from end to end with undu-
lating lines of coloured lamps, which just sufficed to
show, but not to bring too strongly out, the peculiar
dim crypt-like aspect which makes these great sub-
terranean storehouses so peculiar, the damp, the
silence, the intensity- of the darkness when not
broken by the little twinkling points of fire, all made
the scene one of the most curious that can well be
imagined. The section of the Southern reservoir
was yesterday for the great majority of visitors both
a new and brilliant sight. There was something so
perfectly novel in going down a funnel staircase to
an underground Valhalla, where the streets of
columns, lights, and arches, spread around in all
directions, that everything seemed by comparison
charming, because in such a place it was so utterly
unexpected. The very knowledge that it then looked
so clean and was hereafter meant to be so foul
seemed to add to the enjoyment of the guests, who
could not be too often assured only a lifting sluice
divided them from some five acres of the filthiest
mess in Europe. All the Royal party seemed to be
as much astonished as pleased with the aspect of this
reservoir, which certainly must have contrasted in
the strongest manner with the lakes of sewage which
they had glanced at on the opposite side of the
river. A long survey was made of every part, and,
apart from the admiration which was expressed
as to its peculiarly ornamental effect when lighted
up, it is only fair to say that the style and finish
of every portion of the masonry and brickwork
formed a theme of almost continuous praise
among the many engineers and contractors pre-
sent. From the reservoir the Prince, conducted
as before, and followed by all the invited
guests, proceeded to one of the workshops, where
,diagrams, illustrating the whole of Mr. Bazalgette's
system of main drainage, were hung upon the
wall. The general principles and engineering details
of these Mr. Bazalgette, in a short, but effective
address, explained to the Prince, and closed his fdw
earnest remarks with an assurance that when his
Royal Highness started the engines at the southern
outfall, he would complete almost the last step ne-
cessary to remove from London and its inhabitants
the evils which their hitherto comparatively insuffi-
cient system of drainage had entailed upon them—
not alone in the destruction of valuable property,
but too often also in the spread of fatal disease. To
this address all the royal party listened with marked
attention, and Mr. Thwaites, as chairman of the
Metropolitan Board of Works, having thanked his
Royal Highness for his condescension in assisting at
the completion of the great work, the party at once
proceeded to the pumping engines,which thenceforth
will relieve the southern side of London from all
the natural defects which have hitherto prevented
its efficient drainage. Contrary to the general rule,
which makes an engine-house a disfigurement to
the surrounding country, that at Crossness Point is
a perfect shrine of machinery. The exterior is suffi

ciently relieved in colour and heightened by bold
architectural features to make it anywhere conspi-
cuously handsome as a mere building. Of the deco-

rations of the interior, however, it is difficult to speak
too highly, either for their quiet good taste, solidity,
or general harmony of both form and colour. The

engines stand at each side of the building ; the
cylinders are cased with oak ; the pump rods pass
through the stone floor, so that the details of
boilers, &c., are entirely concealed, and the visitor

beholds nothing but the ponderous regularity of the
huge beams in their measured rise and fall. In the
centre of the engine-house is a beautiful octagonal
wrought-iron framework, supported by columns
with oramented capitals. In some parts these are

temporarily decorated in colour, in others they are
formed of ornamental bronze castings, which have

a remarkably fine effect. Just before the arrival o:

his Royal Highness the engines were started to in-
sure that all was in perfect working order. The

form of starting the two pairs of engines was gone
through by his Royal Highness, and the first grind-
ing sound which arose as the great machines lifted
the sewage was welcomed with loud cheers.
The dejeiner which followed upon this brief cere-
monial was served in one of the large buildings to be
hereafter used as workshops by the staff entrusted
with the proper maintenance of all the Main Drain-
age apparatus. The good taste with which the build-

ing was extemporised into a banqueting-hall de-
serves every praise. The Royal party and those who
immediately accompanied them, including Mr.
Thwaites and Mr. Bazalgette, sat at a raised dais ;
the other guests, without distinction as to rank,

were seated at four very long tables which traversed
what may be called the body of the hall. The
lunch was most tastefully arranged and excellently

served, and the musical as well as the vocal per-

!ormances of the band of the Royal Marines contri-

buted to render the repast a little longer, but not a

whit the less pleasant.

At its conclusion Mr. Thwaites, who occupied the
chair, simply gave the toast of " The Queen,"

which, of course, was responded to enthusiastically.
The Prince of WALES then rose and said : "This
is no occasion for toasts ; still there is one which
cannot now be overlooked—that of success to this

great, this really national undertaking, the comple-
tion of which we may be said to celebrate to-day.
I may perhaps be allowed, in the name of those
here, to congratulate Mr. Thwaites and his most
skilful engineer, Mr. Bazalgette, on the success

which has accompanied the progress of their great
endeavours—endeavours which will be of material
use to the city of London, not so much now as in