The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-05 00:00:00

~.'

STATE OF THE RIVER THAMES.

PARLIAMENTARY commitrEE—THlS DAY.
The Parliamentary inquiry into the state of the river
Thames re-assembled this morning in No.ll cimmittse-
room, for the purpose of reporting on Mr. G. Gurney's
plan aril hearing witnessed. The members present
were—Mr. Kendall (chairman), Lord J. Russell, Lord
John Manners (First Commissioner of Public Works ,
Lord Palmerston, Alderman Cubit, Sir J. Yards
Buller, Sir J. Shelley, Mr. Tite, Sir B. Hall, Mr.
Ackroyd, Hon. Jocelyn Percy, &o. The room was
crowded to excess.
The first witness called was

Mr. Bateman, who said--I am a civil engineer. I have
been employed on the water works at Manchester and
Glasgow. lam still engaged in improving the Clyde—
it is in a very offensive state. Where there is a great
quantity of mud on the banks of a river it is important,
where such is exposed to the action of the sun, that
it should be immediately removed to prevent decomposi-
tion and effluvia. There are no mud banks on the river
Ir well, yet it smells most offensively. There is a sewer
in Glasgow which receives the discharge from certain
chemical works, which renders the sewage from this par-
ticular place inodorous, and the sewage coming frJrn
thence, on being mixed with other foul sewage, renders it
inodorous. I don't know how this is occasioned, but
such is the fact. I am, therefore, strongly of opinion,
and Dr. Anderson agrees with me, that it is possibly to
disinfect sewage by solvents on its progress by precipi-
tation.

By Mr. Acroyd—There are no mud back; in the
Irwell in consequence of its being all deep water. The
river has been artificially dredged, and the sides walled.
Sarno of the sewage, of course, comas back after it has
been discharged into it, but more goes out than comes
back, or the estuary would be filled up. I hope that it
will be possible to deal with the sewers by solvent chemi-
cal agents in so perfect a manner that the whole of the
sewage would be deodorised in its passage through them
without leavirg any precipitation.

The room was bare ordered to be cleared, and after a
short absence the public were admitted.
Mr. Lawes was Examined by the Chairman. He said
—I have been to Leicester and ermined the sewage
works there. Leicester is a large place, and has no
means 01 getting rid of the sewage, which is excessively
bad, excspt by the process adopted.
Chairman—llow far are the works from the town!
Witoess—About half a mile.
Caairmau—And no ill effects arose to the town
Wituasa—None whatever.

Cr:airman—What is the process ?
Witoesi—The process is to collect the whole of the
sewa,,, in a large vat, and then allow Ato subside. The
char liquid is then inn off into the river, and the deposit
is carted away, and used as manure.

C this depo.it got out of the vats?
Wituess—By wheelbarrow.s and carts.
Chairman— What is your'opiaion of the pracass as a
commercial sprcalation ?

Wituess—Tho thing has been discussed by the Saciety
of A r s, and it was the general opinion that the plan
would never pay a 3 a c durnerciat speculation, bscause
the deposit was not of suflcient'value to pay for trim*,
port to any distance.
ellaincan—As far ai the txparinient at Leicester hai
gone, you are 01 opliton that it has been succetitfol?
Chairman—A,Al that it might be succassfuliy adopted
on a larger Foods it, London ?
WitneFs—Yes ; I have a scheme which I think would
be very successful it adopted. It is to construct two
tunnels, and to collect the n hole of the sewage at two
receptacles, and then, having deodorised the sewage, to
allow the clear to runinto the river, and then pump the
dep. sit on to some waste hind. 1 should apply lime to
tt.e sewage as it ran into the conduits.

Mr. TiTe—How many tons of this solid would have to
be barged away each day ?
Wltnee.s—About 400 tone. I don't propose to use
barges at all. The deposit is rut a solid ; it is a kind of
sludgy, about 1 iu v 0 ; and I propose to use a pump,
to convey it WI ()ugh pipes ou to some waste land,
which I think could bd icund on the South-Western
line.

Sir B. Uall—What is the space occupied by the
werki at Ltici.sier, with its 60,000 iuhabitantb!

Witoess—The works are much larger than is neces.

Sir B. H.ll—What is the space occupied by the sew-
agework,_. ?

-Witoess—l don't recollect. The place is surrounded
by fields. I should think there was more than an acre.
Sir B. Hall—Then that space could not be obtaiued
in Lzaidon. Your scheme, as I understand it, is to
embank the Thames, and within that embankment to
conslruct tunnels to convey the sewage to two conduits,
and there, aft r deodorisation, to run ff the clear and
pump off the sludge to a given point, What is the level
of your proposed tunnels ?
NVitns—The bottoms below low water mark.
Sir B. Hall—Are you sure that your level would be
low enough to receive the whole of the outialls of the
existing sewers 1
_

Witness—l would rather that the engineer who is in
attendance should answer that question.
Sir B. liall—Where do you find this waste land you
spoke of ?

- W►tness—Oa the South-Western line, about 20 miles
from Lomlcn.

Mr. R. Stephenson—Acc ,rding to your scheme the
waste land would have to be bought to xhich your de-
posit would be carried. Now, what is the use of buying
land to convey that to it which is valueless ?

Witness—it woolt not be valueless. Waste sandy
land could be bought very cheap, and sold, after it had
been so manured, at a profit.
The Chairman here announced that the committee
had been so overwhelmed with plans that they felt it
utterly impossible, owing to the shortness of the time
previous to the prorogation of Parliament, to do more
than merely to inquire into a limited selection. They
might not be Lrtunats in that selection, yet he hoped
the public would rest assured that the only object of the
committee was to arrive at the most satiefactory,rfsult
possible.
The committee then adjourned.