The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-25 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS

The report of the Metropolitan Board of Works,
1865-6, published pursuant to the provisions of the
Metropolitan Management Act of 1865, presents a
statement of their proceedings during the past year
under that act, and the other acts passed before and
since that date. In their former report the main
features of the Metropolitan Drainage Works, then
advanced towards completion, were somewhat
fully described, as well as the principle on which
they were designed, and the present report describes
the general arrangement and the routes of the pre-
sent lines of sewers. For the north side of the
Thames the three lines of sewers, viz., the High,
Middle, and Low Levels, were designed to unite at
Abbey Mills, where the contents of the Low Level
Sewer are to be pumped into the Upper Level,
whence the aggregate stream is to flow through the
Northern Sewer to the outfall at Barking-creek; 12
miles below London-bridge. The High Lever Sewer
commences at the foot of Hampstead-hill by a
junction with the Fleet Sewer. It passes through
Kentish-town, Holloway, Stoke Newington, and
Hackney to a junction with the Middle Level Sewer
at Old Ford. It is about seven miles in length., and
drains an area of 10 square miles, intercepting the
sewage of the district above-named. It cost, in-
cluding compensation, £196,804. It was completed
in 1861, and has since that date been in full opera-
tion. Connected with the High Level Sewer a pen-
stock chamber was constructed at its junction with
the Middle Level Sewer at Old Ford, Bow, contain-
ing five large iron penstocks worked by machinery,
in order to divert the sewage into any of the three
channels which form the commencement of the
Northern Outfall Sewer, and which will, under all
ordinary circumstances, be used to discharge the
sewage at Barking Creek. The work is so contrived
that, in case of storms or accident to the outfall
sewers, relief could in a few minutes be obtained by
the discharge into the river Lea of the whole of the
sewage. This provision places three-f ourths of the
northern sewage completely under control. The
sewage intercepted on the north side of the river
amounts to 10,000,000 and on the south side to
4,000,000 of cubic feet. The extent of area drained
and carried off by the sewers is about 117 square
miles, having a population of 2,809,000. In the
construction of the other sewers and works
318,000,000 bricks, and 880,000 cubic yards of
concrete have been used, and about 3,500,000 of
cubic yards of earth have been excavated. The re-
port says that the experience of last year fulfils the
anticipations of the benefits to be derived from the
increased purification of the river. These bene-
fits are evidenced by the fact of the return of
fish in large quantities to those parts of the river
which ha. 4 previously been in a polluted condition ;
and further improvements are anticipated, as
arrangements for purifying its upper waters become
matured, and a more efficient system of water
supply is organised. For the utilisation of the
sewage north of the Thames, the steps taken in
reference to which were referred to in the board's
previous report, the board have granted to Messrs.
Napier and Hope and their legal representatives the
exclusive right and property in the Northern
Sewage for 50 years. Other details upon this sub-
ject and upon the ventilation of sewers in the
metropolis are also given. The report of the
Board on the Thames Embankment (North): This
work is to be executed in three lengths, viz.—from
Westminster-bridge to Waterloo-bridge, the con-
tract for which was let to Mr. Geo. Furness for
£520,000 ; from 'Waterloo-bridge to the Inner
Temple, the contract for which was taken by Mr.
Ritson for £229,000 ; and from Temple-gardens to
Blackfriars-bridge, tenders for the contract for
which are now being called for. One of the first
two contracts has been since taken by Mr. Brassey.
The Embankment Approaches (North) : The board
sought Parliamentary powers for the formation of
several new streets, enumerated in the report ; but
on a bill being introduced into the House of
Commons for the granting of the requisite powers
opposition was made on behalf of the Duke of
Northumberland to the proposed new street from
Charing Cross to the Embankment, and that
portion of the bill was withdrawn ; but powers
were obtained for making a new street, viz.—con-
necting the Embankment with Surrey, Norfolk, and
Arundel-streets, and another with Wellington-
street, Waterloo-bridge, Buckingham-street, and
Cecil-street ; a new street from and other short
streets to communicate with Villiers-street, New
George-street, Adelphi, to terminate at the east end
of Whitehall, and another from the Embankment
at Whitehall-stairs to Whitehall, opposite the Horse
Guards. The board iproposed a clause in a bill
introduced in Parliament last session provid-
ing for a direct street from Charing-cross
to the Embankment, near Northumberland
House, but that clause was withdrawn
owing to an opposition made thereto on be-
half of the Duke of Northumberland. (Notice
has been given of application for power to construct
a new street from Charing-cross to the Embank-
ment.) The works contemplated for the Embank-
inent on the south side consist of a solid embankment
from 'Westminster-bridge to Gunhouse-alley, near
Vauxhall-bridge, a roadway of 60 feet average width
along the Embankment between Gun-ally and Lam-
beth Suspension-bridge, and a roadway 20 feet wide
from that point to Westminster-bridge. The re-
moval of a number of dilapidated buildings, and the
formation of new streets as approaches to those
works. Also to improve Palace New Road, and to
stop up and appropriate portions of Crozier-street to
the general improvement. A contract for the Em-
bankment and works between Westminster-bridge
and Gunhouse-alley, near Vauxhall-bridge, has
been let to Mr. W. Webster, under which the prin-
cipal works to be done are the formation of 4,300
feet in length of river wall, lauding-stairs at new
Westminster-bridge, paved road and footways, sunk
wood ways to the dock, and other properties severed
by the works, and a short sewer for draining part
of the roadway. The contract for these works is
£309,000 (the foundation-stone of the work being
laid by Mr. Tite, M.P., on the 28th July last). The
total cost of the preliminary works at the date of
the report was £30,000. The report also states the
cost of the new streets made, and also the receipts
from the coal and wine duties as follows :—The
claims in respect of the Thames Northern Embank-
ment were—for freeholds, leaseholds; &c., £311,257
lls. ld., which were settled for £211,374 10s. The
claims for the new street to the Mansion House
were—freeholds, leaseholds, &c., and yearly tenan-
cies, £1,184,723 7s. 5d., which were settled for
£1,059,234 6s. The claims in respect of the

Thames Embankment (South) were—freeholds,
leaseholds, &c., £142,742 14s. 5d., which were

settled for £109,975. The whole of the building
plots in Garrick-street (which was opened to the
public in March, 1861) have been let on leases for 80