The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-01 00:00:00

Ist day of 1880:

sewers and works, and: such diversions or alterations of any
existing sewers or works, vested in them under this act,
as they may from time to time think necessary for the
effectual sewerage and drainage of the metropolis ; and

shall discontinue, close up, or destroy such sewers for the
time being vested in them under this act as they may deem
unnecessary, and such board shall from time to time repair
and maintain the sewers so vested in them, or such of
them as may not be discontinued, closed up, or destroyed

as aforesaid.
" ' And for the purposes aforesaid such board shall have
full power and authority to carry any such sewers or works
through, across, or under any turnpike road, or any street,
or place laid out as or intended for a street, as well beyond
as within the limits of the metropolis, or through or under
any cellar or vault under the carriageway or pavement of
any street, and into, through, or under any lands whatso-
ever within or beyond the said limits, making compensa-
tion for any damage done thereby as hereinafter provided,
and all !Bowen and works from time to time made by the
said board shall vest in them.
" And the said board shall cause the sewers vested in
them to be constructed, covered, and kept so as not to be a
nuisance or injurious to health, and to be properly cleared,
cleansed, and emptied, and for the purpose of clearing,
cleansing, and emptying the same they may construct and
place, either above or underground, such reservoirs, sluices,
engines, and other works as may be necessary, and may
cause the sewage and refuse from such sewers to be sold for
disposed of as they may see fit, but so as not to create a
nuisance, and the money arising thereby shall be applied
towards defraying the expenses of such board:
" Aud by the second it is also enacted, ' That before the
Metropolitan Board of Works commence any sewers and
works for preventing the sewage from passing into the river
Thames as aforesaid, the plan of the intended sewers and
works for the purpose aforesaid, together with an estimate
of the cost of carrying the same into execution, shall be
submitted by such board to the Commissioners of her Ma-
jesty's Works and public Buildings, and no such plan shall
be carried into effect until the same has been approved by
such commissioners.'
" I am further directed to forward to you copies of the
several reports presented by the engineer of the Metropo-
litan Board of Works, which reports contain drawings and
sections, not merely of the plan B, but of other plans.
"I am also directed to send you the enclosed copies of
two letters from Captain Burstal, in reference to the flow
of the tide in the liver, which may be useful in your in-
vestigation. The first of these letters is dated July 30th,
and the second Nov. 18th, the latter having been addressed
to the First Commissioner under the following circum-
stances :
" In the month of June last the metropolitan Board of
Works submitted to the First Commissioner a plan having
an outfall for the discharge of the sewage into the Thames,
within the metropolis. This plan was at variance with
the provisions of the statute contained in the clause to
which I have already directed your attention, and was
accordingly rejected by him. On the sth day of Novem-
ber another plan was submitted by that board, having an
outfall so near to the metropolitan boundary that the
sewage would necessarily return to the metropolis. This
plan having been also rejected by the First Commissioner,
he directed Captain Burstal to report to him what he con-
sidered to be the nearest points to the metropolis at which
the sewage could be discharged, so that the provisions of
the act might be complied with. Captain Burstal fixed
these points about one mile above the town of Erith, on
the south side of the river, and at Rainham Creek on the
north side, being a distance of about 15 miles from Lon-
don-bridge.
" The Metropolitan Board of Works have adopted these
points for the outfalls, and have so far complied with the
act. The First Commissioner therefore wishes you to con-
sider all the details of the plan in relation to such outfalls;
and he desires me to direct your attention especially to the
fact that in the reports presented to the Metropoli e
Board of Works, and the statements made to him bY
engineer at an interview reported in the morning papers
of the 21st Nov. last, there are great discrepancies as to
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the amount of sewage which is discharged. •
rate information upon this important point, as the sizes of
all the drains and reservoirs must necessarily be deter-
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mined by the quantity of sewage.
wishes also that you should
It will therefore be necessary for youto obtain accu-
" The First Commissioner
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Metropolitan Board of Weeks. He desires to have the
quest
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a The plans now sent io you fix the outfalls at the points
already indicated; but, inasmuch as it is desired by the
inhabitants of towns bordering upon the river below the
15th mile point that the main sower should be extended.
and that the outfalls should be placed at a greater distance
from the metropolis, provided funds are obtained for the
purpose of meeting the increased expenditure, the First
Commissioner wishes you to report upon any such more
distant points of discharge as may fairly meet the require-
ments alluded to, and when you submit to him the plans
for offeetir,g that object you will set forth the increased
cost consequent upon the extension of the works, the bene-
fits, if any, to be derived by districts through which the
extended main pass, and bow far these districts should
contribute to the cost of such extended works. The First
Commissioner feels sure that you will give to the various
plans which, doubtless, will be laid before you such
attention as they may deserve.
" A commission is about to be appointed to inquire into
the most effectual means of distributing the sewage of
towns and of applying it to beneficial and profitable uses,
and it may therefore be desirable that you should put
yourselves iu communication with that commission, as a
steeeg fooling seems to be ente rtsined by members of the