The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-31 00:00:00

STATE OF THE BITER THAMES.

A copy of the recent report of Mr. Gurney to the
First Commissioner of Works on the state of the
Thames has been printed by order or Pariament. It is
dated the 84 of November last, and explains the means
proposed by Mr. Gurney for preventing a further pollu-
tion of the river and the atmosphere around the Hon ses
of Parliament during the construction of any system of
drainage that may be carried out.
Sewage from the drains may be divided into three
parts—the liquid, solid, and gaseou,, or soluble, inso-
lubla, and aeriform. It is a vulgar error to suppose
that the solid or insoluble sewage floats on the surface
of the water, or " floats up and down with the tide."
On the contrary, its specific gravity is as much as 1.325,
it will sink one foot per minute in still water or slow
currents, and precipitate (or rather deposit) in stronger
currents, moving in parallel lines ; at a greater rate
than 170 feet per minute, it will not precipitate (or de-
posit), the force of convolution then being greater than,
and consequently overcoming the force of gravitation.
Mr. Gurney gives an interesting account of his experi-
ments with the insoluble sewage taken from the river
which were made in August, the month of least water.
The quantity of sewage retained in the Thames seems to
be a ruling or constant quantity ; the river is never
choked up, nor is it ever clean ; and the most filthy part
of the stream lies between Hungerford and the Peniten-
tiary at Millbank, this being mainly occasioned by two
retrogades, the one outside the Speaker's residence, the
other at Hungerford. The liquid and soluble sewage is
carried away by excess of the downcast, but some part
hangs about in the cesspools. The rate of solution of
solid sewage after maceration in the :river has not yet
been ascertained, but it is estimated that generally one-
fifth will be dissolved after a week's maceration.
Mr. Gurney, in fine, recommends (that all the retro-
grades and brattice cesspools be destroyed—that all
the obstructions to the uniform flow of the river at
low water be removed—that the projections along
shore be rounded off, and the hollows filled up ;
that the serrated edges of the river at low water
be made plain and continued along the whole line of
low-water mark ; that the width of the water way at the
lowest ebb be not more than 140 yards from side to side,
so that the river may not only run in an uniform current,
but at a minimum rate of 225 feet per minute, and that
from low-water mark upwards the beach be so con-
structed that the shore may rise at an angle of about
three or four degrees with the horizon, or, in road-making
parlance, of not less than 1 in ld, to facilitate the fall of
the sewage into the bed of the river. The cost of this
arrangement will not be so great as ;could at first sight
appear, and the navigation of the river would be im-
proved by it. As regards gaseous or aeriform sewage, a
most deadly poison, Mr. Gurney suggests the destruc-
tion of the retrograde, the proper trapping of the mouths
of the sewers, and the combustion of the noxious gases.
The former failures to burn the sewage gases at Brussels
and here were not in principle, but in practice, the in
terference of the mass of atmospheric air over that of the
gases not having been taken into account. It is shown
that carburetted hydrogen, and, in filet, all the elements
of combustion, whether gaseous or not, require to be
brought up to a very high temperature before they will
ignite, and it is obvious that so to raise the temperature
when the gas of the sewage is so mixed up with a large
mass of atmospheric air is very difficult. A different
apparatus, to meet the conditions, must be constructed
before success can be attained.

The Sultana, Capt. Sharp, belonging to Messrs.
Dunbar, of London, with Government stores for
Kurrachee, embarked 30 men belonging to the 94th
Regiment at Plymouth on Monday, and the next
day sailed for her destination.
Her Majesty's State yacht Victoria and Albert,
Capt. the Hon. J. Denman, is being repainted and
embellished externally and internally for the special
service of conveying the Princess Royal and the
Prince of Prussia to Antwerp en route to Prussia
after their nuptials. She is ordered to be ready by
the 10th proximo, and she will after that date pro-
ceed from Portsmouth to the Thames. It is ex-
pected that Gravesend will be the port of embarca-
tion for the Royal pair, as the length of the yacht
will render her navigation of the short reaches of
the Thames above Gravesend a troublesome task.
It is expected that her Majesty will appoint Capt.
Denman a commodore of the first class, as in the
case of the late Lord Adolphus Fitzclarenco. The
engines, &-c of the Royal yacht Fairy, Mr. Welch
master in charge, and the Elfin, Mr. Alfred Ballis-
ton, master in charge, are also being repaired, as.
they will fo'm members of the 'Royal squadron.
The steam frigates Diadem and Curacoa, 32, Capt
taius Moorsom C. 8., and Mason, and all other steam
ships available at the time, will form members of
the Royal squadron, which will be commanded
in chief by the Hon. Joseph Denman. It is ex-
pected that the Royal visitors to England from
Prussia on the auspicious occasion will be landed at
Portsmouth from Prussian men-of-war ,vessels.

The Victory, 104, Captain G. H. Seymour, C.B.
undergoing a thorough repair in dock at Ports-
mouth, will be paid off this day and recommissioned
to-morrow by Capt. Seymour, with Commander J.
G. Bickford and the same other officers and staff.

The Calypso, 18, Captain F. B. Montressor, now
being fitted for sea at Chatham, is ordered to be
taken into the dock now occupied by the mite, 42,
for the purpose of having defects made good. The
Unite is nearly broken up, and will be entirely
taken to pieces this week. The Bacchante, 42,
will be taken into dock to be broken up as soon as
the Calypso has completed repairs.
An Admiralty order has been received by Capt.
G. Goldsmith, C. 8., superintendent of Chatham ,
Dockyard, permitting the officers and men belong-
ing to the Royal Dockyard Brigade to retain their
uniforms on the brigade being disbanded. The
stores, arms, and accoutrements are to be returned
.into store forthwith, and a considerable quantity
has already been received at Chatham. The Adju-
tants are to be placed on half-pay, and the Ser-
geant-Majors and drill sergeants who are doing duty
as dockyard police-constales, will be discharged
as soon as the brigade stores, arms, &c., have been
returned.
Mr. John J. Brown, master, late of the Aga-
memnon, took up his commission and joined the
Renown on Monday, at Sheerness, vice Mr.
Roberts, Master, appointed to the Illustrious.
The following appointments were made at the
Admiralty yesterday :

Masters—W. J. B. Hilliard, to the Royal William ;
C. J. A. Noddall, to the Fisgard.
Assistant-Surgeon—Croft G. Symons, to the Viper.