The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-19 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—lf Mr. Lilwall and Messrs. Easton, Amos,
and Sons are of opinion that they, can obtain the
assent of the world to their assertions—the one,
that I am a " contractor," and the other, that the
payer is benefited by the payee being allowed to
design, execute, superintend, and pass his own
works and accounts, I am quite willing to let them
remain in their present agreeable state of delusion.
Nor do I much care to whatextent Mr. Lilwall may
endeavour to distort my report for the purpose of
satisfying his own mind that I sat in judgment on
other gentlemen's productions, or that the " various
papers" in question were supplied to me with any
such object. It is enough to inform the public that
I was called in by the Government to examine and.
advise as a professional man possessed of pre
ence on the subject, and that the " papers" came
into my hands for the purpose of affording the
necessary and already acquired information and
data as to plans, sections, soundings, quantities
of water and mud, and the amount and expense
of the materials and work which would
be required, according as my report
advise one mode of procedure oranother.should
I accord-
ingly, and with the advantage of aknowledge of
facts thus obtained, made my own independent and
most careful and unprejudiced investigation, and
having reported the circumstances as I found them,
and stated what, according to my opinion, would
be the proper mode of improving the lake. I had
fulfilled my engagement, and had earned my pre-
scribed fee. I did not know, and was unable to
surmise, what would be the fate of my report, and
at that time was in nowise further retained in the
matter. Subsequent events have, however, dis-
closed that my report was not only carefully con-
sidered by the First Commissioner, buttohnaittit wasi‘iy
also laid before other gentlemen of practical and
scientific eminence for their views up
recommendations ultimately received official accep-
tance, and then, and only then, Was I called in to
prepare plans 'and specifications for the execution
of the work.

Messrs. Easton, A3llOB, and Sons are also at pains
to explain away the imputation of having endea-
voured to force themselves upon the Government ;
but, unfortunately, the long histOrY they have writ-
ten on the subject is not " brougql down to the
latest times." I there fore refer you and your
readers to their own bsu sequently printed corres-
pondence and their more recent proceedings.
Messrs. Easton, Amos, and Sons have presenicd
the public through your columns with a most mar-
vellous comparison (of course in their own favour)
between the annual expense of their scheme and
mine, upon which I may be permitted a few words.
Your already know that I have proposed to supply
the Serpentine with a daily quantity of 2,000,000
gallons of purified water. But from Messrs. Easton,
Amos, and Sons' printed correspondence it is now
discovered that their proposition has become re-
duced to a supply of only 1,000,000 gallons daily,
with a contemporaneous stoppage of the supply of
fresh water to Buckingham Palace-gardens and St.
James's Park, the lakes in which, according to their
present scheme, are to be hereafter replenished
from the overflowings of /Ile Serpentine. More-
over, for the purpose of preventLng
the action of a
5-horse engine in Hyde Park, they p,opose to erect
a 30-horse engine in St. James's Park.
Now, sir, the sequence of the arrangement; Dr(!-
vosed by Messrs. Easton, Amos, and Sons is as'foi,
lows
1. The well in St. James's-park is to be made to
yield, if it will, and I believe it will not, 1,000,000
gallons per day.
2. 1 his water is to be discharged into the head
of tho Serpentine, and to be two months in making
its passage to the overflow, during which tune it
will have received the washings of 120,000 bathers,
and have become clouded with vegetation and effete
organic matter.
3. In this condition (and without filtration) it is
to be passed into her Majesty's private garden and
into St. James's-park.
Thus destroying the results which Lord Llanover
has beeu at such considerable pains and expense to
secure, and giving just cause of offence where it
should be most scrupulously avoided.
With this treatment of the water in view, Messrs.
Easton, Amos, and Sons may well venture to aug-
ment my estimate of annual expenses by an amount
of £5OO which does not pertain to it, and to erase
from their estimate of annual expenses many and
large charges which ought tobe added to it. Messrs.
Easton, Amos, and Sons also choose to place my
structural estimate in contrast with their structural

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estimate; whereas, if my adopted works were to be
made on the footing of their proposed work s,
my
estimate for the constructions would amount to only
£8,300. If Messrs. Easton, Amos, and Sons' esti-
mates be raised to the proper amount for affording
2,000,000 gallons of water per diem for the supply
of the Serpentine, plus 500,000 gallons for the sup-
ply of the Palace-garden and St. James's-park, or in
lieu of the latter quantity for providing filter beds
near Albert-gate, they will be found to exceed mine
by sums I hesitate to mention.
This controversy has, I fear, already trespassed
beyond its worth upon your valuable columns, bi 4.
so far as I am concerned it has now terminated.
trust, however, it will not be forgotten that I did
not originate it, or take any part in it, till I had
been made the subject (as I hope I have satisfac-
torily shown) of personal attacks of a very unwar-
rantable character.
With many thanks for the space you have 613;
lingly afforded me, I am, Sir, your most obedien
servant, T. HAwiisLEY.
London, Aug. 17.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Your correspondents seem to resolve with
some unanimity, to keep me before the Puiilic
relation to this matter, and consequently 1 Tin
under the pressure of the circumstances, once 111°r
trouble you. St.
1. The level of the water in the gravel under f
James's-park is determined by the conditione_oer
its flow to the tidal outlet, and therefore 13°,Yhe
can coincide with the level of the water

lake. le
2. The quantity of water accumulated in gel
may be very large, and consequently require
'-'
e‘:
great and protracted effort to pump it out, althouf
the inflow upon which alone the continuous snail,
must depend may be very small. The aaleisiti al
of the knowledge of this practical and univerrrsB,.„
fact has cost me in the execution of large .
through saturated gravel many thousand P 0,11,110..
In one very analogous instance—that of the vf 90
ria Docks—l made an excavation or well 01 to
acres' area into an extensive bed of gravel, near
and. communicating with the Thames; the clu, to
tity of water was at first immense, and I he' ;
put down two very large engines towitba.neen
after, however, the accumulated water hat': ,00-
pumped out, the influx was found to be s°
siderable that one engine only, occasionally wor
at half speed, was sufficient to remove it.
3. The only mode by which the yield of the well
in St. James's-park and the water tightness ef the
bed of the lake can be accurately ascertained other
fixing a gauge weir at the pumps, and tn°,o
gauge weir at the outlet from the lake. I 'Aa'pria-
objection to furnish competent parties to eu,.13-00-
tend an experiment of six months' duration 11 to
ducted in this manner, but with a full olive
of the character of the result.

that t"

4. From the published tables it appears inches
quantity of water constantly flowing 2.1 i":tivo
deep over a weir of 12 feet wide, is netu.V.gton
million gallons per day, but Messrs. is
and Company make their estimate, Publisliellien
the Times, on a delivery of only one °their
gallons per day ; for they say indated
latest letter to the Chief Commissioner, illiag
the 10th of August instant, "We are
to obtain this quantity of water (one million gel
Ions) for the sum of £7OO per annum"---ttivent,
amount set down in their comparative sta,'"-t„ eto
although Mr. Hawksley proposes by his estilll:,.
supply two million gallons. When my ferrr:d in
ter to you was written, I had only just ar,r'.,,c-ton'S
town, and had not then perused Messrs.
proposal to the First Commissioner. , dole
5. I dissent entirely from the proposition
out this limited quantity of water to the Selio
tine, and still more so to the uninviting sug,ese to
that the same water is to be used a second tla b.
supply the Queen's garden and St. James s-000
6. It is stated—and my own observation e°olatilie
the statement—that the water of the SerPe-t the
has no offensive smell (except occasional)Y the
extreme head, near the flood opening fr°lll, re-
Ranelagh sewer), although it is discoloured "Jtvre
movable matter. It seems to me, therefore, tbdsoo-
ought either to letter the Serpentine alone, all, with
mit to the discolouration, or content ourselnality
purifying the water. I am quite satisfied ALO-0 or
ment is not prepared to vote the £BO, ;se the
£90,000 necessary to remove the mud, ork°
bottom and coat it with concrete, and 111"'e
stet's
for maintaining a continuous renewal of the vi
I am, sir, your very faithful servant, -nTO.
S. MORTON
12, Kensington Palace-gardens, Aug. 18°