The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE TIMES.

Sir,—l have read in the Times of this day a
letter from Sir S. M. Peto, in which he again en-
deavours to convince the public that the lake in St.
James's Park is replenished from the well with the
water which filters from the lake into the well.
He says :

" I am quite convinced that the well is to a considerable
extent replenished from the lake with water filtered in its
passage, and therefore rendered clear."
That is Sir S. M. Peto's declared opinion. Now,
let me ask him how does he account for the follow-
ing facts ?
1. When the lake was first filled the bed had
been dry for several months ; consequently there
was no water to filter from it into the well.
2. That when the men were at work in the well
and in the drain which proceeds from the body
of water which came in was so great that it
was absolutely necessary to place an engine en
the spot to keep the water under, in order that the
men might not be drowned out. The water was
pumped into the drain which passes under the
Horse Guards and away to Victoria sewer.
3. How is it that if when the engines are not at
work at the well the water never rises to the level
of the lake ? Water is said to find its own level ; if
therefore, the lake supplied the well, the water in
the well should rise to the level of the lake which
Sir S. M. Peto says is the supply, but it does not
rise to the level of the lake.
Sir S. M. Peto says also--
,4 I am still more convinced that it is quite impossible to
obtain 2,500,000 gallons daily from a well sunk in St.
James's Park, without exhausting the basin itself, and the
peat and mud beds on which many buildings depend for
their support"

Simple facts are better than the statements of an
engineer, no matter how eminent he may be, or
how dictatorial he may appear, and the facts are
these :—The only engine used at the well in the
Duck Island is a small portable or travelling en-
gine, quite below its work; it was hired until the
then First Commissioner could obtain a vote for a
more powerful engine, which he intended to erect
when -he carried out a similar scheme for the
thorough purification of the Serpentine.
This engine, weak as it is, pumped at one time
for 15 days and nights at the rate of 1,200 gallons
a-minute, and could not exhaust the water in the
• well ! This was at the rate of 1,728,000 gallons in
th 24 hours. There is no doubt if a powerful
engine was erected 2,500,000 gallons could be easily
raised.
As to letting down the houses " which depend
on the peat and mud for their support," this is
•
sheer nonsense. When the pump was set to work
in 1857 the same statement was made, and the First
Commissioner was told by those who were deter-
mined, if possible, that the St. James's-park scheme
should not be carried out, but that if carried out it
would prove a failure, that he would let down the
Stationery-office and all Downing-street, and place
in jeopardy the Horse Guards and the Admiralty !
Such were the predictions of engineers who were not
consulted as to the scheme, but, threatening as these
predictionsthem, for
rwthe erew,itorskeesmwsetrhe proceeded adeede
deaf ear
w ith
was turned
Every
t was made to empty the well ; it was found
iatinottptehmp
osesible to do so, and the result is, the lake was
finished. The water is ample, the buildings stand,
and the success is perfect. Why not, then, follow
the same plan with the Serpentine ? The answer
is—" It is too simple."
must have a new crotchet ; the yw "Eminentl
not Engineers
condescend
to copy that which was done by a non-professional
man, and
eadnsdinsoKnsin
we are toth pay
117,000 for four filter-
inggw
asn-ngoawr
sittingens. ltthi is
grant
yt certain
that ifParliamentwwolduld
, be rescinded. TYBURNIAN.
Wednesday, Aug. 17.
P.S. Perhaps it is not generally known that the
: upper part of the Serpentine is to be dried, and
, that the filtering beds are to be placed there