The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-15 00:00:00

SUPPLY OP WATER. .

REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO
INQUIRE INTO THE STATE OF SUPPLY OF WATER
TO THE METROPOLIS.
After some preliminary observations, the Com-
missioners in substance say—
The supply of this, the most extensive portion of
the
Metropolis, is dependent upon five Companies,
the
New River, the East London, the West Middle-
sex, the Chelsea, and the Grand Junction Com-
The New River derives its supplies from a spring
at. Chadvrell, between Hertford and Ware, about 21
miles north of London, and from an aria f the river
leo, the source of which is near the Chadwell
'Pring, in the proportion of about two-thirds from
the former, and one-third from the latter. These
united waters arc conducted by an artificial channel
14,tearly forty miles in length, to four reservoirs, called
'"e New River Head, at Clerkenwell. Since,
n°Weyer, the abandonment of the London Bridge,
and of the York Buildings' Water-Works, the New
-"Aver Company have found it advisable to erect an
engine at Broken Wharf, Thames-street, by which
eY are enabled occasionally to supply parts of
their district with Thames water, when from acci-
dental causes, the flow of the New River is impeded.
Company
number of tenants supplied by the New River
Lompany is been 66,000 and 67,000, and the quan-
tity of water which is daily supplied exceeds
43,000,000 of gallons.
The East London Water-Works are situated at
Old Ford, on the river Lea. This company has
roar reservoirs; the number of tenants supplied
irnounts to about 42,000, and the daily consumption
(°f water to nearly 6,000,000 of gallons.
, The West Middlesex Water-Works are upon the
banks of the Thames, at the upper end of Hammer-
11,,,,rnith, and draw water exclusively from the river.—
They have two reservoirs, one at Kensington, and
nue at Little Primrose Hill; they serve about 15,000
tenants. The average daily consumption of water
is 2,250,000 gallons.
The Chelsea Water-Works are upon the banks
of the River, about a quarter of a mile cast of Chel-
sea Hospital and their supplies are derived entirely
from the Thames. They have two reservoirs, one
~„1" Hyde Park, and one in the Green Park, close to
.rieeadilly. They supply about 12,400 houses; the
"rage oaily supply being about 1,760,000 gallons.
The Works of the Grand Junction Company are
also at Chelsea, iminediatelyadjacent to the Hospital.
'hey derive their Supply from the river; they fill
three reservoirs situated at Paddington, and from
these their district is served. The number of their
tenants does not appear to exceed 7,700; but their
daily consumption of water is about 2e800,000
Mons..
It appears from this statement that the portion of
the town upon the north side of the river Thames,
Including the cities of London and Westminster, is
'llPplied daily with a quantity of water amounting
t° nearly 26,000,000 of gallons, and that the total
"umber of houses and buildings receiving this supply
41nounts to about 144,000. The average consump-
tion in each house, supplied by the Grand Junction
`-'olnpans7, amounts to about 363 gallons daily. The
4rerage of the whole daily consumption of each
11.4ise is about 180 gallons. Of this water, more
than one half of which is derived from the Thames,
lalige portion is delivered at very considerable ele-
vations above the level of the river, constituting
that is called high service; for which purpose fifteen
tearn-engines are employed, exerting a power of
shout 105 horses.
It is obvious from the above statement, that the
tiontity of water supplied in London and West-
,linster is abundant; and in our examinations of in-
dividuals touching the quality of the water, we
have in no instance met with complaints of deficiency
'" quantity.
The supply of water to these parts of the Metro-
POlis, situated upon the south side of the river, in-
cluding the Borough, is dependent upon three esta-
blishments—the Lambeth, the South London, and
.Southwark Water Works.
The first of these is upon the banks of the Thames,
between Westminster and Waterloo Bridges, draw-
ing'its supplies from the river to the works. They
bate no reservoir. They supply about 16,000
tenants who consume 1,244,000 gallons daily.
The Vauxhall, or South London -Water-Works,
are situated in Kennington-lane, and have also an
Nine on the River, at the foot of Vauxhall Bridge.
They supply Thames water exclusively, and have
ieservoirs for the service of their upper engine. The
fLutnber of their tenants is about 10,000, and the
"dily consumption of water about 1,000,000 gallons.
The Southwark Water-Works are upon the bank
jf the river, between Southwark and London
•and derive their water from the river.
kbout 7,000 tenants are supplied by this establish-
"tent, with about 720,000 gallons of water daily.
Each of these establishments has two engines, the
44gregate power of the six may be estimated at about
5 horses.
There appear to be no just complaints respecting
the.quantity of water furnished by any of these Corn-
,
nes except in cases of fire, when theie has °cm-
''onally been a serious deficiency. We have in-
quired into the causes of this, and are induced to
refer it to the want of proper reservoirs for pre-
serving a head of water upon the mains when the
-" 'nos are not working.
the total amount of the quantity of water re-
Mitiired for the daily supply of the inhabitants of the
etropolis, and for the use of the various manufac-
tories, appears to be about 29,000,000 of gallons.
t„. Assuming the supplies directly to be derived from
NI river, it is obvious that the state of the weather
materially affect the purity of the water, which
• sometimes comparatively clear, and at others more
;)I. less turbid. In the latter state, when thrown
nto eisterns,and other receptacles of houses, it is
tnanifestly unfit for immediate use ; but after being
,i
lowed to rest, it forms a certain quantity of depo-
sit,, and thus may become sufficiently clear for ordi-
'7Y. purposes. This deposit, however, is the source
of several evils ; it renders the cisterns foul, and
his off into those pipes which issue from or near
tilelottotn of the reservoirs. Of this depositlhe
,moerre
'ltless is almost always collected, especially where
the service is direct from the river; and although
tome of the Companies have reservoirs of such mg-
4ititde.as to enable them to serve water already par-
u
tik
41 purified by deposition, the system is still very
t4Perfect, and the water is frequently supplied in a
turbid state.
t Same of the Companies have attempted to get
itt'er the difficulty by suffering the water to remain
t
rest for a sufficient time to become dear. But
ten when most perfectly performed, the insects
t:titained in the water, so far from being got rid of,
;041e, perhaps, even more numerous.
NIVe have taken into consideration various plans for
%titling the river water through beds of sand and
I* Materials.
lii
must, however, be recollected, that insects and
liitiended impurities only are separated by filtration.
ittie. eau be shown that water taken from the parts of
river whence the Companies draw their supplies,
ini.ontaminated by substances dissolved, or che-
ib Nly combined, the most perfect system of filter-
tean only effect a partial purification.
h rom the commencement of our inquiries we have
etto
and - -,„,
ea considerable attention upon this subject,
.
41, live endeavoured to obtain accurate information
fecting it.
order to ensure the subjecting of all these
4 . ow; •
416 specimens to the most careful and rigid ex-
for til'tton, upon one uniform system, WC put them,
gel at
purpose, into the hands of Dr. Bostock, a
eat,,lesn'au eminently qualified for the task by his
eq,e.ive knowledge of chemistry, and his practical
Thence in this department of analysis.
„;;.: general conclusion he deduces from the whole
Tha,ll °I examinations is, " that the water of the
it state!, When free from extraneous substances, is in
Mod, r 7 of considerable purity, containing only a
kind IVe quantity of saline contents, and those of a
domest:t eh cannot be supposed to render it unfit for
48 it e Purposes, or injurious to the health. But
'approaches the Metropolis it becomes loaded

with a quantity of filth, which renders it disgusting
to the senses, and improper to be employed in the
preparation of food. The greatest part of this ad-
ditional matter appears to be only mechanically
suspended in it, and separates by mere rest. It
requires, however, a considerable length of time to
allow of the complete separation; while, on account
of its peculiar texture, and comminuted state, it is
disposed to be again diffused through the water by
a slight degree of agitation, while the gradual accu-
mulation of this matter in the reservoirs must ob-
viously increase the unpleasant odour and flavour of
the water, and promote its tendency to the putrid
state. It would appear, however, that a very con-
siderable part, if not the whole, of this extraneous
matter may be removed by filtration through sand,
and still more effectually by a mixture of sand and
charcoal."
The examination of the tvater taken from the Lon-
don Dock 6howed that it did not contain the smallest
appreciable quantity of copper.
The quantity of water within certain limits, in-
cluded in what may be called the London District,
has suffered a gradual deterioration within the last
ten or twelve years. We found this opinion upon
the well ascertained fact of the disappearance of fish
from those parts of the river, to such an extent as to
have led to the almost entire destruction of the
fisherman's trade between Putney Bridge and
Greenwich.

The causes of these effects are, perhaps, princi-
pally to be traced to the increase of certain man u-
factoric3, amongst which those of coal gas polluting
the river by their refuse, and the constant passage of
steam-boats, by which the mud is stirred up.
—Where refuse animal and vegetable matter
of various deScriptions used to be collected,
and from time to time removed for the purposes of
manure, it is now indiscriminately washed into the
sewers, and conveyed into the Thames. The posi-
tion of the suction pipes of the engines belonging to
some of the Companies in regard to the mouths of
sewers, the quantity of dead animals thrown into
the river in and about Landon, its contamination by
the offal of slaughter-houses, and a variety of other
causes, affect the fitness of the water, though in a
less general degree.
It is obvious that water receiving so large a pro-
portion of foreign matters as we know find their
way into the Thames, and so far impure as to de-
stroy fish, cannot, even when clarified by filtration,
be pronounced entirely free from the suspicion of
general insalubrity. In reference also to *this
question, we apprehend that there are no grounds
for assuming the probability of any improvement in
the state of the water drawn from the London Dis-
trict of the river.

EPITAPH ON A TALKATIVE OLD MAID.
—" Here lieth the body of M. B. spinster, aged 43, who,
on the 10th day of August, 1746, became silent.

TILE LOVA T PEERAGE.—The following
paragraph is making the round of the papers :—" A New
York Paper sit} s, We mentioned the fact a short time
since, that two clergymen had sailed from this port for Great
Britain, to claim titles and estates in lordships supposed to
be vacant. One of them was the Rev. A. G. FRASER,
formerly pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Westfield,
Massachusetts. The New Brunswick Times has received
intelligence that he is about to succeed to the title of Lord
LOVAT in Scotland, with an annuity of 20,0001. sterling.' "
Brother JONATHAN is here rather sanguine. The reverend
gentleman alluded to, who is a Presbyterian clergyman, was
in Inverness a few weeks since, making inquiries on the
subject. He states himself to be the great grandson of a
younger -brother of the famous SIMoN Lord LOVAT ; but
from what we hear, the reverend claimant will have some
difficulty in establishing his propinquity. He is now pro-
secuting the inquiry in Holland, where his great grandfather
was married In consequence of a deed of entail executed
by the late Gelleral,SlSlON FRASER of Lovat, the reverend
.gentleman is completely shut out from all succession to pro-
perty of every 'kind, even if he should succeed in establish-
ing his claim to the Peerage.—lnverness Courier.

MARGARET NICLIOLSON.—Yesterday mom-
ing died, in Bethtem Hospital, the celebrated Margaret
Nicholson, who attempted the life of his late MAJESTY.—
She bai been confined in the above Establishment 42 years,
and during the whole of that period has been insane. She
always appeared much pleased whenever any of the Royal
Family visited the Institution, and on the occasion of the
death of the late Kiwo, requested to be allowed to wear
black ribbon. Her age is supposed to have been nearly
100 years.

A few days since, the workmeta employed by
Messrs. Sins, of Kingsholm, near Gloucester, in opening
a fresh pit of gravel there, discovered, at about five feet
below the surface of the earth, the tooth of an elephant,
partly fossilized, but still retaining a considerable portion
of the enamel. It measures 19 inches in circumference,
weighs bibs. and is in a perfect state of preservation. The
tooth is flat, and ribbed transversely on its surface. This
curious relic of an antediluvian world is in the possession
of BENJ. BONIER, Esq. of Gloucester. About SO years
ago, a fossil crocodile was discovered in the adjoining gravel-
pit, which was lately in the possession of Mr. HAWKER,
of Woodchester, in this county.—Bath Chronicle.
THE LAST FUNCTIONARIES OF THE LAW.
—The duties are at this moment performed by two men,
FOXTON and CHESHIRE, neither of whom was ever con-
victed or even tried, and to each a salary of one guinea per
week is granted, with permission to transfer his profes-
sional labours to any part of the country at times when
they may not be required at home. The clothes of the
deceased arc now upon no occasion handed over to the
executioner. The moment the relatives apply for the body
it is removed far them, dressed as before death, to the house
of Mr. BARNARD, the undertaker, who resides imme-
diately opposite to Newgate, and consigns• it to its last
resting place. Upon the execution of some persons lately,
the Sheriff had some conversation as to the capability of
the transverse beam to bear a number of persons, it being
supposed that the next Recorder's Report would include
several in the paragraph which shuts out the Royal
mercy, and the two " Ketches" were asked their
opinion; CHESHIRE said, " It will accommodate nine or
ten, your Worship ;" but FOXTON, who has had more.
experience, and knows every inch of the scaffold, after
throwing kis eyes over it, shook his head, and said, " No,
your Worship, I can't answer fur putting up more than
eight comfortably." It has been erroneously supposed that
the public executioners live in the prison. Into Newgate
they are never permitted to go, except on the mornings
when their dreadful work is to be done. They then proceed
together to the scaffold, at the foot of which one of them
receives the condemned, and conducts him to the other,
who is prepared with the neck-rope and cap. They at-
tentively perform the task of tying and placing on the falls
board,' and the moment the bolt is drawn, they approach
the extremities, for the purpose of putting the criminals
out of pain," by adding their weight to the pressure
upon the throat of the expiring person. They arc em-
ployed also in privately and publicly flogging the prisoners,
and it is wonderful with what impartiality they deal out their
blows. They receive their salaries over the hatch from
oue of the doorkeepers, not one of whom will have any
other communication with them, and there is not a public-
house ghbouthood where they can expect to be
served
sivniththee
a4tihing. •

STATE OE Ta ENGLISH IN INDIA.—
Great state, of a certain kind,
is still kept up, not only by
the Governor-General (who has most of the usual appen-
dages of a sovereign,'such
"II ' as body-guards, gold-sticks,
,'
spear-men, peacocks plumes, state-carriages, state-barge,
and elephants), but by all the principal persons in autho-
rity. You would laugh to see me carried by four men in
and another milees earriad before me, man with a huge
a relay, two silver
a palanqueen, two more following as
painted umbrella at my tilde: or tcy,ee Emma- returning
i
from a
~arty, with the aforesaid silver maces, or some-
times four of them behind her carriage, a groom at each
horse's bead, and four men running before with glees lan-
thorns. Yet our establishment is as modest and humble
as the habits of the place will allow. after all, this state
has nothing very daraling in it; a crowd of half-naked
followers is' no splendid show, and the horses, the equia
pages, and the furniture of Calcutta, are all as far from
magnificent as any that lam acquainted with. Our way
of life. in other respects is sensible and suited to the climate.
The general custom is to rise at six in the cold season, and
at half-past four in the morning during the hot weather,
and to take exercise on horseback till the sun is hot, then
follow a cold bath, players, and breakfast. This last is a
sort of public meal, when my clergy and ether friends drop
in, after which I am generally engaged in business till two,
when we either dine or eat our tiffin ; we then go out
again at five or six, till darkness drives us home to dress
for dinner, or pass a tranquil evening. Onr rooms are
large and lofty, with very little furniture; the beds have no
drapery but a inusquito net, and now the climate is so cool
as even to require a blanket.—Bishop Iftber's Journal.