The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-02 00:00:00

QUALITY OF LI•VERPOOL WATER.

Mr. Thomas Spencer, of this town, has sent us a letter
for publication on this question ; of the quantity and
quality of the water we are likely to obtain from the sand-
stone in this neighbourhood. With respect to the quan-
tity, Mr. Spencer argues that from, the nature of the
sandstone formations, they are incapable of giving a large
or continued supply of water, and as regards the quality,
he says :—" None deny that the Liverpool water is emi-
nently hard, while all agree that hardness of water is
caused by the presence of certain chemical salts, which
rain, or distilled water, is free from. It is, therefore, an
undoubted fact, that it acquires those salts from the sub-
stances it comes into contact with, after falling as rain.
On these points there is no difference of opinion. Is not
the rain which falls on those parts of the surface, much
covered with dwellings, likely to imbibe an increased
quantity of such chemical substances, as compared with
that which falls on parts of the district less thickly popu-
lated ?—lime and common salt being main ingredients of
hardness, to say nothing of the organic substances which
are known to abound in the drainage water from dwellings.
Again, with respect to our highly cultivated fields, most
of the improvements recently introduced into agriculture,
apart from draining, have been mainly in manures, the
most of which are strictly chemical. I need only name
nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, phosphate of lime,
lime alone, common salt, and guano, all used as circum-
stances dictate, but the whole of which are soluble in
water. With these facts in view, ought there to be any
doubt that rain, falling on a highly-cultivated field, im-
bibes a greater degree of chemical impurity than that
falling, say, on the sandhills of Bootle ?—the underlaying
rock in both cases being the same. An opinion seems to
prevail that the filtering process which the water is sup-
posed to undergo in its passage through the rock, does
much to improve it of chemical impurity. Where such an
opinion is allowed to obtain, the schoolmaster must, in-
deed, have been abroad, as most of the boys at either of
our institutions know that the most perfect process of fil-
tration deprives water of mechanical impurities only—that
is, those substances that aie not really dissolved in it, but
which, like mud, are only held in suspension. Were it
possible by extreme pressure to filter muddy rain water
that had been kept in an old barrel for only a week,
through six feet of our compactest sandstone, it would then
be cleared of its mud only, while the taste of the decayed
wood would still be evident ; but, in addition to which,
from being soft water, it will have become hard, which
property it would acquire by dissolving the salts of lime
and magnesiaencountered in its passage through the filter;
nor need I add that the thicker the filter is in such a case,
the harder the water is likely to become. This is not said
in the way of an opinion given at hazard ; on the con-
trary, every one, however slightly versed in practical che-
mistry, knows that water holding substances in solution,
even to saturation, is not deprived of one atom of them
by the most recondite filtering process ever invented.
Indeed, boiling water for a few minutes will do more.
"The case just put with respect to filtration is purely
hypothetical, as water will not permeate large masses of
our sandstone. Where the rock happens to be left solid
and more laminated, the numerous beds of clay that
occur so frequently, act just as so many sheets of lead, in
preventing the water from percolating farther in that di.
rection. It is only then, in virtue of the numerous
cracks or faults, which abound in the rock, that any water
finds its way to the wells at all, and even those are being
gradually filled up by a deposition of the clay which is
held in suspension by the water.
" Were our rock as porous as some would have us believe,
we should not have a dry vault in Liverpool ; or if it be
so porous, how is it that the waters of the Mersey do not
percolate through it, and impregnate all our wells with
salt water ? Such a body of water constantly exerting its
pressure over a porous material would dc this. It is true,
however, that I do know of a well near the river where
salt water is sometimes found ; but it is quite evident that
it finds its way through a slight fissure, which doubtless
will be scol f lied up.

ACCIDENT AT BIRKENHEAD.—About half-past ten
o'clock on Saturday forenoon, as two bricklayers, Walter
Stewart and Edward Askew, with another man, name
unknown, were at work at the railway bridge, in Grange-
lane, a large quantity of clay from one side of the cutting
gave way, and fell with a great violence upon them. They
were conveyed to the Infirmary, and are found to be so
seriously injured that two of them are scarcely expected
to recover.

Dr. REYNOLD'S IRONMONGERY ESTABLISHMENT.—
The premises selected by this notable doctor, for the pur-
pose of vending his cheap weapons, sire situatesin the nar-
rowest part of Leeds-street, a few doors from Vauxhall-
road, and nearly opposite the Dispensary. They consist
of a three-storeyed cottage, the windows and floors of
which appear to have been long strangers to mop or broom.
The lower storey is the sale-room, and through the murky
street window a goodly array of cutlasses and pikes are
exhibited, without order or classification. The furniture
of the shop consists of a joiner's bench, at which a man is
at work, preparing handles, or long ash poles, suitable
either for bakers' shovels or pike shafts ; about a dozen
of these lay in a rough state in a small back room, and one
of them, in a finished state, appeared to be extremely
elastic, but, with the pike head attached, must prove a
heavy and most inconvenient implement.
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE OF A CAPTAIN.—On Friday an
inquest was held on view of the body of James Benn, cap-
tam of the ship Gemini, now lying in the Albert Dock.
The deceased was 33 years of age. He was lodging at
Mr. Waring's public-house, in Oldhall-street. About
nine o'clock on Friday morning, Mr. Rigg, a merchant
interested in the vessel, called upon deceased, and'they
went together to the Albert Dock. He appeared depressed
in spirits. We give the sequel in Mr. Rigg's own words :
—He went on board his ship while I remained on shore,
and in about a quarter of an hour he came back to me.
He told me that a sailmaker on board wanted a character
from him, and asked if there was any place we could go to,
to get a sheet of paper, as he had none on board. He said
he was very nervous, and that he thought a glass of whis-
key would do him good. We went into Pilkington's pub-
lic-house, in Irwell-street. He called for a sheet of paper
and two glasses of whiskey hot. We went up stairs and
sat down. He then dictated the character for the sail-
maker, while I wrote it. While-writing it I saw him put
down an empty glass. When I had done the certificate I
looked round, and asked him to sign it. He got up to do
so, and I saw that something was the matter with him. I
said, " Good G—, what is to do with you ?" and he replied,
" Oh, Jack, I have swallowed half a tumbler of laudanum,
out of the medicine chest." He then fell down on the
sofa, and never afterwards spoke. I went down, and sent
for a surgeon directly. Two came, and applied the sto-
mach pump, and used such means as they thought proper.
He never rallied, but died in two hours. Deceased had
lost some of the ship's papers, and could not make up his
accounts. He stated that he took the laudanum on board
the ship.
ALL SAINTS' DISTRICT.—It must be truly gratifying
to the sul scribers and the friends of the Liverpool Church
Building Society, to know that their efforts to provide for
the spiritual wants of this too long-neglected district are
hailed with gratitude and thankfulness by all classes living
within its boundaries. For several weeks past many of
the poor have been complaining of the present insuffi-
ciency of their temporary church in Beau-street, on ac-
count of their being unable to obtain accommodation, and
expressing their longing desire for the completion of the
new church in Great Nelson-street, which we are happy
to say is progressing. in a highly satisfactory manner. In
order to gain admission, the people flock around the doors•
long before service, and for the last few Sundays so great
was the attendance in the morning, that after the girls'
school was provided for, but few of the boys of the Sun-
day School could gain admission, and still further tempo-
rar3, provision is now needed to accommodate the children
until the completion of the church, and to diffuse still
more widely the benefits of that religious instruction
which the inhabitants of the district seem so anxious to
avail themselves of. Under the fostering care of the Rev.
H. Marlen, the minister of the district, assisted by the
indefatigable exertions of the superintendents and teach-
ers, the schools, which but a short time since numbered
only from 90 to 100 children, have gone on increasing
until now there are about 200 children brought under re-
ligious instruction every Sabbath Day. But notwith-
standing the success which has already attended the la-
bours of the minister of this district since his appointment,
he has much to discourage him, from his not receiving
that assistance from the wealthier classes of Liverpool
which is so necessary to enable him to carry out his plans,
for the furtherance of the gospel amongst the large popu-
lation which has been committed to his care. Though an
appeal was made some few months since for no greater
sum than £l3O, to alter and fit up the building, now used
as a temporary church for the district, and to provide for
the wants of an increasing school, and the work was com-
menced, on the faith that an adequate sum would be
promptly subscribed to meet the expense, it is with regret
we learn, that not nearly sufficient has yet been raised to
meet the outlay and carry on the schools. We trust this
burden will not be left long to press upon the minister,
but that a generous public will speedily come forward to
his help. Coming amongst us as a stranger, he stands in
the greater need of countenance and support. Let him
not then be left to mourn that the sympathy professed by
many formerly connected with this district, partakes of
that morbid character which wastes itself in unavailing
sighs, instead of extending the helping hand. It should
be remembered, that until the erection of a church, a
district has not within itself those self-supporting means
which otherwise would be at command : and if the mem-
bers of other churches withhold their contributions from
such districts, under the pretence of having no connection
with them, then it is obvious the poor must be deprived
of that relief which they need, their ministers weighed
down by the burdens they have to bear, while theinha-
bitants of more opulent neighbourhoods deny themselves
that greatest of all luxuries—the luxury of doing good.
It would be well if the condition of such distress was
brought prominently before the wealthier congregations
by their own ministers, so that pecuniary assistance might
be rendered, as in some other populous towns, to those
whose labours are chiefly among the poor, to aid them in
the carrying on of their work, and the relieving of the sick
and destitute. Perhaps in no district have the effects of
the late commercial depression been more severely felt
than in All Saints. Hundreds who, until the last winter,
were able to support themselves by honest industry, from
being thrown out of employ for several months, are now
reduced to the greatest straits. And we were surprised to
learn that the chief means at the minister's disposal, for
the relief of these unfortunate persons, who have borne
their privations with the greatest resignation, have been
provided by the industrious poor who have been kept in
work, contributed by them weekly to the poorssbox at the
door of their temporary church. This ceittainly speaks
well for a people who thus manifest their attachment to
their minister, and their readiness to de, all, they can to
lessen his difficulties ;, and it is hoped their praiseworthy
conduct may operate as a stimuhzs on others in more
affluent circumstances, to assist in. bearinK the burdens of
their, fellow-men.