The Sun. — 1864-07-13 (London, England)

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1864.  Events succeed one another with such startling rapidity in our busy focus of civilisation and invention that incidents of conspicuous importance fade rapidly from the popular mind. Of late foreign politics have engrossed every one's attention, and the political crisis has divided our interest with the progress of the American war. The struggle in Denmark has in some measure thrown the great transatlantic conflict into the shade, bat it is impossible to forget the fratricidal strife still desolating the fair and fertile lands of a kindred community. Under such a pressure of subjects for thought, for discussion, and for inquiry, it is, therefore, not surprising if events of a domestic nature, but less momentous in their issues, assume a secondary place. Unhappily we have lately been never left long without some fresh horror, some now feature in the "sensation" drama. Accident, murder, fire, and disaster of every kind seem to follow each other too often, in spite of our boasted caution, from preventible causes. Few of these catastrophes have been more appalling in their nature, or more desolating in their extent, than the bursting of the Bradfield reservoir, when the silent waters swept away the unthinking sleepers to a stiller and darker rest. At the time it impressed the public mind most painfully, but in our busy metropolis it is now only thought of among the things of the past. We need not wonder, however, that to those living in the vicinity of such undertakings the accident is no mere story of the past, but an ever-present terrific reality. We need not wonder that they do not imitate the indifference or heedlessness of the Bradfield victims, but that by culvert and embankment with day they watch night brings untold terrors. anxious eyes, while When once a doubt has been thrown on the security of a reservoir, when they have, as in some cases, seen for themselves signs .of weakness or decay in the works, we need not marvel that many of the poorer people are afraid to rest in their beds during stormy weather and that thestate of continual alarm and excitement is described by a gentleman in the neighbourhood es PzEjudicial alike to comfort and to health. Such a Position is worse than that of the soldier lying in Wait for an Ltteck, for at least he expects to combat a mortal foe, but the insidious enemy of these poor cott agars is of overwhelming strength and subtlety, and . against it they are powerless to contend. It is certainly not astonishing that a widespread uneasiness should exist throughout those northern districts in which such reservoirs are numerous ; and it was with h view of allaying such natural anxiety that Mr. FERRAND on Monday night called the attention of the Home Secretary to the whole matter of this system of water supply. He complained that the Parliamentary Committee sitting on the question refused to introduce protecting clauses into a waterworks bill, but told the applicants that they could have their remedy at law in case of accident. This is certainly a very unsatisfactory way of doing business, since it is impossible to compensate people for ,killing them. FERRAND reminded the House that after the Sheffield catastrophe the Home Secretary seat down two eminent engineers to inquire into the effAir, and that in the course of their