The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1902 NELSON WATER SUPPLY

THE question of improving the distribution oi the city water supply on the basis of the loan ot £15,000 recently sanctioned by the ratepayers will shortly assume a ' concrete form. An engineer has ' been engaged prospecting the vicinity of the Reservoir in connection wifch an increase „oi the storage area. Some of the residents in Brook-street Valley are rather alarmed at the notion that another or an enlarged dam should be built

as they fear flooding and "damage, to say nothing of loss of life, if an accident w ere to occur. The Jamestown disaster, though it occurred many years ago, is ever fresh in the minds of all people who dwell within the course of waters pent up by a dam, anil, unreasonable though it may be, the question of comparison arid circumstance is never considered. In regard to the increase of the size of the dam of the Nelson Reservoir, vgry little danger of bursting is to be anticipated, and, even if there should be such a disaster, the water has so much room for spreading that it would affect- only a small area in the immediate vicinity of the Reservoir, if even there. In fact, if the people only knew it, there is more danger fiom the present dam than from any new one, or from any heightened wall that may be built. The dam wall in its existing state leaks like a sieve. The percolation of the water may he observed at any time, and a good many observant persons beliepe the repairs of these leakages with larger pipes would serve all the needs of the city without incurring the expenditure involved by increasing the catchment area. * * * The view of at least one obser- 1 ver of the Brook Valley for a I very large number of years is that I there is no necessity for an in- I creased storage capacity, inasmuch as the water that now flows- in the Brook from the Reservoir to the Maitai is virtually the surplus after the pipes of the supply have been filled. If larger pipes were provided, as there must be, it stands to reason that they would be filled before the water overflowed the dam and came down town. Thus, it is contended that if the pipes to intercept the water of the Brook were sumciently capable, all, or nearly all, the water that now (lows in the Brook and wastes in the Maitai and the Queen's Gardens would go into the pipes and furnish the city. There is nothing not feasible in this suggestion. Allowing for leakage in the dam, natural percolation, springs, and sources of supply to the Brook thi side of the dam, it is obvious that the interception of the main stream by hieans of the dam, and the conducting of s-uch intercepted stream into the pipes, enable Nelson to possess a gravitation water supply, It Js also reasonable to suppose that a great deal of the water now running in thr Brook year in and year out is wastage or surplus after the pipes have been filled. Presuming pipes of larger capacity, therefore, it is fair to suppose that much of tlie present surplus would go into them, and that the volume of water escaping now would be so utilised. * # * The__heory may be illustrated as follows :— Suppose the catchment area is increased and the pipes left as they arc. The result would be a greater expanse of water backed up tiy the dam, probably more water, regularly running down the Brook, | but no more water entering the pipes. Suppose both catchment area and pipes were increased, there < might be more stored water, but the water overflowing from the dam and running into the Brook to' town would still he in great measure the overplus -lfter the r** creased pipes had been filled. Of course the presumption is that, should the stored water behind the present dam at any time get he' low the level of the pipe mouths tlie city snpply would give out. Hut. what- is trh experience of the people (luring the longest recorded drought '' Never, for a course of years, has there been less than a trickle in the Brook during the driest periods, except in rare instances when portions of the Brook have been dry under foot. The latter condition has arisen only only once or twice m many years, and then for only a day or two. At these periods it was always possible to strike water a few inches under the river bed*— to strike it with a pointed stick or a child's shovel. Simultaneously, at the dam., the cessation of overflow has sometimes alarmed the people , but with ordinary care, at least so far as the low-levels are concerned, there has never been any imminent- danger of the wafer giving out. * a * Tha inference, therefore, is that the present supply behind the present dam is practically more than siiflicicnt for all purposes. It is necessary to repair the dam so that tliere shall he no waste from leakage. Hut it is contended, and with show of reason, thai before money is spent in erecting another dam, or in increasing the height of the present dam, experiment should be made with merely increased capacity in pipes. The suggestion is all the more feasible inasmuch as the larger pipes must be provided in any case. That, is to say, presuming that after the increased pipes are laid down it is found that it is necessary to increase tlie storage capacity at the Reservoir. The position will be that the work and outlay on pipes will have merely preceded instead of following the work afid outlay at the dam. "so ri«k is thus involved, and it may happen that if the experiment proved successful the water supply question would be solved for a number of years to come. Of course no reference is here made to the problem of the high-levels supply. That is a matter for subsequent consideration, in the direction of auxiliary reservoirs in the vicinity of the places served. While we have a mere gravitation water-supply sthenic we shall he able only lo ameliorate the condition of the high-levels ; and many think thatmost causes of complaint would be removed if some plan of auxiliary storage tanks on the heights, fed while the drain on the main supply ■s the least, could be devised. '".he monthly meeting of the Town Schools C< inmittee will bo held this evening. An advertisement from tfce Secretary for Education relating to school teachers for South Africa appears in another column to-day, and contains matter of importance and interest. Mrs Mackie desires to acknowledge £22 fmm the Nelson Girls College for the yueen Victoria Maori School, and to make a strong appeal to the public for £7 more so as to complete tho pnm of .£2OO for Nelson's contribution. The smallest sums will be acceptable if sent to Mrs Mackie at the Hospital. Mr Coxon, the laundry expert, notifies that he will continue lessons in starchinironing, etc, until Thursday ; also that clothes pressing and cleaning will be introduced to-iuori'ow. By arrangement with tbo Deparfment of Agriculture, a consignment of raspberry pulp was forwarded from tho Nelsw district for shipment to England by theßoapehu last week Me-sra Kirk-p-trlck and Co, Nelson, forwarded two ton*, of varied weights, and the Motueka Iruit Syndicate forwarded one ton in 71b, 101 b, and 501 b tins. The shipment \T y ™ iVii -V s conß »*-e<i to Messrs W Weddelland Co, London, who have undertaken to bring the samples under the notice pf the principal jam manufacturers of the United Kingdom, and to cable to t he Department (he homo values based on these samples. The demand for the pulp is large, and it is hoped that the price at which it can be obtained will enable an important trade to be done. 0u Wednesday next Messrs W. Rotit& Sons hold their first stock Bale at Bright water on grounds adjoining fche Bright water Hot_l, and on Saturday next in their salerooms the privileges for Nelson Jockey Club race meeting, and four build- ' ing allotments m St. Vincent Street will ( be sold, Ii eellaneous furniture, f

Messrs Bisicy Bros, and Co. will hold i heir weekly live stock sale at Richmond on Wednesday next. Tim auctioneers slate that present onbies nuolfeer about HOj fat and store wethers, st ore ewes and lambs, pig 3, etc. Owing to the Easter » holidays, ihe sales of property advertised ' or Saturday, 29th inst, have been post- I poned, and will now bo beld on the fol- ■ lowing Saturday, sth pros. j One of the most interesting events ; connected with the rece it J übilee was i the very eloquent and sympathetic speech ! delivered by the Right Hon. Mr Seddon at tlio old settlers' luncheon. He spoke of the difficulties and trials that were undergone by the bravo pioneers iv their endeavours to carve out homes in a new land, and feelingly detailed many joyous and sad events. 'He however omitted t o state that nnv great happiness was brought io:to many homes through the celebrated Atlas Sewing Machine, sold at such alow price by Lock, the Universal Provider; ard also that beautiful Cork Linoleums. soM by Lock do away withthe drudg-ry aud scrubbing and lessen human toil. Mr Lock can and does equip many happy homes throughout, and it is well known he sells first class up to date goods cheaper than anyone, Chests drawers, Duchess tables, couches, bedsteads, bedding, rattan ware, curtains, ]mlts, crockery, cutlery, prams, go carts, and all at the lowest prices,— Advt.