THE DESTRUCTOR.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10746, 28 August 1900, Page 3

THE DESTRUCTOR.

THE DIFFICULTY SOLVED

THE RUBBISH TO BE BURIED TEMPORARILY.

At last night's meeting of the City Council, the Special Committee brought up the following report as to tbe permanent destructor: —"Your Committee has, with the assistance of the Sanitary Committee, considered the question of providing a destructor for destroying the dust and rubbish in the city, and unanimously resolved that it was desirable to procure one at once, and recommends the Council to order a four-cell destructor of Beaman and Deas, from Mel-d-um Bros., as per their tender annexed." The Mayor, as chairman of tbe Special Committee, moved the adoption of tlie report. The idea of the temporary destructor originated from the General Government officer of health. Then the Council lost its right to put the rubbish at Shirley by a special Act. Now, he wanted to say most emphatically that the Council never had it in mind to put up a temporary destructor in the place of a permanent one. But the rubbish had to be disposed of, and they had promised the Shirley people not to canyon the burying of rubbish there. The Council had been charged with knowing nothing as to the destructors, but he wished to state tliat the Council were in possession of all the information necessary on the subject of destructors from Europe and America. The use of destructors was well known, and he would read them an extract a. to the destructor which it was proposed to order: —"The main features of the destructor are the very rat>id combustion due to the novel

construction of the furnace, and the method of applying the air and the steam blast. Each cell will destroy from 16 to 24 tons of unsorted rubbish per day under normal conditions. Tbe heat obtained for steam raising purposes from each pair of cells forming a furnace will develop 75 to 150 horsepower from the arverage house refuse, containing ashes, garbage, and every kind of tnafct/ar rejected from houses, shops and markets. Absolute immunity from the nuisance of noxious fumes or gases, the arrangement of the furnace being such that the fumes and smoke from drying refuse must pass over the hottest part of the fires and through the combustion chamber, thus ensuring their complete destruction. Since the sanitary performance of this destructor is beyond question, its establishment is practicable in any part of the city at points where tha steam power developed may be conveniently utilised a_ an auxiliary or as the main source of power for many municipal or bu-rinesss purposes." The destructor which the Special Committee proposed that the Council ..hould obtain was one which claimed to give complete destruction of rubbish of all kinds and market refuse. It also was guaranteed free from nuisance. The tenders sent in nad been most carefully considered by the Sanitary Committee, and the Special Committee had no hesitation whatever in recommending the purchase of the destructor referred to. As regarded the question of the temporary destructor, as there was no» time to be lost, he had placed himself in communication with the Heathcote Road Board, and he would read to them the conditions of the proposed arrangement between the Board and the Council for burying the rubbish of the city for some months. They were as follows: —

" "Christchurch, August 27th, 1900. "The Mayor of Christchurch ha,ring- made a suggestion to the Heathcoto Road Board', tha same has been referred to the residents of Bromley for an expression of opinion thereon. The suggestion is substantially as follows: Tbe Christchurch City Council to be permitted to use Reserve No. 212, at Bromley, for a period of nine months for the purpose of burying the rubbish from the city, the rubbish to be buried in such a way that no nuisance shall arise therefrom. If this suggestion is accepted, the Christchurch City Council (1) will not proceed with the erection of the proposed temporary destructor at Bromley : ; (2) will immediately accept a tender for a permanent destructor, to be erected in the city of Christchurch. and, if s_'reauired, will satisfy the Heathcote Road Board that such tender has been accepted by them; (3) will at or before, the expiration of the said period of nine months cease depositing or disposing of rubbish within the Heathcote road' district. To avoid the expense, delay, and possible irritation which may arise from litigation, and as a proof of our de. ire to work amicably with the other local bodies, we, the undersigned ratepayers and residents, recommend the Heathcote Road Board to agree to the above suggestion as a friendly solution of the present difficulty, provided (1) that it is distinctly understood and agreed this arrangement, after the expiration of the above period, shall be without prejudice to all or any of tha right, and powers conferred by the H.athcote Road District Sanitation Act, 1899: (2) all carts or other conveyances carrying rubbish to the said reserve shall be woperly covered; (3) the City Council to make Inch agreement or undertaking as shall be approved by the Board's solicitors. It is also suggested* that it would be much appreciated if it could be arranged for the rubbish to be conveyed to the reserve not later than 9 a.m., nor before 6 p.m. At the expiration of nine months if the permanent destructor is not completed, the Heathcote Road Board is recommended to extend this arrangement for a further period, provided they are satisfied that every effort has been made by the City Council to complete the erection of the destructor."_ He thought this was a satisfactory solution of the difficulty. (Hear. Im___.) They would find that they would make a saving of some £600 for th_ erection of the temporary destructor, and besides they would get rid of the friction between the Council and a neighbouring borough. If the contract were accepted that night, they would get their permanent destructor out in some nine months. He moved the adoption of the report. . Cr Sorensen seconded the motion with a good deal of jjleasure. He thought that the Council owed a debt of gratitude to his Worship for the settlement of the difficulty. (Hear, hear.) The motion was put and carried unanimously. It was resolved to cable at once for the destructor, and send the necessary order by the San Francisco mail. [ Cr. Sorensen said that Dr. Frengley had in-pected 4171 houses in Christchurch. and I expected to complete his work in about three weeks. "