The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1888.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5130, 28 January 1888, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1888.

We mentioned last week that the contractor for the removal of nightsoil and house refuse had requested the Town Clerk to obtain for him a copy of Mr Higginson's report to the Wellington City Council upon the systems now adopted in England for the disposal of house refuse. This report is now to hand, and embraces the systems adopted in Whitechapel (London) in the city of London, in Ealing, and Southampton. We may premise that in all these places the water system is employed, and Mr Higginson's report deals with the ultimate disposal of the sowago. In nono of them is tho pan system known. Of Wliiteehapel, Mr Iligginson says—The " Destructor " furnace in use is what is known as Fryer's patent, as , manufactured by Manlove, Alliott, Fryer i and Co., of Nottingham. This appears" to be the one universally adopted. It contains eight cells or soparate furnaces, and deals with from 40 to 50 loads (3 cubic yards each) of rubbish per 24 hours. * The works aro situated upon a small block of ground in one of the most densely populated parts of the city of London. The yard is surrounded by dwelling bouson and manufactories, among which is the Cocoa factory of Taylor Brothers. The operations were commenced and fires lighted in September 18S6, since which date the furnaces have been in continual use, without giving cause for complaint to the numerous residents surrounding the works. The furnaces are placed back to back, the rubbish being carted up an inclined roadway carried ou iron girders and columns, to the firing floor, where it is tipped and then fed in by hand to the furnaces through holes provided for the purpose." Tho chimney is 180 feet high. The clinkers drawn from the furnaces, and the ashes which fall through the bars, aro carted away by builders and contractors. Tho rubbish dealt with consists of ashes, paper, old bottles, kitohen refuse, dead auimals, putrid meat, and in fact every description of offensive matter. 'At tlie timoof any visit," saysMr Higginson, " the thermometer was standing at 87deg. in the office attached to tho works, but beyond the ordinary smell emitted from freshly collected refuso of all descriptions, nothing offensive could be noticed. " Tho furnaces aro kept alight, day and night, five men being employed on each shift. " Beforo the adoption of the ' Destructor' nil rubbish was removed by carts to barges and sent down the Thames." It will bo seen that only refuso is dealt with in Whitechapel, but at Ealing and Southampton the actual sewage is burned in tlie " Destructor" furnaces. Ealing has a population of 22,000, but tho sewago of only 19,000 is dealt with at the works. The process adopted is to precipitate tho solids, which in the form of sludge is mixed either with ashes and road scrapings and sold for manure, or consumed in the "Destructor." The process adopted for tho sewage precipitation and deodotization is described thus: —As the sewace passes from tho main sewer to a series of masonry tanks (which are used in rotation) it is met by a small amount of clay finely powdered and mixed in water, the effect of which is described us purely mechanical. Milk of lime is then added, after much of tho solid matter is deposited, consequently a small amount is required. After passing off the water through a tank on a lower level it is met with a solution of aluminoferric. This precipitates a largo amount of matter still in suspension, and, to some extent fixes the gasses. After the clear water i.s run off, the sludge in the form of black mud is forced through cast iron pipes to masonry tanks, where it is upread over alternate layers of ashes, road scrapings, etc., to a depth of about five feet. This work is dono by hand, and after being allowed to stand soino days is dug out and sold to the market gardeners. During certain seasons of tho year when tho demand .for manure is slack, it is placed on small iron trucks and run on rails to tho " Dostructov," lifted by hydraulic power, and tipped on tho firing floor in a wet or plastic condition. It is then fed iuto the furaces in about equal proportion with ashos and other house refuse, and consumed. At Southampton tho sewago instead of being run into tho harbor as formerly empties itself into tanks placed near high water mark, and after being treated chemically is forced into the " Destructor " by Shono's Pneumatic Ejectors. The system adopted at Warrington appears to be more suitable for Napier. There thoy have, as we, the pan system, and employ both Destructor and Ejector. Mr Higginson describes the plan as follows :— Tho pans arc collected weekly by tho covered carts of the Corporation, during both day and night, and conveyed to two depots in tho town, where it is mixed up by machinery, and then forced for a distance of two miles through mains by Ejectors to the manufactory whero it is converted into " poudrette." This manure sells readily for £6 10s per ton, the receipts nearly balancing the cost of production. As a manure it is in steady demand owing to its being manufactured from undiluted night-soil. Mr Higginson adds—" The j whole system of collection and manufacture was, however, so objectionable in every way, that it is useless to enter iuto particulars." Objectionable or not, in the absence of a perfect system of sewage tho plan employed at Warrington appears to bo peculiarly adapted U> tho requirements of Napier. There would bo no necessity to manufacture manure in a place like this, and with the aid of a " Destructor" the whole could be burned, while for a town like Hastings the Ealing system would be best.