MR. NAPIER BELL'S REPLY TO MR. CLIMIE.

Evening Post, Volume XV, Issue 287, 7 December 1877, Page 2

MR. NAPIER BELL'S REPLY TO MR. CLIMIE.

A letter from Mr. Napier Bell, commenting upon the reply. of Mr. Climie to his (Mr. Bell's) report on the drainage scheme, was read before the City Council yesterday. Mr. Bell points out that he was not competing with Mr. Climie in a scheme for drainage, as the City Council had not asked him to prepare a design. He considered that he was Bimply called upon to see that the city did not accept and pay for an inferior article in the way of a drainage project. Mr. Bell then says that the sewage would run into the bay after the main sewer had filled from the pumps to the nearest overflow. He then adds : — " There is nothing iv the plans or sections to show how this is to be avoided, nor can it be, as all the sewers of the Te Aro part of the town drain towards the main sewer at Kent-terrace, and apparently overflow towards ,the main sewer next the shores of the bay, which is itself below H.W.M. This is a faulty arrangement of the sewers, the reason for which would be evident to most engineers." With respect to other points, Mr. Bell admits (1) that a chain pump has no valves (he had talked of valves in his previous report), but says that the buckets might jam or get stripped by objects getting into the case ; (2) that in heavy rainstorms the rainfall would exceed the pumping power, and while that happened the seweis would overflow with the pumps in full work, and would continue to do so until the rain abated to the power of the pump, after which the pump would keep down the overflow; (3) that he still differs in opinion with Mr. Climie as to the size of the pipes; (4) that 'the only way he can see to keep the subsoil water out of the tunnel is to add greatly to the cost of its construction ; (5) that he will not be too positive in adhering to his estimate of the cost of the scheme." As to his main objection, Mr. Bell says : — " ' The only serious objection I have raised ' against this scheme is not the * draining back of the sewage ' in the tunnel. This is a very trifling matter, and all the other objections are also trifles compared to my main objection, which is, that a city like Wellington, standing on high rising ground, shall be sewered and drained by pumping, ' night and day,' all its sewage, rainfall and subsoU water, which is the project offered by Mr. Cliraie for the city's acceptance, and rejected by me on its behalf."

Mr. Bell's letter concludes a 1?a 1 ? follows :—": — " As to the finish of the plans, I must request your Worship to give them to Mr. Clark, just as they are, as it will be easily seen that if they are altered, amended, and thoroughly finished up after leaving my hands, there would be no evidence left oi the facts upon which my report was founded. To save myself against contradiction, I have shown these plans, and those for Christchurch, to two or three men capable of judging."