NEW LAKE FOR LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 18999, 22 July 1925, Page 10

NEW LAKE FOR LONDON

Three arches beneath a while stone bridge on a ,secluded stretch of the Thames, at Lalebam, iu Middlesex, closely associated with memories of Matthew'Arnold, who was horn at Laleham in 1822, formed the beginning oi one, of Ihe greatest engineering schemes of our limes. Now, after ton years’ work, Hie scheme is nearly complete (says Hie ‘Daily Chronicle’). Millions of gallons of water will pour into the largest arti-ficially-made reservoir in the world- In the making of this mighty hole strange things have happened. The Diver Asn was in the way; it had to be removed, and, cleverly diverted, it now takes a now course. Cottages which had weathered storms for hundreds of years were torn down, but their old carving is "preserved. What was once the village of Littleton no longer exists; all that is left is the church; there is no post office, no inn. It may bo a year before the work is finished. Tbo concrete lining has yet to bo completed, but already the sides are partly lined, and in places topped with a curly rim which is so designed tba.t on stormy days the turbulent water will be thrown back into the reservoir as it beats against the edge. It is four miles round the rim. Superintending, work-in-progress inspectors have often walked three times a day round the reservoir, where, at times, more than 2,000 men have been engaged in the task of preparing London’s new source of water supply. During the war work was interrupted. Sleepers from the railway line which ran round the excavations were recognised by some of the employees of the Metropolitan Water Board near Albert during the Great War. Its war service finished, the railway was returned to perform its original duty at Littleton, Every pint of water that passes is automatically registered, so that at any moment the quantity flowing into the reservoir may be known to the officials, not only at "Littleton, but in London. The centrifugal pumps are giants of their kind; the pipes through which they will deliver the water are sft iu diameter, while the area covered by the reservoir is 800 acres.