REPORT of THE NELSON SANITARY COMMISSION.

Colonist, Volume X, Issue 744, 16 July 1867, Page 4

REPORT of THE NELSON SANITARY COMMISSION.

APPENDIX.

I.—Oral Evidence. Mr. SHERRATT (Blacksmith, Trafalgar-street): Has observed nuisance at culvert end, but it seemed to have arisen from emptying a cart-load of soil at end of sewer. Has observed bad smell at other times, nothing much. Had two of his boys taken with fever beginning of last Summer. A worse nuisance than that was dead cats and dogs, and spoiled bacon thrown out on the flat just beyond his shop. Does not think tho stuff from sewer comes on that part of the fiat. People throw stuff there, or spring-tides bring it up and leave it aground. Has a well puddled andlbricked ; water was very bad, is better now. The first few feet of soil smelt very bad, " Nasty stench water, T call it"

Mr. J. Scott (Builder, Trafalgar-street) : Has never observed nuisanco about mouth of sewer. Sank a well near his mill, soil smelt very badly, bnt thinks it was only vegetablo matter putrificd. At Mr. Sherratt's well much rubbish of all sorts had been thrown out for years past. .-» Could not use the water of his well for the engine on account of the deposit it left on the boiler, which lie takes to be vegetable matter. If the sewer carried more, would anticipate a bad smell in S.W. winds. If nil town closets emptied into it, thinks it would depreciate hiß property. The* oil in his acre is river-drift of sandy stuff for about one foot deep, beneath that several feet of Btinking swamp soil. At the well, six feet of loose spongy blue and black slimy clay. Should think on the swamp acre next his this sort of soil comes to the surface. Very bad smell comes from the strip of raupo swamp near Mr. Harley's house, in Summer time. Some cellars are too deep for the present sewer. Bank of New Zealand, Mr. Everett's, Mr. Jervis', Mr. Scaife's, and others. Thinks it would be desirable that an Act should compel people to havo their basement floor raised fourteen inches, or two steps at least above the level of the street. The ground floor of new houses should not be less than three feet six inches over the Crown of the sewer, in a street eighty feet broad. ' Mr. Strong (Haven-road) : I have not found the beach offensive, except sometimes at the furfliacsidoof the Saltwater bridge, where people throw in rubbish, &c. I have never observed any had smell which I could attribute to the effect of the present Trafalgarstreet sewo*. I have noticed very bad smells from the old Baths, the felhnongers' establishment ou the mud-flat. If the whole of the sewage of the town were to be deposited on the mud-flat, I should not myself be afraid of bad consequences. I think everything would be carried away to the sea. I should not be afraid if all the sewage of Nelson were delivered into the Maitai. I think it would be carried to sea.

W. bH. Berry (labourer employed by the Board of Works) : I have been much employed cleaning different di'ains and ditches of the town. I have only noticed'one particularly offensive, the Hardy - street ditch, between Trafalgar-street and Waimeastreet. and down Waimea-street. I think it is owing to some nuisance which comes from the brewery, it is very low, and -water lays dead—that makes the smell worse.

I am cleaning out the ditch into whhh Trafalgarstreet sewer empties; it is not offensive up to the joi i to w neh we bave cleaned, which is perhaps 150 feet from the mouth of the culvert The ditch is filled up chiefly with gravel—a little seliment — only in a very few places any mud or slime. The tides flow up to the culvert, except the lowest neaps. When the tide turns there is an outward ru-di strong enough to take off anything inclined to be light. I have been into the culvert itself to take a measurement. I went from Bridge-street nearly two chains downward?. I found in the sewer a slight heaviness of air becnuse the tide was rising, only two or three inches of mud in the bottom. I was nearly up to my loins in water. I was in once before to replace a brick fallen out, only two or three inches of mud then. If ten or twenty times as much filth came down that culvert, I think the water coming through would sweep everything clean through the culvert; and if the drain I am working were kept clean, it. would carry off a great deal of filth at ebb tide. I don't know about the stuff of all the closets of Nelson. I believe the bMaitai would carry off everything; if the culvert were brought down to the lower part of the river, it would be carried away with a rush at the turn of the tide. The highest spring-tides come up the culvert as far as Bonnington's, in Trafalgar-street. R. Warner (mate of last witness) ; The worst drain I have cleaned is that in Hardy-street, passing near Hurley's, owing, I think, to brewery drains, from pigsties, stables, &0., &c. The silt of the drain below the Trafalgar-street culvert is not offensive. If all the Nelson water-closets emptied into the culvert, the drain might carry all away, bnt much more water must be supplied through tho culvert. I think what the tide backs up, the fresh .water carries away at ebb tide. Nothing seems to stop on the hanks. From the end of the present drain, everything is washed away down by the Haven-road, by ebb tide.

]\fr. Philmps (Otago Dining Rooms) : Tbe only nuisance near me is the mud-flat at times; the tide brings up a nuisance now and then—sheep's heads and plucks, dead dogs and cats —and leaves tliem there. Only about four tides at springs reach tho flat at the back of my place. Never noticed any sewage matter. Never noticed any nuismce arising at mouth of present Trafalgar-street culvert, and I pass it very often, mostly every day. Don't believe it is a nuisance. Believe if all Nelson drained its closets into the sewer, it would be a nuisance ; but not if a catch reservoir were made at the mouth of the sewer, and let off at ebb-tide.

Mr. Drew: I bave a regular water-closet communicating with the main sewer; the branch drain is made of arched bricks; it carries off the contents of the water-closet and the kitchen drainage. I have observed no bad smells. I think most of the resident" in Trafalgar-street have adopted the same plan, i.e., of branch drain. Not above half-a-dozen bave got regular water-closets. The only inconvenience we have had was in the late flood, when the water from the sewer came back into the yard. I consider the action bf the main 6ewer and branch drain quite satisfactory. Trafalgar and Hardy-streets had to pay £1,400, and part of interest on it. The fitting of a branch drain from a backyard to the main sewer may average £10 per house ; in my case it cost much more; from the sewer to the closet my branch drain is about fifty yards long. I had once to take the Inspector of Nuisances to my next door neighbour, to compel him to remedy the nuiiance of his cesspool. I havo known that they overflow, and soak all the ground round. Mr. Cross (Harbour-Master and Pilot) : If the sewage w*re discharged into the Maitai, I think it would not be carried right away, but partially left on the mudflats, and the breeze would bring back odours. If carried as far ns Green Point, I still tbirik tbe sharp bend and eddies, and the back-water, would cause stuff to linger about the wharves, just as I have known drowned men carried in under the wharves, and hang about there.

If carried out to about, or a little beyond, the pilotage lights, I think then it would get clear away. bl do not think the flood-tide would carry it back. When a cask, or such like, has been lost thereabouts, I have often known it picked up on the Waimea Sands; that is where to look for it If tbe sewer were carried out to half-ebb, I think that would be safe. The nearest point of deep water to the end of the present sewer, is about half-a-mile, almost as far as the coal-hulk. I think the mud-flats are growing, from the immense quantities of silt brought down by the Maitai in floods. If a passage were cut through the Boulder Bank, I think you would have a heavy sea come in, nnd spoil landing at the wharves. I do think the passage lyould fill up again. Below the Lighthouse Ido aofcthini tho beach travels, Further eaßtit

Mr. Webb (Trafalgar-street) : I know the existing drain —Trafalgar-street; .as a drain, it works satisfactorily. If more privies than at the present were emptied into the drain, and the channel not kept perfectly free across the mud-flat, it would be a nuisance. If carried down to the Arrow Rock, all privies might be emptied into it. I see great difficulties in the earth-closet system. People prefer water-closets, especially where access to the back-yard is only through tlie front; difficulty in getting people to use them properly ; objections to carrying tlie stuff through the house, whei'e there is no other access to tho back. I should recommend the removal of solid sewage by flushed drains ' not by carth-closet3, on account of objections i men's minds, and because sowers would be needed, at any rate, for removal of liquid refuse, as, for instance, especially from breweries, now very offensive. I consider the town is not now suffering from the working of the present sewer. The sower from the Trafalgar occasions a bad Bmell; several people have been sick ; but when a good supply of water is available, that would cease. I think if the present system wero extended, and water supplied, no deposits, on the mud-flat would take place. If our population were four or tenfold, tho sewer might be carried down to the Arrow Rock. I don't think the sewer system more desirable, but more practicable, cheaper, and less opposed to men's prejudices.

Mr. Clements (Trafalgar-sti'eet): Sewage.should be removed by earth-closets, not by sewers. I say solid sewage is deposited on the mud-flat. If night-soil were carried through drains, even with increased water supply, it would be carried back by the tide on to the mud-flat. If carried to the month of the harbour, it might be carried up the Waimea, or deposited on the Boulder-bank. In any case, it would be a waste of valuable manure. I believe there is no difficulty about applying it, no more than in carrying a pail of. ashes through a house.; and it is the most magnificent manure for tho garden or farm imaginable. Afc Christchurch, the night-soil is not deodorized at all, therefore the system is a nuisance there. At Wellington, they adopt simply two pails ; ono under the seat for excrement; the other for dry earth, with a scoop, with which to throw a scoopfull over the earth each time of using. They pay a contractor ls. per closet per week for supplying of earth, (if .needed in addition to sifted ashes, which answer well), and removal of compost. They have a good Inspector of Nuisances, who takes pains, and shows people how to use it. The closets behind Wimsetfc's, in heavy rains, now overflow, and cause an awful stench when the same comes out, similarly in Toi-toi Valley. A cellar in Trafalgar-street (behind Webster's and Murrell's), dug by Messrs. Edwards and Co., bnt never built over, gets filled when the Trafalgar-street drain gets flooded in heavy rains, and the liquid lasts for a month, and the stench is very bad. So tho cellars of Messrs. Jervis, Trimble, Dishe)-, and Webster, get filled by water backing up the branch drains from the sewer, and stink.

bMr. Osman (Toi-toi Valley) : I have much experience in carting. As to cost of removing deodorized night-soil, would enter into contract to cart it away. I think it would sell to pay for the cartage to a dep6t. We get 10s. per load for fresh stable manure. One load of night-soil and ashes, I should say, is worth three loads of stable manure. I think a couple of hours each morning would clear the town, to take each house once a week. It would only pay the farmers to take it to, say beyond Eichmoiul, by loading their return carts with it; but I think none would reach there; people in the closo vicinity of Nelson would use all the manure Nelson makes. I think it a great pity to waste all that good manure down sewers. I think one cart going round each morning would serve all Nelson, taking each house once a week. After the flood, Jervis' and Wakatu cellars, which had been flooded, stink dreadfully ; an inch of slime was left on cellar, the casks were all slimy. Mr. Watts (Inspector of Nuisances): What I consider the greatest nuisance is tho waste foul water, soap-suds, dish-water, &c, &c, which are in many places thrown out into the yard in most houses in the town. Many of the privies are in a bad state and cannot be made better in the lower parts of Bridge-street and Hardy-street; if a privy were cleaned out today, and it rained to-morrow, it would be full again. I never met with any particular impediment in discharging my duty; it has only been doubted whether I could enter the premises. I find that the present supply of water is generally bad in the lower parts of the town, bad from percolation from the privy. Night soil at present has been emptied into the river below the windmill. Vei'y little is used for manuring purposes. Mr. Whitney has used it raw on his acre, and has not found it answer, he won't use it now because it stiffens the soil. I have mixed it with earth myself, let it lie a year, and used it as manure, and found it excellent manure. I mean the soil from the privy-pit when full.

I have seen movable boxes used in several houses. My experience is not very favourable ; much effluvium, much stench if the boxes are not lined. They are then a greater nuisance than the privy-pit the liquid drains through. People do not use ashes or earth to deodorize. Ashes, and kitchen refuse, rags, old shoes, are left in back yards fo rot and stink ; in many places it- is never carried away. Ido not see that I have any power to order the removal of-such things unless there were a Scavenging Act. I cannot say the manual cost of cleaning a privy properly. The general charge for cleaning the cesspool under a privy is 255. I have known it done for a pound. I dont't know what the cost of removing ashes would be. There is offensive stagnant water in the watercourse passing though the premises of'Mossrs. Rout, Richardson, and Harley, along Hardy-street; also a irreat nuisance is created by the water coming down Vanguard-street and remaining in a stagnant pool at the back of the Postboy. At the back of Gloucesterstreet it was blocked up by the effects of the flood. I think it may be cleared. Water lies badly between Trafalgar-street and Waimea-street; all slops lie there and stagnate. There is a nuisance in the Government school privy. The gaol privies smell very badly. I have power to destroy any pigsty within sixty feet of any house or road, and to suppress it, if a nuisance, at any distance. Not much nuisance with that now. . No particular nuisance about the mud-flat. The fellmonger's place is kept very creditably clean. A great deal of ashes and rubbish are thrown over the bHaven-road wall. I have never noticed any particular smell due to the mud-flat, except what we call sea smell at low tide ; unless whale-feed, dead fish, cattle, or something of that sort be washed up.

There are very bad smejls sometimes at the Saltwater bridge, and all up the ditch behind the office of the Board of Works. I cannot say from whence ifc rises. I think the ditch should be cleaned and deepened. "

lll.—Farmers' Letters. To tho Secretary of the Nelson Drainage Com'

MISSION, Sir—T may reply to both your queries addressed to me in the same words—l do not think that manure of either kind would betaken from -the town to tbe country in sufficient quantities to render the proceeds from its sale worthy of notice.

My reasons for arriving at this conclusion are partly of a general character—such as the costly nature of any attempt to 'force land by manuring, and that, as a rule, it is only done ivhere wages are very low. It is much more true of this country than of England. " That it is tbe law of production from the land, that by increasing the labour, the produce is not increased in an equal degree." Our mode of renewing the strength of land, weakened by repeated cropping, is the laying it down in grass. In this way land is at least as profitably occupied'as by being cropped, and after a time its strength returns without etfpeme to the occupier. Whether from the groat evaporation in this climate, or other cause, manure produces much less effect here than at home, while the cost of applying it^udor iimilar circw

stances is four times as great. The fact, therefore, I that certain manures are sought after and profitably | applied at home, affords in itself no ground for ex- ■ peeling a similar result in this country. The country land does not immediately surround the town, but is situated afc a long distanco away. I will take my own farm, which is more conveniently situated than the avei-age —say nine miles'from Nelson. I should have to pay 15s. per ton for carriage from Nelson, but Iput it at 10s., as its cost by a farmer's own carts. I cannot think that less than twenty loads per acre of either manure mentioned in your questions would be serviceable, which would 'involve an outlay of £10, besides the cost of purchase and of its application to the land, say £14 per acre in all. In the poor lands (like the generality), with previous gravel bottom, the benefit would probably not be felt after the second year. But in soil, of any character, I cannot see how any sum at all approaching to that named is to be repaid by its increased production. But it will be said that the farmers return carts will bring manure free, or nearly free of cost, except that of its purchase. I think a' h\v loads, and only a few, would be brought in this way. Return carts are generally occupied more or less by other articles, which could not be conveniently carted along with manure, even though deodorized. Were a railway, however, constructed to the Waimea, where the cost of carriage would be very greatly reduced, I think it highly probable that the use of manure such as you describe, especially that in its most concentrated form, would become general and extensive. But Ido not think that the present demand for town manure in the Waimea, even though obtainable for nothing, would be worth taking into consideration. I am &c, Waimea, May 20. J.W. Barnicoat.

To the Provincial Secretary, Nelson,

Sir—On my return from up the country yesterday, I received a letter from Mr. 0. Hunter Brown, Secretary to the Committee of Drainage of Nelson, inviting me to give answers in writing, to your office, on the following questions : — 1. "If the earth-closet system be adopted, will the sewage, mixed with earth, be saleable, and what will be the probable price of it ? 2. " If a similar system is adopted, without the admixture of di-y earth, will this species of manure find a market, and at what price?" In answer to both these questions, I wish to state, that I have had no practical experience with these species of manure, and therefore beg to decline giving an opinion as to the value of it. With regard to the other question, whether there will be a market for it, I am of opinion that there will be a demand for a certain quantity of ifc, as ifc is well known to be a very rich manure. Gardeners in particular, and gentlemen who cultivate gardens in the town and immediate neighbourhood, I should think would be glad to obtain it. I have, &c, Fedor Kelling-.

Ranzau, May 23,1867.

To 0. Hunter Brown, Esq., Honorary Secretary, Commission of Inquiry into the bDrainage of Nelson. Sir—l have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 13th current, written by instructions from the " Committee of Inquiry, into the Drainage of Nelson," submitting two queries for my considei'afion, and inviting an answer to be sent to the Provincial Secretary's office. In answer to the first query, I beg to say that I consider the eirth-closet system, if univei'sally adopted in the city, and especially in the centre of it, cannot fail but to be a great public benefit. Living as I do in the purest of air, I must admit that when I visit Nelson, I am nearly poisoned fi'ojn the effluvia which meets my nose in certain parts of some of its leading streets—especially at the Wakatu Hotel, and Mr. Hornby's—when tho bay wind is blowing. I cannot altogether account for it, but at most of the corners of streets where publichouses-. exist, the smell is very offensive, caused possibly frora the want of proper urinals.

There ought to be a sale for the deodorized nightsoil, and when ones fairly tried, I have no doubt but that it would be generally used as a manure ; and by way of encouraging its consumption, the lowest possible figure after paying expenses ought to be charged for it. In England, the rule is to highly manure the land ; here it is to starve it; that is, I suppose, because we live at the antipodes. In answer to query No. 2, I only know the manure alluded to as an article of commerce, a great quantity of ifc being imported into Great Britain from Norway. Tho trade name of it I forget. I have reason to think that it is in considerable demand, but I am ignorant of its price. If we had a " Mechi" amongst us, both manures would soon be tried, and then it would be seen which best suited our soil and climate. Out of the centre of the city most cottages have gardens attached to them, and here, no doubt, for the sake of getting some good vegetables, &c, the occupants would use all tho night soil after being deodorized, and to them the new system ought to be no trouble at all. Iv the city proper it would be a great bother, but would have to be carried out to the letter, and a new business would most likely arise out of it; by-sand, or powered soil, being hawked about the streets for sale. If sand should be found to be most in demand} a small craft or two would find employment in bringing that article from the Waimea beach. The charge for sand would then become a regular entry in tlie housekeeper's books.

England rakes up the whole world for manure, battle-fields not excepted, for I recollect that after the battle of Leipzig, many cargoes of bones were imported from the Baltic into Scotland, to grind into bone dust. I fear I have been wandering from the subject, and in conclusion I may here remark, that my swamp land, which is a mass of decomposed vegetable matter, will require no manure for years to come. Trusting that the foregoing answers to the Committe's queries may prove satisfactory. I have, &c, James Mackay. Drumduan, May 18.

To 0. H. Brown, Esq., Nelson,

Sir—ln reply to your letter, received late on the 15th instant, I am of opinion that either of your proposed systems will ultimately answer and prove profitable. As to its value, I cannot express an opinion until tho fertilizing properties of each are tested. I should consider tlie latter system more valuable than the former, particularly for upland. • I remain, &c, Hugh Martin. Stoke, May 20, 1867.

•?. —Notes, Mfmorakda, and Suggestions by the Provincial Engineer, as One of the Mem bers of the Sanitary Commission, Nelson, appointed May 7th, 1867. 1. —With the understanding that a new Scavenging' Act will be brought into operation, combined with the adoption of some modifications of the earth closet system, I should recommend the extension of a cheap system of house-drainage, which would appear to be realized by the use of glazed earthenware pipps —thus —Every house to be fitted with a properly trapped sink and grate, in the back premises, (not in the house on any account), to carry away all slop water and liquid refuse.

The sink to be connected with a pipe, say four inches diameter, which would commnnicat3 with a main pipe in the adjoining street, or with a sub-main running through all the back premises, and joining a main in another street.—the latter plan preferable, as the house drains would not be under the houses, except at the end of each block. Sub-mains, say 6 inches ; and mains, say 9 inches diameter. Means to be provided for flushing all the sub-mains and mains Tlie house drains, when tlie water supply is estabi lished, may be flushed at any time. The mains to empty into* the present large sewers, wherever constructed; but the extension of the latter of their present size does not ieem accessary or

desirable, with such a system m above described. A rough essimate of the probable cost df laying the above sized drains, would be including jointing, &c. £ s. d. 4 inch diameter—per chain ... 700 6 ... ... 9 10 0 9 ... ... ... ... 13 10 0 Contrast this with tho cost of tho largo sower in Bridge-street, which has cost about per chain —£13 . 2.—Storm and surface water to bo carried off by open side channels, and the present lame sowers where they are laid.. Side channels to be 1.-iid along the kerb stones of the footpaths, and to bo well paved, and of sufficient capacity for the purpose. The cost of these channels might be from £15. to £20 per chain. Tlie pi'esenfc deep water courses in some of the streets of the town, might, be cheaply improved, by having tho bottom only laid as a temporary expedient with stone or brick, in a curved form like tlie hot torn of a sewer—this could be kept clean much more easily, nnd would improve the flow of the water,

3—ln time it may become necessary or desirable to remove the out fall of the main sewer to a more distant site, where it would be acted on by the continuous flow of the water of the Maitai, and thus its contents would become more rapidly diluted. In furtherance of this plan and as part of it, I would suggest that the southern side of the river .should be embanked from Collingwood Bridge to Auckland Point, in a curved line—rhe object of .the curve being to cause the water to preserve a. deep channel next the wall by constantly inpinging on it. Also, that a road should be formed along the edge of the bank, say one third of a chain wide to commence with. The line of the present sewer could then be prolonged at an angle to its present course, striking and passing through tho curved wall some fifteen chains further on. This would be a step towai'ds reclaiming the land between the wall and the town sections, about twenty acres in extent. The cost of this work might be about £7000; but it does not appear to be really necessary in the present state of the question. The present channel beyond tbe outfall, should be, however, carefully and regularly cleared out.

4.—The Depots hereafter to be formed for tbe reception of the deodorized contents of pia'vies, and other materials collected by the Scavenging cart, may possibly, even with the best management, und the greatest care, become to a certain degree a nuisance. I would throw out a suggestion whether such Depots might not be enclosed by walls, and roofed over —the di-aught in this might be impi'oved by having a small fire kept burning, with a flue lending into the shaft, on the principle of colliery ventilation.

s.—The discharge of all sewage, both liquid and solid nrtttei', say at the Ari-ow Rock, has been proposed. On economical and financial grounds this is objectionable, and to ensure the proper action of such a scheme, an artificial fall would be required. To secure this the use of engine power would be necessary, and the erection of a reservoir to sfcoi'e the sewage during the flow of the ride. Such an arrangement would probably cost £12,000. The cost of un'ordinary sewer, including some necessary alterations in tho Haven-road, without reservoir or pumping apparatus, would probably amount to £9000. John Blackett, Provincial Engineer. Nelson, June, ISS7.