960 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1890.
and effective system of town-drainage while under the crude and imperfectly throughout schemes of the forme we shall have attained only a disjointed one of inferior value.
12. As reference is made in more than one passage of Mr. LEIGH's letter to more recent drainage improve ments effected under my supervision, it may remove misconceptions if I explain that these works have comprised the construction of new drains in streets where none existed before, the reconstruction of main drain: on straight lines. Where in the earlier days of the Colony they had been built on tortuous lines (as fo instance at Jervois Street and Bonham Strand which Mr. LEIGH describes as still existent though they were properly rebuilt as far back as five years ago) and the extension of the town drains higher up the hill where they terminate in open chimney shafts, and that all these works would not be by any means superseded o rendered useless for the purposes they were designed by the adoption now of the Separate System, inasmucl as sound drains are as great a necessity for the escape of storm waters as are sound sewers for the escape o foul-waters.
13. Long before Mr. COOPER's Separate System Project was submitted by me to the Colonial Government I had carefully weighed over in my mind all the considerations now. put forward by Mr. LEIGH, and it was only after a very careful deliberation of all the pros and cons both in respect of the Combined System and the Separate System that I resolved to support as strongly as I was able the carefully prepared plan of Mr. COOPER. I am convinced that the Separate System for the Chinese districts of the City, with its proposed glazed stoneware pipe mains of limited diameter, laid in straight lines on moderately steep gradients and with all its accessories in the shape of ventilating grates, turning Chambers, Manholes etc., and its carefully determined volume of flow-is in the present circumstances of the Colony infiuitely preferable to a continuation of the Combined System--under which we are tied to the conveyance of sewage through granite sewers of unduly large size, laid to unduly steep gradients and on lines that are full of bends and twists and which are constructed of a material less adapted to stimulate flow in the more level streets than the smooth glassy surface of stone-ware pipes. I came to my conclusions the more readily that I recognized how much there remained yet to be done in the reconstruction and repair of the actual net-work of granite drains before we could hope to make the combined system attain even a moderate degree of efficiency, all of which meant an expenditure of public money that would go a very long way to establish the Separate System in its entirety if we elected to adopt this rival system in lieu. Also I particularly considered the question of the interception feature of Mr. COOPER'S scheme-with its systein of overflows-and the positions proposed for the out-falls, and have been convinced by a careful investigation of the float experiments that the points selected were the most judicious, furthermore I have considered in respect of the proposed new sea wall to be now built along deep water that due regard for the safety of that structure during typhoons requires that the number of sewer outlets should be as limited as is consistent with the efficiency of the sewerage arrangements of the town and I am therefore in favour of the smallest number of openings possible.
14. In the foregoing remarks which relate purely to the native districts of Victoria, I have made no allusion to the higher or European levels because in respect of these I understand there is complete unanimity of opinion.
15. In conclusion I would submit that I am of opinion no advantage will be gained by the acceptance of Mr. LEIGH's professional offer to furnish competing plans and specifications of his own for a Counter project of public drainage because his propositions while far more costly than he is aware of do not hold out to the Colony any promise of the same thorough and efficient results that are apparent under Mr. COOPER'S carefully prepared designs.
Hongkong, 23rd March, 1889.
J. M. PRICE,
Surveyor General,
[* Gazette, p 947.]
Mr. CHADWICK'S
Report.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,
December 29th, 1888.
SIR,-In answer to your invitation of the 22nd instant I have now the honor to forward you the following observations on Mr. LEIGH's report on the Proposed Drainage of the City of Victoria.
On page 3* Mr. LEIGH states that the proposed scheme is diametrically opposed to that of Mr. CHADWICK. On reference to Mr. CHADWICK'S report I find on page 25 in discussing the advisability of admitting rainfall into the sewers he says "The principal argument for its admission is that downpours of rain clean the
This is worthless
sewers.